經律異相 11.6

11.6

Formerly, two Bodhisattva brothers [elder and younger], each carrying commodities from their country, went together to a naked realm. The younger brother said: 'When entering a country, one conforms to its customs; in advancing and retreating, one follows its decorum. With a gentle heart and humble words, conceal your brilliance to partner with the foolish.' The elder brother said: 'Etiquette must not be compromised, and virtue must not regress. How could I go naked and violate my old decorum?' The younger brother said: 'The exemplary standards of past sages hold that one may lose one's body, but not lose one's proper conduct. To adapt to the times may meet with initial derision, yet the greatness of expedient means is also praised.' Thereupon they went there together. The elder said: 'You go in first to observe the advantages and disadvantages, and immediately dispatch a messenger to inform me of the truth.' The younger brother said: 'Respectfully understood.' Within ten days, the messenger returned to inform him. The elder said: 'You must follow the local custom.' The elder was furious and said: 'Discarding benevolence to follow beasts—is this the conduct of a superior person? What the younger brother does, I will not!' According to that country's customs, on the night of the new moon and the fifteenth day, they made merry all around; with sesame oil they smeared their heads, with white earth they painted their bodies, and they hung various bones around their necks. Clapping two stones together, the men held hands and sang and danced leisurely. The Bodhisattva conformed to them. The countrymen rejoiced and admired him; the king cared for him and the people respected him. The guest and the king took all his goods, paying him tenfold. The elder brother entered the country in a carriage, speaking with rigid laws, consistently contradicting the minds of the people. The king was indignant and the people were contemptuous; they seized his wealth and subjected him to flogging. Only upon the younger brother's plea was he released. They returned together to their home country. Those sending off the younger brother filled the road, while those cursing the elder brother deafened the ears. Humiliated and enraged, the elder brother said: 'What relation are they to you, and what enmity do they have toward me? That you were bestowed upon and I was plundered—is this not due to your slanderous words?' Forming a vow against the younger brother, he said: 'From this time forth, in life after life, I shall be cruel to you and never forgive you.' The Bodhisattva, weeping sorrowfully, made a vow, saying: 'May I, in life after life, meet the Buddhas, see the Dharma, and personally serve the śramaṇas. May the four kindnesses cover all, moistening and saving sentient beings. In serving my elder brother as myself, I will not violate this vow.' From this time forth, the elder brother was always oppressing the younger brother, and the younger brother was always saving him. The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: 'The younger brother at that time was myself, and the elder brother was Devadatta.' (Extracted from the Sūtra on the Peacock King; also extracted from the fifth fascicle of the Sūtra on the Limitless Collection.)