法苑珠林 55.11

55.11

佛問長爪。汝一切法不受。是見受不。佛所質義汝已領之。邪見毒熾令出是毒氣言一切法不受。是見汝受不。爾時長爪如好馬見鞭顧影覺畏。便著正道。長爪梵志既得佛語。鞭影入心。即棄貢高慚愧低頭。如是思惟。佛置我兩處負門中。若我說是見我受。是負處門麁故眾人所共知。云何自言一切法不受。今受是見。此現前妄語。是麁負處門多人所知。第二負處門細。我欲受之。以少人知故。作是念已答佛言。瞿曇。一切法不受。是見亦不受。佛語梵志。汝不受一切法。是見亦不受。則無所破。與眾人無異。何用自高而生憍慢如是。長爪不能答佛。自知己墮負處。即於佛智起恭敬信。心自思惟。我墮負處。世尊不彰。不言是非。不以為意。佛心柔軟第一清淨。得大甚深最可恭敬。無過佛者。佛為說法斷其邪見。即於坐處遠塵離垢得法眼淨。是時舍利弗。聞是語時得阿羅漢。是長爪梵志出家作沙門得阿羅漢。

The Buddha asked Dīrghanakha: “You do not accept any dharmas; do you accept this view or not?” What the Buddha questioned, he had already comprehended. The poison of false views blazed within him, causing him to emit this toxic gas, saying, “I do not accept any dharmas.” “Do you accept this view or not?” At that moment, Dīrghanakha was like a fine horse that, seeing the shadow of the whip, senses danger and immediately takes to the right road. The brahmacārin Dīrghanakha, having received the Buddha's words, the shadow of the whip entered his mind; he at once abandoned his conceit, bowed his head in shame, and reflected: “The Buddha has placed me between two doors of defeat. If I say I accept this view, this door of defeat is coarse, so it is known to all. How could I say myself that I do not accept any dharmas, yet now accept this view? This is an overt falsehood, a coarse door of defeat known to many people. The second door of defeat is subtle; I would prefer to take it because few people know it.” Having thought thus, he replied to the Buddha, “Gautama, I do not accept any dharmas, nor do I accept this view.” The Buddha said to the brahmacārin: “If you do not accept any dharmas, and you do not accept this view either, then there is nothing to refute; you are no different from the multitude. What need is there to elevate yourself and give rise to arrogance like this?” Dīrghanakha was unable to answer the Buddha. Knowing that he had fallen into defeat, he immediately gave rise to reverence and faith in the Buddha's wisdom. He thought to himself: “I fell into defeat, yet the World-Honoured One did not expose it; he spoke neither of right nor wrong, nor did he hold it against me. The Buddha's mind is gentle and supremely pure; he has attained the extremely profound and most venerable; none surpasses the Buddha.” The Buddha expounded the Dharma for him and severed his false views. There on his seat, far removed from dust and defilement, he attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. At that time, when Śāriputra heard these words, he attained arhatship. This brahmacārin Dīrghanakha renounced home, became a śramaṇa, and attained arhatship.