仁王經疏 3.47

3.47

Commentary: From here down, second, is the citing of the past as a precedent for the present. The text falls into two parts: first, citing Śakra to verify [the protection of] the states above; second, from "Great King, in the past there was" down, citing King Samantaprabha (Puming) to verify [the protection of] the bodies above. In the former, there are three parts: first, clarifying the calamity; next, clarifying the protection of the Dharma; and finally, indicating the locus of the teaching. This is the first. According to the 'Chapter on King Māndhātṛ' in the Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra (Xianyu jing): 'At that time the World-Honoured One saw that the monks were greedy for fine adornments, attached to fame and profit, hoarded surpluses, and accumulated without satiety. He said that in the distant past there was a great king named Gusalivīsi (the Nirvāṇa Sūtra calls him King Supratiṣṭhita). At that time, a blister suddenly grew on the crown of the king's head, shaped like a cocoon, pure, clear and transparent, and without pain. Later it grew larger and larger, until it was like a gourd. They then slit it open to see, and obtained a male child, extremely handsome, with dark-blue hair and a purplish-golden body. They immediately summoned a diviner of marks, who divined and knew that he possessed virtue and would surely become a sagely king governing the four domains. Therefore, they gave him a name, calling him Māndhātṛ (in the Jin [language], "Crown-Born"). As the years passed and he grew up, his heroic virtue became conspicuous. When the king died, the vassal kings all went together to Māndhātṛ and reported: "The Great King has passed away; we pray that you will succeed to the state's throne." Māndhātṛ replied: "If the five blessings dictate that I should be king, it is required that now the Four Heavenly Kings and the Venerable Śakra come to welcome and bestow it upon me; only then will I ascend the throne." When he had finished making his vow, the Four Heavenly Kings immediately descended, each holding a precious vase filled with scented water, and poured it upon the crown of his head. At that time the Heavenly Emperor Śakra also held a jewelled crown and came to place it upon him. In Jambudvīpa he amused himself with the five desires for eighty-four thousand years. A yakṣa sprang up and invited him to travel through Eastern Pūrvavideha for eight hundred million years, and again invited him to Western Aparagodānīya for one billion four hundred million years, Northern Uttarakuru for one billion eight hundred million years, and the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings for one billion four hundred million years. In his mind, he again thought that he wished to ascend to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Five hundred seers assisted his chariot and drove an elephant, ascending together to the heavens. While they had not yet arrived, he beheld the heavenly city from afar, named Sudarśana ("Fair to Behold"), which had one thousand two hundred gates. The devas were terrified and closed all the gates, putting on triple iron bars. Māndhātṛ's troops advanced straight ahead without hindrance. The king immediately blew his conch, drew his bow, and twanged the bowstring, and the one thousand two hundred gates opened by themselves at once. Śakra shortly came out and met with him, then invited him into his palace and shared his seat with him. The king enjoyed the pleasures of the five desires in heaven throughout the reigns of thirty-six Śakras. The last Śakra was Kāśyapa Bodhisattva. At that time, the asura king went up to heaven with his army to fight with Śakra; Śakra was defeated and withdrew his army into the city. Māndhātṛ came out again, blew his conch, and twanged his bow, and the asuras immediately departed. Māndhātṛ thought to himself: "I am such that I have no equal; what is the point of sharing a seat with Śakra now? It would be better to kill him and reign supreme alone, which would be delightful." As soon as this evil thought arose, he immediately fell. King Māndhātṛ governed the four domains for four billion years without satiety, and died due to greed. Therefore, monks! Profit and offerings are truly a great peril.' It is extensively explained as in that text. The twelfth fascicle of the Nirvāṇa Sūtra says: 'At that time Śakra received, held, read, recited, and explained the Mahāyāna scriptures for others; through the power of these causes and conditions, he possessed great majestic virtue. Because Māndhātṛ gave rise to an evil mind toward this Śakra, he immediately fell back to Jambudvīpa. Separated from the humans and devas he held dear, he suffered great anguish, further contracted a malignant disease, and thereupon died. That Śakra at that time was Kāśyapa Buddha. The wheel-turning king was my own person.' It is extensively explained as in that text. For fear of being tedious, I will not detail the similarities and differences with the Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra.