法苑珠林 91

English (machine translation) 91

Language: English

91.1

Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

91.2

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Observing the Fast
Chapter Ninety: Violating the Fast
Chapter Ninety-One: Rewards and Punishments

91.3

Chapter Eighty-Nine: Observing the Fast (This contains two sections)

The reason why the saddharma spreads abroad lies in venerating the scriptures; the reason why the puṇyakṣetra increases in growth stems from the merit of fasting and keeping precepts. Therefore, giving up an offering of a single meal yields blessings that inherit surplus provisions; donating the funds of a single coin brings forth fruits that surpass heavenly retribution. Thus, the puṇyakṣetra should be valued, while material encumbrances may be taken lightly. Together establishing an unrestricted assembly, all equally reap limitless blessings.

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Section Two: Citations of Evidence

91.7

As the Jiu za piyu jing states: In the past, people of the four castes invited the Buddha for a meal. At that time, there was a man selling cow's milk. A person of great clan retained him to eat, and taught him to observe the fast, take the precepts, and listen to the scriptures before returning home. His wife said: 'I waited for you all morning without eating,' and she forcibly made her husband eat, destroying his intention to fast. Even so, he was reborn seven times in heaven and seven times in the world. The master said: 'Observing the fast for one day brings surplus provisions for six hundred thousand years, and furthermore has five blessings: first, few illnesses; second, peace and security of body; third, few lustful thoughts; fourth, little sleep; and fifth, obtaining rebirth in heaven, constantly remembering the deeds performed in past lives (pūrvanivāsa).'

91.8

Furthermore, King Prasenajit wished to reward Lady Mallikā with a fragrant necklace, and called her out of the palace to inspect it. The lady came out wearing plain clothing on a fast day. Among the sixty thousand ladies, she was as radiant as the sun and the moon, twice as fair as usual. The king was filled with awe and asked her with heightened respect: 'What virtue do you possess that makes you so brilliantly extraordinary?' The lady addressed the king: 'I reflect that having little merit, I received this female body, whose disposition is defiled. Day and night my lifespan shortens, and I fear falling into the three bad destinies. Therefore, month after month I uphold the Buddha's Dharma fast, cutting off craving to follow the Path, and receiving blessings life after life. I wish to offer this fragrant necklace to the World-Honoured One.'

91.9

Furthermore, the Madhyamāgama says: At that time, Viśākhā, mother of Mṛgāra, bathed at dawn, put on clean white garments, and together with her daughters-in-law and other kin went to the Buddha's dwelling. Bowing her head in reverence, she said to the World-Honoured One: 'I am now observing the wholesome fast.' The World-Honoured One asked: 'Laywoman, what kind of fast are you now observing? There are three kinds of fasts. What are the three? The first is the cowherd's fast; the second is the Nirgrantha's fast; the third is the noble eightfold fast. What is called the cowherd's fast? A cowherd grazes his cattle in the marsh in the morning and gathers them back to the village in the late afternoon. When returning to the village, he thinks: "Today I grazed cattle in this place; tomorrow I will graze cattle in that place. Today I watered cattle in this place; tomorrow I will water cattle in that place. Today my cattle lodged in this place; tomorrow they will lodge in that place." In the same way, when a person observes a fast, he contemplates: "Today I ate such food; tomorrow I will eat that food. Today I drank such drink; tomorrow I will drink that drink. Today I tasted such savours; tomorrow I will taste those savours." That person spends this day and night delighting in and clinging to sensual desires. This is called the cowherd's fast. If one observes the fast in this way, one does not obtain great benefit, does not attain great fruit, does not have great merit, and it is not widely diffused. What is called the Nirgrantha's fast? When a Nirgrantha leaves home, he exhorts people, saying: "For the sake of protecting beings that are more than a hundred yojanas to the east, cast away your weapons." It is the same for the south, west, and north. Or they strip off their clothes and go naked, saying, "I have no parents, wife, or children," promoting false words and taking them to be true reality; or they adhere to austerities, self-starvation, and other such wrong practices. This is called the Nirgrantha's fast. If one observes the fast in this way, one likewise does not obtain great benefit, does not attain great fruit, does not have great merit, and it is not widely diffused. What is called the noble eightfold fast? When a learned noble disciple observes the fast, he contemplates: "The arhats, true persons, for the rest of their lives refrain from killing, abandon killing, cast away knives and clubs, have shame and conscience, possess a mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and benefit all beings down to insects; their minds are pure regarding killing. Down to: for the rest of their lives they refrain from eating at improper times, abandon eating at improper times, eat once and do not eat at night, and take pleasure in eating at proper times. With this factor, I am equal to and no different from the arhats; therefore it is called a fast." Having abided in this noble eightfold fast, he should further recollect the Tathāgata's ten titles such as "Free from Clinging" (Arhat) and the like, the pure transcendent Dharma, and abandon defiled, evil, and unwholesome phenomena. This is called the noble eightfold fast. If a woman of good family observes the noble eightfold fast, when her body breaks up and life ends, she will obtain rebirth in the six desire heavens, and ultimately attain the four fruits of a śramaṇa.'

91.10

Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃghika-vinaya states: When the Buddha was dwelling in Śrāvastī, there was a settlement in the south called Mahāvana. At that time, a merchant was driving eight oxen toward the northern country of Kuta. Another merchant was grazing cattle with him in the marsh. At that time, a Licchavi was hunting dragons to eat them, and captured a dragon girl. The girl had undertaken the poṣadha precepts and had no thought of harming others, yet the Licchavi pierced her nose and dragged her along. The merchant saw this and gave rise to a mind of compassion. He asked the Licchavi: 'What do you intend to do with this dragon you are dragging?' He replied: 'I want to kill and eat her.' The merchant said: 'Do not kill her; I will exchange one ox with you for her.' The hunter refused, until it reached eight oxen, whereupon he said: 'This meat is very delicious; now for your sake, I will release her.' When the merchant had released the dragon girl, he thought: 'This is an evil man; I fear he will pursue her again and have her caught.' So he released her into a separate pond and followed along watching her. The dragon transformed into a human and said to the merchant: 'Deva, you have bestowed life upon me; now I wish to repay your kindness. You may enter the palace with me, and I will repay the deva's kindness.' The merchant replied: 'The nature of dragons is rash and violent; their anger is unpredictable, and perhaps you will kill me.' She replied: 'It is not so. The previous person bound me, and I had the strength to kill him, but because I had undertaken the poṣadha precepts, I had no thought of killing at all. How much less would I harm the deva who has now bestowed long life upon me? If you will not go, wait a little while here; I will first arrange things.' She then entered. Afterwards, when he entered the palace, he saw beside the dragon gate two dragons bound in one place. The merchant asked: 'For what matter are you bound?' They replied: 'This dragon girl observes the fast three days in a half-month. We brothers did not guard this dragon girl securely, so she was captured by the Licchavi; for this reason we are bound. We only pray the deva in his compassion will speak so that we may be released.' When the dragon girl had finished arranging things, she called him into the palace and had him sit on a jeweled couch. The dragon girl said: 'Among dragons, there is food that takes an entire lifetime to digest, food that takes twenty years to digest, food that takes seven years to digest, and food eaten by the people of Jambudvīpa. I do not know which food the deva wishes to eat now.' He replied: 'I desire the food of Jambudvīpa.' She immediately brought various kinds of food and drink and gave them to him. The merchant asked the dragon girl: 'Why are these dragons bound?' The dragon girl said: 'They have committed an offense; I wish to kill them.' The merchant said: 'Do not kill them.' She said: 'If not, I must kill them.' The merchant said: 'Only if you release them will I eat.' She said: 'They cannot simply be released like that; they must be punished by being banished among humans for six months.' The merchant saw that inside the dragon palace, various precious treasures adorned the halls. The merchant then asked: 'You have such adornments; why do you observe the poṣadha?' She replied: 'Our dragon existence has five kinds of suffering. What are the five? They are at the time of birth, at the time of sleep, at the time of lust, at the time of anger, and at the time of death. Three times in a single day our skin and flesh fall to the ground, and burning sand roasts our bodies.' He asked again: 'What do you seek to obtain?' She replied: 'Rebirth in the human realm. Because of the suffering of animals and our ignorance of the Dharma, I wish to go to the Tathāgata and go forth from the household life.' The dragon girl then gave him eight ingots of gold, saying: 'This gold will be sufficient for your parents and family to use for their entire lives without exhausting it.' She said: 'Close your eyes,' and using her supernatural power, she transported him back to his native country. He took the eight ingots of gold and gave them to his parents. This was dragon gold; when cut, it grew back again, and could be used for their entire lives without ever being exhausted. (Contemplating humaneness and compassion, one cannot fail to practice them; merely saving a dragon girl brought such heavy recompense—how much more so when upholding the great fast, could the blessings received be small?)'

91.11

Furthermore, the Pusa shouzhai jing says: 'I, so-and-so, take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, take refuge in the monastic Saṅgha.'

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'The evil committed by my body, the evil spoken by my mouth, and the evil thought by my mind have now been cast aside. I, so-and-so, for such-and-such days and nights, undertake the bodhisattva fast and take refuge in the bodhisattvas.'

91.13

The Buddha told Subhūti: 'On a bodhisattva fast day, there are ten precepts. First, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not wear rouge, powder, flowers, or perfumes.'

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'Second, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not sing, dance, beat drums, play music, or wear ornaments.'

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'Third, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not lie on high beds.'

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'Fourth, on a bodhisattva fast day, after midday one must not eat again.'

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'Fifth, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not hold knives, gold, silver, or precious treasures.'

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'Sixth, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not ride in carriages or mount oxen and horses.'

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'Seventh, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not beat children, servants, or domestic animals.'

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'Eighth, on a bodhisattva fast day, all who uphold this fast obtain blessings from sharing in charity and dāna. On a bodhisattva fast day, when going to sleep, one joins one's palms before the Buddha and says: "Today, for all those in the ten directions who uphold the fast and precepts and practice the six perfections (ṣaṭpāramitā), I fully rejoice with them and assist them in peace, offering boundless rejoicing and blessings. May all humans, non-humans, and others in the ten directions, wherever they face distress, toil, and adversity, all obtain blessings and be liberated from sorrow and suffering, being born as human beings in limitless peace, wealth, and joy."'

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'Ninth, on a bodhisattva fast day, one must not eat and drink to the very bottom of the vessel.'

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'Tenth, on a bodhisattva fast day, a man must not jest with women or share a seat with them; the same applies to women. These are the ten precepts; one must not violate them, must not instruct others to violate them, and must not encourage others to violate them.'

91.23

The ritual for concluding the bodhisattva fast states:

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'Namo Buddhāya, Namo Dharmāya, Namo Saṅghāya. I, so-and-so, for such-and-such days and nights have upheld the bodhisattva fast. From sharing in charity and dāna, I shall attain the six pāramitās, in accordance with the Dharma of all the bodhisattvas and the sixty thousand bodhisattvas. On the fast day, one part of the night is for meditation, one part for chanting scriptures, and one part for sleeping. This is the method for the bodhisattva fast day.'

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From the fourteenth day of the first month, undertake it; on the seventeenth day, conclude it.

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From the eighth day of the fourth month, undertake it; on the fifteenth day, conclude it.

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From the first day of the seventh month, undertake it; on the sixteenth day, conclude it.

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From the fourteenth day of the ninth month, undertake it; on the sixteenth day, conclude it.

91.29

The commentary states: Having received the fast, if one wishes to conclude the fast, one must wait until the appearance of dawn light before one is permitted to eat gruel. Otherwise, one breaks the fast. What is called the dawn light? As the *Sarvāstivāda-śāstra* says: The dawn light has three kinds of colours. When the sun shines on the jambu trees, there is black. When it shines on the tree leaves, there is blue-green. When it passes beyond the tree leaves, there is white. Among the three colours, white is the correct one; only then is one permitted to conclude the fast and eat the gruel.

91.30

The verse states:

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In an auspicious month, the pure fast is instituted; / An auspicious day summons boundless [fortune].
The four assemblies gather according to the time; / The sevenfold assembly convenes, ascending the hall.
Desolate and pure, the sacred chants arise; / Mournful and resonant, they stir the palace and commerce notes.
The fragrance of incense ascends into the sky; / Borne upon the wind, it disperses to distant realms.
Praising virtues, one probes the profound depths; / With eloquent speech, the mysterious sweetness flows.
Washing away defilements, wondrous verses are presented; / Promptly extemporising refined stanzas.
The monastics and the laity rely upon one another; / Wealth and Dharma emanate divine radiance.
The field of merit is fulfilled this evening; / Bestowing grace that establishes both the living and the dead.

91.32

Sympathetic Resonance Circumstances (briefly citing four proofs)

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Śramaṇa Faxian of the Eastern Jin
Śramaṇa Saṅghadatta of the Song
Layman Guo Quan of the Song
Śramaṇa Master Bao of the Northern Qi

91.34

The Wu Temple in Xuzhou of the Eastern Jin had a statue of the Crown Prince in Contemplation. Formerly, the Jin śramaṇa Faxian, maintaining strict discipline, went to the Western Heavens and traveled through the sacred sites. He went to lodge at a monastery, where young and old welcomed him. At the time, Faxian fell ill. The host elder monk personally attended to and managed his needs. He instructed a novice to seek the vegetarian food of the guest monk's native region. In an instant, the novice went and returned, with bleeding sores on his feet, saying that he had gone to the house of Wu Cangying in Pengcheng to beg for food and had been bitten by a dog. Faxian marvelled that within the space of a turnaround, the novice had journeyed tens of thousands of li away; only then did he realise that the monks of the monastery were all no ordinary men. Later, Faxian returned to his homeland by ship, and deliberately went to Pengcheng to search for and find Wu Cangying. He questioned him in detail about the matter. Wu replied that it had indeed happened, and pointed to the place on the gate where the remaining blood was smeared. Faxian said, "This is the blood of an arhat and holy man. At that time, it was seen that he was merely seeking food for me. How could he have been injured?" Hearing this, Cangying was ashamed and terrified; he immediately gave up his residence to make a temple, and personally went to Yangdu to seek scriptures and statues. Just as he was crossing the Yangtze River, the boat tilted and leaned over. Suddenly there were a pair of bones, each ten feet long, tossing and surging with the waves, which abruptly entered the boat. They then attained a calm current and went ashore. When this matter was memorialised, they proved to be dragon's teeth. Cangying had not yet obtained a statue, and went upstream along the river westward. Taking a brief rest in the forest, he met a Brahmin monk walking with this statue, who said, "I wish to go to Xuzhou to provide it to Wu Cangying for worship." Cangying said, "If it is truly as the Tathāgata says, this disciple is he." The monk then handed over the statue, and Cangying took it back to the capital. An imperial decree ordered ten replicas to be cast, all with inscriptions placed under their feet, so that people could not distinguish the new from the old, and Cangying was allowed to choose by searching. The statue appeared to him in a dream again, revealing its original features, and he was able to pick the right one and take it back. The original statue returned east to Xuzhou and constantly emitted extraordinary light. Emperor Xiaowen of the Northern Wei requested it to be brought into the Northern Terrace. When it reached the Later Ruler of the Northern Qi, the envoy Chang Biaozhi was sent to welcome it back to Ye. When Qi fell and Zhou abolished [Buddhism], monks hid it. When the Great Sui inaugurated the teachings, it shone brightly again. It is now in Daci Temple in Xiangzhou. (This one proof appears in the *Miscellaneous Records of the Jin History*.)

91.35

At Daolin Temple in the capital during the Song, there were the śramaṇas Saṅghadatta, Saṅghalāta, and others, who were all widely versed in the sūtras and treatises, and particularly took dhyāna meditation as their practice. In the beginning of the Yuanjia era, they came to travel in the Song territory. Datta often sat in dhyāna in the mountains. As the time [for the noon meal] drew near, he thought of wishing to take his meal, whereupon a flock of birds came flying with fruit in their beaks to offer him. Datta reflected, "Formerly, when a monkey offered honey, the Buddha also accepted and ate it. Now that flying birds offer food, why should it not be permissible?" Thereupon, he accepted it and ate it. (This one proof appears in the *Liang Biographies of Eminent Monks*.)

91.36

Guo Quan of Shunyang in the Song, courtesy name Zhongheng, was the Regional Inspector of Yizhou under the Jin. More than thirty years after his death, in the eighth year of the Yuanjia era, he suddenly manifested his form and visited the home of his son-in-law, Liu Ningzhi of Nanyang, with an extremely grand retinue of carriages and guards. He said to Ningzhi, "I have been subjected to punishment; could you hold an assembly of thirty monks on my behalf? Then I should be able to obtain exemption." When he finished speaking, he disappeared. Liu thought it was a goblin and did not take it to heart. Later, Quan appeared in a dream to his daughter and said, "I am suffering punishment, and I already told your husband to hold an assembly for me; can you not show pity to me?" The daughter rose in the morning and saw Quan passing by the doorway, saying in anger, "In the end you cannot save me; now I must go to face punishment!" The daughter wept, leaped up, and tried to detain him, asking where the vegetarian feast should be prepared. He replied, "You may return to my house." Suddenly, he vanished again. Ningzhi then hurried in fluster to prepare the offerings. When the assembly ended, there was someone who said, bringing a message from Quan to Ningzhi: "I am grateful for your generous kindness; the matter has only now obtained pardon." Having spoken, he disappeared, and thus it ended. (This one proof comes from the *Records of Signs from the Unseen Realm*.)

91.37

At the beginning of the Northern Qi, there was the śramaṇa Master Bao, who was a hermit living high on lofty mountains. One morning, he set out from Linlü toward Mount Bailu. Because he lost his way and the sun was approaching midday, he suddenly heard the sound of a bell and advanced, following the sound. He climbed and hastened through precipitous crags and peaks, and then saw a temple standing alone in the deep forest, its triple gate facing directly south, radiant and resplendent. Stepping forward to the gate, he looked at the plaque, which read "Lingyin." Outside the temple gate were five or six dogs as large as oxen, with white hair and black muzzles, some leaping and some lying down, glancing at Bao with their eyes. Bao was frightened and about to turn back. In an instant, a Central Asian monk came from outside; Bao called to him, but he did not answer, nor did he look back, but walked straight through the gate, and the dogs followed him inside. After a long while, Bao saw no one, and gradually entered the next gate. The buildings were surrounded on four sides, and the doors of the rooms were all closed. Advancing to the lecture hall, he saw only couches and high seats arranged solemnly. Bao went to the couch in the southwest corner and sat down. After a long while, he suddenly heard a sound among the roof beams. Looking up, he saw an opening as large as a well, from which bhikṣus flew down one after another from the opening, amounting to fifty or sixty people. Having sat down according to their ranks, they inquired among themselves, "At the time of the fast today, where did you go to eat?" Some said Yuzhang, Chengdu, Chang'an, Longyou, Jibei, Lingnan, the Five Indias, and so forth; there was nowhere they did not reach, moving over ten thousand li at a time. The last monk came down from the sky. Everyone vied to ask, "Why have you come so late?" He answered, "Today at the lecture assembly of Chan Master Jian at Pi'an Temple east of Xiangzhou city, each was defending doctrines; there were many young, intelligent people raising difficult questions, with sharp arguments arising, which was truly a sight to see. Unawares, it became late, and so I arrived [only now]." Bao originally served Jian as his upādhyāya. Having heard these words, hoping to join the conversation and show his high standing, he straightened his robes, was about to rise, and answered the monks, "Jian is my, Bao's, upādhyāya." The monks stared directly at him, and suddenly the temple vanished. He was left sitting alone beneath a boulder and decayed wood. Of the previous temple buildings, nothing was to be seen; he saw only crags and valleys, with birds soaring and flocking, their noisy cries cutting to the heart. Coming out, he asked Dharma Master Shangtong about it. Shang said, "This temple was built in the Zhao era by Dharma Master Fotudeng. Through the long years, sages and worthies have dwelt there; it is not a place for ordinary people to stay. Sometimes it submerges, sometimes it conceals itself, shifting and moving without fixed abode. Even now, those who travel in the mountains still hear the sound of the bell." (Appears in Hou Junsu's *Records of Manifested Wonders*.)

91.38

Chapter 90: Breaking the Fast (in two sections)

91.39

Section 1: Stating the Intent

91.40

One reflects on the sorrow of impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, and ponders the afflictions of birth, old age, sickness, and death. In the long night, one grieves over the suffering of hanging upside down; drifting and drowning, one laments the submergence of sinking and falling. Thinking of this is heart-rending, and also profoundly dreadful. Truly, this is because the field of merit is slight and thin, and faithful offerings are difficult to digest. When fasting and precepts lack firmness, the matter is like an unbaked earthen jar, easy to destroy and hard to preserve, and also like frost and dew. The self and others grow increasingly dominant, clinging more tightly than glue and lacquer. One fears not the calamities of accumulated kalpas, but worries only for the life of a single body. Therefore, gorging on food and sleeping for long periods, how does one differ from pigs and dogs? Breaking the fast and eating at night is no different from the realm of hungry ghosts. Therefore, the donor loses the timely merit, and the saṃgha damages the seeds of the good field.

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Section 2: Citing Evidence

91.42

As the *Śāriputraparipṛcchā-sūtra* states, Śāriputra said to the Buddha: "There are dānapatis who build saṃghārāmas and provide abundant resources to supply monks coming and going. If there are monks who resemble renouncers, who go at improper times to the monk in charge of food to demand food, and food is given to them, what kind of sin do the eaters and the givers incur? What kind of merit do the original dānapatis obtain?"
The Buddha said: "Those who eat at improper times are people who break the precepts; they are people who commit theft. Those who give at improper times are also people who break the precepts; they are also people who commit theft. They steal the goods of the dānapatis; this is taking what is not given, which is not the intention of the donor. The donor has no merit, because the goods are lost, though there is still the goodness of the initial resolve to establish it."
Śāriputra said: "If one receives at the proper time and eats at the proper time, and if what is eaten is not exhausted, and one eats again at an improper time; or if one receives at the proper time, but waits until an improper time to eat, does one obtain merit or not?"
The Buddha said: "Those who eat purely at the proper time are indeed fields of merit; they are indeed renouncers; they are indeed the saṃgha; they are indeed good friends to gods and humans; they are indeed guides to gods and humans. Those who are impure are still precept-breakers; they are great robbers; they are hungry ghosts; they are dens of sins. As for those who demand at improper times, if one readily gives at proper or improper times, the giver of food is called one who retrogresses from the path, an evil māra, the three evil realms, a broken vessel, a leper. Because they destroy the good fruit and sustain their lives by stealing and begging, the Brahmins do not eat at improper times, and the heterodox parivrājakas do not eat by wrong livelihood. How much more so for my disciples, who know the Dharma and practice the Dharma—should they act thus? All such as these are not my disciples; they are people who steal the benefits of my Dharma and cling to lawlessness; they are called illicit people who steal food. Both the giving in theft and the receiving in theft, whether a ball, a pinch, a bit of salt, or a bit of vinegar—all will, after death, fall into the Scorched Entrails Hell and swallow hot iron balls. Emerging from the hell, they will be born among pigs and dogs to eat various impurities; they will also be born as evil birds whose cries people find ominous; later they will be born as hungry ghosts, returning to the saṃghārāma to dwell in the latrines and consume filth for hundreds of thousands of myriad years. When born again among humans, they will be impoverished, low and base, despised and hated by people beyond description, and people will not trust them. This is not like stealing the goods of a single person, where the sin is still light; [this sin is severe] because it takes by force from many people, because it pertains to the excellent field of merit, and because it severs the supramundane path."

91.43

Furthermore, the King Gandhāra Sūtra states: When the Buddha was in the world, there was a king named Gandhāra who served a brāhmaṇa. The brāhmaṇa dwelt in the mountains and planted many fruit trees. At that time, a woodcutter damaged his fruit trees. Seeing this, the brāhmaṇa took him to the king, saying, “This insolent man has destroyed my fruit trees. Your Majesty ought to punish and execute him.” The king revered and served the brāhmaṇa, and did not dare to disobey him; he immediately executed him for it. Not long thereafter, an ox ate a man's rice plants. The owner thereupon beat it and broke one of its horns, so that blood flowed all over its face, causing unbearable pain. The ox also went to the king's place and addressed him, saying, “I was indeed insolent and ate a little of this man's rice, and now he has broken my horn.” The owner of the rice also pursued it to the king's place. The king understood the speech of birds and beasts. The king said to the ox, “I shall kill him for you.” The ox then replied, saying, “Even if you kill this man now, it cannot make me free from pain. Just order him not to do so in the future.” The king was moved to reflect, saying, “I served the brāhmaṇa, and merely on account of fruit trees he caused me to kill a man. He was not as good as this ox! Now, serving this path does not exempt one from birth and death; what use is this path?” He then went to the Buddha's place, threw his five limbs to the ground, paid homage to the Buddha, and vowed to receive the five precepts and ten virtuous deeds. The Buddha said, “Dāna and keeping the precepts bring blessings in the present life; forbearance, vigour, singleness of mind, and wisdom yield immeasurable merit, and one will be reborn in the heavens hereafter.” The king then rejoiced and attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying, “What were the past causes and conditions of this king and the ox?” The Buddha said, “Long ago, in the time of the Buddha Kanakamuni, the king and the ox were brothers who acted as upāsakas, observing the fast and precepts together for one day and one night. The king guarded the Dharma with vigour and dared not be indolent; when his lifespan ended he ascended to heaven, and when his life in heaven was exhausted he descended to become a king. The ox at that time violated the fast and ate at night; later he suffered the retribution for his transgression. When his retribution was finished, he was reborn as an ox for five hundred lifetimes. Because he still had remembrance of his past lives, he came to awaken the king's mind. Seven days later, the ox's life ended, and he ascended to be reborn in heaven.” The Buddha said, “The disciples of the four classes must receive and uphold the fast and precepts, and must not violate them.”

91.44

Furthermore, the Dharmapada-avadāna Sūtra states: The Buddha was staying in the vihāra of the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's park, in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, expounding the Dharma for devas, humans, nāgas, and ghosts. In the eastern direction there was a kingdom called Uttarāpatha, where five hundred brāhmaṇas and others led one another intending to go to the bank of the Gaṅgā River, where there was a sacred pool with three shrines, to wash away defilements and go naked in quest of immortality according to the practice of the Nirgranthas. Their path led through a great marsh; they lost their way and could not cross, running out of provisions en route. Looking into the distance, they saw a great tree that seemed to possess divine energy, as if someone lived there. They hastened to beneath the tree, but saw nothing at all. The brāhmaṇas lifted their voices in great weeping: “Wearied and afflicted by hunger and thirst, we shall perish utterly in this marsh!” The tree deity manifested a body and asked the brāhmaṇas, “Whence have you practitioners come, and whither do you wish to go now?” With one voice they replied, “We wished to go to the sacred pool to bathe in hope of attaining immortality. Today, we are hungry and thirsty; please have pity and rescue us!” The tree deity raised his hand, and food and drink of a hundred flavours flowed forth from his hand in abundance, providing food and drink for the crowd so that all were fully satisfied, with the leftover food and drink sufficient to supply their provisions for the journey. Just as they were about to depart, they approached the deity and asked, “What virtue did you practice originally to attain such magnificent majesty?” The deity answered the brāhmaṇas, “I originally lived in the kingdom of Śrāvastī. At that time, a great minister of the state named Sudatta provided a meal for the Buddha and the saṃgha of monks. He went to the market to buy curds, but there was no one to carry the curds, so he hired me to carry them. Arriving at the vihāra, he had me serve them; when this was finished, he distributed washing water, and we sat reverently listening to the Dharma. Everyone rejoiced, praising it as boundlessly good. At that time, I upheld the fast, and when I returned home in the evening I did not eat. My wife questioned me with surprise: ‘I wonder what grievance you have?’ I answered, ‘I have no grievance. I saw the elder Sudatta offering a meal to the Buddha in the park, and he invited me to observe the fast. The fast is called the Eight Precepts.’ His wife became furious and said with indignation, ‘Gautama upsets customs; how can he be worth following? If you do not break the fast and eat, misfortune will arise from this flaw!’ She pressed me incessantly, so we ate together. That very night, my lifespan was exhausted, and I passed away at midnight. My spirit came to be born here. Because this foolish woman broke my fast, I did not attain the fruits of that karma, but came to be born in this marsh as this tree deity. By the merit of carrying the curds, food and drink issue from my hands; had I completed the fast, I should have been born in heaven to enjoy spontaneous pleasures.” He then composed a verse for the brāhmaṇas, saying:

91.45

“Sacrifices plant the roots of misfortune,
Day and night growing branches and twigs;
Vain suffering ruins the root of the body;
The fast of the Dharma brings deliverance as a transcendent of the world.”

91.46

Furthermore, the Avadānaśataka states: The Buddha was staying in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada's park, in Śrāvastī. In the first watch of the night, five hundred devaputras, bearing fragrant flowers and shining with brilliant radiance that illuminated the Jetavana grove, came to the Buddha's place. Having paid homage, they stepped back and sat down. The Buddha expounded the Dharma for them, and they attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. They circumambulated the Buddha three times and returned to the heavenly palace. In the morning, Ānanda asked about the past causes for the coming of these devas. The Buddha told Ānanda: “Long ago, in the time of the past Buddha Kāśyapa, there were two brāhmaṇas who followed a king to the Buddha's place to pay homage and make inquiries. At that time, among the retinue there was an upāsaka who urged the two brāhmaṇas to receive the rules of the fast together, one seeking rebirth in heaven and the other seeking to be a king of humans. Having received them, they returned together to the gathering place of the brāhmaṇas. The brāhmaṇas said, ‘You are hungry and thirsty; you may eat and drink with us.’ They urged them repeatedly and earnestly, and they could not resist their insistence. The one who sought rebirth in heaven then ate and drank. Because he broke the fast, his wish was not fulfilled; after his life ended, he was reborn among the nāgas. The one who did not eat was able to become a king. Because of having received the fast together in their previous lives, the [nāga] was born in the water of a pond in that king's garden. At that time, the keeper of the garden daily presented various fruits and melons as offerings to the king. In the pond water, he found a delicious fruit with wonderful colour and fragrance. He thought: ‘Whenever I enter and exit, I am always turned away by the gatekeeper; I should take this fruit and give it to him.’ Having had this thought, he immediately took it and gave it to him. The gatekeeper, having received it, also thought: ‘Whenever I enter and exit, I am always turned away by the eunuch; I should take it and give it to him.’ Having had this thought, he immediately took it and gave it to him. The eunuch, having received it, also thought: ‘The queen often praises my virtues to the great king; I should take this fruit and give it to her.’ Having had this thought, he immediately took it and gave it to her. The queen, having received it, offered it to the great king. The king, having received the fruit, immediately ate it and found it exceedingly fragrant and delicious. He then asked the queen, ‘Where did you get this fruit today?’ The queen then truthfully replied, ‘I got this fruit from the eunuch.’ In this way, tracing it back step by step, it came to the gardener. The king then summoned him: ‘Such a delicious fruit was in my garden; why did you not present it to me, but instead gave it to another?’ The gardener then related the whole story from beginning to end. The king would not listen to his words and told him, ‘From now on, you must constantly present this fruit; if you do not present it, I will execute you.’ The gardener returned and entered his garden, wailing and weeping, unable to control himself: ‘This fruit has no seed; by what means can it be obtained?’ At that time, that nāga king heard this crying, transformed into a human form, and came to ask him, ‘Why are you weeping so bitterly today?’ The gardener fully answered the reason. Hearing these words, the nāga returned into the water, took fine, delicious fruits, placed them on a golden platter, and gave them to the gardener. He then further told him, ‘Take these fruits and offer them to the king, and convey my intention, saying: “I and the king, long ago when the Buddha was in the world, were originally close friends. We were both brāhmaṇas and received the Eightfold Fast together, each seeking what he wished. Because your precepts were complete, you became a king; because my precepts were incomplete, I was born among the nāgas. Now I wish to cultivate the practice of the fast again, seeking to shed this body. I pray that the king will seek the text of the Eight Precepts Fast for me and send it to me. If you refuse, I will overturn your kingdom and make it into a great sea.”’ The gardener then received the platter of fruits, and after presenting them to the king, he conveyed the message entrusted by the nāga. When the king heard this, he was exceedingly unhappy. Why was this so? Because at that time, there was not even the name of the Buddha's Dharma, let alone the text of the Eight Precepts Fast! If he failed to obtain it, he feared harm would befall him. Pondering this matter, there was no way it could be accomplished. At that time, that king had a minister who was most worthy of respect, and the king told him, ‘The nāga demands from me the text of the Eight Precepts Fast; I rely on you to obtain it.’ The minister replied, ‘There is no Dharma in the world today; how could it be obtained?’ The king further told him, ‘If you do not obtain it, I will surely kill you.’ Having heard this, the minister withdrew to his home, his countenance altered, exceedingly sorrowful and distressed. At that time, the minister had an aged father. Whenever the father came in from outside, seeing his son's countenance so altered, he immediately questioned him. The son then explained the details of the situation to his father. The father answered the son, saying, ‘I have seen a light upon the pillar of our hall. Cut it down for me, and try breaking it open to see.’ Inside, he obtained two rolls of scriptures: one was the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and the second was the text of the Eight Precepts Fast. Having obtained them, the minister was overjoyed, placed them on a golden platter, and offered them to the king. The king obtained them and was overjoyed beyond measure; he sent them to the nāga king. The nāga king obtained them and rejoiced exceedingly, presenting precious treasures as gifts to the king. Each returned to his abode. Together with five hundred nāga sons, he diligently cultivated the practice of the Eight Precepts Fast. Thereafter, their lives ended, and they were reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven; they came to make offerings to me, and that was their light.” The Buddha told Ānanda, “If you wish to know who the five hundred nāga sons who cultivated the practice of the fast at that time were, they are these five hundred devaputras now.” When the Buddha spoke this story of causes and conditions, some attained the four fruits of a śramaṇa, and some generated the mind of unexcelled awakening. Hearing what the Buddha said, they rejoiced and practiced it.

91.47

Furthermore, the Vinaya of the Bequeathed Teaching states: If an ordained person rides in a carriage or on a horse for one day, it negates five hundred days of fasting. Riding for the three hundred and sixty days of a year is calculated to eliminate one hundred and eighty thousand days of fasting. Śāriputra asked the Buddha, “Why does a bhikṣu riding negate five hundred days of fasting?” The Buddha said, “A bhikṣu is one who knows the prohibitions and vinaya. When others see him, they give rise to slander, causing others to incur guilt. This does not apply to riding temporarily on account of old age or illness; that is not an offence.” (Question: “Why is this not discussed for laypeople?” Answer: “The ordained are pure and tranquil, and have pity and compassion for sentient beings; therefore, others find it strange. White-robed laypeople are defiled and turbid, constantly committing sins, and killing is ordinary for them; why speak of light transgressions? Thus, when people see them, they do not find it strange.”)

91.48

The verse says:

91.49

The greedy mind is never yet satisfied;
Virtue and goodness have never been its concern.
Solely seeking fine food and drink,
Sated and gorged without shame,
Dark defilements are wholly unwiped;
How could the heart's taints be removed?
Breaking the fast and constantly eating at night,
Betraying gifts that are hard to repay.
Though heaven is vast, one's life is brief;
Urged on by karma, one roams in darkness.
Drifting in the four torrential seas,
Hard it is to meet the boat of the six pāramitās.
Minor evils are not even reformed;
How could great goodness be cultivated?
Comparable to the nāga in the garden pond,
How could one equal the exalted stream?

91.50

Resonances of Sympathetic Induction (briefly citing three verifications):

91.51

Sun Zhi of the Jin
Lady Wang of the Qi
Li Siyi of the Tang

91.52

During the Jin dynasty, Sun Zhi, courtesy name Fahui, was a native of Banyang County in Qi Commandery. His father, Zuo, was a Grand Master of the Palace under the Jin. Zhi venerated the Dharma from his youth. At the age of eighteen, in the eighth month of the first year of Xiankang, he died of illness. Zuo later moved his residence to Wuchang. On the eighth day of the fourth month of the third year, the śramaṇa Yu Fajie was parading a venerable statue past their family gate. The entire household, both elders and youngsters, went out to view it. Zhi was also among the crowd, following and attending the procession of the statue. Seeing his parents, he bowed, knelt, and inquired after their wellbeing, and then followed them home together. Zuo had already been ill, and Zhi said, “There is no otherworldly misfortune or haunting; it is merely caused by failing to care for yourself properly. You will recover in the fifth month.” Having finished speaking, he took his leave and departed. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month of that year, he returned again, kneeling, bowing, and inquiring after their wellbeing, entirely as when he was alive. He related that his maternal grandfather had become the Lord of Mount Tai. Seeing Zhi, [the Lord] called Zhi’s mother by name, saying, “Are you so-and-so’s child? You should not have come yet; how did you manage to arrive here?” Zhi answered, “My paternal uncle brought me here wishing to have me take his place in banishment [to punishment].” There was an order to investigate and interrogate him with the intent to flog and punish him, but Zhi rescued and exonerated him so that he obtained a pardon. Zhi’s elder brother Rong, courtesy name Siyuan, was then at his side. Zhi said to him, “Although I have left behind my former physical form, I reside in a place of superior joy. I only read books and have no other wishes. Brother, do not grieve any longer! Merely be diligent and vigorous, focus your mindfulness on cultivating goodness, and blessings will naturally accompany you. In two years, when my studies are complete, I am destined to be born into the family of a king. There are five hundred people of my cohort, presently in the Hall of Blessings; when their studies are complete, they will all be born above in the Sixth Heaven. Originally, I was also destined to be born above, but solely because of untangling and rescuing the entanglements of my ancestors’ causes and conditions, I alone will be born into a royal house.” On the seventh day of the seventh month of the fifth year, he returned again and stated, “Zhu City will surely suffer an invasion by bandits.” There were very many such matters, and all turned out as he had spoken. His family kept it secret, and therefore it was not transmitted to others. He also said, “Our ancestors have many sins and punishments; you ought to create blessings on their behalf. I have now received a body among humans and have no need for further arrangements; simply rescue our ancestors. It is my wish that my father and brother diligently perform meritorious deeds to create blessings. At meal times, you must ensure everything is fresh and pure. Those that are entirely in accordance with the Dharma will receive superior blessings; those that are secondary will receive secondary blessings. If you cannot act thus, it will merely be a wasted expenditure. You must bring about an impartial mind devoid of self and other; only then will the blessings be abundant.” At that time, Zuo had a female servant. Before Zhi had returned, she suddenly fell ill and was near death, aching all over her body. Zhi said, “This servant intended to run away, so earlier I gave her a flogging; she can no longer get away.” Zhi questioned the servant, who said, “Earlier, I truly intended to run away and had made an appointment with someone. As the day was close at hand, I then stopped,” and so forth.

91.53

Under the Qi dynasty, Lady Wang, named Siniang, died of illness in the third year of Yongming. Her corpse was laid on the ground, and those adorning it felt that her heart was warm; hence she was not yet encoffined. After two nights, her body became slightly warm and her breath gradually returned. Shortly thereafter, she was able to speak. She related of herself that two men had arrested and led her away to a large gate. There was a śramaṇa sitting cross-legged on a barbarian chair. Seeing her, he was very startled and asked why she had come. He then scolded the two men, saying, “You have mistakenly arrested and brought a person here!” and gave each of them forty lashes. He told Siniang, “Young lady, you may go.” She replied, “Earlier, I was dazed and bewildered and do not know the way; please appoint someone to guide me.” The śramaṇa thereupon ordered a man to escort her. After traveling a short distance, she saw her previously deceased male slave leaning atop a high tower. Startled, he asked Siniang, “How have you suddenly arrived here? Do you wish to see your sister-in-law?” She answered that she did not know the place, and called on the slave to escort her himself. The slave said, “I cannot escort you. Siniang, just go forward; on the road ahead you should encounter her.” He threw a horsewhip to her, saying, “Carefully hold this whip, and you will naturally know the road.” After walking several li, she saw the sister-in-law, who was Siniang’s elder brother's wife. She was undergoing severe punishment, her four limbs painfully bound, suspended beside the road like the method for trussing geese and ducks. Meeting each other, they wailed in grief. The sister-in-law related of herself, “When alive I committed sins, and now I have brought about this agonizing torment.” She wished to bend her hand to strike her cheeks and beg for pity and aid, but her hands were bound and rigid and could not reach her cheeks. She also heard the sounds of suffering from the left and right, yet did not see their forms. Siniang asked what sound this was. She replied, “These are monks of conductless assembly who broke the fasts and violated the precepts; having obtained this bitter retribution, these are their wailing cries.” Thereupon Siniang returned along the road. In a brief moment, she reached her house. Seeing her own corpse, her mind felt intense disgust, and she was no longer willing to return. Unaware, someone shoved her so that she tumbled down, and thereupon she was able to re-enter her body and gradually revived. That person is now in good health and still alive. (The above two verifications are from the *Mingxiang ji*.)

91.54

Under the Tang dynasty, Li Siyi of Longxi now resides in Fuyang County of Xiang Prefecture. In the first month of the twentieth year of Zhenguan, he died, but revived after a day; the account is in the *Mingbao ji*. In the fifth month of the third year of Yonghui, he died again, and revived after one night. He related that because his allotted lifespan was not yet exhausted, he received the king’s favor and was released to return. Before the king, he saw the monk Bianqui of Faguan Temple in Fuyang County, Xiang Prefecture, and also saw the monks Hongliang and Huibao of Huifu Temple—three people in all, standing before the king. In their cross-examinations, he saw an official of the underworld say, “The time of Huibao’s death has not yet arrived; he ought to cultivate meritorious deeds. Bianqui and Hongliang will certainly die this year.” Bianqui and the others indeed passed away one after another that year. Later, the monks of the temple had a medium go to the former rooms of Hongliang and the others to summon the two monks and question them. Bianqui said, “Because I broke the fast, I am now receiving great suffering.” He also spoke to all his disciples, saying, “Hold a vegetarian feast for me to rescue and deliver me from hardship and torment.” The disciples immediately organized a feast for him. The medium also said, “Bianqui has already attained release from his sins.” Hongliang said, “Because I broke the fast and also spoke falsely of others’ faults, my tongue is now being ripped out in excruciating pain; I cannot speak much.” The monk Huiyong and others of Zhili Temple in Xiang Prefecture related this. (The above verification is from the *Mingbao shiyi*.)

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese