19.9 （九）迦旃

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Venerable Mahākātyāyana was staying by a deep pool in the country of Vana, together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikṣus.

At that time, the Venerable Kātyāyana had this reputation, which spread far and wide. The Venerable Elder Kānthaka was wandering and teaching there. At that time, the brāhman heard that the Venerable Kātyāyana was wandering and teaching by that pool, together with five hundred bhikṣus, and that the Venerable Elder was endowed with virtues. He thought, "I should now go to pay respects to that person." At that time, the well-favored brāhman, together with five hundred disciples, went to where the Venerable Kātyāyana was, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side. At that time, the brāhman asked the Venerable Kātyāyana, "As for what Kātyāyana practices, this is not the Dharma and Vinaya. The young bhikṣus do not pay respects to us, the virtuous brāhmanas.

Kātyāyana said, "Brāhman, you should know that the Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, speaks of these two grounds. What are the two grounds? One is called the ground of old age, and the other is called the ground of youth.

The brāhman asked, "What is the ground of old age? What is the ground of youth?"

Kātyāyana said, "Even if a brāhman is eighty or ninety years old, if that person does not stop sexual desire and commits evil deeds, that is called a brāhman who may be said to be old, but is now on the ground of youth."

The brāhman said, "Who is young in years and dwells on the ground of old age?"

Kātyāyana said, "Brāhman! If there is a bhikṣu who is twenty, or thirty, forty, or fifty years old, and he does not practice sexual desire, nor does he commit evil deeds, that is called a brāhman who is young in years and dwells on the ground of old age."

The brāhman said, "Is there a bhikṣu in this great assembly who does not practice sexual desire and does not commit evil deeds?"

Kātyāyana said, "In my great assembly, there is no bhikṣu who practices desire and commits evil deeds."

At that time, the brāhman immediately rose from his seat, bowed at the feet of the bhikṣus, and said, "You are young and dwell in the place of the old, I am old and dwell in the place of the young." At that time, the brāhman went to Kātyāyana, bowed his head at his feet, and confessed, "I now take refuge in Kātyāyana and the bhikṣu saṃgha, and vow to refrain from killing for the rest of my life."

Kātyāyana said, "Do not take refuge in me now. You should go to the one I take refuge in."

The brāhman said, "Venerable Kātyāyana, to whom do you take refuge?"

Then Venerable Kātyāyana knelt and pointed to the place where the Tathāgata had entered parinirvāṇa, saying, "The one who has renounced the householder's life and practices the path is the one I always take refuge in. He is my teacher."

The brāhman said, "Where is this śramaṇa Gautama? I wish to see him."

Kātyāyana said, "The Tathāgata has already entered parinirvāṇa."

The brāhman said, "If the Tathāgata were still in the world, I would travel hundreds of thousands of yojanas to pay my respects. Although the Tathāgata has entered parinirvāṇa, I now take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha. For as long as I live, I will no longer take life."

At that time, the brāhman of superior appearance, having heard what was said by Venerable Kātyāyana, joyfully accepted and practiced it.