Once upon a time, there was an elderly man who sent a servant to buy him some apples. He gave him orders as follows, "You'll buy some good and sweet apples for me."
The servant then went on an errand with money. The owner of the apple orchard said to him, "All my apples are good and sweet: There is not a single bad one. You'll know it when you taste one."
The servant said, "I'll buy some after I taste every single one of them. How do I know about the rest. If I only taste one?"
After tasting them one by one, he bought the apples. The master did not like the sight of all these half-eaten apples and he threw them all out.
This is also held to be true with the people at large.
Seeing that all those who keep almsgiving commandment, can acquire great wealth and happiness, physically at ease and mentally stable. People still remark in disbelief, "We'll believe it if we can get them for ourselves."
To see for yourself in noble and base, rich and poor of this World, you would attribute those people to retribution of the previous lives. But they hardly know to deduce the Law of Cause and Effect, which they are reluctant to draw a general rule from particular instances. It is to be regretted for their disbelief. For once death approaches them, they have to leave their worldly possessions just like the elderly man throwing out all the half-eaten apples.
昔有一長者，遣人持錢至他園中買菴婆羅果而欲食之，而勅之言：「好甜美者汝當買來。」即便持錢往買其果。果主言：「我此樹果悉皆美好無一惡者，汝嘗一果足以知之。」買果者言：「我今當一一嘗之然後當取，若但嘗一何以可知？」尋即取果一一皆嘗，持來歸家。長者見已惡而不食，便一切都棄。
世間之人亦復如是，聞持戒施得大富樂，身常安隱無有諸患，不肯信之，便作是言：「布施得福，我自得時然後可信。」目覩現世貴賤貧窮皆是先業所獲果報，不知推一以求因果，方懷不信，須己自經，一旦命終，財物喪失，如彼嘗果一切都棄。
The servant then went on an errand with money. The owner of the apple orchard said to him, "All my apples are good and sweet: There is not a single bad one. You'll know it when you taste one."
The servant said, "I'll buy some after I taste every single one of them. How do I know about the rest. If I only taste one?"
After tasting them one by one, he bought the apples. The master did not like the sight of all these half-eaten apples and he threw them all out.
This is also held to be true with the people at large.
Seeing that all those who keep almsgiving commandment, can acquire great wealth and happiness, physically at ease and mentally stable. People still remark in disbelief, "We'll believe it if we can get them for ourselves."
To see for yourself in noble and base, rich and poor of this World, you would attribute those people to retribution of the previous lives. But they hardly know to deduce the Law of Cause and Effect, which they are reluctant to draw a general rule from particular instances. It is to be regretted for their disbelief. For once death approaches them, they have to leave their worldly possessions just like the elderly man throwing out all the half-eaten apples.
70嘗菴婆羅果喻
世間之人亦復如是，聞持戒施得大富樂，身常安隱無有諸患，不肯信之，便作是言：「布施得福，我自得時然後可信。」目覩現世貴賤貧窮皆是先業所獲果報，不知推一以求因果，方懷不信，須己自經，一旦命終，財物喪失，如彼嘗果一切都棄。
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