法苑珠林 91.67

91.67

At that time Deva thought: 'Because of giving food to the great śramaṇa, great merit has been generated.' His heart gave rise to joy, he leaped with boundless ecstasy, which pervaded his whole body. He went again to the Buddha's place and once more invited the Buddha to his home for a meal. After the meal, the husband and wife laid out seats and listened to the Dharma. The Buddha, knowing that the mental dispositions and natures of their afflictions and defilements were slight and weak, expounded the Four Noble Truths for them, and they attained the fruit of srotāpanna. At that time the bhikṣus asked: 'What karma did that Deva and his wife perform in the past to obtain this retribution, and further come to the Buddha to attain the noble dharmas? Moreover, what karma did they perform to be poor first and rich afterward, all at once like this?' The Buddha told the bhikṣus: 'Under Kāśyapa Buddha in the past, the one who received the three refuges and the five precepts but did not practice almsgiving was this very Deva. However, at the end of his life, he made a vow wishing to encounter me. Due to this cause and condition, he was now able to encounter me. Because he did not practice almsgiving, he now received the retribution of poverty; because he then gave food as alms to me, he received retribution in this present life. Due to this cause and condition, you bhikṣus should constantly produce a reverent and rare regard toward the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, just like Deva, receiving blessings visibly in this very life. Because of stinginess and unwillingness to practice almsgiving, one now suffers the affliction of poverty, lowliness, and distress.'