經律異相 5.8

5.8

In the country of Vairañjā (or called Vairañja) there was a brāhmaṇa king named Agnidatta, who was intelligent and possessed great wisdom. He went to Anāthapiṇḍada and held an extensive discussion with him. When they finished speaking, he asked Sudatta, 'Is there a spiritual person in this land worthy of being venerated?' [Sudatta] replied, 'There is: Prince Siddhārtha went forth from home and attained Buddhahood; his marks and signs are extraordinary, and he is revered by gods and humans.' Agnidatta at once ordered his carriage prepared and went to Jetavana. Seeing the Buddha's spiritual demeanor, reverent devotion arose in his heart. He immediately rose and addressed the Buddha, 'I pray that the Buddha and the Saṅgha will favor me by spending the three-month summer retreat [in my land].' The Buddha said, 'My assembly is numerous, while you hold different views and a different faith.' The king said, 'I do not consider it too numerous.' This occurred up to three times, whereupon the Buddha accepted the invitation together with five hundred bhikṣus and traveled to that country. The towns were cramped and crude, the people impoverished and lacking faith; alms-begging was hard to obtain. There was no pre-existing monastery. North of the town there was a forest with lush foliage and level, broad ground; there he stayed with the assembly. He instructed the bhikṣus: 'You should know that this town is impoverished and cramped, its people mostly lack faith, and alms-begging is hard to obtain. If you wish to stay here for the retreat, you may remain; otherwise, do as you please.' At that time, Śāriputra went alone to Mount Amoghamārga, accepted an invitation from Śakra Devānām Indra and an asura maiden, and was offered celestial food. Meanwhile, a heavenly Māra deluded the king's mind, causing him to return into the inner palace and indulge in the five desires: first, precious ornaments; second, female musicians; third, clothing and food; fourth, glory and profit; fifth, sensual pleasure. Having retreated into the inner palace, he commanded the gatekeepers: 'Within these three months, regardless of rank, no external matters, whether large or small, may be reported.' Deluded and forgetful of his offerings, and because there were no standing orders for providing them, after six days had passed they ceased completely. The bhikṣus suffered extreme hardship in begging for food, finding it difficult to obtain anything. At that time, Mahāmaudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha: 'There is a tree called Udumbara-jambu; I wish to fetch its fruit to offer to the great assembly. There are forests of harītakī and āmalaka; in Uttarakuru there is naturally growing non-glutinous rice; in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven there is the food of sudhā-flavor. I wish to bring all of these to offer to the great assembly. There is also the sweet flavor of the earth: with one hand I could lift up all living beings, and with the other turn over the earth, allowing the bhikṣus to take and eat it themselves. I pray to be permitted to do so.' The Buddha said: 'You yourself possess great spiritual power, but the retribution for the bhikṣus' evil deeds has ripened and cannot be averted. I do not permit any of it.' In this country there was clear water and fine grass. A man from the country of Bāla was pasturing horses following the water and grass, wishing to fatten them up, and had arrived here. The horsekeeper had faith in the Buddha with a pure heart; he addressed the bhikṣus, saying: 'We know that the Saṅgha is starving, but our food is exhausted; there is only horse-barley. Could you gentlemen eat it?' The bhikṣus addressed the Buddha, and the Buddha said: 'The horses belong to the horsekeeper, and he can feed them with good grass and salt water. This barley is at his disposal; you should accept it.' There were five hundred horses, and each horse ate two sheng a day; he divided each portion in half to supply the bhikṣus. (The Four-Part Vinaya says that a horse ate one dou, and he divided five sheng to supply the Saṅgha.) There was one fine horse that ate four dou a day, and he divided half to offer to the Buddha. (The Four-Part Vinaya says it ate two dou, and he divided one dou.) Ānanda took the Buddha's portion along with his own, carried it into a settlement, and in front of a woman praised the Buddha's virtues: 'Due to a small circumstance, he is spending the summer retreat here; could you make dry boiled grain for him?' The woman said: 'My household has many affairs; I cannot make it.' A woman standing beside her heard this and said to Ānanda: 'Bring the barley here and I will prepare the food for him. If there are other gentle, virtuous, wise, and precept-keeping bhikṣus, I will also prepare it for them.' The woman then prepared the food and gave it to Ānanda. Ānanda had deep reverence for the Buddha and thought: 'The Buddha belongs to the royal clan and always ate fine delicacies. This food is coarse and unwholesome, unable to benefit his body.' He presented the water and offered the food; seeing the Buddha eat it, sorrow and choking grief welled up within him. The Buddha knew his thoughts and wished to dispel them: 'Can you eat it?' Ānanda said, 'I can.' He received and ate it, and its flavor was extraordinary, for in truth the gods had added divine flavor to it. Immense joy arose, his sorrow and choking grief were immediately removed, and he reported both women's actions in detail. The Buddha said: 'If the former woman had prepared the food, she would have become the foremost consort of a wheel-turning king; as for the one who prepared it without being asked, her merit is immeasurable.' At that time, wealthy nobles, eminent householders, and prosperous caravan leaders (sārthavāhas) of various countries heard that the Buddha had been eating horse-barley for three months. They prepared various offerings and diverse delicacies, and with carriages and horses filling the roads, they came to make offerings. When the Bhagavat's pravāraṇā was imminent, with seven days remaining, he told Ānanda: 'Go into the city and tell Agnidatta, "The retreat is finished, and we are going to travel to other countries."' Ānanda went with another bhikṣu to the king's presence and reported the Buddha's words in detail. The king still had not realized, and asked, 'Where is the Buddha now?' Ānanda said: 'Having accepted the king's three-month invitation, it has just now concluded, and he is still in your country.' The king asked Ānanda again, 'Who provided provisions?' Ānanda said: 'Poverty and hardship reached their extreme; the Buddha and the Saṅgha ate horse-barley for three months.' Only then did the king awaken to what had happened: 'How could I have caused the Buddha and the Saṅgha to eat horse-barley for three months! This ill repute and shameful name will spread throughout all kingdoms.' Filled with grief, shame, distress, and anguish, he went together with his kinsmen to the Buddha and deeply repented, begging the Buddha to remain longer. The Buddha accepted for seven days. [The king] prepared various foods, offered four bolts of karpāsa cloth and a pair of leather shoes to the Buddha, and gave two bolts of karpāsa cloth and a pair of leather shoes to the Saṅgha. (The Samantapāsādikā says: He gathered his sons and grandsons and said to them, 'I previously invited the Buddha for a three-month retreat, but failed to provide even a single day of offerings. Now I will fulfill the limit of the three-month offerings and also prepare for tomorrow, offering three robes to the Buddha and three robes to the Saṅgha, a pair of white woolen cloths to each, a scarlet kambala blanket to each, and also a vessel each of pattonapaṭa—in the Liang tongue, silk—and medicinal ointment.') The king took the offerings and scattered them along the road, wishing to have [the Buddha] step over them. The Buddha said: 'Provisions of food should be eaten; out of respect, they should not be stepped on with feet.' The Buddha then accepted them and pronounced blessings for all of them. The king's mind rejoiced, his perplexities were resolved, and he attained the purification of the Dharma-eye. (From the lower fascicle of the Zhong benqi jing; largely the same as in the Daśabhāṇavāra and Mahiśāsaka Vinayas.)