法苑珠林 90.49

90.49

Furthermore, the Abhiṣeka-sūtra says: The Buddha told a brahmacārin: In the past, in the great country of Vārāṇasī, there was the son of a brāhmaṇa named Dhāraṇa, of a rich, noble, and great clan. He did not venerate the Three Jewels, but served ninety-five kinds of [heterodox] paths to seek blessings and protection. After a long time, he heard that among the worthy elders of that country, all venerated the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha for transformation and guidance, and all obtained wealth, nobility, and experienced secure ease and joy; they were able to deliver themselves from birth, old age, sickness, and death, received the Dharma boundlessly, and in this life and future lives would not enter the three evil destinies. The elder Dhāraṇa thought to himself: 'It would be better to cast aside the other paths and venerate the Three Jewels.' He thereupon went to the Buddha, touched his head and face to the ground, paid homage to the Buddha, and said to the Buddha: 'Now, what I have served is not genuine; therefore, I take refuge in the Buddha alone. May you take pity on me, so that I may cast off defiled and foul conduct and receive the Buddha's pure words of the Dharma.' Thereupon, the World-Honoured One conferred upon him the Dharma of the three refuges and the five precepts. When this was completed, he paid homage and departed. From then on, the elder Dhāraṇa went to other lands. When he saw people killing living beings or stealing others' goods and wealth, when he saw fair and attractive women he felt greed and longing for them, when he saw what was good or bad in people he would dispute and debate it, and when he saw drinkers of wine he wished to pursue them. His mind was thus never settled for even a single moment. He then thought to himself: 'I regret taking the grave vow of the three refuges and five precepts from the Buddha.' Having thought thus, [he said,] 'I will return the Dharma of the three refuges and five precepts to the Buddha.' He then went to the Buddha's presence and said to the Buddha: 'The Dharma of the three refuges and five precepts I received previously has many prohibitions; I cannot follow what my original intention conceived. Thinking it over myself, I wish to stop. Would it be permissible if I cannot serve the Buddha? For what reason? The Buddha's Dharma is august and venerated, not something to be served by ordinary folk. May I return the Dharma and precepts?' The Buddha remained silent and did not respond. Before his words had ended, spontaneous ghosts and spirits appeared in his mouth: some held iron hammers and struck the elder's head; other ghosts and spirits stripped off his clothes; other ghosts and spirits took iron hooks, went into his mouth, and dragged out his tongue; a female ghost of lust cut off his genitals with a knife in her hands; and yet other ghosts and spirits poured molten copper into his mouth. All around him, on left and right, the various ghosts and spirits vied to tear him apart, take his blood, and devour it. The elder Dhāraṇa was terrified and trembled, with nowhere to turn for refuge, his face the colour of earth. Moreover, spontaneous fire burned his body; he could neither obtain life nor obtain death. The ghosts and spirits held the elder fast so that he could not move. Seeing this, the Buddha took pity and thought of him. He then asked the elder: 'What will you do now?' The elder's mouth was locked and he could no longer speak; he could only raise his hands and beat his own breast, seeking pity from the Buddha, repenting his evil, and turning to the good. The Buddha thereupon delivered the elder with his divine powers. When the kings of ghosts and spirits saw the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, deliver the elder with his divine power, each stopped and stood to one side. Thereupon, the elder was able to revive a little. He then arose, kowtowed, stepped forward, and said to the Buddha: 'Within my body are these five thieves, leading me into the three evil destinies. Sitting and wishing to commit transgressions, I betrayed what I had received. May the Buddha take pity on me and accept my repentance (deśanā).' The Buddha said: 'It was done by your own mind and mouth; whom should you blame?' The elder said to the Buddha: 'From this day forth, I will reform the past and cultivate the future. I will venerate the Dharma of the three refuges and five precepts, observe the six fasts myself, and uphold the three long fasts. I will burn incense, scatter flowers, and hang banners and canopies to make offerings and serve the Three Jewels. From now on, I will never dare to violate or break the Dharma of the refuges and precepts again.' The Buddha said: 'Such words are greatly good. Now that you receive these three refuges and five precepts, do not receive the precepts and then act as before. Breaking these refuges and precepts is called a second transgression. If there is a third transgression, one will be captured by the Five Officers; one will be captured by the assistants to the king, minor ministers, recording inspectors, and messengers of the Five Emperors; they will arrest the spirit and record the lifespan, all according to the original offense. Therefore, I speak these words to encourage taking the refuges and precepts: ghosts and spirits will protect and assist you, the gods will rejoice, and the immeasurable Buddhas, bodhisattvas, and arhats of the ten directions will all praise you. As for these pure men and women of faith, when the time of their end comes, the Buddha will send forth transformed bodies to welcome them, not allowing men and women who hold the precepts to fall into the evil destinies. If one's precepts are weak, one should further cultivate merit.'