經律異相 17.8

17.8

There was a merchant leader named Devagupta who was traveling to the kingdom of Roruka. He always took delight in giving and had conceived faith in the Buddha. Wishing first to set out to sea, [he vowed:] 'If I return safely, I will hold a great five-year assembly in the Buddha's Dharma.' None among the gods and humans in that land failed to hear of it. At that time an arhat bhikṣuṇī traveled together with him to that land; she reflected and observed, and knew that Devagupta would return safely and hold a great five-year assembly, inviting eighteen thousand bhikṣus who were all arhats, twice as many trainees (śaikṣas), and countless ordinary persons. She saw that the elder (sthavira), named Asāḍha, was in fact an ordinary person, though exceedingly energetic. Entering the saṅghārāma, she made obeisance in order and said to the elder: 'Venerable Sir, you are very unadorned.' The elder thought to himself: 'Why does she consider me unadorned?' Looking at his body, he saw his beard and hair were long, so he summoned a youth to shave off his beard and hair. The bhikṣuṇī still said he was unadorned. The elder again summoned the youth to wash and dye his robes. The nun returned to the saṅghārāma and still said he was unadorned. The elder became angry and said: 'I have already shaved my beard and hair and washed and dyed my robes. Why do you say I am unadorned?' The bhikṣuṇī said: 'In the Buddha's Dharma, the adornment is the attainment of the four fruits. Venerable Sir, did you hear the merchant leader Devagupta make the lion's roar regarding the great five-year assembly?' He answered: 'I heard it.' 'Venerable Sir, you are an ordinary person, yet as the chief elder you receive offerings first among the assembly of arhats. Is this adornment?' Only then did the elder realize it; he wept and was full of sorrow. The bhikṣuṇī said: 'Why are you weeping?' He answered: 'Sister, I am already old and capable of nothing.' The bhikṣuṇī said: 'The Tathāgata's Dharma is visible [here and now] and has no fixed seasons. You may go to the Naṭabaṭa monastery to the bhikṣu Upagupta. This bhikṣu was prophesied by the Buddha: “Among my disciples, he is foremost in converting [others].”' When the elder bhikṣu arrived, Upagupta came out to greet him, saying: 'Venerable Sir, wash your feet and rest.' He answered: 'I have not washed my feet; I wish to see Upagupta.' Upagupta's disciple said: 'Venerable Sir, this is Upagupta, who has come to welcome you.' Greatly rejoiced, he washed his feet. Upagupta then taught and transformed him, found donors for him, and provided baths, food, and various offerings. He spoke to the karmadāna, saying: 'Now a bhikṣu who has attained the two liberations is entering the meditation place,' up to: 'eighteen thousand arhats all enter the meditation place.' At that time the bhikṣu entered the seat of the first meditation and sat. Upagupta entered the fire-light samādhi. In this way, all eighteen thousand arhats entered the fire-light samādhi. When the bhikṣu saw this, joy arose in his heart. Upagupta instructed him and explained the Dharma; the bhikṣu vigorously contemplated and attained the fruit of arhatship. He returned to his home country. The arhat bhikṣuṇī went to the saṅghārāma, bowed, and said: 'Today, the Venerable Sir is adorned.' He answered: 'It was by your power, Sister.' When the five-year assembly arrived, Devagupta asked the elder: 'The World-Honoured One expounded the Dharma in various ways; is what you teach no different?' The elder replied: 'In the past, ninety-one kalpas ago, we were merchants who entered the sea to gather jewels, vowing to fill our ship and return to Jambudvīpa. Then we met a great storm that blew our ship onto a sea of sand. For Vipaśyin Buddha, we piled up sand to make a stūpa and made offerings to it with precious gems. At that time the devas showed me the path, saying: “In seven days a great flood will come, which will float your ship back into Jambudvīpa.” When the seventh day arrived, it was indeed as the devas said. By this cause of the sand stūpa, for ninety-one kalpas I have not fallen into the evil destinies, and now I have attained the fruit of arhatship. Now you are able to make offerings to so many people at the place of the Three Jewels. I utter vows: the suffering of birth and death is endless; you may now leave the household life.' Devagupta received his instruction, immediately became a śramaṇa, and attained the path of an arhat. (Extracted from the ninth fascicle of the *Aśokarāja-sūtra*)