法苑珠林 35.18

35.18

As the Avadānaśataka says: When the Buddha was in the world, there was an elder in the city of Kapilavastu named Ghoṣa. His wife gave birth to a daughter who was exceptionally beautiful, born wrapped in a white fine-cotton cloth. Therefore, they named her Śuklā. As she grew older, the cloth also grew with her, remaining fresh, white, and clean without need of washing or dyeing. When people saw her, they vied to ask for her hand. She said to her parents: 'I do not crave the worldly glory and splendor of the present; I wish and desire to leave home.' Her parents loved her and could not go against her wishes; they immediately took her to the Buddha's place to seek to enter the Way. The Buddha said: 'Welcome!' The bhikṣuṇī's hair fell out on its own, and the white cloth on her body transformed into a kāṣāya; she became a bhikṣuṇī, practiced diligently, and attained the fruit of arhatship. When Ānanda saw this, he asked about its cause. The Buddha told Ānanda: 'In this Bhadrakalpa, a Buddha appeared in the world named Kāśyapa, who led his bhikṣus in wandering through villages to teach and transform sentient beings. At that time, a woman saw the Buddha and the Saṃgha, felt joy in her heart, took a piece of fine-cotton cloth, offered it to the Buddha and Saṃgha, made a vow, and departed. By virtue of this merit, in the heavens and among humans, she was always born wrapped in clean cloth, down to the present day when she encountered me, left home, and attained the Way.' Hearing this, the bhikṣus rejoiced and respectfully put it into practice.