法苑珠林 33.14

33.14

As the Old Saṃyuktāvadāna-sūtra says: In the past, outside the city of Śrāvastī, there was a man's wife who possessed pure faith and was complete in moral conduct. The Buddha came in person to her door to beg for food. The woman placed rice in the Buddha's alms-bowl, and stepping back, made obeisance. The Buddha said: 'Planting one yields ten; planting ten yields a hundred; planting a hundred yields a thousand; planting a thousand yields ten thousand; planting ten thousand yields a hundred million; you shall attain the seeing of the path of truth.' Her husband, who did not believe, was quietly listening behind. Hearing the Buddha's invocation of blessings, the husband said: 'Śramaṇa Gautama, why do you speak with such exaggeration? How can offering a single bowl of rice bring such blessings, and even the seeing of the path of truth?' The Buddha said: 'Sir, where have you come from?' He replied: 'I have come from within the city.' The Buddha said: 'Have you seen the nyagrodha tree—how high is it?' He replied: 'It is four or five li high; each year it sheds tens of thousands of bushels of fruit, and its seeds are as small as mustard seeds.' The Buddha said: 'Your words are an exaggeration! How could planting a single mustard seed produce a tree four or five li high that sheds tens of thousands of seeds each year?' He replied: 'People of the world all see it; it is truly like this.' The Buddha said: 'The earth has no consciousness, yet the power of its retribution is still such as this; how much more so for a human being with sentience, who joyfully offers a bowl of rice to the Buddha! That blessing is immensely great and beyond measure.' The minds of the husband and wife opened in understanding, and right then they attained the path of a srotāpanna.