藥師經疏 1.18

1.18

經。正見精進至菩薩諸行　八勤修勝業。云何正見。依成實論第十九云。正是二種。一世間。二出世間。世間者謂見有罪福等。出世間者謂能通達苦等諸諦。又如偈說得世上正見。雖往來生死。乃至百千世常不墮惡道。又瑜伽論二十一云。若有世間上品正見雖歷千生不墮惡趣。又雜集論第十三云。若有具世間增上品正見雖經歷千生而不墮惡趣。云何精進。大般若經說。勤精進者。謂於一切諸善法中愛樂欣喜。言愛法者。謂於此法起欲稀求。言樂法者。謂於此法稱讚功德。言欣法者。謂於此法歡喜信受。言喜法者。謂於此法樂多修習。演道俗業經云。若能精進即具四法。一者夙夜奉法未曾懈廢。二者寧失身命不違道教。三者勤誦經典不懈惓故。四者廣欲救濟諸危厄者。那先比丘經說。精進能助一切善法。如陣兵弱強兵助之。又如論云。精進遍策諸度法門。遺教經說。若精進則事無難者。依智度論第十六云。初發心菩薩。於一切善法中漸漸次第修菩薩行。是名精進。問一切善法中勤何不名精進。答二乘及人不具行勤不名精進　問二乘及人行勤何故不名精進。答無大慈悲。棄捨眾生。不求十力四無所畏十八不共法。及一切智無礙解脫戒定智慧諸善法等。菩薩不休不息。一心求佛不捨眾生。如是行者名為精進。如好施菩薩求如意珠杼大海水。正使筋骨枯盡終不懈廢。得如意珠以給眾生。濟其身苦。菩薩如是難為能為是名精進　問精進有幾。答精進有二。布施持戒名身精進。勤定智慧名心精進。又外事勤修名身精進。內自專精名心精進。又麁精進名身。細精進名心。又為福德精進名身。為智慧精進名心。又身精進者。受諸勤苦終不懈廢。如波羅柰國梵摩達王。遊獵於林中見二鹿群。群各五百。彼兩鹿群各有一主。一釋迦菩薩。二提婆達多。菩薩鹿王身七寶色見人王眾於其部黨起大悲心。逆到王前。王人競射飛矢如雨。王見此庶直進趣已無所忌憚。勅諸從人攝汝弓箭無得斷其來意。鹿王既至。跪白人王。君以嬉遊逸樂為小事故。群鹿一時皆受死苦。若以供膳當自差。次日送一鹿以供王厨。王善其言聽如其意。於是二群鹿王共會。次各一日。調達群中一鹿懷子。次至應送來白其王。我身今日應當送死而我懷子子非次也。乞垂斷理使死者得次生者不濫。鹿王怒之。誰不惜命。次來但去何得辭也。鹿母思惟。我王不仁。不以理恕。不察我辭。橫見慎怒不足告也。即至菩薩鹿王之所以情具白。王問此鹿汝主何言母鹿。答曰我王不仁不見理斷而見瞋怒。大王仁及一切故來歸命。如我今日天地雖曠無所控告。菩薩思惟。此甚可愍。若我不理枉殺其子若非次更差次未及之如何可遣。唯我代之思惟既定即自送身遣鹿母還。我今代汝。汝勿憂也鹿王逆到王門。眾人見之怪其自來以事白。王主亦怪之。而命令前問言。諸鹿盡邪。汝何以來。鹿王白言。大王仁及群鹿人無犯者。但有孳茂何有盡時。異部群中一鹿懷子以垂產故身當俎割子亦併命歸告於我。我以愍之非分更差是亦不可。若歸而不救無異木石。是身不久必不免死。慈救苦厄功德無量。若人無慈虎狼無異。人王聞已即從坐起而說偈言。我實是畜獸名曰人頭鹿。汝雖是鹿身名為鹿頭人。以理而言之非以形為人。若能有慈惠雖獸實是人。我從今日始不食一切肉。我以無畏施旦可安汝意。諸鹿得安王得仁信諸如是等名身精進。於諸善法修行信樂不生疑悔。而不懈怠。從一切賢聖下至凡人求法無厭如海吞流。是為菩薩心精進也。依華嚴經說。三業精進。一身業精進。恭敬供養諸佛菩薩一切福田中不退故。二口業精進。聞持一切諸佛正法未曾忘失。讚歎如來隨所聞法廣為人說無疲惓故。三意業精進。善巧方便入慈悲喜捨禪定三昧相續不退故。問淨心內發勝解。斯彰何假捨家而求要道。答雖知淳善久悟處俗猶似同牢眾務縈纏所以捨家學道故。涅槃經第十一云。居家迫迮猶如牢獄。一切煩惱由之而生出家。寬曠猶如虛空。一切善法因之增長。又郁伽長者經說。在家下賤出家尊貴。在家生死際出家涅槃際。又大方便佛報恩經第五卷說。時諸釋女被瑠璃王割截耳鼻。斷其手足棄於塚間。蒙佛威力平復如故。諸女思惟。我等今者欲報佛恩。當共出家修持禁戒護持正法思惟。是以即求衣鉢往諸王園。比丘尼精舍求索出家。時有六群比丘尼見諸釋女。年時幼稚美色端正。今云何能捨此難捨而求出家。我等當為說世間五欲快樂待年限遇然後出家不亦快乎。彼若還俗必以衣鉢奉施我等。思惟是已於釋女前即以上事向諸女說。諸女聞已心懷苦惱。此安隱處云何有大恐怖。如是餚饍飲食和以毒藥世間五欲多諸過患我已具知。云何而更反歎其美。作是語已舉聲大哭。還出僧坊。有比丘尼。名曰華色。即問諸女何為啼哭。諸女答言。不果所願。比丘尼言。汝願何等。女答尼言。願欲出家。不蒙聽許。時華色尼問言。諸女欲出家者。我能度汝。諸女聞己心生歡喜。即便隨從度為弟子。時諸釋女既蒙聽許。悲喜交集。而作是言。和上當知我等在家眾苦非一。親族喪亡。割削耳鼻截斷手足禍患滋甚。爾時和上報諸弟子。汝等辛苦何足言也。我在家時荷負眾苦其事眾多。時諸禪女長跪白師願說在家眾苦因緣。時華色尼即入三昧。以神通力放大光明。召集有緣大眾。既集即自說言。我在家時。是舍衛國人父母嫁我與北方人。彼國風俗。其婦有身垂欲產時還父母家。如是次第數年生子後。復有身垂產之日。皆乘車馬夫妻相將歸父母家。中路有河其水暴涱。其路曠絕。多諸賊難。既至河已不能得渡。住宿岸邊。於初夜時我腹卒痛即便起坐。未久之間即便免身生一男兒。崖邊草中有大毒蛇。聞新血香即來趣我。未至我所。我夫及奴眠在道中。蛇至奴所尋便螫殺。前至夫所夫眠不覺。復螫夫殺。我時唱喚蛇來蛇來喚既不應。夫奴已死。爾時毒蛇復螫牛馬。至曰出已。夫等身體膖脹爛蟲骨已解散狼藉在地。憂悲恐怖悶絕躃地舉聲大哭。以手椎胸自拔頭髮。塵土忿身尋復悶絕舉身投骨。如是憂故。經留數日獨在岸邊。其水漸小。荷負小兒以手牽持。其新產者以裾盛之銜著口中。即前入水正到何半反視大兒。見一猛虎奔走馳逐開口唱喚口即失裾嬰兒沒水。以手探捕而竟不獲。其背上者失手落水尋沒喪失其岸上者為虎所食。我見是以心肝分裂口吐熱血舉聲大喚。怪哉怪哉。我今一旦見此禍酷。即到岸上悶絕躃地。未久之間有一伴至。爾時伴中有一長者。是我父母舊所知識。我即前問父母消息。爾時長者即答我。汝父母家昨夜失火所燒蘊盡。父母亦喪。我聞是已悶絕躃地。良久乃蘇。未久之間有五百群賊。即壞眾伴。爾時賊主便將我去作賊主婦。賊主婦法常使守門。若有緣急為人所遂須速開門。後於一時夫與群賊共行抄劫。爾時賊主王及聚落并力馳逐即遣其家。爾時其婦在於舍內免身生子。夫在門外再三喚已內無人開門。爾時賊主即作是念。今此婦者欲危害我。思惟是已即緣牆入語其婦言。以何事故不開門耶。婦言以產生故而不及耳。爾時賊主見是事已瞋恚小息。語其婦言。人有身者便當有子。汝為產故危害於我用是子為速往殺之。爾時其婦心生憐愍不忍殺之。爾時賊主尋拔刀斫解斷手足。語其婦言。汝可還噉。若不食者當斷汝頭。爾時其婦以恐怖故即還食之。既還食已瞋恚便息。其夫於後續復劫盜為王所得。即治其罪治賊之法。要斷其命合婦生埋。我時身體著妙瓔珞。爾時有人貪我瓔珞。於後夜時即便開塚取我瓔珞并將我去。復經少時王家伺官即伺捉得以法斷之。如治賊罪治賊之法即斷其命合婦生埋。埋之不固。於後夜時多諸虎狼圮發塚開食噉死屍。我因此故尋時得出。既得出已荒錯迷悶不知東西。即便馳走路見多人。即便問言。諸人當知。我今苦惱何處能有忌憂除患。時有長老婆羅門等。以憐愍故即語我言。曾釋迦牟尼佛法之中多諸安隱無諸衰惱。我聞是己心生歡喜。諸大愛道憍曇彌比丘尼。所出家次第修習。即得道果三明六通具八解脫。以是因緣。汝等當知。我在家時勤苦如是。以是因緣自致得道。時諸釋女聞是說己心大歡喜得法眼淨。問出家學道有何勝利。答僧祇律云。若人百千歲供養及羅漢不如一日夜出家修梵行。又智度論第三卷云。孔雀雖有色嚴身不如鴻雁能遠飛。白衣雖有富貴力不如出家功德勝。又佛本行集經云。假使恩愛久共處時至命盡會別離見此無常須臾間。是故我今求解脫。又出家功德經云。假使有人遍閻浮提造舍寶塔簷簷相。次至于梵天。所獲功德不如有人放一奴婢出家學道。假使有人放奴婢出家遍閻浮提。如稻麻竹葦。所獲功德不如有人放一男女出家為道廣如經說。

Sūtra: "[Hold] right views, make energetic progress... up to... all the bodhisattva practices" — the eighth [benefit] is diligently cultivating superior karmic deeds. What are "right views"? According to the nineteenth fascicle of the Chengshi lun, right [views] are of two kinds: first, worldly; second, supramundane. Worldly [right views] mean seeing that there are sins, merits, and so forth. Supramundane [right views] mean being able to penetrate the truths of suffering and the rest. Furthermore, as a verse states: "Obtaining supreme worldly right view, though one wanders through birth and death for up to hundreds of thousands of lives, one will never fall into the evil destinies." Moreover, the twenty-first fascicle of the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra states: "If one possesses superior worldly right views, though one passes through a thousand lives, one will not fall into the evil destinies." Furthermore, the thirteenth fascicle of the Abhidharma-samuccaya-vyākhyā states: "If one possesses the foremost superior worldly right views, though one experiences a thousand lives, one will not fall into the evil destinies." What is "energetic progress"? The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Sūtra states: "Those of diligent, energetic progress are those who cherish, take delight in, rejoice in, and are glad of all wholesome dharmas. 'Cherishing dharmas' means giving rise to desire and seeking after this Dharma. 'Taking delight in dharmas' means praising its merits. 'Rejoicing in dharmas' means joyfully having faith in and accepting it. 'Being glad of dharmas' means delighting in cultivating it abundantly." The Sutra on Preaching the Practices of the Clergy and Laity states: "If one can make energetic progress, one is endowed with four dharmas: first, serving the Dharma day and night without ever slacking; second, preferring to lose life and limb rather than disobey the teachings of the Way; third, diligently reciting the scriptures without growing weary; fourth, broadly desiring to rescue those who are in danger and distress." The Milindapañha states: "Energetic progress can assist all wholesome dharmas, just as when soldiers in battle are weak, strong soldiers support them." Furthermore, as a treatise says: "Energetic progress broadly spurs on all gates to the perfections." The Sutra of the Buddha's Bequeathed Teaching states: "If one makes energetic progress, nothing will be difficult." According to the sixteenth fascicle of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa: "A bodhisattva who has newly generated the mind [for awakening], gradually and sequentially cultivating bodhisattva practices among all wholesome dharmas, is called energetic progress." Question: Diligence in all wholesome dharmas—why is it not called energetic progress? Answer: The two vehicles and humans do not fully practice diligence, so it is not called energetic progress. Question: Why is it that when the two vehicles and humans practice diligence, it is not called energetic progress? Answer: They lack great compassion and abandon sentient beings. They do not seek the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen unique dharmas, or omniscience, unobstructed liberation, morality, concentration, wisdom, and all such wholesome dharmas. Bodhisattvas rest not and cease not; with single-mindedness they seek the Buddha and do not abandon sentient beings. One who practices like this is called [one of] energetic progress. Just as the Bodhisattva of Fine Giving, seeking the wish-fulfilling jewel, bailed the water of the great ocean: even if his sinews and bones were dried up and exhausted, he would never slacken and cease, and thus obtained the wish-fulfilling jewel to provide for sentient beings and relieve their bodily suffering. A bodhisattva doing what is difficult to do in this way is called energetic progress. Question: How many kinds of energetic progress are there? Answer: There are two kinds of energetic progress: giving and keeping precepts are called bodily energetic progress; diligence in concentration and wisdom is called mental energetic progress. Furthermore, diligently cultivating external activities is called bodily energetic progress; internal single-mindedness is called mental energetic progress. Furthermore, coarse energetic progress is called bodily; subtle energetic progress is called mental. Furthermore, energetic progress for merit is called bodily; energetic progress for wisdom is called mental. Furthermore, regarding bodily energetic progress, one undergoes various hardships without ever slacking or ceasing. For example, King Brahmadatta of the kingdom of Vārāṇasī went hunting in the forest and saw two herds of deer, each numbering five hundred. Both herds of deer each had a leader: one was the Bodhisattva Śākya[muni], and the other was Devadatta. The Bodhisattva Deer King had a body the color of the seven jewels. Seeing the king of men and his retinue, he gave rise to great compassion for his herd. He went forward to the king's presence. The king's men vied to shoot, and flying arrows fell like rain. The king saw this deer advancing directly toward him without fear or hesitation, and ordered his attendants: "Restrain your bows and arrows; do not obstruct its coming intention." Once the Deer King arrived, he knelt and addressed the king of men: "For a trivial matter of recreation and pleasure, Your Majesty causes all the herds of deer to suffer the agony of death at once. If it is to provide provisions for meals, we ought to arrange turns among ourselves: each day send one deer to supply the royal kitchen." The king approved of his words and granted permission according to his wish. Thereupon the two deer kings met together: each was to take turns day by day. In Devadatta's herd, a doe was pregnant with young; when her turn came to be sent, she came and addressed her king: "My body is due to be sent to death today, but I am pregnant with young, and the unborn child has not arrived at its turn. I beg you to hand down a judgment, so that the one who dies gets their proper turn and the unborn is not wrongfully killed." The deer king grew angry at her: "Who does not cherish life? When your turn comes, just go! How can you make excuses?" The mother deer reflected: "My king is unbenevolent; he does not consider me with reason and does not investigate my words. He gets unreasonably angry; he is not worth appealing to." She then went to where the Bodhisattva Deer King was and fully stated the circumstances. The king asked this deer: "What did your master say?" The mother deer answered, saying: "My king is unbenevolent; he does not judge according to reason, but exhibits anger. The Great King's benevolence extends to all; therefore I have come to take refuge. For me today, though heaven and earth are vast, I have nowhere to make an appeal." The Bodhisattva reflected: "This is deeply pitiable. If I do not attend to this, her young will be wrongfully killed. If I dispatch another out of turn whose turn has not yet arrived, how could that be sent? Only I can substitute for her." Having made up his mind, he sent himself and let the mother deer return: "I will now take your place; do not worry." The Deer King went directly to the king's gate. The crowd saw him, marveled that he had come on his own, and reported the matter. The lord king also marveled at it, and ordered him brought forward, asking: "Are all the deer exhausted? Why have you come?" The Deer King said: "The Great King's benevolence extends to the herds of deer, and no man harms them; they only flourish and multiply—how could they ever be exhausted? In another herd, a doe is pregnant, and because she is close to giving birth, her body is due to be chopped on the chopping block, and her fawn would also perish together with her. She came and reported to me. Taking pity on her, to select another out of turn was also impermissible; yet if she returned without being rescued, it would be no different from wood and stone. This body before long cannot avoid death; the merit of compassionate rescue from suffering and distress is immeasurable. If a person lacks compassion, they are no different from tigers and wolves." Having heard this, the king of men arose from his seat and spoke a verse: "I am truly a brute beast / named a human-headed deer. / You, though in a deer's body, / are named a deer-headed human. / Speaking according to principle, / one is not a human merely by outward form. / If one is capable of compassionate kindness, / though an animal, one is truly a human. / From this day forward, / I will not eat any meat. / I bestow fearlessness on you; / for now, set your mind at ease." The deer were granted safety, and the king attained benevolence and trustworthiness. All such [deeds] are called bodily energetic progress. Cultivating, having faith in, and taking delight in all wholesome dharmas without producing doubt or regret, and without indolence; seeking the Dharma without satiety from all noble ones down to ordinary mortals, like the ocean swallowing rivers—this is the bodhisattva's mental energetic progress. According to the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, there is energetic progress of the three types of karma: First, energetic progress of bodily karma: because one does not regress in revering and making offerings to the buddhas, bodhisattvas, and all fields of merit. Second, energetic progress of verbal karma: because one hears and upholds the true Dharma of all buddhas without ever forgetting, and praises the Tathāgatas and broadly expounds the Dharma to people according to what has been heard, without growing weary. Third, energetic progress of mental karma: because one skillfully enters into the dhyānas and samādhis of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, continuously and without regressing. Question: When a pure mind inwardly produces superior understanding, this is already manifested; why must one rely on renouncing the household life to seek the essential Way? Answer: Although knowing what is pure and wholesome and long awakened, dwelling in secular life is still like being in a prison, entangled in manifold affairs; therefore one renounces the household to study the Way. The eleventh fascicle of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra states: "Dwelling in the household is cramped like a prison; all afflictions arise from it. Renouncing the household is vast and spacious like empty space; all wholesome dharmas grow on account of it." Furthermore, the Ugraparipṛcchā Sūtra states: "The household is lowly; the renunciant life is noble. The household is the limit of birth and death; the renunciant life is the limit of nirvāṇa." Furthermore, the fifth fascicle of the Mahākāruṇika Sūtra on Repaying the Buddha's Kindness states: At that time, the Śākya women had their ears and noses cut off and their hands and feet severed by King Virūḍhaka, and were abandoned in a charnel ground. By the Buddha's mighty supernatural power, they were restored as before. The women reflected: "We now wish to repay the Buddha's kindness; we ought together to renounce the household, cultivate and uphold the prohibitive precepts, and protect and uphold the true Dharma." Having so reflected, they at once sought robes and bowls and went to the royal park, to the nunnery to seek renunciation. At that time, the group-of-six nuns saw the Śākya women: their age was youthful, and their beauty was shapely and fair. "How can they now abandon what is difficult to abandon and seek to renounce the household? We should speak to them of the worldly pleasures of the five desires: wait until your years are advanced and then renounce the household—would that not be delightful? If they return to secular life, they will surely offer their robes and bowls to us." Having so reflected, they went before the Śākya women and stated the above matters to them. When the women heard this, their minds were distressed: "Why is there great terror in this peaceful place? It is like fine delicacies mixed with poison. The many faults and perils of the worldly five desires are already fully known to us; why do they instead praise their beauty?" Having spoken these words, they wept aloud and left the monastery. There was a nun named Utpalavarṇā, who asked the women: "Why are you crying?" The women answered: "Our wish has not been realized." The nun said: "What is your wish?" The women answered the nun: "We wish to renounce the household, but were not granted permission." Then the nun Utpalavarṇā asked: "If you women wish to renounce the household, I can deliver you." When the women heard this, their hearts were filled with joy; they followed her at once, and she delivered them as disciples. When the Śākya women received permission, grief and joy mingled together, and they said: "Upādhyāyikā, you should know that when we were in the household, our manifold sufferings were not single: our kin died, our ears and noses were sliced off, our hands and feet severed, and our calamities were exceedingly severe." At that time, the upādhyāyikā informed her disciples: "What you have suffered is hardly worth mentioning! When I was in the household, the manifold sufferings I bore were far more numerous." Then the meditating women knelt and addressed their master: "We pray you will tell of the causes and conditions of the manifold sufferings in the household." Then the nun Utpalavarṇā entered samādhi, and with the power of supernatural abilities, emitted a great light, gathering the great assembly who had karmic connections. When they had gathered, she spoke herself: "When I was in the household, I was a native of the city of Śrāvastī. My parents married me to a man of the north. According to the custom of that land, when a woman is pregnant and close to giving birth, she returns to her parents' home. In this sequential manner, over several years, after giving birth to children, I was again pregnant and near the day of delivery. Riding on a chariot and horses, husband and wife together returned toward my parents' home. Midway there was a river whose waters were in sudden flood; the road was desolate, with many dangers from bandits. Having reached the river, we were unable to cross and lodged on the bank. In the first watch of the night, my belly suddenly pained me; I at once sat up, and before long was delivered of a baby boy. In the grass beside the cliff, there was a great venomous snake. Smelling the fragrance of fresh blood, it came toward me. Before reaching my place, my husband and a servant were sleeping on the path. The snake reached the servant and immediately bit and killed him; it went forward to my husband, who was asleep and unaware, and bit and killed him as well. I shouted out: 'A snake has come! A snake has come!' When I called, there was no answer; husband and servant were already dead. At that time, the venomous snake also bit the oxen and horses. By the time the sun came out, the bodies of my husband and the servant were bloated, rotting with worms, their bones already dismembered and strewn across the ground. In grief, sorrow, and terror, I fainted and fell to the earth, weeping aloud, beating my breast with my hands and tearing my hair. Dust covered my body; immediately I fainted again, casting my whole body onto the bones. Because of such sorrow, I lingered for several days alone on the bank. The water gradually subsided. Bearing the young child on my back, I held him with my hand; the newborn I placed in the skirt of my robe, holding it in my mouth. I then entered the water, and just as I reached the middle of the river, I looked back at the elder child and saw a ferocious tiger running in pursuit. Opening my mouth to shout, my mouth let slip the skirt, and the infant sank into the water. Reaching out with my hands to catch him, I ultimately failed to grasp him. The one on my back slipped from my hand and fell into the water, quickly sinking and lost; the one on the bank was eaten by the tiger. Seeing this, my heart and liver split apart; I vomited hot blood and cried out loudly: 'How horrific! How horrific! Today I have met with such cruel catastrophe all at once!' Reaching the bank, I fainted and fell to the ground. Before long, a caravan arrived. In the caravan there was an elder who was an old acquaintance of my parents. I went forward and asked news of my parents. The elder answered me: 'Last night your parents' home caught fire and was burned entirely to ashes; your parents also perished.' Hearing this, I fainted and fell to the ground; only after a long time did I revive. Before long, a band of five hundred robbers broke the caravan. The robber chief took me away to be his wife. The rule for the robber chief's wife was always to guard the gate; if there was an emergency and he was pursued by others, she had to open the gate swiftly. Later, at one time, my husband went out with the robbers to plunder. The king and the villagers joined forces to pursue them and chased him to his home. At that time, his wife was inside the house, giving birth to a child. Outside the gate, her husband called repeatedly, but no one inside opened the gate. Then the robber chief thought: 'Now this woman wishes to harm me.' Having so thought, he climbed over the wall, entered, and said to his wife: 'For what reason did you not open the gate?' The wife said: 'Because of giving birth, I could not make it in time.' Seeing this, the robber chief's anger slightly abated. He said to his wife: 'A person who has a body will have children. Because of giving birth, you harmed me! What use is this child? Go quickly and kill it!' The wife felt pity in her heart and could not bear to kill it. Then the robber chief drew his sword, hacked the child to pieces, severed its hands and feet, and said to his wife: 'You eat it! If you do not eat it, I will cut off your head.' Through terror, the wife ate it. When she had eaten it, his anger abated. Her husband later continued to rob and steal, and was captured by the king, who punished his crime. According to the law for punishing bandits, he had to be executed, and his wife buried alive with him. At that time, my body was adorned with exquisite necklaces. Someone lusted after my necklaces, and in the late night opened the grave, took my necklaces, and carried me off. After a short time, the royal investigators kept watch, caught him, and judged him according to the law. Just as with the punishment for bandits, he was executed, and his wife buried alive with him. They did not bury me securely; in the late night, many tigers and wolves dug open the grave to eat the corpses. Because of this, I was soon able to get out. Having gotten out, I was bewildered and dazed, not knowing east from west. Running along the road, I saw many people and asked: 'You people should know, I am now in agony; where can my worries be dispelled and my calamities eliminated?' Thereupon elder Brahmins and others, out of pity, said to me: 'In the Dharma of Śākyamuni Buddha there is much peace and security, free from decay and distress.' Hearing this, I rejoiced in my heart. Under the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī Gautamī, I renounced the household, cultivated step by step, and attained the fruits of the Way, the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, and full possession of the eight liberations. Due to these causes and conditions, you should know that when I was in the household, my suffering was like this. Through these causes and conditions, I myself arrived at the attainment of the Way." When the Śākya women heard this preaching, their hearts rejoiced greatly, and they attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. Question: What superior benefits are there in renouncing the household to study the Way? Answer: The Mahāsāṃghika Vinaya states: "If someone offers gifts to arhats for a hundred thousand years, it is not as good as renouncing the household to practice the pure life for a single day and night." Furthermore, the third fascicle of the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa states: "Though a peacock has colors adorning its body, it is not as good as the wild goose that can fly far. Though the white-robed [laity] have the power of wealth and nobility, they are not as good as the superior merit of the renunciant." Furthermore, the Abhiniṣkramaṇa Sūtra states: "Even if loved ones dwell together for long, when the time comes and life ends, they must separate; seeing this impermanence of a mere moment, therefore I now seek liberation." Furthermore, the Sūtra on the Merits of Renouncing the Household states: "If someone were to build precious stūpas throughout Jambudvīpa, eaves touching eaves all the way up to the Brahma heaven, the merit obtained would not be as good as someone releasing a single servant or slave to renounce the household and study the Way. If someone were to release servants and slaves to renounce the household throughout Jambudvīpa as numerous as rice, hemp, bamboo, and reeds, the merit obtained would not be as good as someone releasing a single son or daughter to renounce the household for the Way"—as broadly explained in the sūtras.