[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 55.9 # 法苑珠林 55.9 法苑珠林 55.9 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [55.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55.9) 又智度論云。有梵志名長爪（別經梵云名勞豆又）是閻浮提大論議師。言一切論可破。一切言可壞。一切執可轉。無有實法可信可恭敬者。舍利弗舅摩訶俱絺羅。與姊舍利論議不如。俱絺羅思惟念言。非姊力也。必懷智人寄言母口。未生乃爾。及生長大當如之何。思惟是已生憍慢心。為廣論議故出家作梵志。入南天竺國始讀經書。諸人問言。汝志何求。長爪答言。十八種大經盡欲讀之。諸人語言。盡汝壽命猶不能知一。何況能盡。長爪自念。昔作憍慢為姊所勝。今此諸人復見輕辱。為是二事故自作誓言。我不剪爪要讀十八種經書盡。人見爪長因號長爪梵志。是人以種種經書。譏刺是非破他論議。譬如大力狂象唐突蹴蹋無能制者。如是長爪梵志摧伏諸論師已。還至摩伽陀國王舍城那羅陀聚落至本生處。問人言。我姊生子今在何處。有人語言。汝姊子者。適生八歲讀一切經書盡。至年十六論議勝一切人。有釋種道人姓瞿曇。與作弟子。長爪聞之即起憍慢。生不信心而作是言。如我姊子聰明如是。彼以何術誘誑剃頭作弟子。作是語已直向佛所。 > Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: There was a brahmacārin named Dīrghanakha (another sūtra gives his Sanskrit name as Laodouyou), who was a great debater in Jambudvīpa. He claimed that all doctrines could be refuted, all words could be dismantled, and all attachments could be overturned; there was no real phenomenon that could be believed or revered. He was the maternal uncle of Śāriputra, Mahākoṣṭhila. Having lost a debate to his elder sister, Śāri, Koṣṭhila reflected: “This is not my sister's own ability. She must be carrying a wise man, borrowing words through the mother's mouth. If it is already like this before he is born, what will it be like when he is born and grown up?” Having reflected thus, arrogance arose in his mind. In order to broaden his dialectical skills, he renounced home to become a brahmacārin. Entering South India, he began studying the scriptures. People asked him, “What is your goal?” Dīrghanakha replied, “I wish to read all of the eighteen great treatises.” The people told him, “Even if you exhaust your entire lifespan, you will not be able to know even one, let alone exhaust them all.” Dīrghanakha thought to himself, “Formerly I was arrogant and was bested by my sister; now these people slight and humiliate me again.” For these two reasons, he made a vow: “I will not cut my fingernails until I have read all of the eighteen kinds of treatises.” Seeing his long nails, people accordingly called him the Dīrghanakha Brahmacārin (Long-nailed Brahmacārin). With various scriptures, this man criticized and dissected right and wrong, breaking down the arguments of others, like a crazed elephant of great strength charging and trampling, whom no one could restrain. Having subdued all the debaters in this way, the Dīrghanakha Brahmacārin returned to the village of Nārada in Rājagṛha of Magadha, arriving at his birthplace. He asked the people, “Where is my sister's son now?” Someone told him, “Your sister's son had read all scriptures when he was only eight years old, and by age sixteen his debates surpassed all men. There is a renunciant of the Śākya clan, surnamed Gautama, and he has become his disciple.” Hearing this, Dīrghanakha immediately gave rise to arrogance, lacked faith, and said, “My sister's son is as brilliant as this; with what trick did he lure and deceive him into shaving his head to become a disciple?” Having spoken thus, he went straight to the Buddha's place. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 55.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55.8) - [Next: 55.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55.10) - [Up: 55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.55.9) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.55.9) · Pramāṇa