法苑珠林 21.18

21.18

所謂長老者　不必在髮白
面皺牙齒落　愚癡無智慧
所貴能修福　除滅去諸惡
淨修梵行者　是名為長老
我破於毀譽　不生增減心
但令彼檀越　獲得於罪過
又於僧福田　誹謗生增減
我等應速往　起發彼檀越
莫令墮惡趣　彼諸沙彌等
尋以神通力　化作老人像
髮白而面皺　秀眉牙齒落
膢脊而柱杖　詣彼檀越家
檀越既見已　心生大歡慶
燒香散名華　速請令就坐
既至須臾頃　還服沙彌形
檀越生驚愕　變化乃如是
為飲天甘露　容色忽解變

What is called an 'elder' / does not necessarily consist in white hair, / a wrinkled face, and fallen teeth, / if one is foolish and lacks wisdom. / What is prized is the ability to cultivate blessings, / eradicating all evils; / one who purely cultivates the holy life (brahmacarya) / is called an elder. / We have shattered praise and blame, / not generating a mind of increase or decrease; / it is only that it will cause that dānapati / to incur sin and fault, / and moreover toward the puṇyakṣetra of the saṃgha / generate slander and discrimination. / We ought to go swiftly / to awaken and inspire that dānapati, / lest he fall into the evil destinies. / Those novices then / quickly used their supernatural powers / to manifest the appearance of old men: / hair white and faces wrinkled, / eyebrows luxuriant and teeth fallen out, / backs stooped and leaning on canes, / they went to that dānapati's house. / Once the dānapati saw them, / his mind produced great rejoicing; / burning incense and scattering famous flowers, / he swiftly invited them to take their seats. / Having arrived, in a short while / they returned to the forms of novices. / The dānapati felt astonishment: / 'How could their transformation be like this? / Have they drunk the heavenly nectar (amṛta), / that their appearances suddenly transformed?'