法苑珠林 27.37

27.37

Also, the Za baozang jing says: If a person seeks the Path, the essential lies in sincere dedication responding reciprocally, through which one can attain the fruit of the Path. As in past times, there was a woman, intelligent and wise, who deeply had faith in the Three Jewels. She regularly invited two bhikṣus according to the monastic roster to come to her home for offerings. At that time, an old bhikṣu's turn came to visit her house; he was elderly, dull of faculty, and had never possessed any knowledge. When the woman finished serving the meal, she asked the old bhikṣu, 'Please preach the Dharma for me.' She spread a seat for him alone, closed her eyes, and remained silent. The old bhikṣu, knowing his own ignorance and unable to preach the Dharma, took advantage of her slumber, abandoned her, and fled back to the monastery. However, this woman earnestly contemplated that conditioned phenomena are impermanent, suffering, empty, and devoid of autonomy; through deep observation, she immediately attained the first fruit. Having attained the fruit, she sought the old bhikṣu to repay his kindness. This old bhikṣu, knowing his own ignorance, had run away and hidden from her, feeling even more ashamed, and again hid himself away. But the woman sought him persistently without stopping, so he finally showed himself. The woman then fully explained how she had received and attained the fruit of the Path from what took place earlier, and had therefore brought offerings to repay his great kindness. Out of shame, the old bhikṣu deeply reproached himself and immediately attained the first fruit. Therefore, practitioners should be earnest; if one is earnest, whatever one seeks will surely be attained.