法苑珠林 21.18

21.18

What is called an 'elder' / does not necessarily consist in white hair, / a wrinkled face, and fallen teeth, / if one is foolish and lacks wisdom. / What is prized is the ability to cultivate blessings, / eradicating all evils; / one who purely cultivates the holy life (brahmacarya) / is called an elder. / We have shattered praise and blame, / not generating a mind of increase or decrease; / it is only that it will cause that dānapati / to incur sin and fault, / and moreover toward the puṇyakṣetra of the saṃgha / generate slander and discrimination. / We ought to go swiftly / to awaken and inspire that dānapati, / lest he fall into the evil destinies. / Those novices then / quickly used their supernatural powers / to manifest the appearance of old men: / hair white and faces wrinkled, / eyebrows luxuriant and teeth fallen out, / backs stooped and leaning on canes, / they went to that dānapati's house. / Once the dānapati saw them, / his mind produced great rejoicing; / burning incense and scattering famous flowers, / he swiftly invited them to take their seats. / Having arrived, in a short while / they returned to the forms of novices. / The dānapati felt astonishment: / 'How could their transformation be like this? / Have they drunk the heavenly nectar (amṛta), / that their appearances suddenly transformed?'