法苑珠林 41.61

41.61

Your measuring of the Saṅgha today is truly a great error. It is like wishing to fathom the bottom of the great ocean with a single finger, which can only be laughed at by the wise. Have you not heard what the Buddha taught? 'Four things, though small, must not be despised: A prince, though small, will become a king, so he must not be despised. A snake, though small, has poison that can kill a person, so it also must not be despised. A small fire, though tiny, can burn down mountains and wilderness, so it also must not be despised. A novice monk, though young, has attained holy supernormal powers, so he must least of all be despised.' Having heard this matter and witnessed these supernormal powers, the donor's body trembled and his hair stood on end. Joining his palms, he addressed the novices, saying, 'O holy ones! I now confess and repent. I am an ordinary person whose mind is constantly burdened with sin. Now I wish to ask: when one has pure faith in the Buddha Jewel and the Saṅgha Jewel, which produces the superior merit?' They replied, 'From the beginning, we do not see any increase or decrease between the Buddha Jewel and the Saṅgha Jewel. Why is this? Once, when the Buddha entered the city of Śrāvastī to beg for food, there was a brāhmaṇa of the Bhāradvāja clan. The Buddha repeatedly went to his house to beg for food. The brāhmaṇa thought to himself: "Why does this śramaṇa come repeatedly, as if I owed him a debt?" At that time, the Buddha spoke a verse:'