四分律行事鈔資持記 3.731

3.731

三中，初科，《增一》。即持香迎僧之緣。以能通信，故云佛使。《賢愚》。即行香緣，彼第七云：佛告阿難，過去無量阿僧祇劫，閻浮提有一大國，名波羅捺；時有一人，好修家業，意偏愛金，勤力積聚；因得一瓶，於其舍內，掘地藏之；如是勤身，乃得七瓶，悉取埋之；後遇疾終，作一毒蛇，守此金瓶；如是展轉受形，經一萬歲；最後受身，厭心忽生；見有一人，順道而過；蛇呼之云：吾今此處，有一瓶金；欲用相託，供僧作福；設食之時，持一阿先提（此云草籠。）來取我；彼至日，擔蛇至寺，著眾僧前；食時已到，僧住行立；蛇令彼人，次第賦香（賦給）；眾僧食訖，為蛇說法，歡喜轉增；將僧維那，到本金所；餘六瓶金，盡用施僧；命終，生忉利天。佛告阿難，爾時持蛇人者，則我身是；是毒蛇者，今舍利弗是。富那奇，亦即彼經第六云：佛在舍衛，放鉢國長者有子，名富那奇；後出家，證阿羅漢；化兄羨那，造旃檀堂請佛；各持香爐，共登高樓；遙望祇桓，燒香歸命，念佛及聖僧；香烟乘空，至佛頂上，作一烟蓋；佛知，即語神足比丘同往。（前是行香緣，後即迎僧緣。）

In the third [heading], regarding the first subsection, the *Ekottarika-āgama* gives the circumstances of holding incense to welcome monks. Because it can convey messages, it is called the 'Buddha's messenger'. The *Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra* provides the circumstances of distributing incense. Its seventh fascicle says: The Buddha told Ānanda, 'In the past, immeasurable asaṃkhyeya-kalpas ago, there was a great country in Jambudvīpa called Vārāṇasī. At that time there was a man who loved to manage his family's affairs and was especially fond of gold, accumulating it with diligent effort. Because of this, he obtained one vase of it, and dug the ground inside his house to conceal it. Exerting himself like this, he eventually got seven vases, all of which he buried. Later he fell ill and died, becoming a venomous snake that guarded these gold vases. Thus transmigrating through rebirths, ten thousand years passed. At last, in his final rebirth, a feeling of disgust suddenly arose. He saw a man passing along the road. The snake called out to him, saying: "I now have here a vase of gold. I wish to entrust it to you to make offerings to the saṃgha and create merit. When the meal is prepared, bring an *āsandī* (here translated as a 'grass basket') to fetch me." When the day arrived, he carried the snake to the monastery and placed it before the saṃgha. The mealtime having arrived, the monks stood or walked; the snake instructed the man to distribute incense in order (distribute and give). After the saṃgha finished eating, they explained the Dharma for the snake, whose joy increased all the more. It led the karmadāna of the saṃgha to the original location of the gold, and used all the remaining six vases of gold to bestow upon the saṃgha. When its life ended, it was born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven.' The Buddha told Ānanda, 'The person holding the snake at that time was my own body; the venomous snake was Śāriputra today.' Regarding Puṇyavat (?), it is also from the sixth fascicle of that sūtra: The Buddha was in Śrāvastī; an elder of the country of Pātra-karaṇḍa had a son named Puṇyavat. Later he left home and attained arhatship. He converted his elder brother Sena to build a sandalwood hall and invite the Buddha. Each holding an incense burner, they climbed a high tower together. Gazing afar toward Jetavana, they burned incense, took refuge, and were mindful of the Buddha and the noble saṃgha. The incense smoke mounted the sky and reached above the Buddha's crown, forming a smoke canopy. The Buddha knew it, and immediately told the bhikṣus with psychic powers to go together with him. (The former is the origin of distributing incense; the latter is the origin of welcoming monks.)