仁王護國般若經疏 5.46

5.46

From "Great king, in the past there was King Tianluo" onward, the second is citing a human king to verify the protection of the body. The text has two parts: first, clarifying the calamity; second, clarifying the ability to protect against the calamity. As for the first: the *Damamūka-nidāna Sūtra* states: "In the past, King Brahmadatta entered the mountains to hunt with his fourfold army, and encountered a lioness that followed its desire with the king. The lioness conceived, and when the months and days were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy who looked entirely like a human, but had spotted feet like his mother. The lioness carried the child in her mouth and came to the king's dwelling; the king took him as his son and named him Kalmāṣapāda (Spotted-Foot). This king regularly made offerings to an ascetic, constantly presenting pure food. One day the ascetic did not come to the king's dwelling, and a deity transformed into an ascetic, entered the royal palace, and demanded fish and meat to eat. The former ascetic returned at the appropriate time at dawn, and the king offered meat; the ascetic was enraged and thereupon made an imprecation: 'May the king hereafter constantly eat human flesh for twelve years!' Having spoken, the ascetic returned to the mountain. After this, the head cook failed to prepare the meal on time; going out, he found no meat, but seeing a dead infant, he hurriedly took its flesh, prepared a meal, and served it to the king. The king found it exceedingly delicious and immediately asked where it came from. The cook answered in full. The king said: 'From now on, you must use this meat.' The cook constantly caught infants and killed them for food, serving them daily to the king. When people of the state lost children, they searched everywhere and finally saw the cook catching someone's child. Having seized and bound the cook, the people reported it to the king. The king said: 'It was my order.' The people of the state all said he was a great brigand, and lay in wait with hidden soldiers while the king bathed in a pond to seize him. Once seized, the king addressed the people: 'I pray for one pardon; hereafter I will kill no more.' The people refused, whereupon the king made a vow: 'May all the good deeds I have cultivated in this life turn today and cause me to become a flying rākṣasa that eats humans!' Having spoken, he concealed himself in the sky and proclaimed: 'From now on, I will eat the wives and children you love!' Hearing this, the people fled in haste. Many rākṣasas joined and followed him, his followers grew more numerous, and his destruction spread wider. Later, the rākṣasas said: 'We follow our current king's command; you should capture a thousand kings for us and hold a great feast.' Kalmāṣapāda said: 'Very well.' Going out to capture them one by one, he had already obtained nine hundred and ninety-nine kings, lacking only one king, so the feast could not be held. The kings all said: 'Today we have nowhere to turn. If King Sutasona could be captured, he possesses great expedient means and could save our lives.' Having devised this plan, they said to Kalmāṣapāda: 'The king wishes to hold the feast. King Sutasona has great fame and virtue; if that king is obtained, the assembly will be complete.' Then the rākṣasa king hurriedly went to capture him. At that time, King Sutasona had left the city for the pleasure park and was entering a pool to bathe, when he saw a beggar approach him. The king said: 'Wait a while until I return from bathing, and I will give to you.' Just as the king entered the pool, the rākṣasa king descended from the hidden sky to seize him, and Sutasona grieved and wept. King Kalmāṣapāda said: 'I have heard of your fame and virtue as a foremost hero; why do you weep?' King Sutasona said: 'I do not cherish my physical life. When I came out this morning, I met a beggar and promised a gift, but encountering the king's arrival, I could not carry it out. It is only because of this that I grieve. I pray that the king release me for seven days to give alms to the man of the Way.' Kalmāṣapāda permitted the king to return for seven days to give alms to the man of the Way. At that time, a brāhmaṇa spoke verses to the king identical to this sūtra; hearing them, the king rejoiced, immediately established the crown prince to take the throne, bade farewell, and went to his death. King Kalmāṣapāda said: 'Now that you go to your death, why do you rejoice?' Sutasona answered: 'The great king's kindness was vast, releasing me for seven days to give alms to the man of the Way; having heard the subtle and wondrous Dharma, my mind has been opened and enlightened. My wish is fulfilled.' Kalmāṣapāda asked: 'What Dharma did you hear?' Sutasona thereupon expounded the wondrous Dharma to him, and further explained the retributive karmic guilt of killing living beings. Having heard this, Kalmāṣapāda immediately released Sutasona and the various kings to each return to their own countries. King Sutasona at that time was my own past body. King Kalmāṣapāda was Aṅgulimāla."