法苑珠林 87.17

87.17

Furthermore, the Xianyu jing states: At that time, there was an alms-begging bhikṣu who kept the precepts purely. He had a novice (śrāmaṇera) disciple who guarded and upheld the prohibitive precepts, not violating them even at the cost of his life. An upāsaka had long extended an invitation to the master, sending him food each day to provide offerings at his dwelling. At that time, all the free and unfree members of the upāsaka's household went outside to work as hired hands, leaving only a single daughter to guard the house; and she forgot to send the food. Then, the Venerable, fearing the hour would grow late, told the novice: "Go and collect the food." Well composed in his deportment, the novice arrived at the house and knocked on the door. The girl asked, "Who is it?" He replied, "A novice, collecting food for my master." The girl rejoiced in her heart: "My wish will now be fulfilled!" She opened the door at once. This girl was shapely, with exquisite features, and was just sixteen years of age. Consumed by the fire of sexual desire, she displayed all kinds of seductive charms before the novice, batting her eyelashes and admiring her own reflection, showing marks of sensual longing. Seeing this, the novice thought to himself: "Does this girl have a wind ailment or a madness ailment? Could this girl be driven by the bonds of desire, wishing to harass me and ruin my pure practice?" He firmly held to his deportment, his countenance unchanging. The girl then threw herself to the ground in five-point prostration and said to the novice: "What I have always wished for has now arrived! I have always wanted to declare something to you, but never had quiet and convenience. I imagine you have also always had feelings for me; grant me my wish! In my house are many rare treasures, like the jewel storehouse in the heavenly palace of Vaiśravaṇa, yet they have no master. You could deign to become the master of this house, and I shall be your maidservant to wait upon you and run your errands. By no means refuse me; fulfill my desire!" The novice thought to himself: "What sin have I committed to encounter this evil condition? Now I would rather give up my physical life than break and violate the prohibitive precepts." He further contemplated: "If I make a run for it, the girl's desire is vehement and she has cast away shame; she will run outside to seize me and slander me. If people on the thoroughfare see this, I cannot escape pollution and disgrace. I must give up my life right here." Using an expedient, he spoke: "Fasten the doors securely; I shall enter a room to do what must be done." The girl immediately shut the doors. The novice entered the room, barred the door, and found a razor, rejoicing greatly in his heart. Taking off his robes, he placed them on a rack, joined his palms, and knelt toward the site of the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, making a vow of his own: "Now I do not abandon the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha; I do not abandon my preceptor and ācārya; nor do I abandon my precept-conduct. It is precisely for the sake of upholding the precepts that I give up this physical life. I pray that wherever I am reborn, I may leave household life to study the Path, purely cultivate the brahma-conduct, exhaust defilements, and attain the Path." He then slit his throat and died, his blood staining his body. At that time, the girl wondered why he took so long and hurried to the door to look. Seeing that the door was not opened, and calling with no response, she managed to open the door, only to see that he was already dead, having lost his original countenance. Her lustful mind immediately subsided, and with remorse and anguish, she pulled out her hair and scratched her face, rolling about in the ashes and dirt, weeping and crying out in grief until she swooned and lost consciousness. Her father happened to return, knocked on the door, and called for the girl. The girl was silent and did not respond. The father, surprised at the silence, sent someone to kick open the door. Opening it, they saw the girl like this. He at once asked the girl: "Why are you like this?" The girl remained silent and did not answer, thinking to herself: "If I tell the truth, it is deeply shameful. But if I say the novice violated me, that would be slandering a good man, and I would fall into hell to suffer boundless torment. I must not deceive." She then answered truthfully, detailing the previous circumstances. Hearing the girl's words, the father felt no terror in his heart; he said to the girl: "All phenomena are impermanent; do not grieve or fear." He then entered the room and saw the novice's body, stained red with blood like sandalwood. He stepped forward, paid homage, and praised him, saying: "Well done! You guarded the Buddha's precepts and could abandon your physical life." He conveyed the deceased novice to a flat ground, piled up various fragrant woods, and cremated (jhāpita) him as an offering. The king then invited the master to preach the subtle Dharma extensively for the great assembly, and all who saw and heard this produced the resolve for the Path.