經律異相 16.24

16.24

During the Buddha's time, the garments of the saṃgha were only made of genuine discarded burial rags and coarse worn silks. Later arose the monk Luoxunyu, who, whenever he went on almsround, invariably returned hungry and empty-handed. The Buddha, knowing his past deeds, had the saṃgha divide the Vinaya into five schools and the colors of their robes into five kinds, directing him to accompany a different school on each day. Thereupon rituals and standards were instituted, each naming its robe color according to its strengths: The Sarvāstivāda school, broadly versed and keenly intelligent, guides through Dharma transformation; they should wear black kāṣāya robes. The Kāśyapīya school, diligent and resolute, embraces and protects sentient beings; they should wear magnolia-bark-colored kāṣāya robes. The Mahīśāsaka school, whose meditative contemplation penetrates the subtle and fathoms the profound and obscure; they should wear blue-green kāṣāya robes. The Mahāsāṃghika school, diligently studying the various scriptures and expounding their principles; they should wear yellow kāṣāya robes. From that time onwards, [Luoxunyu] obtained great amounts of food. Why was this? It was brought about by Luoxunyu's lack of virtue in previous lives. Ānanda asked the Buddha, "If Luoxunyu lacked virtue in previous lives, how was he able to become a śramaṇa?" The Buddha said, "In a past life, this Luoxunyu was the son of an elder. By nature he was jealous. Seeing a śramaṇa come on almsround, he would shut the door in his face and say, 'The master is not at home.' When the śramaṇa went to another house, he would pull shut that other house's door as well, also saying, 'The master is not at home.' Therefore, now he cannot obtain alms on almsround. But once, seeing another person giving food and drink and rejoicing at an assembly, he then thought, 'I too wish to become a śramaṇa.' Therefore he suffered such distress now" (from the second fascicle of the Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Bequeathed Teaching).