大魚事經

Thus indeed have I heard: At one time, the Bhagavān[2] was dwelling at the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada's Park[3], in the city of Śrāvastī[4]. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus[5]:

Long ago, there was a river that held a great many large fish. One day, the large fish said to the small fish:

"My children, do not leave this place and go elsewhere, lest you be caught by wicked people!"

The school of small fish did not heed these words, and together they swam off to another place. At that very moment, the fishermen at once cast their nets to catch them. The fish hurriedly swam back to where the large fish was. Seeing the small fish return, the large fish said:

"My children, do not leave this place and go to another place again!"

The school of small fish replied:

"We have just come back here from that place!"

The large fish asked:

"When you went over there, were you not caught in the net?"

The small fish replied:

"When we went there we were not caught by anyone, but we saw a net spreading out behind us!"

The large fish said:

"You will be harmed. The reason I say this is that the net you saw will spread all the way here! Long ago, our forefathers and ancestors were harmed by this net, and today, you will surely be harmed! You are not worthy to be my children!"

And so the school of small fish were hauled up onto the bank by the fisherman casting his net. The whole school was killed.

In the same way, there was a bhikṣu who put on his robe and, taking his bowl, went into a certain village to beg for alms[6], using the merit to deliver sentient beings; yet he did not know how to guard his body, speech, and mind, did not protect his faculties, and did not restrain his mind. Seeing young maidens beautiful as peach blossoms, he gave rise to a mind of desire. Because of this, his body, speech, and mind blazed with the fire of desire. Because they blazed with the fire of desire, when he returned from begging for alms, this man again gave rise to thoughts of lust, and he went to meet the elder bhikṣus and told them clearly of all that had happened. Those venerable ones taught him:

"Worthy younger brother! To give rise to thoughts of lust is impure. Worthy brother, you must contemplate the foulness[7]!"

The elder bhikṣus taught him in this way many times, but because the fire of desire burned his body, speech, and mind, this bhikṣu again went to that other hamlet to beg for alms. Seeing young maidens beautiful as peach blossoms, this bhikṣu again gave rise to a mind of desire that burned his body, speech, and mind. When he returned from begging for alms, this man again went to the elder bhikṣu and told him clearly of all that had happened. This venerable one said:

"Go away! You are no longer one of this assembly!"

But that bhikṣu did not relinquish the precepts; instead he put on worldly garments and lived joyfully in the pleasures of sensual desire[8]. This is called a bhikṣu who gives Māra an opportunity, who runs after the cravings of Māra Pāpīyas[9], who does not escape from birth, old age, sickness, and death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress. Therefore, for bhikṣus to possess an abundance of gain and offerings is truly a great disaster, truly suffering, truly dreadful; it will cause them to fall into the three evil destinies and not be born in the supreme realm.

Therefore, bhikṣus must bear this in mind: "When gain and offerings are obtained, they must be cast aside; when gain and offerings have not yet been obtained, do not give rise to a mind of craving." Bhikṣus, remember this well.

Having heard what the Buddha taught, the bhikṣus rejoiced and reverently undertook to follow it.

Notes:

[2] Bhagavat 婆伽婆 (S: Bhagavat): one of the ten epithets of the Buddha, the title of the one who possesses all virtues and is revered by the world. Here it refers to the Buddha Śākyamuni.

[3] Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada's Park 祇樹給孤獨園 (S: Jetavanānāthapiṇḍadasyārāma): a monastery in a garden to the south of the city of Śrāvastī, in the country of Kośala, in Central India (now the area of southern Nepal), near Sahet-Mahet on the southern bank of the Rapti River. This is the most famous of the places where the Buddha expounded the Dharma.

[4] Śrāvastī (the country of Śrāvastī 舍衛國; S: Śrāvastī): an ancient kingdom in Central India. Because this capital city produced many famous persons and manufactured many fine goods, it was called the Land of Culture and Goods. Śrāvastī was originally the name of the capital city of the country of Northern Kośala; to distinguish it from the country of Southern Kośala, the name of the city was used in place of the name of the country.

[5] Bhikṣu 比丘 (S: Bhikṣu): a man who has been ordained into the monastic life and received the full precepts; one of the five assemblies and one of the seven assemblies of the Buddhist order.

[6] Begging for alms 乞食 (S: paiṇḍapātika): going to beg for food from every household in order to nourish the physical body for the sake of cultivation; one of the twelve dhūta practices.

[7] Foulness 惡露 (P: asubha): the impure fluids that flow out from within the body, such as blood, pus, excrement, urine, and so forth.

[8] Sensual desire 愛欲 (S: kāma): meaning craving and attachment, the mind's longing for sensual passion.

[9] Māra Pāpīyas 魔波旬 (S: Māra-pāpman): the Māra-king who harasses the Buddha when he is about to attain enlightenment; it also refers to the evil māras that destroy the life and wholesome roots of people.