法苑珠林 71.49

71.49

Fourth is reprimanding the fault of the desire for tastes. One should awaken oneself: 'It is solely because of greedy attachment to fine tastes that I will suffer many torments, having molten copper poured into my mouth and swallowing burning iron pellets.' If one does not contemplate food, and one's craving mind is firmly attached, one will fall among foul worms. For example, there was a novice whose heart was always fond of curd. Whenever the dānapatis offered curd to the saṃgha, the novice would always receive the leftover portions; in his heart he was attached to it and could not bear to be parted from his delight in it. After his life ended, he was reborn inside a jar containing these curd leftovers. The novice's master attained arhatship. When the saṃgha was distributing the curd, the master said: 'Gently, do not harm this curd-loving novice.' The people said: 'This is a worm; why do you call it the curd-loving novice?' He answered: 'This worm was originally my novice; solely because of greedy love for leftover curd, he was reborn in this jar.' When the master received his portion of curd, the worm came within it. The master said: 'Curd-lover, why have you come?' and immediately gave him the curd. Furthermore, there was a king named Candrabhāga. The king had a crown prince who was attached to fine tastes. The king's orchard keeper daily presented fine fruits. In the orchard was a large tree upon which a bird was rearing its fledglings; it would often fly to the Gandhamādana Mountains, fetch fine fragrant fruits, and feed them to its young. The fledglings fought over them, and one fruit fell to the ground. The orchard keeper saw it at dawn, marveled at its rarity, and immediately presented it to the king. The king treasured this fruit, for its fragrance and colour were extraordinary. The crown prince saw it and demanded it; the king loved his son, so he gave it to him. The prince ate the fruit, savoured its flavour, became deeply attached to it, and wanted it every day. The king then summoned the orchard keeper and asked him where it came from. The orchard keeper said: 'This fruit has no seed [here]; I found it on the ground and do not know where it came from.' The prince wept and would not eat. The king pressed and reproached the orchard keeper, saying: 'I depend upon you to obtain it.' The orchard keeper went to the place where he had found the fruit, saw the bird's nest, and realized that the bird had brought it. Concealing himself in the tree, he waited to take it. When the mother bird came, he snatched the fruit and delivered it, doing so every day. The mother bird was enraged, went to the Gandhamādana Mountains, and brought back a poisonous fruit, making its scent, taste, and colour resemble the previous one. The orchard keeper snatched it and presented it to the king; the king gave it to the prince. Not long after eating it, his flesh rotted away and he died. Various causes and conditions such as these are called reprimanding the faults of the desire for tastes.