法苑珠林 77.24

77.24

Furthermore, the Ekottarika-āgama says: At that time, there were four great arhats: Maudgalyāyana, Kāśyapa, Aniruddha, and Piṇḍola. They gathered in one place and spoke thus: "Let us together observe within this city of Rājagṛha who has not made offerings to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha, or made merit." At that time, there was an elder named Bhadrika, whose wealth and treasures were incalculable. He was stingy and greedy, unwilling to practice giving to the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha; he had not the slightest hair of goodness. His past merits were exhausted, and he created no new ones. That elder had seven gates, each with guards, so that no beggar could approach the doors. Furthermore, he covered the inner courtyard with iron netting, fearing that flying birds might enter the courtyard. The elder had a younger sister named Nandā, who was also stingy and greedy, harbored wrong views, had no heart for giving or making merit, and acknowledged no one who had realized the fruition of the Path. She also had seven gates, just as before, such that no one could approach her doors. At that time, in the early morning, the elder Bhadrika was eating cakes. At that moment, Aniruddha welled up from the ground inside the elder's house and outstretched his bowl toward the elder. At that time, the elder was extremely sorrowful and distressed; he immediately gave a tiny bit of cake to Aniruddha. When Aniruddha had received the cake, he returned to his dwelling. At that time, the elder grew furious and said to the gatekeepers: "I gave orders not to let anyone enter. Why has someone come in?" The gatekeepers replied: "The gates and doors are secure. We do not know where this religious practitioner came from." At that time, the elder remained silent. When the elder had finished eating the cake, he next ate fish and meat. The Venerable Mahākāśyapa went to the elder's house, welled up from the ground, and outstretched his bowl toward the elder. The elder was extremely distressed, and gave him a tiny bit of fish and meat. When Kāśyapa had received the meat, he vanished from there and returned to his dwelling. At this, the elder became doubly furious, and said to the gatekeepers: "I previously instructed you not to let anyone enter. Why did you again allow two śramaṇas into the house to beg for food?" The gatekeepers replied: "We did not see where these śramaṇas came from." The elder replied: "These bald-headed śramaṇas are skilled in phantom arts; they deceive the people of the world and have no proper conduct." At that time, the elder's wife, sitting not far from the elder, heard this and said to him: "You should guard your speech. Do not speak like this and call it phantom arts! These śramaṇas possess great divine power. The reason they come is to bring abundant benefit. Does the elder know these two bhikṣus?" The elder replied: "I do not know them." The wife said: "[The first] is Prince Aniruddha, the son of Droṇodana. When he was born, this earth shook in six ways, and within one yojana around the house, hidden treasures naturally welled forth." The wife then said to the elder: "This son of a noble clan cultivated the brahma-conduct and attained the arhat path; he is foremost in the divine eye. As for the second bhikṣu, he is the son of the great brāhmaṇa named Kapila in this city of Rājagṛha, whose wealth and treasures are incalculable, who is said to have nine hundred and ninety-nine oxen to plow the fields. The son is named Pippalāyana; his body is golden in color, and his wife was named Bhadrā, exquisite among women—if refined purple gold were placed before her, it would seem as black compared to white. The elder replied: "I have heard the names of these two men, yet I have never seen them." His wife replied: "Those who came earlier and later are their very persons. Abandoning this jewel of a precious woman, [Kāśyapa] went forth to practice the Path, and has now attained arhatship; he always practices dhūta, with none superior to him. I observed this significance and therefore spoke thus: Guard your speech well, and do not slander holy ones by saying they practice phantom arts. These disciples of Śākya all possess divine virtues." At that time, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana put on his robes, held his bowl, and flew into the empty sky. Seeing him seated in the sky, the elder spoke thus: "Are you a deva? A gandharva? Are you a ghost? Or are you a rākṣasa, a human-devouring ghost?" Maudgalyāyana replied: "I am not a rākṣasa, ghost, or the like." At that time, the elder spoke this verse: