大方便佛報恩經 4.7

4.7

The Buddha said: "In a past life, immeasurable thousands of years ago, there was a kingdom named Vārāṇasī. Within it a Buddha appeared in the world, called Vipaśyin Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat. He lived in the world teaching and transforming for a full ten thousand years. After he passed into extinction, the saddharma remained in the world for twelve thousand years. After the semblance dharma had passed away, there was a king of Vārāṇasī named Mahārāja, who was sagacious, benevolent, and worthy, governing the kingdom according to the true law without unjustly oppressing the people. The king ruled sixty small kingdoms, eight hundred villages, and five hundred white elephants. His twenty thousand royal consorts had no sons at all. The king himself prayed and sacrificed to the deities of various mountains, rivers, ponds, and trees for a full twelve years. Thereupon the king's first and most cherished consort became pregnant; the second consort also became pregnant. The king was exceedingly joyful, serving them with his own hands and ensuring that beds, seats, food, and drink were all fine and soft. When the full ten months arrived, a prince was born, whose body was well-proportioned, adorned with wondrous color, and endowed with the marks of a human being. The second consort also gave birth to a son. The king was overjoyed, and immediately summoned his ministers, the hundred officials, along with various physiognomists, brāhmaṇas, and others to divine their auspicious and inauspicious signs. Holding the babies, he showed them to them and ordered names to be given. The physiognomists asked: 'When this child was born, what auspicious signs appeared?' They answered: 'As for the first prince, his mother’s nature had previously been vile and evil, prone to resentment, jealousy, arrogance, and conceited pride. But from the time she conceived the child, her nature has been gentle and good, her expression harmonious and pleasant, speaking with a smile; she is the first to inquire after others, speaking gentle words of benefit; she shows benevolence and pity to living beings as if to an infant.' The physiognomists answered: 'It is the blessings and virtue of this child that caused his mother to be like this.' Thereupon they gave him a name, calling him Prince Kalyāṇamitra. As for the prince born to the second consort, the physiognomists asked: 'When this child was born, what auspicious signs appeared?' They answered: 'His mother’s nature had previously always been gentle and good, being the first to inquire after others, speaking softly and pleasantly to please everyone's heart. But since she conceived, her nature has become violent, her speech coarse and evil, full of jealousy, resentment, and delusion.' The physiognomists answered: 'It is this child's karmic actions that caused his mother to be like this. He should be named Prince Pāpamitra.' They were nursed and raised until they reached the age of fourteen. Prince Kalyāṇamitra was intelligent, benevolent, and loved to practice giving; his parents loved him with partiality, cherishing him as their own eyes. Prince Pāpamitra was violent and evil in nature; his parents disliked him and did not look upon him with pleasure. He was jealous of his elder brother and constantly wished to harm him in every matter, refusing to follow his brother and acting in defiance and rebellion against him.