經律異相 19
English (machine translation) 19
- Language
- English
19.1
Compiled by the Liang dynasty śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others
19.2
[Table of Contents:]
1. The Kṣatriya/Brāhmaṇa Īriśa's Greed and Stinginess Transformed by the Heavenly Lord
2. A Poor Man's Wife Sweeps the Buddha's Ground, Gaining Present Retribution and Ultimately Attaining the Way
3. Vilāsena's Minor Wholesome Deed Leads to Leaving Home, Rebirth in Heaven, and Attaining the Way
4. Bhaddiya Begs Feathers from a Bird and a Jewel from a Dragon
5. Yaśas Commits Lust During a Famine Year, His Mother Acts as Intermediary, and the Buddha Explains His Past Deeds
6. The Monk Nandi Is Tainted by Delusion: An Account of His Past Deeds and the Spotted Deer Boy
7. The Monk Channa in the Past Was a Slave Who Rebelled, Fled Far Away to Study, and Taught Five Hundred Youths
8. Two Mahallas Residing Together Join in Marriage, and the Buddha Explains Their Past Deeds
9. Nityapramudita Envies Ajita; the Buddha Explains Past Causes and Ciñcā Falls Alive into Avīci
10. Causes and Conditions for Firm Precept Observance Leading to Rebirth in Heaven
11. Puṇṇa Inquires About a Hungry Ghost's Husband Entering the City, and Answers Concerning the Riverbank's Sevenfold Rise and Fall
12. A Monk Encounters Bandits and Is Bound with Living Grass, Not Daring to Pull and Break It
13. Monks Do Not Recognize Each Other at Night, Each Claiming the Other Is a Ghost
14. A Monk Encounters Danger from a King and Is Saved by a Mountain Spirit
15. A Monk Recites Sūtras on the Brink of Death, Sees the Buddha, and His Tongue Survives the Cremation
16. A Monk Dwells in Deep Mountains and Is Disturbed by Ghosts; the Buddha Prohibits Residing in Places of Non-humans
17. A Monk Loses His Resolve and Confusion Arises in His Mind
18. The Mother of the Śramaṇa Zhēnzhòng Becomes a Hungry Ghost, and He Saves Her Through Skillful Means
19. A Śramaṇa Enters the Sea; a Dragon Invites Him for Offerings and He Obtains a Maṇi Jewel
20. A Śramaṇa Boils Grass and It Turns into Ox Bones
21. A Śramaṇa Goes Begging, and the Host Possesses a Pearl Swallowed by a Parrot; Cruelty Is Perversely Inflicted on Him, Yet He Patiently Endures Without Speaking
22. A Śramaṇa Encounters a Ghost Whose Body Transforms, Now Appearing, Now Vanishing
23. A Śramaṇa Is Embraced by a Ghost, Calms His Mind to Preach and Transform It, and the Ghost Apologizes and Departs
24. A Man of the Way Converts a Hunter
19.3
1. The Kṣatriya/Brāhmaṇa Īriśa's Greed and Stinginess Transformed by the Heavenly Lord
19.4
In the past, there was a man of the four castes named Illīsa. He possessed boundless wealth, but begrudged clothing and food. There was an impoverished old man living near him, who daily indulged himself, eating fish and meat, with guests arriving without end. The man of the four castes thought to himself: 'Though my wealth is boundless, I am conversely not equal to this old man.' He thereupon killed a chicken, cooked a sheng of white rice, loaded them onto a cart, and went to an uninhabited place. Stepping down from the cart, just as he was about to eat, Śakra transformed himself into a dog, approached, and looked at him up and down. He said to the dog: 'If you can hang upside down in midair, shall I give you [some] or not?' The dog immediately hung upside down in midair. The man of the four castes was greatly terrified and said: 'If your eyes drop to the ground, shall I give you [some] or not?' Both eyes of the dog fell out onto the ground. The man of the four castes then moved away. Śakra transformed himself into the body of the man of the four castes, rode the cart back home, and gave orders: 'If anyone from outside falsely claims to be me, drive him away and beat him!' The man of the four castes returned late; the gatekeepers reviled him and made him leave. Śakra took all the wealth and gave it away in great generosity. The man of the four castes could not return either; seeing that his wealth was completely gone, he went mad on account of it. Śakra transformed himself into a person and asked: 'Why are you grieving?' He said: 'My wealth has been completely wiped out.' Śakra said: 'Indeed, possessing precious treasures causes one much worry. The five families take without notice; if one amasses wealth without giving, after death one becomes a hungry ghost, constantly lacking clothing and food. If one happens to be reborn as a human, one constantly falls into the lowly and base. You did not realize impermanence; you were wealthy yet stingy, greedily hoarding and not eating—what were you hoping for?' Śakra preached the four noble truths for him. The man of the four castes understood. Śakra dissolved his transformation and left. The man of the four castes returned home, repented of his former intentions, dedicated himself to giving, and when his wealth was exhausted, he attained the Way (from the fifth fascicle of the Samyuktāvadāna-sūtra).
19.5
A poor man's wife swept the Buddha's ground, received a present-life retribution, and ultimately attained the Way (2)
19.6
In the past, near the Jetavana, there was a poor family who wished to make offerings to the Bhagavat and the disciples, but lived in poverty and destitution, having nothing to arrange. She then went and swept the Buddha's monastery, doing so wholeheartedly and untiringly. Near the house of this poor virtuous one, there was an elder walking about who saw in a great marsh several tens of rooms of seven-jewel mansions. Seeing them from afar, he went and asked someone: 'Who built these halls and dwellings that are so wonderful?' The person replied: 'There is a poor, virtuous one who sweeps the Buddha's monastery; in retribution for her merit, she is destined to be born here, and these halls and dwellings have been built to await her.' The elder rejoiced and said: 'I shall acquire them.' He then went to the poor one's house and spoke to her: 'If you have a fine object, give it to me, and I will give you five hundred taels of gold.' She said: 'I have always been poor and destitute; whence could I obtain a fine object?' The elder said: 'Just promise me.' She said: 'Very well.' He then gave her five hundred taels of gold. Having obtained the gold, the virtuous one widely arranged gifts of charity. The Buddha preached the Dharma for her, and she instantly attained the stage of entering the stream (from Key Matters in Various Sūtras).
19.7
Vilāsīna's slight wholesome deed of going forth led to rebirth in heaven and attainment of the Way (3)
19.8
When the Buddha was in Vaiśālī, at mealtime he donned his robes, took his bowl, and led Ānanda into the city to beg for alms. At that time, in the city of Vaiśālī, there was a householder named Vilāsīna who had dismissed all guests and for seven days amused himself with the five desires, instructing the gatekeeper not to allow anyone through the outer gate. When the Buddha was begging for alms, he gradually approached the house of Vilāsīna. Hearing the sound of music, he told his attendant Ānanda, and Ānanda answered according to the facts. The Buddha said: 'After seven days have passed, this elder will die and be born in the Raurava Hell. Why is this? The wholesome roots he formerly cultivated are cut off at this point, and he has not created new ones; therefore, upon his death, he will be born in hell.' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'Could there be an expedient means to prevent that householder from dying when these seven days have passed?' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'There is no expedient means to prevent his death; there is only an expedient means to avoid hell. If that elder shaves his hair and beard, dons the three Dharma robes, and with steadfast faith leaves the household life to learn the Way, only then will the elder avoid falling into hell.' Ānanda said to the Buddha: 'I shall now go and encourage him to leave the household life.' At that time, all the Śākyas of Vaiśālī had an agreement with Ānanda that whenever Ānanda arrived at their homes, even if someone in that household was asleep, or whatever business was taking place, they would all allow the person Ānanda sent to enter directly. Why was this? Because his speech was gentle and his words did not harm people. At that time, Ānanda said to the gatekeeper: 'You may go in and announce this.' The gatekeeper immediately went in and fully explained this matter. The elder at once cast aside his entertainment, quickly came out, bowed at Ānanda's feet, and said: 'Ānanda, may you enter my house and bring blessings to save my sons and daughters.' Ānanda replied: 'The Tathāgata knows the right time and does not speak falsely; he has prophesied that you, elder, will die in seven days, and upon death will be born in the Raurava Hell.' Hearing this, the elder was terrified and wept, saying to Ānanda: 'Could there be an expedient means to prevent my death?' Ānanda replied: 'There is no expedient means to prevent death; there is only an expedient means to avoid hell.' The elder asked the reason, and Ānanda replied: 'If you leave the household life, you will avoid hell.' The elder then thought of entrusting his family estate, and only afterward going to the Buddha's place to leave the household life and learn the Way. He then said: 'Seven days are still far off; today I will amuse myself with the five desires, and tomorrow morning I shall go.' When the time came, Ānanda donned his robes, took his bowl, entered the city to beg for alms, came to the householder's home, and said to him: 'One day has already passed, and six days remain; you should leave the household life in time.' The elder replied: 'I will go later.' In this way he repeated: 'I wish to enjoy myself further; I will go the day after tomorrow.' Thus procrastinating, he could not bring himself [to do it]. Ānanda constantly went daily to encourage him. When six days were completed, on the morning of the seventh day, Ānanda spoke to him again. He then entrusted his family estate, bid farewell to young and old, and went to the Buddha's place. The Bhagavat instructed Ānanda to confer full ordination upon him. After the ordination was completed, in the final watch of the night before the seventh day [ended], he died and was born in the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. Ānanda asked the Buddha: 'Where was he born?' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'The monk Vilāsīna passed away and was born in the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. After dying there, he will be born in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Transmigrating thus through human and heavenly realms, he will pass through nine kalpas, alternating births in heaven and the human world. In his final body, he will return again to the human world, shave his hair and beard, with steadfast faith leave the household life to learn the Way, and become a pratyekabuddha named Vilāsīna. Why is this? Because this monk Vilāsīna received full ordination and passed away with diligence. Such, Ānanda, is the fruit and retribution of the pure life, and the blessings received in rebirth' (from the Sūtra on the Householder Vilāsīna's Amusement with the Five Desires).
19.9
Bāskala begged feathers from the birds and a pearl from the nāga (4)
19.10
When the Buddha was dwelling in the Araṇya Monastery at Rājagṛha, there were five hundred monks who all begged to build cells. When merchants saw the monks coming, they would shut their shops and return home to avoid them. The monks intercepted them along other roads, continuously preaching karmic retribution and instructing them to generate faith, even seizing them by their heads to force them to give, saying: 'This is so that you may obtain bodily form, strength, and longevity, increase merit, and attain the fruit of nectar.' Hearing this, the merchants generated faith and gave somewhat. Later, seeing Śāriputra, they complained to Śāriputra of this matter in detail. Having heard them, Śāriputra preached the Dharma to delight them, and returned to report fully to the Buddha. The Buddha told the monks who managed affairs: 'In a past age, there was a monk named Bāskala who dwelt in a forest. At that time, a flock of śakunta birds also roosted in this forest. Their disordered cries at dawn and dusk troubled Bāskala. Bāskala went to the Bhagavat's place, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and stood to one side. The Bhagavat inquired after his comfort: "Do you have little illness and little trouble, dwelling peacefully and happily in the forest?" The monk replied: "I have little illness and little trouble, and dwell happily therein, but the cries of the śakunta birds disturb and perturb me so that I cannot contemplate." The Buddha told the monk: "Do you wish to make none of these birds come at all?" He replied: "May it be so." The Buddha said: "Monk, when these birds come, you should beg a feather from each bird." Following the instruction, the monk begged for feathers; each bird dropped a feather. When they left every morning, he begged again like this. The birds then moved to a different place for the night, but not finding peace, soon returned. The monk again begged feathers from them, and each gave one again. The birds said to one another: "The śramaṇa's begging for feathers is endless; we fear that before long our plumage will be completely gone, and we will no longer be able to fly." They further consulted together, saying: "This monk constantly dwells in the forest; we should leave and seek another roost." The monks reported this fully to the Buddha, saying: "The monk in the forest was timid and weak, easily disturbed, and frightened by the sounds of the bad birds." The Buddha said: "Not only today was he timid and weak; in a past age there was an elephant king who lived in a forest. A fierce gale suddenly arose and snapped the trees. Hearing the sound of breaking, the elephant was terrified and fled. When his fear slightly subsided, he sheltered under another tree; the other tree snapped again, and so he fled again. At that time, a deva saw the elephant and thought: 'This elephant runs about wildly without cause.' He then spoke a verse:
19.11
"The violent wind breaks the forest trees, / The elephant king flees in terror. / If it were across the entire world, / Where could the elephant king hide?"
19.12
The Buddha said: 'The elephant at that time was this monk in the forest.' The Buddha further told the monks: 'In a past age, there were five hundred ṛṣis living in the Snow Mountains. At that time, one ṛṣi lived in a separate place, where there was a fine spring with luxuriant flowers and fruits. Not far from there, there was the Sāra River, and in the water was a nāga. Seeing the ṛṣi's dignified and composed deportment, the nāga felt affectionate regard and came to the ṛṣi's place, just when the ṛṣi was sitting cross-legged. The nāga coiled around the ṛṣi seven times and rested with its head covering his crown. It was like this day after day, coming at all times except mealtime. Because the nāga coiled around his body, the ṛṣi sat upright day and night without resting; his body grew emaciated and broke out in sores and scabs. At that time, there was a person living nearby who made offerings to the ṛṣi. He came to the ṛṣi's place, saw that he was emaciated and covered with scabies, and asked: "Why are you like this?" The ṛṣi recounted the above matter in detail. The person further asked: "Do you wish to make the nāga come no more?" He answered: "Yes." The person again said to the ṛṣi: "This nāga has an ornamental precious pearl on its throat; you can demand the pearl from the nāga. Nāgas by nature are stingy and will never give it to you. When the nāga comes, demand the pearl from it." When the nāga heard him begging for this, its mind was displeased, and it slowly withdrew and left. The next day, the nāga came and spoke a verse from afar:
19.13
"A radiant maṇi gem, / An ornament adorning my body; / If the nāga could bestow it on me, / He would truly be a good and close friend."
19.14
The nāga answered with a verse, saying:
19.15
"For fear of losing the maṇi pearl, / It is like calling a dog while holding a staff; / The precious pearl cannot be obtained, / And I will not come to see you again. / Fine delicacies and various treasures / All derive from this venerable maṇi; / This can never be obtained, / So why seek it so earnestly? / By seeking much, affection is severed; / Because of this I shall not come again."
19.16
At that time, a deva spoke a verse in midair, saying:
19.17
"Aversion and contempt arise / Entirely from seeking too much; / When the brahmacārin shows greed, / The nāga hides in the depths."
19.18
The Buddha told the monks managing affairs: 'The elephant and nāga are beasts, yet even they detest excessive seeking, how much more so humans! You monks must not, because of managing many affairs, demand widely without satiation, causing those faithful brāhmaṇas and householders to part with their wealth in distress' (from the seventh fascicle of the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya; also from the third fascicle of the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya, with some differences).
19.19
Because of famine Yaśas committed an unchaste act; his mother facilitated it, leading the Buddha to preach their past deeds (5)
19.20
At that time, the Buddha went with five hundred monks to the country of Vṛji and stayed in the city of Vaiśālī. The people suffered famine, the five grains did not ripen, the dead lay strewn in disorder, and almsfood was difficult to obtain. In the city there was an elder named Yaśas. Yaśas had gone forth from home, but almsfood was difficult to obtain, and he frequently returned home to seek food. His mother told him, "You are suffering greatly. My household's wealth is not small; use it as you please. Your wife is still alive; you should live together with her. We will let you practice giving and make offerings to the Three Jewels as you please." After she repeated this three times, Yaśas would not comply. His mother told him again, "If you take no pleasure in the five desires, just grant me your seed to continue the lineage, so that after I die the property will not be confiscated by the authorities, and that is all." Yaśas answered, "If you wish to retain my seed, I will now comply with this command." His mother quickly went inside and told the daughter-in-law, who said, "Very well." She adorned herself, and as soon as they met once, the wife became pregnant. Later she gave birth to a boy, who was therefore named "Continuing the Seed." The people of the world called him this, and even the family's property was all referred to as "Continuing the Seed." When Yaśas heard this, he felt great shame and immediately reported it to Śāriputra. Śāriputra reported it to the Bhagavat. Yaśas and Śāriputra went together to the Buddha's place and reported it fully to the Buddha. The Buddha said, "Monk Yaśas, this has never before occurred within the saṅgha. You foolish man, you have opened the gate to great wrongdoing!" The Buddha said, "It is not only today that within my Dharma you have had such base defilements. In a past life, you were born in the Ābhāsvara heaven. When this world was first formed, there was one person who was frivolous and greedy, and who first came to eat this taste of the earth. The other sentient beings successively imitated him and their minds became attached. Their bodies grew heavy, and from this desires arose. They retrograded from their supernormal powers, and their radiance was extinguished. From this time onward, the sun and moon were born. That frivolous sentient being was Yaśas. His mother has not merely enticed and deceived her son today; in the past she did so as well." He told the monks: "At that time, the country was named Kāśi and the city was named Vārāṇasī. The prince was named Mahāyaśas; through giving and upholding the precepts, he transformed the world by means of the Way. His chief consort, observing the stars and constellations, saw a golden deer-king coming from the south and flying northward through the air. The consort thought, 'If I obtain this hide to make into a cushion, I will die with no regrets. If I cannot obtain it, of what use is it to be the king's consort?' She immediately took off her necklaces, put on soiled and tattered clothes, and entered the sorrow chamber. When the king finished attending to affairs, he went back to look for her and asked the attendants. The attendants answered, 'The consort has just gone into the sorrow chamber to stay.' The king then went and asked her, 'Who has offended you?' She was silent and did not answer. The king sent someone to ask her, and again she did not answer. He then ordered an elderly serving maid of many expedients to persuade her with varied speech. The consort answered, 'No one has offended me. I have something else on my mind, which is why I do not speak.' She then related that she had seen the golden deer and vowed to obtain its hide to make a cushion. The maid reported this to the king. The king asked his ministers, 'Who can obtain it?' He then assembled the hunters and told them to search urgently. The hunters all said, 'We have never even heard its name, let alone seen it.' He ordered them bound in prison. At that time, there was a hunter named Naija, brave and robust, possessed of great strength, who could run fast enough to catch fleeing beasts; shooting upward at flying birds, his arrows never missed. Thinking to himself that he had committed no crime yet had been imprisoned, he proposed a plan and asked, 'Has anyone seen or heard of it?' The king said, 'You may ask the consort yourself.' The consort answered, 'From the upper storey I saw it coming from the south and flying northward through the air.' The hunter was skilled at discerning the habits of birds and beasts; he realized the deer roosted in the south and fed in the north, and that he should seek it at its feeding place. Then the hunter took his bow and arrows and gradually journeyed north, arriving before the Snow Mountains (Himavat). In the mountains was an immortal. Concealing his hunting gear, he went to the immortal's place, bowed, and inquired after him. The immortal told him to sit down and served him various drinks and fruits. The hunter asked, 'How long have you stayed here?' The immortal answered, 'Already for several years.' The hunter asked, 'Have you ever seen anything unusual?' He answered, 'To the south of this mountain there is a tree named nyagrodha. Often a golden deer-king flies there, perches upon it, and eats its leaves.' The immortal showed him the way. Arriving beneath the tree, he saw that the tree was luxuriant and its leaves spread wide in canopy. Presently, he saw the deer coming through the air like a king of wild geese, landing on the tree to eat the leaves. Having eaten to the full, it flew away again. Returning, he reported to the king, 'It cannot be reached by nets or arrows; there is no way to take it. You may go yourself to report to the consort.' The consort told the hunter, 'You may smear the top leaves with honey, and descending downward, set up nets and snares. The deer, seeking the scent of the honey, will gradually descend as it eats the leaves until it reaches the snare and be caught by the snare. Then drive it living and bring it here.' The immortal saw from afar and said, 'Alas, what a terrible calamity! Though it can mount the air, it cannot escape the hands of evil men.' The immortal spoke a verse:
19.21
"In the world, of all great evils, / none surpasses scents and flavours; / they deceive ordinary worldlings / and the wild beasts of the forest. / Following the wind, attached to scents and flavours, / they suffer this painful affliction."
19.22
The hunter smeared honey on the tree leaves. Eating them, the deer was caught, and he brought it back. When the king heard that the deer had arrived, he burned incense and welcomed it. When the consort saw it, she went forward and embraced the deer-king. Because her attachment and defilement were heavy, this caused the deer-king's golden colour to vanish immediately. The king told the consort, 'This deer's golden colour has suddenly vanished; what should be done?' The consort said, 'This gold was an unasked-for thing. Release it and let it go.' The golden deer was Yaśas. The consort was Yaśas's mother. Suffering various torments, her craving and attachment persist to this day (Extracted from the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, Fascicle 1).
19.23
6. The Monk Nandi Was Defiled by Desire, with a Relinquishing of His Past Deeds and the Fawn-Spotted Boy
19.24
When the Buddha was in Śrāvastī, there was a monk named Nandi. Walking, standing, sitting, and lying down, his mind was constantly mindful of concentration. After seven years passed, he retrograded and lost his dhyāna concentration. Relying once more on the foot of a tree, he returned to practicing meditative attainment, wishing to seek his original concentration. Māra, watching for an opportunity, transformed into an incomparably beautiful woman, stood before him, and said, "Monk, come and engage in sexual intercourse with me." Nandi said, "Evil wicked one, perish quickly! Evil wicked one, perish quickly!" Although his mouth uttered the words, his eyes did not look at her. A second and third time it was also like this. The deva maiden then took off her clothes, exposed her body, and stood in front of Nandi. When Nandi saw her form, his lustful mind was tainted and attached. At that time, the deva maiden gradually stepped backward. Nandi called out, "You may stay a little!" The deva maiden rushed into the ditch of the Jetavana. In the ditch was a dead horse. There the deva maiden concealed her form and became invisible. Nandi's lustful mind was blazing; he immediately had intercourse with this dead horse. When his lustful mind subsided, he reflected on his unwholesome deed, took off his Dharma robes, went to the Jetavana, and told the monks, "I have committed a grave offense." The monks asked him the circumstances, and Nandi related them in detail. The monks reported the matter to the Buddha, and the Buddha ordered him expelled. The monks said to the Buddha, "Nandi cultivated brahma-faring for a long time; why was he deluded by a woman?" The Buddha said, "Nandi was not only deluded by a woman today; in the past it was also so. In a past life, in the southern country of Avanti, there was a non-Buddhist renunciant of the Kāśyapa clan, intelligent and learned, who assisted the king in governing the country. The king upheld the state laws to torture and punish scoundrels and bandits. The non-Buddhist thought, 'I have already gone forth from home; why am I deliberating and judging these matters together with the king?' He immediately said to the king, 'I wish to go forth from home.' The king said, 'The master has already gone forth from home; why do you now say you wish to go forth from home?' He answered, 'I am now participating in these various penal laws; how can this be called going forth from home? I now wish to go forth from home according to the way of the rṣis.' The king said, 'Very well.' He then built a monastery on the Hundred-Cliff Mountain, cultivated the rṣi's way, and attained the five supernormal powers. Suddenly, while urinating, impure fluid flowed forth. At that time, there was a doe that drank this urine and licked her birth canal; she then became pregnant and gave birth to a young child. The ṛṣi went to look, saw that the deer had given birth to a child, and, wondering, thought, 'How could a beast give birth to a human?' Entering concentration to observe, he knew it was his son, took him, and raised him. Because he was born from the mother, his body had spots like a deer, and he was therefore named Fawn-Spotted (Mṛgaśṛṅga). The ṛṣi thought, 'Nothing ruins rectitude and destroys virtue more than women.' Thereupon he taught him dhyāna concentration and transformed him with the five supernormal powers, reciting a verse for him:
19.25
"Of all classes of sentient beings, / none fails to return to death. / Following the realm to which their karma leads, / they personally reap their retribution. / Those who do good are born in heaven; / evil deeds enter hell. / Practicing the Way and cultivating brahma-faring, / with outflows ended, one attains nirvāṇa."
19.26
At that time, the ṛṣi then passed away. Thereupon the boy purely cultivated the brahma-faring and obtained the five supernormal powers. Śakra Devānām Indra, riding a white dragon-elephant, inspected the world to see who was filial to parents, made offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, and was also able to practice giving, uphold the precepts, and cultivate the brahma-faring. Inspecting the world, he saw this ṛṣi boy. The Heavenly King thought, 'If this boy wishes to seek to become Śakra or Brahmā King, he will be able to attain it; I should promptly ruin him.' He then devised an expedient, striking the Dharma drum, and hundreds of thousands of devaputras all assembled. Śakra announced, 'In Jambudvīpa there is a ṛṣi boy named Fawn-Spotted who has great merit; I wish to ruin him.' When the devaputras heard this, they were displeased and thought, 'To ruin this person will diminish the assembly of devas and increase the asuras.' One devaputra proclaimed, 'Who should go?' Then someone answered, 'A deva maiden should go.' They immediately summoned them, and at once hundreds of thousands of deva maidens all assembled. There was a deva maiden named Alambuṣā, whose hair was variegated with four colours: blue, yellow, red, and white, hence the name Variegated. They dispatched this deva maiden to go to Jambudvīpa to ruin the boy Fawn-Spotted. At that time, that deva maiden said to Śakra, 'Since the past, I have frequently ruined men's brahma-faring, causing them to lose their supernormal powers. I pray you dispatch another deva maiden who is upright, dignified, and pleasing to people.' At that time, Śakra again spoke various verses among the assembly to encourage the deva maiden. Thereupon the deva maiden went and ruined the ṛṣi boy. The Buddha told the monks, 'Could that ṛṣi boy at that time be anyone else? He was none other than the present Dhyāna-Nandi. The deva maiden Alambuṣā was this present deva maiden.' (Extracted from the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, Fascicle 1).
19.27
7. Chanda, Having Formerly Been a Slave, Fled Far Away to Learn and Taught Five Hundred Boys
19.28
The Buddha was dwelling in the kingdom of Kauśāmbī. At that time the elder Chanda was of an evil nature and hard to reason with. Though the monks admonished him three times even within the Saṃgha, he still would not desist. The monks reported this to the Buddha. The Buddha said: "In the past, there was an elder's son who had a servant named Amoyu, who was by nature ferocious and wicked. At that time, the elder's son was amusing himself in a pleasure garden together with sons of brāhmaṇas. All their attendants remained outside the garden gate. Then Amoyu beat all the attendants outside the garden gate. When the attendants were beaten, each reported it to his master. Thereupon the brāhmaṇa sons all came out to reprimand him. But Amoyu would not heed their words, replying to the brāhmaṇa sons: 'I will not submit to your words! Only if my own master comes to reprimand me will I accept his words.' And he continued to beat them without stopping. They then came and reported it to Amoyu's master. Amoyu's master had obtained the divine eye from birth. He observed the place of fighting and saw that beneath it was a hidden cache of gold and silver; it was only because the ground was malevolent that it caused them to fight. He went at once and reprimanded him, whereupon the servant immediately ceased. The Buddha told the monks: 'Was the elder's son of that time anyone else? He was myself. As for Amoyu of that time, he was the present monk Chanda.' Moreover, in a past age, there was a great learned brāhmaṇa named Fuluxi (Purohita?), who was the teacher to the king of the country and constantly instructed boys. At that time, a servant named Kalaha was born in the brāhmaṇa's household, who was constantly assigned to attend upon the boys. This servant had sharp faculties; whenever he heard the teachings of the Dharma spoken, he was entirely able to remember and retain them. Once, this servant had a slight resentment toward the boys, and so he fled to another country. He falsely proclaimed himself: 'I am the son of the brāhmaṇa Fuluxi, named Yajñadatta.' He said to the royal teacher, a brāhmaṇa of this country: 'I am the son of Fuluxi, the royal teacher of the country of Vārāṇasī. I have come here purposely wishing to rely on the great master to study the brāhmaṇical teachings.' The master replied: 'You may do so.' This servant was intelligent: what he had previously heard he now heard again, and upon hearing it he was entirely able to retain it. His master was greatly delighted, and thereupon ordered him to instruct five hundred pupil boys, saying: 'Instruct them in my place. I must go back and forth to the royal court.' This brāhmaṇa master had no sons, but only one daughter. He then thought: 'Now I may give my daughter as wife to Yajñadatta. He will stay in my household and be like my own son.' He then said to him: 'Yajñadatta, do not return to that country. I will now give you my daughter as your wife.' He replied: 'I obey your instruction.' He then lived at home with the daughter, working and living together like a son, and the household gradually grew wealthy. When the food and drink were not good, this Yajñadatta would fly into a great rage. His wife respected him deeply. She sought everywhere [for what pleased him] but could not succeed. At that time, that brāhmaṇa Fuluxi heard all about the servant being there. He thought: 'My servant Kalaha has fled to another country. I should go and seize him back, or perhaps I can obtain the servant's value.' He then went to that country. At that time, Yajñadatta was going with his disciples to a pleasure garden to amuse themselves. Along the way, he encountered his original master. He was at once terrified and secretly told his pupils: 'Boys, you go back and recite and study on your own.' After the pupils had left, he went before his master, bowed his head to his feet, and said to his master: 'When I came to this country, the master said my master was my father, and so I relied on the royal teacher of this country, a great learned brāhmaṇa, as my master. Because I was learned in the classics, the brāhmaṇa master gave his daughter to be my wife. I pray the venerable one will not make my matter known today. I shall present to you the price of the servant.' The master brāhmaṇa understood worldly affairs well; he immediately replied: 'You are truly my son, what more is there to say? Just make a contrivance so that I may be sent back quickly.' He then brought him home and said to his household: 'My relative has arrived.' His wife was delighted, and prepared various kinds of food and drink. After serving the meal, during a moment of leisure, she bowed at the feet of the guest brāhmaṇa and asked him: 'I serve my husband Yajñadatta, but the food and drink I offer are constantly displeasing to his mind. I pray you will now instruct me as to what he used to eat when he was at home, and I will prepare food for him according to the former ways.' The guest brāhmaṇa immediately grew angry, thinking: 'Such a [worthless] fellow! Such a [worthless] fellow, distressing another's daughter!' He said to the woman: 'Just send me off quickly. When I am about to depart, I will teach you a verse. When you recite this verse, it will render your husband speechless.' After the guest brāhmaṇa had been seen off and was about to depart, he spoke a verse for her, saying:
19.29
"Without kin, you roam in other lands, / Deceiving the people of the world. / Coarse food is the regular rule; / Just eat it—what cause have you to complain?"
19.30
"Now I give you this verse. Whenever he gets angry and disdains the food as bad, go beside him with your back turned and softly recite it so that he may hear it." Having given this instruction, he returned to his own country. After Yajñadatta had seen his master off, whenever mealtime arrived, he would get angry again as before. His wife tried reciting the verse by her husband's side. When the husband heard this verse, his heart was not pleased at all, and he thought: "Alas, this old thing has revealed my vile deeds!" From then on, he always spoke gentle words, fearing that his wife would tell others of his private secret. The Buddha told the monks: "Was the brāhmaṇa Fuluxi of the city of Vārāṇasī of that time anyone else? He was myself. As for the servant Kalaha of that time, he was the present monk Chanda. In those days he had already relied on me to mistreat others; now again, he relies on my power to mistreat others." (Drawn from the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, fascicle 8.)
19.31
8. Two Mahallas Living Together Arranged a Marriage; the Buddha Explains Their Past Deeds
19.32
In the city of Śrāvastī there were two mahallas (elderly converts). Both had abandoned their wives and children to leave home and practice the Way. After wandering among people for a long time, both returned to Śrāvastī and lived in the same room. Each thought to himself that he would like to return home temporarily to see his wife and children. They then arrived at their original homes. When his wife saw him, she was angry and said: "You man of meager virtue and no auspicious marks abandoned home to study the Way. Our daughter has grown up and cannot be married off. What have you come for now? I ought to break your legs!" Thereupon the junior mahalla returned to his room, sorrowful and unhappy. At that time, the senior mahalla was also driven away. Returning together to their room, he asked his junior companion: "Why are you so sorrowful and distressed?" He replied: "Why do you need to ask?" He asked again: "The two of us are together in one room; should good and bad matters not be known to each other? If you do not speak to me, to whom else should you tell it?" He then told him in full. The senior mahalla said: "Why should this be cause for sorrow? My household is also like this. Your son and my daughter can be paired as a match." He replied: "Very well." Then the junior mahalla returned and said to his wife: "I have obtained a husband for our daughter." The wife answered: "Excellent!" The senior one also returned and reported to his wife: "I have obtained a wife for our son." She asked: "Who is it?" He answered: "The daughter of so-and-so." The two mahallas then joined them in marriage, each rejoicing as if a pauper had found a jewel, loving and respecting one another even more. The Buddha told the monks: "Not only today did these two mahallas do such a thing. In the past, in the kingdom of Kāśi, there was a brāhmaṇa who stored māṣa beans for so long that when boiled they could not soften, and when offered for sale they would not sell. There was another family that raised a stubborn donkey, which also could not be sold off. The bean-owner thought: 'Now I will exchange these beans for that donkey.' He went and spoke to him. The donkey-owner also thought to exchange this stubborn donkey for those beans, and replied: 'Very well.' Both rejoiced. The bean-owner chanted a verse:
19.33
"The brāhmaṇa’s art is skillful at trade: / Dust-old icy beans kept for sixteen cycles. / In vain will you exhaust your firewood, for they will not boil soft; / They will only break the teeth of your young and old!"
19.34
Then the donkey-owner also spoke a verse:
19.35
"What makes you brāhmaṇa so glad? / Though it has four legs and a fine coat of hair, / When bearing heavy loads over a long road, you will come to know: / Though pierced with an awl and burned with fire, it will never move!"
19.36
Then the bean-owner spoke another verse:
19.37
"A staff of solitary growth from a thousand autumns, / Fitted with a four-inch awl upon its tip, / Can subdue a donkey of vile and stubborn ways; / Why worry that it cannot be controlled?"
19.38
Then the donkey spoke to its master, reciting a verse:
19.39
"Firmly planting my front two legs, / I shall let fly both hind hooves together, / Breaking your front teeth clean off; / Then you will surely understand!"
19.40
The bean-owner spoke to the donkey again, chanting a verse:
19.41
"When stung by mosquitoes, gadflies, and venomous insects, / You rely solely on your tail to defend yourself. / I shall chop off your tail, / To let you know suffering and pain!"
19.42
The donkey replied again:
19.43
"Ever since the time of my ancestors, / I have practiced this obstinate conduct; / Now I follow and train in it— / Unto death I will never abandon it!"
19.44
At that time, the bean-owner knew it was evil and could not be handled with harsh words, so he praised it, speaking a verse:
19.45
"Your voice brays clear, resonant and fine; / Your face is white as jade-like snow. / I will take a wife for you, / And together you will roam the woods and marshes."
19.46
Upon hearing these gentle and loving words, the donkey spoke a verse again:
19.47
"I can carry eight hu / And travel six hundred li in a day; / The brāhmaṇa should know: / Hearing of a wife, my heart rejoices!"
19.48
The Buddha said: "The two men of that time were indeed the two mahallas of today. The donkey of that time was the mahalla's son of today. Having once deceived one another, the brāhmaṇa householder suffered anguish and gave up his wealth." (Drawn from the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, fascicle 7.)
19.49
9. Changhuan Envier of Wusheng: The Buddha Relates the Past Causes of Ciñcā Falling Alive into Avīci
19.50
The Buddha told Śāriputra: "Long ago there was a Buddha named Jin胜 (Jitavijaya/Sarvābhibhū?). There were two monks: one was named Wusheng (Anabhibhūta) and the other was named Changhuan (Nityapramudita). The monk Wusheng had the six spiritual penetrations and psychic powers; the monk Changhuan had not yet eliminated his fetters. There was an elder named Mahāpriya (Dà'ài), whose wife was named Śubhamāyā (Shànhuàn), exceedingly handsome and unequalled. These two monks were their recipients of alms. The woman Śubhamāyā made offerings to Wusheng, lacking nothing in any matter of care, while to Changhuan she gave very meagerly. Changhuan gave rise to jealousy and slandered him, saying: 'The monk Wusheng has illicit relations with Śubhamāyā; it is through affection and love that he receives offerings.' The Buddha said to Śāriputra: 'Do you know who Changhuan was? He was myself. The woman Śubhamāyā was the brāhmaṇa maiden Ciñcā. Because I slandered the arhat Wusheng at that time, I was in hell for countless thousands of years. Now, although I have attained Buddhahood, because of the residual retribution, this talkative young woman, dancing with a bowl tied to swell her belly, came before me and said: "Śramaṇa, why do you not speak of domestic matters instead of speaking of other things? You are joyful alone now and do not know my suffering. Formerly you had illicit relations with me and got me pregnant; now that the month of childbirth has arrived, I need ghee and oil to raise the infant. You must supply me with all of it!" At that time, the entire assembly lowered their heads and remained silent. Śakra Devānām Indra, who was standing behind fanning the Buddha, transformed into a mouse, entered under her clothing, and bit through the bowl so that it fell to the ground. Then the fourfold assembly of disciples, the six heterodox masters, and the others shouted with joy and laughed boundlessly, all cursing together: "You capital offender! Slandering the Unsurpassed and Truly Enlightened One! Only this earth, being insensate, could bear to support such an evil creature!" Immediately the earth split open and flaming fires leaped forth, and the woman fell into the great hell (naraka). Seeing this, King Ajātaśatru was horrified, with hair standing on end. He immediately arose and said: "Where is this woman now?" The Buddha answered: "Great King, the place into which this woman fell is called the Avīci hell." The king asked the Buddha again: "This woman did not kill or steal, but merely spoke false speech; does she fall into Avīci for that?" The Buddha told the great king: "In the Dharma I teach, there are superior, middling, and inferior actions of body, speech, and mind." The king asked the Buddha again: "Which is the heaviest, which is middling, and which is lowest?" The Buddha told King Ajātaśatru: "Mental action is the heaviest, verbal action is middling, and bodily action is lowest." (Drawn from the Xingqixing jing, lower fascicle.)
19.51
10. Causes and Conditions of Being Reborn in Heaven through Firmly Upholding the Precepts
19.52
In the kingdom of Kosala there were two monks. One broke the precepts, while the other kept them. They wished to travel together to see the Buddha. On the road they encountered water containing living organisms. The one who broke the precepts said to the one who kept them: "We can drink this water together." The precept-keeper said: "There are living creatures in the water. How can it be drunk?" The one who broke the precepts said: "If I do not drink, I shall die, and I will not be able to see the Buddha, hear the Dharma, and see the Saṅgha." The precept-keeper would rather die than drink, while the one who broke the precepts drank it. Not drinking, the precept-keeper died, and immediately took rebirth in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, complete with a divine body. He arrived first before the Buddha, prostrated with his head and face at his feet, and stood to one side. The Buddha preached the Dharma to him in various ways, and he attained the purification of the Dharma-eye. He then bowed to the Buddha's feet and said: "I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Saṅgha. For the rest of my life I shall be an upāsaka." After the Buddha further preached the Dharma to him, he fell silent. Having bowed to the Buddha, the deity suddenly vanished. The one who had drunk the water arrived later at the Buddha's dwelling. The Buddha was surrounded by an immeasurable multitude, expounding the Dharma. Seeing the monk arrive, the Buddha pulled back his uttarāsaṅga and displayed his golden hand: "Foolish man, you wished to see my physical body; are you not inferior to the one who kept the precepts? He was the first to see my Dharma-body." The Buddha spoke a gāthā:
19.53
Because the mind does not discern well,
What it sees is not scrutinized with truth.
Foolish as a moth flying into a flame,
You covet the sight of my form.
The physical body is nothing but impure;
What do you seek to see?
Within are fat, blood, and flesh;
Without, it is covered by thin skin.
Though scorched by thirst,
He still practiced the respectful observance of the precepts;
To the point of death he safeguarded my teaching—
He is the one who sees me, not you.
19.54
After the Buddha spoke this gāthā, he addressed the monks: "From now on, traveling without carrying a water-filter bag is not permitted. If one does not carry it, one commits an offense. Exceptions where it is not an offense are when there is clear flowing water, a great river, or a spring; or when traveling from this monastery to that monastery within twenty li, it is not an offense." (Extracted from the third fascicle of the miscellaneous recitations of the Sarvāstivāda Vinaya).
19.55
11. Pūrṇa Questions a Preti on How Long Ago Her Husband Entered the City, and Her Reply on the City Walls Rising and Falling Seven Times Across the Riverbank
19.56
In the kingdom of Kāla, there was at that time a preti (female hungry ghost) standing against the city gate. The monk Pūrṇa asked the preti: "What are you seeking here now?" The ghost said: "Do you see me now?" The monk replied: "I see you." The ghost said: "My husband went into the city and has not yet returned; therefore I stand here waiting for him to come out." The monk asked: "What did your husband go into the city to seek?" The ghost replied: "Today, in this city, a great elder has long suffered from an ulcer. Today it is supposed to burst, with pus and blood flowing forth. My husband went to fetch it so the two of us could eat together to sustain our lives." The monk asked again: "How long ago did your husband enter the city?" The city walls were close to a river. Pointing her finger at the city, she said to the monk: "From the times this city has arisen and fallen between that bank and this bank, this is now the seventh. My husband entered the city during such a span of time." The bodily lifespan of hungry ghosts cannot be measured, nor has it any limit. (Extracted from the Sūtra of the Herd of One Thousand Cattle).
19.57
12. Monks Encounter Robbers, Are Tied with Living Grass, and Dare Not Pull and Break It
19.58
In the past, there were five hundred monks traveling through a great marsh when they encountered highwaymen. The robbers stole their robes, bound the monks, made them all sit on the ground, gathered living grass together, tied their hands with it, and then abandoned them. If these practitioners of the Way were to kill the grass to get up, they would violate the Buddha's precepts. Each conceived the thought: "I would rather destroy my own body than violate the precepts." They remained trapped for four days. The king of the country went out hunting and saw the practitioners sitting in the wilderness. He dismounted, bowed in greeting, and asked for the reason. They answered him in detail. The king untied the practitioners and brought them back to make offerings to them. (Extracted from the sixth fascicle of the Avadāna Sūtra).
19.59
13. Monks Do Not Recognize Each Other at Night, and Each Calls the Other a Ghost
19.60
In a mountain there was a Buddhist temple with a separate room. In it was an evil ghost who loved to come and trouble people, so the monks abandoned it. A guest monk arrived, and the karmadāna assigned him to stay in this room, saying: "This room has a ghost who playfully comes to trouble people." Relying on the power of his precept-keeping, the guest monk replied: "What can a petty ghost do? I can subdue it." He then entered the room to stay. As the sun was setting, another monk arrived seeking a place to stay. The karmadāna also had him stay in this room and also told him about the ghost. That man likewise said: "I will subdue it." The one who entered first had shut the door and sat upright waiting for the ghost, but it did not come. The one who arrived later knocked on the door at night asking to enter. The one inside thought it was the ghost and would not open the door for him. The one outside knocked on the door with all his might, while the practitioner inside resisted him with his strength. The one outside prevailed, pushed open the door, and entered. The one inside struck him, and the one outside struck back vigorously with all his might. When dawn arrived and they saw each other, they were actually old fellow students! The practitioners apologized to each other with shame. The crowd gathered like clouds, laughing and marveling at them. (Extracted from the ninety-first fascicle of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa).
First 60 of 89 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 經律異相 — Classical Chinese