|
舍利弗心堅不可移轉
時佛從禪起經行，羅侯羅從佛行，佛問羅侯羅何以羸瘦？羅侯羅說偈答佛：若人食油則得力，若食酥者得好色，食麻滓菜無色力，大德世尊自當知！
佛問羅侯羅：是眾中誰為上座？
羅侯羅答：和尚舍利弗。
佛言：舍利弗食不淨食。
爾時，舍利弗轉聞是語，即時吐食，自作誓言：從今日不復受人請。
是時，波斯匿王、長者須達多等，來詣舍利弗所，語舍利弗：佛不以無事而受人請；大德舍利弗復不受請，我等白衣云何當得大信清靜？
舍利弗言：我大師佛言：舍利弗食不淨食，今不得受人請。
於是波斯匿等至佛所，白佛言：佛不常受人請，舍利弗復不受請，我等云何心得大信？願佛敕舍利弗還受人請！
佛言：此人心堅不可移轉。佛爾時，引本生因緣：昔有一國王為毒蛇所齧，王時欲死，呼諸良醫令治蛇毒。時諸醫言：還令蛇嗽，毒氣乃盡。是時諸醫各設咒術，所齧王蛇則來王所。諸醫積薪燃火，敕蛇還嗽如毒，若不爾者，當入此火！
毒蛇思惟：我既吐毒，云何還嗽？此事劇死！思惟定心，即時入火。爾時毒蛇，舍利弗是。世世心堅，不可動也。
待續
|
|
Sariputra's Unyielding Resolve (T25.70c11- 71a17 [fasc.2])
Once the Buddha arose from dhyana and proceeded to walk along. Rahula followed, walking with the Buddha. The Buddha asked Ra hula, "Why are you so gaunt?" Rahula replied to the Buddha by uttering a verse: "If one partakes of foods with oils, then in strength he gains. And if one partakes of curds as food, then in color he gains. But eating leftover sesame vegetables, one has no strength or color. This the Venerable World Honored One ought to naturally know."
The Buddha asked Rahula, "Who sits at the head of this assembly?"
Rahula replied, "The upadhyaya, Sariputra."
The Buddha said, "Sariputra has consumed impure fare."
Sariputra overheard this pronouncement, immediately vomited up his meal and made a vow to himself, saying, "From this very day I shall never again accept [food proffered through] people's invitations."
At this time King Prasenajit, Sudatta the Elder, and others came to pay a visit to Sariputra and said to Sariputra, "It is not without reason that the Buddha accepts people's invitations. If the greatly virtuous Sariputra no longer accepts invitations, how shall laypeople such as us be able to obtain the purification of great faith?"
Sariputra said, "My great master, the Buddha, has said, 'Sariputra consumes impure fare.' Now I cannot bear to accept people's invitations."
At this, Prasenajit and the others went to the Buddha and addressed the Buddha, saying, "The Buddha does not often accept people's invitations. Sariputra no longer accepts invitations. How shall the minds of people such as us develop great faith? Pray, may the Buddha direct Sariputra to continue to accept invitations."
The Buddha said, "This man's resolve is solid and it cannot be moved or deflected." Then the Buddha proceeded to recount the causes and conditions of a previous life:
"Formerly, there was a king who had been bitten by a poisonous snake. As the King was on the verge of succumbing, he summoned the expert physicians and ordered them to treat the snake poisoning. Then the physicians said, 'We must cause the snake to draw it out again. Then the poisonous effects shall cease.'
"At this time the physicians each performed incantational rituals. The snake which had bitten the King then came to the King's quarters. The physicians stacked up firewood, set it ablaze and then commanded the snake, 'Draw your poison back out again. If you don't, then you shall have to go into this fire.'
The poisonous snake then thought, 'Since I have already injected the poison, how can I draw it out again? This matter shall lead to my violent death.' Having reflected thus his mind became fixed and he then immediately slithered forward into the midst of the flames. That poisonous snake was Sariputra. In life after life his mind has been solid and immovable."
To be continued
|
