經律異相 21.4

21.4

爾時調達。心念毒害誹謗如來。自謂有道。眾人呵之。天龍鬼神釋梵四王。悉共曉喻。卿欲毀佛。由如舉手欲擲日月。調達聞之。其心不改。時諸比丘。具以啟佛。調達有何重嫌懷結乃爾。佛告諸比丘。調達不但今生。世世如是。過去世時。有梵志女。端正殊妙色像第一。諸梵志法假使處女與明經者。請諸同學五百之眾。供養三月察其所知。時五百人中。一人博達。而年朽耄面醜眼青。父母愁憂。女亦懷惱。云何當為此人作婦。可以怨鬼。當奈之何。於時遠方有一梵志。年既幼少。顏貌殊好。聰明智慧。聞彼梵志請諸同學欲處於女。尋時往詣。難問諸梵志等。皆窮無辭。五百之眾智皆不及。時女父母及女。見之皆大歡喜。吾求女婿今乃獲願。年尊梵志曰。吾年既老久許我。女以為我妻。且以暇我所得施遺。悉用與卿。傷我年高。勿相毀辱。年少答曰。不可越法以從人情。我應納之。三月畢竟。即以處女用與年少。其年老者。心懷毒惡。即相毀辱而奪我婦。世世所在與卿作怨。終不相置。年少梵志常行慈心。彼獨懷害。佛告諸比丘。爾時年尊梵志。今調達是。年少梵志。我身是也。其女者瞿夷是（出生經第一卷）。

At that time, Devadatta harbored poisonous malice and slandered the Tathāgata, claiming that he himself possessed the Path. The multitude rebuked him. Devas, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, Śakra, Brahmā, and the Four Heavenly Kings all admonished him, saying: "Your wishing to destroy the Buddha is like raising a hand wishing to cast down the sun and moon." Devadatta heard this, but his heart did not change. Then the monks fully reported the matter to the Buddha: "What deep grievance does Devadatta harbor to form such an enmity?" The Buddha told the monks, "It is not only in this life that Devadatta is like this; he has been so in life after life. In a past life, there was a brahmacārin's daughter, shapely and exquisite, peerless in appearance. According to the custom of the brahmacārins, a maiden was to be given to someone versed in the scriptures. He invited his fellow disciples, a assembly of five hundred, and made offerings to them for three months to examine their knowledge. Among the five hundred men was one who was erudite, but he was senile, decrepit, ugly-faced, and green-eyed. The parents were grieved, and the daughter was also distressed: 'How can I become the wife of this man? He is like a vengeful ghost; what can be done?' At that time, in a distant land, there was a brahmacārin who was young in years, extraordinarily handsome, intelligent, and wise. Hearing that the brahmacārin had invited his fellow students with the intention of betrothing his daughter, he immediately went there. He questioned and challenged the brahmacārins, and they were all at a loss for words; none of the five hundred possessed wisdom equal to his. The maiden's parents and the girl saw him and were filled with great joy: 'Our search for a son-in-law has now found its match!' The elder brahmacārin said, 'I am old, and she was promised to me long ago; the maiden was to be my wife. Spare me! Whatever offerings and gifts I have obtained, I will give them all to you. Pity my advanced age and do not humiliate me!' The youth replied, 'One must not transgress the rule to follow personal sentiments. I ought to take her.' When the three months were concluded, the maiden was given to the youth. The old man harbored poisonous malice in his heart, thinking: 'He has humiliated me and robbed me of my wife! In every life and every place, I will be your enemy and never let you be!' The young brahmacārin always practiced loving-kindness, while the other harbored hatred alone." The Buddha told the monks, "The elder brahmacārin of that time was the present Devadatta. The young brahmacārin was my own person. The maiden was Gopī." (Extracted from the Sheng jing, fascicle 1)