經律異相 35.9

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: