經律異相 19.28

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: