眾經撰雜譬喻 1.10

1.10

One who observes the precepts fails in nothing, while one who violates the precepts loses everything. For example, there was a man who constantly made offerings to a deva. He was poor and begged in the four directions, making offerings for twelve years to seek wealth and nobility. Seeing his resolve, the deva took pity on him, manifested his form, and asked him: "What do you seek?" "I seek wealth and nobility, wishing that whatever my heart desires may all be obtained." The deva gave him a vessel called the vase of virtue, and said to him: "Whatever you desire will all come out from this vase." The man obtained it and could follow his wishes, obtaining whatever he desired. Having obtained as he wished, he fully built fine houses, acquired elephants, horses, and carriages, and had all seven treasures in abundance, providing for guests with nothing lacking in any matter. A guest asked him: "You were poor before; how did you become so wealthy today?" He replied: "I obtained a celestial vase. From the celestial vase came forth these various things, and therefore I am wealthy like this." The guest said: "Bring out the vase and let us see the things that come out of it." He then brought out the vase for them. Various things were drawn forth from the vase; the man became arrogant and indulgent, took the vase, and began to dance. Holding it insecurely, his hand slipped and broke the vase, and all the things vanished at the same time. One who observes the precepts attains various wonderful pleasures and has no wish unfulfilled; if a person breaks the precepts, becoming arrogant, indulgent, and undisciplined, he is just like that person who broke the vase and lost the goods. Therefore, if one desires celestial bliss and the bliss of nirvāṇa, one should firmly uphold the prohibitive precepts and not violate the precepts one has received. If one violates the precepts received, one will forever fall into the three bad destinies to suffer torment, with no time of release. If a person wishes to seek retribution, they should constantly cultivate a wholesome mind continuously and without interruption; at the time of death, they will be able to ward off all evils and receive wholesome vipāka. Why is this so? If one does not train in a wholesome mind beforehand, even if one wishes to make the mind wholesome at the time of death, it suddenly will not follow one's intention. For example, a king in the western regions originally had no horses. Draining the state treasury, he sought in the four directions and bought five hundred horses to guard against external enemies, sufficient to secure the state. After raising the horses for a long time, the state had no trouble, so the king thought: "The five hundred horses consume not a little food; caring for and feeding them is burdensome and of no benefit to state affairs." He then ordered the officials in charge to blindfold them and make them turn millstones, so they could earn their own food without draining the state treasury. Having turned the mills for a long time, the horses became accustomed to circling around. Suddenly, a neighboring state raised troops and entered the borders. The king then commanded that the horses be saddled and equipped, and brave generals mounted them according to the methods of warfare, whipping the horses toward the battle lines, wishing to charge straight forward. Receiving the whip, all the horses simply circled around, with no intention of charging the enemy. Seeing this, the neighboring invaders knew they were capable of nothing, and immediately charged straight forward, utterly defeating the king's army. Therefore, one should know: if one wishes to seek a wholesome vipāka, keeping the mind-horse undisrupted at the time of death, one will be able to go where one wishes. One cannot fail to tame and straighten the mind-horse beforehand; if one does not tame and straighten the mind-horse beforehand, when the thief of death arrives suddenly, the mind-horse will circle around and in the end not follow one's intention, just like the king's horses could not defeat the enemy and preserve his state. Therefore, the wholesome mind of a practitioner cannot fail to be constantly in the breast.