HOME SEARCH CLUSTER PAGE prev
next THREE COLUMN VIEW

bza014 -- Mettiya and Mettiyā slander Dabba 彌多求誣謗陀驃

Text-cluster:
別譯雜阿含: bza014 BZA English: 別譯雜阿含英譯 雜阿含: za1075 雜寶藏經: T.04.0203.0457a06 五分律: T.22.1421.0015a03 摩訶僧祇律: T.22.1425.0280a19 四分律: T.22.1428.0587a25 十誦律: T.23.1435.0022a08 鼻奈耶: T.24.1464.0867b09 Vin(Cv): Vin,II,074 (Cv.IV.4) Vin(A): Vin,III,158 (Amūlaka-saṅghādiseso) Sk(E): Enomoto 1994, no.1075 (Uv 9.1f.)

bza014

如是我聞:一時佛在王舍城 迦蘭陀竹林


爾時有陀驃比丘──力士之子。世尊于時勅陀驃比丘料理僧事。陀驃比丘奉命典知。後於一時有一比丘,名彌多求,於眾僧次應當受請。陀驃 * 爾時即依僧次遣彌多求比丘應請詣彼。值彼設供,飲食麁澁。如是再三。私自惆悵,生大苦惱,向其姊妹彌多羅比丘尼說:

「陀驃所差因緣,每得麁澁,苦惱於我!」

即語彌多羅比丘尼言:

「姊妹!陀驃比丘三以惡食苦惱於我!而汝今者寧不為我設諸方便,報彼怨耶?」

彌多羅比丘尼言:

「我當云何能得相佐?」

彌多求比丘言:

「為汝計者。汝往佛所言: 『陀驃比丘先於我所作非梵行。』 我當證言: 『實爾,實爾。』 」

彌多羅比丘尼言:

「我當云何於淨戒人而作毀謗?」

彌多求言:

「姊妹!汝若不能為我作此事者,我自今後更復不能與汝言語。」

比丘尼言:

「汝意必爾,我當從汝。」

彌多求比丘言:

「姊妹!我今先去,汝可後來。」

* 彌多比丘往至佛所,禮佛足已,在一面坐。彌多羅比丘尼復詣佛所,禮佛足已,在一面立,白佛言:

「世尊!云何陀驃──力士子──乃於我所作非梵行?」

彌多求比丘言:

「實爾,世尊!」

時陀驃比丘在大眾中。佛告陀驃比丘言:

「聞是語不?」

爾時陀驃比丘白佛言:

「世尊!佛自知我!」

佛告陀驃:

「汝今不應作如是語。若作是事,汝當言 『憶』 ;若不作者,當言 『不憶』 。」

即白佛言:

「世尊!我實不憶有如此事!」

羅睺羅白佛言:

「世尊!此陀驃比丘共彌多羅比丘尼作非梵行。彌多求比丘證言: 『我見陀驃比丘於彌多羅比丘尼所作非梵行。』 陀驃比丘欲何所道?」

佛告羅睺羅:

「若彼彌多羅比丘尼誣謗於汝言: 『羅睺羅今於我所作非梵行。』 彌多求比丘亦復證言: 『我實見羅睺羅於彼彌多羅比丘尼所作非梵行。』 汝何所道?」

羅睺羅白佛言:

「世尊!我若被誣,唯言 『婆伽婆自證知我!』 」

佛告羅睺羅:

「汝尚知爾,況彼清淨、無有所犯,而當不知作如是語。」

佛告諸比丘:

「汝等可為陀驃比丘作憶念羯磨。彌多羅比丘尼以自言故,為作滅擯。」

爾時諸比丘受佛勅已,於彌多求比丘苦切撿挍,語彌多求比丘言:

「陀驃比丘共彌多羅比丘尼作非梵行,為何處見?為獨見耶,為共人見?」

如是責問,彌多求比丘不能得對,方言誣 * 謗:

「陀驃比丘先於僧次差我受請,三得麁食。我今實以貪、瞋、癡故,而生此謗。」

爾時世尊出於靜室,在眾僧前敷座而坐。諸比丘等白佛言:

「世尊!已為陀驃比丘作憶念羯磨。復為多羅比丘尼作滅擯竟已。為問彌多求,知其虛謗!」

爾時世尊即說偈言:

若成就一切    所謂虛妄語
則為棄後世    無惡而不造
寧當以此身    吞食熱鐵丸
不以破戒身    而受淨信施


佛說是已,諸比丘聞佛所說,歡喜奉行。


View TEI-XML Source

Mettiya and Mettiyā slander Dabba

Translation of BZA 014. First version published in Buddhist Studies Review vol. 23-1 (2006).

Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying in Rājagaha in the Bamboo Grove of Jialantuo.

At that time there was the monk Dabba Mallaputta. When the World-honored One put him in charge of provisions and lodgings, Dabba, having received the order, served as manager . One time, later, it was the turn of a monk called Mettiya to receive an invitation [from a donor], according to the order among the monks. According to the order among the monks, Dabba sent Mettiya to partake of the food at the donor’s place. When Mettiya went there, however, the food was awful. After this had happened three times, Mettiya felt extremely sorry for himself and consequently was greatly distressed. He told his sister, the nun Mettiyā: ‘Whenever Dabba sends me [to a meal], every time I get awful food! What misery!’. And he said to the nun Mettiyā: ‘Sister, Dabba has bothered me thrice with bad food. Couldn’t you now use some ‘skillful means’ to revenge my anger?’. Mettiyā said: ‘But how could I help you?’. The monk Mettiya: ‘I have a plan. Go to the Buddha and say: “Dabba once sexually harassed me”. And I will bear witness and say: “It’s true, it is true’’. The nun Mettiyā said: ‘But wouldn’t it be slander to accuse someone who has kept his precepts purely?’. Thereupon Mettiya: ‘Sister! If you don’t do this for me, then from now on I won’t speak to you again anymore’. The nun said: ‘If you insist, I will do as you say’. The monk Mettiya: ‘Sister, let me go first, you follow later’.

Mettiya went to the Buddha and, having paid homage to his feet, sat to one side. Then the nun Mettiyā came to the Buddha and, having paid homage to his feet, stood to one side and said: ‘World-honored One! How comes it that Dabba Mallaputta has sexually harassed me?’. And the monk Mettiya: ‘It is true! World-honored One!’.

At that time the monk Dabba was among those present. The Buddha asked him: ‘Did you hear this?’. And Dabba answered: ‘World-honored One! The Buddha knows me’. The Buddha said: ‘In this case you can not say it like this. If you have done it you should say: “I remember”; if you have not done it, you should say: “I do not remember’’’. He answered the Buddha: ‘World-honored One! I truly do not remember this’.

Here Rāhula said: ‘World-honored One! This monk Dabba has sexually harassed the nun Mettiyā and the monk Mettiya bore witness saying ‘I have seen how Dabba sexually harassed Mettiyā’. What [else] is Dabba supposed to say?’ . The Buddha said: ‘If you were slandered by the nun Mettiyā, if she would say: “Rāhula has sexually harassed me” and the monk Mettiya had also testified: “I have seen how Rāhula sexually harassed Mettiyā”. What would you say?’. Rāhula answered: ‘World-honored One! If I had been slandered I would only have said: “The Bhagavant knows me, he himself is witness [to my innocence]’’’. The Buddha said: ‘Even you know this, how could Dabba, pure and innocent, fail to say so’.

The Buddha told the monks: ‘You can recite the vinaya together with Dabba. The nun Mettiyā has been undone by her own words’.

The monks having received the Buddha’s order, sternly interrogated Mettiya: ‘Where have you seen Dabba harassing Mettiyā? Have you alone seen it, or were others with you?’. When put to question in this way, Mettiya could not reply. Only then he conceded his slander: ‘When Dabba sent me to receive the donors’ invitation, three times I have received spoiled food! Out of greed, hatred and ignorance I have slandered him’.

When [later] the World-honored One emerged from his silent abode and sat on the prepared seat in front of the assembled monks, the monks told him:

‘World-honored One! We already have recited the vinaya with Dabba and expelled Mettiyā. Through interrogating Mettiya we have learned that Dabba was falsely accused’.

There the Buddha spoke this verse:

Someone whose accomplishments / are all merely lies //
has abandoned his future / there is no evil that he will not do. //
One should rather with this body / swallow a hot iron ball //
than having broken the precepts / accept the offerings made in pure faith. //

When Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and practised accordingly.

View TEI-XML Source

This file is part of the Bieyi za ahan (T.100) project at the Dharma Drum Buddhist College.
TEI-XML   Source files coded with TEI.