法苑珠林 55.11

55.11

The Buddha asked Dīrghanakha: “You do not accept any dharmas; do you accept this view or not?” What the Buddha questioned, he had already comprehended. The poison of false views blazed within him, causing him to emit this toxic gas, saying, “I do not accept any dharmas.” “Do you accept this view or not?” At that moment, Dīrghanakha was like a fine horse that, seeing the shadow of the whip, senses danger and immediately takes to the right road. The brahmacārin Dīrghanakha, having received the Buddha's words, the shadow of the whip entered his mind; he at once abandoned his conceit, bowed his head in shame, and reflected: “The Buddha has placed me between two doors of defeat. If I say I accept this view, this door of defeat is coarse, so it is known to all. How could I say myself that I do not accept any dharmas, yet now accept this view? This is an overt falsehood, a coarse door of defeat known to many people. The second door of defeat is subtle; I would prefer to take it because few people know it.” Having thought thus, he replied to the Buddha, “Gautama, I do not accept any dharmas, nor do I accept this view.” The Buddha said to the brahmacārin: “If you do not accept any dharmas, and you do not accept this view either, then there is nothing to refute; you are no different from the multitude. What need is there to elevate yourself and give rise to arrogance like this?” Dīrghanakha was unable to answer the Buddha. Knowing that he had fallen into defeat, he immediately gave rise to reverence and faith in the Buddha's wisdom. He thought to himself: “I fell into defeat, yet the World-Honoured One did not expose it; he spoke neither of right nor wrong, nor did he hold it against me. The Buddha's mind is gentle and supremely pure; he has attained the extremely profound and most venerable; none surpasses the Buddha.” The Buddha expounded the Dharma for him and severed his false views. There on his seat, far removed from dust and defilement, he attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. At that time, when Śāriputra heard these words, he attained arhatship. This brahmacārin Dīrghanakha renounced home, became a śramaṇa, and attained arhatship.