雜譬喻經 1.12

1.12

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.