四分律行事鈔資持記 3.808

3.808

四中。彼經第一云：佛言：我於過去世時，波羅奈國，有長者子，名慈童女；父喪賣薪，日得兩錢，奉養老母；次得四錢、八錢、十六錢；後欲入海採寶，母即抱捉；子掣手，絕母數根髮，遂入海取寶；還發時，有水陸二道，即從陸道去；乃見有城，紺琉璃色，有四玉女，擎四如意珠，作樂來迎；四萬歲中，受大快樂（酬上二錢）；次復前行，見頗梨城，有八玉女，擎珠來迎，八萬歲受樂（酬上四錢）；復捨遠去，至白銀城，十六玉女，擎珠來迎，十六萬歲受樂（酬上八錢）；又復捨去，至黃金城，有三十二玉女，擎珠來迎，三十二萬歲受樂（酬十六錢）；又復捨，去遙見鐵城，心生疑怪；遂入鐵城，有一人，頭戴火輪，捨著童女頭上（酬損母髮）；童女問獄卒言：我戴此輪，何時可脫？答言：世間有人，罪福如汝，然後可代。又問：今獄中頗有受罪如我者否？答言：不可稱計，聞已思惟，願一切受苦者，盡集我身；作是念已，鐵輪墮地；獄卒以鐵又打頭，命終，生兜率天。時慈童女者，即我身是；當知父母少作不善，獲大苦報；少作供養，得無量福。（童女是長者名，非女人也。）鸚鵡，彼云：過去雪山，有一鸚鵡，父母都盲；時有田主，初種穀時，願言：與眾生共食，鸚鵡子，即常於田採取，以供父母；田主按行苗稼，見諸虫鳥，剪穀穗處；嗔恚，便設網捕，鸚鵡子言：田主先有好心，何見網捕？且田者如母（常生長故），種子如父（相繼續故），實語如子（可寶惜故）；田主如王，擁護由己（得白在故）。作是語已，田主歡喜；問言：汝取此穀何為？答言：有盲父母，願以奉之。佛言：鸚鵡者，我身是；田主者，舍利弗是；盲父母者，淨飯摩耶是。《增一》兩節，初校量功德。一生補處，即等覺菩薩。準知孝養，德唯降佛。《菩薩戒》云：孝順至道之法；儒書亦謂至德要道。則萬善之總，百行之源。儒釋皆然，釋門尤切；常當思報，勿得背恩。文下，次明恩大。文合作又，並《增一》故。謂雖以善導，罔極難酬，故云不可報；或可教導餘人，可使報恩；父母有恩，故不望報。是下，結勸。

In the fourth [part]: The first [fascicle] of that sūtra states that the Buddha said: "In a past life of mine, in the country of Vārāṇasī, there was a son of an elder named Ci Tongnü (Maitrīkanyaka). His father died, and he sold firewood, earning two coins a day to care for his old mother. Next he earned four coins, eight coins, and sixteen coins. Later he wished to go to sea to gather jewels, and his mother held him weeping. The son yanked his hand away, severing several strands of his mother's hair, and thereupon entered the sea to gather jewels. On his return, there were water and land routes, and he went by the land route. He then saw a city of lapis lazuli color, with four jade maidens holding four wish-fulfilling gems, who made music and came to welcome him. For forty thousand years he experienced great happiness (repaying the previous two coins). Next he proceeded forward again and saw a crystal city, with eight jade maidens holding gems coming to welcome him; for eighty thousand years he experienced pleasure (repaying the four coins). Again he gave this up and went far away, arriving at a silver city, with sixteen jade maidens holding gems coming to welcome him; for one hundred sixty thousand years he experienced pleasure (repaying the eight coins). Again he gave this up and went to a golden city, with thirty-two jade maidens holding gems coming to welcome him; for three hundred twenty thousand years he experienced pleasure (repaying the sixteen coins). Again he gave this up; going far off, he saw an iron city, and doubt and amazement arose in his heart. Thereupon he entered the iron city. There was a person wearing a wheel of fire upon his head, who cast it off and placed it onto the head of Tongnü (repaying the harming of his mother's hair). Tongnü asked the hell warden: 'Wearing this wheel, when may I escape?' He replied: 'When there is someone in the world whose sins and blessings are like yours, only then will he take your place.' He asked again: 'Are there many in hell now who suffer punishment like me?' He replied: 'Beyond reckoning.' Having heard this, he reflected: 'May all suffering persons' [pains] gather entirely upon my body!' Having had this thought, the iron wheel fell to the ground; the hell warden struck his head with an iron pitchfork; his life ended, and he was born in the Tuṣita Heaven. Ci Tongnü at that time was my very person. One should know that if one commits slight unwholesome deeds toward parents, one receives great bitter retribution; if one makes slight offerings [to them], one gains immeasurable blessing." (Tongnü is the elder's name, not a woman.) As for the parrot, it says there: "In the past, in the Snow Mountains, there was a parrot whose parents were both blind. At that time there was a field master who, when first sowing grain, made a vow, saying: 'I share this food with sentient beings.' The parrot son then constantly gathered from the field to supply his parents. The field master inspected the crops, saw where birds and insects had cut the heads of grain, became furious, and set a net to trap them. The parrot son said: 'The field master previously had a good mind; why have you now set a net to trap us? Furthermore, the field is like a mother (as it constantly bears and grows), the seed is like a father (as it brings about succession), and true words are like a son (as they should be cherished); the field master is like a king whose protection comes from himself (since he possesses independence).' Having spoken these words, the field master rejoiced and asked: 'What did you take this grain for?' He replied: 'I have blind parents, and I wished to offer it to them.' The Buddha said: 'The parrot was my very person; the field master was Śāriputra; the blind parents were Śuddhodana and Māyā.'" In the two passages of the Zengyi [Āgama], first the merit is weighed. "The one who in one lifetime will succeed to the position" is an equal-enlightenment bodhisattva. Based on this, one knows that regarding filial support, its virtue is inferior only to a Buddha. The Bodhisattva Precepts says: "Filial compliance is the teaching of the ultimate Way." The Confucian texts also speak of "the utmost virtue and essential way." It is thus the sum of the ten thousand wholesome deeds and the source of the hundred conducts. It is so in both Confucianism and Buddhism, and in Buddhism it is especially pressing; one must always think of repaying it and not turn one's back on kindness. Below the text, the greatness of the kindness is next explained. In the text, it should say "again," as both are from the Zengyi. It means that although one guides them with goodness, their limitless [kindness] is difficult to repay; hence it says "it cannot be repaid." Or it may mean that instructing other people can cause them to repay kindness; parents possess kindness, and therefore do not expect repayment. From "This..." downward, the conclusion exhorts [the reader].