分別功德論 4.21

4.21

The reason why the bhikṣu Kuṇḍadhāna is called foremost in receiving the tally (śalākā) is that tallies are generally used to record the number of persons to ascertain whether they are sincere or not. If one answers with sincerity, taking the tally brings merit; if one takes it falsely, the accrued guilt becomes ever greater. In the language of the Han it is called 'chou' (tally); in India it is 'śalākā'. 'Śalākā' also means 'exhaustion': through merit guilt is exhausted, and through guilt merit is exhausted. How is this known to be so? Formerly, the daughter of Anāthapiṇḍada married into a Nirgrantha country and asked the Buddha, 'May I do so?' The Buddha said, 'You should know that now is the time. Going will surely be of benefit.' Once the daughter arrived, she invited the World-Honoured One from afar. The Buddha, knowing her intention, silently accepted the invitation. He instructed Ānanda, 'Tomorrow we shall accept the invitation of Śakramāna. Strike the gaṇḍī, assemble the community, and display supernatural powers.' At the time of the śalākā, the elder Kuṇḍa had not yet attained supernatural powers. Hearing that the tally was being circulated for the invitation, he felt ashamed of not having attained supernatural powers, and looking upon his own form and shadow at the head of the assembly, he felt like an old wild fox on Purple Gold Mountain. Weighing his choices in deep worry: if he took the tally, he did not conform to the general rule [of having supernatural powers]; if he did not take it, he was dwelling as the elder. Even an eight-year-old śrāmaṇera had attained supernatural powers, yet despite his many years of effort, he had achieved nothing. Reflecting thus: 'What use is there in remaining alive?' With deep emotion and inner knot, as he received the tally and was about to hand it back, he instantly became free of āsravas (attained āsravakṣaya). If one receives the tally falsely: the human body has nine hundred thousand pores, and with this as the count, one will not receive a human body for that many lifetimes. If one receives it with refined sincerity, one can immediately attain the realization of the exhaustion of āsravas; this elder serves as clear proof of this. The reason he was further made an elder was that he was skilled in explaining the Dharma in a way suitable to the multitude, and having been chosen by the assembly, he became the elder. For this reason, the elder is called foremost in receiving the tally.