經律異相 15.6

15.6

In the country of Avanti there was a guild-elder who was exceedingly wealthy and affluent, but stingy, greedy, cruel, evil, and devoid of compassion. At that time, he had a female slave who was driven to labor from morning till night without rest. For the slightest mistake, she was whipped and beaten. Her clothes did not cover her body, her food did not sustain her, and being aged, weary, and exhausted, she longed for death but could not die. Once, just as she was holding a water jar and going to the river to draw water, she reflected on this suffering and wailed aloud with grief. At that time Kātyāyana came to where she was and asked her, "Old mother, why [are you crying]?" She replied, "Venerable one, I am already old and constantly perform bitter labor; in addition, I am destitute, lacking sufficient clothing and food, and though I long for death, I cannot die." Kātyāyana said, "If you are poor, why do you not sell your poverty?" The woman said, "How can poverty be sold? Who would buy poverty?" Kātyāyana said, "Poverty can indeed be sold." This was repeated up to three times. The woman said, "I will sell it." Kātyāyana said, "If you truly wish to sell it, comply completely with my words." She replied, "Yes, indeed." He instructed her, "First bathe yourself." When her bath was finished, he told her, "You must practice generosity." She said, "Venerable one, I am utterly destitute; as my body is now, I do not have a single scrap of intact clothing. There is only this jar, which belongs to my master—with what shall I give?" He immediately handed her his bowl, [saying,] "Take this bowl and fetch a little clean water." Following his instruction, she fetched it and offered it to Kātyāyana. Kātyāyana received it and forthwith pronounced a prayer of benediction. Next he taught her to observe the purification fast, and afterward he taught her to bring to mind the various merits of the Buddha. He then asked, "Do you have a dwelling place?" She answered, "No. When grinding, I sleep under the millstone; when pounding or cooking, I sleep amidst those places; sometimes when there is no work, I stay and lodge on the dung heap." Kātyāyana said, "Restrain your mind well, be reverent and diligent in your labor, and do not harbor resentment. Wait until all in the master's household have gone to sleep, secretly open the door, spread clean grass in the alcove of the door, sit down, and contemplate the Buddha, without giving rise to evil thoughts." Thereupon the old mother received [his words], took refuge, and practiced according to his instruction. Later in the night, she passed away and was reborn in Trāyastriṃśa heaven. The master sent men to bind her feet with grass ropes and drag her to the Śītavana charnel ground. There had been a devaputra who had five hundred deities as his retinue; his merit exhausted, his life had ended. This old woman instantly took his place. According to the law of heavenly rebirth, those of sharp faculties know on their own the circumstances of their arrival, whereas those born with dull faculties only know how to enjoy pleasure. At that time, this woman, having been born into heaven, was enjoying pleasure and being entertained with the five hundred heavenly maidens, unaware of the conditions of her rebirth. At that time, Śāriputra was in Trāyastriṃśa heaven and knew the causes and conditions of this devaputra's rebirth in heaven. He asked, "Devaputra, by what merit were you born into heaven?" He replied, "I do not know." Then Śāriputra lent him his spiritual vision to observe his former body, [showing that] it was due to Kātyāyana that he had attained rebirth in heaven. He immediately led the five hundred devaputras to the Śītavana, scattered flowers, and burned incense to make offerings to the corpse, with radiant light shining brightly. The master, seeing this, wondered at the reason for it and summoned people from far and near to go to the forest to observe. Seeing the devas making offerings to this corpse, he asked the devas, "This maidservant was ugly and vile; during her lifetime, people loathed even to look upon her. For what reason do the devas make offerings to her?" The devaputra then related the entire affair from beginning to end. (Drawn from the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish, fascicle 7.)