分別功德論 2.21

2.21

What is mindfulness of the Saṃgha (saṃghānusmṛti)? The Saṃgha refers to the four pairs and eight persons, the twelve virtuous persons, who have abandoned worldly greed and dispute and opened the way as guides of merit. There is no passage between gods and humans that does not depend on them; thus they are a fine and beneficial field of merit for sentient beings. How is it demonstrated that the Saṃgha is an excellent field of merit? Formerly, there was a monk of little merit named Brahmadatta. Being among the assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty, he caused the Saṃgha to receive no food. Not knowing whose fault it was, the Buddha divided [the Saṃgha] into two groups. When he was in one group, he caused that group to receive no food. [The Buddha] again divided this group in half, placing him in one half, and he again caused that half to receive no food. Dividing by half in this manner successively, down to two persons, they still could not obtain food. Finally, when it came down to him alone, they knew he had no merit. Wherever food was distributed, when it came his turn to have it placed in his bowl, it naturally melted away. The Buddha pitied his plight and with his own hand offered food into his bowl, and controlled by [the Buddha’s] spiritual power, it did not vanish again. The Buddha wished to cause him to gain merit in his present body, so he placed two monks who had attained nirodhasamāpatti to his left and right, and had him give food to these two monks in nirodha. As a rule, with the samādhi of nirodha, one obtains merit immediately. Next, he placed monks who had entered the samādhi of loving-kindness to his left and right; next with two in compassion, next with two in sympathetic joy, and next with two in equanimity, alternating each in turn so that he completed the four immeasurables. At that time King Prasenajit heard that this monk had little merit and that the Buddha had pitied him and given him food. [The king thought,] “I should also now establish merit for him,” and immediately sent a messenger to bestow rice. At that time a crow flew down, took a grain of rice in its beak, and flew away. The messenger scolded it, saying: “The king is establishing merit for Brahmadatta; why do you carry it off?” The crow immediately brought it back to its original place. Why was this so? Because this monk had received the meritorious power of the Saṃgha, he could not be harmed or infringed upon by birds and beasts. By this evidence, one knows that the Saṃgha is an excellent field of merit. Having already crossed over themselves, they are further able to cross others over to the path of the three vehicles. Such is the meaning of the method of mindfulness of the Saṃgha.