愚人集牛乳喻

§2 愚人集牛乳喻
(2) the stupid man stores up milk
昔有愚人，将会宾客，欲集牛乳，以拟供设，而作是念：“我今若预于日日中毂取牛乳，牛乳渐多，卒无安处，或复酢败。不如即就牛腹盛之，待临会时，当顿（上殻 下牛）取。”作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各系异处。
once upon a time there was a stupid man who was about to give a party. he wanted to store up milk for his guests. "if i milk the cow beforehand every day, he thought, little by little, there will be too much of milk and will not be enough space to store it and it may even spoil. it would be better to let it remain inside of the cow. i'll milk the cow right away at the time of the party." he then separated the cow from the calf and tied them up apart.
却后一月，尔乃设会，延置宾客，方牵牛来，欲（上殻 下牛）取乳，而此牛乳即干无有。时为宾客或嗔或笑。
a month later, he actually gave the reception. he tried to milk the cow, but the milk had run dry. some guests got annoyed and others laughed at him.

愚人亦尔。欲修布施，方言待我大有之时，然后顿施。未及聚顷，或为县官，水火盗贼之所侵夺，或卒命终不及时施。彼亦如是。
so are the idiotic fellows who want to give alms at once but prefer to wait until they possess great wealth. it usually happens that, before they can scrape together enough money, it is seized by the country officers or taken away by robbers and thieves or by fire and flood. it also happens that, due to their sudden demise, they are not in time for giving alms. this is just like the story of the stupid man who stored up milk.
注释：
①这是《百喻经》中第二个故事。计划设想得再好，却因一个小小的常识错误，导致全局的崩溃。在现今的各种决策之中，应引以为戒。
②（上殻 下牛）取：挤取，（上殻 下牛）音勾。
③卒无安处：卒同猝。没有盛置的器皿。
④酢败：酢，酸。酢败即变质发酸。
⑤顿：即现场。当顿，即当场。
⑥牸：雌性牲畜。
白话：
从前有个愚人请客，邀请了诸亲好友及地方众人来参加宴会，当时该地方以牛乳为最上品，那天必需要有许多牛奶供应客人，愚人心想：“我如天天挤牛奶，牛奶渐多，亦无处安放，过几天也会发酸变坏。还不如储存在牛的肚子里，不必每天挤出来，临到客人前来宴会那天，一顿当挤出来岂不是好。”于是他就把所有的母牛和犊牛分开，不给小牛吃奶，只以嫩草青叶饲养母牛，以便生更多的牛奶。到了宴会那一天，他牵来所有母牛，要当场挤奶来请客，可是一滴奶也挤不出来了，宾客看到这种情况，有的心中怨恨，有的忍不住笑话他。

佛说愚人也是这样，想要行布施却又说，等我积财成大款时，然后一顿当布施，结果还未及聚集致富，或被县官、水火盗贼所侵夺，或到命终时也来不及布施了，他们也是同样的愚痴啊！
源流：
　　《众经撰杂譬喻经》卷上载：昔有一婆罗门，居家贫穷，正（止、只、仅）有一悖牛，（上殻 下牛）乳日得一斗，以自供活。闻说十五日饭诸众僧沙门得大福德，便止，不复（上殻 下牛）牛，停至一月并取，望得三斛，持用供养诸沙门。至满月，便大请诸沙门至舍皆坐。时婆罗门即入（上殻 下牛）牛乳，正（止）得一斗。虽久不（上殻 下牛）乳而不多。诸人呵骂言：汝痴人! 云何日日不（上殻 下牛）乃至一月也，而望得多?
　　今世人亦如是，有财物时，不能随多少布施，停积久后，须多乃作。无常水火及以身命，须臾难保。若当不遇，一朝荡尽，虚无所获。（比丘道略集、鸠摩罗什译，《大正藏》第四册第五三二页）

解说：
　　生命飘忽，身外之物，更是聚散不定，因而布施之举，当时时实行，多少无论，毋须等待什么时机。
供您思考：
如今佛弟子发心修行，并不立即开始，说还有儿女的婚事未了，此二件大事办完，定当修行。可是到那时仍未能修行，因为孙子爬到你身上来了，又没空了。结果光阴一去不再回，既得不到学修，又抓不回时光，也与愚人没有两样。
也有佛弟子天天不肯学法、修定，说等我死了往生他方净土再开始学修。结果到老命终由于不学佛法未得到智慧，又因达不到一心不乱未能往生他方世界，佛法的圆融和宝贵的时光都被自己的愚蠢抛光了。