經律異相 22.14

22.14

In the country of Śrāvastī there was an old man who had early on lost his wife and lived alone with his son. In dire poverty without wealth, and realizing the impermanence of the world, he went forth under the Buddha. His son was still young and also became a novice. Together with his father he begged for food, and as dusk drew near they were to return. The father walked slowly, and the son feared ferocious beasts; hurriedly supporting his father, he pushed him forward on the path, but did not hold him firmly. He pushed his father to the ground, and [the father] died immediately beneath his touch. [The son] went alone to the Buddha's place. At that time, the monks rebuked the novice and thereupon reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha told them, "Although this master has died, it was not with evil intent." He then asked the novice, "Did you kill your master?" He replied, "I truly pushed him, but not with evil intent." The Buddha said, "I know your mind was without evil intent. In a past life it was also like this: with no evil intent, you slew one another. Formerly, a father and son lived together in one place. At that time, the father was gravely ill and was asleep, when many gnats repeatedly came to bother and touch him. The father told the son to ward off the gnats, hoping to sleep peacefully. When the son urgently warded them off, the gnats came without ceasing. The son then became enraged, took a large staff, and watched for the gnats to kill them. (The Sarvāstivāda-vinaya says he held a large stone to strike the mosquitoes.) At that moment, the gnats vied to swarm on the father's forehead; striking them with the staff, his father died immediately. The father was this novice, and the son of that time was the deceased monk. Because there was no evil mind, it was not done with evil intent, nor was it intentional killing." The novice cultivated diligently without remiss and eventually attained the arhat path. (Taken from the tenth fascicle of the Damamūkanidāna Sūtra.)