法苑珠林 77.10

77.10

Furthermore, the Kalpanāmaṇḍitikā says: 'I once heard in the past that in the city of Śrāvastī, the Buddha was walking in an open field with Ānanda. Beside a field, they saw a hidden treasure. The Buddha said to Ānanda: "This is a great poisonous snake." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "This is an evil poisonous snake." At that time, there was a farmer in the field who heard the Buddha and Ānanda say there was a poisonous snake, and he thought: "I should go look at it; what do the śramaṇas consider an evil poisonous snake?" He immediately went there and saw a heap of real gold, and said: "What the śramaṇas called a poisonous snake is actually fine gold!" He then took this gold and brought it back to his home. This person had formerly been poor, lacking clothing and food; because he obtained the gold, he became increasingly wealthy, indulging freely in food and clothing. The royal authorities found his sudden wealth suspicious, investigated him, and threw him into prison. Although the gold he had previously obtained was already exhausted, he was still not pardoned and was about to be executed. The man cried out: "Poisonous snake, Ānanda! Evil poisonous snake, World-Honoured One!" Bystanders heard this and reported the situation to the king. The king summoned that man and asked him: "Why do you cry out: 'Poisonous snake, Ānanda! Evil poisonous snake, World-Honoured One!'?" The man said to the king: "In past days while plowing in the field, I heard the Buddha and Ānanda speak of a poisonous snake and an evil poisonous snake. Only today have I awakened to understand." When the king heard this explanation, he promptly released him.'