經律異相 7.17

7.17

Formerly, before Rāhula had attained the Way, his nature was crude and rough, and he was seldom honest in speech. The Buddha instructed Rāhula: 'Go and reside in the Xianti monastery; guard your speech, restrain your thoughts, and diligently practice the teachings and precepts.' Rāhula received the instruction, bowed, and departed. Residing there for ninety days, he was ashamed and repented day and night without ceasing. The Buddha went to see him. Rāhula was delighted, went forward to bow at the Buddha's feet, set up a rope bed, and put away his outer robe. Sitting on the rope bed, the Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Fetch water in the basin and wash my feet.' When the foot-washing was finished, the Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Can this water be used for food, drink, or washing the mouth?' Rāhula said: 'This water was originally clean, but now having washed feet it has taken on dust and dirt; it can no longer be used.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are my son and the grandson of a king, who abandoned worldly glory and emoluments to become a śramaṇa, you do not apply diligence to restraining the mind and guarding the mouth. The defilements of the three poisons fill your breast. You are just like this water that can no longer be used.' The Buddha again said to Rāhula: 'Although the basin is empty, can it be used to hold food and drink?' He answered: 'It cannot. Why is that? Because it bears the name of a washbasin and has previously held impurity.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are a śramaṇa, your mouth lacks honesty, your disposition is stubborn, you do not strive with diligence, and you have borne an evil reputation. You are just like the basin, unfit to hold food.' With his toe, the Buddha kicked the basin aside; it immediately rolled and tumbled, bounding and falling several times before stopping. The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Do you feel any regret for this basin, fearing it might break?' Rāhula said to the Buddha: 'A vessel for washing feet is a thing of cheap price; though in my mind I might regret it, I am not deeply concerned.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are a śramaṇa, you do not restrain body and speech; with coarse speech and wicked talk you injure many. Not accepted by the multitude, the wise do not cherish you. When your body dies and your consciousness departs, you will revolve in the three wretched paths, undergoing birth and death on your own with boundless suffering. The Buddhas, worthies, and sages do not cherish you, just as you said you do not cherish the basin.' Hearing this, Rāhula was ashamed and terrified. The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Listen to my analogy. Formerly a king had a great elephant, fierce, strong, and capable in battle. When the king raised an army to conquer a rebellious kingdom, he had the elephant outfitted and deployed to advance in formation. The elephant only hid its trunk, fearing [injury] and refusing to fight. The elephant trainer was pleased, knowing the elephant was protecting its body. Why? An elephant's trunk is soft and brittle; if struck by an arrow, it dies instantly. One should guard the mouth just as this great elephant protected its trunk and did not fight.' Hearing the Buddha's earnest admonition, Rāhula was deeply stirred, urged himself forward, and attained the path of an arhat. (From the tenth fascicle of the Avadāna Sūtra).