經律異相 5.38

5.38

The Buddha said to Ānanda: “Formerly, during my summer retreat, in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī there was a courtesan named Miaoyi who had karmic affinity with the Buddha. The Buddha and Nanda went to the courtesan’s house day after day to beg for alms. This woman had never shown respect to me, but harboured a partial love and attachment toward Nanda. Seven days passed, and the woman thought to herself: ‘If the śramaṇa Gautama can send Nanda and Ānanda to satisfy my desire, I will make all kinds of offerings.’ The Buddha told Ānanda and Nanda: ‘From this day on, do not go to that village.’ The Bhagavat went alone to the woman’s upper chamber. From the first day to the third day, he emitted a golden light and manifested various devas and humans. This woman did not awaken. On a later day, the Bhagavat again led Ānanda and Nanda to walk beneath a tree. Because the courtesan loved and respected the two monks, she scattered many flowers from afar over the Buddha and the two monks. Ānanda told her, ‘You may pay homage to the Buddha.’ Because the woman was fond of Ānanda, she immediately bowed in homage. The Buddha magically manifested three youths, all fifteen years of age and handsome in appearance. Seeing them, the woman rejoiced, threw herself on the ground, and paid reverent homage to the manifested young man. She said to the youth, ‘O gentleman, this residence of mine is like that of Śrīmahādevī, richly endowed, sovereign, and adorned with myriad jewels. I now offer my own body together with my male and female slaves to you, gentleman, to attend to sweeping and sprinkling. If you can deign to accept, granting my desire, I will supply everything without sparing any of it.’ The manifested man sat on the couch, and before the time of a meal had passed, the woman came close to him and said, ‘May my desire be fulfilled.’ The manifested man did not refuse, and for one day and one night his mind felt no weariness or aversion. By the second day, her lustful desire gradually subsided. By the third day, she said, ‘Gentleman, you may rise to eat and drink.’ The manifested man immediately arose, but clung to her incessantly. The woman gave rise to revulsion and regret, saying, ‘Gentleman, what a strange man you are to be like this!’ The manifested man told her, ‘According to my custom from past lives, whenever I engage with a woman, it is only after twelve days that I rest.’ Hearing these words, the woman was like someone choking on food: she could neither vomit it out nor swallow it down. Her body suffered excruciating pain, as if being pounded by a pestle. By the fourth day, it was as if she were being crushed by a cart. By the fifth day, it was as if iron pellets had entered her body. By the sixth day, all her joints and limbs ached, as if an arrow had pierced her heart. The woman thought: ‘I have heard that the son of King Śuddhodana is ever present rescuing people who suffer; why does he not come to save me today?’ Having thought this, she reproached herself in sorrow: ‘From this day until the end of my life, I will not lust after sensual pleasure. I would rather abide in the same room with tigers, wolves, lions, and ferocious beasts than endure this suffering.’ Having spoken these words, he arose again to eat and drink; whether walking or sitting, they were joined together, and she could do nothing about it. The manifested man also spat in anger and said: ‘Vile woman, you have ruined my business! Now that I have become joined in one body with you, it would be better to die early. If my parents and kinsmen come searching for me, where can I hide myself? I would rather hang myself and die; I cannot endure this shame.’ The woman said, ‘Vile creature, I have no use for you; if you want to die, do as you please.’ The manifested man took a knife, stabbed his throat, and smeared blood over the woman’s body, slumping dead to the ground. The woman could not bear his weight, nor could she free herself from the corpse. After two days, it became blue-bruised, foul-smelling, and black; on the third day, bloated and swollen; on the fourth day, rotten and decaying, with urine, excrement, and various foul worms, along with spurting blood and pus, smearing all over the woman’s body. The woman was utterly disgusted and revolted, yet she could not break free. By the fifth day, the skin and flesh gradually putrefied; by the sixth day, the flesh had fallen away completely; by the seventh day, there were only foul bones, which adhered to the woman’s body like glue and lacquer. The woman made a vow: ‘If the heavenly gods, ṛṣis, and the son of King Śuddhodana can deliver me from this suffering, I will take all the precious treasures in this house and give them as alms.’ At the time of this thought, the Buddha led Ānanda and Nanda; Śakra was in front holding a precious incense burner and burning priceless incense; the Brahmā King was behind holding a great precious parasol, with immeasurable devas playing music. The Buddha emitted his regular radiance, illuminating heaven and earth. The entire great assembly saw the Tathāgata arrive at this woman’s upper chamber. Then the woman saw the Buddha, and feeling ashamed in her heart, had nowhere to hide the bones. She took white cotton fabrics and immeasurable amounts of incense to wrap the foul bones, but the stench remained as before, impossible to cover up. Seeing the Bhagavat, the woman immediately bowed in homage. Out of shame, she used her body to conceal the bones, but suddenly the foul bones were upon the woman’s back. Shedding tears, the woman said: ‘The Tathāgata’s merit, loving-kindness, and compassion are boundless. If you can cause me to leave this suffering, I vow to become your disciple and never retrogress in my resolve.’ By the Buddha’s spiritual power, the foul bones disappeared. The woman rejoiced greatly, bowed to the Buddha, and said to him: ‘Bhagavat, I now give everything I treasure to the Buddha.’ The Buddha uttered blessings in a flowing Brahmā voice; hearing it, the woman rejoiced, and immediately attained the path of a srotāpanna (derived from the seventh fascicle of the Sūtra on the Samādhi of the Contemplation of the Buddha).”