經律異相 23.40

23.40

舍衛城。有孤獨母人。自生一女。年始十七。顏容端嚴衣不蔽形。母乞食自連。女貞賢明達。博讀經書守節不出門戶。居近王道而心願𡣪王。又願事神如佛。王出行國內。見烏在貧女門上鳴。王便舉弓射烏。烏持王箭走入女家。王傍人追烏入舍。女不出面。但拔箭放烏授箭擲外。王人見指知之非凡。却後年中。王第一夫人卒。娉求夫人。無應相者。廣訪人間。左右白言。前時射烏窮獨母女。年十六七雖不見面。瞻手聞聲似是貴人。王便往視呼將俱來。使相師占之使到女門直入其內。女母不在唯獨女住。使呼女出三呼不應。使曰。貧家女出來。女應曰。才不才各一家子。卿是何人唐突我舍。急出門外。使人曰。國王遣我呼汝。汝小家子何敢爾耶。女曰。國王何事使汝來。若求我作婢者。我家不犯王法。若求我作婦者。汝曹則是我給使。何敢輕易貧門。乘勢蹜突迫愶女人。女人雖微。自有宿命不為威屈。汝曹啟王。使人敢應。具以啟王。王便勅百官。嚴駕備具禮儀。從五百婇女而往迎之。使者齎持謁敬牛羊猪酒納娉之饌。使者乘皂蓋之車。五馬引御以迎女。前導精兵十萬。從車千乘。細馬萬匹。散從十二萬人。鳴鍾伐鼓聲動天地。觀者無數往到女門。使者下車前通謁敬。女敬令曰。謝使者及諸百官吏民。大小勞屈道路。孤貧之女鄙賤不遺。遠煩官屬侍從。抂屈辱王重命。女以寒賤誤以宿福。當王階殿自揆醜陋。德無女儀。容無桃華優曇之色。聲無絃管入耳之聽。智無神聖大人之明。識無聖人萬里之見。身無紫金光潤之澤。氣無栴檀香麝之芳。言無忠和仁善之美。行無進退高下之節。謬忝王命徒勞觀者。使者及百官無不累息。語諸婇女。汝曹薄福墮此卑役。自今以往相與從事。宜各正心修善為行。莫犯王儀。五百婇女皆應唯諾。又呼二千五百青衣。語之曰。人無貴賤道在者尊。汝等皆善人之子。古今之變處在卑微。莫以自卑當務為善。僉曰奉教。百官前進王禮。黃金千餅。白銀二千餅。華瑞瓔珞水精琉璃。明月神珠珊瑚琥珀。白素千匹御縑千匹。綺繒綿羅朱繡紫綠。素黃赤白羅縠之衣。栴檀之香種種千匹。百官進衣百領夫人服飾。女便受之嚴莊已辦。出拜上位。百官見之莫不歡喜。皆稱萬歲國必大平。得我百姓萬民之母。婇女青衣親近附之如子得母。攝衣上車車為端安。馬為調御天為清明。白象雲集相追悲鳴。百官臣民皆言。天人來下國必保安。到王宮門自然開闢。五百侍從入宮下車。宮中自然生五色之光。殿上晃耀內外照明。入殿拜王。王見驚悚不知。下座答之。大夫人朝王。百拜跪如流水。自跪自起百拜乃止。王長跪答之。教令宮內。柔和仁善不傷他意。王愛敬之。徐言少語語必合義。內外敬伏。入宮七日七夜不寢不寐。與諸夫人婇女共相娛樂。王意欲見之。夫人意貞心潔不在濁穢。本意清淨不與王語。又不相見。王曰。室家之義夫婦之分。以恩愛為親。夫人入宮七日七夜。而不相見。其意云何。以為法乎。夫人使婇女答王曰。本生有二願。今已得一。未得一也。故未相見。王曰。已得何等。未得何等。夫人答曰。我少小結願。使婿如國王事神如佛。王曰。可一相見。後當為往呼佛。夫人曰不也。未得見佛。終不與王相見。王大怒曰。汝本寒賤乞人種。何敢違萬乘之意。夫人曰。婦人繫命於夫婿耳。東西唯命。我有宿誓不可負也。王者雖尊。不得抂問無辜之人。王曰。吾萬乘之主。犯者便誅。豈問抂直。夫人曰。王者百姓父母。斷截當以道理。何得自喜自怒。凡夫所不行。豈況國王耶。王曰。從吾心者原。不從者誅。夫人曰。女人亦有微心。得從心者乃相見耳。不得從心者。終不相見。王曰。奈何請之耶。夫人曰。佛在我國請之必來。王曰。恐百官笑人耳。夫人曰。王請佛入宮。上殿百官自當歡喜。世世受福不為笑王也。王曰。大善。即日勅厨作十萬人饌具。遣侍女白夫人言。請佛作十萬人饌已具。可往請佛。夫人曰。婦人唯命是從。請佛之義大王宜自抂車騎。暫往與佛相見深恭敬之。王曰。我請我自往。卿請卿自往。吾不往也。夫人言。王者尊貴是妾之夫。女人之力不如王者之微言。王抂威暫往與佛相見。不者非大王家人也。未有夫婦室家之義。故自他人耳。王曰。夫婦未成則無分義在卿意耳。夫人默默不言。光輝暐曄顏色非凡。王疑夫人恐欲自殺。或恐突去。勅內外游徼司候。備衛吏兵關閉宮門。步羅相連飛鳥不得度。宮內婇女展轉相次使針不得下。夫人知王意不往請佛。及不信夫人。夫人便於殿上化滅。身體了無所見。婇女千人并七十一夫人。皆驚相視分布求索。內外羅落了無所見。王大慚怖銜泣而起。王曰。奈何奈何。我剛直所致追以為恨。以何方便而使之還。第二夫人白王言。大夫人。非我凡庶小人輩也。王應當稱隨其意。而忽拒逆喜怒惡言待之。此乃天人。王令去大夫人者。我曹等七十一人。何所依恃耶。婇女青衣皆悉啼哭。如有死者。公卿男女亦皆悲怨。今我國中誰所依怙。百鳥嘯鳴天地大動。王感激欲死。向天大息泣落如雨。民人不修事業市里空廢。十十五五相隨悲哀。七日七夜王安臥絕穀不食。第二夫人曰。且當暫與佛相見。并請俱來。王到佛所頭面為禮。白佛言。我是阿祇羅奈國王阿迦達留。如是者三須逋替禮敬。連務國事不待日夕。佛言。國事勞擾眾猥煩惱誠抂神思。吏民境界平安不乎。王曰。皆受佛恩。唯願抂屈。暫臨鄙解。佛默然。須臾佛到殿上。大夫人。與諸夫人婇女三千五百七十一人俱為佛作禮。王初未見夫人。婇女亦不見。唯佛自見。王與佛作禮畢心愁不歡。佛語王言。所求大夫人者。正此人是也。王見歡喜。百官夫人婇女大小皆亦歡喜。王設飲食。食畢佛大呪願。各求心中所欲。王白佛言。我大夫人。本貧賤孤獨母之女。今為大夫人。復能滅身幻化如是。有何罪福致斯。尊貴在一人之上。得為百姓之母。仁德賢慈言語柔軟不傷人意。隱形七日人鬼神龍不知其所。佛告言。大夫人。昔為大迦羅越。財富無數慳貪不施。故今貧窮。迦羅越性好婬妷。樂與女人從事。今故墮女人中。又樂與明經道士遊。學故有智慧。已見五百佛。今得值我。昔與王為善知識。故得為夫婦。大夫人先世事五百佛。但持心不堅。嬈惱世人故墮女人中。大夫人却後三十九劫。當得作佛。王亦以七生天上。七生世間。王生天時。大夫人為天女。侍王左右。常得王意。王與大夫人結願俱死。生生相隨俱為解脫。王自憍奢制意喜怒。一切不復更見也。王心大歡喜。即得阿惟越致道。便授王五戒。夫人婇女大小公卿百官舉國人民皆奉五戒。大夫人前受十戒。歲三齋。月六齋。與後宮婇女三千五百七十一人。從事相率為善。王正教寬弘國致太平。興立塔寺皆以七寶。更相尊敬內外無別離之心。人民死皆以壽終。王大夫人覺意念世無常。人晝夜婬妷恩愛無明濁穢。生無賢名。死為不淨之鬼。便長歎易服敗狀亂頭。前白王言。天下一切無常皆當歸死。王所以貪我者。為我年少顏色肌膚滑澤氣息香潔。是皆非常皆當歸死。夫婦合會略無可奇是皆不淨。恩愛於此當有老病。至來無期誰當為我却之者哉。我今愁怖災害卒至不可得脫。一切貴賤因此一事。皆當膖脹臭處不淨。空愛惜之夫復何益。王自思惟。男女合會有何可奇。我言真諦非不及事。王言。卿是天人種。所言不妄也。皆得事體無不可者。國人男女大小皆相恃賴。唯復照察留念也。大夫人言。我是女人。不得自制故以啟王。大王可相發遣以副宿命之本願。王言。我年欲老。雖有諸夫人婇女小兒輩。無一人可我意者。卿當卒我餘年。終亡之後當以後事相付。太子尚小。奈何當相捨去。至何所耶。夫人言。我生死無常厭是變化。欲從佛求作沙門。王言。卿是一國之母為上夫人。諸國夫人宮內婇女大小皆恃賴卿。卿奈何忽規立此計。遠近士夫聞之不當笑人如此沙門輩非卿夫人種所志作也宜更計之。夫人言。十方諸佛皆從沙門中來。佛迦沙王。捨九十九小國夫人婇女八九千人。求作沙門。前後男女求作沙門者不少。非獨我一女人也。王以恩愛貪欲華色愛惜我身。我身皆膿血惡露不淨。女人難與從事。人有與女人從事無不墮罪中者。女人之身熱於湯火。燒炙於人令墮重罪。千劫不脫。我前世亦為男子。但坐與女人從事。恩愛多故去男為女。女人可畏。王不覺耳。

In the city of Śrāvastī, there was a solitary and poor widowed mother who had an only daughter. She was just seventeen years old, with an upright and dignified countenance, but her clothes could not cover her body. Her mother begged for food to sustain them. The daughter was chaste, virtuous, intelligent, and perceptive; she read the scriptures extensively and maintained her integrity, never leaving her doors. Living near the royal highway, her heart wished to marry a king, and she also wished to serve the deities as one does the Buddha. The king went out to travel through his realm. He saw a crow cawing above the poor girl’s gate. The king then drew his bow and shot the crow. Carrying the king’s arrow, the crow flew into the girl’s house. The king’s attendants pursued the crow into the dwelling. The girl did not show her face, but merely pulled out the arrow, released the crow, and, taking the arrow, threw it outside. When the king’s men saw her fingers, they knew she was no ordinary person. A year later, the king’s primary consort passed away. He sought a wife to be consort, but none had the corresponding bodily marks. Inquiring widely among the people, his attendants reported: ‘Earlier, the daughter of the destitute and solitary mother whose house we chased the crow to was sixteen or seventeen. Although we did not see her face, looking at her hands and hearing her voice, she seemed to be a noble person.’ The king then went to look, summoning her to come along with him. He sent a physiognomist to divine her fortune, and the messenger went directly inside her gate. The girl’s mother was not present, and only the girl stayed there alone. The messenger called for the girl to come out, calling three times without reply. The messenger said: ‘Girl of a poor family, come out!’ The girl replied: ‘Talented or untalented, each belongs to their own family. Who are you to intrude upon my house? Get out the door immediately!’ The messenger said: ‘The king has sent me to summon you. You, a child of a lowly household, how dare you act like this?’ The girl said: ‘On what matter has the king sent you here? If he seeks me to be a maidservant, my family has not violated the king’s law. If he seeks me to be his wife, then you all are my servants! How dare you treat a poor gate lightly, relying on authority to intrude and intimidate a woman? Although a woman is lowly, she has her own past karma and will not yield to intimidation. Report this to the king!’ The messenger dared to reply, and fully reported it to the king. The king then ordered the hundred officials to prepare the carriages and fully arrange the ceremonial etiquette, and went to welcome her accompanied by five hundred palace ladies. The envoys carried offerings of respect: oxen, sheep, pigs, wine, and foods of betrothal. The envoys rode in carriages with black canopies, drawn by five horses, to receive the maiden. In the vanguard were a hundred thousand elite soldiers, followed by a thousand carriages, ten thousand fine horses, and an escort of one hundred and twenty thousand men. Bells were struck and drums beaten, the sound shaking heaven and earth. Innumerable onlookers gathered, arriving at the girl’s gate. The envoys got down from the carriages and came forward to present their respects. The maiden respectfully gave an order, saying: ‘I thank the envoys, all the officials, clerks, and people for your trouble on the road, great and small. You have not cast aside this impoverished and lowly maiden, troubling the officers and attendants to come from afar, and humbling the king’s weighty mandate. Because I am poor and lowly, it is only through past merit that I am mistakenly brought to the king’s palace steps. Estimating myself, I am ugly: in virtue, I have no feminine deportment; in appearance, I lack the color of peach blossoms or the udumbara; in voice, I lack the pleasing sound of strings and pipes; in wisdom, I have not the illumination of holy and great persons; in perception, I have not the foresight across ten thousand li of the sages; in body, I lack the radiant luster of purple gold; in breath, I have not the fragrance of sandalwood and musk; in speech, I lack the beauty of loyalty, harmony, benevolence, and goodness; in conduct, I have not the proper rhythm of advancing, retreating, rising, or descending. Unworthily burdened with the king’s command, I have troubled the onlookers in vain.’ The envoys and the hundred officials held their breath in admiration. She spoke to the palace ladies: ‘Your merit is thin, which has cast you down into this lowly servitude. From now on, as we work together, you should each rectify your hearts, cultivate goodness in your conduct, and do not violate royal etiquette.’ The five hundred palace ladies all answered in assent. She also called the two thousand five hundred maidservants and said to them: ‘Among human beings there is no noble or base; those who possess the Way are honored. You are all children of good families; throughout past and present, changing circumstances have placed you in lowliness. Do not demean yourselves; you must strive to do good.’ They all said: ‘We obey your instructions.’ The hundred officials presented the royal gifts: one thousand cakes of yellow gold, two thousand cakes of white silver, auspicious flower-garlands, crystal and lapis lazuli, bright moon spirit-pearls, coral and amber, one thousand bolts of white silk, one thousand bolts of royal fine silk, and clothing of patterned satin, floss silk, gossamer, vermilion embroidery, purple and green, plain white, yellow, red, and fine silk gauze, along with various perfumes of sandalwood, a thousand bolts in all. The hundred officials presented a hundred garments of the consort’s attire and ornaments. The maiden then accepted them, and when her adornment was complete, she came out and bowed to those of high rank. When the hundred officials saw her, none were not delighted; they all hailed her with ‘Ten thousand years!’ and said, ‘The realm will surely have great peace, having gained the mother of our hundred surnames and myriad subjects!’ The palace ladies and maidservants drew near to her like children finding their mother. Gathering her robes, she mounted the carriage; the carriage was stable, the horses were well tamed, and the sky turned clear and bright. White elephants gathered like clouds, calling to one another. The hundred officials, ministers, and commoners all said: ‘A heavenly being has descended; the realm will surely be protected and peaceful.’ When they reached the palace gate, it opened naturally. The five hundred attendants entered the palace and descended from the carriages. Within the palace, five-colored light arose spontaneously, shining brightly upon the hall and illuminating inside and outside. Entering the hall, she bowed to the king. When the king saw her, he was startled and awestruck, not knowing what to do; he stepped down from his seat to respond to her. The primary consort paid homage to the king, performing a hundred prostrations as fluid as flowing water; kneeling and rising on her own, she stopped only after a hundred bows. The king knelt upright to respond to her. She issued orders in the palace to be gentle, benevolent, and kind, and not to hurt the feelings of others. The king loved and respected her. She spoke slowly and sparsely, and her words always conformed to what was right. Inside and outside, all respected and submitted to her. After entering the palace, for seven days and seven nights she did not sleep, making merry together with the other consorts and palace ladies. The king wished to see her, but the consort’s intention was chaste and her mind pure, not abiding in defilement. Her original intention was pure, so she did not speak with the king, nor did she meet with him. The king said: ‘The duty of a household and the role of husband and wife is based on affection and intimacy. The consort has entered the palace for seven days and seven nights, yet we do not meet. What is her intention? Does she consider this proper?’ The consort sent a palace lady to reply to the king, saying: ‘From my birth, I had two wishes. Now I have obtained one, but have not yet obtained the other. Therefore we have not met.’ The king said: ‘What have you obtained, and what have you not obtained?’ The consort replied: ‘In my youth, I made a vow: may my husband be like a king, and may I serve the deities as I do the Buddha.’ The king said: ‘You may meet me once, and afterwards I will go and invite the Buddha for you.’ The consort said: ‘No. If I have not yet seen the Buddha, I will never meet with the king.’ The king was furious and said: ‘You were originally of a lowly and beggarly sort; how dare you defy the will of a lord of ten thousand chariots?’ The consort said: ‘A woman’s life is bound to her husband; wherever he directs, she obeys his command. But I have a past vow that must not be broken. Though a ruler is honored, he cannot unjustly interrogate an innocent person.’ The king said: ‘I am the master of ten thousand chariots. Those who offend are executed immediately; how could I ask whether it is unjust or straight?’ The consort said: ‘A ruler is the father and mother of the people; executions must follow principle. How can you indulge your own joy and anger? Even an ordinary man would not do this, how much less a king!’ The king said: ‘Those who follow my heart are pardoned; those who do not are executed.’ The consort said: ‘A woman also has her modest heart. Only if her heart is granted will we meet. If her heart is not granted, we will never meet.’ The king said: ‘How can we invite him?’ The consort said: ‘The Buddha is in our realm; if you invite him, he will certainly come.’ The king said: ‘I fear the hundred officials will laugh at me.’ The consort said: ‘If the king invites the Buddha into the palace and up to the hall, the hundred officials will naturally rejoice; receiving blessings in lifetime after lifetime, they will not laugh at the king.’ The king said: ‘Very good!’ That very day, he ordered the kitchen to prepare food for a hundred thousand people. He sent a maidservant to inform the consort: ‘The food for a hundred thousand people to invite the Buddha has been prepared. You may go and invite the Buddha.’ The consort said: ‘A woman must follow commands. In the propriety of inviting the Buddha, the great king should condescend to ride your chariots, go briefly to meet the Buddha, and pay deep respect to him.’ The king said: ‘If I invite, I go myself; if you invite, you go yourself. I will not go.’ The consort said: ‘A ruler is noble and is my husband; a woman’s strength is not equal to a king’s slight word. If the king condescends to show his authority and go briefly to meet the Buddha, all will be well; if not, I am not the great king’s family. We do not yet have the relationship of husband and wife in a household, and remain strangers.’ The king said: ‘Since the marriage is not yet completed, there is no duty between us; it is up to your intention.’ The consort remained silent without speaking, her radiant brilliance shining, her countenance extraordinary. The king suspected the consort might want to commit suicide or escape. He ordered the inner and outer guards and patrolmen to set up guards, soldiers, and officers to shut the palace gates. They stood shoulder to shoulder in continuous ranks so that even flying birds could not pass. The palace ladies inside stood side by side in succession so that not even a needle could fall. The consort knew the king did not intend to invite the Buddha and did not trust her. Then, upon the hall, the consort transformed and vanished; her body was nowhere to be seen. A thousand palace ladies and seventy-one consorts were all startled, looking at one another, scattering to search for her; spreading out through the interior and exterior, she was nowhere to be seen. The king was greatly ashamed and terrified, rising with tears in his eyes. The king said: ‘What shall I do? What shall I do? It was caused by my obstinacy; I regret it deeply. By what means can I make her return?’ The second consort said to the king: ‘The primary consort is not an ordinary person like us. The king should have complied with her wishes, but instead abruptly rejected her and treated her with unpredictable anger and harsh words. She is a heavenly being! If the king causes the primary consort to leave, upon what will the seventy-one of us rely?’ The palace ladies and maidservants all wept as if someone had died. The ministers and people, men and women, were also grieved and lamenting: ‘Now in our realm, whom can we rely upon?’ The birds shrieked, and heaven and earth shook violently. Moved with remorse, the king wished to die; looking up to heaven, he sighed deeply, his tears falling like rain. The people did not pursue their livelihoods; the marketplaces were desolate and abandoned. In groups of tens and fifteens, they wandered around in sorrow. For seven days and seven nights, the king lay down, fasting and eating no grain. The second consort said: ‘For now, you should go briefly to meet the Buddha and invite him to come along.’ The king went to the Buddha’s place, bowed his head to the ground in reverence, and said to the Buddha: ‘I am Agadaru, king of the state of Agirāneya.’ Repeating this three times, he quickly paid his respects, saying: ‘I am continuously occupied with state affairs and have no leisure from morning to evening.’ The Buddha said: ‘State affairs are troublesome and fraught with many entanglements, truly taxing the spirit. Are the officers, people, and borders peaceful or not?’ The king said: ‘All receive the Buddha’s grace. I only wish you would condescend to come briefly to my humble dwelling.’ The Buddha remained silent. In a short while, the Buddha arrived at the hall. The primary consort, along with the other consorts and palace ladies, three thousand five hundred and seventy-one people in all, paid homage to the Buddha together. At first, the king did not see the consort, nor did the palace ladies see her; only the Buddha himself saw her. After the king finished paying homage to the Buddha, he was sorrowful and unhappy. The Buddha said to the king: ‘The primary consort you seek is precisely this person.’ When the king saw her, he rejoiced; the hundred officials, consorts, palace ladies, great and small, were also overjoyed. The king served food and drink. When the meal was finished, the Buddha made a great pronouncement of blessings, so that each obtained the desire of their heart. The king said to the Buddha: ‘My primary consort was originally the daughter of a poor, lowly, and solitary mother. Now she is the primary consort, and moreover she is able to make her body vanish and perform such magical transformations. What sins and blessings brought about this? She is honored above all but one, and has become the mother of the people. Her benevolence, virtue, wisdom, and kindness are such that her words are gentle and do not wound others’ feelings. She hid her form for seven days, and humans, ghosts, spirits, and nāgas did not know where she was.’ The Buddha told him: ‘In the past, the primary consort was a great gṛhapati, possessing countless wealth, but was stingy and did not give; therefore, in this life she was poor. The gṛhapati was by nature lustful and delighted in consorting with women; therefore, in this life she fell into being a woman. Furthermore, she loved to associate with Daoists who understood the scriptures and studied with them; therefore, she possessed wisdom. She had already seen five hundred Buddhas, and now has met me. In the past, she was a good friend to the king, and therefore they became husband and wife. In past lives, the primary consort served five hundred Buddhas, but she did not maintain her mind firmly and troubled the people of the world; therefore, she fell into being a woman. Thirty-nine kalpas from now, the primary consort will attain Buddhahood. The king will also be born seven times in heaven and seven times in the human world. When the king is born in heaven, the primary consort will be a heavenly maiden, serving at the king’s side, always suiting the king’s wishes. The king made a vow with the primary consort to die together, to follow each other life after life, and together to attain liberation. Because the king was arrogant and luxurious, indulging his joy and anger, she did not appear to him again.’ The king rejoiced greatly, and immediately attained the stage of non-retrogression. The Buddha then conferred the five precepts upon the king. The consorts, palace ladies, great and small, ministers, the hundred officials, and all the people of the state received the five precepts. The primary consort had previously received the ten precepts, observing the three yearly fasts and the six monthly fasts. Together with the three thousand five hundred and seventy-one palace ladies of the inner palace, she led them in practicing goodness. The king’s righteous rule was broad and generous, bringing great peace to the realm. He built stūpas and monasteries, all made with the seven treasures; they mutually respected each other, and inside and outside there was no thought of separation. When the people died, all lived out their full lifespans. The king’s primary consort awakened her mind to contemplate the impermanence of the world, realizing that people day and night indulge in lust, affectionate love, ignorance, and impurity, having no virtuous reputation in life and becoming impure ghosts in death. She then sighed deeply, changed her clothing, disheveled her appearance, and tangled her hair. She came forward and said to the king: ‘All things under heaven are impermanent and will inevitably end in death. The reason the king desires me is because I am young, my complexion and skin are smooth and radiant, and my breath is fragrant and pure. All these are transient and will inevitably end in death. In the union of husband and wife, there is hardly anything extraordinary; all of it is impure. With affection, there will be old age and sickness; when they arrive without warning, who will avert them for me? I am now terrified that disaster and harm will arrive suddenly and cannot be escaped. All people, noble and lowly, because of this single matter, will all swell up, stink, and become impure. What benefit is there in cherishing it in vain? The king should reflect for himself: what is extraordinary about the union of man and woman? What I speak is the true reality, not irrelevant to the matter.’ The king said: ‘You are of heavenly stock; what you say is not false. You have grasped the essence of things, and none of it is improper. The men, women, great and small of the realm all rely on you; please reconsider and remain with us.’ The primary consort said: ‘I am a woman and cannot control myself, which is why I report this to the king. The great king may dispatch me to fulfill the original vow of my past karma.’ The king said: ‘I am approaching old age. Although there are other consorts, palace ladies, and young ones, not one suits my mind. You should accompany me through my remaining years; after my death, I will entrust future affairs to you. The crown prince is still young; how could you abandon us and go? Where would you go?’ The consort said: ‘I find birth and death impermanent and detest these transformations. I wish to seek ordination from the Buddha as a śramaṇa.’ The king said: ‘You are the mother of a realm and the supreme consort. The consorts of other states, the palace ladies of the inner palace, great and small, all depend on you. How could you suddenly plan this? If gentlemen far and near hear of it, will they not laugh at us? Being a śramaṇa like that is not what a noble consort of your kind aspires to do; you should reconsider.’ The consort said: ‘All Buddhas of the ten directions have come from among śramaṇas. King Pukkusāti abandoned ninety-nine minor kingdoms, consorts, and eight or nine thousand palace ladies to seek to become a śramaṇa. Throughout past and present, there have been many men and women who sought to become śramaṇas; it is not I alone as a woman. Out of affection, the king covets my youthful beauty and cherishes my body. Yet my body is completely filled with pus, blood, and foul impurities. A woman is difficult to associate with; whenever anyone consorts with a woman, none fail to fall into sin. A woman’s body is hotter than boiling water and fire; it burns people and causes them to fall into grave sins, unable to escape for a thousand kalpas. In my past life, I was also a man, but solely because I consorted with women and had abundant affection, I lost manhood and became a woman. A woman is fearsome, yet the king does not realize it.’