Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra
by Gelongma Karma Migme Ch枚dr枚n | 2001 | 941,039 words
This page describes 鈥渟tory of the brahmin who unwittingly ate disgusting cakes鈥� as written by Nagarjuna in his Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra (lit. 鈥渢he treatise on the great virtue of wisdom鈥�) in the 2nd century. This book, written in five volumes, represents an encyclopedia on Buddhism as well as a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Story of the brahmin who unwittingly ate disgusting cakes
There was a brahmin who practiced the rules of [alimentary] purity. Having to go to some unclean land on business, he thought: 鈥淗ow will I manage to avoid all this uncleanliness? It will be necessary for me to eat dry food and so I will be able to maintain my purity.鈥�
He saw an old woman who was selling cakes of white marrow (meal, flour??) and said to her: 鈥淚 have reason to stay here for about a hundred days. Make me these cakes regularly and bring them to me, I will pay you well.鈥� Each day the old woman made the cakes and brought them to him. The brahmin liked their taste and was happy with this plentiful food.
At the beginning, the cakes made by the old woman were white, but later, little by little they lost their color (谤奴辫补) and their taste. The brahmin asked the old woman what was the reason for this. She replied: 鈥淚t is because the canker (驳补峁囜笉补) is healed.鈥� The brahmin asked her what she meant by this and the old woman answered: 鈥淎t my house, a prostitute contracted a canker on her privy parts and we applied flour (saktu), ghee (驳丑峁泃补) and sweet herbs (测补峁ａ弓颈尘补诲丑耻) to it.[1] The canker ripened, the pus (puya) came out and mixed with the poultice. This happened every day and I made the cakes that I gave you with this: that is why they were so good. Now that the woman鈥檚 canker has healed, where am I going to find [the wherewithal to make them]?鈥�
Having heard this, the brahmin struck his head with his fists, beat his breast, vomited and shouted: 鈥淗ow can I say how much I have violated the rules of [alimentary] purity? But now my business is settled.鈥� Leaving all his affairs, he returned in haste to his native land.
It is the same for the yogin. He is attached to food and drink, is joyful and loves to eat. Seeing the beautiful colors of the food, its softness, its aroma and its taste, he does not think about the impurities (补艣耻产丑补). Later when he has to undergo the painful retribution (诲耻岣丑补惫颈辫腻办补), how great will be his repentance (办补耻办峁泃测补)! If he can see the beginning and the end (辫奴谤惫腻辫补谤腻苍迟补) of food, he produces a mind of disgust (udvegacitta) and, eliminating the desire for food (腻丑腻谤补迟峁涐梗峁嚹�), he rejects the five[2] objects of enjoyment (辫补帽肠补办腻尘补驳耻峁嘺). Completely detached (virakta) from the happiness of the world of desire (办腻尘补诲丑腻迟耻), he cuts through these five objects and is also free from the five fetters of lower rank (辫补帽肠腻惫补谤补产丑腻驳墨测补蝉补峁儁辞箩补苍补).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Mah膩vyut., no. 5802.
[2]:
Adopting the variant wou in place of sseu.