經律異相 43.45

43.45

In a certain county, all the people practiced the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds; within its borders, no one brewed liquor. Among them was a youth of an eminent clan who wished to travel far for trade. When he was setting out on his journey, his parents said to him: 'Strive diligently to maintain the five precepts and practice the ten wholesome deeds. Be careful never to drink liquor and violate the Buddha’s weighty precept.' When he traveled to another country, he met a former schoolmate. Delighted, the schoolmate brought him home, set out grape wine, and wished to drink together. He declined, saying: 'My country honors the Buddha’s precepts; no one dares violate them. Moreover, upon taking leave of my parents, they also cautioned me. Although I am joyful at our reunion after a long parting, you should not cause me to break the precepts and disobey my parents' teachings.' The host said: 'You and I had the same teacher; in kindness we are brothers. My parents are your parents. When parents offer a drink, how could you refuse them? Were I at your house, I would certainly obey your parents.' Out of helplessness, he yielded and drank with him. When his business was concluded, he returned home and told everything to his parents. His parents replied: 'You have disobeyed our teachings and, on top of that, violated the precepts. This is the beginning of disordering the Dharma; you are no filial son. Speak no more of it.' Thereupon, using the goods he had acquired, they drove him out of the country. Having been expelled by his parents for breaking the precept, the son traveled to another country and stayed at an inn. The innkeeper served three ghosts who could assume human form, eating, drinking, and conversing with people face to face. Having served them for years, the host’s wealth was completely exhausted, while illnesses and deaths in his household never ceased. They secretly discussed this among themselves. The ghosts knew the humans’ thoughts and conferred together, saying: 'This man’s wealth and property are entirely gone, precisely because we have never brought him any benefit. Now he resents us. We should seek rare treasures and give them to him.' They then went and stole fine treasures from the royal storehouses of other countries and piled them in his garden, announcing: 'You have served us diligently through the years for a very long time. Now we wish to bestow fortune upon you, making you abundantly wealthy.' The host said: 'I am indebted to the great spirits’ favor.' The ghosts said: 'There is gold and silver in your garden; you may go and take it.' The host was delighted. Entering the garden and seeing the goods, he carried them home on his back and thanked them for their favor. The next day, wishing to offer a meal, he said: 'May it please you to condescend to visit.' All the preparations were made. The spirits came to the gate, but seeing a man from the country of Śrāvastī in the host’s house, they turned and fled. The host chased after them and called out: 'Since you already condescended to visit, why do you abandon me and leave?' The spirits said: 'There is an honorable guest in your house; how could we approach?' Again they fled in fright. The host pondered: 'There are no other people in my house, only this man.' He immediately went out, spoke respectfully, and after finishing the meal, asked him: 'What merit do you possess that the spirits I serve feared you and fled?' The guest fully explained the Buddha's merit, the five precepts, and the ten wholesome deeds, [adding]: 'In truth, I violated the precept against liquor and was expelled by my parents. Yet because the remaining four precepts still protect me, the heavenly deities shield me, and your spirits dared not confront them.' The host said: 'I wish to uphold the five precepts.' He then took the three refuges and five precepts from the guest, focusing his mind diligently without daring to slacken. He asked: 'Where is the Buddha? May he be seen?' The guest said: 'He is in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's park, in the country of Śrāvastī.' The host, with a focused mind, set out there. He passed by a pavilion where there was a woman, who was none other than the wife of a man-eating ghost. The journey was long and the sun was setting; he asked the woman for lodging. The woman immediately replied: 'By no means remain here! You should leave quickly.' The man asked: 'For what reason? Do you have some hidden intention?' The woman replied: 'I have already told you; why ask again?' The man thought to himself: 'Previously, the man from Śrāvastī had kept only four of the Buddha's precepts, and yet my spirits feared him. I have already received the three refuges and five precepts, and my mind is not remiss. What should I fear?' Thereupon he stayed the night. At that time, seeing the majestic power of the deities protecting the precepts, the man-eating ghost stayed forty li away from the pavilion and did not return for the night. The next day, proceeding forward, [the man] saw the scattered bones of people eaten by the ghost. He became terrified and retreated with regret, thinking to himself: 'In my home country I had plenty of food and clothing. In vain was I converted by this man, who said the Buddha is in the country of Śrāvastī. Before seeing any wonders, I have only seen bones lying crisscross. It would be better to take this woman back to my native land and live together as before.' He immediately turned back and again asked the woman for lodging. The woman said to the man: 'Why have you returned?' He replied: 'My travel plans fell through, so I returned. Grant me lodging for one more night.' The woman said: 'You are a dead man! My husband is a man-eating ghost; he will arrive shortly. Leave here at once!' The man did not believe her and stayed, refusing to leave. Then, bewildered, lustful thoughts arose in him again, and he no longer had faith in the Buddha, the three refuges, and the five precepts. The heavenly deities immediately departed, and the ghost was able to return. Fearing that the ghost would eat the man, the woman hid him in a vat. Smelling the scent of a human, the ghost said to his wife: 'Did you get some meat? I want to eat it.' The wife said: 'I have not gone out; from where would I get meat?' The wife asked the ghost: 'Why did you not return yesterday?' The ghost said: 'It was because of what you did—lodging an honorable guest—that caused me to be driven away.' The man in the vat became even more terrified and could no longer remember the three refuges. The wife asked: 'Why could you not get any meat?' The ghost said: 'Precisely because you lodged a disciple of the Buddha. The heavenly deities drove me forty li away, where I slept in the open, terrified, and am still unsettled; thus I could get no meat.' The wife then asked her husband: 'What are the Buddha’s precepts like?' The ghost said: 'I am exceedingly hungry. Bring meat quickly; there is no need to ask this! These are the unsurpassed, truly genuine precepts, which I dare not speak of.' The wife said: 'Speak of them for me, and I will give you meat.' The ghost species is greedy and cruel, with unceasing cravings to eat. Pressed by his wife, he then explained the three refuges and five precepts. When the ghost first spoke one precept, the wife immediately received it; by the fifth precept, she held them in her heart and chanted them with her mouth. Inside the vat, the man remembered the five precepts and received them as well. Śakra Devānām Indra knew that these two people had taken refuge in the Buddha in their hearts, and immediately dispatched fifty wholesome deities to protect them. The ghost then fled. When morning came, the wife asked the man: 'Were you afraid?' He replied: 'I was terrified. Thanks to your kindness, my mind awakened and remembered the Buddha.' The wife said to the man: 'Why did you turn back yesterday?' He replied: 'I saw the bones of recently and long-dead people lying crisscross. Terrified, I returned.' The woman said: 'Those bones were discarded by me. Originally a woman of good family, I was abducted by the ghost to be his wife. In grief and helplessness, I had no recourse. Now, through your kindness, I was able to hear the Buddha’s precepts and be freed from this ghost.' She also said: 'Where does the worthy one wish to go?' The man replied: 'I wish to go to the country of Śrāvastī to see the Buddha.' The woman said: 'Excellent! I shall follow you to see the Buddha.' Thereupon they traveled on together and met four hundred and ninety-eight people. They exchanged greetings: 'Where do you worthies come from, and where do you wish to go?' They replied: 'We come from the Buddha’s presence.' They asked: 'Since you have already seen the Buddha, why are you leaving again?' They replied: 'When the Buddha spoke the sūtras with his own mouth, our minds were bewildered and could not understand, so he bade us return to our home countries.' The two worthies fully recounted their story from beginning to end, showing how the ghost feared a person of precepts and exalted conduct. Thereupon their minds opened with understanding, and they all returned together to see the Buddha. Seeing them from afar, the Buddha smiled, and five-colored light issued from his mouth. Ānanda knelt upright, saying: 'The Buddha does not smile without reason; surely there is something to be preached.' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Do you see these four hundred and ninety-eight people returning? Now having met their former teachers, those who come to see the Buddha will all attain the Way.' Then the five hundred people came before the Buddha, listened to the sūtra with one mind, and with minds opened and enlightened, they all became śramaṇas and attained the path of arhatship. Indeed, these two people were the teachers of the four hundred and ninety-eight people in a past life. When a person seeks the essentials of the Way, one must meet one’s former teacher and good friends; only then will one attain understanding (from the Sūtra on Dispelling Calamities through Precepts).