大方便佛報恩經 3.49

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!’”