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復次，往古世時，此國有王名婆藪，心厭世法，出家作仙人。是時，居家婆羅門，與諸出家仙人共論議。
居家婆羅門言：經書云：天祀中應殺生噉肉。
諸出家仙人言：不應天祀中殺生噉肉。共諍云云。
諸出家婆羅門言：此有大王出家作仙人，汝等信不？
諸居家婆羅門言：信。
諸出家仙人言：我以此人為證，後日當問。諸居家婆羅門即以其夜，先到婆藪仙人所，種種問已，
語婆藪仙人：明日論議，汝當助我。如是明旦論時，
諸出家仙人問婆藪仙人：天祀中應殺生噉肉不？
婆藪仙人言：婆羅門法，天祀中應殺生瞰肉。
諸出家仙人言：於汝實心云何？應殺生噉肉不？
婆藪仙人言：為天祀故，應殺生噉肉；此生在天祀中死故，得生天上。
諸出家仙人言：汝大不是！汝大妄語！即唾之言：罪人滅去！
是時，婆藪仙人尋陷入地沒踝，是初開大罪門故。
諸出家仙人言：汝應實語，若故妄語者，汝身當陷入地中。
婆藪仙人言：我知為天故殺生噉肉無罪。即復陷入地至膝，如是漸漸稍沒，至腰至頸。
諸出家仙人言：汝今妄語，得現世報！更以實語者，雖入地下，我能出汝，令得免罪。
待續
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(T25.76a8-cl2 [fasc.3])
And then again, long ago in ancient times, this country had a king who was named Vasu. His mind became weary with worldly dharmas and as a result he left behind the home life and became a hermit. At this time the home-dwelling brahmans were involved in a doctrinal debate with the hermits who had left the home life. The home-dwelling brahmans insisted that the scriptures require that ritual offerings to the gods require slaughtering animals and eating their flesh. The hermits who had left the home life insisted that one should not slaughter animals and eat their flesh in the course of making ritual offerings to the gods. They argued back and forth until finally the brahmans who had left the home life said, "Here we have a king who has left the home life and become a hermit. Do you all trust him or not?"
The home-dwelling brahmans all said, "We trust in him."
The brahmans who had left the home life said, "We will use this man as an ar- biter. Tomorrow we shall pose the question to him." Then, that very evening, the home-dwelling brahmans were first to pay a visit to the abode of Vasu the hermit. After having asked all manner of questions, they said to Vasu, the hermit, "In tomorrow's debate you must help us." The next morning at the appointed time for the discussion, the hermits who had left the home life asked Vasu the hermit, "In the course of performing ritual offerings to the gods, should one slaughter animals and eat their flesh or not?"
Vasu the hermit said, "According to the dharma of the Brahmans, during the course of performing ritual offerings to the gods, one should slaughter animals and eat their flesh."
The hermits who had left the home life said, "But what do you yourself actually think? Should one slaughter animals and eat their flesh?"
Vasu the hermit replied, "Because it is a sacrifice to the gods, one ought to s laughter animals and eat their flesh. Because these animals die in the course of a sacrifice made to the gods, they are able to be reborn in the heavens."
The hermits who had left the home life exclaimed, "You are utterly wrong! You have told a great lie!" Then they spat upon him and said, "Disappear, you male- factor!" At this time Vasu the hermit sank into the ground up to the level of his ankles. Because he had only just opened for the first time the door to extreme offenses, the hermits who had left the home life said, "You ought to speak true words. If you deliberately lie, your body will sink into the earth."
Vasu the hermit said, "I know that because one slaughters the sheep and eats its flesh on behalf of the gods, there is no offense," whereupon he immediately sank farther into the earth up to the level of his knees. In this manner he gradually sank up to his waist and then up to his neck.
The hermits who had left the home life said to him, "You are now undergoing present and immediate retribution for your lying. However, if you change your ways and speak the truth, although you have sunken into the earth, we will still be able to get you out again and bring it about that your offense will be pardoned."
To be continued
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