經律異相 19.32

19.32

舍衛城有二摩訶羅。並捨妻兒出家為道。久遊人間。俱還舍衛。共住一房。各自思惟。欲暫還家看其婦兒。即到本家。婦見瞋言。汝薄德無相棄家學道。女年長大不得嫁娶。今用來為當折汝脚。時小摩訶羅。即還房愁憂不樂。時大摩訶羅亦被驅逐。共歸房內。問小伴言。何以憂苦。答言。何須問為。又問。我等二人。共在一房。好惡之事而不相知。不向我說。更應語誰。即具說之。時大摩訶羅云。此何足愁。我家亦爾。汝男我女可為匹偶。答言可爾。時小摩訶羅還語婦言。我為女得婿。婦答甚善。其大者復歸。報妻言。我為兒得婦。問言是誰。答言某女。時二摩訶羅和合婚姻。各自歡喜如貧得寶。更相愛敬。佛告諸比丘。此二摩訶羅不但今日作如是事。過去伽尸國。有婆羅門。居磨沙豆陳久。煮不可熟。貨之不售。復有一家養一態驢。賣亦不去。豆主念言。今以此豆易取彼驢。便往語之。驢主復念。用是態驢易彼豆。答言可爾。咸各歡喜。豆主頌曰。

In the city of Śrāvastī there were two mahallas (elderly converts). Both had abandoned their wives and children to leave home and practice the Way. After wandering among people for a long time, both returned to Śrāvastī and lived in the same room. Each thought to himself that he would like to return home temporarily to see his wife and children. They then arrived at their original homes. When his wife saw him, she was angry and said: "You man of meager virtue and no auspicious marks abandoned home to study the Way. Our daughter has grown up and cannot be married off. What have you come for now? I ought to break your legs!" Thereupon the junior mahalla returned to his room, sorrowful and unhappy. At that time, the senior mahalla was also driven away. Returning together to their room, he asked his junior companion: "Why are you so sorrowful and distressed?" He replied: "Why do you need to ask?" He asked again: "The two of us are together in one room; should good and bad matters not be known to each other? If you do not speak to me, to whom else should you tell it?" He then told him in full. The senior mahalla said: "Why should this be cause for sorrow? My household is also like this. Your son and my daughter can be paired as a match." He replied: "Very well." Then the junior mahalla returned and said to his wife: "I have obtained a husband for our daughter." The wife answered: "Excellent!" The senior one also returned and reported to his wife: "I have obtained a wife for our son." She asked: "Who is it?" He answered: "The daughter of so-and-so." The two mahallas then joined them in marriage, each rejoicing as if a pauper had found a jewel, loving and respecting one another even more. The Buddha told the monks: "Not only today did these two mahallas do such a thing. In the past, in the kingdom of Kāśi, there was a brāhmaṇa who stored māṣa beans for so long that when boiled they could not soften, and when offered for sale they would not sell. There was another family that raised a stubborn donkey, which also could not be sold off. The bean-owner thought: 'Now I will exchange these beans for that donkey.' He went and spoke to him. The donkey-owner also thought to exchange this stubborn donkey for those beans, and replied: 'Very well.' Both rejoiced. The bean-owner chanted a verse: