法苑珠林 87.76

87.76

又大莊嚴經論云。我昔曾聞。有一比丘。常被盜賊。一日之中堅閉門戶。賊復來至扣門而喚。比丘答言。我見汝時極大驚悑。汝可內手於彼窓中。當與汝物。賊即內手置於窓中。比丘以繩繫之於柱。比丘執杖開門打之一下已。語言。歸依佛。賊以畏故即便隨語歸依於佛。復打二下。語言。歸依法。賊畏死故復言歸依法。第三打時。復語之言。歸依僧。賊時畏故復言歸依僧即自思惟。今此道人有幾歸依。若多有者必不見放。身體疲痛即求出家。有人問言。汝先作賊造諸惡行。以何事故出家修道。答彼人言。我亦觀察佛法之利。然後出家。我於本日遇善知識。以杖打我三下唯有少許命在不絕。如來世尊實一切智。若教弟子四歸依者。我命即絕。佛遠見斯事。故教比丘打賊三下。使我不死。是故唯說三歸不說四歸。

Furthermore, the Mahālaṃkāra-śūtra-śāstra states: 'I once heard in the past that there was a monk who was constantly robbed by bandits. One day, he firmly locked his doors. The bandit came again, knocked at the door, and called out. The monk answered, "When I see you, I am filled with great terror. You may reach your hand in through that window, and I will give you the goods." The bandit then put his hand through the window. The monk bound it to a pillar with a rope. Holding a staff, the monk opened the door and struck him once, saying to him, "Take refuge in the Buddha!" Out of fear, the bandit immediately followed his words and took refuge in the Buddha. He struck him a second time and said to him, "Take refuge in the Dharma!" Fearing death, the bandit again said, "I take refuge in the Dharma." When struck the third time, the monk again said to him, "Take refuge in the Saṅgha!" At that time, out of fear, the bandit again said, "I take refuge in the Saṅgha." He then thought to himself: "Just how many refuges does this man of the Way have? If there are many more, I will surely not be spared!" His body exhausted and in pain, he immediately sought to leave the household life. Someone asked him, "Previously you were a bandit committing all kinds of evil acts; for what reason have you left the household life to cultivate the Way?" He answered that person, saying, "I also observed the benefit of the Buddha-Dharma and only then left the household life. On that day, I met a good spiritual friend who struck me three times with a staff, leaving me with only a faint remnant of life unextinguished. The Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, is truly omniscient! If he had taught his disciples four refuges, my life would have ended right there. The Buddha foresaw this matter from afar, and therefore taught the monk to strike the bandit three times so that I would not die. For this reason he spoke only of the three refuges, and did not speak of four refuges."'