諸經要集 6.64

6.64

Furthermore, the *Foshuo Mohejiaye du pinmu jing* says: The Buddha was in Śrāvastī. At that time, Mahākāśyapa was traveling alone teaching and transforming, and arrived at Rājagṛha. Always practicing great compassion to bring merit to sentient beings, he bypassed the wealthy and begged from the poor. When he wished to go on his alms round, he first entered samādhi: 'What poor person should I bring merit to?' He then entered the great city of Rājagṛha and saw a solitary mother who was extremely destitute. She was in a large dunghill in a street alley, where a cave-like recess had been hollowed out beside the dunghill; emaciated and sick, she constantly lay within it. Alone and helpless, she had neither clothing nor food. Beside the cave, a small fence had been erected to screen her body. In his samādhi, Kāśyapa knew that because this person had planted no merit in previous lives, she was poor today; and he knew that the woman's life was drawing to a close, and that if he did not deliver her, she would forever lose the hall of merit. At that time the mother was hungry and distressed. A servant girl of an elder had discarded rice-water that was foul-smelling beyond words. The mother begged for it from her, and put it in a broken pottery shard beside her. Kāśyapa arrived at the place, made an auspicious blessing, and begged from her: 'If you give me a little, you will obtain great merit.' At that time, the old mother spoke a verse: