盧至長者因緣經

The Buddha taught:

– If a person is greedy and miserly, he will be despised by gods and men. Therefore, the wise should practice giving. Why is this? Because I once heard the following:

Long ago there was a great elder named Lozhi. His household was exceedingly wealthy, his possessions immeasurable, his storehouses overflowing like those of King Vaiśravaṇa. Because in a former life he had sown the cause of merit by great giving in the field of blessings, he received this reward of merit.

Yet when he gave, he did so without a sincere mind; therefore, although he became wealthy, his disposition was base and mean. He wore filthy, unclean garments; he ate coarse mixed rice of poor, bitter grain and rough greens merely to fill his belly; he drank spoiled water and cold water to quench his thirst; he rode in a rotted old cart, using leaves and grass for its canopy. Toward his own possessions he was utterly stingy, tormenting his spirit, wearing himself out tending and guarding his wealth, laboring in hardship like a servant, and was mocked by everyone.

At that time, Rāhula spoke this verse:

– Because giving is not equal

So the rewards differ

Giving with a sincere mind

The disposition becomes at ease

If there is no heart of reverence

The fruit of giving is impure

Lozhi, though very rich

Is despised and mocked.

Furthermore, at one time there was a festival in the city. The houses were adorned and beautifully painted; banners, canopies, silks, and lapis lazuli ornaments were hung everywhere. Baskets of flowers were hung up, fragrant water was sprinkled upon the ponds, and fragrant, beautiful flowers were scattered about. The great gates, the small gates, and the windows were all decorated with flowers. There were also all manner of musical performances, singing and dancing, merriment and enjoyment, like the heavenly palaces. Within all the great gates were placed golden vases filled with fragrant water. In all the small lanes were hung banners and canopies and silks, fragrant beautiful flowers were scattered, and fragrant water was sprinkled upon the ground.

At that time, seeing the people gathering together, joyfully sporting and dancing in great merriment, Lozhi thought: "These lowly beggar-servants have all borrowed garments and eat fine food. I have garments, jeweled necklaces, and treasures in abundance—why should I alone not make merry?"

Lozhi then went swiftly home, took the key and opened the storehouse door, took out five strings of cash, then locked the door again, and thought: "If I eat at home, with my mother, my wife, and my kinfolk present, it will not be enough. If I go to another's house, whether to a host or to beggars, they will come begging from me."

Then Lozhi used two strings of cash to buy cakes, two strings of cash to buy wine, and one string of cash to buy onions; he wrapped salt in the fold of his robe, and went out from his house beyond the city to the foot of a tree. Arriving there, he saw that there were many crows, and he thought: "If I sit here, the crows will come to peck at my food."

Thinking thus, he then went to a high mound, but seeing that there were many dogs, he ran still farther away to a deserted spot, put salt into the wine, and ate the cakes with the onions. Having never drunk wine before, he became very drunk. Once intoxicated, he said:

– Now the whole country rejoices; why should I alone not be merry?

Lozhi then rose up, danced, and sang, saying:

– Even were I to be Śakra

Making merry this day

He still could not match me

How much less Vaiśravaṇa?!

He also said:

– Now meeting this festival, I drink wine to my heart's content, most joyfully; this surpasses Vaiśravaṇa, and surpasses also the god Śakra.

At that time, Śakra Devānām Indra, together with countless heavenly hosts, wished to go to the Jeta Grove. Going along the road, he met Lozhi, who was already drunk, dancing and singing, claiming to surpass the god Śakra.

Śakra thought: "This greedy, miserly fellow is in a deserted place, drinking wine and reviling me."

He thought again: "I should not go to the Buddha just yet, but should first disturb that fellow."

Śakra then transformed his own body to look just like Lozhi and went to his house. Arriving there, he gathered together the parents, the servants, and the kinfolk, sat down before the mother, and said:

– Mother, please hear what I say. From long ago until now, there has been a miserly demon following me, causing me to begrudge my wealth and not dare to eat, and not to give any money or goods to my parents or even to my kinfolk... all because of this miserly demon. Now, as I went out, I met a man of the Way who gave me a wholesome spell, by which I have rid myself of the miserly demon. If that miserly demon comes, it will be utterly unable to trouble me. But this miserly demon also looks just like me. If it comes, you who guard the gate should take a stick and beat it until it really hurts, and it will surely falsely claim, "I am Lozhi." None of you should believe its words.

Having said this, he had the storehouses thrown wide open, took out much wealth, and prepared fine food for the mother, the wife, and all the kinfolk to eat and drink to their fill. Then he told the gatekeeper to go quickly and shut the gate, lest the miserly demon come, "and wait until I have distributed jeweled necklaces and garments and performed the various musics, and only then open the gate."

At that time, the Lord of Heaven flung open the storehouses, took the precious jeweled necklaces, and first presented them to the mother, then to the wife and to all the men and women of the household. The visitors who came were also given jeweled necklaces, garments, and food, and music was performed for them. The kinfolk of the household anointed their bodies with various perfumes, burned aloeswood incense, and sprinkled fragrant water.

At that time, Śakra led the mother with one hand and the wife with the other, sporting and dancing in boundless joy.

The people of Śrāvastī, hearing that the demon of greed and stinginess within the elder Lozhi had been destroyed, gathered to come and see for themselves.

Lozhi sobered from his drunkenness and returned to the city. Entering his house, he saw the crowd standing packed all about the gate, and heard within the house the sound of singing and dancing, and was greatly astonished. He thought: "Surely the king is angry with me and has brought his ministers and troops to my house, wishing to reproach and punish me. Or have the people of Śrāvastī, on this festival day, all entered my house? Or do the gods, wishing to bring me benefit, come to my house to perform these musics? Or have the members of my household broken into my storehouses and are feasting on their own?"

Having pondered thus, Lozhi hastily ran to the main gate and loudly called out to the people within the house.

At that time, the sound of music within the house was so lively that no one could hear Lozhi's call. Śakra heard the call and told everyone:

– Who is beating on the gate out there? Stop the music. It may be that the miserly demon has returned.

Hearing of a demon, the people opened the great gate and fled.

At that time, Lozhi entered the house and saw the kinfolk gathered all around, with Śakra seated in the midst, the mother seated on the right, the wife seated on the left, all in beautiful garments, wearing precious jeweled necklaces, with drums, music, and singing, drinking wine in festive celebration, their faces joyful, seated all about. Lozhi, astonished, asked Śakra:

– Who are you, that you enter my house so freely?

Śakra smiled:

– Today the people of the house already know me.

The kinfolk of the household then asked Lozhi:

– Who are you?

Lozhi replied:

– I am Lozhi.

Everyone pointed at Śakra and said:

– This is Lozhi, the master of our house.

Lozhi then asked the household:

– Then who am I?

The household replied:

– Though you claim to be so, you are like the demon of Lozhi.

Lozhi said:

– I am not a demon. I am Lozhi. Look at me carefully.

Looking toward his mother, Lozhi said:

– This is my mother, this is my elder brother, this is my younger brother, this is my beloved wife, this is my beloved child, all the servants are mine.

He pointed again at Śakra and said to the household:

– Who is this man whose appearance is like mine, who has come to impersonate me? From my youth until now I have accumulated property, money, and storehouses... Who is this who, by illusion and deceit, squanders my possessions?

At that time, none of the people in the house believed him.

Śakra asked the mother:

– Your child and this man closely resemble each other, do they not?

The mother replied:

– The appearance of that demon greatly resembles my child.

The mother then said to Śakra:

– I see that you are a filial child who knows how to support his mother. You are the true one; I gave birth to you, and that other is a demon. If both men were filial to me, I would not be able to tell them apart. But because you are filial and that other is unfilial and disobedient, I therefore know for certain that you are my child.

Śakra turned and asked the wife:

– That other is your husband; why do you not go and be close to him!

The wife, her face flushed red with shame, said:

– How strange! Why should I go to him! I will certainly not be the wife of this man.

The wife said to Śakra:

– My lord! I would rather die beside you than live beside that demon.

Śakra said to the household:

– You have determined that I am Lozhi; why then do you let that demon in here?

At that time, the household, hearing these words, dragged Lozhi by the legs, beat him, and pushed him out the gate. Reaching a small lane, Lozhi wept loudly and lamented, saying:

– How truly strange! Now is my body, my head, and my face different from before, that everyone drives me away like this?!

He also said to those around him:

– Is my body the same as before? Is my face the same as before?

Then he asked the passersby: Is my stature, tall or short, different?

Those beside him replied:

– You are still the same, no different from before.

Lozhi said again to everyone:

– Who am I now? Has someone transformed me into another person? What is my name? Where am I?

He lamented loudly again:

– How truly strange! Now which road do I take?

At that time, Lozhi was like a madman. The neighbors who were not of his household all came to console Lozhi:

– Do not be afraid. You are Lozhi; you live on the main street in the city of Śrāvastī. We are your neighbors and have come to see you. Be calm, and seek a plan to make things clear and plain.

Hearing this, Lozhi was somewhat reassured. Wiping away his tears, he asked the people again:

– Am I truly Lozhi?

Everyone replied:

– You are truly Lozhi.

Lozhi said to everyone:

– Can you all bear witness for me?

Everyone replied:

– We can bear witness: you are truly Lozhi.

Lozhi said:

– If so, then listen as I tell you the causes and conditions:

Who is this young man?

He resembles me exactly as if cast from the same mold

Together with my beloved wife

He sits side by side upon the bed

The kinfolk of my household

Have beaten and driven me out

They all love that other man

And let him stay in my house

I endure the suffering of hunger and cold

Accumulating money and wealth

That other man uses it at his ease

While I have not a single coin

Just like Vaiśravaṇa

He eats and dresses at his ease

The people within the city

All harbor doubt

They all say thus:

"What is to be done about this?"

There was one who was very wise

Who spoke words like these:

"A cunning and deceitful man

Whose appearance resembles Lozhi

Knowing that you are very greedy and stingy

Has come to vex and trouble you

Let us bear witness together

Do not let him be driven out."

At that time, hearing these words, the people with one accord said to Lozhi:

– Well then, what do you wish to do now?

Lozhi then said:

– For my sake, you should gather together tomorrow and go with me to the king's palace.

Everyone said:

– Tomorrow morning we will take you to the king's palace.

When the morrow came, everyone said:

– Excellent! Excellent! Now the time has come.

Lozhi then said:

– This is a great matter. My money I now have no authority to use. Can you lend to me? If I win the suit, I will repay you.

Everyone said:

– Whatever thing you wish, we will give you.

They asked again what thing Lozhi needed. At that time the elder Lozhi said:

– Give me two pieces of cloth worth four zhū of gold to offer up to the king. (24 zhū = half a tael)

Everyone laughed and thought to themselves: "Lozhi has never been like this before. Now he speaks of four zhū—truly a great act of giving."

At that time, Lozhi took up the two pieces of cloth and went to the king's palace, and said to the gatekeeper:

– I have something I wish to offer to the king.

At that time, the gatekeeper was greatly astonished and smiled, thinking: "I have been here thirty years and have never heard of that man coming here to offer anything. Why is it so today?"

At that time, the gatekeeper went in, joined his palms, and reported to the king:

– This is truly an unprecedented thing: today Lozhi has come to the palace gate to make an offering.

The king reflected, in no haste at all, and merely thought to himself: "Today is a festival day; for what reason are so many people coming to my palace? Lozhi the miser would all the less come to my palace. The gatekeeper should not toy with me. As to how this matter stands, I cannot believe it. As a rule, one who is king is like the great ocean, which does not flow backward into the small rivers; how could it reckon the much or little of one's possessions?"

At that time, the king then had Lozhi brought in. The king thought: "This Lozhi is by nature stingy; were it not a matter of death drawing near, why would he come here?"

At that time, Lozhi, together with the others, came to the king, wishing to take out the two pieces of cloth to offer to the king. Lozhi used his hand to pull at the cloth tucked under his armpit, but pulled and pulled to no avail; then he turned and pulled with all his strength, and only then was able to take it out.

When Lozhi pulled it out, Śakra at once transformed it into two bundles of grass.

Seeing the two bundles of grass, Lozhi was greatly ashamed and sat down upon the ground. Seeing this, the king took pity and said:

– Even if it be bundles of grass, there is nothing to grieve over. If you wish to say something, then say it.

Lozhi, choking and sobbing, said:

– I, your servant, see these bundles of grass and am utterly ashamed. Would that I could bury my head in the ground. I do not know whether today I have this body or not! What am I to do?!

Hearing this, the king took pity, and asked those beside him:

– Today, why is that man so distressed that he cannot utter a word? If any of you know of this matter, you should set it forth clearly in his stead.

One beside him reported to the king:

– Today Lozhi has come to the king's palace wishing to report a matter: He knows not who it is whose form resembles Lozhi, who came to his house falsely claiming to be Lozhi, causing all the people of the house to love that one; this one spent away all his possessions, causing all the people of the house to fail to recognize Lozhi, and they beat and drove Lozhi out, so that he is now once again like a man of the street. Therefore he is sorrowful and distressed and cannot utter a word.

The king said:

– If it is so, then it is truly to be grieved over. Why? Because one's possessions are being used by another. Even so, I will adjudicate the matter to recover your possessions for you.

The king said again:

– Among the people of the world, though their forms resemble one another, their hearts and dispositions are not necessarily alike. Though their hearts be alike, in the hidden places of the body there are marks that perhaps no one knows, and so they must differ a little. Do not be sorrowful; I will examine the matter again for you.

At that time, there was an official named Sujiu, who rose, joined his palms, and reported to the king:

– Excellent, great king! The wisdom of the king, taking pity on one wrongly afflicted, is truly just and proper.

At that time Sujiu spoke this verse:

– For those sorrowful, distressed, and afraid

The king comes to their rescue

For the poor and destitute who meet with calamity

The king becomes a close friend

For those who truly do good

The king becomes a Dharma-companion

Toward those who do evil

The king becomes an elephant-hook.

At that time Lozhi prostrated his five limbs to the ground and reported to the king:

– In my house there is a place where treasures are hidden most secretly, which that other man cannot know. On my body there are hidden marks—how could he know them? I humbly beg the great king to examine these for me, your humble servant.

The king then sent a messenger to summon the one who resembled Lozhi, telling him to come quickly. Hearing the summons, that man came at once to the king and stood to one side. The forms of the two men could not be told apart. The king examined them closely and deemed it an unprecedented thing: their age, appearance, stature great and small, faces, speech and laughter, and complexion were all alike, as though magically produced, alike without the least difference. "Now these two men standing before me cannot be told apart, which fills me with astonishment and doubt."

The king asked the one newly summoned:

– Who are you?

That man then lamented:

– If I cannot live here, I had rather die. How is it that I, your servant, born and raised in the king's country, should be unknown to the king, who asks me, your humble servant, who I am!

The king, his face flushed with shame, thought: "This is truly Lozhi." The king said to the one who had come first:

– What further do you wish to say?

Lozhi said:

– I am Lozhi; that other is not.

The king said:

– You two men are like reflections in a mirror, your faces and forms alike; how can you be told apart?!

Lozhi said:

– It is precisely for this matter that I, your servant, came first to the king. If a man is sick and suffering, or meets with calamity and is afraid, he turns toward the king.

The king said:

– It is truly so. The reason I receive the taxes of the people is precisely this matter.

The king pondered and then said to Śakra:

– I wish to ask you: Lozhi's nature is miserly, while your nature is generous; each man has a different nature. Now why do you claim to be Lozhi?

Śakra said:

– Now the king asks of such a trifling matter. It is truly as the king says, but now I, your servant, have drawn near and followed the Buddha's teaching. The miserly fall into the realm of hungry ghosts for a hundred thousand myriad years, suffering hunger and thirst, begging for blood and pus, excrement and urine and impure things to eat, yet utterly unable to obtain even so much as the tip of a hair; the cool water of rivers and streams turns into streams of fire... I, your servant, having heard that stinginess has such faults, was afraid and wished to cast off this offense. Therefore I at once cast off greed and stinginess and gave rise to a mind of giving.

The king said:

– What you say is reasonable. Just as a foul, filthy garment becomes clean when washed with ash, so when one hears the Dharma, the afflictions of the mind are severed and removed.

The king said to the officials:

– In this case, how are these two men to be told apart—which is Lozhi and which is the false Lozhi?!

The official Sujiu reported:

– I, your servant, beg to ask of the hidden affairs within the houses of the two men. If there be likeness or difference, then we may afterward distinguish and know.

The king said to the official Sujiu:

– I am occupied with many affairs and cannot question in fine detail. According to what you say, let it be questioned thus.

The official Sujiu then separated the two men, each in his own place, and said:

– Each of you write down: the kinfolk year by year, within and without, great and small, the number of persons, their names and surnames, how many there are; the rooms, the great gates and small gates and possessions in the house, all the storehouses, all the manner of goods placed upon the ground or hidden within the earth—record every single thing clearly, make it into a register, and bring it here quickly.

Both men brought their registers. All their possessions, the secret affairs, and even the hidden marks were alike.

Seeing this, the king deemed it an unprecedented thing: "I have exhausted my utmost thought in many ways and yet cannot tell them apart. This is no affair of an ordinary man. Surely this is the doing of a non-human being."

The king said:

– Call the two men to my side.

The king gazed at them for a long while and then said to his attendant:

– Call their mother to come.

The soldiers then called the mother to come. Arriving there, the mother bowed in salutation toward the king:

The king joined his palms:

– I too salute you, madam.

The mother said:

– May the great king live ten thousand years, be parted from all enmity and harm, and cultivate merit untiringly!

The king had a seat spread out and invited the mother to be seated.

The king asked the mother:

– Of these two men, who is your child? And who is not your child?

Śakra said quietly to the mother:

– Mother, do not look back upon the suffering of before.

The mother said:

– My child, do not be anxious.

The mother respectfully reported to the king:

– This is the filial child who provides me with all things and is filial and obedient to me—he is my child. That is the unfilial child, who never loved me—know therefore that he is not my child. Yet these two men, though I know their good and bad hearts, are alike in voice and form. I too cannot tell them apart.

The king asked again:

– I wish to ask of other matters: You raised this child from when he was small, often bathing him. Did you see upon his body—in some hidden place—any scar or mole or secret mark?

The mother said:

– O king, there is.

Śakra thought: "I can transform myself according to the mother's words."

At that time, Śakra listened attentively to the mother's words.

The mother reported to the king:

– My child, below his left hip, has a small scar like a bean.

Śakra thought: "Even were there a scar as large as Mount Sumeru, I could produce it; how much more a small scar," and at once transformed himself accordingly.

The king then thought: "Now I shall be able to settle this matter. It can surely be decided!" The king said:

– Bare your left armpits and raise your arms high.

The two men then raised their arms, and the two scars were seen to be no different. The king and his ministers laughed loudly and said:

– Such a thing has never been heard of before; it makes everyone laugh, it makes everyone afraid, it makes everyone doubt. This is a strange affair, truly to be feared.

The king said to the officials:

– Such a matter I cannot comprehend; we should lead these two men to the Jeta Grove to see the Buddha, and surely it will be resolved clearly; it has spoiled my joy on this festival day.

The king then spoke this verse:

– The Buddha has appeared in the world for long

Ever able to rescue the world

He liberates from all offenses

And dries up the sea of craving and desire

His face like the light of the full moon

Complete in the spiritual penetration of supernatural feet

The three realms all revere and look up to him

Sovereign and free within the world

The one of great compassion is able

To resolve the doubts of us all

All extol and praise him

This matter is most good.

Having spoken the verse, the king and his ministers all adorned their crowns and put on jeweled necklaces of pearls. The ministers held incense and flowers and followed behind the king. The two Lozhis rode upon two elephants, both adorned. At that time, the king rode in a covered carriage, and a hundred thousand myriad kinds of music all followed behind the king.

When they reached the Jeta Grove monastery, the king removed his five precious crowns, his jeweled canopy, his sword and dagger, his leather shoes, his belt and pearl-gems, and, with his garments properly arranged, went to the Buddha.

At that time, the gods, dragons, the eightfold assembly, and the fourfold assembly surrounded him, listening to the Buddha expound the Dharma.

At that time, the king and all the people prostrated their five limbs to the ground in homage to the Buddha, then joined their palms and addressed the Buddha:

– I and all sentient beings are covered over by ignorance and cannot distinguish the true from the false; only the Buddha has a pure mind and disposition. All sentient beings are scorched by a hundred thousand flames of affliction; only the Buddha, the World-Honored One, has severed them and is at peace. All the world is bound up in birth and death; only the Buddha is the liberated one, the true close friend of sentient beings. Among all the blind, the Buddha is the one with clear eyes. We cannot distinguish the causes and conditions within these two men—who is Lozhi, and who is not Lozhi.

The king had the two Lozhis led before the Buddha. All the people sat in silence.

The false Lozhi, with a joyful face, pearl-gems and jeweled necklaces adorning his body, sat in silence.

The true Lozhi, with a haggard face, filthily clad, dust and dirt covering his body, in great sorrow and distress, said:

– World-Honored One of great compassion, who rescues all. I beg you to rescue me.

At that time, Śakra, seeing Lozhi sorrowful, smiled to himself.

King Prasenajit rose from his seat, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

– As to this matter, the Buddha is able to bear witness and know. All sentient beings are clouded over by affliction; only the Buddha, the World-Honored One, holds the lamp of wisdom to guide sentient beings along the path of liberation. Like a great king of physicians, like a guide, he is able to bestow fearlessness upon all sentient beings, to bestow upon all sentient beings the wealth of wholesome roots, and to destroy the fetters; therefore he is called the Great Sage. Excellent, World-Honored One! I beg you to use the fire of wisdom to burn up the forest and net of my doubt and affliction. May the World-Honored One sever the doubts of us all. Of these two men, who is true and who is false?

At that time, the World-Honored One raised his arm marked with auspicious adornment, pointed at Śakra, and asked:

– What are you doing?

Śakra then made the form of Lozhi vanish, returned and revealed his original form with all manner of radiance, wish-fulfilling jewels, and jeweled necklaces adorning his body, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke this verse in reply:

– Subdued by greed and stinginess

He dared not eat or dress

With five coins he bought wine and cakes

Mixed in salt and drank it

Having drunk, he became intoxicated

Laughing and jesting, dancing and singing

Reviling his child and the gods

Because of these causes and conditions

Therefore I made trouble for him.

The Buddha said to Śakra:

– All sentient beings have offenses; you should cast them off.

At that time Lozhi said to Śakra:

– It was with great hardship that I managed to accumulate it. As for all my possessions, if you have not used them up, how could they be gone?

Śakra replied:

– I have not consumed a single coin's worth of your goods and wealth.

The Buddha said to Lozhi:

– Go home and inspect your goods and wealth.

Lozhi addressed the Buddha:

– My goods and wealth, he has already used up; what use is there in going home?!

Śakra replied:

– Truly, I have not consumed the least bit of your possessions.

Lozhi said:

– I do not believe you, but only believe the words of the Buddha's teaching.

Because he believed the Buddha's words, Lozhi attained the fruit of stream-entry (srotāpanna).

At that time, the eightfold assembly, the gods, the dragons, and the fourfold assembly, seeing and hearing this matter, attained the four fruits of the Way. The sentient beings sowed the causes and conditions of the three karmic actions; the gods and the fourfold assembly, having heard the Buddha expound the Dharma, rejoiced and withdrew.

THE SUTRA OF THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS OF THE ELDER LOZHI

The End