眾經撰雜譬喻 1.39

1.39

昔雀離寺有一長老比丘，得阿羅漢道，將一沙彌，時復來下入城遊觀，衣鉢大重令沙彌擔隨其後。沙彌於道中便作是念：「人生世間無不受苦，欲免此苦當興何等道？」作是思惟：「佛常讚歎：『菩薩為勝！』我今當發菩薩心。」適作是念，其師即以它心智通照其所念，語沙彌言：「持衣鉢來。」沙彌便持衣鉢授與其師。師語沙彌：「汝在前行。」沙彌適在前行，復作是念：「菩薩之道甚大勤苦，求頭與頭、求眼與眼，此事極難非我所辦，不如早取羅漢疾得離苦。」師復知其所念，語沙彌言：「汝擔衣鉢還隨我後。」如是三返，沙彌怪愕不知何意。前至所止處，叉手白師請問其意，師答曰：「汝於菩薩道三進故，我亦三返推汝在前，汝心三退故推汝在後。所以爾者，發菩薩心，其功德勝滿三千世界成阿羅漢者，不可為喻也。」

Formerly, at the Que-li Monastery, there was a senior bhikṣu who had attained the fruit of arhatship. Taking a novice with him, he came down at times to enter the city and wander about. The robes and bowl were very heavy, so he had the novice carry them and follow behind him. On the road the novice had this thought: “When people are born into the world, none do not suffer. If one wishes to escape this suffering, what kind of Way should one promote?” He reflected: “The Buddha constantly praises: ‘The bodhisattva is supreme!’ I shall now generate the bodhisattva mind.” Just as he had this thought, his master, using the supernormal knowledge of reading others' minds, directly illuminated his thought and said to the novice: “Bring the robes and bowl here.” The novice then took the robes and bowl and handed them to his master. The master said to the novice: “You walk in front.” Just as the novice was walking in front, he had another thought: “The bodhisattva path is extremely laborious and painful. If they ask for your head, you must give your head; if they ask for your eyes, you must give your eyes. This matter is extremely difficult and not something I can manage. It would be better to attain arhatship early and swiftly be freed from suffering.” The master again knew his thought and said to the novice: “Take the robes and bowl and follow behind me again.” Three times this happened, and the novice was bewildered and startled, not knowing what it meant. Proceeding to their resting place, he clasped his hands, addressed his master, and asked for the meaning. The master answered: “Because your mind advanced three times toward the bodhisattva path, I also thrice sent you ahead; because your mind thrice retreated, I sent you behind. Why is this? The merit of generating the bodhisattva mind surpasses that of filling a trichiliocosm with people who attain arhatship—it admits of no comparison.”