大方便佛報恩經 3

English (machine translation) 3

Language: English

3.1

Translator's name lost, recorded in the Later Han catalogue

At that time, the Tathāgata expounded the Dharma for ninety days for his mother, Lady Māyā, and the hosts of devas. In Jambudvīpa, for those ninety days they did not know where the Tathāgata was. Mahāmaudgalyāyana was foremost in supernatural powers, yet though he exhausted his supernatural powers searching in the ten directions, he too did not know; Aniruddha was foremost in the divine eye, yet though he gazed throughout the trichiliocosm of the ten directions, he too did not see him; and up to the five hundred great disciples, not seeing the Tathāgata, their minds harbored grief and distress. The great king Udayana longed for the Tathāgata, grief and sorrow piercing his heart, so he carved an image of all the marks of the Tathāgata's physical body using ox-head sandalwood, venerating, serving, and making offerings to it just as when the Buddha was present, without any difference.

3.4

At that time, the great king summoned the six non-Buddhist teachers to divine where the Tathāgata was. Then the six teachers spoke these words: "Great King! You should know that the śramaṇa Gautama is merely produced through the transformations of phantom arts. The nature of phantom illusions is entirely without reality. Great King! You should know that our scriptures, the four Vedas, say: 'Every thousand or two thousand years, a phantom person shall appear in the world.' The śramaṇa Gautama is precisely that person."

3.5

At that time, Aniruddha went to the great king's place and said: "Great King! You should know that the Tathāgata is nearby in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, and after seven days he will return to Jambudvīpa." Hearing these words, the king rejoiced in his heart and proclaimed throughout his realm that they should sweep, sprinkle, and burn incense; hanging silk banners and canopies, they vied with one another to assemble, setting out diverse offerings of various delicacies, flowers, incense, and musical entertainments.

3.6

At that time, seeing the crowd gathered together and preparing various offerings of diverse delicacies, the six teachers asked, "All of you people who prepare these offerings—do you wish to invite the king? Or a prince?" They answered, "No." "If not so, is it to invite the chief ministers? Or brāhmaṇas and householders? If not so, is it a gathering of your kinfolk?" They answered, "No. We wish to invite the Buddha." The six teachers asked, "Who is this Buddha?" They answered, "The Omniscient One." Again they asked, "Who is this Omniscient One?" They answered, "The Father of Great Compassion. Do you not know? He is of the lineage of King Śuddhodana, foremost in noble eminence. From the beginning of the kalpa onward, hereditary succession passed down continuously as Cakravartins. In the recent two generations, they did not become Cakravartins; though not Cakravartins, they were kings of Jambudvīpa. There were three brothers: the eldest was named King Śuddhodana, the middle brother was named King Droṇodana, and the youngest was named King Amṛtodana. King Śuddhodana begot two sons: the elder named Siddhārtha, and the younger named Nanda. King Droṇodana also begot two sons: the elder named Devadatta, and the younger named Ānanda. King Amṛtodana begot a daughter named Amṛtā. At that time, the eldest brother, Prince Siddhārtha, went outside the city to view the sights. Seeing the afflictions of old age, sickness, and death, he was filled with sorrowful thoughts and could not eat. He thought with sorrow that human life inevitably suffers these afflictions, whether noble or base; among all embodied beings, none can escape them. That very night he leapt over the palace walls and went forth. Beneath the Bodhi tree he practiced austerities for six years, and thereafter attained omniscience; thus he is called the Omniscient One. Awakening alone to become a Buddha, he possesses the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, the eighteen distinct qualities, up to the knowledge of all aspects. Seven days after his birth, his mother's life came to an end, and she was reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. The Buddha expounded the Dharma for his mother for ninety days, and after one week he will return to Jambudvīpa."

3.7

At that time, when the six teachers heard these words, jealousy arose in their hearts, along with grief, anger, and distress. Immediately the disciples and followers of the six teachers gathered together and deliberated, saying: "If the monk Gautama returns to Jambudvīpa, all the people will abandon us and make offerings to Gautama. In our isolation and poverty, we fear we shall not survive."

3.8

At that time, the six teachers further considered: "We should now quickly go among the great assembly of people and proclaim: 'All of you, know this! The monk Gautama truly knows nothing. An inexperienced child, he only recently departed the palace of the Śākyas, and beneath the Bodhi tree claimed of himself to have attained the knowledge of all aspects. You should know that this is false speech! Why is this so? King Agnidatta came to invite Gautama, and the offering he gave was only horse-barley; Gautama did not know it was bad, and readily accepted the invitation. Thus you should know he is not omniscient!' Furthermore, he asked Ānanda: 'How many days remain of the rainy season retreat?' Ānanda said: 'Seven days remain.' Furthermore, he asked Ānanda: 'Why are there so many sounds of crows in the Jetavana?' Ānanda said: 'Flocks of birds are fighting over food. Just seven days after he was born, his mother's life ended.' From these matters, you should know that he is a person of ill omens, and also an extremely wicked person. Why is this so? Because upon being born he caused his mother to die. Furthermore, he possesses neither compassion nor filial piety, nor makes offerings [to his parents]; though daily and nightly provided for before his eyes, he abandoned them instead and entered the deep mountains. He is also a person without gratitude: his father the king took Gopā in marriage for him, yet he never carried out the conjugal rites of a woman, causing Gautamī to suffer great distress. For these reasons, know that he neither knows kindness nor remembers kindness. In the monk Gautama's retinue, there is no distinction between noble and base; of his five hundred disciples, each is proclaimed foremost. Since the master has no Dharma, the disciples likewise have no practice to cultivate. Even the one who knows how to count, the monk Dabba, is proclaimed foremost; the clever and wise Śāriputra is also among them; the dull and sluggish monk Panthaka is also among them; even the nun Yaśodharā, a person of few desires, is among them; the lustful and unvirtuous woman Utpalavarṇā of Śrāvastī is also among them; even the childish and ignorant young boy Cunda is among them; even the exceedingly elderly Subhadra, one hundred and twenty years of age, is among them; even the noble and eminent Śākyas are among them; and the extremely base dung-carrier of Rājagṛha is also among them. Therefore, you should know that within Gautama's Dharma, the coarse and heterogeneous vie together to enter; there is neither noble nor base among them, and it is not worthy of reverence. Just as a great wind blows tree leaves together into one place, so too is Gautama's Buddha-dharma. Just as flocks of birds pursue the clothes and food discarded by worldly people, Gautama's retinue follows and takes them to eat. All of you people, why would you wish to invite Gautama today?" When the multitude heard this, they remained as immovable as the great earth. The great assembly thirsted after and looked up to the Tathāgata; though hearing the six teachers speak like this, their minds were like diamond, without increase or decrease, thirsting after and looking up to the Tathāgata as the thirsty crave drink.

3.9

After one week, the Tathāgata came down from heaven to Jambudvīpa. Immeasurable hundreds of thousands of devas accompanied the Tathāgata, radiating great light; his spiritual power moved [the world], playing hundreds of thousands of kinds of celestial music. Up to all devas, all nāgas, spirits, gandharvas, kiṃnaras, mahoragas, humans, and non-humans—the entire great assembly gathered like clouds to pay homage and make offerings. At that time, King Udayana, surrounded by a great assembly, went out to welcome the Tathāgata from afar, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and withdrew to stand to one side.

3.10

At that time, the disciples and followers of the six teachers gathered together and again thought: "Disaster is about to befall us now. Although we proclaimed these words among the crowd, they did not believe or accept them. We should now go again into the assembly of devas and humans and make such declarations, so that the truth may be made known." Having thought this, the six teachers, together with their eight thousand followers, surrounding them before and behind, went to the great assembly; having arrived, they withdrew and sat to one side.

3.11

At that time, there was also a gandharva's son named Gandharvamāla, who, strumming a lute of seven jewels, went before the Tathāgata, bowed his head to his feet, withdrew to stand to one side, and played the instrument and sang to the strings, producing subtle, wondrous sounds—their tones were harmonious and elegant, pleasing to the hearts of the assembly. The śrāvakas, pratyekabuddhas, and others unknowingly moved their bodies and arose to dance, and Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, surged, sank, dipped, and rose.

3.12

At that time, the Tathāgata immediately entered the samādhi of forms. By the power of the samādhi, he caused the sound of the lute to be heard far across the trichiliocosm—its sound fully expounded suffering, emptiness, impermanence, impurity, and non-self. When heedless sentient beings heard this wondrous sound fully expound how the Tathāgata knows kindness and repays kindness, having filial devotion toward his parents for immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, all sentient beings followed the sound to Jambudvīpa, went to the Buddha's place, bowed their heads to his feet, and withdrew to sit to one side.

3.13

At that time, the great assembly gazed upward at the Tathāgata without taking their eyes off him even for a moment. The Tathāgata was then resting in silent samādhi, and the entire great assembly was likewise silent. Amid the great assembly, a seven-jeweled stūpa welled up from the earth and stayed suspended in the air. Countless banners and pennants were hung upon it, and hundreds of thousands of jeweled bells rang of themselves without being struck, moved by a gentle breeze to produce subtle, wondrous sounds.

3.14

At that time, seeing this jeweled stūpa welling up from the earth, the great assembly gave rise to a web of doubt: "By what cause and condition has this jeweled stūpa welled up from the earth?" The assembly of śrāvakas, Śāriputra and the others, exhausted their thoughts in speculation, yet still did not know. Even the bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who had long dwelt in the Sahā world, up to Maitreya Bodhisattva, also did not know.

3.15

At that time, the six teachers considered: "By what cause and condition is there this jeweled stūpa? If someone comes to ask me, I will not know. If I do not know, how can I still be called one of all knowledge and vision?" They further thought: "Why does Gautama not quickly expound this matter for the great assembly?"

3.16

At that time, the Tathāgata arose from samādhi. Śakra Devānām Indra, the king of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, immediately spread celestial garments upon a lion seat. The Tathāgata then ascended this seat and sat cross-legged, like Mount Sumeru, king of mountains, situated in the midst of the great ocean.

3.17

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva observed the minds of the assembly, that all had doubts, and he himself was not yet clear about it. He immediately arose from his seat, went before the Buddha, bowed his head to his feet, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and spoke these words: "Bhagavat! By what cause and condition has this jeweled stūpa welled up from the earth?"

3.18

The Buddha told Maitreya Bodhisattva: "Long ago in the past, incalculable asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a Buddha who appeared in the world named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat. He appeared in the world and taught immeasurable hundreds of thousands of kotis of asaṃkhyeyas of sentient beings, establishing them all firmly in anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. After that Buddha's parinirvāṇa, during the semblance Dharma, there was a country named Vārāṇasī. The great king of Vārāṇasī was intelligent, benevolent, and virtuous; he always ruled the country according to the saddharma and did not oppress the people. The king ruled over sixty small kingdoms and eight hundred villages. The king had no son at all. The king himself made offerings and served the mountain spirits, tree spirits, and all deities, for twelve years without slacking or ceasing, seeking to have a son. The principal queen then found herself pregnant, and after the full ten months gave birth to a male child. The son was handsome and possessed of all human marks. After his birth, [the king] summoned all the chief ministers and the kings of the small kingdoms to divine his auspicious and inauspicious signs, and thereupon gave him a name. Because the prince's nature was gentle and free of anger, he was named Kṣānti. When Prince Kṣānti grew up, he took delight in giving, was intelligent, benevolent, and kind, and gave rise to an equal mind of compassion toward all sentient beings. At that time, the great king had six chief ministers whose natures were cruel and evil, deceitful, fawning, and flatterers, tyrannical and lawless, so that the people were weary and distressed by them. The six chief ministers, knowing themselves that their conduct was contrary [to righteousness], constantly harbored jealousy and detested the prince.

3.19

"At that time, the great king was stricken with a severe illness, distressed and emaciated, his life in imminent danger from morning to evening. Prince Kṣānti went to inform the ministers: 'My father the king is gravely ill; what should we do now?' When the ministers heard this, anger arose in their hearts, and they replied to the prince, saying: 'The king's life will not last long. Why is this? Because the wondrous medicine we seek cannot be obtained; therefore know that his death is not far off.' When the prince heard this, distress arose in his heart, and he fainted and collapsed to the ground."

3.20

"Then the six ministers entered a quiet chamber and plotted together, saying: 'If Prince Kṣānti is not gotten rid of, we will never have peace and security.' Having formed this thought, the first minister said, 'Prince Kṣānti has done no wrong for which he can be removed.' Another minister said, 'I have an upāya capable of getting rid of him.' He went at once to the prince's quarters and addressed the prince, saying: 'Just now, while outside, I searched for medicinal herbs throughout the sixty minor kingdoms and eight hundred villages, but could not find any at all.' The prince asked, 'What is the medicinal herb that was sought?' The minister answered, 'Prince, you should know that the medicinal herb sought is none other than the eyes and marrow of a person who, from birth to the end of life, has never been angry. If this medicine is obtained, the king's life can be saved; if it is not obtained, his life will not last long. In no land is there such a person.' Having heard this, the prince felt distress and sorrow, and at once replied to the minister: 'My own person now seems to be such a one. Why? Ever since I was born, I have never been angry.' The minister said: 'Even if the prince is such a person, this matter is also difficult. Why? In all the world, nothing is prized more than one's own body.' The prince said: 'It is not as the ministers say. If only my father the king's illness can be relieved, even abandoning a hundred thousand bodies would not be difficult, how much less this foul body of mine today!' The minister answered, 'In such a matter, let it be according to the prince's will.'

3.21

"At that time Prince Kṣānti felt joy in his heart, and made this thought: 'If this medicine can indeed remove the illness of my father the king, this matter should be managed quickly.' Prince Kṣānti then entered the palace, went to his mother's quarters, bowed his head to her feet, pressed his palms together facing his mother, and said: 'Now, this body [of mine] is to be made into medicine to treat the illness of my father the king. Fearing that its physical life cannot be preserved, I therefore come to bid farewell to you, Mother. May you not grieve and suffer, nor yearn for your son.' When his mother heard these words, her heart swooned away and she lost all sense of direction. It was like a person choking, unable to swallow down—she could not encourage him forward; nor could she spit it out—she could not advise him to stop. She at once stepped forward and embraced the prince, swooning in faintness. They sprinkled cold water on her face, and only after a long time did she revive. Then the prince addressed his mother, saying: 'My father the king's physical life is hanging by a moment; it cannot last long. It must be prepared with haste so the king may take it.' At that time the prince then summoned the ministers and the kings of the minor kingdoms, and in the midst of the great assembly, declared these words: 'I now take my leave of the great assembly.' The ministers then called a caṇḍāla, who severed the bones, extracted the marrow, and gouged out both of his eyes.

3.22

"The ministers then pounded this medicine and offered it to the great king. The king took it at once, and his illness was cured. Having recovered, he asked the ministers: 'Where did you obtain this marvelous medicine that relieved my suffering and saved my life?' The ministers addressed the king: 'This medicine was provided solely by Prince Kṣānti; it was not within the power of your ministers to provide.' Hearing these words, the king's heart was startled and his hair stood on end. In a faint voice he asked the ministers: 'Where is Prince Kṣānti now?' The ministers replied: 'The prince is now outside; his body is mutilated, and his life is not far from ending.' Hearing these words, the king wailed aloud: 'How dreadful! How dreadful!' He threw himself to the ground, dust and dirt soiling his body: 'Someone like me is truly heartless! How could I take this medicine made from my son?' He went to his son's quarters, but his life had already ended. The king, the queen, the ministers, and the citizens—an immeasurable great assembly—surrounded him before and behind. Distraught with grief, his mother threw herself upon the corpse: 'Because of the misdeeds of my past lives, I have now caused my son's body to undergo this suffering. Why is my own body not ground into dust like powder, rather than causing my son to lose his life?' Then the father king and the minor kings piled up ox-head sandalwood to make a pyre, cremated all the prince's bones, and further erected a stupa made of the seven treasures to make offerings to them."

3.23

At that time the Bhagavat addressed the Bodhisattva Maitreya, the good sons, and the great assembly: "You should know that the great king of Vārāṇasī at that time was none other than my present father Śuddhodana; the mother at that time was none other than my present mother Māyā; and Prince Kṣānti was none other than myself. For immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas, the Bodhisattva was filial to and supported his parents with clothing, food and drink, dwellings, and bedding, and even with his own flesh, bones, and marrow—such was the matter. Through these causes and conditions, he naturally attained buddhahood. This jeweled stupa that now wells up from the earth is the place where I renounced this marrow and this physical life for the sake of my parents, and where a stupa was erected on this very spot to make offerings. Now that I have attained buddhahood, it wells up and appears before us."

3.24

At that time, immeasurable humans, devas, nāgas, spirits, and deities in the great assembly, having heard these words, were mingled with grief and joy, their eyes brimming with tears. With different mouths but the same voice, they praised the hundreds of thousands of merits of the Tathāgata, and instantly brought forth the mind set upon anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi; furthermore, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings brought forth the mind of the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha; furthermore, immeasurable people attained the fruit of a srotāpanna up to the path of an arhat; furthermore, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of bodhisattva-mahāsattvas would before long attain anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Therefore, you should know that the Tathāgata today is truly one who is filial to and supports his parents.

3.25

Furthermore, the Bodhisattva originally knew the virtue of his mother, and because of his original vow being such, he was born into the body of a Tathāgata. Because having given birth to a Tathāgata fulfilled her original vow, and because she could not bear receiving his homage, it was for this reason that she was about to pass away. At that time the great assembly praised Māyā with different mouths but the same voice: "Excellent, Māyā! You were able to give birth to the Tathāgata, with whom none among gods or humans in the world can compare."

3.26

Then Dharmapāla arose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee with palms joined, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Bhagavat! What merit did Queen Māyā cultivate? Through what causes and conditions was she able to give birth to the Tathāgata?"

3.27

The Buddha said: "Listen attentively! I shall analyze and explain it for you."

3.28

The Buddha said: "Long ago, in the distant past beyond countless kalpas, a Buddha appeared in the world named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat, appearing in the world, down to when the saddharma and its semblance had passed away. At that time there was a country called Vārāṇasī. Not far from the city was a mountain named Abode of the Sages, so called because hundreds of thousands of pratyekabuddhas lived on this mountain, and immeasurable ṛṣis endowed with the five superknowledges also lived in it. Because many ṛṣis and sages stayed and dwelt in it, it was called Mountain of the Abode of Sages. On that mountain there was a ṛṣi living in a southern cave, and another ṛṣi living in a northern cave. Between the two mountains there was a spring, and beside the spring there was a flat rock.

3.29

"At that time the ṛṣi of the southern cave washed his clothes and washed his feet upon this rock, and then returned to his dwelling. Not long after he had gone, a female deer came to drink the spring water. In turn she came to the place where he had washed his clothes, and drank the dirty wash-water from his robes on this rock. Having drunk this dirty robe-water, she turned her head back and licked her own urinary tract.

3.30

"Then the female deer immediately became pregnant, and when her months were full, gave birth. The nature of a deer giving birth is that it must return to the original place where it conceived. She therefore returned to the water's edge, stood on the original rock, and crying out plaintively while tossing and turning, gave birth to a daughter. At that time the ṛṣi heard this deer's plaintive crying and loud calls. The ṛṣi of the southern cave, hearing the sound of the deer's great, plaintive crying, gave rise to compassion in his heart, and immediately went out to look, seeing that this female deer had given birth to a daughter. The mother deer was rolling about and licking her, but seeing the ṛṣi approach, she abandoned her and went away.

3.31

"At that time the ṛṣi saw that this baby girl was dignified in form and complete with the marks of a human being. Having seen this, he gave rise to compassion in his heart, wrapped and cleaned her with grass clothing, and carried her back. He gathered various wondrous fruits to nourish and raise her according to the seasons, and she gradually grew up to the age of fourteen. Her father loved and cared for her, and always had her tend the fire overnight so that it would not go out. Suddenly, one day, through inattention of heart, she let the fire go out. Her father reproached and scolded her severely, and said to the girl: 'Ever since I grew up, I have never let this fire go out. Why have you let it go out today? There is fire in the northern cave; you may go fetch some.'

3.32

"Then the deer-girl followed her father's instruction and went to the northern cave. With every step she took, a lotus flower sprang up under her feet, and following her footprints, they formed neat ranks and rows, just like a street. Going to the northern cave, she begged that ṛṣi for a little fire. At that time the ṛṣi saw that this woman's merit was such that lotus flowers grew beneath her feet, and he told her: 'If you wish to obtain fire, you must circumambulate my cave to the right a full seven times.' The ranks and rows were distinct and clear; wherever she lifted her feet, lotus flowers sprang up. After she had circumambulated it seven times, he said to the girl: 'If you wish to obtain fire, you must return along this right side as well. Then I will give you fire.'

3.33

"Then the deer-girl, for the sake of obtaining fire, went according to his instruction. Not long after the girl had gone, the King of Vārāṇasī, leading ministers and hundreds of thousands of followers surrounding him before and behind, with thousands of chariots and myriads of cavalry, entered the mountain to hunt, pursuing herds of deer. The King of Vārāṇasī, riding alone upon a famous elephant, went to the northern cave where the ṛṣi was, and saw the ranks and rows of lotus flowers circumambulating the cave. At that time the great king felt joy in his heart, and exclaimed in praise: 'Excellent! Excellent! O virtuous ṛṣi! O great ṛṣi guide! How towering is your merit that such a thing occurs!'

3.34

"Then the ṛṣi addressed the king, saying: 'Great King, you should know that these lotus flowers are not of my doing.' The king said: 'If not the great master's, whose doing is it?' He replied: 'Great King, the ṛṣi of the southern cave has raised a daughter, exquisite and dignified in appearance, complete with human marks, rarely seen in the world. When this girl walks, lotus flowers spring up beneath her feet wherever she steps.' Hearing these words, the king felt joy in his heart, and at once went to the southern cave. Seeing that ṛṣi, he bowed his head to his feet. The ṛṣi then came out and inquired after him: 'Great King, having traveled a long road, are you not exceedingly fatigued?' At that time the great king answered the ṛṣi, saying: 'Hearing that you have a daughter, I wish to seek her hand in marriage.'

3.35

"Then the ṛṣi replied to the great king, saying: 'My poor self has this single daughter, young and ignorant, without knowledge or understanding. Since childhood she has lived in these deep mountains, unacquainted with human affairs, wearing grass and eating fruit. Why would the king now wish to take notice of her? Furthermore, this girl was born of an animal.' He then explained the previous events in detail to the king. The king said: 'Even so, there is no harm.' He asked her father: 'Where is the deer-girl now?' He answered the great king: 'She is here in the grass cave.' The great king then entered the cave, saw the deer-girl, and felt joy in his heart. He at once bathed her in perfumed warm water, adorned her body with famous robes and fine clothing, and necklaces of a hundred jewels, mounted her on a great, renowned elephant, and with hundreds of thousands of escorts playing instrumental music and songs, returned to his own kingdom. The deer-girl, having never seen such a great multitude since she was born, was alarmed and terrified in her heart."

3.36

"Then her father went up to the top of a high mountain and watched his daughter from afar, not looking away for even an instant. He thought to himself: 'Now I watch my daughter from afar; she is going far away and disappearing from sight. When I return to my original dwelling, I will wail in anguish, my eyes filled with streaming tears. I raised this daughter while she knew nothing, and now she is parting far from me.' He thought further: 'I should remain standing here and not turn away. Why? If my daughter looks back behind her and does not see me, it will cause her sorrow and grief.' After standing there for a long time, the daughter went out of sight, never having turned her head to look back.

3.37

"Then her father felt anger and resentment in his heart, and he said: 'That she was born of a beast is indeed true! I raised and nurtured her from childhood, and now she has grown to adulthood. Regarded by the king, she has in turn abandoned me.' He immediately entered the cave, recited incantations, and cursed his daughter: 'If the king treats you poorly, let that clearly not be spoken of. But if the king receives and treats you with propriety, let you fall from favour and be dismissed, never fulfilling your wishes!'

3.38

"At that time, when the King of Vārāṇasī arrived at the palace, he appointed her as the chief queen, titled Lady Deer-Mother (Mṛgī). The kings of smaller states, the hundred officials, and all the ministers came to pay court and offer congratulations. Seeing this, the king rejoiced in his heart. Before long, within a few days, she became pregnant. The king personally provided for the lady, ensuring that her bed, bedding, food, and drink were all delicate and soft. When the full ten months arrived, he hoped she would give birth to a son who would succeed to the royal throne. When the months were fulfilled and she gave birth, she gave birth to a single lotus flower. Through the power of the ṛṣi's curse, the king was provoked to anger, and he said: 'That she was born of a beast is indeed true!' The king immediately stripped the lady of her rank and had someone discard the lotus flower. Several days later, the King of Vārāṇasī led his ministers into the rear garden to disport and observe, playing music and having elephants, horses, and various wrestlers compete. Among them was a foremost champion wrestler who stumbled and kicked the earth with his foot; the ground shook, trembling the lotus pond. By the edge of that lotus pond was a large coral tree, and beneath the coral tree, a lotus flower sprang out and fell into the water. The flower was crimson-red and had a wondrous radiance. Seeing this flower, the king rejoiced in his heart and asked the ministers: 'Such a flower has never existed before.' He immediately sent a messenger into the pond to fetch it. The flower had a full five hundred petals, and beneath each petal was a young boy, fair-faced and handsome, with wondrous and lovely physical features. The messenger immediately went forward and addressed the king: 'This lotus flower is unprecedented! Great King, you should know that this lotus flower has five hundred petals, and beneath each petal is a divine young boy.' Hearing these words, the king was astounded and his hair stood on end. Sighing over the reason for this, he asked the messenger: 'Is this truly so? Could this not be the flower born of my Lady Deer-Mother?' He then asked the handmaid: 'Where was the flower born of Lady Deer-Mother discarded?' She answered: 'Great King, it was buried under the large coral tree by the edge of this pond.' The king verified the matter and knew that it had been born of Lady Deer-Mother. The king personally entered the palace, reproached himself, and repented to Lady Deer-Mother, saying: 'I was truly foolish and devoid of wisdom; failing to recognise virtue and goodness, I wrongly gave rise to vile disdain and wronged you, my lady.' Having made his confession and apology, he restored her to her original rank. The king rejoiced greatly, and summoned his ministers, the kings of smaller states, and the brāhmaṇa physiognomists, holding a great assembly. Holding the five hundred princes, he had the physiognomists divine their good or bad fortune. The divination said: 'Virtue converges upon them, and the realm will receive their blessings. If they remain at home, the people of the four seas will look up to them with reverence, and ghosts and spirits will protect them. If they leave home, they will certainly cut off birth and death, cross over the torrent of desire, transcend the ocean of birth and death, obtain the three knowledges and the six supernatural penetrations, and attain the four fruits of the Path.' Hearing these words, the king's joy increased all the more, and he immediately proclaimed throughout the realm that five hundred wet nurses were to be selected.

3.39

"Then Lady Deer-Mother addressed the great king: 'Let the king not trouble and disturb the realm to summon wet nurses. In the royal palace there are naturally five hundred consorts. Those ladies were jealous of my bearing sons. The king may now give one prince to each consort to nurse and nurture; would they not then be their children?' The king answered the lady: 'The five hundred consorts have constantly harboured jealousy, troubling and harming you, Deer-Mother. If you now wished me to whip them with rods, expel and banish them, or take their lives, I would not oppose you, my lady. How can you now let go and forgive in the midst of resentment and enmity? This is exceedingly difficult to equal. Furthermore, you can bestow grace as vast as heaven and earth, giving your princes to the consorts.'

3.40

"Then the five hundred consorts rejoiced greatly in their hearts: 'Lady Deer-Mother bestows peace, security, and joy upon us; how can she furthermore give the princes to us?' Their joy was boundless. At that time, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of people in the great assembly, having heard this matter, rejoiced in their hearts and all gave rise to the aspiration for the Path.

3.41

"Then the great king said to the lady: 'It is unprecedented! I am not your equal.' The lady said: 'The arising of greed and anger is entirely due to jealousy. Admonish evil with patience; admonish wrath with compliance. Since my birth, I have never contended with anyone; the consorts brought affliction and harm upon themselves. For example, when someone walking at night sees a tree stump, they immediately conceive the thought that it is a thief, or they conceive the thought that it is an evil ghost. At once terrified, they flee in all directions, sometimes throwing themselves from high cliffs, or plunging into water or fire, or injuring their bodies in brambles and thickets. Due to false conceptualisation, disaster comes about in this way. All sentient beings are also like this: they are born of themselves and die of themselves, like a silkworm in a cocoon or a moth flying into a flame, with no one driving them. All evils arise from false conceptualisation; the consorts are also like this. I should not engage in dispute and contention with those foolish people.' The five hundred consorts then came forward, bowed to Lady Deer-Mother, apologised, and repented their faults. They served Deer-Mother as if honouring a worthy or holy one, and as a mother and elder sister. The princes they reared were no different from their own offspring.

3.42

"Then the five hundred princes gradually grew up. Each prince possessed the strength of a thousand men. Whenever a neighbouring state rebelled and refused to submit, they went in person to subjugate them. Without raising the fourfold army, the realm was peaceful and secure; the heavenly deities rejoiced, the wind and rain arrived in their proper seasons, and the people were prosperous and thriving. At that time, the five hundred princes rode on renowned great elephants and toured the forests and wilderness, disporting themselves freely with immeasurable joy. Their parents loved and cared for them as if protecting their own eyes.

3.43

"Then the five hundred princes gradually grew older. Later, at one time, they gathered in one place and sat by the edge of the lotus pond. Seeing their physical forms reflected in the water, the princes said to one another: 'All phenomena are like an illusion, like a transformation, like what is seen in a dream, like a form in the water—their substance is not real. We are also like this today. Although we are noble and honoured, residing deep in the palace and indulging in the five desires, vigorous youth and fine beauty cannot be preserved for long. What is formed must decay; where there is life, there must be death. Youth does not last long; old age will inevitably arrive. If food and drink are not taken in moderation, disease will inevitably occur. A lifespan of a hundred years will inevitably end in death.' The princes then became sorrowful and unhappy, unable to eat or drink. They immediately returned to the palace and addressed their parents: 'The world is entirely suffering; there is nothing in it to be enjoyed. Let our parents now permit us to leave home.' The king answered the princes: 'Birth, old age, sickness, and death are shared by all; why are you alone sorrowful?' They addressed their father the king: 'We can no longer receive birth through death, exhausting our spirit and revolving through the five paths.' The king could not bear to refuse them, and so he granted his permission. Their mother addressed her sons: 'If you leave home, do not abandon me to go far away; you may stay in the rear garden. It is pure and clean, with lush groves and trees, and the four requisites of support will not be lacking.'

3.44

"Then the princes immediately left home and, accepting their mother's request, resided in the rear garden. Each prince attained the path of a pratyekabuddha. In this manner, four hundred and ninety-nine princes successively attained the fruit of the Path. They went to the palace, came before their parents, and addressed them: 'The benefits of leaving home have now been attained.' Then the bhikṣus rose into the air, leaping up in the east and disappearing in the west, leaping up in the west and disappearing in the east, leaping up in the south and disappearing in the north, and leaping up in the north and disappearing in the south. Or they manifested large bodies filling the sky, and again from a single body manifested immeasurable bodies; or they emitted water from the upper half of their bodies and fire from the lower half, and emitted water from the lower half and fire from the upper half. Having displayed various supernatural transformations for their parents, they immediately immolated their bodies and entered parinirvāṇa. Then Lady Deer-Mother gathered their bodily relics and, in the rear garden, erected four hundred and ninety-nine stūpas to make offerings. After ninety days had passed, the youngest prince also attained the path of a pratyekabuddha. He likewise displayed great supernatural transformations for his parents, and having displayed the supernatural transformations, he immediately entered nirvāṇa. Then his mother gathered his bodily relics and erected a stūpa to make offerings.

3.45

"At that time, Lady Deer-Mother burned various renowned incenses, played wondrous music, and entered the rear garden every day to make offerings to these stūpas of the five hundred pratyekabuddhas. In front of the stūpas, she was sorrowful and unhappy, and said: 'Although I gave birth to these five hundred princes, and although they left home, not one among them was able to generate the mind of bodhi.' She then made a vow: 'The merit of my offering to these five hundred pratyekabuddhas and erecting five hundred stūpas to honour their relics—I dedicate it entirely and extend it to all sentient beings. May I in future lifetimes have no need to bear many sons who cannot generate the mind of bodhi; let me give birth to only one son who can generate the mind for the Path, leave home in his present life, and attain omniscience!'"

3.46

The Buddha told Ānanda: "Lady Deer-Mother of that time was none other than Queen Māyā today. Because Queen Māyā made offerings to the five hundred pratyekabuddhas and cultivated immeasurable good karma, she has now been able to give birth to the body of the Tathāgata."

3.47

When the Buddha expounded this Dharma, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of humans and devas attained from the first fruit of the Path up to the fourth fruit. Immeasurable sentient beings generated the mind of anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi.

3.48

Then Ānanda addressed the Buddha: "Bhagavat, what actions did Queen Māyā perform in past lifetimes that caused her to be born among beasts as a deer-maiden?"

3.49

The Buddha said to Ānanda: “Listen carefully! I shall analyze and explain for you the causes and conditions of Lady Māyā's actions in her past lives. Immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago in the past, there was a buddha who appeared in the world named Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat, who taught and transformed beings while in the world. After his parinirvāṇa, during the semblance dharma age, there was at that time a kingdom named Vārāṇasī. In that kingdom there was a brāhmaṇa who had only one daughter. When her father died, the brāhmaṇa's wife raised this daughter, and she gradually grew up. Their household had only an orchard. The mother had the daughter guard the orchard while she herself went out to seek food. After having eaten herself, she would later bring a portion of food to her daughter; day after day it was like this. One day the mother was delayed, and past the usual time she had not given [her food]. Her daughter was distressed and impatient, and pressed by hunger and thirst, with an angry mind she said: ‘For what reason today does my mother not give me food and not come to check on me?’ and so forth, grieving repeatedly; she soon said in anger again: ‘My mother today is not as good as a beast. I see beasts and wild deer: when their young are hungry and thirsty, in their minds they never abandon them.’ Not long after this, the mother arrived holding the food. Just as she was about to eat and drink, there was a pratyekabuddha śramaṇa who came from the south, flying through the sky northward. At that time the girl saw this bhikṣu and felt joy in her heart; she immediately arose, joined her palms, and bowed with her head and face to the ground. She then invited him, spread a clean seat for him, took fine, wondrous flowers, reduced her portion of food, and offered it to the bhikṣu. When the bhikṣu had finished eating, he spoke the wondrous Dharma for her, instructing, encouraging, benefiting, and delighting her. At that time the girl made a vow, saying: ‘May I in a future life encounter the worthy and holy, worship and make offerings to them, have an upright face and head, be honored, noble, and wealthy, and when I walk about, may lotus flowers support my feet!’”

3.50

The Buddha told Ānanda: “The girl at that time was Lady Mṛgāra. Because she gave a single meal with pure flowers covering it to the pratyekabuddha, for five hundred lives she was honored, noble, and wealthy, food and clothing came naturally to her, and lotus flowers supported her feet. By the causes and conditions of the power of her vow, she has now met five hundred pratyekabuddhas, worshiping and making offerings to them. At that time, because of a single evil word—failing to recognize her mother’s kindness and reviling her by comparing her to a beast—due to the causes and conditions of this harsh speech, for five hundred lifetimes she was born in the womb of a deer.”

3.51

The Buddha told Ānanda: “When humans are born in the world, misfortune arises from the mouth. One should guard the mouth more than [one fears] a raging fire. A blazing raging fire can burn [only] a single lifetime, but blazing harsh speech burns countless lifetimes; a blazing raging fire burns worldly wealth, but blazing harsh speech burns the seven noble treasures. Therefore, Ānanda, all misfortune of sentient beings comes forth from the mouth. The mouth and tongue are the axe that carves the body and the disaster that destroys it.”

3.52

When the Buddha spoke this sūtra, a thousand upāsakas and upāsikās guarded against faults of the mouth and immediately attained the first fruit [of the path]. Furthermore, countless bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs attained the first fruit of the path up to the fourth fruit; countless humans and devas all gave rise to the mind directed toward anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, or even the mind of a pratyekabuddha. The entire great assembly, having heard the Buddha preach the Dharma, rejoiced, undertook its practice, bowed, and departed.

3.53

At that time the Bhagavat, together with Ānanda, entered the city of Rājagṛha. Having begged for food, he exited the city, and outside the city gate there was a large, deep pit. At that time the people of Rājagṛha carried their feces and urine and discarded them into this pit, and foul rainwater also flowed into it. At that time in this filthy water there was an insect whose shape resembled a human, with many hands and feet. Seeing the Tathāgata from afar, it lifted its head out of the water, looked at the Tathāgata, and tears filled its eyes. When the Tathāgata saw it, he was filled with pity and sorrow, and becoming sombre and displeased, he immediately returned to Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa.

3.54

At that time Ānanda spread the niṣīdana. The Tathāgata sat upon it, crossing his legs in the lotus posture. At that time Ānanda, observing the minds of the assembly, asked the Tathāgata: “Bhagavat! What actions did the insect seen earlier in the filthy feces commit in its past lives? For how long has it been born in this water? And at what time will it attain liberation?”

3.55

The Buddha told Ānanda and the great assembly: “Listen carefully! I shall explain it for you. Ānanda! Immeasurable thousands of kalpas ago in the past, there was a buddha who appeared in the world. When his teaching and transforming [of beings] was complete, his spirit departed into nirvāṇa. After his parinirvāṇa, in the semblance dharma age, there was a brāhmaṇa who built a monastery and made offerings to the saṃgha. At that time a dānapati sent much ghee, and visiting bhikṣus happened to arrive. Then the duty-distributor (karmadāna) gave rise to anger; disliking the arrival of so many guest monks, he concealed the ghee, withholding it and not giving it to them. The visiting saṃgha said: ‘Why do you not give us the ghee and honey?’ The karmadāna replied: ‘You are guests; I am the resident.’ The guest bhikṣus said: ‘This was given by the dānapati to the saṃgha present here.’ At that time the karmadāna was fierce and terrifying, and he immediately reviled them: ‘Why do you not eat feces and urine?! Why do you demand ghee from me?’ Because of these harsh words, from that time onward for ninety billion kalpas, he has constantly been born in this filthy water. The karmadāna of that time is now this insect in the filthy water; because in a past life he uttered a single harsh word, rebuking and reviling the saṃgha, for immeasurable thousands of lifetimes he has dwelt in this feces.”

3.56

The Buddha told the disciples: “You should guard the mouth; the fault and peril of the mouth is worse than a raging fire. Toward parents and the saṃgha, one should speak with praise and gentle words, constantly mindful of their kindness. The saṃgha is a field of merit beyond the three realms; parents are the supreme field of merit within the three realms. Why is this? Within the saṃgha are the four pairs, eight types, and twelve worthy sages; offering to them yields merit, and advancing [in practice] one can realize the path. As for parents, they carry [the child] in their arms for ten months, turning the dry and removing the wet, suckling and nurturing them to adulthood, teaching them skills, caring for them as needed; and when [the child] goes forth from household life and practices to attain liberation, crossing the sea of birth and death, they benefit both themselves and all sentient beings.”

3.57

The Buddha told Ānanda: “Parents and the saṃgha are the two fields of merit that all sentient beings plant; the wondrous fruits—namely humans, devas, nirvāṇa, and liberation—are achieved by depending on them.”

3.58

When the Buddha spoke this sūtra, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of sentient beings, both humans and non-humans, either attained the first fruit up to the fourth fruit, or gave rise to the mind directed toward anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi, or gave rise to the mind of a śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha; each joined their palms, bowed to the Buddha, circumambulated him to the right, and departed with joy.

3.59

Furthermore, in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī there was a chief minister brāhmaṇa whose household was very wealthy, possessing abundant treasures—gold, silver, vaidūrya, coral, amber, elephants, horses, cattle, sheep, lands, and servants—all in ample supply. When he was over eighty years old, a son was born to him, whose appearance was wondrous and upright, endowed with the human marks. His parents were overjoyed; they summoned physiognomists to divine his auspiciousness, and gave him a name, calling him Cunda. When he was just seven years old, his parents, out of love and care, permitted him to go forth; he went to Mount Kṣatriyendrila to the place of the Tathāgata.

3.60

At that time the Tathāgata was surrounded by the fourfold assembly, extensively expounding mundane treatises and supramundane dharmas for the devas, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, and the great assembly. Then the brāhmaṇa said to the Buddha: “Bhagavat! In my declining years of old age I gave birth to and raised this boy. The Bhagavat’s great compassion covers all universally; I now offer this boy to be a disciple of the Buddha.”

3.61

The Buddha said: “Welcome, bhikṣu!” His hair and beard fell away naturally, and the kāṣāya robe clad his body. The Buddha spoke the Dharma for him, instructing, encouraging, benefiting, and delighting him, and he immediately attained the fruit of the path, the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, and possessed the eight liberations.

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大方便佛報恩經 — Classical Chinese