Udanavarga 3.92-93

3.92

昔者羅雲未得道時，心性麤獷言少誠信。佛敕羅雲：「汝到賢提精舍中住，守口攝意勤修經戒。」羅雲奉教作禮而去，住九十日，慙愧自悔晝夜不息。佛往見之，羅雲歡喜趣前禮佛，安施繩床攝受震越，佛踞繩床告羅雲曰：「澡盤取水為吾洗足。」羅雲受教為佛洗足。洗足已訖，佛語羅雲：「汝見澡盤中洗足水不？」羅雲白佛：「唯然見之。」佛語羅雲：「此水可用食飲盥漱以不？」羅雲白言：「不可復用。所以者何？此水本實清淨，今以洗足受於塵垢，是以之故不可復用。」佛語羅雲：「汝亦如是，雖為吾子國王之孫，捨世榮祿得為沙門，不念精進攝身守口，三毒垢穢充滿胸懷，亦如此水不可復用。」佛語羅雲：「棄澡盤中水。」羅雲即棄。佛語羅雲：「澡盤雖空，可用盛飲食不耶？」白佛言：「不可用。所以然者，用有澡盤之名，曾受不淨故。」佛語羅雲：「汝亦如是，雖為沙門口無誠信，心性剛強不念精進，曾受惡名，亦如澡盤不中盛食。」佛以足指撥却澡盤，澡盤應時輪轉而走，自跳自墮數返乃止。佛語羅雲：「汝寧惜澡盤恐破不？」羅雲白佛：「洗足之器賤價之物，意中雖惜不大慇懃。」佛語羅雲：「汝亦如是。雖為沙門不攝身口，麤言惡說多所中傷，眾所不愛智者不惜，身死神去輪轉三塗，自生自死苦惱無量。諸佛賢聖所不愛惜，亦如汝言不惜澡盤。」羅雲聞之慚愧怖悸。佛告羅雲：「聽我說喻。昔有國王有一大象，猛𭶑能戰，計其力勢勝五百小象。其王興軍欲伐逆國，被象鐵鎧象士御之，以雙矛戟繫象兩牙，復以二劍繫著兩耳，以曲刃刀繫象四脚，復以鐵撾繫著象尾，被象九兵皆使嚴利。象雖藏鼻護不用鬪，象士歡喜知象護身。所以者何？象鼻軟脆，中箭即死，是以不出鼻鬪耳。象鬪殊久出鼻求劍，象士不與，念此猛象不惜身命，出鼻求劍欲著鼻頭，王及羣臣惜此大象，不復使鬪。」佛告羅雲：「人犯九惡，唯當護口，如此大象護鼻不鬪。所以然者，畏中箭死。人亦如是，所以護口，當畏三塗地獄苦痛。十惡盡犯不護口者，如此大象分喪身命，不計中箭出鼻鬪耳。人亦如是十惡盡犯，不惟三塗毒痛辛苦。若行十善攝口身意，眾惡不犯，便可得道長離三塗，無生死患。」

Formerly, when Rāhula had not yet attained the Way, his mind and nature were crude and fierce, and his words lacked sincerity and truthfulness. The Buddha ordered Rāhula: "Go to the Xianti Vihāra and reside there; guard your mouth, restrain your thoughts, and diligently cultivate the scriptures and precepts." Rāhula received the instruction, bowed, and departed. Residing there for ninety days, he felt shame, repented, and reformed himself without ceasing day or night. The Buddha went to visit him. Rāhula, filled with joy, stepped forward to pay homage to the Buddha, arranged a corded bed, and welcomed him with reverence. The Buddha sat upon the corded bed and told Rāhula: "Fetch water in a basin to wash my feet." Rāhula obeyed the command and washed the Buddha's feet. When the washing of the feet was finished, the Buddha said to Rāhula: "Do you see the foot-washing water in the basin or not?" Rāhula said to the Buddha: "Indeed, I see it." The Buddha said to Rāhula: "Can this water be used for drinking, washing the hands, or rinsing the mouth, or not?" Rāhula said: "It cannot be used again. Why is that? This water was originally pure, but having been used to wash the feet, it has received dust and dirt; therefore it cannot be used again." The Buddha told Rāhula: "You are also like this. Though you are my son and the grandson of a king, and have renounced worldly glory and wealth to become a śramaṇa, you do not think upon diligence to restrain your body and guard your mouth; the defilements of the three poisons fill your breast. You are just like this water that cannot be used again." The Buddha told Rāhula: "Discard the water in the basin." Rāhula promptly discarded it. The Buddha told Rāhula: "Although the basin is empty, can it be used to contain food and drink, or not?" He said to the Buddha: "It cannot be used. Why is that? Because it bears the name of a washbasin and has once held impurity." The Buddha told Rāhula: "You are also like this. Though you are a śramaṇa, your speech lacks sincerity and truthfulness, your mind and nature are stubborn and hard, and you do not think upon diligence; having once acquired an evil reputation, you are just like this washbasin, which is unfit to hold food." The Buddha struck away the washbasin with his toes. The washbasin immediately spun and rolled away, bouncing and falling several times before stopping. The Buddha told Rāhula: "Do you cherish this washbasin, fearing it might break, or not?" Rāhula said to the Buddha: "A vessel for washing feet is a cheap thing; though in my mind I might regret it, I do not care deeply for it." The Buddha told Rāhula: "You are also like this. Though you are a śramaṇa, you do not restrain your body and mouth; your crude words and evil speech cause much injury, so that you are unloved by the multitude and not cherished by the wise. When your body dies and your consciousness departs, you will revolve in the three bad paths, taking birth by yourself and dying by yourself amid boundless affliction. The Buddhas and holy sages do not love or cherish you, just as you said you do not cherish the washbasin." Hearing this, Rāhula was ashamed and terrified. The Buddha told Rāhula: "Listen to my parable. Formerly, a king possessed a great elephant, fierce, cunning, and skilled in battle, whose power and strength surpassed five hundred smaller elephants. The king raised an army wishing to attack a rebellious state. He clad the elephant in iron armor and had an elephant trainer drive it, tying double spears and halberds to its two tusks, attaching two swords to its two ears, fastening curved-blade knives to its four legs, and binding an iron club to its tail. He equipped the elephant with nine weapons, all made sharp and terrible. Though the elephant hid its trunk, guarding it and not using it to fight, the elephant trainer was pleased, knowing the elephant was protecting its body. Why was that? The elephant's trunk is soft and fragile; if struck by an arrow, it would die instantly; therefore it did not expose its trunk to fight. When the elephant had fought for a long time, it stuck out its trunk seeking a sword. The trainer would not give it one, thinking: 'This fierce elephant does not cherish its own life; it extends its trunk seeking a sword, wishing to hold it at the tip of its trunk.' The king and his ministers cherished this great elephant, and would not let it fight any longer." The Buddha told Rāhula: "When a person commits the nine evils, they must only guard the mouth, just as this great elephant guarded its trunk and did not use it to fight. Why so? Because it feared being struck by an arrow and dying. A person is also like this; the reason they should guard the mouth is that they must fear the suffering of the three bad paths and the hells. One who commits all ten evils and does not guard the mouth is like this great elephant risking the loss of its life, ignoring the danger of being struck by an arrow and extending its trunk to fight. A person is also like this: committing all ten evils, they do not consider the bitter agony of the three bad paths. If one practices the ten wholesome deeds, restrains mouth, body, and mind, and does not commit the various evils, one can attain the Way and forever leave behind the three bad paths, free from the distress of birth and death."

In days of old, before Rahula had attained to supreme wisdom, his natural disposition being somewhat low and disorderly, his words were not always marked by love of truth. On one occasion Buddha had ordered him to go to the Kien-tai (Ghanda or Ghanta?) Vihāra, and there remain guarding his mouth (tongue), and governing his thoughts, at the same time diligently studying (or observing) the rules of conduct laid down in the Scriptures. Rahula, having heard the command, made his obeisance and went. For ninety days he remained in deep shame and penitence. At length Buddha repaired to the place, and showed himself; on seeing him, Rahula was filled with joy, and reverently bowed down and worshipped him. After this, Buddha having taken the seat provided for him, he desired Rahula to fill a water-basin with water and bring it to him, and wash his feet. Having done so, and the washing being over, Buddha asked Rahula if the water so used was now fit for any purpose of domestic use (drinking, etc.);

and on Rahula replying in the negative, because the water was defiled with dust and dirt, Buddha added: “And such is your case, for although you are my son, and the grandchild of the King, although you have voluntarily given up everything to become a Shaman, nevertheless you are unable to guard your tongue from untruth and the defilement of loose conversation, and so you are like this defiled water—useful for no further purpose.” And again he asked him, after the water had been thrown away, whether the vessel was now fit for holding water for drink; to which Rahula replied, “No,” for the vessel is still defiled, and is known as an unclean thing, and therefore not used for any purpose such as that indicated; to which Buddha again replied, “And such is your case, by not guarding your tongue, etc., you are known and recognised as unfit for any high purpose, although you profess to be a Shaman.” And then once more lifting the empty basin on to his foot, and whirling it round and round, he asked Rahula if he were not afraid lest it should fall and be broken; to which Rahula replied that he had no such fear, for the vessel was but a cheap and common one, and therefore its loss would be a matter of small moment.

“And such is your case,” again said Buddha, “for though you are a Shaman, yet being unable to guard your mouth or your tongue, you are destined, as a small and insignificant thing, to be whirled in the endless eddies of transmigration—an object of contempt to all the Wise.” Rahula being filled with shame, Buddha addressed him once more: “Listen, and I will speak to you in a parable. There was in old time the king of a certain country who had a large and very powerful elephant, able to overpower by its own strength five hundred smaller elephants. This king, being about to go to war with some rebellious dependency, brought forth the iron armour belonging to the elephant, and directed the master of the animal to put it on him, to wit, two sharp-pointed swords on his tusks, two iron hooks (scythes) on his ears, a crooked spear on each foot, an iron club (or ball) attached to his tail; and to accompany him were appointed nine soldiers as escort. Then the elephant-master was rejoiced to see the creature thus equipped, and trained him above all things to keep his trunk well coiled up, knowing that an arrow piercing that in the midst must be fatal. But lo! in the middle of the battle the elephant, uncoiling his trunk, sought to seize a sword with it. On which the master was affrighted, and, in consultation with the king and his ministers, it was agreed that he should no more be brought into the battle-field.” In continuation, Buddha said: “Rahula!

if men committing the nine faults only guard their tongue as this elephant was trained to guard his trunk, all would be well. Let them guard against the arrow that strikes in the middle! let them keep their mouth, lest they die, and fall into the misery of future births in the three evil paths!” And then he added these stanzas :—

3.93

於是世尊即說偈言：

Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke this verse: