諸經要集 6.40

6.40

Furthermore, the Avadānasūtra (*Chu yao jing*) says: In ancient times, when the Buddha was in the world, in the country of Kapilavastu, there was Maudgalyāyana's younger brother of the same mother, who was exceedingly wealthy and had abundant possessions, fully endowed with the seven treasures. His storehouses and treasuries overflowed, and his male and female slaves and servants were beyond reckoning. At that time, Maudgalyāyana repeatedly went to his brother's home and said to him, "I hear that you are stingy and envious, and do not like to give in charity. The Buddha constantly says that giving receives countless retributions; if you give now, you will obtain immeasurable merit." Hearing his elder brother's instruction, the younger brother opened his storehouses to practice charity and set up new storehouses, intending to receive the retribution. Before ten days had passed, his wealth and treasures were exhausted; the old storehouses were all empty, and the new storehouses had no retribution. The younger brother, distraught, said to his elder brother, "Previously, seeing your instruction that giving receives great retribution, I did not dare to disobey your teaching. To all who came begging, I emptied my storehouses to give completely. The old storehouses are all empty, and the new storehouses have no retribution. Have I not been misled by my elder brother?" The elder brother said, "Stop, stop! Do not utter such words; do not let non-Buddhists of wrong views hear such coarse speech! If merit were to have a form, the realm of open space could not contain it. I shall now provisionally show you a slight retribution." Then, by his spiritual power, he took his younger brother by the hand and went to the Sixth Heaven. There they saw a palace composed of the seven treasures, with fragrant breezes, bathing pools, and overflowing storehouses and treasuries beyond reckoning. Jade maidens surrounded it in attendance, tens of millions in number, all female with no males. He then asked his brother, "What palace is this, so towering and magnificent?" Maudgalyāyana told his brother, "Go and ask for yourself." The brother then went himself and asked the heavenly maidens, "What palace is this, composed of the seven treasures, towering and majestic, suspended in empty space? Who possesses the merit to receive retribution within it?" The heavenly maidens replied, "Within Jambudvīpa, in the country of Kapilavastu, Śākyamuni Buddha has a disciple of spiritual power named Maudgalyāyana. He has a virtuous younger brother, a great wealthy elder; because of his fondness for giving, he will later be born here and become our husband and master." The younger brother, hearing this, was joyful, and wholesome thoughts arose in him. Returning to his brother's side, he recounted the matter in full. Maudgalyāyana said to him, "Does a person's giving have retribution, or does it not?" The younger brother felt shame, repented to his elder brother, and afterward, returning home, cultivated merit all the more. After his life ended, he was immediately reborn in the heavens to enjoy this retribution of merit.

Furthermore, the *Jyotika-sūtra* says: When the Buddha was in the world, there was a great wealthy elder named Jyotika. His storehouses overflowed, fully endowed with gold and silver; his male and female slaves stood in rows, and there was nothing he lacked or desired. He had a white cotton towel hanging by the side of a pool. A heavenly wind arose and blew it before the king's palace hall. The king then assembled his ministers to sit together, deliberate, and consult divinations, marveling at the cause of it. The ministers all said, "The state is about to flourish; Heaven has bestowed white cotton." Jyotika remained silent. The king said to Jyotika, "The ministers are all celebrating; why do you say nothing?" Jyotika answered the king, "I would not dare deceive the king: this is a white cotton cloth for drying the body in my household. It was hung by the pool, and a heavenly wind arose and blew it before the king's palace hall; therefore I remained silent." Several days later, a nine-coloured golden flower as large as a cartwheel fell before the king's palace hall. The king again assembled his ministers, and the dialogue was as before. Jyotika answered the king, saying, "I would not dare deceive the king: this is a withered, fallen flower from the rear garden of my household. A heavenly wind arose and blew it before the king's palace hall; therefore I remained silent." The king said to Jyotika, "If your house is capable of such things, you must return home and make arrangements as you wish; I will lead a host of two hundred thousand to go to your home and see it." Jyotika replied, "May the king accompany me; there is no need to go ahead [to prepare]. In my house, couches and mats are naturally present without needing people to spread them; food and drink are naturally present without needing people to prepare them; they are brought forward naturally without needing to be called; they are taken away naturally without needing to look back." The king then led the host of two hundred thousand, arriving at Jyotika's southern gate to enter. There was a young boy, handsome and charming. The king said to Jyotika, "Is this your son?" He replied, "It is my slave who guards the pavilion." Going forward a little further into the pavilion gate, there was a young maiden whose complexion was handsome, her skin lustrous and fair, exceedingly lovely. The king said to Jyotika, "Is this your daughter, or your wife?" He replied, "It is my maidservant who guards the pavilion." Going forward a little further to the front of his hall, the walls were made of white silver and the ground of crystal. The king saw it as water, hesitated, and dared not proceed. Jyotika led the way and brought the king up into the hall, where he sat on a golden couch and leaned on a jade table. Jyotika's wife sat behind a hundred and twenty layers of gold and silver curtains; parting the curtains, she came out to bow to the king, and tears flowed from her eyes. The king said to Jyotika, "Why does your wife shed tears when bowing to me?" "I would not dare deceive the king: she smelled the king's smoke odor, and therefore tears flowed from her eyes." The king said, "Commoners burn fat, feudal lords burn honey, and the Son of Heaven burns lacquer; lacquer produces no smoke, so why should tears flow?" Jyotika answered the king, "My family has a bright moon divine pearl hanging in the palace hall, so day and night are no different; we do not need firelight." In front of Jyotika's hall was a twelve-story high tower; he took the king up to view it, gazing in all directions, and in a daze a month passed. The ministers said to the king, "The state's affairs are of great consequence; the king should return." The king thought it was only a brief moment and that he could bear a little more; they wandered again through the gardens and pools, unaware that another month had passed. The inquiries and answers were as before. Jyotika brought out the seven treasures to bestow, along with damask, gauze, and colored silks; the two hundred thousand people and their horses were all heavily laden, and together they returned to the state. The king said to his ministers, "That Jyotika is my subject, yet his women, wives, and residence far surpass mine. I wish to attack him; can he be taken?" The ministers all said he could be taken. The king led a host of four hundred thousand, sounding bells and beating drums, and surrounded Jyotika's residence in several hundred layers. Within the southern gate of Jyotika's residence, there was a champion who raised a golden staff with a gesture; the host of four hundred thousand, men and horses alike, all fell down, their hands and feet twisted, their waists and hips sagging like drunken men, their heads incapacitated, unable to rise again. Thereupon, Jyotika rode in a mica chariot and came to ask the men, "What harmed you when you came, that you lie on the ground unable to rise?" "The Great King sent us wishing to attack the elder. The champion made a gesture with a golden staff, and all four hundred thousand men and horses fell down, unable to rise again." Jyotika asked, "Do you wish to get up?" The men all said, "We wish to get up." Jyotika exerted his spiritual power once, causing all four hundred thousand men and horses to rise together and return at once to their country. The king then summoned Jyotika to ride in the same chariot, and went to the Buddha's location. He said to the Bhagavat, "What merit did Jyotika cultivate in his previous lives to attain such a fruition of retribution?" The Buddha said, "Listen well! Formerly, there were five hundred companions in karma on a rugged mountain. On the road, they met a sick man of the Way and gave him a hut, rice, provisions, lamps, and candles. At that time, [the monk] broadly made vast vows, and devas made offerings of their own accord, descending from the sky; he transformed his body in eighteen ways, emitting a great radiance that illuminated the world. He also vowed to become a Buddha, to shatter the Iron Enclosure Mountains, to make caldrons of boiling water produce flowers, to make hells produce sandalwood, to make hungry ghosts become śramaṇas, and to make rākṣasas sit and recite sūtras. The five hundred merchants, bringing their heavy treasures, provided for the sick monk; because the monk made extensive vows and received heavenly offerings, he now obtains this retribution. The donor of that time was Jyotika; the sick monk was myself; and the five hundred merchants all attained the path of arhatship."

Furthermore, the *Avadānaśataka* (*Bai yuan jing*) says: When the Buddha was in the world, there was an elder in the city of Śrāvastī whose wealth and treasures were immeasurable and beyond reckoning. His wife gave birth to a boy who was handsome, extraordinary, and rare in the world. On the day he was born, the heavens sent down heavy rain. His parents were joyful, and the whole state came to know of it. A physiognomist divined auspiciousness, and because of this they named him Yaśomitra. He did not drink milk or suckle, for between his teeth there naturally arose the water of eight qualities, which he used to sustain and satisfy himself. As he gradually grew older, he saw the Buddha, left home (pravrajyā), and attained the fruit of arhatship, being revered and respected by devas and worldly people alike. When the bhikṣus saw this, they requested the Buddha to explain his past merit and causal conditions. At that time, the Bhagavat told the bhikṣus: In this Auspicious Kalpa, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world named Kāśyapa. In his Dharma, there was an elder of extreme old age who left home to enter the path, but was unable to be energetic. Furthermore, he fell gravely ill. A skilled physician examined him and instructed that he should ingest ghee, whereupon his illness would be cured. He immediately followed the physician's instruction, took ghee, and ingested it. During that night, the medicine produced fever and thirst. Running about seeking water, the water vessels were all empty; going again to springs and rivers, they were all dried up. Having thus sought water everywhere without obtaining any, he deeply reproached himself; on the riverbank, he took off his robe, tied it to a tree, abandoned it, and returned. When the next morning came, he reported the situation to his master. His master, hearing these words, replied to him, saying, "You suffered such distress resembling that of a hungry ghost (preta). You should now take water from my jar and distribute it among the Saṃgha." He then accepted the instruction and took the jar's water, but the water dried up and vanished entirely. With a heart full of sorrow and dread, he thought that when his life ended he would surely fall among the hungry ghosts. He immediately went to the Buddha's location, reported the above events in full, and said to the Bhagavat, "Pray, deign to instruct me." The Buddha told the bhikṣu, "You should now distribute fine, pure water among the community of monks; thereby you can escape this body of a hungry ghost." Having heard this, he was joyful, and thereupon constantly distributed pure water among the Saṃgha. After twenty thousand years, his life came to an end. In whatever place he was born, between his teeth there was always pure water of eight qualities, naturally sufficient so that he did not drink milk or suckle, down to the present day when he met me, left home, and attained the path. The bhikṣus, hearing this, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.