經律異相 44.28

44.28

Formerly, in the country of Gṛdhrakūṭa, there was a young girl whose form was exceedingly beautiful and whose talent and wisdom were peerless. Her nature was magnanimous and gentle, and she never grew angry. The nine branches of her household clan and all relatives far and near loved and respected her without exception. From various kingdoms hundreds of thousands of men sought her hand, yet she was never wed. At that time, in the country of Rājagṛha, there was a young man endowed with heroic natural talent and lofty aspirations, whom all the common people of the country feared and respected. Though he had singing-girls, concubines, and consorts, he never favored or grew close to any of them. He often thought: 'In the country of Gṛdhrakūṭa there is a maiden who was originally my counterpart; I have simply not yet arrived there.' That very day, [reflecting that] 'those who fill my hall were all obtained through influence and gain, and are not my match', he dismissed and expelled them all at once so that none remained. He then mounted a white elephant and, accompanied by two servants, set out for that kingdom. Traversing mountains and treading through grasslands, he traveled tens of thousands of li, arriving only after five years. The maiden, staying deep within the palace, suddenly felt her heart stirred without cause. She stepped out to wander about and happened to peek through the outer gate. Suddenly seeing this man, she was both grieved and joyful, unable to restrain herself, thinking: 'This is my husband! Those who sought me before and after were not my past matches.' She felt an innate affinity with him, her affectionate regard for a husband lingering. The maiden's parents were distressed and at a loss, saying: 'We raised our daughter to womanhood, never expecting this!' They strictly guarded and confined her so that no message could pass between them. The maiden was distraught, not knowing what to do; the man was filled with sorrow and fear, harboring the same despondency. Thereupon the maiden kept the precepts with arduous diligence, practicing the Path day and night. She gave away her wealth and property, bestowing them upon the Buddha and the Saṅgha. Her heart exhausted and her body withered, five years passed in this way. Letters and tidings could not reach each other; both held each other in their hearts, yet nothing was fulfilled. Then on the eighth day of the fourth month, she personally bound her body, went to the Buddha stupa, burned incense, bowed down, and made this vow: 'I would cut and carve my own flesh to make offerings to the World-Honoured One, daring not to spare myself, hoping only that this wish may once bear fruit!' The Buddha instructed a nun to serve as their matchmaker, and thus they became husband and wife. The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Why is this so? It is all because they had long made vows and pledges since asamkhyeya kalpas ago; only thus did they attain this.' (Extracted from the Sūtra on Severing Affection to Avoid Transgression).