[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) › 45 # 經律異相 45 English (machine translation) 45 - **Language:** English ### [45.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.1) Compiled by the Śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others of the Liang ### [45.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.2) 1. A long-haired woman gives her hair as an offering to the Buddha. 2. A lone mother sees a śramaṇa's supernatural powers and vows later to bear a hundred sons. 3. A pregnant woman encounters the Buddha and vows to dedicate her child to the Way. 4. While an old mother is miserly and sick, she sees hell, while her maidservant does good and beholds the heavenly halls. 5. A woman builds a house for a bhikṣu, dies, is born in heaven, and various objects emerge from her hands. 6. A mother whose two sons drowned cries and recognizes the one who floats. 7. A woman transforms her husband by hanging a bell above the door, causing him to chant the Buddha's name upon hearing the sound, and he subsequently escapes hell. 8. A woman of Campā dies and is cremated, giving birth to a son amid the fire. 9. The maiden Ciñcā conceals a wooden bowl to slander the Buddha, and the earth immediately splits open and she sinks into hell. 10. A lustful woman harasses a śramaṇa; through the śramaṇa's utmost sincerity, fire turns into water. 11. Fire-qi enters a young girl's body; she becomes pregnant and bears a handsome son. 12. A pregnant woman constantly recites sūtras, giving birth to a boy of great wisdom revered by all. 13. A pregnant woman gives birth to four kinds of strange things. 14. A woman's mind clings to a man, and she mistakenly ties her child into a well. 15. Borrowing and lending, taking much for oneself and returning little, at life's end one becomes a calf. 16. A maidservant cuts her food to give to a pratyekabuddha, immediately sheds her ugly appearance, and becomes a royal lady. 17. An ugly woman looks into water, sees another's reflection, and thinks herself handsome. ### [45.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.3) 1. A Long-Haired Woman Gives Her Hair as an Offering to the Buddha ### [45.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.4) Formerly, there was a woman who was graceful and upright, with glossy dark-blue hair as long as her body. The queen asked for her hair, offering a thousand liang of gold, but she was unwilling to part with it. Seeing the Buddha, she was filled with joy and wished to make an offering. She pleaded with her parents, begging them to invite him for her. Her parents said, "Our family is poor, and we have nothing with which to feed him." The girl said, "Take the value of my hair to use for the offering." Her parents addressed the Buddha: "We pray that the Buddha will tomorrow deign to visit us for a meager meal." The girl cut her hair and gave it to the queen. Knowing that her need was urgent, the queen gave her only five hundred liang of gold. The girl took the gold and bought food, experiencing boundless joy. She repented her past stinginess and greed that had brought about her poverty in this life, praying: "May I never meet with such suffering again in the future!" The girl saw the Bhagavat, his five-colored golden radiance illuminating the inside of her gate. Touching her head and face to the ground, she circumambulated the Buddha three times. Her hair grew back again just as before. The Buddha said, "In a past life, this girl was poor and had nothing to give, but she constantly bowed with her head and face touching the ground. For eighty-one kalpas thereafter, she was always reborn among humans. This merit now being exhausted, she was born into a poor household in this life. Yet she still recognized merit, and seeing me, her heart was filled with joy, bringing immeasurable blessings. When her life ends, she will be born in the second heaven, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. When her heavenly life and blessings are exhausted, she will arouse the aspiration for the bodhisattva path." The girl's parents and brothers were all filled with joy, and at the end of their lives, they were all reborn in heaven (from the third fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.5) A Solitary Mother Sees a Śramaṇa's Supernatural Powers and Vows Later to Give Birth to a Hundred Sons (2) ### [45.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.6) Formerly, there was a solitary mother hired to guard fields and orchards. Her master was busy with affairs and sent her meal past mealtime. When the food arrived and she was about to eat, a śramaṇa begged from her. She put her entire portion of food into his bowl, and furthermore offered him a single lotus flower. The man of the Way thereupon manifested supernatural powers. Rejoicing, the mother exclaimed, "A true sage! May I later give birth to a hundred sons like this!" When the mother died, she became the progeny of a brahmacārin. Her spirit gathered at the place where the brahmacārin had urinated; a deer licked the urine and thereupon conceived. When her term was complete, she gave birth to a girl, whom the brahmacārin raised. When she reached the age of ten and more, she kept the dwelling and guarded the sacred fire. Playing with the deer, the girl did not notice that the fire went out. Her father ordered her to seek fire. As the girl walked toward human dwellings, a lotus sprang up with every step. The master of the fire said, "Circumambulate my house three times, and I will give you fire." The girl complied at once, and lotus flowers grew on the dry land, encircling the house threefold. The king of the country heard of this, summoned a physiognomist, and questioned him. The master said, "She is certain to have sage progeny, transmitting transformation endlessly." The king ordered a worthy minister to betroth her and bring her back to the palace. When her pregnancy reached its full months, she gave birth to a hundred eggs. The queens and concubines were all jealous of her. They placed the eggs in a sack, secretly covered its mouth, and cast it into the current of the river. Śakra, king of the gods, descended and sealed the mouth with a stamp. Guarded and escorted by the gods, it drifted with the current and came to rest, held by a post driven into the ground in a downstream country. From a tower, that king saw from afar a sack floating down the river, gleaming and glowing with light as if possessing divine spirit. He took it and examined it, beholding the seal of Śakra. Opening it to find a hundred eggs, he nurtured and kept them warm. When their time was fulfilled and their bodies were formed, they gave birth to a hundred boys. Born with sage wisdom, they were enlightened naturally without instruction, their auspicious marks were rare, and their strength matched a hundred men. The king provided a hundred white elephants to serve the sage progeny. Conquering neighboring countries, there was none that did not surrender. They then attacked the country of their natural father, the king. The king said, "Who is able to repel this enemy?" Their mother said, "Great King, have no fear; I shall subdue them for the King." She at once climbed a watchtower and raised her voice, saying: "Of the greatest rebellions, there are three: First, not keeping distant from evil company, bringing suffering across two lifetimes; second, being born and not recognizing one's parents, thereby rebelling against filial conduct; third, relying on power to kill one's parents, directing poison against the Three Honored Ones. For those who harbor these three rebellions, their evil is without end. Open your mouths! Will you believe what is shown?" The mother then swirled her breasts, and by heavenly decree, the milk shot forth into the mouths of all hundred sons. Moved by her sincere devotion, as they drank the milk, sorrowful feelings arose. All together they said, "This is our mother!" Kowing their heads, they repented their faults. When the mother and her offspring were reunited, there was none who did not weep with sorrow. The two countries lived in harmony, and everyone praised it as good. Beholding the impermanence of the world, the sons took leave of their parents to study the Way, distancing themselves from worldly defilements. Ninety-nine sons all attained pratyekabuddhahood. One son governed the state, and upon his father's demise became king. He granted a general amnesty for all offenses, opened the treasuries to give alms, and the people lacked nothing. He transformed them through the ten wholesome deeds, ruling the country with upright goodness; he erected stupas and monasteries, made offerings to śramaṇas, and recited sūtras to discuss the Way, his mouth free from the four vocal evils. Reared and protected by Śakra, and nurtured by his parents, the one who remained to become king was my very own self; the father was the present King Śuddhodana; and the mother was Śacī (from the second fascicle of the Collection of the Six Pāramitās). ### [45.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.7) A Pregnant Mother Meets the Buddha and Vows to Dedicate Her Child to the Way (3) ### [45.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.8) There was a mother who had been pregnant for several months. Seeing the Buddha and the saṅgha, she thought to herself, "If the child I bear is like this, I will make him a śramaṇa to become a disciple of the Buddha." When her months were complete, she gave birth to a boy of extraordinary beauty, surpassing the crowd. When he reached seven years of age, the family was poor, and she only prepared food for two people and three dharma robes. Holding a water vessel in her hand, she brought her child to the Buddha and said, "May you take pity on my child and allow him to become a śramaṇa." The Buddha at once permitted it, ordering the child's hands to be washed with the vessel. Instantly, nine dragons emerged from the mouth of the vessel, spitting water to bathe the child. The remaining water scattered over the child's head, transforming into a jeweled canopy. Inside it was a lion throne, and atop the throne was a Buddha. Smiling, the Buddha emitted five-colored light that illuminated a thousand billion Buddha-lands, returned to encircle the Buddha's body, and entered through the crown of the child's head. The mother offered food and utensils to the Buddha and also fed her son, arousing the mind directed toward the supreme Way. Ten billion Buddha-lands shook in six ways, and all Buddhas manifested themselves. Offering the mother's food to all those Buddhas and the bhikṣu-saṅgha, all were satisfied and full, and the food was never depleted. The child's hair fell out on its own, and he became a śramaṇa, immediately standing upon the stage of non-retrogression (from the third fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.9) An Old Mother Sees Hell When Sickly and Stingy; Her Maid Practicing Good Beholds the Heavenly Halls (4) ### [45.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.10) Formerly, to the east of Rājagṛha, there was an old mother who was stingy, greedy, and lacked faith. Her maidservant was diligent, constantly practicing a compassionate mind, thinking of benefiting sentient beings in two ways: first, not pouring hot water on the ground; second, always giving leftover grains from washing vessels to others. The old mother fell ill and barely had breath; her spirit was led into hell. She saw carriages of fire, charcoal pits, boiling cauldrons, mountains of knives, and trees of swords, with ten thousand kinds of suffering and torment. The old mother, seeing this, asked, "What is this place?" The hell wardens replied, "This is hell. East of Rājagṛha there is a stingy, greedy old mother who should enter here." Knowing it was herself, the old mother was terrified, sorrowful, and shaken. Proceeding a little further forward, there were palaces made of the seven treasures, hundreds of thousands of courtesans, and all kinds of rare treasures. She asked, "What is this place?" They answered, "A heavenly palace. East of Rājagṛha, a stingy, greedy old mother has a maidservant who is diligent; when her life ends, she will be born here." The old mother suddenly revived, clearly remembered what had just happened, and said to the maid, "You are destined to be born in heaven. You are my maidservant; how could you enjoy it alone? You must share it with me!" The maid replied, "If such a thing were possible, I would certainly obey your command. But I fear that good and evil follow one's form like a shadow, and they cannot be shared." The mother thereupon ceased to be stingy or greedy, and extensively cultivated meritorious deeds (from the Miscellaneous Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.11) A Mother Builds a House for a Bhikṣu, Dies to Be Born in Heaven, and Her Hands Produce All Kinds of Things (5) ### [45.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.12) Formerly, the Buddha Vipaśyin, accompanied by sixty-two thousand bhikṣus, first emerged from the mountains to return to his royal father's kingdom. The king granted land outside the city to establish a vihāra, and the bhikṣus each obtained a plot of land. There was a bhikṣu who spoke to a neighboring family, wishing to ask them to build a hut. The man of the house would not allow it, but the old mother of the family built it with her own hands until the hut was completed, her ten fingers all pierced and wounded. The bhikṣu sat inside in meditation, and once entering the fire-light samādhi, a great fire appeared from the hut. Seeing it from afar, the mother thought, "I just built the hut, and immediately it has burned down—how meager is my fortune!" Entering the hut, it was still there as before, and she saw the bhikṣu amidst the blazing light. She was exceedingly joyful. When her life ended, she was born in heaven. When Śākyamuni attained buddhahood, her heavenly lifespan had not yet ended. She came down and addressed the Buddha, wishing to offer a meal the next day to the Buddha and the holy assembly. The Buddha accepted in silence. King Prasenajit also sent an invitation to the Buddha. The Buddha said, "I have already accepted an invitation from a deva." The king said, "I have never seen a deva descend to give alms. For what reason is this?" The next day he sent someone to watch, but saw no preparation of alms; even toward midday it remained completely quiet. The king ordered delicacies to be prepared: "If no one serves him, I shall provide the offering." At midday the deva arrived without bringing any food, but merely led heavenly jade maidens playing various music, paid homage to the Buddha, and stood to one side. She said, "The time has come," and raised her napkin, whereupon all affairs were instantly provided. After the distribution of water was completed, she raised her hand again, and sweet nectar of a hundred flavors emerged from the kitchen onto the ground. Serving it with her own hands, the entire assembly was satisfied. Seeing this, the king was astonished and delighted. After washing was finished, he addressed the Buddha: "I do not know what merit this deva possessed in a previous life, that her hands produce a hundred flavors and her meritorious virtue is like this." The Buddha explained to the king: "In a previous life, she built a hut for a bhikṣu with her own hands. Since then, she has been born in heaven for ninety-one kalpas, her hands producing all kinds of things, and her blessings are not yet exhausted" (from the first fascicle of the Miscellaneous Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.13) A Mother Whose Two Sons Drowned Weeps for the One Who Knew How to Swim (6) ### [45.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.14) A mother gave birth to two sons. One did not know how to swim, fell into the water, and died; the mother did not weep at all. The other knew how to swim, yet also fell into the water and perished; the mother wept bitterly for him. People said, "You did not weep for the former son, but weep for the latter son—why?" The mother said, "The former did not know how to swim, so it was expected. The latter was skilled at swimming, so it was an injustice" (from the eighth fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.15) A Woman Converts Her Husband by Hanging a Bell Over the Door to Make Him Call on the Buddha upon Hearing Its Sound, Later Escaping Hell (7) ### [45.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.16) Formerly, there was a man who did not believe, while his wife served the Buddha with great devotion. The wife said to her husband, "Human life is impermanent; one ought to cultivate merit and virtue." The husband lacked the resolve and was lazy and indolent. Fearing that he would enter hell in the future, the wife spoke to her husband again: "I wish to hang a bell and fix it above the door. Whenever you go out or come in, striking the bell to make a sound, recite 'Namo Buddhāya'." The husband said, "Very well." A long time passed like this, and her husband died. The hell wardens seized him with forks to throw him into a boiling cauldron. The fork struck the cauldron, producing a sound. Thinking it was the sound of the bell, he recited "Namo Buddhāya". Hearing this, the hell official said, "This man venerates the Buddha," and released him to depart, enabling him to be reborn among humans (from the Miscellaneous Avadāna Sūtra). ### [45.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.17) A Woman of Campā Dies, and During Her Cremation Gives Birth to a Child Amidst the Fire (8) ### [45.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.18) The people of the kingdom of Campā served the six non-Buddhist masters. Initially, they had never heard the name of the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha, and they committed extremely evil deeds. At that time, for the sake of sentient beings, the Buddha went to the city of Campā. At that time, there was a great elder in that city who had no heir and worshipped the six masters together with others to seek a child. Soon after, his wife became pregnant. When the elder knew of it, he went to the six masters, asking joyfully: "Will it be a boy or a girl?" The six masters answered: "The birth will certainly be a daughter." The elder was grieved and distressed. Then an acquaintance came and said to the elder: "Have you not heard whose disciples the brothers Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa were? If the six masters were omniscient, why did Kāśyapa abandon them to follow the Buddha? Furthermore, Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and others, as well as various kings such as Bimbisāra, their royal consorts such as Queen Mallikā, and elders of various kingdoms such as Sudatta—all such people are disciples of the Buddha. The Tathāgata, the Bhagavat, has unimpeded knowledge and vision regarding all dharmas, and is therefore called the Buddha. The Tathāgata is now dwelling nearby. If you wish to know the truth, you should go to the Buddha's place." At that time, the elder went to where I was and asked the Buddha about the matter. The Buddha said: "Elder, your wife is pregnant with a boy, without doubt, and his merit is peerless." The elder was joyful. Jealous at heart, the six masters mixed poison into an āamra fruit and gave it to the elder, saying: "How splendid that Gautama is skilled in explaining marks! When your wife reaches her month \[of delivery\], she may take this medicine. The child will then be handsome, and the woman who gives birth will be free from illness." The elder received it and gave it to his wife to take. Having taken it, she soon died. The six masters were joyful. They proclaimed throughout the city, shouting: "The śramaṇa Gautama prophesied that that elder's wife would give birth to a boy. Now, before the child is born, the mother has already lost her life!" At that time, the elder again gave rise to lack of faith in me, and immediately prepared the encoffining, closed the lid, and cremated her. Having seen this, I looked back and instructed Ānanda: "Bring my robes; I wish to go there to destroy their false views." At that time, the six masters saw the Buddha going from afar and said to one another: "Has the śramaṇa Gautama come to this cemetery wishing to eat meat?" The upāsakas who had not yet attained the Dharma-eye were filled with shame and fear, and said to the Buddha: "That woman is already dead; we pray you need not go." At that time, Ānanda said to the people: "Wait just a moment. Soon the Tathāgata will broadly expound the realm of the Buddhas." When the Buddha arrived, the elder challenged him, saying: "Your words are said to be without duplication. The child's mother has already passed away; how can she give birth to a child?" I said: "Elder, at that time you did not ask whether the mother's life was long or short; you only asked whether she was carrying a boy or a girl. The words uttered by the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, are never false; therefore, you should know that you will certainly obtain a son." At that time, the fire burned the corpse and her belly burst open, and a child came out from within, sitting upright in the midst of the fire like a lotus dais. When the six masters saw it, they said it was an illusion. When the elder saw it, he was filled with joy again and rebuked the six masters: "If you say it is an illusion, why can you not do it?" At that time, I immediately told Jīvaka: "Go into the fire and carry this child here." Jīvaka went forward into the mass of fire as though entering a cool, great river, carried the child back to where I was, and handed the child to me. Having received the child, I told the elder: "The lifespan of all sentient beings is indeterminate, like a bubble on water. If a sentient being has the karmic retribution of heavy karma, fire and poison cannot harm him; it was not my doing." At that time, the elder said: "Excellent, Bhagavat! If this child can fulfill his natural lifespan, I only pray that the Tathāgata will give him a name." The Buddha said: "Elder, this child was born in a fierce fire; fire is called Jyotiṣka. Therefore, his name is Jyotiṣka." (Extracted from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, fascicle 28) ### [45.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.19) 9. The Woman Ciñcā Fastens a Bowl to Defame the Buddha, the Earth Cracks Open, and She Falls Bodily into Hell ### [45.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.20) When the Buddha was in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, expounding the essentials of the Dharma for a countless assembly, there was at that time a disciple of the non-Buddhists, the woman Ciñcā. Her past sins were profound and heavy. Strapping a wooden bowl to her body and covering it with her clothing, she set out from the city of Śrāvastī and reached Jetavana monastery. Seeing the Bhagavat expounding the Dharma to a countless assembly from afar, she leapt with joy, unable to contain herself: "Today I will certainly revile and humiliate Gautama in this assembly, so that my master will receive offerings!" Then, in the midst of the assembly, she spoke a verse: "This Dharma-expounder has caused my body to be pregnant with a child!" At that time, in the great assembly, there were many non-Buddhists and naked brahmacārins; few had faith in the Buddha, and many followed heterodoxy. Hearing this woman's words, they all believed them together. Those who had faith in the Buddha reflected within: "Formerly, when the Buddha was in the palace, he abandoned the exalted royal position and discarded the palace maidens, leaving home to train on the Path and achieving supreme, correct awakening. How could he have the mind to associate with such a foul and ugly woman?" At that time, Śakra Devānām Indra was behind the Tathāgata holding a fan and fanning him, and reflected within: "How could this vile brāhmaṇa woman generate such an intention to defame the Buddha?" He transformed into a white mouse, gnawed through the cord of the wooden bowl, and it severed with a sound that shook the great assembly, and there was no one who did not see it. Those among them who were not firmly faithful were startled: "What sound was that, shaking the four directions so far?" Those among them who had faith in the Buddha heard this sound and leapt with joy, all rejoicing alike. Soon a person arose from the assembly, picked up the wooden bowl in his hand, and said to that woman: "Is this your child?" At that time, the earth opened of itself, and her whole body fell directly into Avīci Hell. At that time, the woman's clan wept and grieved after her, unable to tear themselves away. Those who did not believe in the Buddha immediately arose to repent. Those among them who had faith told one another: "The retribution of slander is such a sin. The manifest proof is like this in the present; how can one speak only of the future life?" (Extracted from the Sūtra on Ciñcā Bodily Entering Hell) ### [45.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.21) 10. A Lewd Woman Torments a Śramaṇa; Through the Śramaṇa's Sincerity, Fire Turns into Water ### [45.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.22) There was a great gṛhapati of countless wealth. His son was handsome, wise, and deeply fond of the scriptures and the Path; he left home to follow a teacher and practice the scriptures and Dharma. The teacher first had him gather alms for seven days. In the kingdom, there was a lewd wife of a household who called him inside. When he entered, she closed the door and came forward to drag the śramaṇa. The śramaṇa would not comply. The woman was greatly enraged; she called her maidservants to dig a fire pit ten feet deep, and ordered four maidservants to grasp him tightly so his body could not move, bringing him above the fire pit. The śramaṇa said: "Stop for a moment; let me calculate." The śramaṇa reflected to himself: "If I enter the fire, it is merely one death. By dying while upholding the precepts, I can be born in heaven; if I break the precepts and die, I will enter hell with no time of release." He then stepped into the pit. The fire turned into water reaching the śramaṇa's waist, and he calmly walked out. (Extracted from the Ten-Fascicle Avadāna-sūtra, fascicle 5) ### [45.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.23) 11. Fire Qi Enters a Maiden's Body and She Becomes Pregnant, Giving Birth to a Handsome Son ### [45.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.24) Formerly, there was an elder named Shan-shi (Sudatta). In his family was an unmarried daughter. Staying at home facing the fire, the warm qi entered her body, and she consequently became pregnant. Her parents were astonished and questioned her about the circumstances. The daughter answered truthfully that she did not know the cause. The parents questioned her repeatedly, applying canes and whips, but her words did not change. It was then reported to the king. The king also interrogated and reprimanded her, but her words were no different. He sentenced her to death. The daughter then cried grievance, saying: "Under heaven, there could actually be an unprincipled ruler who wrongly executes the innocent! If I am not chaste, I can naturally be kept under examination. Why am I wronged like this?" The king then kept her under examination and found that it was as the daughter said, with nothing more or less. He said to her parents: "I wish to take her." The mother replied: "Take her as you please; what use is this condemned girl?" The king then took her into the palace and nourished and cared for her as appropriate. When the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy, handsome and exceedingly wonderful. As he grew up, he left home to train on the Path, intelligent and broadly knowledgeable. Through vigor, before long, he attained the path of an arhat and returned to deliver his parents. (Extracted from the Fenbie gongde jing, fascicle 5) ### [45.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.25) 12. A Pregnant Woman Constantly Recites Scriptures and Gives Birth to a Wise Child Who Is Revered by All ### [45.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.26) Formerly, there was a monk who was diligent and kept the Dharma; from his youth he maintained the prohibitive precepts and never violated them. What he chanted was the Prajñāpāramitā. Whoever heard this monk's voice was filled with joy. There was a young boy, seven years of age, herding cattle outside the city; hearing the sound of the monk reciting the scripture from afar, he went to the vihāra, bowed to the monk, and listened to his scriptural words. At that time, \[the monk\] was speaking of the emptiness of form; hearing it abruptly, he understood immediately. The boy was greatly delighted, and then questioned the monk, but the monk's responses did not satisfy the boy's mind. At that time, the young boy instead explained the meaning for the monk. Having rarely heard such things previously, the monk was joyful and marveled at this young boy's extraordinary wisdom. Then the boy departed and returned to the cattle. The calves he was herding had scattered and fled into the mountains. The boy followed their tracks and pursued them. He encountered a tiger that killed the young boy. When the young boy died, he was born into an elder's family. When the lady became pregnant, her mouth was immediately able to recite the Prajñāpāramitā, from morning to evening, never resting. That elder's family marveled at it, thinking this lady's speech was wild talk and calling it a demonic affliction. They divined and inquired about what spirit caused the misfortune, but no one could know. At that time, the monk entered the city to gather alms and came to the elder's gate. Hearing the sound from afar, his heart was very pleased. He immediately asked the elder: "Who within is speaking this profound scripture?" The elder replied: "My wife has a demonic affliction, uttering wild words day and night, her mouth never stopping." The monk replied: "This is not a demonic affliction; she is merely speaking the venerable scripture, the Buddha's Great Path. I wish to be permitted to enter inside and meet with her." The elder said: "Very well." He then went to the wife's quarters. The monk posed difficult questions, which she unraveled back and forth. They then retained the monk and provided food and drink for him, saying to one another: "The lady is pregnant, and her mouth recites the venerable scripture; her voice is wondrously fine!" On a later day, the elder invited the monk again, requesting all of them to go to his house and preparing food provisions. At that time, the lady came out, bowed to the monks, and again expounded the Dharma for them; wherever there were doubts or difficulties that could not be resolved, she explained them all. The saṅgha was joyful. When the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy. As soon as he was born, he clasped his hands, knelt upright, and spoke the pāramitā. After the lady gave birth, she returned to as she was before. The elder asked: "What kind \[of person\] is this?" The monk answered: "A true disciple of the Buddha; nurture and protect him well! When this child grows up, he will become a teacher to all people. We all shall receive instruction from him." When the child was seven years old, he was fully equipped with the Dharma of the Path; exceeding the entire assembly, his perfection of wisdom was limitless. Wherever scriptures had errors, omissions, or shortages, he edited and corrected them all, supplying what was lacking. Wherever the child's mother went, she constantly converted people. The elder's household, internal and external, great and small, amounting to five hundred people, all learned from the child. Those he inspired were eighty-four thousand people, all of whom gave rise to the aspiration for supreme, correct, and true awakening. Five hundred monks, hearing what the child expounded, exhausted their taints, attained liberation of mind, aspired to seek the Mahāyāna, and attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. The child of that time was my own person; the monk was Kāśyapa Buddha. (Extracted from the Dumu ji jing, fascicle 6) ### [45.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.27) 13. A Woman Becomes Pregnant and Gives Birth to Four Kinds of Extraordinary Objects ### [45.28](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.28) There was a husband and wife who had no children. They made sacrificial offerings to a devatā to seek an heir. The deity granted it to them. She subsequently became pregnant and gave birth to four kinds of objects: first, a sandalwood bushel filled with rice; second, a vase of amṛta; third, a precious bag; fourth, a seven-jointed divine staff. The man lamented: "I sought a son, yet other things were born instead!" He then went to the deity's place to seek his wish again. The deity spoke to him: "You wish to obtain a son; what benefit would match these?" He answered: "A son can be commanded to serve and provide for us." The deity said: "Now, this bushel of rice is inexhaustible in use; this amṛta honey-vase never diminishes when consumed, and eliminates a hundred illnesses; the bag of rare gems never lessens when seen; the seven-jointed divine staff provides defense against violence and savagery. How could a son accomplish these?" The man was overjoyed. He returned home and tested them, and it was not false, just as stated. He subsequently became exceedingly wealthy beyond calculation. The king of the country heard of this, and immediately dispatched a host of soldiers intending to go and seize them by force. The man held up the staff, flew about, struck the enemy, and crushed them; the strong host all retreated and dispersed. The man was joyful and no longer had any anxiety or trouble. (Extracted from the Avadāna-sūtra, fascicle 10) ### [45.29](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.29) 14. A Woman's Mind Yearning for a Man Mistakenly Binds Her Child and Lowers Him into a Well ### [45.30](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.30) This illustrates that a man dissolute in lust would rather lose his relatives than calm his mind regarding lustful matters. By the side of the city of Śrāvastī there was a woman who, holding her child and carrying a pitcher, went to a well to draw water. There was a handsome man sitting to the right side of the well playing a zither for his own amusement. Women are mostly full of desire and become deeply attached to men; the man also took pleasure in the woman. The woman became infatuated and confused; tying a rope around the child's neck, she suspended it into the well. Soon afterwards she hauled it back out, but the child was already dead. In grief, sorrow, and deep distress, she called upon Heaven, weeping, and spoke a verse herself. The Buddha gathered the great assembly and addressed the monks: "The fire of lust blazes fiercely and can burn away the roots of goodness. A man dissolute in lust does not distinguish good from bad, does not differentiate pure from defiled, and does not understand bondage and liberation. People of this sort have no sense of shame or conscience; they would rather lose their relatives and take their share of punishment and humiliation. Or, because of illicit sex, they kill their parents, siblings, and the six relations. They are executed by kings and at death receive evil retribution, life after life without end. In the past there was a man who was deeply addicted to illicit lust. His parents had only this one son. At night, at an unearthly hour, while the sky was overcast with thunder and lightning, he strapped on a blade and took arrows, wishing to go to the village of courtesans. At that time his mother realized this; she at once took hold of him and admonished him: 'The night is already dark and murky; you will be harmed by others. My past merits are few, and I have only this one son. If you encounter evildoers, I will have no one to rely on.' The son answered his mother: 'I must go and cannot stay.' His mother knew his intention was firm, so she stepped before the son. At once he drew his blade and stabbed his mother to death. He then knocked on the courtesan's door. The woman answered: 'Who are you?' He answered with a verse: ### [45.31](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.31) "Lust and anger weaken the senses, Led astray by delusion. Not considering any affairs, I was shrouded in foolish darkness. Just now I have struck and killed my mother; Subdued like a servant, I stand waiting outside the door, Like a guest awaiting service." ### [45.32](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.32) The woman answered with a verse: ### [45.33](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.33) "Alas! You turn your back on the kindness of nurture, Killing your mother to plant seeds of sinful disaster. How could I bear to look upon your face? You should quickly get far away from my house! Parents hold, nurse, and raise a child, Enduring manifold hardships on his behalf. Having killed your mother, you walk upon the earth; Does the earth not swallow you up for your murder?" ### [45.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.34) The man again spoke to the woman: "For your sake I killed my mother and committed boundless sin. Show a little forgiveness and open the door for me so that we may talk for a moment, and then I will return home." The woman answered: ### [45.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.35) "Better to throw oneself into a furnace of coals, Or leap from a mountain into a dark gorge, Or deliberately tread upon a seven-pace viper, Than to associate with a fool!" ### [45.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.36) The man returned home. On the road he met wicked bandits and was killed by them, entering the Avīci hell to undergo punishment (from the Chuyao jing). ### [45.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.37) 15. Exchanging and Borrowing by Taking Much and Returning Little, Becoming a Calf at the End of Life ### [45.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.38) In the past there was an elder whose wealth was boundless. He had only one younger sister, who was married to a poor husband. The elder brother frequently sent her gifts, gradually coming to resent his sister's visits. She came to borrow flour from her brother. Her brother said: "Go and take it yourself." The sister pressed it down firmly when taking it, but when returning it, she held it loosely as if pouring it. Her brother did not notice, and this occurred on many occasions. When the sister's life ended, she was born in her brother's house as a calf. Her brother loved it dearly, feeding and caring for it to make it fat, intending to slaughter it to sacrifice to the gods. At that time five hundred merchants wished to borrow money from the master with immediate interest. Outside, they successively asked one another: "How much money will you take?" Each told their amount. The last person said: "Just take more; afterwards, since none of us will pay it back, what does the amount matter?" At that time the calf was beside them and spoke in human words: "Why do you people give rise to such thoughts? I am the master's younger sister. Because I cheated my brother when borrowing flour, I have now taken a bovine body to repay my brother's debt." When the five hundred merchants heard these words, there was none who did not tremble with fear. They all took no more money and departed (from the Zhujing zhong yao shi). ### [45.39](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.39) 16. A Maidservant Gives Her Food as an Offering to a Pratyekabuddha, Instantly Changing Her Ugly Appearance and Becoming the Principal Wife ### [45.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.40) A pratyekabuddha went to an elder's house to beg for food. The wife saw that his appearance was handsome and upright, and said to the pratyekabuddha: "If you comply with my desire, I will make an offering to you." The pratyekabuddha said: "It cannot be done." As the wife's request was not granted according to her wish, she harbored shame and anger, and dismissed him to make him leave. The elder's maidservant disliked the wife's words, thinking: "Why did she propose improper matters to someone?" She took her own portion of food and gave it to the pratyekabuddha. Having eaten, he returned. She went back to her room to sleep and rest, and upon awakening, her dirty, black skin naturally peeled away. Her facial appearance became handsome and upright, far surpassing ordinary humans, like a heavenly jade maiden. The elder was astonished and asked about its origin, and immediately appointed her as his primary wife (from the Za piyu jing, fascicle 1). ### [45.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.41) 17. An Ugly Slave Girl Approaches Water, Sees Another's Reflection, and Deems Herself Handsome ### [45.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.42) In the country of Śrāvastī, there was a wealthy elder named Chenju. In his house he had a slave girl named Funitici. She had a large head, bald hair, and her eyes were stark green; her mouth and nose were crooked and twisted, scarcely resembling a human. She was constantly assigned to menial labor outside, harvesting crops and gathering firewood and grass. Several li away from the house was a spring that was both fragrant and sweet. The slave girl carried a pitcher to fetch water. At that time, in a neighboring house, there was a woman who had hanged herself from a tree, her reflection hanging over the spring. The slave girl saw the face and thought it was her own form. She immediately cursed in great anger: "Since I am this handsome, why am I driven to work in the fields and gardens, suffering such hardship?" She threw down the pitcher, breaking it, returned home, went up to the hall, and sat upon the lady's seven-jewel throne inside the tasseled curtains. The household was greatly shocked and thought the slave girl had gone mad. They asked her what she was doing. She replied: "I saw in the water that I am handsome. The master and mistress do not recognize it, and treat me alone with contempt." They at once gave her a mirror to look into. When she saw her ugly form, she still did not believe it. They took her to the water, where she saw the reflection of the dead person. Only then did the slave girl understand; she felt ashamed and accepted her lot (from the Shijuan piyu jing, fascicle 7). ### [45.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45.43) Diverse Phenomena from the Sūtras and Vinaya, Fascicle 45 ## Linked texts (1) - [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.45.1) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.45) · Pramāṇa