Dharma Torch

Translated in Song Dynasty by the Tripiṭaka Guṇabhadra from Khotan Country

Heard like this.

At one time, the Buddha was in the Jetavana Grove in the country of Śrāvastī, together with an assembly of bhikṣus, Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas, devas, nāgas, spirits, and people of the world. An immeasurable and countless multitude gathered to hear the Dharma.

At that time, Mahākāśyapa was traveling alone to teach and transform beings. He arrived at the city of Rājagṛha, constantly practicing great compassion for the benefit of all beings. He deliberately avoided wealthy households and instead went to beg alms from the poor. When he was about to go on his alms round, before setting out, he entered Samādhi and reflected, “Which poor person should I go to in order to bestow blessings?” Then he entered the great city of Rājagṛha.

He saw a destitute old woman, utterly impoverished. In an alley, beside a heap of excrement, she had hollowed out a small cave against it. Emaciated and afflicted with many illnesses, she lay there constantly, alone and without support, lacking both clothing and food. By the side of the cave she had set up a small fence to shield her body. Through the power of Samādhi, Mahākāśyapa knew that in past lives she had not cultivated merit, and therefore in this life she was poor. He also knew that the end of her lifespan was near. “If I do not deliver her, she will forever lose the hall of merit.”

At that time, the old woman was suffering from hunger and hardship. A maidservant from an elder’s household came and discarded some rice gruel, foul and putrid beyond description. The old woman begged for this gruel and immediately placed it in a broken earthen jar, setting it beside her. Mahākāśyapa came to her dwelling and, for her sake, uttered a blessing, saying, “If you can give me even a small portion, you will obtain great merit.”

The old woman then spoke in verse:

“My whole body is afflicted with illness; my loneliness and poverty cannot be fully told.

I am the poorest person in the land; my clothing and food cannot even cover my body.

Even those in the world who lack kindness still take pity on me.

Why a practitioner who claims compassion does not perceive this person’s distress?

Among all the cold and suffering in the world, none surpasses my condition.

I beg you to show compassion and forgive me; it is not that I am unwilling to give to one who is kind.”

Mahākāśyapa replied in verse:

“The Buddha is the most honored in the three realms, and I am counted among his disciples.

It is in order to remove your hunger and poverty that I beg alms from you, a poor person.

If you can reduce what you consume with body and mouth and set aside even a small portion for giving,

then through the long night you will attain liberation, and in a future life you will obtain wealth and nobility.”

The old woman again spoke in verse:

“As the venerable one has said, I was born in this world without merit.

Now I dwell in this dung pit, with filth smeared upon my body.

I do not even have a single portion of food, and my body is naked without covering.

In such extreme poverty as this, it is contrary to the intention of giving.”

Mahākāśyapa again replied in verse:

“Old woman, you say that this place is not pleasing, and that you are hungry and poor, with nothing to give.

Yet if you possess the intention to give, this cannot be called poverty.

If you also know shame and modesty, this is equivalent to wearing the Dharma robe.

In these two respects, you, old woman, are already fully endowed with clothing and food.

There are people in the world who are foolish and ignorant. Though they possess abundant worldly garments, jewels and food,

they lack shame and do not think of giving. Reckoned in the future, they will meet with great poverty.

That you, amid fear and distress, are still able to devise means to cultivate merit is truly rare and difficult to encounter.

Have deep faith in the many principles of karmic retribution of good and evil. These words are sincere and true, without deception.”

At that time, having heard the verses, the old woman felt joy in her heart. She recalled that previously there remained some foul rice gruel, and she wished to give it to Kāśyapa, though she herself could not bring herself to drink it. From a distance she said to him, “I beg you to have compassion on me. Would you be willing to accept it?”

Mahākāśyapa replied, “Excellent.”

The old woman then crawled within the cave to retrieve the gruel. Because her body was exposed, she could not bring it out directly. So she turned her body sideways and bent her back, passing it over the fence to offer it to Kāśyapa. He received it and personally uttered a blessing for her, saying, “May you receive blessings and peace.”

Kāśyapa thought to himself, “If I take this gruel elsewhere to consume it, the old woman may not believe me and might think I have discarded it.” Therefore, in her presence, he drank the gruel completely, then washed his bowl and placed it back into his cloth bag.

Thereupon, the old woman’s sincere faith became even more firmly established. Kāśyapa further thought, “I should manifest supernormal powers so that this old woman will certainly attain great peace.” At once he disappeared into the earth and then appeared again in the sky. From his body, water and fire issued forth simultaneously: from the upper half of his body flowed water, while from the lower half issued fire. He further transformed his form, soaring through the sky, vanishing in the east and appearing in the west, and likewise in the south and the north.

At that time, upon seeing this, the old woman rejoiced and was filled with elation. With single-minded intent she knelt, gazing up at Kāśyapa from afar. Kāśyapa said to her, “Old woman, what is it that you now wish for in your heart? Do you seek worldly wealth, or to become a Wheel-Turning Sage King or one of the Four Heavenly Kings? Or do you wish to be born as Śakra, or as a Brahmā among the devas? Or do you wish to attain the fruits of Srotāpanna, Sakṛdāgāmin, Anāgāmin, or Arhat, or the realization of a Pratyekabuddha? Or do you wish to attain Anuttarā-Samyak-Saṃbodhi, Abhisaṁbuddha? Whatever aspiration you form, all can be accomplished, and your wishes can be fulfilled.”

At that time, the old woman had grown weary of the sufferings of the world. Hearing that the heavens were supremely blissful, she said to Kāśyapa, “May it be that, through this small and meager merit, I may be born in the heavens.” Thereupon, Kāśyapa suddenly disappeared.

After several days, the old woman’s lifespan came to an end, and she was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Her majesty and virtue were resplendent, shaking heaven and earth, and her radiance was extraordinary, like seven suns appearing at once, illuminating the celestial palace.

Śakro Devānām Indraḥ was startled and thought, “Who is this, whose merit causes such disturbance to me? Could there be one here who surpasses me?” He then used the divine eye to observe, and saw that it was the merit of this heavenly maiden. Śakro Devānām Indraḥ then addressed her in verse:

“From where has this devi come?

Her great radiance shines forth like seven suns appearing at once.

She shakes my palace; her majesty is difficult to withstand.

What merit did you formerly cultivate, that you have ascended to this heaven?”

At that time, the devi replied to Śakra in verse:

“I was formerly in Jambudvīpa, within a filthy pit of excrement,

aged and afflicted with illness, with neither clothing nor food sufficient.

Within the three thousand great thousand worlds there is the Buddha Śākyamuni, the World-Honored One,

and next among his great disciples is one named Mahākāśyapa.

Out of compassion, he begged alms from me, an old woman, and expounded the Dharma, bringing joy to my heart.

I offered him that foul rice gruel. Though the gift was slight, the power of the vow it produced was great.

With single-minded intent I made an offering to this field of merit, wishing to be born in the heavens.

Thus I relinquished the body in that dung pit and was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three.”

Then the devi thought to herself, “Such blessings have arisen because in a former life I made an offering to Mahākāśyapa. Even if I were to offer hundreds of thousands of heavenly treasures, it would still not repay the kindness of that single moment.” Immediately, she led her attendants, carrying celestial incense and heavenly flowers, and suddenly descended from the heavens. From the sky she scattered heavenly incense and flowers upon Kāśyapa, then came down and prostrated herself with her five limbs upon the ground. After completing her homage, she withdrew to one side, stood with palms joined, and praised him in verse:

“Within the great thousand worlds, the Buddha is the most honored;

next is Kāśyapa, who is able to close the gate of karmic offenses.

Formerly, before the dung pit in Jambudvīpa, you expounded the true teaching to that poor old woman.

At that time, the old woman rejoiced and offered rice gruel.

Though the gift was as small as a mustard seed, the fruit obtained was as vast as a mountain.

Thus I have become a heavenly maiden, enjoying the natural blessings of the heavens.

Therefore I descend from the heavens to take refuge in the field of merit.”

After the devi had finished speaking, she returned to the heavens together with her attendants. Then Śakra thought to himself, “This woman, while in Jambudvīpa in such a foul and wretched place, offered her rice gruel to Kāśyapa and obtained such merit. Kāśyapa possesses great compassion, seeking only to plant merit for those who are lowly and poor, and not going to the houses of the wealthy and noble. I should devise a skillful means to go to Jambudvīpa, to the place where Kāśyapa is, and there establish merit and blessings.”

Śakro Devānām Indraḥ, together with his queen, took a hundred-flavored celestial food and placed it in a small bottle. They descended to a lane in the great city of Rājagṛha and constructed a low and crude hut. Transforming their bodies, they took on the appearance of an aged couple, emaciated and bent in their gait. The two of them wove mats together, manifesting the form of poor beggars, without any stored food, grain, or clothing.”

Later, when Mahākāśyapa was making his alms round in the city, he saw this poor man and went to beg alms from him. The old man said, “We are extremely poor and possess nothing. What can we do?” Kāśyapa offered a blessing for him and remained there for a long time without departing.

The old man then said, “My wife and I are very aged, and even weaving mats is more than we can manage. Earlier, we obtained a small amount of coarse food and were about to eat it. We have heard of your compassionate virtue, that you only beg from the poor in order to bestow blessings upon them. Although we are poor, we are willing in our hearts to relinquish this and offer it to you, worthy one. We hope that it will indeed be as you have said, and that it will bring us merit.” The fragrance of the celestial food was not something found in the human world. As soon as the bottle was slightly opened, the aroma spread richly. Kāśyapa perceived this fragrance and was entirely unwilling to accept it. The old man said, “Practitioner, it is only coarse food and not much of it. Please bring your bowl and take it.”

Kāśyapa then received the food in his bowl and uttered a blessing: “May the fragrance of the donor’s household pervade the entire great city of Rājagṛha and its lands.” He then perceived that the fragrance was boundless, and immediately entered samādhi to contemplate its source. While he was seated in Samādhi, the old man and old woman reverted to their forms as Śakra and his queen, and swiftly rose into the air, snapping their fingers in joy beyond measure. After contemplating, Kāśyapa understood that it was Śakra who had transformed into the old man to perform this act, wishing thereby to increase his own merit. “Now that I have already accepted his food, it would not be appropriate to return it.” Kāśyapa then praised, saying, “Excellent, Śakra! In planting merit, you are without weariness. You were able to endure assuming such a humble form, lowering yourself to cultivate merit. You will surely obtain a recompense that follows you like a shadow.” Śakra and his consort became even more joyful and elated. At that time, celestial music came to welcome them, and Śakra returned to his heavenly palace in even greater delight.

The Buddha said to Ānanda, “This poor old woman—no one in all the world can equal her. Though her giving was slight, the merit she obtained was exceedingly great. This is because, amid suffering and hardship, she was able to arouse a most sincere mind. Therefore she brought about immeasurable blessings and accomplished the fruition of merit. Śakro Devānām Indraḥ, though he enjoys freedom and pleasure in the heavens, cast aside his noble and exalted status and descended to cultivate merit. The reward he obtains is beyond measure. Therefore, the Tathāgata teaches that dāna is foremost. The people of Jambudvīpa are pitiably deluded. Those who can act with such intention are very few. You should widely proclaim the true words of the Tathāgata.”

When the Buddha expounded this, devas, nāgas, spirits, the fourfold assembly of disciples, and the bhikṣu Sangha all aroused vast merit, making offerings and giving dakṣiṇā. They dedicated this to all beings, wishing that each, according to their own aspirations, might obtain the corresponding fruits.

When the Buddha had finished speaking this Sūtra, all those in the assembly rejoiced and paid homage.