法苑珠林 26.24

26.24

Furthermore, the Various Sūtra states: The Buddha said: 'There is Gavāmpati, who has already attained the arhat path, yet still chews the cud like an ox.' The disciples asked the Buddha, 'Why is this?' The Buddha said, 'In his past life, this bhikṣu was an ox for seven hundred lifetimes. In this life he attained the Path, but because his residual habits are not exhausted, he chews the cud when eating.' According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra: Question: 'Why was he an ox?' Answer: 'Because in a past life, when passing through another's grain field, he took five or six grains of millet into his mouth to taste them and spat them on the ground. Because he damaged another's millet, he was reborn as this ox. Because he was an ox for many lifetimes, he has ox feet and chews the cud.'