法苑珠林 31.10

31.10

又雜寶藏經云。昔難陀王。聰明博通事無不鍊。以己所知謂無詶敵群臣無對。時諸臣等即白王言。有比丘名那伽斯那。聰明絕倫。今在山中。王欲試之。即使人齎一瓶蘇湛然盈滿。王意以為我智滿足。誰加於我。斯那獲蘇即解其意。於弟子中斂針五百。用刺蘇中蘇亦不溢。尋遣歸王。王既獲已即知其意。尋遣使請斯那。即赴。延入宮中。王與麁食。食三五匙便言已足。後與細美方乃復食。王復問言。向云已足。何故今者猶故復食。斯那答言。我向足麁未足於細。即語王言。今者殿上可盡集人令滿其上。尋即喚人充塞遍滿。更無容處。王在後來將欲上殿。諸人畏故盡皆攝腹。其中轉寬乃容多人。斯那爾時即語王言。麁飯如民。細者如王。民見於王誰不避路。王復問言。出家在家何者得道。斯那答言。二俱得道。王復問言。若二俱得道何用出家。斯那答言。譬如去此三千餘里。若遣少健乘馬齎糧。捉於器仗得速達不。王答言得。若遣老人乘於瘦馬。復無糧食為可達不。王言。縱令齎糧由恐不達。況無糧也。斯那答言。出家得道喻如少壯。在家得道如彼老人。王復問言。日之在上其體是一。何以夏時極熱。冬時極寒。夏則日長。冬則日短。斯那答言。須彌山有上下道。日於夏時行於上道。路遠行遲照于金山。故長而暑熱。日於冬時行於下道。路近行速照大海水。短而極寒也。

Also, the Sūtra of Miscellaneous Precious Treasures states: In the past, King Nanda was intelligent and broadly learned, thoroughly practiced in all affairs. Relying on what he knew, he thought he had no rival, and none among the multitude of ministers could match him. At that time, the ministers said to the king: 'There is a monk named Nāgasena who is supremely intelligent without equal; he is now in the mountains.' The king wished to test him, so he sent someone carrying a vase of clarified butter, level and brimming to the top. The king thought: 'My wisdom is complete and full; who could add to me?' When [Nāga]sena received the clarified butter, he immediately understood his meaning. Among his disciples, he collected five hundred needles and thrust them into the clarified butter, and the butter did not overflow. He immediately sent it back to the king. When the king received it, he immediately understood his meaning. He immediately sent an envoy to invite [Nāga]sena, who thereupon arrived and was ushered into the palace. The king gave him coarse food; after eating three to five spoonfuls, [Nāga]sena said he had enough. Later, when fine and delicious food was offered, only then did he eat again. The king asked: 'Just now you said you had enough; why do you eat again now?' [Nāga]sena replied: 'Just now I was full with the coarse, but I was not full with the fine.' He then said to the king: 'Now, you may assemble all the people in the palace hall to fill it to the brim.' The king immediately called people, and they filled it completely until there was no remaining room. The king, being behind them, was about to step onto the palace hall; out of fear, the people all drew in their bellies, and the space within broadened so that it could accommodate more people. [Nāga]sena then said to the king: 'Coarse food is like the common people; fine food is like the king. When the common people see the king, who among them would not make way?' The king again asked: 'Between leaving the household life and remaining at home, which one attains the path?' [Nāga]sena replied: 'Both attain the path.' The king again asked: 'If both attain the path, what is the use of leaving the household life?' [Nāga]sena replied: 'For example, suppose a place is over three thousand li from here. If you send a vigorous youth riding a horse, carrying provisions, and grasping weapons, can he arrive quickly or not?' The king replied: 'He can.' 'If you send an old man riding an emaciated horse, and moreover without food provisions, could he arrive or not?' The king said: 'Even if he carried provisions, one would still fear he could not arrive, how much more so without food!' [Nāga]sena replied: 'Leaving the household life and attaining the path is like that vigorous youth; remaining at home and attaining the path is like that old man.' The king again asked: 'The sun above is of one single body; why is it extremely hot in summer and extremely cold in winter? Why are the days long in summer and short in winter?' [Nāga]sena replied: 'Mount Sumeru has an upper and a lower path. In summer, the sun travels on the upper path: the road is long, its movement is slow, and it shines upon the Golden Mountains; therefore the day is long and the heat is scorching. In winter, the sun travels on the lower path: the road is short, its movement is fast, and it shines upon the great ocean water; therefore the day is short and the cold is extreme.'