法苑珠林 77.10

77.10

又大莊嚴論云。我曾昔聞。舍衛國中佛與阿難曠野中行。於一田畔見有伏藏。佛告阿難。是大毒蛇。阿難白佛。是惡毒蛇。爾時田中有一耕人。聞佛阿難說有毒蛇。作是念言。我當視之。沙門以何為惡毒蛇。即往其所見真金聚。而作是言。沙門所言是毒蛇者。乃是好金。即取此金還置家中。其人先貧衣食不供。以得金故轉得富饒。衣食自恣。王家禁司怪其卒富。而糾舉之繫在獄中。先所得金既已用盡。猶不得免。將加刑戮。其人唱言。毒蛇阿難。惡毒蛇世尊。傍人聞之以狀白王。王喚彼人而問之曰。何故唱言毒蛇阿難。惡毒蛇世尊。其人白王。我於往日在田耕種。聞佛阿難說言毒蛇惡毒蛇。我於今者方乃寤解。王聞此說遂放去之。

Furthermore, the Kalpanāmaṇḍitikā says: 'I once heard in the past that in the city of Śrāvastī, the Buddha was walking in an open field with Ānanda. Beside a field, they saw a hidden treasure. The Buddha said to Ānanda: "This is a great poisonous snake." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "This is an evil poisonous snake." At that time, there was a farmer in the field who heard the Buddha and Ānanda say there was a poisonous snake, and he thought: "I should go look at it; what do the śramaṇas consider an evil poisonous snake?" He immediately went there and saw a heap of real gold, and said: "What the śramaṇas called a poisonous snake is actually fine gold!" He then took this gold and brought it back to his home. This person had formerly been poor, lacking clothing and food; because he obtained the gold, he became increasingly wealthy, indulging freely in food and clothing. The royal authorities found his sudden wealth suspicious, investigated him, and threw him into prison. Although the gold he had previously obtained was already exhausted, he was still not pardoned and was about to be executed. The man cried out: "Poisonous snake, Ānanda! Evil poisonous snake, World-Honoured One!" Bystanders heard this and reported the situation to the king. The king summoned that man and asked him: "Why do you cry out: 'Poisonous snake, Ānanda! Evil poisonous snake, World-Honoured One!'?" The man said to the king: "In past days while plowing in the field, I heard the Buddha and Ānanda speak of a poisonous snake and an evil poisonous snake. Only today have I awakened to understand." When the king heard this explanation, he promptly released him.'