經律異相 35.9

35.9

昔舍衛城內。有一長者。名曰最勝。更有長者。名曰難降。二人慳貪國中第一。饒財多寶不可稱計。二人門戶各有七重勅守門者。無令乞兒得入我家庭室中。鐵籠遍覆庭內以斷飛鳥。四面鐵牆防鼠穿鑿嚙壞器物。是時五大聲聞各以次第詣彼教化。從地踊出教以法施。長者二人聞之各不受化。後佛自往坐臥虛空放大光明。佛與長者說微妙法。長者雖聞心猶不達。內自思惟。佛來至不可虛爾使還精舍。宜入藏裏取一白㲲布施如來。即起入藏。選一惡者反更得好。捨而更取倍得好者。心意共諍不能自決。當於其日阿須倫與忉利天共鬪。或天得勝阿須倫不如。或阿須倫得勝諸天不如。爾時世尊以天眼觀見長者心。或時慳心得勝施心不如。或時施心得勝慳心不如。爾時世尊便說斯偈。

Long ago, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was an elder named Uttara (Supreme), and another elder named Dujjaya (Difficult to Subdue). The two were the most stingy and greedy in the whole country, possessing wealth and treasures beyond measure. The gates of both of their residences had seven tiers. They ordered their gatekeepers: 'Do not allow any beggar to enter our house.' Iron cages covered their courtyards entirely to keep out flying birds, and iron walls surrounded them on all four sides to prevent mice from boring through and biting their utensils. At that time, the five great śrāvakas went in turn to convert them; leaping forth from the earth, they taught them to make offerings of Dharma. Hearing it, neither elder accepted conversion. Afterwards, the Buddha himself went, sitting and lying in empty space, emitting a great light. The Buddha expounded the subtle and wondrous Dharma to the elders. Although the elder heard it, his mind still did not comprehend. He thought to himself: 'Since the Buddha has come, he must not be sent back to the vihāra in vain. I ought to enter the storeroom, take a piece of white cotton cloth, and offer it to the Tathāgata.' He at once rose and entered the storeroom. Selecting a poor piece, he instead picked up a fine one; casting it aside to take another, he got one twice as fine. His mind struggled back and forth, unable to decide. On that very day, the asuras were fighting with the Trāyastriṃśa devas: at times the devas were victorious and the asuras lost; at times the asuras were victorious and the devas lost. At that time, the Bhagavat, observing with his divine eye, saw the elder's mind: at one moment his stingy mind prevailed and his generous mind lost; at another moment his generous mind prevailed and his stingy mind lost. Then the Bhagavat spoke this verse: