有一次，尊者阿難隨著佛陀到憍薩羅國首都舍衛城遊化，住在城南郊外的祇樹給孤獨園。

這天一早，尊者阿難進城乞食，一家挨著一家地，一路來到了一位名叫鹿住的優婆夷住處。

鹿住優婆夷，遠遠地看到尊者阿難朝她家走來，趕緊在家中鋪好了座位，出門迎請尊者阿難入座。

待坐定後，鹿住優婆夷對尊者阿難提出她的質疑：

「大德阿難！一位已斷淫欲，跟一位不斷淫欲的修行者，世尊記說他們都往生在同一處，這是多麼令人難以理解與接受啊！怎麼可以說世尊是知法者呢？大德！我父親富蘭那生前已修到斷除淫欲，離欲清淨，不著香花，遠離了凡俗之情，死後世尊記說他已經成就斯陀含果，生在兜率天中，爾後只會再來人間一次，就能成就解脫。而我的叔父梨師達多，還沒能斷除淫欲，不過僅止於與自己妻子的正淫就是了，死後世尊也記說他已經成就斯陀含果，生在兜率天中，同樣只再來人間一次，就能成就解脫。怎麼斷淫欲與不斷淫欲的人，果報相同呢？」

「姊妹！別這樣說，如來能全盤地了知眾生的優劣，你不能。」尊者阿難只能做這樣的回應，就告辭了。

尊者阿難回到祇園精舍後，即刻去見佛陀，將鹿住優婆夷的質疑告訴佛陀。佛陀為尊者阿難解釋說：

「鹿住優婆夷哪能全盤地了知眾生的優劣呢？阿難！舉個例子來說，假如有兩個人，同樣犯了戒，隨後也都同樣地改正不犯了，但是，其中一位不能如實了知心解脫、慧解脫的道理，所以不願意多聽聞正法，也因此而知見不能通達，正見不能具足，不能具備一旦修學時機成熟，便得解脫的因緣，但另一位卻能全然具足。這樣，後面這一位當然比前面那位優勝了。為什麼呢？因為正法的大流，能度化人們趣向解脫。所以，如果有人，只從表面看到兩人都同樣的犯戒與改正，就依此而斷定這兩人的果報都一樣，而質疑為何說一人優、一人劣，阿難！這樣的人當然要感到困惑而苦惱了。同樣的道理，也不能只從表面的持戒圓滿，或者貪、瞋、掉舉等煩惱的破除，來斷定眾生的優劣。

阿難！如果梨師達多也和富蘭那一樣的持戒斷淫欲，那麼，梨師達多將往生於富蘭那所不能知的更殊勝處，反之，如果富蘭那也能成就如同梨師達多一樣的智慧，那富蘭那也將能往生梨師達多所不能知的更殊勝處。阿難！富蘭那持戒比較優勝，而梨師達多智慧比較優勝，說來兩人都各有尚待努力的不圓滿處。」

On one occasion, the Venerable Ananda accompanied the Buddha arrived at Satthi, capital of Kosala for travel and teaching. They were dwelling in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindada’s Park located in south suburb of the city.

In this early morning, the Venerable Ananda went to the city to beg for foods, he approached one by one the home of the donors and came to the residence of an Upasika whose name was Deer Dwell.

Upon seeing from a distance the Venerable Ananda approaching her home, she rushed to set up a seat in her home and went out to welcome and invite the Venerable Adanda to take the seat.

After settling down, Upasika Deer Dwell raised to the Venerable Ananda her doubt:

“Bhikkhu Ananda! Ledger of the World Respected One indicated that one practitioner who had abandoned sexual desire and one practitioner who had not abandoned sexual desire, they were accented to the same place after their passing away, it is very difficult for one to comprehend and accept! How can one say that the Buddha is knowledgeable of the Dharma? Bhikkhu Ananda! Prior to his passing away, my father Purana had achieved abandonment of sexual desire, attained the purity of desire annihilation, unattached to the aromatic flowers, and annihilated the affections of the worldly; after his death, ledger of the World Respected One indicated that he had achieved the Third Fruition, having been reborn in the Tusita Heaven. He needs to return to the human realm only once then he will be able to achieve liberation. On the other hand, my uncle Lisidhattha has yet to abandon sexual desire, but only limited to the rightful sexual intercourse with his wife. After his passing away, ledger of the World Respected One indicated that he had achieved the Third Fruition, having been reborn to Tusita Heaven, had the same requirement of returning to the human realm only once in order to achieve liberation. How come the fruits of karma are the same?”

“Sister! Don’t say that, Tathagata can comprehensively understand the superiority and inferiority quality of the sentient beings, you cannot.” The Venerable Ananda could only provide such answer and bid Farwell.

Upon return to Jeta’s Grove residence, the Venerable Ananda went to see the Buddha without delay, and reported to the Buddha the query from Upasaka Deer Dwell. The Buddha explained to the Venerable Ananda:

“How can Upasika Deer Dwell comprehensively understand the superiority and inferiority quality of the sentient beings? Ananda! For instance, suppose two persons violated the precepts then corrected their behaviors and upheld the precepts. However, one of them was unable to truly understand the principle of mind liberation and wisdom liberation, hence reluctant to listen broadly the Right Dharma, resulting inability to be proficient in seeing with wisdom, unable to possess right view, unable to possess the causes and conditions of acquiring liberation as soon as the timing of practicing is ripe; but the other one was able to possess all of the above. Hence, the latter of course is far superior then the former, because the immense current of Right Dharma can transcend people destines to liberation. Therefore, if one only superficially observes two people equally violated the precepts and having been corrected, and judged their fruits of karma are the same, and query why one is superior and one is inferior, Ananda! Such person of cause will feel confusion and suffer. By the same token, one cannot judge the superiority and inferiority of all sentient beings by merely superficially observing the perfection of upholding the precepts, eliminated the suffering of craving, anger and restlessness.

Ananda! If Lishidhatta upholding the precepts of abandoning sexual desire like Purana, then, Lishidhatta will be reborn into a place of greater especially excellent, conversely, if Purana can achieve the same wisdom as Lishidhatta, then Purana will be reborn into a place of greater especially excellent. Ananda! Purana is superior in upholding the precepts and Lishidhatta is superior in wisdom, it seems that there is room for improvement for both of them.

一、本則故事取材自《雜阿含第九九○經》、《增支部第一○集第七五經》、《雜阿含第九九一經》、《增支部第六集第四四經》。

二、優婆夷，是在家女佛弟子的意思，在家男佛弟子稱為優婆塞。

三、一家挨著一家依序乞食，經中稱為「次第乞食」，這是比丘、比丘尼乞食的規矩，主要是著眼於不擇貧富的平等心。

四、心解脫、慧解脫，有時也作俱解脫、慧解脫，這是兩類的解脫者。兩者的差別，在於前者具有入初禪以上的定力與神通力，後者則無（參考故事〈須深盜法〉）。

五、鹿住優婆夷以為，能斷淫欲一定是比較高明的，這種觀念，在今日多少也還看得到。不過，本則故事明白地告訴我們，不一定是這樣的。修學成就的優劣，是要從多方面全盤來衡量的，不是一般人所能完全瞭解的。解脫者當然是斷淫欲的，但斷淫欲者卻不一定能得解脫，因為解脫的關鍵是斷我執、我慢的「慧」，而不在淫欲。

1. This story was derived from Samyuktagama 990th Sutra, Volume X, Anguttaka-nikaya 75th Sutra, Samyuktagama 991st Sutra and Volume VI, Anguttaka-nikaya 44th Sutra.

2. Upasika means a female Buddhist lay disciple; a male Buddhist lay disciple is called upasaka.

3. The sutra named the act of approaching one by one the home of the donors to beg for foods “Sequential Begging”. It is the begging regulations for the bhikkhu and bhikkhuni with the chief objective of achieving the equanimity by not selecting the rich family and the poor family for food solicitation.

4. Mind liberation, wisdom liberation sometime also called simultaneous liberation and wisdom liberation; these are two types of liberated persons. While the former possesses the concentration power and supernatural power derived from the First Meditative Concentration the latter does not. (See Dharma Story number 89 “Susima Stole the Dharma”).

5. Upasika Deer Dwell considered one who abandoned sexual desire must be superior; such concept is still more or less evident nowadays. However, this story clearly tells us that it is not always the case. The superiority and inferiority of practicing will require a comprehensive evaluation in many ways; it is beyond the complete comprehension of the ordinary people. The liberated person naturally has abandoned sexual desire, but those abandoned sexual desire are not necessarily achieved liberation, because the key to liberation is the “wisdom” for abandoning self-attachment and self-arrogance instead of sexual desire.