Section Nine: The Past Cause of Eating Horse Grain
Heard like this.
At one time, the Buddha was at the Great Anavatapta Spring together with five hundred great bhikṣus. They were all Arhats, possessing the six supernormal powers.
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “In the distant past, long ago, there was a Buddha named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, the Worthy of Offerings, the Perfectly Awakened One, the One Perfect in Clarity and Conduct One, the Well Gone, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed Leader, the Teacher of Devas and Human Beings, Buddha, the World-Honored One. In the city of Bandhumatī, one hundred sixty-eight thousand great bhikṣus constantly followed the Buddha in cultivation. The king of that country was named Bandhu. The ministers, the common people of the whole city, and the faithful all made offerings with reverent minds to Vipaśyin Tathāgata and the great bhikṣus, so that they lacked nothing in clothing or food. At that time, in the city there was a brahmin teacher named Indragiri. He was proficient in all kinds of brahminical scriptures on cultivation of the Way, and he also knew the methods of the Nirgrantha sect and the precepts of the brahmins. He taught five hundred youths.”
The king set up a great vegetarian offering assembly and first invited the Buddha. The Buddha silently accepted. The king then carefully prepared all kinds of rare delicacies and fine foods, and spread superior woolen blankets over the seats. When these matters had been completed, the king held an incense burner, knelt on both knees before the seats, and entreated, “The time for the offering assembly has arrived. We respectfully welcome the World-Honored One to come and receive the offering.” Vipaśyin Tathāgata saw that the time had arrived, and together with his disciples he took up robe and bowl and came to the royal palace to receive the offering. After they had each taken their seats, the king personally offered all kinds of fine foods.
At that time, there was a bhikṣu named Maitreya, who because of illness was unable to come to receive the offering. When the Buddha and the assembly had finished eating and were returning, they also brought some food for the bhikṣu Maitreya. When they passed by Brahmin Mountain, Indragiri smelled the delicious food, and jealousy arose in him. He then said, “These hairless śramaṇas should eat horse grain. They should not receive offerings of such delicious food.” He then turned and asked the five hundred youths, “Do you see these bald śramaṇas eating delicious food?” The youths answered, “We indeed see them. Their teacher and disciples should all eat horse grain!”
The Buddha told Śāriputra, “Do you know who the brahmin at that time was? He was my former body. The five hundred youths at that time are the five hundred Arhats now. The ill bhikṣu Maitreya at that time is Maitreya Bodhisattva now.” The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “At that time, because I gave rise to an evil thought of jealousy, I said that these people should not eat delicious fine foods, but should eat coarse horse grain instead, and you all also echoed me with one voice. Because of these conditions, you and I transmigrated in hell for several thousand years. Although we have now attained the Way, because of past residual calamity, we together ate horse grain for ninety days at Vairantya. At that time, I did not say that the Buddha should eat horse grain. I only said that these bhikṣus should eat it. Therefore, what I ate now was wheat kernels. But when you echoed me, because you said that the Buddha and his disciples should all eat horse grain together, what you ate was wheat bran.”
At that time, the Buddha spoke a verse concerning the causes and conditions of his own former lives:
“I was originally a brahmin, very broad in learning,
Teaching five hundred children in a tree grove.
In the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, I insulted the bhikṣus,
Saying that they should not eat polished rice, but should eat horse grain.
You children all said,‘It is truly as the teacher has said.
Including this teacher, they should also eat horse grain.’
Because of such causes and conditions, I long endured suffering in hell.
The residual evil left from that time likewise caused the five hundred bhikṣus to suffer.
When the brahmin invited us, we should have gathered at Vairantya.
You and I had only horse grain to eat for a full ninety days.
The cycle of cause and effect never decays or perishes; it does not vanish into empty space.
One should carefully protect these three causal relations, and not violate the conduct of body, speech, and mind.
Now, I have become the honored Buddha, the leader of the three realms,
And in the Anavatapta Spring, I personally recount the karmic causes of my past lives.”
The Buddha told Śāriputra, “Look at the Tathāgata. All evils have been exhausted, and all good qualities are universally complete. Devas, nāgas, spirits, emperors, ministers, people, and all sentient beings are all to be taught, guided, and caused to cross to the other shore, yet even the Tathāgata still cannot avoid evil retribution. How much more so for sentient beings who are foolish, benighted, and have not attained the Way?”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “You should protect the three precepts of the body, the four precepts of speech, and the three precepts of the mind. Śāriputra, you should learn these.”
When the Buddha spoke these words, Śāriputra, the five hundred Arhats, the Eight Legions, devas and sprits, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, all accepted it with great joy and practiced it.
Dharma Torch 