[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121) › [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt) › 41 # 經律異相 41 English (machine translation) 41 - **Language:** English ### [41.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.1) Compiled by the Liang śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others ### [41.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.2) 1. Daṇḍin Incurs Various Sins in Person 2. Agnidatta in the Womb Enables His Mother to Debate 3. Kukkuṭa Pledges Himself for Money to Feed the Buddha and the Saṃgha; Śakra Assists Him, Reaching Even the King 4. An Old Begging Brāhmaṇa Recites One Verse of the Buddha; His Sons Return to Support Him 5. Sañjaya Learns Archery and Obtains a Wife 6. A Brāhmaṇa Offers a Patchwork Robe to the Buddha and Hears a Prediction 7. A Brāhmaṇa Offers a Cake to the Buddha, Hears the Dharma, and Attains the Way 8. The Brāhmaṇa Bhaddiya Loses His Disciples in Anger, Is Reborn Among Evil Nāgas, and Is Subdued by the Buddha 9. A Brāhmaṇa Enters Absorption for Over Three Hundred Years 10. A Brāhmaṇa's Daughter-in-law Believes and Is Devoted, and Foresees Her Later Retribution 11. A Brāhmaṇa Gains Understanding from the Buddha's Mind 12. A Brāhmaṇa Observes a Single Fast Incompletely and Is Reborn as a Tree Deity Who Can Produce Food and Drink to Bestow on Hungry Beings 13. A Brāhmaṇa Husband and Wife Swallow Gold Coins as Provisions; Their Bodies Decay, and Someone Takes Them for Merit and Immediately Attains the Path 14. A Brāhmaṇa Gives Birth to a Beautiful Woman, Whom the Buddha Calls Unlovely 15. Jyotipāla and the Potter's Son Become Good Friends and Encourage Each Other in Faith 16. A Brāhmaṇa's Wife Serves the Buddha and Suffers from Her Husband, Throwing Herself into a River Whose Water Dries Up, Whereupon Her Husband Awakens ### [41.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.3) 1. Daṇḍin Incurs Various Sins in Person ### [41.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.4) In the kingdom of Śrāvastī, there was a brāhmaṇa named Piṇḍola-dhvaja. His wife was ugly and vicious, with both eyes piercingly blue. They had seven daughters and no sons. He was impoverished and his daughters destitute; his wife was wicked and fond of scolding. Whenever the daughters came asking for their needs, she glared and wept angrily. In his field, there was ripe grain, so he borrowed an ox from another to go and thresh it; but it was lost in the marshland. Then the brāhmaṇa sat and reflected to himself: 'What evil did I sow? Pressed by my wife and daughters, I have now lost another's ox.' Exhausted from searching, he happened to enter a forest. He encountered the Tathāgata, and observing him, the thought arose: 'The śramaṇa Gautama is now at the utmost peace and happiness, free of all my afflictions.' The Buddha knew his mind and said to him: 'It is just as you think.' The Buddha asked him: 'Do you wish to leave the household life?' He immediately addressed the Buddha: 'Bhagavat, if you permit it, it would fulfill my humble wish.' The Buddha said: 'Welcome, monk.' His beard and hair fell off naturally, and the clothes on his body turned into kāṣāyas. The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, and he became an arhat. The Buddha told Ānanda: In the past there was a king named Avaratimukha (which in the Liang language means 'Upright'). He converted beings through the Way. At that time, there was a brāhmaṇa named Daṇḍin. His household was destitute, and he had a little ripe grain. He borrowed an ox to thresh it, drove it back to its owner, but forgot to entrust it to him. Although the owner saw it, he assumed Daṇḍin was not yet done using it and did not take it in; both families neglected it, and it was lost. The owner of the ox took Daṇḍin to the king for judgment. As they went out, they encountered a horse of the royal household running loose. Someone shouted to Daṇḍin: 'Block the horse for me!' He reached down, picked up a stone, and threw it; it struck the horse's leg, which immediately broke. Next, walking to a river, he did not know where to cross. He encountered a carpenter who, holding an adze in his mouth, hitched up his clothes and was about to cross. Daṇḍin asked the man: 'Where can one cross?' Responding to the call, his mouth opened, and the adze fell into the water. Pressed by his creditors, and moreover hungry and thirsty, he begged a little white wine from a wineshop. Climbing onto a couch, he drank it; unexpectedly, beneath the blanket lay a small child, and he crushed the child, bursting its belly. Going to the side of a wall, he thought in terror of his crimes, threw himself over, and leaped down the wall. Below was a weaver; Daṇḍin landed on him, killing him instantly. The weaver's son caught him and, together with the crowd, took him before the king, shouting: 'This man killed my father!' The creditors brought him before the king. At that time, the owner of the ox came forward and said to the king: 'This man borrowed an ox from me, did not return and hand it over, lost it, and will not compensate me.' The king asked for the reason. Daṇḍin said: 'I indeed borrowed the ox. Having finished using it, I hurried back with it. The owner also saw it. Although I did not verbally hand it over, the ox was at his gate.' The king said to that man: 'Both of you are in the wrong. Because Daṇḍin did not verbally hand it over to you, his tongue should be cut off. Because you saw the ox and did not take it in yourself, your eyes should be gouged out.' The man said to the king: 'I beg to abandon this ox; I take no pleasure in having my eyes gouged out and another's tongue cut off.' The king immediately permitted them to settle. The horse officer said again: 'His unprincipled action broke my horse's leg.' The king then asked: 'This is a royal horse; why did you break its leg?' Kneeling, he said to the king: 'My creditor was bringing me along the road, and that man called to me to block the royal horse. I reached down, found a stone, and threw it, mistakenly breaking the horse's leg.' The king said: 'Because you called to him, your tongue should be cut off; because he struck the horse, his hand should be cut off.' The horse officer said to the king: 'I beg that we each settle peacefully.' The carpenter came forward and said: 'Daṇḍin caused me to lose my adze.' The king said to the carpenter: 'Because he called to you, his tongue should be cut off. But by propriety, carrying things should be done with hands; because you held it in your mouth, two of your teeth should be broken.' The carpenter said to the king: 'I would rather give up the adze than undergo this punishment.' Then the wine-selling mother pulled him forward and said to the king: 'He wrongfully killed my child!' Kneeling, he said to the king: 'I was pressed by hunger and thirst and begged for a little wine to drink. I did not realize there was a child lying under the blanket. May the king examine this.' The king said to the woman: 'Your house sells wine, and guests crowd it in great numbers. Why did you place a sleeping child in a seating area? Both of you are at fault. Your child is already dead. I will give Daṇḍin to you to be your husband; once you have a child again, he shall be released.' The woman kowtowed and said: 'Allow us each to settle peacefully. I have no use for a husband.' Then the weaver's son stepped forward: 'This man, violent and rash, trampled my father to death!' The king asked: 'Did you kill his father?' Daṇḍin said: 'The crowd was pressing and demanding from me; in terror I leaped from the wall and happened to fall on him. Truly it was not intentional.' The king said to that man: 'Both of you are in the wrong. Your father is already dead; I will give Daṇḍin to you to be your father.' The man said to the king: 'My father is now dead, but I will never accept this brāhmaṇa as my father! Allow us to settle peacefully.' The king then permitted it. When Daṇḍin's affairs were all concluded, while he was still before the king, he saw two women disputing over one child. The king, being bright and clever, devised a skillful expedient: 'There is now only one child, and two mothers dispute it. I permit the two of you each to pull one hand. Whoever can pull him away shall have him.' The one who was not the mother had no compassion for the child and pulled with all her might; the birth mother had deep compassion for the child and could not bear to drag him. The king discerned the true from the false, interrogated the impostor who had forcefully claimed another's child, and she immediately bowed her head to the king, returning the child to its mother. Both were then dismissed. Then Daṇḍin said to the king: 'At that time, beside the road, a venomous snake asked me to tell the king: it does not know why, when it emerges from its hole, it is soft and flexible, but when returning to the hole, it is hindered and pained.' The king answered him: 'When emerging from its hole, it has no vexations; its mind is gentle and its body corresponds. Outside, birds and beasts stir and disturb it; its wrath surges, and its body becomes swollen and coarse. You may tell it: if it guards its mind and does not get angry, it will not have this affliction.' ### [41.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.5) 'Next, I saw a woman who asked me to tell the king: when at her husband's home, she longs for her parents' house, and when at her parents' house, she longs for her husband's home.' The king said: 'You may tell her: It is because of your depraved mind. At your parents' house, you keep an adulterous lover. When at your husband's home, you long for that lover; when there, growing slightly weary, you long back for your lawful husband. That is why. If you guard your mind and abandon depravity, you will not have this affliction. Next, on a tree, I saw a pheasant who asked me to tell the king: when in other trees, its cry is discordant, but when in this tree, its cry is sorrowful and harmonious, and it does not know the reason.' The king told that man: 'Because under that tree there is a large cauldron of gold, its cry above it is mournfully sweet. Elsewhere there is no gold, so its voice is not pleasant.' The king said to Daṇḍin: 'You had many faults, but I have already released you. You are distressed by poverty; take the cauldron of gold beneath the tree—I give it to you.' Receiving the king's instruction, he dug up the ground and took the gold, trading for what he needed, and was joyful and lacked nothing. That great king was myself; and Daṇḍin was the present brāhmaṇa Piṇḍola-dhvaja. (From the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish, fascicle 11) ### [41.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.6) 2. Agnidatta in the Womb Enables His Mother to Debate ### [41.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.7) In the country of Pāṭaliputra, there was a brāhmaṇa named Agnidatta who was thoroughly versed in the sūtras and treatises. After taking a wife, she soon became pregnant. While pregnant, she had a great desire to debate. The husband questioned a physiognomist. The physiognomist replied: 'The child in the womb is adept at debate.' When the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy. He mastered all the sūtras and treatises, became a teacher of brāhmaṇas, and also instructed people in the medical arts. (From the Saṃyuktāgama Sūtra, fascicle 25) ### [41.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.8) 3. Kukkuṭa Pledges Himself for Money to Feed the Buddha and the Saṃgha; Śakra Assists Him, Reaching Even the King ### [41.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.9) At that time, the people of the city of Rājagṛha, each according to their clan, invited the Buddha and the saṅgha. The brāhmaṇas assembled from all directions and set a rule among themselves, each contributing one hundred coins for the Buddha and the saṅgha. At that time, the brāhmaṇa Jātakarṇa, though knowing propriety, was poor and without wealth, unable to obtain provisions to make offerings to the assembly. The people said to him, "You have no coins." Jātakarṇa then returned to his wife's place and said, "The people have expelled me from the assembly because I have no coins." His wife replied, "You may enter the city and borrow one hundred coins on credit." He searched everywhere but could not obtain any. Returning, he told his wife. His wife said again, "Go to the house of the elder Puṣyamitra and borrow from him." He went and pleaded with him, saying that he would repay it in seven days: "If I do not repay it, my wife and I will become your slaves." The elder then lent him one hundred gold coins. Having obtained them, he returned and told his wife. His wife said to him, "Take them to the assembly and say, 'I have obtained the coins; allow me to take my place.'" The assembly said to Jātakarṇa, "Everything is already prepared; we do not need your coins." Jātakarṇa then returned. Husband and wife together went to the Bhagavat and exchanged greetings with him. Then Jātakarṇa's wife bowed her head to the Bhagavat's feet and reported everything to the Buddha. The Buddha told Jātakarṇa, "You should then invite the Bhagavat and the bhikṣusaṅgha." Jātakarṇa's wife then said to her husband, "My lord, comply with the Buddha's instruction." Jātakarṇa then arose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha, saying, "May the Bhagavat accept my invitation, together with the bhikṣusaṅgha." The Bhagavat remained silent. Śakra Devānām Indra said to Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa, "Kubera, assist this brāhmaṇa in preparing the third meal." He replied, "I accept your instruction." Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa then concealed his own form, transformed into a human body, and commanded five hundred rākṣasas: "Go quickly into the sandalwood grove and bring back fragrant firewood. We shall feed the Buddha and the saṅgha in the Bamboo Grove." He magically created an iron kitchen. Each of the five hundred rākṣasas carried ox-head sandalwood fragrant firewood and brought it into the iron kitchen. Jātakarṇa then cooked food in the iron kitchen, and the fragrance was smelled throughout twelve yojanas. Śakra Devānām Indra then said to the devaputra Viśvakarman, "You should magically create a lofty and vast lecture hall so that the Buddha and the saṅgha may sit and take their meal." He replied, "I accept your instruction." Just as a strong man might bend or extend his arm, he vanished from the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven and arrived in the Bamboo Grove. Beside the iron kitchen, he magically created a lecture hall made of the seven precious substances. He conjured one thousand two hundred and fifty seats adorned with embroidery. Holding censer bowls in their hands, they burned various famed incenses. He made tāla trees formed of the seven precious substances; when a gentle breeze blew, the tinkling of bells could be heard from afar. King Bimbisāra of Magadha heard it and asked his ministers. The ministers replied, saying, "It is the brāhmaṇa Jātakarṇa, who is cooking food for the Buddha and the saṅgha in an iron kitchen using ox-head sandalwood; thus there is this fragrance." The king immediately went to where the Buddha was. He told his ministers, "In ancient times there was no such lecture hall. Who made it now?" The ministers addressed the king, "We do not know." The Bhagavat explained it in detail to the king as above. The king then shed tears, unable to contain himself. He thought, "Sentient beings of the future will have little merit and short lifespans; they will not even know the names of these precious things, let alone see them! Now, relying on the Buddha's grace, I have seen this lecture hall, which had never appeared before." The Bhagavat told him, "Sentient beings in the future will not even hear of the seven precious substances, let alone see them with their own eyes. Now, relying on the Buddha's grace, you have witnessed such a thing." The Bhagavat expounded the subtle and wondrous Dharma to the king, causing his heart to rejoice. The king said, "The brāhmaṇa Jātakarṇa has truly obtained excellent benefit!" The king said, "I wish to return to the palace." The Buddha said, "Now is indeed the time." The Buddha told Jātakarṇa, "You may invite the king to provide one day's meal." He replied, "So be it." He immediately went to the king, raised his right hand, and addressed the king: "May the heavenly king accept an invitation tomorrow to assemble in this lecture hall." The king remained silent. Heavenly King Vaiśravaṇa bathed Jātakarṇa the following morning, gave him fine garments, and, holding a censer, Jātakarṇa went to the Bhagavat's place. Touching his head and face to the ground, he thought: "Now is indeed the time. The meal is already prepared; please deign to come." Surrounded by the saṅgha, the Buddha went to the lecture hall, took his seat, and the saṅgha sat in order. The king, with his retinue prepared and surrounded by his ministers, arrived at Jātakarṇa's place. There were sweet foods and drinks, each of a hundred flavors, assisting Jātakarṇa in feeding the Buddha and the bhikṣusaṅgha (extracted from the Sūtra on the People of Rājagṛha Inviting the Buddha). ### [41.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.10) An Old Beggar Brāhmaṇa Recited One Stanza from the Buddha, and His Son Supported Him Again (Number 4) ### [41.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.11) At that time, the Bhagavat entered the city of Śrāvastī. There was a certain brāhmaṇa who was advanced in age and of mature faculties, holding a staff and carrying a bowl, begging for food from house to house. The Bhagavat asked him, "Why are you doing this?" He replied, "Gautama, all the wealth and property I had, I gave to my son. I took a wife for him, and after that I abandoned this \[household life\] to beg for food with an alms bowl." The Buddha again told him, "Can you receive and recite one stanza from my teaching, and go back and recite it to your son?" He replied to the Buddha that he could. The Bhagavat then spoke this verse: ### [41.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.12) "At the birth of a son, the heart rejoices; / for the son one gathers wealth and goods. / One takes a wife for him in marriage, / and oneself renounces home and family. / A boorish child of field and home / turns his back on and betrays his father. / In human form, yet with a rākṣasa's heart, / he casts aside his elder father. / When an old horse is no longer of use, / they deprive it of its flour and barley. / The son is young while the father is old; / from house to house he walks begging for food. / This staff is the most excellent of all; / it is not like a son who discards love and affection. / For me, it fends off vicious oxen; / in perilous places, it keeps me safe. / It can drive away ferocious dogs; / it supports me as I walk in dark places. / It avoids deep pits and dry wells, / grasses, trees, thorns, and briars. / Relying on the power of the staff, / I stand firm and do not fall." ### [41.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.13) The brāhmaṇa received the verse from the Buddha. Returning home, when he reached the gate, he first addressed the great assembly, "Listen to what I say!" and then recited the verse as above. His son was ashamed and frightened. He immediately embraced his father, brought him back into the house, rubbed his body, bathed him, covered him with clothes and blankets, and established him as the master of the house. The brāhmaṇa then thought, "That I have now attained preeminence in my noble clan is due to the grace of the śramaṇa. As our scripture says, 'If one is a teacher, one should make offerings to him as to a teacher.' I will now take supreme, fine robes, go to the Bhagavat's place, greet him face to face, and say to the Buddha, 'May you accept these robes out of pity for me.'" The Bhagavat then accepted them, and further expounded various teachings, demonstrating, instructing, clarifying, and gladdening him (extracted from the Sūtra on the Buddha Reciting a Verse for the Old Brāhmaṇa). ### [41.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.14) Saṃjaya Studied Archery and Obtained a Wife (Number 5) ### [41.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.15) In past times, there was a young brāhmaṇa named Saṃjaya. He went to a master archer to learn the art of archery. The master said, "You may learn it." Saṃjaya regularly studied this craft for seven years. Later, he asked the master, "When may I finish?" He replied, "Take your bow and notch an arrow. I will go into the village for a moment; wait until I return before shooting." The master then entered the village. Saṃjaya waited for the master for a long time, but he still had not returned. He shot at a large tree in front of him; the arrow passed through and wounded a serpent. When the master returned, he asked, "Have you not shot the arrow yet?" He replied, "I have already shot it." The master said, "If you had not shot it, you would have been the foremost master in Jambudvīpa. Since you have already shot it, you will only be second after I die." The master then adorned his daughter and gave her to him, along with five hundred arrows and a horse chariot. Saṃjaya received them. They were to cross a wilderness. At that time, there were five hundred bandits eating in the wilderness. Saṃjaya sent his wife to beg for food from the bandits. The bandits said, "Looking at the one who sent her, he is no ordinary man; we ought to give her food." One bandit said, "While we are still alive, are we to allow this man to take his wife, ride in a chariot, and depart?" Saṃjaya shot at him, and he died at a single arrow. As each one stood up, Saṃjaya shot him, and none failed to perish. Only the bandit leader remained. He said to the woman, "Take off your clothes and put them on the ground." She took off her clothes. Seeing him, Saṃjaya shot him again, and he died at the arrow. The five hundred bandits were the five hundred bhikṣus. Saṃjaya was Śāriputra (extracted from the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya, Third Section, Fascicle 9). ### [41.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.16) A Brāhmaṇa Offered a Patch to the Buddha and Received a Prophecy (Number 6) ### [41.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.17) The Buddha entered the city of Śrāvastī for alms. His robe had a slight tear. A brāhmaṇa saw that the Buddha's robe was damaged, went to his house, obtained a small piece of white fine cotton, and offered it to the Buddha, saying, "May the Tathāgata accept this patch to mend his robe." The Buddha accepted it. The Buddha bestowed a prophecy upon him that in a future life, within two asaṃkhyeyas and one hundred kalpas, he would attain Buddhahood. He departed in joy. The eminent nobles, elders, and householders in the kingdom said, "Why does the Bhagavat grant a great reward for a small gift?" Each of them tore up fine cotton to make various robes for the Tathāgata. In the past, there was a Buddha named Vipaśyin. At that time, the king was named Bandhuma. A minister invited that Buddha and the saṅgha to receive offerings for three months. That Buddha consented. King Bandhuma said to that Buddha, "I covet the chance to make offerings to the Buddha and the saṅgha for three months." That Buddha told Bandhuma, "I have already accepted that minister's invitation." The king said to the minister, "The Buddha resides in my kingdom. Even though you have invited him, you should now yield to me." The minister replied to the king, "If the great king can guarantee my life, guarantee that the Tathāgata will always dwell here, and guarantee that the kingdom will always be safe and secure, then I will rest my intent." The king further reasoned with him, "You invite him for one day, and I will invite him for one day." The minister then consented, and each fulfilled his wish. The king prepared the three robes for the Tathāgata, and also made seven-strip robes for each of the ninety thousand bhikṣus. The minister at that time who offered robes and food to the Buddha and the saṅgha was myself (extracted from the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish, Fascicle 13). ### [41.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.18) A Brāhmaṇa Offered Cakes to the Buddha, Heard the Dharma, and Attained the Path (Number 7) ### [41.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.19) There was a brāhmaṇa who asked his wife, "Are there materials for cakes in the house? I wish to join the company in making offerings to the śramaṇa Gautama." His wife said, "There are." She immediately made them, and he took them and went. He encountered the king, ministers, kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, and the lords of eighteen great settlements, all seated there. The brāhmaṇa did not dare to step forward. He thought, "The Buddha is an omniscient one; he must know my mind." From afar, the Buddha called him over and asked, "What is in the vessel?" He replied, "It is cakes." The Buddha said, "You may distribute them to the saṅgha of monks." He replied, "They are too few to go around." The Buddha said, "Just distribute them to the people." After one round, they were still not depleted, and even after three rounds, they had not diminished. The Buddha knew his mind and, following it, expounded the Dharma to him, so that he attained the path of a srotāpanna (extracted from the Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya, Fascicle 29; also in Fascicle 6). ### [41.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.20) The Brāhmaṇa Bhaddiya Lost His Disciples Through Anger, Was Reborn Among Evil Dragons, and Was Subdued by the Buddha (Number 8) ### [41.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.21) In the past there was a dragon king named Bhadra. By nature he was cruel and violent, frequently bringing about winds, rain, thunderbolts, and hailstorms to kill people; birds, beasts, and wriggling insects died in countless numbers. Ten thousand venerable arhats deliberated together: "If one kills a single person, one falls into hell for a kalpa and the retribution for that sin is still not ended. Now this dragon harms living beings incalculably over time. It is feared that converting him will become ever more difficult. We should go together to admonish and stop him." At that time, the Buddha knew of this and praised them, saying, "Excellent!" Then the ten thousand arhats set out together. The dragon unleashed wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and thunderbolts. Terrified, the ten thousand fell prostrate, yielded, and returned. At that time, the Buddha was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Together with ten thousand bodhisattvas and ten thousand arhats, he went to the dragon's dwelling. The dragon then grew enraged and unleashed a fierce storm, pouring rain, thunder, hail, and thunderbolts. Each hailstone he cast was like a wall forty zhang square; when hitting the earth, they penetrated four chi into the ground. He intended thereby to harm the Buddha and the saṃgha of bodhisattvas. At that time, seeing the dragon's calamities, the arhats were terrified and came forward to stay close to the Buddha. The dragon saw for himself that the hailstones transformed into jeweled canopies. He thought to himself again: "I shall coil my body tightly to a size of forty zhang, and cast myself down upon the Buddha and the saṃgha." He immediately threw himself down, but was unable to strike anything. Raising his head and opening his eyes to look closely, he saw the Buddha, and suspected that he must be an exquisitely noble, supreme spiritual being. Thereupon, the small dragons all threw themselves down without moving. At that time the dragon king's life ended, and he was reborn above as a god. The other small dragons also all lost their lives simultaneously and became sons of gods. They all descended and stood beside the Buddha. The Buddha told Ānanda, "Do you know from where these gods were born?" Ānanda replied, "I do not." The Buddha said, "A moment ago, those dragons aroused evil intentions, threw themselves upon the ground, but then gave rise to a single wholesome thought, recognizing the Buddha as the Most Venerable One. When their lives ended, they became gods; these are they." Hearing the Buddha's words, the \[dragon king\] god and the other sons of gods all gave rise to the anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi-citta. The Buddha said, "In the past, the dragon king Bhadra and Śākyamuni Buddha were both brāhmaṇas together. Bhadra had ten thousand disciples at that time, who abandoned their teacher to serve Śākyamuni. Bhadra harbored resentment and became a dragon. Once the Buddha's virtue was accomplished, he extensively delivered all beings. The ten thousand disciples all attained arhatship. Because the dragon harbored toxic malice, he wished to harm them. Although the ten thousand had completed the four stages of the path, they were still subjected to his humiliation. Had they been bodhisattvas, the dragon would not have dared." (From the lower fascicle of the Old Sūtra of Diverse Parables.) ### [41.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.22) 9. The Brāhmaṇa Enters Meditative Absorption for Over Three Hundred Years ### [41.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.23) In the past there was a brāhmaṇa who took no delight in worldly affairs. He secluded himself in the mountains, single-mindedly contemplating the Path. He entered meditative absorption for over three hundred years; dust and earth covered his body, and grass and trees grew upon his form. At the foot of the mountain were several hundred brāhmaṇa households who raised wives and children. The young and the old went together to gather firewood and climbed trees. While snapping off dry branches and tree roots, which were connected to the brāhmaṇa's forehead, the tree was shaken, which awakened the brāhmaṇa from his dhyāna, and he emerged from the earth. Seeing the firewood gatherers, he asked them, "Who are you?" They replied, "We are brāhmaṇas." "Who are the others?" They replied, "Our wives and children." The brāhmaṇa laughed and said, "I have been in dhyāna for over three hundred years, and still do not dare call myself a brāhmaṇa. How can you bring yourselves to call yourselves brāhmaṇas?" (From the fifth fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Parable Sūtra.) ### [41.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.24) 10. A Brāhmaṇa's Daughter-in-law Has Faith and Sees Her Subsequent Retribution ### [41.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.25) Formerly, east of the city of Śrāvastī, there was a very wealthy brāhmaṇa. His son married a wife, obtaining a woman from a Buddhist family. She observed the five precepts and kept the six fast-days, always delighting in giving alms to śramaṇas and practitioners of the Path, and urged her husband to practice giving. The husband was immediately awakened to this understanding and reported it to his parents. His parents were furious, saying, "This will ruin our household!" The wife gave money and silk to her husband; the husband gave them to the maid guarding the inner gate; the maid gave them to the male servant guarding the outer gate; and the servant took them to the Buddhist monastery to give alms to the śramaṇas, burn incense, and light lamps. The husband and wife jointly made a vow: "If giving alms brings no merit, let it end with ourselves; but if it brings merit, may everyone under heaven see it!" At that time, according to the custom of the land, on the third day of the third month, all the people of the country went to the waterside to make music, sing, and play. Just then, in the southeastern corner, a deva riding a white horse passed through the sky. The crowd looked up and asked, "What divine spirit is this?" He replied, "Ask the one coming behind me." A moment later, there was a palace of seven treasures with a jade maiden sitting alone upon it; four great heavenly spirits carried the palace as it flew. The crowd asked again, "What merit do you possess?" The jade maiden also said, "Ask the one coming behind me." Soon after, there was a jeweled palace with four pillars, where a deva and a jade maiden sat together inside, surrounded on all sides by four groups of musicians, and twelve heavenly spirits carried the palace together. The crowd asked again, "What merit do you possess?" They also replied, "Ask the ones coming behind us." A moment later, there were two preta ghosts, thirty chi tall, black, emaciated, ugly, tormented by hunger and thirst, with fire burning inside their bodies, each holding a large club and beating one another. The crowd asked again. They replied, "Have you gentlemen heard of the wealthy brāhmaṇa east of Śrāvastī? The one riding the white horse is the servant who guarded the outer gate; the jade maiden in the small palace is the maid who guarded the inner gate; the two in the large palace are my son and daughter-in-law; and we two ghosts are the brāhmaṇa husband and wife. In our previous life, we were foolish and did not believe in the true Dharma. Now we must suffer this calamity; what can be done about it?" (From the first fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Parable Sūtra.) ### [41.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.26) 11. A Brāhmaṇa's Mind Is Opened by the Buddha ### [41.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.27) The Buddha was wandering in a city of brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇa kings knew that the Tathāgata's divine virtue could move the hearts of the multitude, \[and thought:\] "Once they are transformed by him, who will accept our words?" Therefore, they made a rule together: "Whoever offers food to the Buddha or listens to his words shall be fined five hundred gold coins." When the Buddha entered the city to beg for food, everyone shut their doors and he came out with an empty bowl. There was a maidservant carrying a broken earthen vessel filled with foul-smelling washings, going out the gate to throw it away. Seeing the Buddha's empty bowl, she gave rise to pure faith; she wished to make an offering, but had no means to fulfill her wish. She said, "If you need this poor food, you may take it." Knowing her intention, the Buddha accepted her offering and said: "Because this woman gave food, for fifteen kalpas in heaven and in the human realm she will receive bliss and happiness without falling into evil destinies; later, she will obtain a male body, leave the household life to learn the Path, and become a pratyekabuddha." Beside him was a brāhmaṇa who spoke a verse accusing the Buddha of telling lies for the sake of food: "For such foul food, how could the reward be so great?" The Buddha then stuck out his tongue, covering his face up to the hairline, and said to the brāhmaṇa: "In your scriptures, have you ever seen anyone with such a tongue who speaks lies?" The brāhmaṇa said: "One with such a tongue certainly does not lie. It is only that I do not understand how a small gift can reap a great reward." The Buddha said, "Have you ever seen a nyagrodha tree whose shade covers five hundred carts of merchants without leaving any out?" He replied, "I have." The Buddha asked again, "How large is the seed of that tree?" He replied, "Like a third of a mustard seed." The Buddha asked, "Who would believe this?" He replied, "It is seen with one's own eyes." The Buddha said, "I am also like this: this old woman will receive a great reward because the Tathāgata's field of merit is fertile and excellent." At that time, the brāhmaṇa's mind was opened and freed; he prostrated with five limbs to the ground, repenting before the Buddha. The Buddha preached the Dharma to him, and he attained the fruit of the first path. He then raised a great voice and told the multitude: "The gate of ambrosia is open; why do you not come out?" The brāhmaṇas then begged to pay the gold coins, welcomed the Buddha, and made offerings to him. The brāhmaṇa king, along with his ministers and subjects, also took refuge in the Buddha's Dharma. The men and women in the city all attained pure faith. (From the fifth fascicle of the Lalitavistara.) ### [41.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.28) 12. A Brāhmaṇa Keeps an Incomplete Fast and Is Reborn as a Tree Deity Able to Produce Food and Drink to Bestow upon the Hungry ### [41.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.29) Formerly, there was an elder named Sudatta who invited the Buddha and the saṃgha to broadly set out a great assembly. On the road, he encountered a person presenting a jar of curd, and seeing a brāhmaṇa, he asked him to carry it back. Arriving there, the brāhmaṇa saw the Buddha and the saṃgha, was delighted, and stayed. He listened to the sūtra and observed the fast until evening before returning home. His wife found it very strange; he had not eaten, and as evening came, she pressed him to eat. Failing to complete the rules of the fast, he later died. His spirit became the deity of a great marsh tree in the country of Uttara. At that time, five hundred scholars wished to go to the divine pond of the three sacrifices to bathe in hopes of becoming immortals. Their provisions were exhausted, and they had neither water nor soup, so they were already exhausted. Looking toward that tree from afar, they thought there would be a spring of water; but when they all arrived beneath the tree, there was no water or spring at all, and they were about to fall into great distress. They raised their voices together to beseech the tree deity for mercy: "Save our lives!" The tree deity then manifested half of his body, raised the tip of his right index finger, and of its own accord there appeared food of a hundred flavors; he presented honey-drink in his hands, completely provided with various things, and they all ate their fill. At that time, the five hundred men conferred among themselves, saying: "We wished to go to the divine pond to bathe in hopes of becoming immortals; could the sublime way of immortals surpass this?" They again asked the tree deity, "What merit did you perform to possess such sacred virtue?" The tree deity replied: "Formerly, I saw the Buddha at the monastery in Śrāvastī and observed the eightfold fast; but I was ruined by my wife and did not complete the rules of the fast. My spirit should have been born in heaven." The five hundred men then together observed the rules and precepts of the fast, and later attained the path of the srotāpanna. (From Essential Matters from Various Sūtras.) ### [41.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.30) 13. A Brāhmaṇa Couple Swallow Gold Coins for Provisions; Their Bodies Decay and Someone Takes Them to Create Merit, Immediately Attaining the Path ### [41.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.31) Formerly, there was a brāhmaṇa couple who had no children and possessed countless wealth. Near the end of their lives, they said to each other: "Let us each swallow coins to serve as provisions." The custom of that country was not to bury the dead, but merely to place them under trees. Each swallowed fifty gold coins and died. When their bodies rotted, the coins emerged. A wise man in the country happened to see them while traveling. Filled with pity, he wept, grieved by their stinginess and greed. He took the coins to create merit, inviting the Buddha and the saṃgha, and wholeheartedly prepared offerings. Raising food before the Buddha, he called out their names and made prayers of blessing. At that time, the stingy couple, who were suffering the torment of hungry ghosts, were immediately born in heaven. For the purpose of creating merit, the wise man broadly invited the four assemblies. Then the ones born in heaven obtained the divine eye and knew that merit was being made for them. Descending from heaven, they transformed into a youth to assist the dānapati. The Buddha said: "This youth in the kitchen is the true dānapati." Going to him, the Buddha preached the Dharma, and he immediately attained the traces of the Path; the wise man also attained the traces of the Path. The entire assembly rejoiced, and all were born in heaven. (From the Sūtra on the Retribution of Past Vows.) ### [41.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.32) 14. A Brāhmaṇa Gives Birth to Beautiful Daughters; the Buddha Says They Are Not Beautiful ### [41.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.33) When the Buddha was in the world, there was a brāhmaṇa who had two daughters, both of whom were fair and beautiful. He deliberately suspended gold, seeking for ninety days anyone who could criticize his daughters as ugly, in which case he would give them the gold. In the end, no one responded to the recruitment. He brought them to where the Buddha was. The Buddha then criticized them, saying, "These daughters are both ugly; there is not a single good thing about them." Ānanda said to the Buddha, "These daughters are beautiful, yet the Buddha says they are repulsive. What about them is not good?" The Buddha said, "A person's eye not looking at sensual forms is what is good; the same applies to the ears, nose, and mouth. The body not clinging to soft and smooth touch is what is good. The body's hands not stealing others' property is what makes for good hands. Not committing such deeds is what is truly good. When the eyes look at forms, the ears listen to sounds, the nose smells fragrances, the body takes pleasure in soft and smooth touch, and the hands delight in stealing others' property—such things are none of them good." (From the Sūtra of Diverse Parables.) ### [41.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.34) 15. Uttara and the Potter's Son Are Good Spiritual Friends and Encourage Each Other's Faith ### [41.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.35) In the past, in the town of Duoshou, there was a brāhmaṇa who served as the king's grand astrologer, foremost in the realm. He had a son whose head was naturally crowned with a garland of fire, and so he was named Jyotirmāla. He was handsome and upright, possessing thirty \[marks\]. There was a potter's son named Nandipāla, who had been an intimate friend of Jyotirmāla from their youth, and they held mutual respect and affection in their hearts. The potter's son was energetic, courageous, benevolent, and filial. Both his parents were blind, yet he provided for them without deficiency. Although he was a potter, his hands never dug the earth; he took only broken walls, collapsed banks, and earth churned by rats, mixing them to make vessels. If someone came to buy, they would place grain, barley, hemp, or beans on the ground and take the vessels. He never disputed the price, nor did he accept gold, silver, or valuables; he took only grains for maintenance. The monastery where the Tathāgata Kāśyapa dwelt was not far from the town of Duoshou, where he was with twenty thousand great monks, all of whom were arhats. Nandipāla said to Jyotirmāla, "Let us go together to see the Tathāgata Kāśyapa." Jyotirmāla replied, "What is the use of seeing this renunciant? He is merely a shaven-headed man. What Dharma could he possess? The path of the Buddha is difficult to attain!" This was said up to three times. Nandipāla again said to Jyotirmāla, "Shall we go together to the water to bathe?" Jyotirmāla replied, "Very well." They then went together to the water to bathe. Nandipāla raised his right hand, pointed into the distance, and said, "Kāśyapa's monastery is not far from here. We could go together and see him briefly." Jyotirmāla replied, "What is the use of seeing him?" Nandipāla then seized Jyotirmāla's robe and pulled him. Jyotirmāla took off his robe and ran away. Nandipāla then seized him by the head, pulled him, and said, "Just once, let us go see the Buddha together!" According to the customs of that land, seizing someone's head was taboo, and by law was punished by decapitation. Jyotirmāla, astonished and terrified on his behalf, thought, "Is the potter's son willing to face death just to seize my head?" Nandipāla said, "Even if I die, I will never let you go! I must ensure that you see the Buddha!" Jyotirmāla thought to himself, "There must surely be something good, for him to be willing to face death and seize me like this." Jyotirmāla said, "Release my head, and I will follow you." He then retied his hair, put on his clothes, and followed him to Kāśyapa Buddha. Nandipāla addressed the Buddha, saying, "This Jyotirmāla is my close friend from youth, yet he does not recognize or believe in the Three Honoured Ones. May the World-Honoured One instruct and transform him." When the young man Jyotirmāla saw the marks and signs of the Buddha, he thought, "All the marks and signs recorded in the texts are present, except for two." At that time, the Tathāgata Kāśyapa extended his broad and long tongue to cover his face, the uṣṇīṣa, and both ears seven times. Licking his head, he drew his tongue back into his mouth. A glorious light radiated forth, illuminating the great trichiliocosm, outshining the radiance of the sun and moon up to the Akaniṣṭha heaven. The light circled his body seven times and entered through the crown of his head. Then, by the power of his supernatural faculties, he revealed the concealed private member, allowing Jyotirmāla alone to see it while others did not. The young man Jyotirmāla saw the thirty-two marks of the Buddha in full, leaping for joy and unable to contain himself. The Tathāgata Kāśyapa explained to the young man Jyotirmāla the severance of a bodhisattva's merit. What is the severance of a bodhisattva's merit? When the body performs what should not be performed, when the mouth speaks what should not be spoken, and when the mind thinks what should not be thought—these are the three evil deeds of a bodhisattva. Thereupon Jyotirmāla stepped forward, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said, "I now repent; may the Buddha accept it. From this day forward, I shall never dare transgress again." This was done up to three times, and the Tathāgata Kāśyapa silently accepted it. The young man Jyotirmāla and the young man Nandipāla both bowed at the Buddha's feet, took their leave, and returned. Jyotirmāla said, "You have suffered a loss, not gained a benefit. I do not wish to see your face, nor do I wish to hear your name." Nandipāla replied, "Why is that so?" Jyotirmāla said, "You heard the profound Dharma from the Buddha long ago; how can you remain at home?" Nandipāla replied, "My parents are aged and moreover both blind. If I am to support my two parents, how could I leave household life? If I were to leave household life, my parents would perish. For this reason, I cannot leave household life." Jyotirmāla said to Nandipāla, "Having heard from Kāśyapa Buddha about the karmic retributions of a bodhisattva's three evil deeds, I no longer delight in living at home. From here, I wish to return to the Buddha's place and seek to become a monk." Nandipāla answered, "Excellent, Jyotirmāla! Have you attained the power of reflection? You should return at once. Why is that? An age with a Buddha is difficult to encounter." The young man Jyotirmāla then embraced Nandipāla, circumambulated him three times, joined his palms, and apologized, saying, "If I have committed any fault of body, speech, or mind toward you, I pray you will forgive me, as you have pointed out and taught the true and great Path." Thereupon Jyotirmāla spoke a verse in praise: ### [41.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.36) "You are my good friend, A friend in the Dharma, devoid of greed, Guiding me on the correct path; Such a friend is praised by the Buddha." ### [41.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.37) Having spoken this verse, he circumambulated Nandipāla three times and returned to the monastery. He said to the Buddha, "May I enter the path and receive full ordination?" \[The Buddha\] then delivered Jyotirmāla and granted him full ordination. The Buddha said to Śāriputra, "At that time, the young man Jyotirmāla was myself. Jyotirmāla's father was my current father, King Śuddhodana. Nandipāla, who repeatedly urged me to leave household life, was a good friend who assisted on the path. Because I previously spoke harsh words to Nandipāla, saying, 'What Dharma could Kāśyapa Buddha, that shaven-headed śramaṇa, possess?', I had to endure eating one sesame seed, one grain of rice, horse gram, and peas a day for six years." (Extracted from the lower fascicle of the Xingqixing jing). ### [41.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.38) 16. A Brāhmaṇa's Wife Served the Buddha and Was Resented by Her Husband; She Threw Herself into a River, the Water Dried Up, and the Husband Finally Awakened ### [41.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.39) In the past, there was a brāhmaṇa who served non-Buddhists. His wife served the Buddha. She said to her husband, "Permit me to be a maidservant to the Buddha, hanging banners and canopies, burning incense, and lighting lamps." Her husband would not allow it. She then made a banner, hung it inside the house, and bowed to it morning and evening. The husband slaughtered oxen and sheep and called for a diviner to explain the matter. When the diviner arrived at his gate, he said to him, "Your house has a Buddhist banner and canopy; I dare not enter." \[The husband\] immediately went in to question his wife, searched, and found the banner. The husband in anger beat his wife. The wife then threw herself into a river. Her utmost sincerity moved the spirits, and the river water dried up for her. Naturally, a canopy of seven precious gems appeared over her. When the husband saw this auspicious sign, he realized that the Buddha was worthy of reverence. He immediately abandoned non-Buddhist ways and served the Great Dharma. (Extracted from the Piyu jing). ### [41.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41.40) Diverse Phenomena from the Sūtras and Vinaya, Fascicle 41 ## Linked texts (1) - [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.41.1) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.41) · Pramāṇa