法苑珠林 21.59

21.59

The brāhmaṇa said, "Well spoken is this verse. Just now, however, I am truly pressed for time; let us discuss it further when you come again later." Thereupon the World-Honoured One, pitying him, departed. Behind [the Buddha], the old man personally handed up a roof beam; the beam fell, struck his head and broke it, and he died instantly. His family wept and wailed, startling the surrounding neighbours. The Buddha had not gone far when this disaster occurred. At the end of the lane he encountered several dozen brāhmaṇas, who asked the Buddha, "Where has the Buddha come from?" The Buddha said, "I have just been to the house of a deceased old man. I preached the Dharma for the old man, but he did not believe the Buddha's words and did not recognize impermanence. Now the old man has suddenly already passed into the next world." For all the brāhmaṇas, he spoke again in full of the meaning of the previous verse. Hearing it, they rejoiced and immediately attained the stream-enterer's fruit. Thereupon the World-Honoured One spoke verses for them, saying: