妙法蓮華經文句 2.18

2.18

“Mahākauṣṭhila” is translated as “Big Knees”. He was Śāriputra’s maternal uncle; formerly, in debates he always defeated his sister. When the sister became pregnant, he could not defeat her in debate. Knowing what was conceived, [he thought]: “When wisdom merely lodges within her, her eloquence is already like this; how much more so when the child is born from the womb?” (and so on). He immediately left home and went to South India to study the eighteen scriptures. People of the time laughed at him: “It is difficult to master in successive lifetimes; it is not to be hoped for in a single lifetime.” He sighed and lamented: “At home I was defeated by my sister; abroad I am slighted by others.” He vowed to study without pause, having no time to trim his nails, so people of the time called him the Long-Nailed Renunciant. Having finished his studies, he returned home and asked where his nephew was. People said: “He has become a disciple of the Buddha.” He immediately grew very arrogant: “At eight years old my nephew’s fame shook the five Indias. What technique does that śramaṇa possess to entice away my sister's son?” He went straight to the Buddha's place. Having pondered for a long time without finding a single teaching to enter his mind, he said to the Buddha: “I do not accept any dharma.” “Accept” has the sense of being settled; this meant, “I can refute all dharmas and cause them not to be settled; hence I say I do not accept any dharma.” The Buddha asked: “Do you accept this view of yours?” This fell into a two-fold defeat: if he accepted his view, he had previously said, “I do not accept anything”; if he did not accept his view, he had no way to defeat the Buddha. Thereupon he bowed his head and attained the purity of the Dharma Eye. Śāriputra, fanning the Buddha and hearing his uncle's debate, attained the fruit of arhatship. The Ekottarika-āgama states: “Among those who attain the four analytical knowledges and can respond when encountering difficulties, Kauṣṭhila is foremost.” The heavenly king of the south, Virūḍhaka, constantly came to attend upon him.