法苑珠林 34.22

34.22

Third, 'mindfulness of the Saṃgha' refers to the four pairs, the eight stages, and the twelve worthy persons, who abandon worldly greed and contention to guide devas and humans; thus they are an excellent, propitious field of merit for sentient beings. Formerly, there was a monk of little merit named Brahmadatta (in the Vinaya he is named the monk *Raśmi-upamā?*), who was among the assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty; he caused the entire Saṃgha to receive no food, and no one knew whose fault it was. The Buddha had them divided into two groups: one group received food, and one group did not. He again divided the group that did not receive food into two groups: half received, and half did not. Proceeding in this manner step by step, it came down to two persons: one received food, and one did not. Only then did they know that the one without merit, even if food reached his bowl, it would naturally vanish. The Buddha pitied his plight and personally gave him food with his own hand; being in the bowl, constrained by spiritual power, it could not vanish. The Buddha wished to cause him to obtain merit in this present life, so he had two monks who had attained cessation satisfy him with food, whereupon he immediately obtained merit. At that time, King Prasenajit heard that regarding this monk of little merit, the Buddha had pitied him and given him food, [and thought:] 'I too should now provide merit for him.' He immediately sent non-glutinous rice. At that time, a crow flew in, pecked up a single grain of rice, and flew away. The messenger scolded it, saying: 'The King has prepared merit for Brahmadatta; why do you carry it off?' The crow then carried it back to its original place. Why was this so? Because this monk received the power of the Saṃgha's merit, birds and beasts could not harm him. By this it is proven that they are an excellent field of merit. Having delivered themselves, they deliver others to the path of the three vehicles. The practice of mindfulness of the Saṃgha has such meaning as this.