分別功德論 4.14

4.14

二十億耳比丘所以稱苦行第一者，昔占波國有大長者生一子，端正姝妙，足下生毛長四寸，未曾躡地。所以足下生毛者，昔迦葉佛時為大長者，財寶無極，為眾僧起精舍講堂訖，以白㲲布地令眾僧蹈上。由是因緣故，得足下生毛。所以字二十億耳者，生時自然耳中生寶珠，價直二十億，即以為稱。時瓶沙王聞其奇異，欲與相見，故命令來。計道里十五日行乘車而來，將欲下車，輒布㲲在地，然後行上。既到王所，王命令坐。勞問訖，聞能彈琴，即命使彈之。相娛樂訖，共至佛所。時佛與大眾廣說妙法，見佛歡喜頭面禮足。佛命令坐，聞法欣悅即求出家。佛然其出家之志，即為沙門。勇猛精進經行不懈，肌肉細軟足下傷破，經行之處血流成泥。積行遂久漏猶未除，疲懈心生欲還白衣：「我家錢財自恣，廣為福德且免三惡。」佛知其念，忽然於前從地踊出，問比丘曰：「汝本彈琴時，急緩眾絃，得成妙曲不？」答曰：「不成。」「若眾絃盡緩，復得成不？」答曰：「不成。」「若不緩不急，絃柱相應，得成妙音不？」答曰：「得成。」佛言：「行亦如是，不急不緩處其中適，和調得所，乃可成道耳。」思惟佛語，心豁開解，便成羅漢。以是因緣，故稱苦行第一也。

The reason why the monk Śroṇa-Koṭīviṃśa is declared foremost in ascetic practice is that formerly, in the country of Campā, a great gṛhapati had a son born to him who was handsome and exquisite; hair four inches long grew beneath his feet, and he had never trodden upon the ground. The reason hair grew beneath his feet was that in the past, during the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, he had been a great gṛhapati with limitless wealth and treasures, who, having built a monastery and a lecture hall for the saṅgha, spread white fine cotton over the ground and had the monks tread upon it. Due to this cause and condition, he obtained hair growing beneath his feet. The reason he was named Twenty-Koṭī Ears was that at his birth, precious pearls worth twenty koṭīs naturally grew within his ears, which was then taken as his name. At that time, King Bimbisāra heard of his marvel and wished to meet him, so he ordered him to come. Calculating the distance of a fifteen-day journey, he came riding in a carriage; whenever he was about to step down from the carriage, they would spread fine cotton on the ground, and only then would he walk upon it. Having arrived at the king's place, the king ordered him to be seated. After exchanging solicitous greetings, hearing that he was able to play the lute, the king commanded him to play it. Having entertained each other, they went together to the Buddha's place. At that time, the Buddha was expounding the wondrous Dharma at length for the great assembly; seeing the Buddha, he rejoiced, bowing his head in reverence at his feet. The Buddha ordered him to be seated, and upon hearing the Dharma, he was overjoyed and immediately sought to renounce household life. The Buddha consented to his aspiration for renunciation, and he straightway became a śramaṇa. Heroic and vigorous, he practiced walking meditation without laxity; his flesh and skin being delicate and soft, the soles of his feet were torn open, and wherever he walked in meditation, the blood flowed, turning into mud. Having accumulated practice for a long time, his outflows were still not removed; feeling weary and remiss in mind, he wished to return to lay clothes: 'My family has wealth to indulge in; I can broadly cultivate merits and virtues and still avoid the three evil paths.' The Buddha, knowing his thoughts, suddenly leaped forth from the earth before him and asked the monk: 'When you formerly played the lute, if the strings were too tight or too loose, could a wondrous melody be produced?' He replied: 'It could not.' 'If all the strings were completely loose, could it still be produced?' He replied: 'It could not.' 'If they were neither loose nor tight, and the strings and pegs were properly attuned, could a wondrous sound be produced?' He replied: 'It could.' The Buddha said: 'Practice is also like this: being neither tense nor slack, abiding in moderation and tuned appropriately, only then can the path be accomplished.' Pondering the Buddha's words, his mind opened wide with understanding, and he immediately became an arhat. On account of this cause and condition, he is declared foremost in ascetic practice.