雜譬喻經 1.12

1.12

昔有一比丘被擯，懊惱悲歎涕哭而行，道逢一鬼，此鬼犯法亦為毘沙門天王所擯。時鬼問比丘言：「汝有何事涕哭而行？」比丘答曰：「我犯僧事，眾僧所擯，一切檀越供養盡失，又惡名聲流布遠近，是故愁歎涕泣耳。」鬼語比丘言：「我能令汝滅惡名聲大得供養。汝可便立我左肩上，我當擔汝虛空中行，人但見汝而不見我身。汝若大得供養，當先與我。」彼鬼即時擔此比丘，於先被擯聚落上虛空中行。時聚落人見皆驚怪，謂其得道，轉相謂言：「眾僧無狀抂擯得道之人。」時聚落人皆詣此寺呵責眾僧，即迎此比丘住於寺內，遂大得供養。此比丘隨所得衣食諸物，輒先與鬼不違本要，此鬼異日復擔此比丘遊行空中。正值毘沙門天王官屬，鬼見司官甚大驚怖，捐棄比丘絕力而走，此比丘遂墮地而死，身首碎爛。此喻行者宜應自修所向，不應恃託豪勢，一旦傾覆，與彼無異也。

Formerly, there was a bhikṣu who had been expelled. Distressed, lamenting, and weeping, he walked along the road and encountered a ghost. This ghost had violated the law and had also been expelled by Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa. The ghost asked the bhikṣu: "What has happened that you walk along weeping?" The bhikṣu replied: "I committed an offence against Saṅgha matters and was expelled by the assembly of monks. The offerings of all the dānapatis have been completely lost, and an evil reputation has spread far and near; therefore I grieve, lament, and weep." The ghost told the bhikṣu: "I can cause your evil reputation to be eradicated and you to receive great offerings. You may stand upon my left shoulder; I will carry you and walk through the empty sky. People will only see you and will not see my body. If you receive great offerings, you must give them to me first." That ghost immediately carried this bhikṣu and walked through the sky above the village from which he had previously been expelled. When the people of the village saw this, they were all amazed, thinking he had attained the Way, and said to one another: "The assembly of monks acted improperly in unjustly expelling a man who has attained the Way." The people of the village all went to the monastery to reprimand the monks, and immediately welcomed the bhikṣu to live inside the monastery, whereupon he received great offerings. Whatever robes, food, and various items this bhikṣu obtained, he always gave them to the ghost first without violating the original agreement. On another day, this ghost again carried this bhikṣu, roaming through the air. Just then, they encountered the subordinate officials of Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa. When the ghost saw the presiding officials, he was terrified, threw the bhikṣu aside, and ran with all his might. The bhikṣu then fell to the ground and died, his body and head crushed to pieces. This is an analogy: a practitioner should cultivate his own direction, and should not rely upon or depend on power and status; once they collapse, it is no different from that.