In ancient China, a farmer went to the market to sell loads of luscious pears. He set up his barrow and soon the crowd assembled. A poor, hungry, ragged-looking priest approached him and humbly asked for one pear. The farmer refused. The priest kept insisting. A man in the crowd came forward and asked the farmer to give the priest a rotten pear. But the farmer refused and all the people close by began shouting.
Then, the constable of the market took out some cash out of his purse, bought a pear and gave it to the priest. The priest thanked the constable, bowed and told the people that he needed the pear not for himself but for growing. He ate up the pear leaving a single pip. He dug a hole in the ground and planted it. The priest gently covered it with the soil.