妙法蓮華經文句 2.2

2.2

"Gavāmpati": this is translated as "Ox Chewing". The Amitāyus Sūtra calls him "Bull King". The Ekottarika-āgama states: "'Cow Footprints': Formerly, for five hundred lifetimes, he was an ox king. When an ox has eaten, it constantly continues to chew empty cud. Because the residual karmic retribution had not yet ended, he was always smacking his lips and chewing, so the people of the time called him 'Ox Chewing'." Formerly, among five hundred wild geese, one wild goose constantly obtained flowers and fruits to offer to the goose king. During one summer retreat, the Buddha accepted King Agnidatta's invitation, and the five hundred monks all ate horse grain, yet Gavāmpati alone dwelt in heaven in the Śirīṣaka Grove, receiving offerings from heavenly kings. The Ekottarika-āgama states: "Among those who take pleasure in being in heaven and take no pleasure in the human realm, the monk 'Cow Footprints' is foremost." Taking pleasure in being in heaven accords with pleasant desires, which is the worldly siddhānta. His condition brought about by the merit of offering to the goose king is [the siddhānta of] individual adaptation. Avoiding human laughter is the counteractive [siddhānta]. The gods not laughing is the supreme truth [siddhānta], and so on. It also states: "Humans only look at outward form and do not recognize internal virtue. If they laugh at an arhat, they incur fault. To avoid human laughter, he constantly dwelt in heaven. The gods knew he had virtue and did not laugh at his form; hence he dwelt in heaven." After the Buddha entered parinirvāṇa, Kāśyapa gathered one thousand great arhats and dispatched a junior monk as an envoy to summon Gavāmpati. Gavāmpati asked: "What of the Buddha and my preceptor?" He replied: "Both have passed away." [Gavāmpati] then said: "When the Buddha appeared, I appeared; when the Buddha dwelt, I dwelt; when the Buddha passed away, I pass away." Four streams of water flowed to the place of Mahākāśyapa, and from the waters a verse was spoken (and so on): "Now that the great elephant has departed, the young elephant follows. / Since the World-Honoured One and my preceptor have both entered parinirvāṇa, / what more should I do remaining here?" This too is the supreme truth.