法句譬喻經 18.p4

18.p4

“In days gone by there was a king called Evil-conduct (Pāpakamma?), who governed his subjects with tyranny and oppression. He used to send out his officers to afflict the people, and with cruel lashes to extort from them all they could get. There was a certain man of eminence about to be whipped, when he begged for mercy as he was a disciple of Buddha. On this the officer laid the whip lightly on him; but, nevertheless, because of his evil deeds he was afterwards born in hell, and repeatedly as a beast, and at last as a man, but always miserably diseased. Now at that time the King was Devadatta, the executioner was this diseased monk, and the eminent man was myself; but because I was the one who begged for mercy, my lot is now to help this wretched man, as he had mercy on me.”