大方便佛報恩經 4.51

4.51

佛言：「諦聽！吾當為汝分別解說。乃往過去不可計劫，有大國王憘食鴈肉，使一獵師常網捕鴈。時有五百群鴈從北方來，飛空南過，中有鴈王墮落網中。爾時獵師心大歡喜，即出草菴，欲取殺之。時有一鴈，悲鳴吐血，徘徊不去。爾時獵師彎弓欲射，不避弓矢，目不暫捨，即鼓兩翅，來投鴈王。五百群鴈，徘徊虛空，亦復不去。爾時獵師見此一鴈，悲鳴吐血，顧戀如是。爾時獵師作是念言：『鳥獸尚能共相戀慕，不惜身命，其事如是。我今當以何心，而殺是鴈王？』尋時開網，放使令去。爾時一鴈悲鳴歡喜，鼓翅隨逐，五百群鴈，前後圍遶，飛空而去。爾時獵師即白大王：『網得一鴈王，應送王厨，供辦飲食。而見一鴈，悲鳴吐血，不避弓矢，徘徊不去。時念此鴈，尋放鴈王，五百隨從，前後圍遶，飛空而去。』爾時大王聞是語已，心意慘然，尋發慈心：『鳥獸共相愛念，護惜他命，其事如是。』爾時大王即斷鴈肉，誓不復捕。

The Buddha said, "Listen attentively! I shall explain and analyze this for you. In the past, incalculable kalpas ago, there was a great king who was fond of eating wild goose meat, and he made a hunter constantly catch geese with nets. At that time, a flock of five hundred geese came from the north, flying through the sky toward the south. Among them, the goose king fell into the net. Thereupon the hunter was overjoyed, and immediately came out of his thatched hut, wishing to take and kill it. At that time, there was a goose that cried mournfully and spat blood, lingering and not leaving. The hunter bent his bow and wished to shoot it, but it did not flee from the bow and arrow, never taking its eyes away for a moment, and flapped its two wings, throwing itself toward the goose king. The flock of five hundred geese lingered in the empty sky, also not leaving. Then the hunter saw this single goose crying mournfully and spitting blood, yearning with such affection. The hunter then had this thought: 'Even birds and beasts can yearn for one another and cherish each other like this, disregarding their own lives. With what heart should I now kill this goose king?' Immediately he opened the net and let it go. At that time, the single goose cried mournfully in joy, flapped its wings and followed behind, and the flock of five hundred geese surrounded them from front and behind, flying away into the sky. Thereupon the hunter reported to the great king: 'I netted a goose king, which should have been delivered to the royal kitchen to prepare meals. But I saw a single goose crying mournfully and spitting blood, not fleeing from the bow and arrow, lingering and not leaving. Pondering this goose, I immediately released the goose king; five hundred followers surrounded them from front and behind and flew away into the sky.' When the great king heard these words, his heart was deeply grieved, and he immediately gave rise to a compassionate mind: 'Even birds and beasts love and cherish each other, protecting and sparing each other's lives like this.' Thereupon the great king immediately ceased eating goose meat, vowing never again to catch them.