經律異相 17.16

17.16

Anciently, there was a kingdom called Tāmralipti. Seven li from the city there was a vihāra where five hundred śramaṇas constantly resided, praising the scriptures and practicing the Path. There was a senior bhikṣu named Mahālū who was naturally obtuse. The five hundred religious men taught him in turn, but over several years he could not master a single verse. The assembly disdained him together, did not take him to gatherings, and always kept him guarding the vihāra, ordering him to sweep it. Later, the king invited all the monks into the palace for offerings. The bhikṣu Mahālū thought to himself: 'I was born into the world so obtuse as this; not knowing a single verse, I am despised by people. What is the use of living like this?' Taking a rope, he went into the back garden under a great tree, intending to hang himself. With his divine eye, the Buddha saw this from afar; he transformed himself into a tree spirit, appearing with half a human body, and rebuked him: 'Hey, bhikṣu! Why do you do this?' Mahālū then recounted his hardships in full. The transformed spirit rebuked him: 'Do not do this; just listen to my words! Formerly, in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, you were a Tripiṭaka śramaṇa with five hundred disciples. Believing yourself to have great wisdom, you treated others with contempt and arrogance; begrudging the meaning of the scriptures, you never gave instruction. For this reason, in life after life, your faculties have been dull and dark. You should only blame yourself; why demean yourself?' Thereupon the World-Honoured One revealed his radiant form and spoke a wondrous verse for him. Mahālū bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, contemplated the meaning of the verse, and entered a state of concentration. Promptly, before the Buddha, he attained the path of an arhat. He recognized his own past lives through countless generations, and all the scriptures of the Tripiṭaka were threaded in his mind. The Buddha said to Mahālū: 'Don your robes, hold your bowl, and go to the king's palace to eat, sitting at the head of the five hundred monks. These monks were your five hundred disciples in a past life; expound the Dharma to them so they may attain the traces of the Path, and also cause the king to clearly believe in wrongdoing and merit.' He then received the instruction, entered the royal palace, and sat in the foremost seat. The monks were resentful and wondered why, but respecting the king's wishes, none dared summon and dismiss him. Thinking him ignorant and unable to bestow the dāna-dakṣiṇā, their minds were weary of him. When the king had the food served and personally poured and portioned it, Mahālū immediately gave the dāna-dakṣiṇā, his voice resounding like thunder and clear words pouring down like rain. The monks on their seats were alarmed, repented, and all attained arhatship. When he preached the Dharma for the king, there was no one who did not understand; all the ministers and officials attained srotāpanna. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the *Avadāna of the Dharmapada*)