經律異相 35
English (machine translation) 35
- Language
- English
35.1
Compiled by the Liang dynasty śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others
35.2
1. Baocheng Leaves the Household Life, Sees the Buddha, and Awakens to the Way
2. Śroṇa Has Hair Growing on the Soles of His Feet, Practices Austerities, and Attains the Way
3. Supreme Difficult-to-Subdue Transforms His Attachment and Attains the Way
4. Fuzeng Leaves the Household Life at Age One Hundred, Sees His Original Skeleton, His Mind Becomes Clear, and He Sees the Way
5. Sudatta Meets the Buddha on a Difficult Journey and Promptly Attains Awakening to the Way
6. Sudatta, After Seven Periods of Poverty, Obtains Food and Offers It All to the Buddha and Saṅgha, Whereupon His Storehouses Fill Themselves
7. Supreme Remains Unmoved by Māra's Disturbances
8. Shenri Prepares Poisoned Rice and a Fire Pit for the Buddha, Which Disappear of Themselves
9. Bianyi Invites the Buddha and Saṅgha; of Two Beggars, One Dies and One Becomes King
10. Dharmaruci in a Previous Life Was a Great Fish
11. A Miserly Elder Goes to Sea; His Wife Gives Silk to the Buddha; All the Merchants Die, and He Alone Survives
12. Virāḍha Invites the Buddha and Saṅgha to a Meal, and His Storehouses Fill Themselves
13. Vāsiṣṭha's Attachment to Desire Endangers His Life, and He Is Rescued by Maudgalyāyana
14. An Elder's Newborn Son Recognizes His Original Conditions and Requests His Mother to Invite the Buddha, Whereupon Sweet Delicacies Rain Down of Themselves
15. Anāthapiṇḍada's Seven Sons Receive the Precepts for Wealth, Hear the Dharma, and Become Free from Defilement
35.3
1. The Elder Baocheng Leaves the Household Life, Sees the Buddha, and Awakens to the Way
35.4
In the city of Vārāṇasī there was an elder named Agulizi (the son of Aguli). His name was Shetuo (in the language of Liang, "Baocheng"; the Chuyao jing calls him "Ye-shu" [Yaśas]). He was twenty-four years old and was born with lapis lazuli sandals naturally attached to his feet. His parents held him in high esteem and wonder, naming him Shetuo. They built separate residences for him, changing locations according to cold and heat, with female performers entertaining him without ever leaving his side. In the middle of the night, Baocheng suddenly saw that the female performers all looked like corpses: pus and blood were oozing forth, their limbs were severed and broken, and the house and furnishings all resembled graves. The door opened of its own accord; heaven and earth were in utter darkness, with only a small light seen proceeding toward the eastern gate of the city. The gate also opened of its own accord, brightly illuminating the Deer Park. Following the light, he saw the Buddha and gazed upon his major marks and minor signs. His fear ceased, his delusion was resolved, and lifting his voice, he sighed, saying: "Long have I been in the prison of desire, fettered by the shackles of name-and-form. Now approaching the spiritual Venerable One, can I find release or not?" The Buddha said: "Come, youth! You are awake. This place is free of sorrow, and all practices reach their completion." He stepped forward, bowed to the Buddha's feet, and the Buddha preached the Dharma for him, whereupon he attained the stainless Dharma-eye. He immediately rose and addressed the Buddha: "I wish to become a disciple." The Buddha said: "Come, monk (bhikṣu)!" and he thereupon became a śramaṇa. The next morning, the women searched for him in anxiety and confusion everywhere. His master's household was alarmed and terrified, not knowing his whereabouts. The elder sent horsemen out in all four directions to search for him. The father rode in his son's carriage eastward in pursuit. On the road he encountered a river named the Vārāṇasī. Crossing the water, he saw his son's jewelled sandals taken off and left by the shore. He immediately followed the footprints straight toward the Deer Park. By skillful means, the Buddha caused father and son not to see each other. The elder asked the Buddha, saying: "My son Baocheng's footprints lead here. Has Gautama seen him or not?" The Buddha told the elder: "If your son is here, why worry that you will not see him?" The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, and he entered the stage of stream-enterer (srotāpanna). Baocheng's mind gained liberation, and he promptly attained arhatship. When father and son saw each other, affectionate attachment had become slight. The elder addressed the Buddha: "Today my mind is pleased, and my heart has two joys: first, the joy of meeting the Buddha and gaining understanding; second, the joyous delight of parting from craving."
35.5
At that time, Baocheng had four close relatives: the first named Funou (Pūrṇa), the second named Weimoluo (Vimala), the third named Qiaoyanpo (Gavāmpati), and the fourth named Xutuo (Subāhu). Hearing that Baocheng had already become a śramaṇa, they were astonished, delighted, with hair standing on end, and said: "Let us go together to the Buddha and also visit Baocheng." Thereupon they went together. Seeing the Buddha's shadow, they relied upon their past aspirations and practices, paid homage, and addressed the Buddha: "Thirsting and hungering for the conversion of the Way, our minds have long been empty. Not disdaining our lowliness, we wish to become disciples." The Buddha said: "Come, monks (bhikṣu)!" and they all became śramaṇas. He preached to them that the mind is fundamentally pure; hearing the meaning, their minds became completely clear, and they promptly attained arhatship. Others who heard of this set out in search of him, and all attained the fruits of the Way. (Extracted from the Zhong benqi jing, First Fascicle; also extracted from the Chuyao jing, Fascicle 19)
35.6
2. Śroṇa Has Hair Growing on the Soles of His Feet, Practices Austerities, and Attains the Way
35.7
In the city of Campā there was the son of a great elder named Śroṇa. His parents had only this one son and were extremely fond of him. From his birth he was accustomed to pleasure and had never trodden the bare ground, so that hair grew beneath his feet. At that time the king of Magadha, having heard of the great elder's son in the city of Campā, wished to see him. He therefore ordered the lord of the city to have all the elders bring their sons. The lord of Campā city complied with the decree and went before the king of Magadha, standing to one side. The king allowed [him] to spread clothes on the ground, and [Śroṇa] came before the king. When the king saw the hair on his feet, he was exceedingly pleased. He then said to him: 'You may go to see the Buddha, pay homage, and inquire after him; this will bring you benefit in future lives.' Then the lord of Campā city and all the elders went together to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. At that time the elder Vāgīśa was serving as the Buddha's attendant and was seated upon a boulder. The lord of Campā city went before the elder Vāgīśa and said: 'We wish to see the Tathāgata.' Vāgīśa then submerged into the rock and surged out before the Buddha, saying: 'The elders of Campā wish to see the Bhagavat.' The Buddha said: 'Go into the shade of the shelter and lay out a seat; I will go and sit there.' Vāgīśa, having laid out the seat, returned to the Buddha and said to the Bhagavat: 'The seat has been arranged.' When the Bhagavat sat down, he told Vāgīśa: 'Tell the elders to come.' Vāgīśa then submerged before the Buddha and leaped out upon the boulder. The elders marveled at this unprecedented feat: 'If the Bhagavat's disciple has supernatural power such as this, how much more so the Tathāgata!' Vāgīśa said: 'Elders, you may now know [that you may enter].' At this, the lord of Campā city came before the Buddha. The Bhagavat then expounded the Dharma to encourage and transform the sons of the elders and the lord of Campā city, and right upon their seats they attained purity of the Dharma-eye. They said to the Bhagavat: 'Venerable One, from this day forth we take refuge in the Three Jewels and become upāsakas.' Later, Śroṇa went forth from household life. He went to a śītavana cemetery by the warm-water river and practiced with diligent vigor. The place where he walked in meditation was soaked with blood staining the earth, as if smeared with blood. Then Śroṇa reflected in a quiet place: 'Among the Buddha's disciples who practice with diligent vigor, none surpasses me. Why then do I still not attain the cessation of defilements (āsravakṣaya)? I should give up the precepts, return home, indulge in the five desires, and make offerings to generate merit.' The Buddha, knowing his thought, came to Śroṇa's dwelling [and said]: 'I shall now ask you; answer me as you wish. When you were at home playing the lute, if the strings were loose or tight, was the sound good or not?' [Śroṇa replied:] 'Only if they were neither loose nor tight was a good sound produced.' The Buddha said: 'A monk is also like this: only when neither loose nor tight will the mind accord with the Path.' Following this teaching, he practiced and attained the status of an arhat. (Extracted from the Sifen lü, Part Three, Fascicle 2).
35.8
3. The Conversion of Uttara and Dujjaya and Their Attainment of the Path
35.9
Long ago, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was an elder named Uttara (Supreme), and another elder named Dujjaya (Difficult to Subdue). The two were the most stingy and greedy in the whole country, possessing wealth and treasures beyond measure. The gates of both of their residences had seven tiers. They ordered their gatekeepers: 'Do not allow any beggar to enter our house.' Iron cages covered their courtyards entirely to keep out flying birds, and iron walls surrounded them on all four sides to prevent mice from boring through and biting their utensils. At that time, the five great śrāvakas went in turn to convert them; leaping forth from the earth, they taught them to make offerings of Dharma. Hearing it, neither elder accepted conversion. Afterwards, the Buddha himself went, sitting and lying in empty space, emitting a great light. The Buddha expounded the subtle and wondrous Dharma to the elders. Although the elder heard it, his mind still did not comprehend. He thought to himself: 'Since the Buddha has come, he must not be sent back to the vihāra in vain. I ought to enter the storeroom, take a piece of white cotton cloth, and offer it to the Tathāgata.' He at once rose and entered the storeroom. Selecting a poor piece, he instead picked up a fine one; casting it aside to take another, he got one twice as fine. His mind struggled back and forth, unable to decide. On that very day, the asuras were fighting with the Trāyastriṃśa devas: at times the devas were victorious and the asuras lost; at times the asuras were victorious and the devas lost. At that time, the Bhagavat, observing with his divine eye, saw the elder's mind: at one moment his stingy mind prevailed and his generous mind lost; at another moment his generous mind prevailed and his stingy mind lost. Then the Bhagavat spoke this verse:
35.10
Giving is of the same station as battle; / this the wise do not praise. / The time of giving is also the time of battle; / both of these are equal.
35.11
The elder heard this from afar and felt ashamed within, [realizing]: 'What the Tathāgata spoke was meant precisely for me.' He then took out the fine cotton cloth and presented it as an offering. The elder Dujjaya took out five hundred ounces of gold and gave it away in charity. Their minds opened and were liberated, and each realized the trace of the Path. (Extracted from the Chuyao jing, Fascicle 17).
35.12
4. Śrīvṛddhi, Renouncing at a Hundred Years of Age, Comprehends upon Seeing His Former Bones and Attains the Path
35.13
Whether liberating sons and daughters, liberating slaves, or permitting common people or one's own person to go forth and enter the Path, the merit is immeasurable. The reward of giving is to transmigrate back and forth among the six heavens and humanity for ten lifetimes, but the merit of going forth is boundless and limitless, surpassing the erection of a seven-jeweled stūpa reaching up to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (Trāyastriṃśa). For greedy people can destroy [a stūpa], but the virtue of going forth cannot be destroyed; it is higher than Sumeru, deeper than the great ocean, and broader than empty space. If anyone creates obstacles to going forth, their sin is extremely grave: they will enter deep hells, blind in darkness. There was an elder named Śrīvṛddhi (in Liang language: Fuzeng [Prosperity-Increase]), who was a hundred years old and sought to go forth. None of his family, great or small, would have anything to do with him. Śrīvṛddhi went to the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove and sought to go forth under Śāriputra, [who refused him because of] his old age. He asked all five hundred arhats, and all were the same. Going out the gate of the Bamboo Grove, he wept aloud: 'Upāli was a lowly barber; Nidhi was an unclean disposal worker; Aṅgulimāla killed countless people; and [someone like] the great bandit Dasaka—such people were still able to go forth. What sin have I that I alone cannot?' The Buddha suddenly leaped forth and appeared, asking Śrīvṛddhi: 'Why are you weeping?' Hearing the Buddha's Brahmā voice, his heart rejoiced and he paid homage, saying to the Buddha: 'All sinful people are allowed to go forth; what sin have I that you do not permit me to go forth? Great and small no longer tolerate me, and now in the Buddha's Dharma I again cannot go forth. If I return home, I will surely not be tolerated. Where shall I turn? Today I must surely end my life here.' The Buddha comforted him, saying: 'Do not worry or grieve; I permit you to go forth.' He instructed Mahāmaudgalyāyana to permit him to go forth. He was then able to go forth and received the complete precepts. Day and night he practiced diligently, recited, and mastered the collections of sūtras. Because of his old age, he could not appropriately welcome, send off, pay respects to, and inquire after the elders; the younger monks all acted as senior elders and constantly vexed him with sharp words. He then thought: 'I would rather die now.' He went to the bank of a great river, took off his kāṣāya, placed it on a tree branch, wept, and vowed: 'I do not abandon the Buddha, the Dharma, or the Saṅgha; I only wish to abandon my life. With the generosity, precept-keeping, vigor, and recitation of sūtras in this body of mine, if there be any karmic reward, may I cast off this body and be reborn in a wealthy and happy family, with submissive family members who do not create obstacles for my wholesome dharmas, always meeting the Three Jewels and encountering good teachers to instruct and awaken me to nirvāṇa!' Having spoken, he cast himself into the swirling waters. Before he reached the water, Maudgalyāyana caught him and placed him on the bank, then made him hold the corner of his robe and soared up into empty space, just like a fierce hawk carrying a small bird. In the space of bending and extending an arm, they reached an island in the great ocean. By the seaside there was a newly dead person, possessing all female features. He saw a worm come out from the mouth, re-enter through the nose, come out from the eyes, and re-enter through the ears. Śrīvṛddhi asked: 'What woman is this?' [Maudgalyāyana] answered: 'When the time comes, I shall explain.' Walking forward, they further saw a woman carrying a bronze cauldron on her back, blowing a fire until the cauldron boiled. When it boiled, she stripped off her clothes and entered the cauldron herself. Her hair and nails fell off first, and her flesh, cooked, separated from the bones. The bubbling blew the bones out, and when blown by the wind outside, they immediately returned to a human form; she then took her own flesh and ate it. Next, walking forward, they saw a great tree with many worms surrounding and biting its trunk and branches, leaving no empty space even the size of a needlepoint. It screamed loudly, shaking as with the sounds of hell. Next, they saw a man surrounded by beast-headed evil spirits and ghosts, holding bows and crossbows, repeatedly shooting poison arrows whose heads were ablaze with fire, competing to shoot him, his whole body burnt. They also saw a great mountain with knives and swords set beneath it; they saw a man cast himself down from above, where knives, halberds, swords, and spears tore and pierced his body, whereupon he gathered and pulled them out himself, stood them back in their original place, and repeated this unceasingly. Moving forward, they saw a mountain of bones seven hundred yojanas high. On the mountain, Maudgalyāyana explained to him: 'In the city of Śrāvastī there was a great merchant chief's wife, whom her husband deeply loved. When he was about to enter the great ocean, longing for his wife and unable to part with her, he took her into the sea. The wife held a mirror to gaze at her face, and seeing her own loveliness, she gave rise to arrogance and deep attachment. At that time, a great turtle trampled the boat, sinking it into the sea, and all died; all five hundred merchants died. The sea does not tolerate corpses, so yakṣas and rākṣasas carried them out and placed them on the shore. According to her attachment, upon dying she was reborn as a worm. Casting off this worm body, she will fall into the great hells. The maidservant of an upāsikā in the country of Śrāvastī: the upāsikā invited a monk for the ninety days of the summer retreat to provide him with offerings. She sent the maidservant to deliver the food. When the maidservant reached a secluded place, she selected the good food and ate it herself, giving the remainder to the monk. The mistress noticed and questioned her. The maidservant answered: "If I ate it first, may I eat the flesh of my own body life after life!" Now she first receives the blossoming retribution (flowering fruit), and later will fall into hell.
35.14
The great tree eaten and bitten by many worms, uttering great cries of suffering, was a monk in charge of affairs named Sairīṣa, who took the flowers, fruits, and food belonging to the Saṅgha and sent them to laypeople. He receives this blossoming retribution, and will later fall into hell. The worms biting the tree are the people who received the items.
35.15
The one weeping loudly as numerous arrows shoot his body: this person was in a former life a great hunter who killed many birds and beasts. Due to this sin, he suffers this bitter torment; and upon dying here, he will fall into the great hells.
35.16
The one casting himself down from the great mountain onto knives and swords was a great warrior general of Rājagṛha. Because of his fierce courage, he stood at the vanguard, and with knives, swords, spears, and shields he harmed and took the lives of creatures; therefore he receives this retribution.
35.17
There was a king named Dharmavṛddhi who practiced giving, kept the precepts, had loving-kindness and compassion, and did not harm the lives of creatures. He governed the state according to the righteous law for a full twenty years. Once, while playing a board game with someone, a man committed murder. The ministers reported it to the king, who answered: "Deal with him according to the law of the state." They immediately executed him according to the statutes. When the king finished his game, he asked: "Where is the criminal?" The ministers replied: "He has already been executed." Hearing this, the king wept, saying: "The seven treasures will all remain behind, while I alone must enter hell!" He at once abandoned his kingship, entered the mountains, and kept himself secluded. When his life ended, he became a makara fish seven hundred yojanas long. The king's ministers, relying on their power to falsely oppress the common people, upon death also became great makara fish. When worms on its body caused it to itch, it rubbed against a crystal mountain, crushing and killing the worms so that the blood flowed for a hundred li, turning everything red; for this it ought to fall into the great hells. At that time, after the fish slept for a hundred years, it woke up, extremely hungry and thirsty. It immediately opened its mouth, and the seawater poured in like a great river. Five hundred merchants entering the sea to gather jewels encountered it, and their ship headed for the fish's mouth. The merchants called out: "Homage to the Buddha!" Hearing this, the fish closed its mouth, and the merchants were saved. The fish died of hunger and was reborn in Rājagṛha. A yakṣa took its corpse and placed it on this seashore. The king of that time was yourself; because of the killing, you became the fish.' Śrīvṛddhi realized impermanence and grew weary of the world; exhausting all fetters, he attained the fruit of arhatship. (Extracted from the Xianyu jing, Fascicle 7).
35.18
5. Sudatta, Undergoing Hardships, Sees the Buddha and Attains Awakening
35.19
In the country of Śrāvastī there was a great elder named Sudatta (the *Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra* first says he was a minister; the Vinayas of the four schools all call him a householder). Because he constantly gave alms to the destitute, orphans, and beggars, people used this as his epithet. Formerly he had farmland and property in Rājagṛha, which he inspected year after year (the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* and *Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra* say he went to Rājagṛha to seek a wife for his son). He lodged at the house of the elder Homi (the *Zhong benqi jing* says Kalanda; the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra* says Śaṇḍāna). In the night [his host] arose to sweep and clean the residence and prepare fine dishes. Sudatta asked him [about it], and he replied, “In the city of Kapilavastu there is a scion of the Śākyas named Siddhārtha, of the Gautama clan. Not long after he was born, a physiognomist divined his fortune [and said] he would definitely become a wheel-turning king. His mind took no delight in this, and he renounced home to become a monastic. Without a teacher, he realized by himself and attained anuttarā samyaksambodhi. Because his mind is impartial toward all sentient beings, he is called ‘Buddha.’ Tomorrow he has accepted my invitation.” He further asked, “Where is he now?” [The host] replied, “He is at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove Monastery (the *Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya* says the Cool Grove).” Sudatta single-mindedly contemplated all the merits of the Buddha. Suddenly there was a great radiance. Following the light, he went out and reached the city gate of Śiha. Due to the Buddha’s supernatural power, it opened by itself (the *Dharmaguptaka-vinaya* says a spirit immediately opened the gate). Outside the gate, along the road, there was a shrine to a god. Sudatta paid homage, and suddenly darkness returned. Fear and dread arose in his heart, and he wished to turn back to the city gate. A great heavenly deity spoke to Sudatta, saying, “Noble one, seeing the Buddha you shall obtain wholesome benefits. All the merit to be gained in the whole of Jambudvīpa does not equal a single step taken with an aspiring mind to go to the Tathāgata’s dwelling.” Sudatta asked, saying, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am the son of the brāhmaṇa Xinxiang (the *Dharmaguptaka-vinaya* says, ‘I am the spirit of Sīha’), your spiritual friend of old. In the past, because I saw Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana and joyfully bowed to them in homage, when I cast off my body I was able to become a son of Vaiśravaṇa, the Heavenly King of the North, specially charged with guarding this city (the *Daśabhāṇavāra-vinaya* is largely identical). How much more so for one who sees the Tathāgata, bowing and making offerings!” Sudatta paid homage to the Buddha, and the Buddha preached the Dharma to him as appropriate. He attained the path of a srotāpanna (taken from fascicle 27 of the *Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra*, and also fascicle 20 of the *Saṃyuktāgama*; the *Zhong benqi jing* and the Vinayas of the four schools are largely identical with minor differences).
35.20
6. Sudatta, After Seven Periods of Poverty, Obtains Food and Offers It All to the Buddha and the Saṅgha, and His Storehouses Fill by Themselves
35.21
The elder Sudatta experienced seven periods of poverty, and the last was the most severe. Among some garbage and dung he found a wooden peck measure, which was actually made of sandalwood. He took it to the market and sold it, obtaining four pecks of rice. He said to his wife, “Cook one peck at a time; I shall go look for vegetables.” At that time the Buddha thought, “I should deliver Sudatta and cause his merit to arise anew.” Just as the cooked rice was done, Śāriputra arrived. The wife saw him with joy and emptied the one peck of cooked rice into his bowl. She cooked another peck, and Maudgalyāyana also arrived; she joyfully gave it to him as well. She cooked another peck, and Kāśyapa also arrived; she gave it to him too. When only one peck remained, it was cooked soon after. The Tathāgata arrived in person. The wife thought to herself, “When we had provisions for every other day, no one ever came down to visit us. Now that we have this rice, the Tathāgata has come to look upon us in person. Could it not be that our sins are exhausted and our merit is arising?” She gave the entire peck of cooked rice to the Tathāgata. The Buddha gave his blessing with his own mouth: “The elimination of sins and the arising of merit begins from this day forward.” Sudatta returned soon after. His wife feared he would be angry, and asked him, saying, “Suppose the Buddha just arrived, along with Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and Kāśyapa, all coming to seek food. Should one give it to them or not?” He replied, “One should give it. A field of merit is difficult to encounter. If they come seeking, this is indeed a rare encounter.” His wife said, “Just now I used all four pecks of rice for alms.” Her husband was overjoyed. There remained only the rice broth, which the husband and wife drank together. A moment later, as they walked about, all the chambers were naturally filled to capacity with precious jewels, and the storehouses with grain and silk, rich as in former times. Sudatta leaped with joy, knowing that the Buddha had pitied them. He again invited the Buddha and the saṅgha, making offerings to them until his food was completely exhausted. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and they all attained the traces of the Path (taken from the lower fascicle of the *Za piyu jing*).
35.22
7. Zuisheng Is Unmoved by Māra’s Torments
35.23
The elder Zuisheng heard the preaching of the wondrous Dharma, and right upon his seat all defilements and stains were eliminated and he obtained the purification of the Dharma-eye. He received the three refuges, became an upāsaka, and vowed not to kill for the rest of his life. Not long after the Buddha departed, the evil Māra Pāpīyān transformed himself into the Buddha’s likeness, complete with his physical marks and signs, and came to the elder’s house. The elder thought, “The Tathāgata left just now; how has he returned so quickly?” The counterfeit Buddha told him, “I considered you, elder, to be of high talent and broad intelligence, discerning subtleties. But examining you carefully, elder, you are foolish, deluded, and without wisdom. The Four Truths I spoke of earlier are not truly real truths. That is inverted and practiced by non-Buddhists.” The elder immediately became aware of this himself, and directly responded to him, saying, “Stop, stop! Speak no more! I have attained the eye of wisdom and dwell on firm ground. Even if you were to transform yourself into hundreds of thousands of kotis of bodies, I would not regress. How could the light of a firefly compete in brightness with the sun? How could a farmer's ash heap compare to Mount Sumeru? How could kites, vultures, crows, and magpies fly alongside the garuḍa?” Pāpīyān was ashamed, reverted to his own body, and departed (taken from the *Zuisheng zhangzhe shou zhouyuan jing*).
35.24
8. Shenri Prepares Poisoned Food and a Fire Pit for the Buddha, Which Naturally Transform and Vanish
35.25
At that time, in the country of Rājagṛha, there was an elder of the four castes named Shenri. His wealth was extremely vast, and his gold, silver, and precious jewels were countless. Shenri served other religious mendicants and did not serve only the Buddha. The various non-Buddhist mendicants were all jealous together. They conferred with Shenri, saying, “The Buddha is now revered by the king, ministers, elders, officials, and common people, yet we alone are not respected by them. The Buddha constantly claims of himself that he knows past, future, and present affairs, and knows what others think. Now, might we test whether it is truly so or not?” Shenri asked, “How should we test him?” The non-Buddhist mendicants said, “Invite the Buddha, place poison in the food, dig a pit inside the gate five fathoms deep, put fire inside, and cover it lightly above, so that the Buddha walks over it. If he knows, he will not accept the invitation; if he accepts the invitation, then he does not know.” Shenri agreed. He went immediately to invite the Buddha. The Buddha said, “Very good.” The non-Buddhist mendicants said, “He knows nothing at all. Just dig the pit.” Shenri had a son named Zhanluofa, sixteen years of age, who was thoroughly versed in past lives, excelled in studying the Buddha’s path, and was able to know past, future, and present affairs. He addressed his father, saying, “The Buddha already knows this. Do not heed the words of evil men and cast yourself into boiling water and fire!” Shenri did not believe him; he dug the pit, lit the fire, and placed poison in the food. [The Buddha] told the monks, “Follow behind me.” Just as the Buddha set out on the path, he emitted light and shadows, making everything in Shenri’s house turn golden. At that time Zhanluofa told his father, “Now the Buddha has set out on the path. The ten directions are all bright as the sun.” When the Buddha reached the city gate and set foot upon the threshold, the entire great city shook violently. The sick were immediately cured, and harps and musical instruments sounded on their own without being struck. When the Buddha reached Shenri’s gate, the five-fathom fire pit transformed into a bathing pool in which lotuses grew, each flower having a thousand petals. The lotuses stepped upon by his disciples each produced a hundred petals; they all walked by treading on the lotuses. Shenri, seeing the fire already turned into a pool of water with lotuses growing in it, was struck with great terror. Throwing his head and face to the ground, he spoke with sincerity, “Just now I prepared food for the Buddha, but I put poison in all of it. I beg you to allow me to cook again.” The Buddha said, “There is no need to cook again. Bring the poisoned food and eat it.” He instructed the monks, “Do not eat yet. Wait for my instruction before eating.” The Buddha then pronounced a verse of blessing, saying: “In the world there are three poisons: the first is greed and lust; the second is anger and hatred; the third is delusion and folly. For the Buddha, who is devoid of these three poisons, poison does not take effect; for those of supreme sincerity who possess the scriptural Dharma, poison also does not take effect.” The poison in the food dissolved of itself. The Buddha said, “You may all eat.” Shenri bowed his head and face at the Buddha’s feet, saying, “I was utterly worthless and followed the words of evil men. I beg the World-Honoured One for mercy and to allow me to repent my fault.” The Buddha preached the scriptures for him, and he attained the path of a srotāpanna (taken from the *Shenri tou ben jing*).
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9. Bianyi Invites the Buddha and Saṅgha; of Two Beggars, One Dies and the Other Becomes King
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In the country of Śrāvastī there was the son of an elder named Bianyi. Hearing the Buddha preach the essentials of the fifty matters, he attained the forbearance of phenomena, and five hundred sons of elders attained the purification of the Dharma-eye. Bianyi said, “I pray only that the World-Honoured One and the great assembly deign to come to my house tomorrow at noon to eat.” The Buddha and the great assembly went to his house to eat. Before the blessing had been given, a beggar went along the rows of seats begging, but no one dared give him anything, and he obtained nothing anywhere. He departed in anger, and an evil thought arose [in him]: “These śramaṇas are indulgent, foolish, and deluded; what path do they possess? When a poor person begs from them, they have no intention of giving. If I become king, I will run an iron-wheeled chariot over their necks and sever their heads!” Having spoken, he left. After the Buddha finished the blessing, another beggar came and begged food from the assembly. Each person gave to him, and he obtained much food. He departed in joy, and the thought arose [in him]: “These śramaṇas possess compassionate minds. If I become king, I will make offerings to the Buddha and the saṅgha for seven days, so as not to fail to repay their kindness toward my hunger and thirst today.” Having spoken, he left. The two beggars moved from place to place seeking alms, and came to another country where they slept in the deep grass by the roadside. At that time, the lord of that country suddenly passed away without an heir. A physiognomist divined, saying, “The records state that a lowly person shall become king.” The ministers, officials, and ten thousand cavalry went to inspect the borders of the country. They saw from afar a canopy of clouds and mists above the grass. The physiognomist said, “There is an extraordinary person within.” Thereupon they found the beggar. The ministers bowed and greeted him. The beggar, alarmed and astonished, said of himself, “I am lowly, not of royal stock.” They all said, “You conform to the marks.” They bathed him in fragrant water, dressed him in royal robes, and with glorious regalia escorted him into the capital. The beggar who had harboured evil thoughts was sleeping in the deep grass, unaware, when a chariot ran over his neck and severed his head (taken from the *Bianyi jing*).
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10. Dharmaruci’s Previous Body Was a Great Fish
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Formerly there was an elder named Dharmaruci who came to pay his respects. The Buddha said, “Dharmaruci, we have been separated for a very long time before finally meeting.” Someone asked [about this], and the Buddha replied, saying, “Formerly, an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas ago, there was a Buddha in the world named Dīpaṅkara. At that time I was a brahmacārin named Chaosshu. At that time, Dīpaṅkara Buddha was about to enter the city. I met him midway on the road, untied my hair, and spread it over the mud to let the Buddha walk over it. The Buddha then made a prophecy, saying, ‘You are so valiant; after an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas you shall become a Buddha.’ You at that time gave rise to an angry thought, saying, ‘This person is no different from an animal, that he should walk across another person’s hair!’ From the time you gave rise to that [thought] for an asaṃkhyeya of kalpas, you constantly fell among animals. Moreover, in the great ocean you became a makara fish, seven thousand yojanas in length. At that time there were five hundred merchants who boarded a ship and entered the ocean to gather jewels. Encountering this great fish inhaling the ship, which was about to enter its mouth, the five hundred people each invoked the deeds they practiced. At that time, the leader of the merchants spoke to the crowd, saying, ‘In this world there is now a Buddha named Śākyamuni. In rescuing people from distress and peril, there is none superior to him. Let us chant his name, hoping to be delivered.’ Thereupon they called out with one voice. When the fish heard the Buddha’s name, its original consciousness still remained, and it reflected to itself, ‘Śākyamuni Buddha has already appeared in the world; why is my body still among fish?’ It immediately submerged back into the water, and the five hundred merchants returned in safety and peace. At that time, the fish threw its body onto a sandbank, and without drinking or eating, it ended its life after two times seven days. It was born as a son in an elder’s household, named Dharmaruci. He has now come to meet with me; that is why I said it has been a long time.” When Ruci heard this origin from beginning to end, he went to the seashore to seek out his former corpse. Seeing the great fish’s bones, its skin and flesh already gone, he walked upon its rib bones. He contemplated, saying, “This is my former corpse.” He then scattered flowers upon the former corpse. As he reflected, he passed away, and suddenly the Path was accomplished (taken from fascicle 4 of the *Fenbie gongde jing*).
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11. When a Miserly Elder Goes to Sea, His Wife Offers Silk to the Buddha; All the Merchants Die, and He Alone Survives
35.31
In the past, there was a man who was very wealthy yet stingy. His wife loved the Dharma and wished to give alms, but dared not. When the husband was about to go to sea, he first encircled the house with three layers of caltrops made of iron. The wife was blocked by them and unable to go out. Single-mindedly she was mindful of the Buddha, and all the iron obstructions turned into swan feathers. Taking a bolt of silk, she entrusted it to someone to offer to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted it and gave a blessing. The husband was out on the sea together with five hundred companions, where they were devoured by ghosts. Only the husband was spared. The ghosts said to one another, "This man's wife serves the Buddha; he cannot be approached." All his companions died, and he returned alone with the jewels. He asked his wife what she had done, and she told him in full. The two were filled with joy; they immediately invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha, held a feast, and attained the Way (from the first fascicle of the Samyuktāvadāna Sūtra).
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12. Viradha Invites the Buddha and the Saṅgha for Food, and His Storehouses Fill Themselves
35.33
In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there was a great elder named Suradha, whose wealth was boundless, and who had faithful devotion to moral conduct. He took a vow always to invite the Buddha and the Saṅgha on the eighth day of the twelfth month, and for his whole life his sons and grandsons were to practice it without ceasing. When the elder was dying, he enjoined his son not to abandon it. The son's name was Viradha. Later, as the days passed, he gradually grew poor. When the time came, he had nothing with which to prepare the offering, and he was sorrowful and unhappy. The Buddha sent Maudgalyāyana to go and ask him, saying, "The month of your father's offering is about to arrive; what plan will you make?" He answered, saying, "My only wish is that the Bhagavat will not abandon me, but will look upon me on the eighth day." He took his wife to his in-laws' house, pawned her for a hundred ounces of gold, and returned to prepare the requisites for the offering. The Buddha and the saṅgha of one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples went to his house and sat down. After water was poured and the food served, when purification was completed, they returned. In the middle of that night, all his old storehouses spontaneously filled with precious things. When the husband and wife saw this, they were both glad and afraid, fearing the officials would question them about it. They immediately went to report it to the Buddha. The Buddha said, "Set your mind at ease and use it freely; do not be doubtful or troubled. Because you stepped in faith and did not disobey your father's teaching, through hearing, giving, and the way of wisdom, you are fully endowed with the seven riches" (from the third fascicle of the Dharmapada Sūtra).
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13. Vaśeṣṭha Endangers His Life through Attachment to Desire and Is Rescued by Maudgalyāyana
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When the Buddha was in Rājagṛha, there was a prominent elder named Śrīṣṭha, exceedingly wealthy. His wife gave birth to a boy whose appearance was dignified and wonderful. He invited masters to divine his fortune, and they praised the child's merit and virtue. They asked, saying, "Since conceiving this child, what auspicious signs have there been?" The elder said, "His mother was slow of speech and blunt of phrase, but once she conceived this child, her speech became clever and wondrous." He was named Vaśeṣṭha. When he grew up, he went out on an excursion to look around and saw a woman from a family of naṭa performers. His heart immediately became attached to her, and he wished to take her as his wife. He returned and requested his parents, "I wish that you would seek her for me." His parents said to him, "High and low are not a match; how could we arrange a marriage?" The son requested again, saying, "Do not ask about family status; just consider the person. Please seek her for me; if it does not accord with my wish, I will end my own life." His parents consented and arranged the marriage. The son was infatuated with her beauty and was not ashamed of base matters. He went to her house, learned the arts of entertainment, and mastered them all. At that time, the king gathered numerous naṭa acrobats for performances. When it was the elder's son's turn to show his skill, he ran upon a high rope. The king happened not to see it and ordered him to go up again. His strength gradually grew exhausted, and halfway across he was about to fall. In his heart, he was terrified, having nowhere to turn for refuge. Maudgalyāyana soared in the sky and said to him, "As for you today, would you rather preserve your life, go forth to learn the Way, or would you rather fall to the ground and marry that woman?" He answered, saying, "I wish to save my own life; I have no need for the woman." Maudgalyāyana immediately transformed [the ground below] into level earth, and his whole body and head were saved. He was overjoyed beyond measure. Following Maudgalyāyana, he went to the Bhagavat, bowed down in homage, and made offerings. At that time, the Buddha extensively preached the wondrous discourse. His mind opened in understanding, and he immediately attained the first fruit. Thereupon he requested to go forth, and the Bhagavat granted it. His hair and beard fell off on their own, and the Dharma robes were upon his body. Concentrating with diligence on meditation, he became an arhat. The Buddha said: In a past age, in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, there was a great elder. He first had a son born who was incomparably handsome. A person came from the sea carrying a bird's egg, which he presented to the elder. The elder accepted it. After a short time, the egg hatched a fledgling bird, whose feathers were sleek and lustrous. The elder took it and gave it to his son to play with. The son rode upon the bird's back and flew about on excursions to look around. Hearing that the king of another state was staging a naṭa spectacle, he rode the bird thither. The bird perched in a tree. He chanced to see the king's daughter, and his passion became inflamed with love. He sent a message to convey his feelings, and the woman had relations with him. This became known to the king, who had him tracked down, bound, and brought forth to be decapitated. The elder's son said, "Why should you gentlemen trouble yourselves to kill me? Allow me to climb the tree and throw myself down to die." The people permitted it. He thereupon climbed the tree, mounted his bird, and flew away into the sky, thereby prolonging his life. The elder's son of that time is now Vaśeṣṭha. The king's daughter is now the woman of the entertainer's family. The bird at that time was Maudgalyāyana. In a past life, he was brought to distress by infatuation with beauty and was saved on account of the bird; now, when he was on the verge of death, it was on account of Maudgalyāyana that he gained safety (from the thirteenth fascicle of the Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra).
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14. A Newly Born Son of an Elder Immediately Recognizes His Past Affinities, Seeks His Mother, Invites the Buddha, and Delicious Food Spontaneously Descends
35.37
In the city of Śrāvastī, there was a great elder who had a son born to him. His facial features were handsome and upright, and he was able to speak from birth. He asked his parents, "Are the Bhagavat, Śāriputra, Ānanda, and the others still in the world?" His parents answered that they were. Seeing that he could speak, they took him to be an inhuman being and immediately went to ask the Buddha. The Buddha said, "This child has auspicious signs." The parents rejoiced. The child further requested, saying, "Please invite the Buddha and the Saṅgha." They replied, "We have nothing prepared for an offering on such short notice." The child further requested, saying, "Just sweep and sprinkle the halls and rooms, adorn the couches and seats, and set out three high seats. Food and drink of a hundred flavours will spontaneously fill the hall. Furthermore, the mother of my previous life is still alive, living in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī; please send word to her." The parents sent messengers galloping on elephants to welcome her. They prepared three high seats: one for the Tathāgata, one for the father, and one for the mother who bore him in his previous life. When the Buddha and the saṅgha of monks entered their house, delicious food and drink spontaneously descended, manifold and abundant. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and all the household, great and small, attained the first fruit (from the first fascicle of the Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra).
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15. Anāthapiṇḍada's Seven Sons Receive the Precepts for Wealth, Hear the Dharma, and Are Freed from Defilement
35.39
In the city of Śrāvastī, Anāthapiṇḍada had seven sons whose minds lacked devout faith; they did not uphold the five precepts with regard to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. The elder Anāthapiṇḍada said, "I will bestow upon you one thousand ounces of gold; you may take refuge in the Three Jewels and receive the five precepts." When the seven sons heard this, they wished to take refuge in the Three Jewels and receive and uphold the five precepts. The father bestowed upon each of them one thousand ounces of gold. Together they went to the Bhagavat and reported the matter fully to the Buddha: "How is it, Bhagavat, do those seven sons possess any merit, wholesomeness, or virtues?" The Buddha said, "Well done, Elder, in benefiting sentient beings and bringing peace and security to gods and humans! Because of these wholesome deeds, those seven sons are fully endowed with virtues. I will now explain the retribution they will obtain: In the north there is a country with a city named Stone Chamber (Aśmanagara). The land is fertile and the people are flourishing. There is the Elāpatra treasure, with countless hundreds of thousands of gold, silver, and precious jewels. Among the seven treasures of the people in that kingdom of Gandhāra, they spend whatever they desire without anything decreasing, up to this great Elāpatra treasure of jewels. That seven thousand ounces of gold, even multiplied a hundredfold, a thousandfold, or countless folds, does not equal the merit obtained by your seven sons." The Bhagavat preached the subtle and wondrous Dharma to Anāthapiṇḍada. He then arose from his seat and said to the Bhagavat, "May you accept an invitation from me and the bhikṣu-saṅgha; I wish to prepare an offering of ambrosial food and drink for the sake of the seven sons." The Bhagavat silently accepted. Knowing the time, the Bhagavat, surrounded before and behind by the bhikṣu-saṅgha, entered the city of Śrāvastī and proceeded to Anāthapiṇḍada's house, where they all took their seats. The elder and his sons paid homage to the Bhagavat. As the Bhagavat preached the Dharma, they attained right view. He spoke in this manner. The elder's seven sons served delicious food and drink to the Buddha and the bhikṣus. When the meal was finished and the almsbowls were cleared away, the Buddha preached the Dharma to the seven sons. Sitting upon their seats, each of them had all dust and defilements exhausted; free of blemish, their Dharma-eye arose. Having seen the Dharma, they had neither doubt nor hesitation (from the Sūtra on Anāthapiṇḍada's Converting His Seven Sons).
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Diverse Phenomena from the Sūtras and Vinaya, Fascicle 35
Linked texts (1)
- 經律異相 — Classical Chinese