法苑珠林 92.23

92.23

At that time, Saṅgharakṣita had lost his companions and proceeded alone. He had not travelled far along the road when he heard the sound of a gaṇḍī. Following the sound, he headed toward a monastery. On the way he met a person and asked, "For what reason is the gaṇḍī being sounded?" That person answered, "To enter the bathhouse to bathe." Saṅgharakṣita thought, "Having come from afar, I might join the saṅgha to bathe." He entered the monastic quarters and saw various people who looked like the community of monks, entering the bathhouse together. He saw that all the bathing utensils, robes, jars, basins, and vessels, as well as the bathhouse, were ablaze with fire. At that time, when the assembly of monks entered the bathhouse together, fire flared up as soon as they entered: their muscles and flesh melted away completely, and their bones became like charred wicks. Saṅgharakṣita, terrified, asked the monks, "Who are you?" The monks answered, "People of Jambudvīpa are by nature hard to make believe. When you reach the Buddha's place, you may ask the Buddha." Thereupon, terrified, he abandoned the monastery and fled. He had not advanced far along the road when he encountered another monastery. That monastery was majestic and spacious, extraordinarily splendid, and exquisite. He also heard the sound of a gaṇḍī and saw monks again, so he asked, "For what reason is the gaṇḍī sounded?" A monk answered, "The assembly of monks is having a meal." He immediately thought to himself, "Having come from afar, I am now very famished and exhausted; I also need food." Having entered the monastic quarters, he saw the monks gathering in harmony, but the food vessels and mats were all ablaze with fire. The people and the buildings were all ablaze with fire, no different from before. Saṅgharakṣita asked, "Who are you?" That person answered, "No different from before." Terrified, Saṅgharakṣita fled even more swiftly. He had not advanced far along the road when he encountered another monastery. That monastery was majestic and beautiful, no different from before. After entering the monastic quarters, he saw monks sitting on flaming beds, scratching one another; their flesh peeled away and their sinews protruded, and their five viscera, bones, and marrow were also like charred wicks. Saṅgharakṣita asked, "Who are you?" The monks answered, "People of Jambudvīpa are by nature hard to make believe. When you reach the Buddha's place, you may ask the Buddha." Terrified, Saṅgharakṣita fled swiftly again. He had not advanced far along the road when he encountered another monastery. Entering the monastery in this manner, he saw the community of monks sitting together and eating. The monks said, "You must go out now!" Saṅgharakṣita hesitated and had not yet gone out when he saw that within the bowls of the monks there was only boiling-hot human dung gushing forth. The monks all consumed it. After they consumed it, fire flared up: their throats and five viscera all turned to smoke and flame, pouring straight down and passing through. Having seen this, terrified, he departed swiftly again. Not far from there, he saw yet another monastery. That monastery was majestic and beautiful, no different from before. He went into the monastic quarters and heard the sound of a gaṇḍī. Saṅgharakṣita asked, "Why is the gaṇḍī sounded?" The monks answered, "We wish to drink sweet syrup." Saṅgharakṣita thought to himself, "I am now thirsty and exhausted; I need to drink sweet syrup." He went among the assembly and saw the food vessels, beds, and mats; the monks were reviling and abusing one another. The food vessels were filled with molten copper, and the monks all drank it together. After they consumed it, fire flared up: their throats and five viscera all turned to glowing charcoal, pouring straight down and passing through. Having seen this, terrified, he proceeded along the road. Not far away, he saw a great ground of flesh, where flames blazed fiercely, with wailing cries of agony, suffering distress hard to endure. Having seen this, terrified, he proceeded along the road. Not far away, he saw another great ground, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a great vat of flesh, all ablaze with fire, enduring searing agony hard to bear, no different from before. Advancing further, he also saw a vat of flesh, all ablaze with fire, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a jar of flesh, its flames blazing fiercely, wailing in agony and suffering severe pain hard to endure. Advancing further, he saw another jar of flesh, its flames blazing fiercely, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a great spring of flesh, its flames blazing fiercely, boiling up with rotten skin, the agonizing cries and severe pain no different from before. Having seen this, terrified, he advanced further. He had not advanced far along the road when he saw a great vat of flesh, its flames blazing fiercely and the suffering as before. Advancing further, he saw a monk holding a sharp knife in his hand and cutting off his own nose; after cutting it off it grew again, and after growing it was cut off again, ending and beginning anew without cessation. Advancing further, it was no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a monk standing alone in water, his mouth constantly crying out, "Water! Water!" without cessation, enduring bitter torment. Advancing further, he saw a monk in an iron-thorn park standing upon iron thorns, his agonizing wailing cries no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a hall of flesh, its flames blazing fiercely, the agonizing wailing cries no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a flesh peg shaped like an elephant's tusk, its flames blazing fiercely, enduring suffering as before. Advancing further, he saw a camel, its body burned by fire, its agonizing wailing cries no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a horse, its body burned by fire, its agonizing wailing cries no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a white elephant, fierce fire burning its body, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a donkey's body, fierce fire burning its body, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a ram, fierce fire burning its body, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a terrace of flesh, great flames blazing fiercely, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw another terrace of flesh, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a room of flesh, fierce fire burning its body, its agonizing wailing cries no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a bed of flesh, bitter fire burning its body, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a steelyard balance of flesh, burned by fire, extending and contracting, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a measuring container of flesh, burned by fire, extending and contracting, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a rope-bed of flesh, burned by fire and enduring suffering, no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a wall of flesh, burned by fire and shaking, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a privy pit, faeces and urine boiling up, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a high seat upon which a monk collected his mind and sat upright, while fierce fire burned him, the agonizing cries as before. Advancing further, he saw another high seat where the suffering borne above was also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a gaṇḍī of flesh, burned by fire, the agonizing cries also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a granary of flesh—in the western language called a kuśūla—fierce fire burning its body, enduring suffering as before. Advancing further, he saw a mountain of flesh, burned by fire, rotting and foul, shaking and roaring, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a sumanā flower tree, burned by fire and enduring suffering, also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a flower tree of flesh, burned by fire and emitting cries, its suffering no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a fruit tree of flesh, burned by fire, the agonizing cries also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a tree of flesh, burned by fire and enduring suffering, also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a pillar of flesh, burned by fire and enduring suffering, also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw a pillar of flesh being chopped with axes by hell wardens, enduring suffering as before. Advancing further, he saw fourteen trees of flesh, burned by fire and enduring suffering, also no different from before. Advancing further, he saw two monks striking each other with their fists, their heads and brains split open, pus and blood flowing forth; having perished, they were reborn, ending and beginning anew, their suffering never ceasing. The monk Saṅgharakṣita went out and advanced further, where he saw two novices lying down embracing each other, fierce fire burning their bodies, their suffering never ceasing. The monk Saṅgharakṣita, having seen this, was terrified and asked the novices, "Who are you to suffer such agony?" The novices answered, "People of Jambudvīpa are by nature hard to make believe. When you reach the World-Honoured One's place, you may ask the Buddha." Having seen this, terrified, he advanced further. Along the road, he saw from afar a forest of lush and luxuriant trees, pleasant to approach. Entering the forest, he saw five hundred ṛṣis living and resting in the forest. When the ṛṣis saw the monk Saṅgharakṣita, they ran away and scattered to avoid him, saying to one another, "A disciple of Śākya has defiled our park!" The monk Saṅgharakṣita asked the ṛṣis to lend him a tree under which to lodge for one night, saying he would leave early the next morning. Among the assembly of ṛṣis, the foremost elder, who had great compassion, ordered the junior ṛṣis, "Lend a tree to the śramaṇa." Saṅgharakṣita then obtained a tree; beneath that tree he spread his niṣīdana and sat cross-legged. In the first watch of the night he subdued and extinguished the five hindrances; in the middle watch of the night he rested in sleep; in the final watch of the night he sat upright and chanted pāṭha in a loud voice. At that time, when the ṛṣis heard the sound of chanting, they awakened to the emptiness of nature and attained the fruit of a non-returner. Rejoicing at seeing the Dharma, they went to the śramaṇa's place, bowed their heads in homage, and implored the śramaṇa to grant them the three refuges, seeking to go forth within the Buddha's Dharma. At that time, Saṅgharakṣita immediately brought the ṛṣis across, having them go forth according to the Dharma and instructing them in cultivating meditation methods. Before long they attained concentration and realized the fruit of an arhat. Just as a sandalwood grove surrounds itself, monks who had attained the Way and who were worthy and noble constituted the assembly.