法苑珠林 56.44

56.44

As the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish states: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, the Venerable Mahākātyāyana was in the country of Avanti. At that time, there was an elder in that country who was exceedingly wealthy. His household had a female slave. For the slightest fault, the elder would whip and beat her, driving her day and night. Her clothes did not cover her body, and her food did not fill her mouth. Old and toil-worn, she longed for death but could not attain it. As she carried a pitcher to the river to draw water, she wept aloud. At that time, the Venerable heard her crying, went to her, and asked to learn the circumstances. He then said to her, 'If you are poor, why do you not sell your poverty?' The old woman answered, 'Who buys poverty?' Kātyāyana said, 'Poverty can indeed be sold.' The old woman said, 'If poverty can be sold, how is it sold?' Kātyāyana said, 'If you wish to sell it, comply entirely with my words.' He instructed her to wash first. After she had washed, he taught her to give alms. The woman said to the Venerable, 'I am poor and destitute; on my body there is not a single thread of intact clothing. There is only this pitcher, which belongs to my master. What should I give as alms?' He then held out his bowl, gave it to her, and instructed her to draw water and offer it. He received it, offered blessings on her behalf, then transmitted the precepts to her, and finally taught her mindfulness of the Buddha. Having finished, he asked her, 'Where do you stay?' The slave woman replied, 'I have no fixed place; wherever I finish pounding, cooking, or grinding, I sleep right there, or on top of dung heaps.' The Venerable said to her, 'You should serve with an attentive and reverent mind. Wait until your master and everyone else have gone to sleep, then secretly open the door and enter. Spread straw inside the room, sit down, and contemplate the Buddha.' The woman, having received the instruction, went to that spot at night, sat down, and died inside the room, being reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. At dawn, the master saw her, became angry, and said, 'This slave was never allowed into the house; why did she suddenly die here?' He immediately sent people to bind her feet with straw and cast her into the Śītavana charnel ground. Having been reborn in heaven, this slave girl had a retinue of five hundred devaputras. Using the divine eye, she observed her past body and the causes for her rebirth in heaven. She then led those five hundred devaputras, carrying incense and flowers, to the Śītavana. They burned incense and scattered flowers to make offerings to the corpse, emitting heavenly radiance that illuminated the village and forest. The master, astonished, informed everyone far and wide, and they went to the forest to see. Having seen it, they said, 'This slave woman is already dead; why are you making offerings to her?' The devaputra replied, 'This is my former body.' She then explained in full the circumstances of her rebirth in heaven. Afterwards, they all went to Kātyāyana's place to pay homage and make offerings. Because of this, he preached the Dharma, and the five hundred devaputras all attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Having attained the fruit, they returned to heaven. For this reason, the wise should all emulate this.