分別功德論 5.13

5.13

所以稱拘摩羅迦葉能雜種論者，此比丘常為人敷演四諦，時兼有讚頌引譬況喻，一諦一偈讚引一喻，乃至四諦皆亦如是，故稱雜論第一也。拘摩羅者，童也；迦葉者，姓也。拘摩羅迦葉即是童女子。何以知其然？昔有長者名曰善施，居富無量。家有未出門女，在家向火，暖氣入身遂便有軀。父母驚怪，詰其由狀。其女實對：「不知所以爾。」父母重問，加諸杖楚，其辭不改，遂上聞王。王復詰責，辭亦不異，許之以死。女即稱怨曰：「天下乃當有無道之王抂殺無辜？我若不良，自可保試。見抂如是！」王即撿程如女所言，無他增減。王即語其父母：「我欲取之。」父母對曰：「隨意取之。用此死女為？」王即內之宮裏，隨時瞻養。日月遂滿產得一男，端正姝妙。年遂長大，出家學道。聰明博達，精進不久，得羅漢道，還度父母。時有國王名曰波紲，信邪倒見，不知今世後世作善得福為惡受殃，謂死神滅不復受生，不信有佛、不識涅槃，以鐵鍱腹畏智溢出，誇王獨步自謂無比。時童迦葉往至其門，王見迦葉被服異常，行步庠序威儀整齊，王即與論議。王問道人：「道人言：『作善有福、為惡受殃。』」王言：「今我宗家有一人，為善至純。臨欲死時，我與諸人共至其邊，語其人言：『如君所行死應生天，若上天者來還語我。』死來于久不來告我，我是以知作善無福耳。」道人答王曰：「夫智者以譬喻自解。譬如有一人，墮百斛圊廁中。有人挽出，洗浴訖著好衣服，以香熏身坐於高床。有人語此人曰：『還入廁中去爾。』此人肯入以不？」王曰：「不肯。」道人曰：「生天者其喻如是，天上快樂五欲自恣，以甘露為食，食自消化無便利患，身體香潔、口氣苾芬。下觀世間猶猪處溷，正使欲來，聞臭即還。以是言之，何由得相告耶？」如是比譬喻數十條事，王意開解，信向三尊。以是因緣故，童迦葉能雜種論為第一也。

As for why Kumārakāśyapa is praised as capable of variegated discourses: this monk constantly expounded the four noble truths to people, at times combining praises and drawing upon similes and analogies; for each truth there was a verse of praise drawing upon an analogy, and so on through the four truths, all likewise. Therefore, he is praised as foremost in variegated discourses. 'Kumāra' means youth; 'Kāśyapa' is the clan name. Kumārakāśyapa was indeed a maiden's son. How is this known? Formerly, there was a gṛhapati named Sudatta, whose wealth was boundless. In his family there was an unmarried daughter who was facing the fire at home; the warm vapor entered her body, and she thereupon became pregnant. Her parents were astonished and questioned her about the circumstances. The daughter answered truthfully: "I do not know why it happened." Her parents questioned her again, subjecting her to beatings, but her words did not change. The matter was then reported to the king. The king also interrogated her, and her words were no different; he sentenced her to death. The daughter then cried grievance, saying: "Can there be an unprincipled king in the world who unjustly executes the innocent? If I am unchaste, you may keep me under guard and test me. Why should I suffer such injustice!" The king investigated the duration, and it was just as the girl had said, without discrepancy. The king then said to her parents: "I wish to take her." The parents answered: "Take her as you please. What use have we for this doomed girl?" The king then took her into the palace and provided for her in accordance with the seasons. When the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy, upright and handsome. When he grew up, he left home to study the Path. Intelligent and broadly accomplished, before long, through energetic diligence, he attained the path of an arhat and returned to deliver his parents. At that time, there was a king named Pāyāsi, who believed in wrong and inverted views. He did not know that in this life and future lives doing good yields merit and doing evil incurs calamity; he thought that upon death the spirit is annihilated and receives no further rebirth. He did not believe there was a Buddha, nor did he recognize nirvāṇa. He bound his belly with iron plates, fearing his wisdom would overflow, and boasted of his unmatched rule, considering himself without peer. At that time, Kumārakāśyapa went to his gate. When the king saw Kāśyapa's extraordinary attire, walking with calm composure and orderly deportment, the king engaged in debate with him. The king asked the śramaṇa: "The śramaṇa says: 'Doing good brings merit, doing evil brings calamity.'" The king said: "Now in my clan there was a person whose practice of goodness was most pure. When he was on the verge of death, I and several others went together to his side and said to him: 'According to your conduct, upon death you should be born in heaven. If you ascend to heaven, come back and tell me.' It has been a long time since he died, yet he has not come to tell me. By this I know that doing good brings no merit." The śramaṇa answered the king: "A wise person understands through an analogy. Suppose there is a man who falls into a cesspool of a hundred bushels. Someone pulls him out, washes him thoroughly, dresses him in fine clothes, perfumes his body with incense, and seats him upon a high couch. If someone says to this man: 'Go back into the privy,' would this man be willing to go in or not?" The king said: "He would not be willing." The monk said: "Those born in heaven are just like this. In heaven, there is joy and self-indulgence in the five desires; they take ambrosia as food, which naturally digests without the distress of excretion; their bodies are fragrant and clean, and their breath is sweet-scented. Looking down at the world, it is like pigs living in a sty. Even if they wished to come, smelling the stench, they would immediately turn back. In view of this, how could he come to inform you?" Through several dozen such analogies, the king's mind was opened, and he placed his faith in the Three Jewels. Through this circumstance, Kumārakāśyapa was foremost in variegated discourses.