（二）愚人集牛乳喻
The Fool Who Collected Milk
昔有愚人將會賓客，欲集牛乳以擬供設，而作是念：「我今若豫於日日中𤚲取牛乳，牛乳漸多卒無安處，或復酢敗。不如即就牛腹盛之，待臨會時當頓𤚲取。」作是念已，便捉牸牛母子，各繫異處。却後一月，爾乃設會迎置賓客，方牽牛來欲𤛓取乳，而此牛乳即乾無有。時為眾賓或瞋或笑。愚人亦爾，欲修布施，方言待我大有之時，然後頓施。未及聚頃，或為縣官水火盜賊之所侵奪，或卒命終不及時施，彼亦如是。
Once there was a foolish man who was preparing to host guests. He wanted to gather milk to serve them, and he thought to himself: "If I start milking the cow every day from now on, the milk will keep piling up until I have nowhere to store it, and it might even turn sour. Why not just leave it in the cow’s udder and collect it all at once right before the gathering?" Having decided this, he tied up the cow and her calf separately.
A month later, when the guests had arrived and the gathering began, he led the cow out to milk her—but by then her milk had already dried up. The guests were either annoyed or laughed at him.
In the same way, some people wish to practice generosity but say, "I’ll wait until I’m very wealthy, then I’ll give all at once." Before they can accumulate that wealth, it may be taken by officials, destroyed by flood or fire, stolen by thieves—or they may pass away suddenly, missing the chance to give. They are just like that foolish man.