經律異相 12.8

12.8

時有一菩薩。名曰上首。作一乞士。入城乞食。有一比丘。名曰恒伽。謂乞士言。汝從何來。答言。吾從真實中來。恒伽問言。何謂為真實。答曰。寂滅相故名為真實。恒伽曰。當於何求實法。答曰。當於六波羅蜜中求。恒伽歡喜。禮上首足下。而便問言。當以何食供養此人。上首答言。當以須陀味。恒伽即詣都市。而自唱言。吾欲賣身。誰欲須者。有一居士。名毘奴律。即問我言。吾欲買之。汝索何等。恒伽報言索。須陀那羅。曰。當索幾枚。恒伽報言。欲須五枚。居士五錢買此道人以充使。恒伽白大家言。我身屬汝。假我七日。欲供養上首比丘。居士告恒伽言。吾當將汝示於宅舍。放汝令還。時恒伽見舍宅已涉路而還。見此上首。乞食未得。即將上首。到都市中。買百味飲食。將到一寺。寺名四王。設施床座燒香散花。下種種飲食（出大方等陀羅尼經第一卷）。

At that time, there was a bodhisattva named Shangshou, who acted as a mendicant and entered the city to beg for food. There was a monk named Gaṅgā, who said to the mendicant, 'Where have you come from?' He replied, 'I have come from the true reality.' Gaṅgā asked, 'What is meant by the true reality?' He replied, 'Because it has the characteristic of quiescent cessation, it is called the true reality.' Gaṅgā asked, 'Where should one seek the true Dharma?' He replied, 'One should seek it within the six pāramitās.' Gaṅgā rejoiced, bowed at Shangshou's feet, and asked, 'With what kind of food should one make an offering to this person?' Shangshou replied, 'You should offer the flavour of sudhā.' Gaṅgā then went to the market place and cried out, 'I wish to sell my body; who wants to buy it?' There was a householder named Vinodaka, who asked him, 'I want to buy you. What do you require?' Gaṅgā replied, 'I require sudhānara.' He said, 'How many do you want?' Gaṅgā replied, 'I want five.' The householder bought this man of the Way for five coins to employ him as a servant. Gaṅgā said to the master, 'My body belongs to you, but grant me seven days; I wish to make offerings to the monk Shangshou.' The householder said to Gaṅgā, 'I shall show you the residence, and then release you to return.' After seeing the residence, Gaṅgā set out on the road to return. Seeing that Shangshou had not yet obtained alms, he brought Shangshou to the market, bought food and drink of a hundred flavours, and brought him to a monastery named Four Kings. He arranged couches and seats, burned incense, scattered flowers, and presented various kinds of food and drink. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the Dafangdeng tuoluoni jing.)