法苑珠林 59.25

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.’”