法苑珠林 55.6

55.6

As the Ekottarika-āgama says: At that time, there was an elder named Anāthapiṇḍada, whose household was exceedingly wealthy beyond reckoning. At that time, in the city of Pūrṇa, there was an elder named Mancai, who was also exceedingly rich in wealth. He was also an old friend of Biṇḍi from their youth, and they respected and loved each other. Elder Biṇḍi regularly had tens of millions in precious goods sold in the city of Pūrṇa, employing elder Mancai to manage it. Elder Mancai likewise had tens of millions in treasures sold in the city of Śrāvastī, employing Biṇḍi to manage it. At this time, Biṇḍi had a daughter named Sumagadhā, whose countenance was upright and fair as the color of a peach blossom, rare in the world. At that time, Mancai saw the daughter Sumagadhā was upright and fair. Having seen her, he asked Biṇḍi, saying: 'Whose daughter is this?' Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'She is my offspring.' Mancai said: 'I have a young son who has not yet taken a mate. Could she marry into my poor home?' Then Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'It would not be fitting.' Mancai asked, saying: 'For what reason?' Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'Our clans and wealth are sufficient to match each other. But the shrines and deities we serve are not the same as mine. This girl serves the Buddha; you serve heterodox paths. For this reason, I cannot comply with your intention.' Mancai replied, saying: 'The deities we serve will naturally be worshiped separately; the one this girl serves will be given separate offerings.' Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'If my daughter were to marry into your house, both sides would provide treasures beyond reckoning.' Mancai asked, saying: 'How much treasure do you demand now?' Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'I now require sixty thousand ounces of gold.' At that time, the elder immediately gave sixty thousand ounces of gold. Biṇḍi used expedients to decline and turn it away, but still could not make him desist. He spoke to that elder, saying: 'If I marry my daughter off, I must go and ask the Buddha. If there are instructions, I shall follow them.' At that time, Anāthapiṇḍada immediately went to where the World-Honoured One was and addressed the World-Honoured One, saying: 'My daughter Sumagadhā has been sought by elder Mancai of the city of Pūrṇa. May I give her or not?' The World-Honoured One told him, saying: 'If your daughter Sumagadhā goes to that country, it will be of great benefit, delivering people beyond measure.' Having heard this, he bowed and withdrew, returning to his home. Together they prepared food and drink and gave it to elder Mancai. Mancai asked, saying: 'I do not need food; will you just give your daughter in marriage to me or not?' Biṇḍi replied, saying: 'If you wish it to be so, then after fifteen days you may have your son come here.' Having spoken these words, [Mancai] then withdrew and departed. At that time, elder Mancai prepared all that was necessary, rode in a carriage of precious feathers, and came from within eighty yojanas. Biṇḍi also adorned his daughter, rode in a carriage of precious feathers, and led his daughter to go meet him, encountering them midway. Mancai received the daughter and then led her along. The people of the city of Pūrṇa each had made a regulation: 'If a daughter from this city goes out to marry into another country, she shall be heavily punished. If one takes a wife from another country and brings her into the country, he shall also be heavily punished.' At that time, there were six thousand brāhmaṇas in that country whom the countrymen venerated. The regulation stated that one who violated it must feed the six thousand brāhmaṇas. The elder, knowing he had violated the regulation, immediately fed the six thousand brāhmaṇas. What the brāhmaṇas ate was purely pork and heavily brewed wine. Furthermore, the clothes worn by the brāhmaṇas: some wore white cotton, some wore woollen clothes; wearing the clothes draped over the right shoulder, half their bodies were exposed. Then they announced that the time had arrived and entered the elder's house. When the elder saw them coming, he went forward on his knees to welcome them and respectfully made prostrations. The eldest brāhmaṇa raised his hand and praised him as good, embraced the elder's neck, and proceeded to the seating area; each took their seats in order. Then the elder spoke to the daughter Sumagadhā, saying: 'Adorn yourself and pay homage to my masters.' The daughter Sumagadhā replied, saying: 'Stop, stop, master! I cannot bear to pay homage to naked people.' The elder replied, saying: 'These are not naked; rather, the clothes they wear are their Dharma robes.' The daughter Sumagadhā replied, saying: 'These shameless people all expose their forms together; what use are they as Dharma robes? As the World-Honoured One said, what worldly people value is having shame and having conscience. If they lack these two, then the noble and lowly are no different, no different from pigs and dogs. I truly cannot bear to make prostrations to them.' Then Sumagadhā's husband spoke to his wife, saying: 'You may now arise and make prostrations to my masters. These people are all the gods I serve.' The wife replied, saying: 'Cease for now! I will not bow to these shameless naked people, making me pay homage to donkeys and dogs.' The husband said: 'Do not speak such words. Guard your mouth and do not transgress! These are neither donkeys nor dogs; rather, the clothes they wear are precisely Dharma robes.' At this time, the daughter Sumagadhā wept tears in sorrow, her countenance changing, and she spoke, saying: 'I would rather sever my life-faculty than ever fall into these deviant views!' At that time, the six thousand brāhmaṇas all raised their voices together: 'Why do you let this maidservant curse us like this?' These brāhmaṇas, having eaten a little, then departed. At that time, elder Mancai on the high tower was distressed, sorrowful, and aggrieved: 'Now that I have brought this one here, it has broken my household and disgraced my family gate.' At that time, there was a brāhmaṇa named Xiuba who had attained the five supernormal knowledges. He went to the elder's house, went up to the high tower, and met with the elder. The brāhmaṇa asked the elder, saying: 'Why are you worried and sorrowful?' The elder replied, saying: 'Yesterday, on account of taking a wife for my son...' and fully told of the previous circumstances. The brāhmaṇa replied, saying: 'The masters served by this girl are all persons of brahma-conduct. Living today, they are exceedingly wonderful and extraordinary.' The elder asked, saying: 'You are an adherent of heterodox, external teachings; why do you praise the śramaṇas, the sons of Śākya? What divine virtue do they have? What divine transformations do they have?' The brāhmaṇa replied, saying: 'If you wish to hear of their divine virtues, I will now briefly state the source. The youngest disciple of the master this girl serves is named the śrāmaṇera Cunda. Flying to the Anavatapta lake to wash his soiled robes, the great deity Anavatapta, devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits all arose, came forward to welcome him, and respectfully inquired after him: "Welcome, teacher of men! You may take this seat." Sitting back, he ate. Having finished eating, he rinsed his bowl upon a golden tray, sat cross-legged with an upright body, and sequentially entered the nine sequential meditative attainments. At that time, the devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits trampled and washed his robes, lifting them into the sky to dry them in the sun. At that time, that śrāmaṇera gathered his robes and then flew through the air, returning to his place. Elder, you should know: if the youngest disciple has such supernormal powers, how much more so the eldest? How much more so the Tathāgata, the supremely true and fully enlightened one, could he ever be equalled?' At this time, the elder spoke to the brāhmaṇa, saying: 'Can we manage to see the master this girl serves?' The brāhmaṇa replied, saying: 'You can return and ask this girl.' At this time, the elder asked the daughter Sumagadhā, saying: 'I now wish to see the master you serve. Can you make him come?' Hearing this, the girl was overjoyed beyond measure: 'Please prepare food and drink in time; tomorrow the Tathāgata will come here, along with the saṃgha of bhikṣus.' The elder replied, saying: 'You must invite him yourself; I do not understand the Dharma.' At this time, the elder's daughter bathed her body, held incense and fire in her hands, went up to the high tower, joined her palms toward the Tathāgata, and praised him, saying: