法句譬喻經 18.p8

18.p8

In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana, at Śrāvastī, and preaching his doctrine for the benefit of men and gods, there were in a country to the eastward, called Uttaravati, a company of 500 Brahmans, who had agreed to go together to the residence of a certain Nirgrantha ascetic on the banks of the Ganges, who, by polluting himself with dirt, etc., aspired to the condition of a Rishi. On their way they were overtaken in the desert with thirst. Seeing a tree, and hoping to find some human habitation near, they hastened on to it, but when arrived there they found no sign of life; on this, they raised their voices in lamentation. Suddenly from the tree they heard the voice of the resident Spirit, who asked them why they lamented so, and on hearing the reason, supplied them to the full with drink and meat. The Brahmans, ready to start onward, asked the Spirit what had been his previous history, that he was thus born; on which he explained that having gone to the assembly of priests in Śrāvastī when Sudatta had bestowed the garden on Buddha, he had remained all night listening to the Law, and having filled his drinking-cup with water as he went, had bestowed it in charity among the priests. On his return next morning, his wife in anger asked him what annoyance he had received that he should stop away all night. On which he replied that he was not annoyed, but he had been to listen to Buddha preaching at the Jetavana. On this his wife began roundly to abuse Buddha, and said, “This Gotama is but a mad preacher, who deceives the people,” and so on. On this I resented not her statements, but rather submitted to them, and so when I came to die I was born as a spirit, but on account of my pusillanimity I was confined to this tree; and then he recited these verses :—