諸經要集 6.70

6.70

When the heavenly maiden finished speaking, they all returned to heaven. Śakra thought: “A woman's offering of rice water led to such merit. Kāśyapa has great compassion, yet he blesses only poor families and does not visit the great clans. I must devise a clever plan.” Thereupon, with his heavenly consort, carrying food of a hundred flavours held in a small jar, he went to Rājagṛha. By the side of an alley, they made a small, shabby hut and transformed their appearances to look like an old man, emaciated in body, walking with a stoop, the old man and his wife weaving mats together, in an appearance of such poverty that they stored no food or drink. Kāśyapa later went begging on his almsround; seeing this poor man, he went to beg food. The old man said: “We are utterly destitute and have nothing; what can be done?” Kāśyapa offered words of blessing and did not leave for a long time. The old man said: “We, husband and wife, are very old and weave mats, having no leisure to go begging. We only have a little rice that we were just about to eat. Having heard of your humane and benevolent virtue, and that you beg only from the poor so as to bless them, now, though we are impoverished, we willingly part with it to give it to the worthy one. If it is truly as they say, may it cause us to gain merit.” The aroma of heavenly food is not something smelled in the world. If he had opened the jar beforehand, its sweet fragrance would have been perceived by Kāśyapa, who would have refused to take it at all. So he said: “Man of the Way, our coarse food is not much; bring your bowl to receive it.” Kāśyapa then held out his bowl and accepted it, offering words of blessing to the donor's household. The fragrance spread throughout the great city of Rājagṛha and its entire borders. Kāśyapa immediately suspected its fragrance. The old man and woman shed their disguised bodies, flew swiftly into the air, and snapped their fingers in joy. Kāśyapa contemplated and knew at once that Śakra had transformed into an old man to plant roots of blessing: “I have already accepted it; it is not fitting to return it.” Kāśyapa praised Śakra for planting blessings untiringly, enduring such a base form to come down and cultivate merit, which would surely yield a corresponding reward. Śakra and his consort rejoiced doubly. At that time, celestial music came to welcome them, and when Śakra reached his palace, his joy increased even more. An eulogy says: