經律異相 40.43

40.43

The king, ministers, and people of the country of Śrāvastī revered the Bhagavat and made the four requisites of offerings to him, abandoning the brahmacārins. The brahmacārins conferred together: 'We should look for a beautiful woman, kill her, and bury her among the trees, causing the assembly of Gautama to be widely defamed. Let us see how people treat us then.' They then together coerced and instructed a woman named Sundarī, saying: 'From now on, you must visit the Buddha morning and evening so that all the people see and know it.' The young woman complied with their instructions. They then killed her and buried her among the trees. The brahmacārins gathered and went to the royal palace gate, shouting their grievance: 'Among our school there was a woman, the most beautiful of all, with peerless floral grace; whether alive or dead, her whereabouts are unknown.' The king asked: 'Where did she usually go?' They replied: 'She went to Gautama's place.' The king said: 'You should seek her there.' They sent people to the Jeta Grove, who dug up the woman's corpse and placed it on a bier. Going through the alleys, they shouted their grievances, saying: 'The śramaṇa Gautama always claims that his moral virtue is universally great and unexcelled; how could he have secretly engaged in relations with a woman, and then killed and hidden her? What kind of Dharma or precept is this?' At that time, when the monks entered the city to beg for food, the people scolded them, saying: 'When these śramaṇas commit such offenses, should they still receive food and robes?' The monks then carried their empty bowls out of the city and reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha told the monks: 'My being slandered in this way will not exceed seven days.' At that time, a woman named Weiyan heard in the city that the monks had all returned with empty bowls after seeking food. She went to the Buddha's place, bowed her head to the ground in homage, pressed her palms together, and addressed the Buddha: 'May the Buddha and the Saṅgha accept food from my household for seven days.' The Buddha accepted in silence. The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Go with the monastic assembly into the alleys of the city and recite this verse: