法苑珠林 41.61

41.61

汝今平量僧。是則為大失。如欲以一指測知大海底。為智者之所笑。汝不聞佛說。四事雖小而不可輕。太子雖小當為國王。是不可輕。蛇子雖小毒能殺人。亦不可輕。小火雖微能燒山野。亦不可輕。沙彌雖小得聖神通。最不可輕。檀越聞是事已。見是神通力。身驚毛竪。合手白諸沙彌言。諸聖人等。我今懺悔。我是凡夫心常懷罪。今欲請問。於佛僧寶中信心清淨。何者福勝。答言。我等初不見佛僧寶中有增減。何以故。如佛一時入舍婆提城乞食。有婆羅門姓婆羅埵逝。佛數數到其家乞食。心作是念。是沙門何以來數數如負其債。佛時說偈言。

Your measuring of the Saṅgha today is truly a great error. It is like wishing to fathom the bottom of the great ocean with a single finger, which can only be laughed at by the wise. Have you not heard what the Buddha taught? 'Four things, though small, must not be despised: A prince, though small, will become a king, so he must not be despised. A snake, though small, has poison that can kill a person, so it also must not be despised. A small fire, though tiny, can burn down mountains and wilderness, so it also must not be despised. A novice monk, though young, has attained holy supernormal powers, so he must least of all be despised.' Having heard this matter and witnessed these supernormal powers, the donor's body trembled and his hair stood on end. Joining his palms, he addressed the novices, saying, 'O holy ones! I now confess and repent. I am an ordinary person whose mind is constantly burdened with sin. Now I wish to ask: when one has pure faith in the Buddha Jewel and the Saṅgha Jewel, which produces the superior merit?' They replied, 'From the beginning, we do not see any increase or decrease between the Buddha Jewel and the Saṅgha Jewel. Why is this? Once, when the Buddha entered the city of Śrāvastī to beg for food, there was a brāhmaṇa of the Bhāradvāja clan. The Buddha repeatedly went to his house to beg for food. The brāhmaṇa thought to himself: "Why does this śramaṇa come repeatedly, as if I owed him a debt?" At that time, the Buddha spoke a verse:'