Source: The Internet
One day, Buddha Sakyamuni was taking a meditative walk in a forest near the Jetavana Vihara, His disciple Sariputta followed slowly behind Him. At that time, an old eagle was chasing a pigeon in the sky; the pigeon being excessively frightened, fled in great haste to the Buddha’s side to seek refuge.
When the Buddha’s shadow cast over the pigeon, it immediately stood peacefully, in absolute silence, showing no sign of fear whatsoever. However, when Sariputta’s shadow cast over the pigeon, it trembled and chattered restlessly in a state of tremendous fear.
Sariputta was perplexed and puzzled by this. He turned to the Buddha and asked, “The Buddha and I are both rid of the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance, why’s it that when the Buddha’s shadow cast over the pigeon, it immediately felt at ease without even a twitter and showed no sign of fear at all; however, the moment my shadow cast over the pigeon, it became terrified beyond comprehension?”
The Buddha replied, “This is because there’re still habitual propensities of the three poisons in your body which haven’t been entirely cleared. Therefore, when your shadow cast over the pigeon, it still engendered fear in the pigeon”.
Although Sariputta believed in the Buddha’s words of truth, however, he was still in doubt. At the same time, the Buddha, with unrestricted miraculous power, could already know that Sariputta was puzzled. The Buddha therefore asked, “Look at the pigeon, how long do you think it has been since this pigeon has lost its human body to become a pigeon?”
At once, Sariputta entered the samadhi of predestination and saw that the pigeon had been in such form of reincarnation for the past eighty thousand great eons. As to those lives earlier than that, he had no knowledge. After arising from samadhi, he reported to the Buddha, “The pigeon has been in the same form of reincarnation for the past eighty thousand great eons. As to the lives beyond that time, your disciple has no idea.”
Again, the Buddha asked Sariputta, “If you’re unable to know all of the pigeon’s past lives, then try to look at its future lives and find out when it’ll break away from the pigeon body and reincarnate to human form?.”
Once again, Sariputta entered into the samadhi, in which he saw that even after eighty thousand great eons, the pigeon would still remain as a pigeon. However, it was beyond Sariputta’s miraculous powers to go beyond that time. Sariputta was unable to tell when the pigeon would be rid of it’s pigeon body. Consequently, Sariputta felt great shame and, in repentance, he said to the Buddha, “Your disciple’s wisdom is limited and shallow that I can’t even tell the beginning nor end of a pigeon’s reincarnation, say nothing of other matters! Today I finally realize the depth and vastness of the Buddha’s wisdom. I, your disciple, therefore pledge a vow to diligently learn and practise the bodhisattva way in all my future lives. If, in my pursuit of the Buddha’s wisdom, I fall into the Avichi Hell and suffer for endless eons, these won't be regarded as difficult matters.”
| Postscript: | ||
| • | In this example: ‘Sariputta had great doubt in his mind; he believed that since both the Buddha and he were rid of the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance, why was it that the pigeon was not frightened of the Buddha, yet so petrified of him?’ This is a common fault among disciples who assume that they are not much different from their Guru. Therefore, unknowingly, they belittle and show disrespect towards their own Guru. They even think that whatever their Guru can achieve, they are able to do the same. | |
| • | Those Buddhist practitioners, who think that they are already rid of the three poisons of desire, hatred and ignorance, often find that this is not the case when they come across the actual challenges in their daily lives. This is why the Buddha taught Sariputta, ‘There are still habitual propensities of the three poisons have not yet been completely eradicated. Therefore, when your shadow cast over the pigeon, it still engendered fear in the pigeon.’ Hence Buddhist practitioners must always alert themselves whether they are, at this moment, committing the three negative karmas of body, speech and mind. And you, as a disciple, have to understand and appreciate the fact that your Guru uses his best endeavours to teach and enlighten you in all respects. You should humbly and gladly accept the teachings and guidance given by your Guru. It is simply because your Guru, with the best and kindest intention, wishes to raise your spirituality to a higher level. | |
| • | Although Sariputta had already attained the stage of an arhat and possessed all of the six kinds of miraculous power, when compared to the Buddha, his abilities were limited. Take for example, the power of predestination, an arhat can only possess knowledge of matters five hundred lifetimes in the past and the future respectively, while the Buddha’s miraculous power of predestination is infinite. There is absolutely no comparison between the Buddha and Buddhist practitioners. | |
| • | Once ordinary people commit bad karma and fall into the animal realm after death, it is nothing less than perpetual suffering with no hope of release. Just like the pigeon, one does not really know just how many more eons one has to go through before one can return to the human body? Therefore, the Buddha always reminds his disciple, ‘The human body is hard to obtain’. We should all treasure our human bodies! | |
