觀無量壽佛經疏 2.28

2.28

答曰：「此皆舉昔日因緣，故有此名。言因緣者。元本父王，無有子息，處處求神竟不能得。忽有相師而奏王言：『臣知山中有一仙人，不久捨壽，命終已後必當與王作子。』王聞歡喜：『此人何時捨命？』相師答王：『更經三年始可命終。』王言：『我今年老，國無繼祀，更滿三年，何由可待。』王即遣使入山，往請仙人曰：『大王無子，闕無紹繼，處處求神，困不能得。乃有相師瞻見大仙，不久捨命與王作子。請願大仙垂恩早赴。』使人受教入山，到仙人所具說王請因緣。仙人報使者言：『我更經三年始可命終，王勅即赴者是事不可。』使奉仙教，還報大王具述仙意。王曰：『我是一國之主，所有人物皆歸屬我。今故以禮相屈，乃不承我意。』王更勅使者：『卿往重請。請若不得，當即殺之。既命終已，可不與我作子也。』使人受勅至仙人所，具噵王意。仙人雖聞使說，意亦不受。使人奉勅即欲殺之。仙人曰：『卿當語王，我命未盡，王以心口遣人殺我，我若與王作兒者，還以心口遣人殺王。』仙人噵此語已即受死。既死已，即託王宮受生。當其日夜夫人即覺有身，王聞歡喜。天明即喚相師以觀夫人，是男是女？相師觀已而報王言：『是兒非女，此兒於王有損。』王曰：『我之國土皆捨屬之，縱有所損，吾亦無畏。』王聞此語憂喜交懷。王白夫人言：『吾共夫人私自平章，相師噵兒於吾有損。夫人待生之日，在高樓上，當天井中生之，勿令人承接，落在於地，豈容不死也。吾亦無憂，聲亦不露。』夫人即可王之計。及其生時一如前法，生已墮地，命便不斷，唯損手小指。因即外人同唱言折指太子也。

Answer: “These both cite past conditions, on account of which he has these names. As for those conditions: originally, the father king had no heir, and although he prayed to spirits everywhere, he ultimately could not obtain one. Suddenly, a physiognomist submitted a memorial to the king, saying: ‘Your subject knows that there is an immortal in the mountains who will soon relinquish his life; after his life ends, he will certainly become the king’s son.’ The king heard this with joy: ‘When will this person surrender his life?’ The physiognomist replied to the king: ‘Only after another three years have elapsed will his life end.’ The king said: ‘I am old in years and the state has no successor; how can I wait for three more full years?’ The king then sent an envoy into the mountains to go and entreat the immortal, saying: ‘The great king has no son and lacks a successor; he has prayed to spirits everywhere but in distress could not obtain one. A physiognomist has observed that the great immortal will soon surrender his life and become the king’s son. We beseech the great immortal to bestow grace and come early.’ The envoy received the order and entered the mountains; reaching the immortal’s dwelling, he fully related the circumstances of the king’s request. The immortal told the envoy: ‘Only after another three years have elapsed may my life end; for me to go now at the king’s command is impermissible.’ The envoy obeyed the immortal’s words, returned, and reported to the great king, detailing the immortal’s intention. The king said: ‘I am the lord of a state; all persons and things belong to me. Now I have courteously humbled myself to invite him, yet he does not comply with my will.’ The king further ordered the envoy: ‘Go again and entreat him. If entreating him fails, kill him immediately. Once his life has ended, can he not become my son?’ The envoy received the order and went to the immortal’s dwelling, relating the king’s intent in full. Although the immortal heard what the envoy said, his intention was still not to comply. The envoy, carrying out the order, then moved to kill him. The immortal said: ‘You must tell the king: my life had not yet run its course, yet the king, with mind and mouth, sent someone to kill me. If I become the king’s child, I too shall, with mind and mouth, send someone to kill the king.’ Having spoken these words, the immortal immediately met his death. Having died, he took rebirth in the royal palace. That very night, the queen consort sensed that she was pregnant; the king heard this with joy. At dawn, he summoned the physiognomist to examine the queen consort: was it a boy or a girl? Having examined her, the physiognomist reported to the king: ‘It is a boy, not a girl; this boy will bring harm to the king.’ The king said: ‘I would surrender my entire kingdom to him; even if there is harm, I have no fear.’ Hearing these words, the king harbored mingled sorrow and joy. The king said to the queen consort: ‘I have privately deliberated with you: the physiognomist said that the child will bring harm to me. On the day you are to give birth, do so from atop a high tower, directly over the courtyard, and do not let anyone catch him; if he falls to the ground, how could he fail to die? I will have no anxiety, and the secret will not leak out.’ The queen consort agreed to the king’s plan. When the time of birth came, it was done just according to the previous plan: once born, he fell to the ground, but his life was not severed; only his little finger was injured. Therefore, people outside together called him the ‘Broken-Finger Prince.’