法苑珠林 94.45

94.45

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish states: In ancient times, when the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was a poor man named Nidhi. He was exceedingly poor and lowly, and was constantly hired to clear away excrement. The Buddha knew he was ready for deliverance, so taking Ānanda with him, he went to his place. It so happened that Nidhi was carrying excrement out of the city, intending to dispose of it. The vessel broke and soiled his body. Seeing the World-Honoured One from afar, he felt deep shame and could not bear to face the Buddha. The Buddha went to his place and expounded the Dharma extensively for him. He immediately gave rise to faith and wished to leave the household life. The Buddha sent Ānanda to take him to the river, wash him with water, and then bring him to the Jetavana. The Buddha expounded the Dharma for him, and he attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. Immediately thereupon he left the household life and attained the fruit of an arhat. When the people of the country and the king heard that he had gone forth, they all harboured resentment: 'How could the Buddha permit such a man to leave the household life?' King Prasenajit went at once to the Buddha's place, intending to refute this matter. It so happened that Nidhi was sitting upon a large rock at the gate of the Jetavana mending his old robe, with seven hundred devas making offerings of fragrant flowers. Seeing this, the king rejoiced and asked him to announce his arrival to the Buddha. The monk Nidhi sank his body into the rock, passing in and out freely. When he had finished announcing him, the king arrived at the Buddha's place and first inquired about this matter: 'What was the clan name of that monk just now?' The Buddha told the king: 'He was a lowly man in Your Majesty's realm, the dung-remover Nidhi.' Hearing the Buddha's words, the king's slanderous mind was immediately dispelled. He went to Nidhi's place, held his feet in prostration, repented, and apologized. The king addressed the Buddha, saying: 'What karma did the monk Nidhi commit in the past that caused him to receive this lowly body?' The Buddha told the king: 'In the past, after the nirvāṇa of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a monk who lived freely having gone forth and took charge of the affairs of the Saṃgha. His body was temporarily ill, and being too lazy to rise and go out, he relieved himself into a chamber pot. He ordered a disciple to carry it and throw it away. Yet that disciple was a srotāpanna. By this karmic cause, he drifted through birth and death, constantly being of lowly station, and for five hundred lives cleared away excrement for others. Due to the merit of having gone forth and kept the precepts in the past, he has now met the Buddha, gone forth, and attained the Path.' (For this reason, one must not relieve oneself inside the room, which fully incurs the aforementioned transgression. One often sees laypeople who are indolent and cannot transport the chamber pot themselves, relieving themselves in the room and having others carry it away day after day. In the future, they are certain to fall into hell; even if they escape hell, they will still become pigs, dogs, dung beetles, and privy worms.)