諸經要集 12.19

12.19

Fifth, the rebuke of the fault of craving for touch: this touch is the cause of the fetters and the root of binding the mind. Why? The other four sense objects each correspond to their separate portions, but this one attaches across the entire body; because it is difficult to abandon, one constantly commits grave offenses. At that time, the Bhagavat recounted a jātaka condition for the bhikṣus: In the distant past, there was an ascetic (ṛṣi) in the mountains of the kingdom of Vārāṇasī. In the middle month of autumn, he urinated into a washing basin. Seeing a stag and a doe mating, his lustful mind was moved, and semen flowed into the basin. A doe drank it and immediately became pregnant. When her months were complete, she gave birth to a child whose appearance resembled a human, except that his head had a single horn and his feet were like a deer's. When the doe was about to give birth, she went to the side of the ṛṣi's hut and gave birth. Seeing that the child was human, she entrusted him to the ṛṣi and left. When the ṛṣi came out, he saw this deer-child, reflected on the original cause, and knew it was his own child; he took him in and raised him. When the child grew older, he diligently taught him learning, so that he mastered the eighteen great treatises. He also learned seated meditation, practiced the four immeasurables (apramāṇa), and attained the five supernormal powers (pañcābhijñā). Once, while climbing the mountain, he encountered heavy rain and slippery mud; his feet being unsuitable, he fell to the ground, breaking his kuṇḍikā water pot and injuring his foot. Thereupon, he flew into a great rage, filled his kuṇḍikā with water, and incanted that it should not rain. By the ṛṣi's merit, the dragons, ghosts, and spirits all caused it not to rain for his sake. Because it did not rain, the five grains and five fruits did not grow at all; the people were destitute and had no further means of survival. The king of Vārāṇasī was sorrowful and distressed; he commanded his great ministers to gather and deliberate on the matter of rain. The wise deliberated, saying: 'It is rumored that in the mountains of the ṛṣis there is a Single-Horned Ṛṣi (Ekaśṛṅga). Because his feet are unsuitable, he fell while climbing the mountain and injured his foot; in anger, he cursed the rain, causing it not to fall for twelve years.' The king reflected, saying: 'If it does not rain for twelve years, my kingdom will be finished; there will be no more people.' The king immediately offered a reward: 'Whoever can cause the ṛṣi to lose his five supernormal powers and become my subject shall be granted half the kingdom to govern.' In that kingdom there was a courtesan named Śāntā, who was beautiful and immensely wealthy; she came to answer the king's recruitment. The woman asked the people, 'Is this a human or not?' The crowd said, 'He was born of an ascetic.' The courtesan said, 'If he is human, I can ruin him.' Having spoken thus, she took a golden platter filled with fine treasures and said to the king, 'I shall ride upon the neck of this ṛṣi when I return.' The courtesan immediately sought five hundred carriages carrying five hundred beautiful women, and five hundred deer-carts carrying various sweetmeat balls (modaka), all blended with various medicinal herbs and colored to resemble mixed fruits, along with various highly potent fine wines whose color and taste resembled water. Wearing bark clothing, they moved among the forest trees to resemble ascetics. Beside the ṛṣi's hut, they built a grass hut and dwelt there. When the Single-Horned Ṛṣi was wandering, he saw them. The women all came out to welcome him, offering fine flowers and wondrous fragrances to the ṛṣi. The ṛṣi was greatly pleased. The women inquired after the ṛṣi with sweet words and respectful phrases, brought him into their room to sit on fine bedding, and gave him the fine, clear wine as pure water, and the sweetmeat balls as fruits and melons. Having eaten and drank to his fill, he said to the women, 'Since my birth, I have never obtained such fine fruits and fine water.' The women said, 'We single-mindedly practice goodness; therefore heaven grants us our wish to obtain this fine water and these fine fruits.' The ṛṣi asked the women, 'Why are your complexions so plump and flourishing?' They answered, 'We eat these fine fruits and drink this delicious water; therefore we are plump like this.' A woman addressed the ṛṣi, saying, 'Why do you not live here?' He answered, 'I could live here too.' The woman said, 'We can bathe together,' and he agreed to that as well. The woman's hands were soft, and touching them moved his mind; thereupon, he bathed reciprocally with the women. Desire arose increasingly, and eventually culminated in intercourse. He immediately lost his supernormal powers. Heaven poured down a great rain for seven days and seven nights, allowing them to enjoy food and drink. After seven days, the wine and food were completely exhausted, and were followed by mountain water and tree fruits, whose taste was not delicious. He asked for the previous ones again. They replied, 'They are exhausted. Now we should travel together; not far from here is a place where they can be obtained.' The ṛṣi said, 'As you wish.' Thereupon, they set out together. Not far from the city, the woman lay down on the road, saying, 'I am exhausted and can walk no further.' The ṛṣi said, 'If you cannot walk, ride upon my neck and I will carry you.' The woman had previously sent a messenger to inform the king: 'The king may observe my skill and wisdom.' The king ordered his carriage prepared and went out to observe it. He asked, 'By what means was this achieved?' The woman said to the king, 'By the power of expedients, he is now like this and has no further capabilities.' [The king] had him dwell in the city, providing him with good offerings and reverence, satisfying all his desires, and appointing him a great minister. After staying in the city for a few days, his body grew increasingly emaciated; his mind longing for meditation, he delighted in abandoning worldly desires. The king asked the ṛṣi, 'Why are you unhappy and growing so emaciated?' The ṛṣi answered the king, 'Although I have obtained the five desires, I constantly remember the leisure and quiet of the forest where the ascetics wander; I cannot put it out of my mind.' The king reflected to himself: 'If I forcibly oppose his will, it will cause him suffering; if suffering reaches an extreme, he will die. Originally, I sought to eliminate the calamity of drought; now that it is achieved, for what reason should I forcibly take away his intention?' He immediately dismissed and sent him back. Having returned to the mountains, with vigorous effort he before long regained the five supernormal powers. The Buddha told the bhikṣus: 'That Single-Horned Ṛṣi was myself. That courtesan was Yaśodharā now. At that time, she bewitched me with sweetmeat balls; because I had not yet cut off the fetters, I was bewitched by her. Now she wishes again to bewitch me with medicinal sweetmeat balls, but it is impossible.' From this matter, know that the phenomenon of delicate and soft touch can move even an ascetic, how much more an ordinary fool! Various such circumstances as these are called the rebuke of the fault of craving for touch. Being able to rebuke the five desires in this way, one then eliminates the five hindrances (nīvaraṇa).