分別功德論 4.14

4.14

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.