經律異相 44.42

44.42

Formerly, there was a man who lived between two households and had two wives. He went to his younger wife, who said to him: 'I am young, but my husband is old; I take no joy in living together. You may go live with the elder wife.' Her husband then plucked out his white hairs. When he arrived at the elder wife's place, she said to him: 'I am old and my head is already white, but my husband's head is black; you should leave.' Thereupon she plucked out his black hairs to make them white. Continuing in this way without stopping, his head became completely bald. Both wives loathed him and each abandoned him. Dying of sorrow and grief, in a past life he was a dog in a monastery. There was a monastery east of a river and another monastery west of the river. Hearing the sounding-block struck, the dog would go there to get food. Later, both monasteries sounded their chimes at the same time. The dog swam in the water wishing to cross: just as he was about to reach the west, he feared the food at the eastern monastery would be better; turning toward the east, he feared the food at the western monastery would be better. Hesitating in this manner, he drowned in the water. (Extracted from the Ten Fascicles Parable Sūtra).