འཕགས་པ་དཔལ་སྦས་ཞས་བྱ་བའ་མད 16

16

and thought, “Does such a loud and powerful noise here in the city of Rājagṛha mean that the Blessed One did not fall into the large fire pit and die? Has the Sugata not died?”

With this thought, Śrīgupta’s wife worked to force open the door. She then ran straight to the main gate and saw that the fire inside the pit had died away, the pit had become a lotus lake, and the Blessed One had set foot upon a lotus buzzing with bees as he proceeded towards Śrīgupta’s house. She was delighted and overjoyed at this sight; and, filled with delight and happiness, she went to Śrīgupta and said, “Lord, the fire in the pit has gone out, and it has become a lotus lake. The Blessed One set foot on a lotus buzzing with bees, and then proceeded toward the house. Look, look!”

Śrīgupta then looked, and was so startled and afraid that his hair bristled. Eagerly and swiftly he hastened down from the top of the house and went to the main gate where the Blessed One stood. When he arrived there, he bowed at the feet of the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, I have made a mistake! Sugata, I have made a mistake, and I confess! Like a deluded, ignorant fool, I followed a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, and under his influence thought to treat the Blessed One in this manner. Blessed One, since I have erred, please accept me, guilty as I am! I commit to act differently from now on.”

The Blessed One replied, “So, householder, you must understand that you are guilty of wrongdoing for following a nonvirtuous spiritual friend, like a deluded, ignorant fool, and behaving this way under his influence.