法苑珠林 80.24

80.24

Furthermore, the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya and the Mahīśāsaka-vinaya state: 'Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Bhadrika there was a great householder named Meṇḍhaka. He had abundant wealth and treasures and great authority; according to his wishes, he provided for all beings and goods. There was a hole in his storehouse, as large as an axle-hub, from which grain and rice emerged of their own accord. His wife prepared cooked rice from eight sheng of rice and fed the fourfold army and visitors coming from the four directions, and the food remained unexhausted. His son gave a thousand liang of gold to the fourfold army and beggars coming from the four directions, and at his will it was never exhausted. His son's wife took a single packet of incense to anoint the fourfold army and the petitioners coming from the four directions, satisfying them at will, and the incense remained unexhausted. His male slave plowed seven furrows with a single plow, yielding grain in great abundance. His female slave gave eight sheng of grain to the fourfold army, and humans and horses eating it could not exhaust it. Freeborn and bondservants within the household disputed among themselves, each claiming, "This is the power of my merit!" Meṇḍhaka went to the Buddha to ask whose power it was. The Buddha said: "It belongs in common to all of you. Long ago in Rājagṛha there was a weaver. The weaver had a wife, and also had a son; the son also had a wife; and there was one male slave and one female slave. At one time, while eating together, a pratyekabuddha came to the house to beg for food. Each wanted to relinquish his or her own portion to give to him. The pratyekabuddha said: 'Let each reduce a small amount: it will not be small for you, and for me it will be sufficient.' They thereupon together followed his instruction. Having eaten, the pratyekabuddha displayed various divine transformations in the sky and only then departed. When the weaver's family died, they were born in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings, and up to the Heaven of Paranirmitavaśavartin, cycling back and forth seven times. The remaining merit culminates in this lifetime, with their karmic retributions being equal."'