法苑珠林 32.20

32.20

Furthermore, the Guan Fo sanmei jing says: The Buddha told Ānanda, “Formerly, during my summer retreat, there was a courtesan in the city of Vārāṇasī named Miaoyi (Subhadramatī), who stayed in an upper chamber. In the past she had a karmic connection with the Buddha. At that time, the World-Honoured One manifested three youths, all fifteen years of age, whose features were handsome and upright, surpassing all human beings in the world. When this woman saw them, her body and mind were filled with joy. She said: ‘O noble sirs, this house of mine is like [the dwelling of] the goddess Puṇyalakṣmī, rich and self-sufficient, adorned with many treasures. I now offer my own body together with my male and female servants to you, noble sirs, to serve for your sweeping and sprinkling. If you will condescend to accept me and comply with my wishes, I shall supply everything without begrudging anything.’ Having spoken these words, the transformed person went to the bed. Before even the space of a meal had passed, the woman came forward intimately and said: ‘Noble sir, I pray that you satisfy my desires.’ The transformed person did not refuse, complying with her wish. Having drawn close, for a day and a night his heart felt no fatigue or aversion. By the second day, her lustful passion gradually subsided. By the third day, she said: ‘Noble sir, you may arise and take food and drink.’ The transformed person immediately arose, yet clung to her without ceasing. The woman gave rise to revulsion and regret, saying: ‘Noble sir, you are unusually extraordinary to be like this!’ The transformed person told her: ‘The rule of my former lives is that whenever I unite with a woman, only after twelve days do I rest.’ When the woman heard these words, she felt like a person choking on food, unable either to vomit it out or to swallow it down; her body suffered severe pain as if pounded by a pestle. By the fourth day, it was as if she were run over by a cart. By the fifth day, it was as if iron pellets had entered her body. By the sixth day, all her joints ached as if arrows had pierced her heart. The woman thought to herself: ‘I have heard people say that in the city of Kapilavastu, Prince Śuddhodana's son has a purple-golden body with the thirty-two marks; he has pity on the blind and ignorant and saves suffering people; he is constantly in this city, always performing works of blessing and salvation, radiating golden light to rescue all people. Why does he not come today to save me? From this day forth until the end of my life, I will never again be covetous of lust. I would rather share a cave with tigers and wolves than covet carnal desire and suffer this misery.’ The transformed person also grew angry: ‘Fie, you vile woman! You disrupt my undertakings! Now that my body is united in one place with yours, it would be better to die soon. If my parents and kinsmen come searching, where could I hide myself? I would rather undergo death than endure such disgrace!’ The woman said: ‘I have no use for this wretched thing. If you wish to die, do as you please.’ At that moment, the transformed person took a knife and stabbed his throat. Blood flowed in torrents, defiling the woman's body, and he collapsed limp onto the ground; the woman could not bear [the weight]. On the second day, it turned dark blue and bruised; on the third day, it swelled up; on the fourth day, it putrefied and burst; on the fifth day, it gradually rotted away; on the sixth day, the flesh fell off; on the seventh day, there remained only foul-smelling bones, sticking to the woman's body like glue and lacquer. All kinds of feces and urine and evil maggots, spattering blood and purulent fluid smeared all over the woman's body. The woman felt utmost disgust and horror, yet could not detach from it. The woman made a vow: ‘If the gods, ṛṣis, or Prince Śuddhodana can relieve my suffering, I will give away all the rare treasures of this house as alms.’ As she had this thought, the Buddha, leading Ānanda and Nanda, with Śakra in front and King Brahmā behind, radiated his constant light, illuminating heaven and earth. The entire great assembly saw the Tathāgata proceed to this woman's upper chamber. When the woman saw the Buddha, she was filled with shame and remorse, with nowhere to hide the bones. She took white cotton fabrics and wrapped the foul corpse, but the stench remained as before and could not be concealed. Seeing the World-Honoured One, the woman paid homage to the Buddha; out of shame, her body concealed the bones beneath her, yet the foul bones suddenly appeared upon her back. Overwhelmed with shame, the woman wept and said: ‘The Tathāgata's merit, kindness, and compassion are immeasurable. If you can cause me to leave this suffering, I vow to become your disciple and never backslide in my resolution.’ By the Buddha's supernatural power, the foul bones disappeared. The woman rejoiced greatly; she paid homage to the Buddha and addressed him, saying: ‘World-Honoured One, I now offer everything precious to me as a gift to the Buddha.’ The Buddha made a blessing for her, his Brahmā voice flowing smoothly. When the woman heard the blessing, her heart rejoiced greatly, and she immediately attained the path of a srotaāpanna. Five hundred attending maidservants, upon hearing the Buddha's voice, all gave rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed bodhi. Immeasurable multitudes of Brahmā gods, upon seeing the Buddha's supernatural transformation, attained the patience of the non-arising of dharmas (anutpattikadharmakṣānti). Among the gods led by Śakra, some gave rise to the aspiration for bodhi, and some attained the fruit of anāgāmin.”