大方便佛報恩經 5.17

5.17

“Then the great king went into the back garden and summoned the brāhmaṇa: ‘You have come from afar to beg for my head. Because I pity you with a benevolent heart, I will not thwart your wish. May it cause me in future lifetimes to attain the head of wisdom and bestow it upon you all.’ Having spoken these words, he arose, joined his palms, bowed to the ten directions, and spoke thus: ‘May the Buddhas of the ten directions take pity and show compassion, and may the powerful supernatural power of the venerable bodhisattvas protect and assist me, so that this deed of mine must certainly be accomplished.’ He said to the brāhmaṇa: ‘Take it as you will.’ The brāhmaṇa said: ‘The king has the strength of a strongman. At the moment of pain, you might change your mind and regret it, being unable to bear the suffering, or you might turn around and harm me. If the king can truly do this, why not tie your hair to a tree branch?’ Hearing these words, the king felt compassion in his heart: ‘This brāhmaṇa is both timid and frail. If he should be unable to cut off my head, he will lose a great benefit.’ He at once followed his words, tied his own hair to the tree, and said to the brāhmaṇa: ‘When you have cut off my head, place it back into my hands. I shall hand it to you with my own hands.’ The brāhmaṇa grasped the knife with his own hand and approached the tree. At that moment the tree deity struck the brāhmaṇa’s head with its hand, so that he fell to the ground in a swoon.