分別功德論 5.10

5.10

As for why the monk Bhaddaji is said to speak harmoniously and pleasantly without hurting people's feelings: this monk was always prudent with his mouth, not committing the four faults of speech. When a person dwells in the world, an axe is in his mouth; that by which he cuts his own body is his own evil speech. In this monk, coarse and harsh words had been eradicated forever; he always chose his words and spoke slowly, thinking before revealing them, and whenever he spoke, it suited others' minds and certainly caused them joy. Whether in the presence of the elderly, the middle-aged, or the young, he was capable of pleasing them in accordance with what they liked. As for why this monk is praised for being good in speech: there was an arhat monk who, although his outflows were ended, still had faults of speech. Traveling across a river, as the water gradually became deeper, he uttered harsh words, saying: "Wretched slave, creature of wanton seed!" At that time, the goddess of the river, hearing these harsh words, thought to herself: "How could this monk utter such an evil sound?" She was just about to push him into the water, [but thought:] "Because he is a monk, I should first ask the Buddha." She went at once to ask the Buddha: "There was a monk crossing over; when the river became slightly deep, he reviled me, saying 'Wretched slave, wanton seed!' In the Dharma of monks, should one revile people?" The Buddha then sent a monk to summon the reviling monk. The monk arrived, and the Buddha told him: "You are a śramaṇa; why did you revile her?" The monk replied: "Your disciple did not revile her; I merely said, 'Slave of wanton seed.'" The goddess said: "Look! This monk has reviled me yet again. May the World-Honoured One explain the origins of this. Does an arhat still have anger remaining? Why does he revile me?" The Buddha said: "An arhat has no anger remaining; it is simply habitual speech. This monk was once a brāhmaṇa, and by brāhmaṇa custom, they are fond of reviling, saying 'Slave in the womb!' It was not necessarily spoken in anger, but merely out of habit of the mouth. Furthermore, in the past five hundred lifetimes, when he was your husband, he constantly reviled you as a slave. Therefore, because past habit was not eliminated, he reviled you again." The river woman said: "Even though he is an arhat, he still has faults of speech. I have no use for arhatship; may I in the future seek the unsurpassed, correct, and true Path, delivering all without difference from the Buddha." The Buddha said to the monk: "Repent to this woman." The monk repented at once, and the woman also repented to the monk; having paid homage, they departed in different directions. If even one whose outflows are ended still has coarse words, how much more should an ordinary person be prudent with speech! By this cause and condition, we know that this monk is foremost in guarding his speech.