諸經要集 3.60

3.60

Furthermore, the Fenbie gongde lun states: 'Formerly, in the city of Śrāvastī, there was a married couple who had no children. The husband and wife were vigorous and revered the Triratna with faith. Then the wife died early; due to her faith and reverence, she was born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven as a devī, with a lovely countenance and few equals in the heaven. The devī reflected: "I am exceedingly beautiful; who here is suitable to be my husband?" She then used the divine eye to see her former husband: he had now left home, was advanced in age and of dull intellect, possessing only single-minded faith, and constantly and diligently swept stūpas and temples as his practice. Seeing that through his sweeping of stūpas he would certainly be born in heaven, the devī promptly descended, her light shining brilliantly, and stood before her husband. The bhikṣu saw her and asked the reason. The devī replied: "I was your wife, and am now a devī. I saw that in heaven none is suitable to be my husband. Seeing that you are vigorous and constantly and diligently sweep stūpas, you will certainly be born in heaven. If you obtain birth in heaven, I wish to share the same place and be your husband again. Therefore I came to express my feelings." Having declared her intention, she returned to heaven. The bhikṣu husband, having witnessed this matter, from then on increased his vigor, repaired stūpas and temples, and accumulated merits that grew superior, such that he should be born in the fourth, Tuṣita Heaven. Longing for her husband, the devī came again and said to him: "Your merit has become superior, and you should be born in the Tuṣita Heaven. I can no longer have you as my husband." Having spoken, she departed. Hearing this, the bhikṣu became doubly vigorous, and ultimately attained the fruit of arhat, possessing the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, and the eight liberations.'