法苑珠林 59

English (machine translation) 59

Language: English

59.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

59.3

Division 5: Past Obstacles (Briefly citing ten conditions)

1. Condition of Sundarī's slander of the Buddha
2. Condition of Ciñcāmāṇavikā's slander of the Buddha
3. Condition of the Buddha suffering from a headache
4. Condition of the Buddha suffering from joint pains
5. Condition of the Buddha suffering from back pain
6. Condition of the Buddha's foot being pierced by a wooden splinter
7. Condition of the Buddha bleeding from a stone thrown by Devadatta
8. Condition of the Buddha being slandered by the Brahmin woman Ciñcā with a tied bowl
9. Condition of the Buddha eating horse barley
10. Condition of the Buddha undergoing six years of austerities

59.5

1. Condition of Sundarī's slander of the Buddha

59.6

The Sūtra of the Arising of Past Activities states: The Tathāgata, leading five hundred arhats, would regularly recite the precepts among them on the fifteenth day of the month. At that time, Śāriputra asked the Buddha about ten matters. Śāriputra arose from his flower seat, adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee facing the Buddha, and with palms joined, asked the World-Honoured One, 'World-Honoured One, there is nothing you do not see, nothing you do not hear, nothing you do not know. The World-Honoured One is peerless; all evils are extinguished, and all virtues are fully possessed. You wish to save all sentient beings. Why does the World-Honoured One now still manifest residual karmic conditions? We pray that the Buddha himself will explain this so that devas and humans may understand. By what karmic condition were you slandered by Sundarī? By what karmic condition were you and the five hundred arhats slandered by Ciñcāmāṇavikā? By what karmic condition did the World-Honoured One himself suffer from a headache? By what karmic condition did the World-Honoured One himself suffer from joint pains? By what karmic condition did the World-Honoured One himself suffer from back pain? By what karmic condition was your foot pierced by a wooden splinter? By what karmic condition did Devadatta break your toe and make it bleed? By what karmic condition were you slandered before the great assembly by the sharp-tongued woman carrying a wooden bowl? By what karmic condition did you eat horse barley together with five hundred monks in the town of Verañjā? By what karmic condition did you undergo six years of austerities in the land of Uruvilvā?' The Buddha told Śāriputra, 'Return to your flower seat; I shall explain to you the former conditions.' Śāriputra immediately returned to his seat. Hearing that the Buddha was about to speak, the great dragon king Anavatapta jumped for joy and immediately fashioned for the Buddha an openwork canopy of the seven treasures, from which sandalwood powder incense rained down everywhere in immeasurable quantities. The devas and the eight classes of beings all came to the Buddha, paid homage, and stood by. The Buddha told Śāriputra, 'In the past, long ago, there was a gambler in the city of Vārāṇasī named Śuddhākṣa. At that time there was a courtesan named Mṛgī, who was graceful and beautiful. Śuddhākṣa said to Mṛgī, "Let us go to the garden together and make merry." The woman said, "Very well." Mṛgī then returned home, adorned herself with garments, and together they prepared a carriage, went to the garden, and amused themselves for a day and a night. Greedy in heart, Śuddhākṣa thought to kill this woman and take her clothes. He also thought, "After killing her, how should I conceal her?" At that time, there was a pratyekabuddha in this garden named Modanirvāṇa. Not far from him, Śuddhākṣa waited until he went begging for food, and thought, "I will bury her in his hut, take the clothes, and leave. Who would know my whereabouts?" Having thought this, he killed her, buried her, smoothed the ground as before, mounted his carriage and departed, entering the city by another gate. At that time the king of the country was named Brahmadatta. The people of the country did not see Mṛgī, and word finally reached the king. The king summoned his ministers to search throughout the city, but they could not find her. Going to the hut in the garden, they searched and found the corpse. The ministers said to Nirvāṇa, "Having already committed impurity, why did you go further and kill her?" The pratyekabuddha remained silent and did not reply. This was repeated three times, and he did not reply. The pratyekabuddha then had dirt on his hands and feet; this was due to past conditions. The ministers tied the pratyekabuddha’s hands behind his back, beat him, and interrogated him. A tree deity manifested half of his body and said to the people, "Do not beat this person!" The ministers said, "Why should we not beat him?" The deity said, "He has no such nature; he never does wrong." Although the ministers heard this, they refused to listen and comply, and took him to the king. When the king heard this, he was enraged and commanded the ministers: "Quickly bind him, put him on a donkey, beat the drums, and parade him all around. Take him out of the south gate of the city to beneath the tree; stab him with spears, impale him on a pole, and shoot him with bows to the utmost limit. If he is not dead, then crush his head." The ministers received the order. The people of the country all found it strange; some believed it and some did not, and the crowd grieved. At that time, Śuddhākṣa was hiding behind a broken wall. Hearing the people's words, he stealthily watched the procession. Having seen this, he thought, "This practitioner of the Way is dying unjustly." Having thought so, he ran toward them, shouting to the assembly, "High officials, do not kill this man in distress! I am the one who killed her. Please release the practitioner of the Way and bind me to face punishment!" The officials were all startled and said, "How could anyone take another's punishment upon himself?" They immediately released the pratyekabuddha together, and bound Śuddhākṣa with his hands behind his back as before. The high officials all bowed in homage and repented before the pratyekabuddha: "We were foolish; for no reason we unjustly tormented you, practitioner of the Way. Pray forgive our offense with your great compassion, and do not let us suffer this heavy disaster in the future." This was repeated three times, and the pratyekabuddha did not reply. The pratyekabuddha thought, "It is not fitting for me to enter the city of Vārāṇasī again to beg for food. It is fitting that I enter extinction before the assembly." He then sprang up into the air before the assembly, moving back and forth, sitting, lying, standing, and stopping, performing eighteen transformations: 1. Below the waist emitting smoke, above the waist emitting fire; 2. Or below the waist emitting fire, above the waist emitting smoke; 3. Or from the left side emitting smoke, from the right side emitting fire; 4. Or from the left side emitting fire, from the right side emitting smoke; 5. Or in front of the belly emitting smoke, on the back emitting fire; 6. Or in front of the belly emitting fire, on the back emitting smoke; 7. Or below the waist emitting fire, above the waist emitting water; 8. Or below the waist emitting water, above the waist emitting fire; 9. Or from the left side emitting water, from the right side emitting fire; 10. Or from the left side emitting fire, from the right side emitting water; 11. Or in front of the belly emitting water, on the back emitting fire; 12. Or in front of the belly emitting fire, on the back emitting water; 13. Or from the left shoulder emitting water, from the right shoulder emitting fire; 14. Or from the left shoulder emitting fire, from the right shoulder emitting water; 15. Or from both shoulders emitting water, or from both shoulders emitting fire; 16. Or from the entire body emitting smoke; 17. Or from the entire body emitting fire; 18. Or from the entire body emitting water. He then burned his body in the sky and entered extinction. Thereupon the great assembly all wept and wailed; some repented, and some paid homage, took his relics, and erected a stūpa at the crossroads. The officials then took Śuddhākṣa to the king, and again dirt attached to his hands and feet. The king, enraged, had him executed as before. The Buddha told Śāriputra, "Śuddhākṣa at that time was none other than myself; the woman Mṛgī is now Sundarī; King Brahmadatta at that time is now the Śākya stick-wielder. Because at that time I killed Mṛgī and brought unjust distress upon the pratyekabuddha, due to that karmic offense, I fell into Niraya for countless thousands of years, fell among animals for countless thousands of years, and fell among hungry ghosts for countless thousands of years. Due to the residual distress of that time, although I have now become a Buddha, I still incur this slander."'

59.7

2. Condition of Ciñcāmāṇavikā's slander of the Buddha

59.8

The Sūtra on Karmic Conditions of the Buddha's Prior Deeds says: The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Long ago in the past, ninety-one kalpas ago, there was at that time a king named Suvaktra-kṛta. There was a brāhmaṇa named Yajnidatta, who loved broad learning and constantly taught five hundred youths of noble families. There was also a brāhmaṇa named Brahmā, exceedingly wealthy and possessing great riches, whose wife was named Śuddhasvarā. Her appearance was foremost, and by nature and conduct she was gentle and harmonious, without jealousy. Yajnidatta took Brahmā as his dānapati, and his wife Śuddhasvarā made offerings of the four requisites to Yajnidatta without lack. There was a pratyekabuddha named Upasikṣa who entered the city to beg for food and happened to arrive at Brahmā's gate. Śuddhasvarā saw that the pratyekabuddha's robes were neat and orderly and that he walked slowly and mindfully, and her heart was filled with joy. She immediately invited him to receive offerings, [saying,] ‘From now on, please always accept my invitation.’ She then filled his bowl with delicious food and gave it to him. Having received it, the pratyekabuddha ascended into the air, circled seven times, and flew back. At that time, the people in the city saw this supernatural footstep; the whole country was filled with joy, making offerings insatiably. Śuddhasvarā's offerings to the pratyekabuddha increased day by day, while her attendance upon Yajnidatta consequently grew meager. Yajnidatta then gave rise to jealousy and words of slander: ‘This religious practitioner truly has no talent or virtue, and engages in impure conduct!’ He then told his five hundred disciples: ‘This religious practitioner violates the precepts and has no energetic practice.’ The youths each returned home and announced: ‘This religious practitioner has no pure conduct; he has intercourse with Śuddhasvarā.’ The people of the country all harbored doubts: ‘If he possesses such supernatural powers, how could there be this scandalous talk?’ The defamatory rumor lasted for seven years before it ceased. Afterwards, the pratyekabuddha manifested the eighteen transformations and entered parinirvāṇa. The multitude only then knew that Yajnidatta had falsely slandered the pratyekabuddha. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘The Yajnidatta of that time was myself. The Brahmā of that time was King Udayana today. The Śuddhasvarā of that time was Ciñcā-māṇavikā today. The five hundred youths of that time were the five hundred arhats today.’ The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘Because of sharing offerings at that time, I gave rise to jealousy and together with you slandered the pratyekabuddha. Due to this karmic cause, we together entered the hells, boiled and stewed in cauldrons of boiling liquid for countless thousands of years. Owing to the residual misfortune of this, even though I have now attained buddhahood, together with you all there is still the slander by Ciñcā-māṇavikā.’”

59.9

Karmic Cause of the Buddha Suffering a Headache, the Third

59.10

The Sūtra on Karmic Conditions of the Buddha's Prior Deeds says: The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Long ago in past ages, in the city of Rājagṛha, at that time the grain was dear and people suffered miserably from famine. People all gathered white bones, crushed them, boiled them, and drank the broth, digging up the roots of all kinds of grasses to prolong their frail lives. One pint of gold was used to trade for one pint of grain. At that time, in the city of Rājagṛha, there was a large village of several hundred families named Jūyuè. Not far to the east of the village was a pond called ‘Abundant Fish’. The people of Jūyuè village led their wives and children to the Abundant Fish pond to catch fish and eat them. Catching the fish, they placed them on the bank, where they flopped upon dry land. At that time, I was a small child, just four years old. Seeing them flop, I rejoiced. At that time, there were two kinds of fish in the pond: one named Mai, and one named Duoshe. They said to each other: ‘We did not harm men, yet we are unjustly killed. In future lives we shall take retribution.’ The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘The people of Jūyuè village, men and women, young and old at that time, are now the Śākya clan of Kapilavastu. The small child at that time was myself. The fish Mai of that time was King Viḍūḍabha. The fish Duoshe of that time was the king’s soothsayer-brāhmaṇa named Duḥśīla. At that time, when the fish were flopping, I struck the head of a fish with a small stick. Due to this karmic cause, I fell into the hells for countless thousands of years. Even though I have now attained buddhahood, due to these residual conditions, when King Viḍūḍabha attacked the Śākya clan, I developed a headache.’ The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘When my headache first began, I said to Ānanda: ‘Fill a four-dou bowl with cold water and bring it here.’ Ānanda brought it according to instructions. I wiped the sweat on my forehead with a finger and dripped it into the water; the water immediately evaporated away, just as if consumed by fire. All day long it was like dropping a single drop of water into a large empty cooking cauldron over a fire, and the water was instantly scorched dry. Such was the heat of the headache. Even if the crags jutting out from the side of Mount Sumeru, from one yojana to a hundred yojanas, were pressed against the heat of my headache, they would surely be melted away.’”

59.11

Karmic Cause of the Buddha Suffering from Pain in the Joints and Bones, the Fourth

59.12

The Sūtra on Karmic Conditions of the Buddha's Prior Deeds says: The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Long ago in past ages, in the city of Rājagṛha, there was an elder's son who fell severely ill with a fever. In that city there was the son of a great physician, who knew all medicines and could cure numerous ailments. The elder's son called to the physician's son, saying: ‘Treat my illness! If I am healed, I will give you great wealth and jewels.’ The physician's son then treated the elder's illness. After being cured, [the patient] did not reward his service. Later, the elder's son fell ill again; [the physician's son] treated and cured him up to three times, yet was not rewarded. Later, falling ill again, he continued to summon him for treatment. The physician's son thought: ‘Previously I treated him three times and cured him three times, yet was never rewarded; I have been cheated like this. Now when I treat him, I must make an end of him once and for all!’ He then gave him bad medicine; the illness consequently worsened, and he died. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘The physician's son at that time was myself. The sick son at that time was Devadatta. At that time, because I gave him this bad medicine and caused his death, due to this karmic cause, I suffered the torments of the hells, as well as the suffering of animals and hungry ghosts, for several thousand years. Owing to these residual conditions, even though I have now attained buddhahood, this disease of painful joints and bones still arises.’”

59.13

Karmic Cause of the Buddha Suffering from Back Pain, the Fifth

59.14

The Sūtra on Karmic Conditions of the Buddha's Prior Deeds says: The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Long ago in past ages, in the city of Rājagṛha, it was the occasion of a great festival gathering. At that time in the country there were two wrestlers: one of kṣatriya stock and one of brāhmaṇa stock. They wrestled together. The brāhmaṇa said to the kṣatriya: ‘Do not throw me; I will give you great wealth and treasure.’ The kṣatriya then did not use his full strength to subdue him. Both of them gained [standing] and both received the king's rewards. At that time, the brāhmaṇa ultimately did not repay the kṣatriya. At the next festival, they came again to wrestle, and [the brāhmaṇa] again made the same request and promise as before. The kṣatriya again spared him and did not throw him, receiving the reward as above. This happened up to three times without repayment. At a later festival they met again. The brāhmaṇa spoke again to the kṣatriya, saying: ‘What was promised before and after shall all be repaid together at one time.’ The kṣatriya thought to himself: ‘This man has deceived me repeatedly. Not only has he failed to repay me, he has also encroached upon my share. Today I shall destroy him.’ He then gave a forced laugh and said: ‘You have cheated me full three times; now I have no use for your goods.’ He then pressed his neck with his right hand, seized his waist from between his thighs with his left hand, and thrust with both hands, snapping his spine like breaking a sugar cane. He lifted him up and spun him three times so that the crowd could see, and then threw him to the ground, killing him instantly. The king and his ministers all rejoiced greatly, bestowing one hundred thousand gold coins. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘The kṣatriya at that time was myself; the brāhmaṇa was Devadatta. At that time, because of greed and anger, I wrestled and killed the wrestler. Due to this karmic cause, I fell into the hells for several thousand years. Even though I have now attained buddhahood and all defilements are exhausted, because of the residual conditions of that time, I still suffer from this backache today.’”

59.15

Karmic Cause of the Buddha's Foot Being Pierced by a Wooden Splinter, the Sixth

59.16

The Sūtra on the Arising of Past Deeds states: The Buddha was staying in the Bamboo Grove monastery at Rājagṛha together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikṣus. In the early morning, having put on his robes and taken his bowl, he entered the city of Rājagṛha to beg for alms together with the five hundred bhikṣus and Ānanda. Going from house to house in turn, he saw in this lane a piece of cracked hard wood, one foot two inches long, standing upright before the Buddha. The Buddha then thought: 'This is a past condition. I myself created it, and I must certainly receive it.' When the crowd heard of it and saw it, they all gathered to watch. The great assembly saw it and gasped in astonishment. The Buddha thought again: 'Now I must visibly repay the retribution of this past condition, so that people may see it, have faith in, and understand karmic retribution, and not dare to commit evil.' The Buddha then leaped into empty space, a fathom above the ground. The wooden stake pursued the Buddha, also rising one fathom high and standing before the Buddha. The Buddha rose further to two fathoms, four fathoms, and up to seven fathoms; the stake also rose following him up to seven fathoms. The World-Honoured One rose further to the height of a tāla tree; this stake also rose to the height of a tāla tree. The Buddha rose further up to ten tāla trees; the stake also followed him upward and stood before the Buddha. The Buddha rose further to a height of seven li, and even up to seven yojanas; the stake also followed him. The Buddha transformed a blue stone in the air, six yojanas thick, and twelve yojanas in breadth and length; the Buddha stood upon it. The stake then bored through the stone, emerged, and stood before the Buddha. The Buddha again transformed water in the air, ten yojanas broad, two yojanas long, and six yojanas deep, and stood upon the water. The stake again passed through the water and stood before the Buddha. The Buddha again transformed a great fire in the air, twelve yojanas in breadth and length, and six yojanas high, and stood upon its flames. The stake also passed through the flames and arrived before the Buddha to stand. The Buddha again transformed a whirlwind in the air, twelve yojanas in breadth and length, and six yojanas high, and stood upon the wind. The stake came slantwise from the side toward the Buddha and stood before him. The Buddha rose further to the palace of the Four Heavenly Kings; progressing successively in this way, he reached the Brahmā Heaven. From the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the wooden stake came up in sequence, even to the Brahmā Heaven, and stood before the Buddha. The devas all said to one another: 'The Buddha fears this stake and flees, yet the stake pursues him without relenting.' At that time, the World-Honoured One preached the Dharma of his past conditions to the Brahmā devas. Returning from the Brahmā Heaven, he progressed back down to the city of Rājagṛha; to all the heavens he passed through, he preached the Dharma of past conditions. The stake also followed him, ascending and descending, to the city of Rājagṛha. The Buddha also preached the Dharma of past conditions to the people of Rājagṛha. The Buddha and the bhikṣu saṃgha went out of the city of Rājagṛha, and the stake also followed behind the Buddha. The people of the kingdom all pursued the Buddha out of the city. The Buddha asked the crowd: 'Where do you wish to go?' The crowd replied: 'We wish to follow the Tathāgata to see this circumstance.' The Buddha said to the crowd: 'Return to your respective homes. The Tathāgata knows the proper time himself.' Ānanda asked the Buddha: 'Why does the Tathāgata send the crowd back?' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'If the crowd were to see me repay this condition, they would all faint, fall to the ground, and appear dead.' Ānanda then remained silent. The World-Honoured One then returned to the Bamboo Grove saṃghārāma, stayed in his own chamber, and instructed the bhikṣus: 'Each return to your own chambers.' Ānanda asked the Buddha: 'What should I do?' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'You also return to your chamber.' Ānanda then returned. The Buddha then thought: 'This condition was created by myself in a past life; I must certainly repay it.' He immediately took his saṅghāṭī, folded it fourfold, and returned to sit on his original seat. The Buddha then extended his right foot. The wooden stake then pierced straight through the instep of his foot from top to bottom, entering deep into the earth for sixty-eight thousand yojanas. Passing through the earth, it reached the water; the depth of the water was also sixty-eight thousand yojanas. Passing through the water, it reached the fire; the height of the fire was sixty-eight thousand yojanas. Only upon reaching the fire was it scorched away. At that moment, the earth quaked in six ways. Ānanda and all the bhikṣus each thought to themselves: 'Now this earth has quaked; that stake must have pierced the Buddha's foot.' After the Buddha was wounded, he suffered intense, aching pain. Ānanda immediately went to the Buddha's dwelling. Seeing the wound where the stake had pierced the Buddha's foot, he fainted and collapsed to the ground. The Buddha sprinkled water on him, and Ānanda then arose. Having arisen, he paid homage to the Buddha's feet, rubbed and kissed the Buddha's feet, weeping and shedding tears. [He thought:] 'With these feet the Buddha walked beneath the tree to conquer Māra, and ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to preach the Dharma for his mother. The World-Honoured One has a vajra body; for what cause has he been injured by wood?' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Cease now and do not weep. Such is the suffering and affliction in the worldly conditions of transmigrating through birth and death.' Ānanda asked the Buddha: 'How is the pain of the wound now—has it increased or decreased?' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'It has gradually diminished.' Śāriputra and all the bhikṣus came to pay homage to the Buddha, and the questions and answers were likewise. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus: 'Cease now and do not weep. I myself created this condition in a previous life; I must certainly receive it, and there is nowhere to flee or evade it. This retribution was not caused by father or mother, nor was it caused by heavenly kings or śramaṇas; the Buddha created it himself and receives it himself.' Those who had extinguished all defilements and attained supernormal powers each remained silent, contemplating the verse that had been spoken in past days:

59.17

"The deeds that people in the world perform, / Whether they do good or evil things, / These deeds return to their own bodies; / In the end they never decay or perish."

59.18

At that time, Jīvaka, King Ajātaśatru, and others, hearing that the Buddha had been pierced in the foot by a wooden stake, fell from their couches, fainted to the ground, and only revived after a long while. The entire palace was terrified. The king arose, wept, and ordered the ministers: 'Quickly prepare the carriage; I wish to go to the Buddha's dwelling.' The ministers, having received the order, immediately prepared the carriage. The king mounted the chariot and left the city. Within the city, hundreds of thousands of men and women from the clans of the four castes surrounded him, and together they arrived at the Buddha's dwelling. The Buddha was lying on his right side. After the king paid homage to the Buddha, he took the Buddha's foot in his hands, wiped it, kissed it with his mouth, [and asked:] 'Has the World-Honoured One's wound and pain diminished at all?' After the Buddha comforted the king, he bid the king sit down. The king said: 'I have heard from the Tathāgata that the Buddha's body is vajra-like and indestructible. Why has he now been pierced by a wooden stake?' The Buddha told the king: 'All dharmas are conditioned retributions. Although my body is vajra-like and cannot be destroyed by a wooden stake, it has been broken by this past retribution.' He then spoke a verse:

59.19

"What people in the world perform, / They each shall see [the fruits of] their deeds: / Practicing good, one receives good retribution; / Practicing evil, one receives evil retribution."

59.20

"Therefore, Great King, you should abandon evil and follow good. Those who are foolish, do not study or inquire, and have not yet recognized the true Path, laugh in jest over minor transgressions, yet later they must wail and weep. One must not commit offenses in jest and afterward suffer great calamity." The king said to Jīvaka: 'Compound good medicine, wash the wound, and treat it with mantras; you must cause it to be healed promptly.' Jīvaka replied: 'Yes.' Jīvaka then paid homage to the Buddha, washed the foot, applied the medicine, and after that the pain ceased. Jīvaka brought out fine cotton cloth worth hundreds of thousands [of coins] to wrap the Buddha's foot, rubbed the foot with his hands, and kissed it with his mouth, saying: 'May the Buddha live to an old age, may this affliction be quickly removed, and may all sentient beings also attain liberation from the suffering of the long night [of saṃsāra].' He then arose, paid homage to the Buddha, and stood to one side. The Buddha thereupon preached the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths for the king and the entire assembly. Sixty bhikṣus attained the extinction of defilements and mental liberation; eleven thousand people attained the purity of the Dharma eye. Furthermore, hundreds of thousands of devas told one another and all came to comfort the Buddha; after speaking verses of praise, they paid homage to the Buddha and departed. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: 'Long ago, countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas in the past, there were two groups of merchants, five hundred men in each, in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī. Each group pooled their capital, prepared ships, and crossed the ocean. Sailing directly with the wind, they arrived at a treasure island. On the island there was great abundance: clothing, bedding, food and drink, exquisite maidens, and various naga-treasures—there was nothing lacking. One group of merchants said to their members: "What we sought has already been obtained; we should now stay here and amuse ourselves with the five desires." The second sārthavāha told his group: "We should not stay here long." At that time, a devī in the sky, taking pity on these people, spoke from the sky to the merchants: "Although there are treasures, maidens, clothing, and food here, it is not suitable to stay long. After seven days, this land will completely sink into the water." Having finished speaking, she transformed and vanished. There was also a Māra-woman who wished to make them drown entirely; she admonished them not to leave: "What the previous goddess said about water submerging this place is entirely false and untrustworthy." Having spoken, she transformed and vanished. The first sārthavāha did not believe the goddess's announcement, and delighting to stay, did not leave. The second sārthavāha, fearing the water, would not stay. After seven days, as the previous goddess had said, the water covered the land. Having prepared their ship beforehand, before the day arrived, the group led by him was able to board the ship. The first sārthavāha had not prepared a ship beforehand; on the day the water arrived, with those who were prepared, they donned lances and took up staves to fight one another. The second sārthavāha pierced through the first sārthavāha's foot with a lance, and he immediately died. The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'Do you know that the first sārthavāha was what is now Devadatta? The second sārthavāha was myself. At that time, the first group of five hundred merchants were the five hundred disciples of Devadatta today. At that time, the second group of five hundred merchants were the five hundred arhats today. At that time, the first devī was Śāriputra today. At that time, the second devī was the bhikṣu named Pūrṇamāsa, a disciple of the brāhmaṇa. The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'When I was a sārthavāha in the past, coveting the division of wealth in the face of death, crossing the ocean and contending with him for the ship, I pierced the sārthavāha's foot with a lance. Because of this condition, I underwent the suffering of hell for countless thousands of years; I fell into the animal realm and was shot by men; for countless thousands of years among the hungry ghosts, I trod upon iron awls. Although I have now attained a vajra body, because of the remnant of that calamity, I have now been pierced by a wooden stake.'

59.21

Furthermore, the Upāyakauśalya Sūtra states: In the past, there were twenty men in the city of Śrāvastī who were all in their final existence. These twenty men had another twenty enemies, each of whom thought: 'I will pretend to be his friend, go to his house, and deprive him of his life-faculty, without telling anyone.' At that time, through the Buddha's supernatural power, those forty people came together to the Buddha's dwelling. At that time, in order to subdue these forty people, the Tathāgata spoke to Mahāmaudgalyāyana in the midst of the great assembly: 'Let this great earth produce a khadira thorn that seeks to pierce my right foot.' Before it reached his foot, this khadira thorn emerged from the earth, one cubit in length. When it emerged, Maudgalyāyana said to the Buddha: 'I will now take this thorn and cast it into another world.' The Buddha said to Maudgalyāyana: 'It is not within your power; as this thorn is in the earth, you cannot uproot it.' At that time, Maudgalyāyana, using his great supernormal power, went forward to uproot this thorn. At that time, the trichiliocosm quaked violently, and all worlds were lifted along with the thorn, yet he could not move it by even a hair's breadth. At that time, the World-Honoured One, using his supernormal power, ascended to the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings; that thorn also followed the Buddha. Progressing successively in this way, even to the Brahmā Heaven, it was likewise. At that time, the Tathāgata returned from the Brahmā Heaven to his original seat in Jambudvīpa; the thorn also pursued him back, stood upright in this earth, and pointed toward the Tathāgata. At that time, the Tathāgata immediately seized the thorn with his right hand, pressed the ground with his left hand, and stepped on it with his right foot. At that time, the trichiliocosm quaked violently. Then the venerable Ānanda pressed his palms together toward the Buddha and said: 'World-Honoured One, what kind of karma did you perform in the past to receive such retribution?' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'In a past life, having entered the great ocean, I held a spear and pierced a man, terminating his life-faculty. Due to this condition, I received such retribution. Good sons, after I explained this karmic condition, those twenty enemy-thieves who wished to harm the twenty men thought: "If even the Tathāgata, the King of the Dharma, receives such retribution for evil karma, how could we not receive this retribution?" These twenty men immediately arose from their seats, bowed their heads and faces to the Buddha's feet, and said: "Today we repent before the Buddha and dare not conceal anything. Formerly we had evil minds and wished to harm those people; now we repeatedly repent and dare not conceal anything." Then the twenty men attained correct understanding, and forty thousand people also attained correct understanding. Therefore, the Tathāgata's manifestation of the khadira thorn piercing his foot is called the Tathāgata's skillful means.'

59.22

Circumstance Seven: The Buddha Has Blood Drawn by Devadatta Hurlng a Stone

59.23

The *Xingqixing jing* states: The Buddha told Śāriputra: “In the past, during an age long gone, there was an elder in the city of Rājagṛha named Sudhana. He was very wealthy, possessing abundant treasures and fully endowed with property. He had a son named Sumati. His father, Sudhana, suddenly passed away. Sumati had a younger half-brother by a different mother named Suyaśas. Sumati thought to himself: ‘How can I devise a plan not to give Yaśas his share of the wealth? Only by killing him can I manage not to give it to him.’ Sumati said to Yaśas: ‘Elder brother, let us go up together onto Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa to converse and debate.’ Yaśas said: ‘Very well.’ Sumati then took his younger brother by the hand and went up the mountain. Leading him to the very highest point, he pushed him down to the bottom of the cliff and crushed him with stones, whereupon his life immediately ended. The Buddha told Śāriputra: “Do you know that the elder Sudhana at that time was none other than the present royal father, Śuddhodana? The son Sumati at that time was none other than myself. The younger brother Suyaśas was none other than the present Devadatta. The Buddha told Śāriputra: “At that time, out of greed for wealth, I harmed my younger brother. On account of this sin, for countless thousands of years I was burned and boiled in hell, crushed and pressed by iron mountains. Owing to a residue of karmic conditions from that time, even though I have now attained buddhahood, I could not escape this past retribution. While I was walking mindfully on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa, Devadatta lifted a cliff boulder sixty feet long and thirty feet wide to hurl at the Buddha's head. A mountain spirit named Kumbhīra caught the stone with his hands. A small fragment from the edge of the stone flew off and struck the big toe of the Buddha's foot, which broke and bled.”

59.24

Eighth Condition: The Buddha Slandered by the Brahmin Woman Ciñcā Carrying a Wooden Basin.

59.25

The *Xingqixing jing* states: The Buddha told Śāriputra: “In the past, immeasurable kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Jinajaya Tathāgata. There were two kinds of bhikṣus: one named Ajaya and the other named Nityapramudita. The bhikṣu Ajaya had attained the six supernormal powers, whereas the bhikṣu Nityapramudita had not yet eliminated his fetters. At that time, in the city of Vārāṇasī, there was an elder named Mahāpriya, whose wealth was limitless. His wife was named Śāntā, incomparably upright and beautiful. The two kinds of bhikṣus came and went to his house, regarding him as their dānapati. The wife, Śāntā, made offerings to the bhikṣu Ajaya with no lack of the four requisites, whereas her offerings to Nityapramudita were meager. Because of this, he grew jealous and falsely fabricated slander, saying: ‘The bhikṣu Ajaya has illicit relations with Śāntā; he is not given offerings out of the Dharma of the Way, but solely out of affectionate lust.’ The Buddha told Śāriputra: “The bhikṣu Nityapramudita at that time was none other than myself. The wife Śāntā was the present Brahmin woman named Ciñcā. At that time, without cause, I slandered the arhat Ajaya. Because of the karmic condition of this sin, I fell into hell for countless thousands of years and suffered all manner of bitter pains. Even though I have now attained buddhahood, because of the remnant disaster, a slanderous young woman, tying a wooden basin to swell her belly, came before me and said: ‘Śramaṇa, why do you not speak of your own domestic affairs instead of speaking of others’ affairs? You alone make merry today, ignorant of my distress. You previously had illicit relations with me and caused me to be pregnant. Now my month is near, and I require ghee and oil to nurture the child; you must supply it all to me.’ At that time, the assembly all hung their heads in silence. Then Śakra Devānām Indra, who was standing behind attending and holding a fan, used his divine power to transform into a mouse, entered into her clothes, and gnawed through the cords of the wooden basin, which suddenly fell to the ground. At that time, the disciples of the four assemblies and the followers of the six teachers saw the basin fall to the ground and were all exceedingly joyful. Raising their voices in celebration, they laughed with boundless delight, all cursing in unison: ‘You dead, scarlet-clad, sinful creature! How could you give rise to such evil intent to slander the pure, unsurpassed, truly enlightened one? How could this insensate earth tolerate and support such an evil creature!’ As the crowd was saying these things, the earth split open and flames burst forth. The woman fell straight down into the great Avīci Naraka. When the great assembly saw the woman fall into Naraka in her physical body, King Ajātaśatru was greatly frightened, his hairs standing on end. He immediately arose, clasped his hands together, knelt upright, and said: ‘Where is the place into which this woman has fallen now?’ The Buddha answered: ‘Great King, the place into which this woman has fallen is named Avīci Naraka.’ King Ajātaśatru asked again: ‘This woman did not kill, nor did she steal. For what reason does false speech cause one to fall into Avīci?’ The Buddha told King Ajātaśatru: ‘The Dharma of conditions I speak of has higher, middling, and lower actions of body, speech, and mind.’ King Ajātaśatru asked again: ‘Which is the gravest? Which is middling? Which is the lowest?’ The Buddha told King Ajātaśatru: ‘Actions of mind are the gravest; actions of speech occupy the middle; actions of body are the lowest.’ The king asked the Buddha again, and the Buddha answered the king: ‘Actions of body are coarse and manifest; these matters can be seen. Actions of speech can be heard by the ear; these two matters are seen and heard by the world. When actions of mind give rise to thoughts, there is none who sees or hears them; these are internal matters. All actions are bound to the peg of the mind. Just as when a person wishes to commit the three bodily actions of killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct, or give vent to the four faults of speech—false speech, frivolous talk, harsh speech, and double-tongued speech—the mind first calculates before they are carried out. Therefore they are bound to the peg of the mind and are not in body or speech.’”

59.26

Thereupon the World-Honoured One spoke a verse:

59.27

“Thoroughly contemplate within the mind, / And only then carry out the two actions.
One flaunts shame regarding body and speech, / Yet has never felt ashamed in mind.
One should first feel shame in the mind, / And only then feel disgrace in body and speech.
These two do not depart from the body, / Nor can they operate alone.”

59.28

Thereupon King Ajātaśatru, hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma, wept in sorrow and was deeply moved. The Buddha asked the king: “Why do you weep?” The king answered the Buddha: “Because sentient beings lack wisdom and do not understand these three matters, they constantly suffer diminution and loss; therefore I am sorrowful. These sentient beings merely consider body and speech to be paramount, not knowing that the mind is deep and profound. Just as when people kill, steal, and commit sexual misconduct, all under heaven see it; when they commit the four actions of speech, all under heaven hear it. As for the three actions of the mind, they are not heard by the ear nor seen by the eye. Therefore sentient beings consider what is seen by the eye and heard by the ear to be paramount. Now that the Buddha has explained it, I know that the mind is paramount and body and speech are secondary. For this reason, the two matters of body and speech are bound to the peg of the mind. Just as the slanderous woman wished to slander and disparage the Buddha, her mind first thought of tying a basin to swell her belly and uttering this slander in the great assembly. Therefore we know that the mind is paramount and body and speech are secondary.” The Buddha said: “Excellent, excellent! Great King, you understand this matter well. You should constantly learn this matter of the mind being paramount and body and speech being secondary.” When he preached this Dharma, eight thousand bhikṣus ended their outflows and their minds were liberated; two hundred bhikṣus attained the path of anāgāmin; four hundred bhikṣus attained the path of sakṛdāgāmin; eight hundred bhikṣus attained the path of srotāpanna; eighty thousand heavenly beings attained the purity of the Dharma eye; one hundred thousand humans and non-humans all received the five precepts; and two hundred thousand ghosts and spirits took the three refuges.

59.29

The *Jātaka Sūtra* also states: At that time, the World-Honoured One, together with one thousand two hundred and fifty people, entered the city of Śrāvastī intending to go to King Prasenajit's palace to receive an invitation. At that time, there was a bhikṣuṇī named Baozhi (Caṇḍā) who tied a wooden bowl to her belly to make it appear as though she were pregnant. She then pulled at the Buddha's robe, [saying]: ‘You are my husband; I have become pregnant by you, yet you do not provide clothing or food. What is the meaning of this?’ At that time, the great assembly of gods, humans, Śakra, Brahmā, the Four Heavenly Kings, the devas, ghosts, spirits, and the people of the kingdom were all alarmed and terrified: ‘The Buddha is the most revered in all the three realms; his mind is purer than a maṇi jewel, and the light of his wisdom surpasses the sun and the moon. He walks alone through the three times, and none can equal him. Just as empty space cannot be defiled, the Buddha's mind exceeds it and has no peer. Since this bhikṣuṇī is a disciple of the Buddha, why does she harbor evil and wish to slander the Tathāgata?’ Thereupon the World-Honoured One, seeing the thoughts in the minds of the assembled gathering and wishing to resolve their doubts, looked up towards the sky above. At that moment, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, descended immediately, transformed into a mouse, and gnawed through the cord tying the bowl. The bowl immediately fell to the ground. When the assembly saw this, anger and joy were mingled, and they wondered at the reason for it. At that time, the king of the state was furious: ‘This bhikṣuṇī abandoned her home and departed from worldly occupation to become a disciple of the Buddha; since she cannot repay his kindness, does she conversely harbor jealousy and grudge to insult the Great Sage?’ He immediately ordered a pit to be dug deep into the ground, intending to bury her upside down. At that time, the Buddha reasoned with him: ‘Do not do so. This is my own past sin, not her fault alone. In the distant past, long ago, there was a merchant selling fine genuine pearls, numerous, round, and fine. At that time, a woman came wishing to buy them. A man doubled the price and took the pearls away for himself. Because the woman could not get them, she harbored resentment. When she asked to see them, he again refused to give them to her. Filled with surging fury, [she said]: “You have humiliated me! In wherever I am reborn, I will avenge this grudge against you, humiliating you wherever you are, until regret is of no avail.”’ The Buddha told the king and the others: ‘The man who bought the pearls at that time was none other than myself. The woman was none other than the bhikṣuṇī Baozhi. Because she harbored that grudge, wherever she is reborn she constantly wishes to slander me.’ When the Buddha spoke thus, the doubts of the assembly were resolved, and there was none who was not joyful.”

59.30

Ninth Condition: The Buddha Eating Horse Barley.

59.31

The *Xingqixing jing* states: The Buddha told Śāriputra: “In the distant past, long ago, there was a Buddha named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, residing in the city of Bandhumatī. The king was named Bandhumant, who, together with his ministers and common people, made offerings of the four requisites to the Tathāgata and the assembly, completely without lack. At that time in the city there was a Brahmin named Indragiri, who was widely versed in the four Vedic scriptures of the Brahmins and also understood the mathematical arts of the Nirgranthas, and taught five hundred youths. The great king prepared an assembly, first inviting the Buddha and the great assembly. The Buddha, seeing that the time had arrived, went to the king's palace and took his seat. The king then served the food, pouring and preparing various delicacies with his own hands. There was a bhikṣu named Maitreya who was ill at the time and could not go. After the Buddha and the great assembly finished eating, they each returned to their original places. They met the Brahmin mountain king, who, seeing the food was fragrant and delicious, gave rise to jealousy and thought: ‘These shave-headed śramaṇas ought properly to eat horse barley; they should not eat these sweet offerings of food.’ He told the youths: ‘Do you see these shave-headed men of the Way eating sweet and delicious delicacies?’ The youths said: ‘Indeed we see them; this teacher and master should also only eat horse barley.’ The Buddha told Śāriputra: “Do you know that the mountain-king Brahmin at that time was none other than myself? The five hundred youths at that time were the present five hundred arhats. The sick bhikṣu Maitreya at that time was the present Maitreya Bodhisattva. Because I gave rise to jealousy at that time and cursed them, saying they should not eat sweet delicacies and ought properly to eat horse barley, and you all said the same, on account of this condition, I and you all passed through hell for countless thousands of years. Even though I have now attained buddhahood, owing to a residue of karmic conditions from that time, I and you all had to eat horse barley in the town of Verañjā for ninety days. Because at that time I did not say to give horse barley to the Buddha, but only said to give it to the bhikṣus, for this reason I now received pounded barley from people. Because you all added the words that it should be given to the Buddha, today you ate barley with the husks on.”

59.32

Furthermore, the Mahāyāna-upāyakauśalya-sūtra says: For what reason did the Tathāgata and the saṃgha eat horse-fodder barley during the three months in the Brahmin village of Verañjā? The Buddha said: "Good sons, in the past I knew that this Brahmin would surely abandon his initial intention to invite the Buddha and the saṃgha and would fail to provide drink and food; yet I went deliberately to accept his invitation. Why? For the sake of those five hundred horses. In their former lives, these five hundred horses had already trained in the Bodhisattva Vehicle and had made offerings to past Buddhas. Because they associated with bad spiritual companions and created karmic conditions of evil deeds, they fell into the animal realm. Among the five hundred horses, there was a great horse named Sūryagarbha, who was a great bodhisattva. Formerly, while among humans, he had exhorted the five hundred small horses to generate the aspiration for awakening. In order to liberate these five hundred horses, he manifested birth among horses. Due to the majestic virtue of the great horse, he caused the five hundred horses to recall their own past lives; the mind they had originally lost, they now regained. Pitying those five hundred bodhisattvas who had fallen into the midst of horses, and desiring to enable them to gain release and be separated from animal rebirth, the Tathāgata knowingly accepted the invitation. At that time, the five hundred horses reduced their own eaten barley by half to offer it to the saṃgha, while the great horse offered half of his to the Tathāgata. Then the great horse, for the sake of the five hundred horses, preached the Dharma using the voice of a horse, teaching them to repent of their transgressions and causing them to pay homage to the Buddha and the saṃgha of monks. Having spoken of this, he further spoke thus: 'You should take half of the barley you eat and make offerings to the saṃgha.' At that time, after the five hundred horses had repented of their faults, they gave rise to pure faith in the Buddha and the saṃgha. After three months had passed, shortly thereafter those five hundred horses ended their lives and were reborn in Tuṣita Heaven. Those five hundred devaputras immediately came from heaven to the Buddha's abode, and having heard the preaching of the Dharma, they were determined to attain anuttarā samyaksaṃbodhi. The five hundred horses in a future life will become pratyekabuddhas. That great horse Sūryagarbha in a future life will also become a Buddha, named Suviśodhita Tathāgata. Although he ate grass, wood, clods of earth, tiles, and gravel, in the great trichiliocosm there was no flavor comparable to it. At that time Ānanda felt distress and sorrow in his heart: '[The Buddha], born of the lineage of a wheel-turning king, went forth from home to cultivate the Way, yet like a base and lowly person he eats this horse-fodder barley.' At that time I saw Ānanda's thought and immediately gave him a grain of barley, saying to Ānanda: 'Taste this barley; what is its flavor like?' After Ānanda had tasted it, he gave rise to a rare and wondrous thought: 'Since my birth into the royal family, I have never attained a flavor such as this.' After Ānanda had eaten this barley, for seven days and seven nights he had no thought of hunger or thirst. The Tathāgata also knew that if the five hundred monks ate fine food, it would increase their desires, but if they ate coarse food, their minds would not be covered by lustful craving. After the three months had passed, those monks were freed from lustful desires and realized the fruit of arhatship. Good sons, in order to tame the five hundred monks and liberate the five hundred horse bodhisattvas, the Tathāgata through the power of skillful means took upon himself the condition of eating horse-fodder barley for three months; it was not a karmic retribution."

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese