諸經要集 6.63

6.63

As the *Xianyu jing* says: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, the Venerable Kātyāyana was in the kingdom of Avanti. At that time in that kingdom, there was an elder of great wealth. In his household there was a maidservant who, upon the slightest fault, was whipped by the elder and driven to labor day and night. Her clothes did not cover her body and her food did not fill her mouth. Old and suffering hardship, she longed to die but could not. Just as she was carrying a jar to the river to draw water, she began weeping aloud. At that time the Venerable One heard her crying, went to her, and asked about the causes. He then said to her, 'If you are poor, why do not sell [your poverty]?' The old woman replied, 'Who buys poverty?' Kātyāyana said, 'Poverty can truly be sold.' The old woman said to him, 'If poverty can be sold, how does one sell it?' Kātyāyana said, 'If you wish to sell it, fully follow my instructions.' He told her to first wash herself; when she had washed, he taught her to give alms. The woman addressed the Venerable One, 'I am destitute now. On my body there is not a whole patch of clothing; I have only this jar, which belongs to my master. With what should I make an offering?' He then held out his bowl and gave it to her, instructing her to draw water and offer it. He received it, uttered an auspicious blessing, next conferred the precepts upon her, and taught her buddhānusmṛti. When finished, he asked her, 'Where do you stay?' The maidservant replied, 'I have no fixed place to stay. Wherever I hull, cook, or grind, I spend the night there, or else on the dung heap.' The Venerable One told her, 'Direct your mind to diligence and respectfully run your errands. Wait until everyone in your master's house has gone to sleep, then secretly open the door, enter, spread grass inside the doorway, sit, and contemplate the Buddha.' Having received the teaching, when night came the woman went to her sitting place inside the doorway and passed away. She was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. At dawn, when the master saw her, he said in anger, 'This maidservant was never allowed to enter the house; why did she suddenly die here?' He immediately sent people to tie her feet with grass and place her in the cold forest (śītavana). Having been reborn in heaven, this maidservant had five hundred devaputras as her retinue. Using the divine eye, she observed her past body and the causes and conditions of her heavenly rebirth. Immediately leading those five hundred devaputras, bearing incense and flowers, she went to the cold forest, burned incense, scattered flowers, made offerings to the corpse, and emitted heavenly radiance that illuminated the village and the forest. The master found it strange, and made it widely known near and far. When people went to the forest to look, having seen it, they asked, 'This maidservant is already dead; why do you make offerings to her?' The devaputra replied, 'This was my past body,' and detailed the causes and conditions of her heavenly rebirth. Afterwards, they all returned together to Kātyāyana's place, made obeisance, presented offerings, and heard the Dharma expounded according to the causes and conditions. The five hundred devaputras all attained the fruit of srotāpanna. Having attained the fruit, they returned to heaven. Through these causes and conditions, the wise should learn in this manner.