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饥荒肆虐舍卫城的时候，佛陀问自己的一众信徒：“你们中有谁愿意担当赈济饥民的职责呢？”
开银行的拉特纳卡低下了头，说道：“赈济饥民需要许多钱财，远远超过了我的全副身家。”
御林军首领贾森说：“我乐意献出生命和鲜血，可我家里并没有足够的食粮。”
拥有大片土地的达玛帕尔叹了口气，说道：“旱魃已经吸干了我的田地，我都不知道该拿什么去抵偿国王的税款了。”
这之后，乞丐的女儿苏普里雅站了出来。
她躬身向众人致意，然后恭恭敬敬地说道：“我愿意去赈济饥民。”
“拿什么赈济啊！”众人惊异地叫道，“你打算拿什么来践行自己的承诺呢？”
“我是你们当中最穷的一个，”苏普里雅答道，“我的力量便由此而来。你们所有人的房子里，都有我的钱柜和粮仓。”
"Who among you will take up the duty of feeding the hungry?" Lord Buddha asked his followers when famine raged at Shravasti.
Ratnākar, the banker, hung his head and said, "Much more is needed than all my wealth to feed the hungry."
Jaysen, the chief of the King's army, said, "I would gladly give my life's blood, but there is not enough food in my house."
Dharmapāl, who owned broad acres of land, said with a sigh, "The drought demon has sucked my fields dry. I know not how to pay King's dues."
Then rose Supriyā, the mendicant's daughter.
She bowed to all and meekly said, "I will feed the hungry."
"How!" they cried in surprise. "How can you hope to fulfil that vow?"
"I am the poorest of you all," said Supriyā, "that is my strength. I have my coffer and my store at each of your houses."
