SA-2 118（一一八）

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was at Vulture Peak in Rajagriha, in the bamboo grove of Kalanda. At that time, Venerable Mahakasyapa and Venerable Ānanda were on Vulture Peak. When it was time for Ānanda to eat, he said to Venerable Mahakasyapa, "Venerable One, it is time to eat. Let us go begging for alms together." Then Mahakasyapa put on his robe, took his alms bowl, and left Vulture Peak with Ānanda to beg for alms in Rajagriha. Ānanda said to Mahakasyapa, "It is still early. I want to go to the nunnery to observe the practices of the nuns." Mahakasyapa replied, "Yes, let us go together." They then went to the nunnery.

At that time, the nuns saw the two Venerables coming from afar, and immediately prepared seats for them. After preparing the seats, they said to the two Venerables, "Please sit here." The two Venerables then sat down. When the nuns saw them seated, they bowed at their feet and stood to one side. At that time, Mahakasyapa expounded the Dharma for the nuns in various ways, teaching, benefiting, and delighting them. In the assembly, there was a nun named Tulanandana who, upon hearing the essential teachings of the Dharma, was displeased and spoke ill, saying, "How can Venerable Kasyapa now expound the essential teachings of the Dharma for the nuns in front of Ānanda? It is like a needle seller going to the door of a needle maker, seeking to sell needles, which will never be sold. Now Kasyapa is also like this. How can he expound the Dharma in front of Ānanda?" Having said this, he remained silent.

At that time, Mahakasyapa heard what she said with his pure divine ear and said to Venerable Ānanda, "Do you see that nun Tulanandana is displeased and speaks harshly?" At that time, Ānanda said to Kasyapa, "What did she say?" Kasyapa replied, "She said, 'How can Kasyapa now expound the essential teachings of the Dharma for the nuns in front of Ānanda, the son of Bhatiya Muni? You are like his son, the needle maker, and I am like the person selling needles.'" Venerable Ānanda said to Kasyapa, "Stop, stop, Venerable! The foolish and ignorant are not worthy of being blamed. Please, Great Virtuous One, allow him to repent."

Kasyapa then said to Venerable Ānanda, "The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, for the sake of teaching and guiding, cited the example of the moon, which gradually increases and can be fully ashamed and respectful. Free from shamelessness, enduring insults, restraining body and mind, going back and forth among humans, guiding me, and speaking of you, is it the same as the moon?"

Ānanda replied, "The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, did not really say that I am the same as the moon."

Kasyapa said again, "Only the Buddha, the World-Honored One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the Perfectly

Ānanda said, "Indeed so."

Venerable Kasyapa said to Ānanda, "The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, in front of countless hundreds of thousands of great assemblies, praised my name, saying, 'This great virtuous one is a person with shame and conscience, with profound wisdom, comparable to myself.' The Buddha told the bhikshus, 'I am now free from desire, evil, and unwholesome states, with initial and sustained thought, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness of mind, entering the first dhyana, always abiding in this samadhi day and night. Bhikṣu Kasyapa is also always free from desire, evil, and unwholesome states, with initial and sustained thought, joy, happiness, and one-pointedness of mind, entering the first dhyana, always abiding in this samadhi day and night.'"

Ānanda replied, "Indeed so, Kasyapa!" The same was true for the second, third, and fourth dhyanas, loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, as well as the four dhyana concentrations, the three insights, and the six supernormal powers.

At that time, Venerable Mahakasyapa, having roared like a lion before the assembly of bhiksunis, rose from his seat and returned to his abode.