大方便佛報恩經 5.41

5.41

At that time, there was a group-of-six nuns who saw that the Śākya women were youthful, beautiful, and upright: "How could they now abandon what is so hard to abandon and go forth together? We should speak to them of the joys of the five worldly desires, telling them to wait until their youth has passed and only then go forth—would that not be delightful? If they return to lay life, they will surely make an offering of their robes and bowls to us." Having reflected thus, they went before the Śākya women and spoke to them of the above matters. When the women heard this, their hearts were grieved: "How can there be such great terror in this place of peace? It is like fine food and drink mixed with poison. What this bhikṣuṇī has spoken is just like that. I already know fully that the five worldly desires have many faults and perils. Why instead praise their beauty and urge us to return to our original homes and abide in the five desires?" Having spoken these words, they raised their voices in loud weeping and came back out of the monastic quarters. At that time, there was a bhikṣuṇī named Utpalavarṇā, who asked the women: "Why are you weeping?" The women answered, saying: "Our wish has not been fulfilled." The bhikṣuṇī said: "What is your wish?" They answered, saying: "We wish to go forth, but were not granted permission." Then the bhikṣuṇī Utpalavarṇā asked, saying: "If you wish to go forth, I can deliver you." When the women heard this, joy arose in their hearts, and they immediately followed her, being delivered as her disciples. When the Śākya women were granted permission, grief and joy mingled together, and they spoke these words: "Upādhyāyikā! You should know that when we were in household life, our many sufferings were not merely one: our kin were slain, our ears and noses cut off, our hands and feet severed, and our calamities were exceedingly severe."