法苑珠林 45.17

45.17

又摩鄧女經云。時阿難持鉢行乞食已隨水邊行。見一女人在水邊擔水。而阿難從女乞水。女即與水。女隨阿難視所止處。女歸告母。母名摩鄧。女便於家內委臥而啼。母問何為悲啼。女言。母欲嫁我者莫與他人。我於水邊見一沙門從我乞水。我問阿誰。答字阿難。我得阿難乃可嫁。如不得者我不嫁也。母出行問阿難。知阿難承事佛人。母已知還告女言。阿難事佛道人。不肯為汝作夫。女啼不食。母知蠱道。請阿難飯。女便大喜。母語阿難。我女欲為卿作妻。阿難言。我持戒不畜妻。復言。我女不得卿為夫者。便欲自殺。阿難言。我師是佛。不與女人交通。母入語女具述此意。女對母啼言。但為我閉門無令得出。暮自為夫。母便閉門。以蠱道法縛阿難至於晡時。母為女布席臥處。女便大喜。遂自莊飾。阿難不就。母令中庭地出火。牽阿難衣言。汝不為我女作夫。我擲汝火中。阿難自鄙。為佛作沙門今反不能得出。佛即持神心知阿難故救。還佛所具白前事。女見阿難去於家啼哭不止。續念阿難。女明日自求阿難。復見阿難行乞食。隨阿難背後。視阿難足。視阿難面。阿難慚避。女隨不止。阿難白佛言。摩鄧女今日復隨我後。佛使追呼。佛問女云。汝追逐阿難何等所索。女言。我聞阿難無婦。我又無夫。欲為作婦也。佛告女言。阿難無髮汝今有髮。汝能𩮜髮。我使阿難為汝作夫。女言能𩮜。佛言。歸報汝母𩮜頭竟來。女歸具白母知。母言。我生汝護汝頭髮。何為欲得沙門作婦。國中大有豪富。我自嫁汝。女言。我寧生死為阿難作婦。母言。辱我種族。母為下刀剃頭已。女還到佛所言。我已𩮜髮。佛言。汝愛阿難何等。女言。我愛阿難眼。愛阿難鼻。愛阿難口。愛阿難耳。愛阿難聲。愛阿難行步。佛言。眼中但有淚。鼻中但有洟。口中但有涎。耳中但有矃。身中但有𡱁尿臭處不淨。其有夫妻者便有惡露。惡露中便生兒子。已有兒子便有死亡。已有死亡便有哭泣。於是身中有何所益。女即思念身中惡露。便自正心即得羅漢。佛知得道。即告女言。汝起至阿難所。女即慚愧低頭長跪佛前言。女實愚癡故逐阿難。今我心開如冥中有燈火。如人乘船船壞依岸。如盲人得扶。如老人持杖。今佛與我道令我心開。如是諸比丘俱問佛。是女人何因得道。佛告諸比丘。是摩鄧女先世時。五百世為阿難作婦常相愛敬。故於我法中得道。於今夫妻相見如兄如弟。如是佛道何用不為。佛說是經。諸比丘聞已皆大歡喜。

Furthermore, the Mātaṅgī-sūtra says: At that time, Ānanda, carrying his alms bowl, having finished begging for food, walked along the water's edge. He saw a woman carrying water by the water's edge, and Ānanda begged water from the woman. The woman then gave him water. The woman followed Ānanda, watching where he stayed. The woman returned and told her mother; her mother's name was Mātaṅgī. The woman then threw herself down in the house, lying down and weeping. The mother asked why she was crying sorrowfully. The girl said, "If Mother wishes to marry me off, do not give me to another. By the water's edge I saw a śramaṇa who begged water from me. I asked who he was, and he answered that his name was Ānanda. Only if I get Ānanda can I marry; if I do not get him, I will not marry." The mother went out to inquire about Ānanda, and learned that Ānanda was one who served the Buddha. Having found out, the mother returned and told her daughter, "Ānanda is a man of the Way who serves the Buddha; he will not agree to be your husband." The girl wept and would not eat. The mother knew black magic (gu). She invited Ānanda to a meal. The girl was then overjoyed. The mother said to Ānanda, "My daughter wishes to be your wife." Ānanda said, "I uphold the precepts and do not keep a wife." She said again, "If my daughter cannot have you as a husband, she will commit suicide." Ānanda said, "My teacher is the Buddha; I do not have sexual relations with women." The mother went in and told the daughter, recounting this intention in full. The daughter wept before her mother, saying, "Just shut the door for me and do not let him get out; in the evening he will naturally become my husband." The mother then shut the door and, using the arts of black magic, bound Ānanda until late afternoon. The mother spread mats and prepared a sleeping place for the daughter. The daughter was then overjoyed and adorned herself. Ānanda would not comply. The mother caused fire to emerge from the ground in the courtyard, pulled Ānanda's robe, and said, "If you do not become my daughter's husband, I will throw you into the fire." Ānanda reproached himself: "Having become a śramaṇa for the Buddha, now contrary [to my vows] I cannot escape!" The Buddha then used spiritual powers, knowing Ānanda's mind, and rescued him. Ānanda returned to the Buddha's place and reported in full what had happened before. Seeing Ānanda leave, the girl wept incessantly in the house, continuously longing for Ānanda. The next day, the girl sought Ānanda on her own. She saw Ānanda walking again to beg for food; she followed behind Ānanda, gazing at Ānanda's feet and looking at Ānanda's face. Ānanda felt ashamed and avoided her, but the girl followed him without stopping. Ānanda addressed the Buddha, "The Mātaṅgī girl is again following behind me today." The Buddha sent someone to pursue and call her. The Buddha asked the girl, saying, "You chase after Ānanda; what is it that you seek?" The girl said, "I heard that Ānanda has no wife, and I also have no husband. I wish to be his wife." The Buddha told the girl, "Ānanda has no hair, but now you have hair. If you can shave your hair, I will make Ānanda your husband." The girl said, "I can shave it." The Buddha said, "Return and inform your mother; when you have finished shaving your head, come back." The girl returned and fully informed her mother. The mother said, "I gave birth to you and protected your hair; why do you wish to have a śramaṇa as a husband? There are plenty of wealthy and noble people in this country; I will marry you off myself." The girl said, "Whether I live or die, I would rather be Ānanda's wife." The mother said, "You bring shame upon my clan." The mother applied the razor and shaved her head. The girl returned to the Buddha's place and said, "I have shaved my hair." The Buddha said, "What do you love about Ānanda?" The girl said, "I love Ānanda's eyes, I love Ānanda's nose, I love Ānanda's mouth, I love Ānanda's ears, I love Ānanda's voice, and I love Ānanda's gait." The Buddha said, "In the eyes there are only tears; in the nose there is only mucus; in the mouth there is only saliva; in the ears there is only earwax; in the body there are only feces and urine, a foul and impure place. When there is husband and wife, there is filthy fluid. From filthy fluid children are born. Once there are children, there is death. Once there is death, there is weeping. What benefit is there in this body?" The girl then contemplated the filthy fluids within the body, straightened her mind, and immediately attained the state of an arhat. The Buddha, knowing she had attained the Way, told the girl, "Rise and go to Ānanda's place." The girl was then ashamed, bowed her head, knelt upright before the Buddha, and said, "I was truly foolish, which is why I pursued Ānanda. Now my mind has opened, like having a lamp in the dark, like a person riding a boat which breaks, relying on the shore, like a blind person receiving support, like an old person holding a staff. Now the Buddha has granted me the Way, causing my mind to open." Thereupon the bhikṣus together asked the Buddha, "By what cause did this woman attain the Way?" The Buddha told the bhikṣus, "In past lives, this Mātaṅgī girl was Ānanda's wife for five hundred lives, and they always loved and respected each other. Therefore, within my Dharma, she attained the Way. Now when husband and wife meet, they are like elder and younger brothers. When the Buddha's Way is like this, what can it not accomplish?" The Buddha spoke this sūtra, and having heard it, all the bhikṣus were greatly delighted.