The Wise and the Foolish Sutra (賢愚經) · Two Brahmins Observing the Precepts Sutra (3 二梵志受齋品) · Thus have I heard - Illuminating Buddhist Wisdom with AI

（三）二梵志受齋品第三

Chapter 3: Two Brahmins Observe the Fast

如是我聞：

一時佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。爾時初夜有二天來詣於佛所，天人身光照曜祇桓，皆如金色，佛便隨宜演暢妙法。心意開悟，俱得道迹，頭面禮佛，還歸天上。

明日清朝，阿難白佛：「昨夜二天來覲世尊，威相昞著，淨光赫奕。昔種何德，獲斯妙果？」

The next morning, during the Qing dynasty, Ananda said to the Buddha, "Last night, two heavenly beings came to pay homage to you, World-Honored One. Their majestic forms were radiant and bright, glowing with pure light. What virtues did they cultivate in the past to attain such wonderful results?"

佛告阿難：「迦葉如來滅度之後，遺法垂末，有二婆羅門受持八齋，其一人者求願生天，其第二人求作國王。其第一人還歸其家，婦呼共食。夫答婦言：『向受佛齋，過中不食。』婦復語曰：『君是梵志，自有戒法，何緣乃受異道之齋？今若相違不共我飯，當以斯事語諸梵志，使驅擯汝，不與會同。』聞此語已，深懷恐怖，便與其婦非時而食。二人隨壽長短，各取命終。願作王者，持齋完具，得生王家；願生天者，由破齋故，乃生龍中。

The Buddha told Ananda: "After the Nirvana of the Tathagata named Kashyapa, as his teachings began to fade, there were two Brahmins who took the eight precepts for a day. One of them aspired to be reborn in heaven, while the other wished to become a king.

The first Brahmin returned home. His wife called him to eat with her. He replied, 'I have just taken the Buddha's precepts and cannot eat after midday.'

His wife then said, 'You are a Brahmin—you have your own religious rules. Why would you follow the precepts of another tradition? If you refuse to eat with me now, I will tell this to the other Brahmins so they will expel you from our community.'

Hearing this, the Brahmin became deeply fearful and, breaking his vow, ate with his wife before the proper time.

The two Brahmins lived out their natural lifespans and then passed away. The one who wished to become a king had kept his precepts fully and was reborn into a royal family. But the one who wished to be reborn in heaven broke his precepts and was instead reborn as a dragon."

「時有一人為王守園，日日奉送種種果蓏。此人後時於泉水中得一異㮈，色香甚美，便作是念：『我每出入，常為門監所見前却，當以與之。』如念即與。門監受已，復自思惟：『我通事時，每為黃門之所抴縮，當以與之。』便用斯㮈奉貢黃門。黃門納竟，轉上夫人。夫人得㮈，復用獻王。王食此㮈，甚覺甘美，便問夫人：『從何處得？』夫人即時如實而對；展轉相推，到于園監。王復召喚而問之曰：『吾園之中有此美果，何不見奉，乃與他人？』園監於是本末自陳，王復告言：『自今已後，常送斯㮈，莫令斷絕。』園監啟曰：『此㮈無種，從泉中得；勅使常送，無由可辦。』王復告言：『若不能得，當斬汝身！』園監還出，至彼園中，憂愁懊惱，舉聲大哭。

「時有一龍聞其哭音，變身為人，來問之言：『汝有何事，悲哭乃爾？』是時園監具自宣說。龍還入水，以多美果著金盤上，用與此人，因告之言：『可持此果以奉汝王，并騰吾意云：「吾及王本是親友，乃昔在世俱為梵志，共受八齋，各求所願。汝戒完具，得為人王；吾戒不全，生於龍中。今欲奉修齋法，求捨此身，願索八關齋法，用遺於我；若其相違，吾覆汝國，用作大海。」』園監於是奉果於王，因復說龍所囑之變。

「王聞此已，甚用不樂。所以者何？時世無佛，法又滅盡，八關齋文今不可得。若不稱之，恐見危害。惟念此理，是故愁悒。王有大臣，最所敬重，王告臣曰：『神龍從我求索齋法，仰卿得之，當用寄與。』大臣對言：『今世無法，云何可得？』王又告曰：『汝今不獲，吾當殺卿。』

「大臣聞此，甚懷惆悵，往至自舍。此臣有父，年老耆舊。每從外來，和顏悅色，以慰父意。當於是時，父見其子面色改常，即便問之：『何由乃爾？』於時大臣便向其父委曲自說，其父答曰：『吾家堂柱每現光明，試破看之，儻有異物。』奉父言教，令他拕伐，取而斬析，得經二卷，一是《十二因緣經》，二是〈八關齋文〉，大臣即持，奉上於王。王得歡喜，不能自勝，便以此經著金盤上，自送與龍。

「龍獲此經，大用欣慶，便用好寶贈遺於王；受持八齋，懃而奉行，命終之後，生於天宮。人王亦復修奉齋法，壽盡生天，共同一處。昨夜俱來，諮稟法化，應時尋得須陀洹果，永息三塗，遊人天道，從是已往，畢得涅槃。」

佛說是時，一切眾會歡喜奉行。