[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [勸發菩提心集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862) › 2.19 # 勸發菩提心集 2.19 勸發菩提心集 2.19 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2.19) 引《蘇陀摩王經》中說：不惜身命，以全禁戒。如菩薩本身曾作大力毒龍，若眾生在前身力弱者，眼視便死；身力強者，氣往而死。是龍受一日戒出家，出家求靜入林。樹間思惟，坐久疲懈而睡，時形狀如蛇，身有文章，七寶雜色。獵者見之驚喜言曰：「以此希有難得之皮，獻上國王，以為服飾，不亦宜乎？」便以杖按其頭，以刀剝皮。龍自念言：「我力如意，傾覆此國其如反掌。此人小物，豈能困我？我今以持戒故，不計此身，當從佛語。」於是自忍，眠目不視，閉氣不息，憐愍此人，為持戒故。一心受剝，不生悔意。既以失皮，赤肉在地。時日大熱，宛轉土中，欲趣大水，見諸小蟲來食其身，為持戒故，不復敢動。自思惟言：「今我此身以施諸蟲，為佛道故。今以肉施以充其身，後成佛時，當以法施以益其心。」如是誓已，身乾命終，即生第二忉利天上。爾時毒龍，釋迦牟尼佛是。是時獵師者，提婆達多等六師是也。諸小蟲輩，初轉法輪八萬諸天得道者是。菩薩護戒，不惜身命，決定不悔，其事如是。 > Citing what is spoken in the Sutra of King Sudhāna: Not sparing bodily life in order to keep the prohibitive precepts intact. For instance, the Bodhisattva himself in a past life was once a mighty venomous dragon. If a sentient being came before him, if their bodily strength was weak, merely seeing his eyes they would die; if their bodily strength was strong, when his breath reached them they would die. This dragon received the one-day precepts and went forth from the household life. Having gone forth, seeking seclusion, he entered a forest. Contemplating among the trees, sitting for a long time, he grew weary and fell asleep. At that time, his form was like a serpent, his body bearing patterned markings in the variegated colours of the seven jewels. A hunter saw him and said in surprised delight: 'Would it not indeed be fitting to present this rare and hard-to-find skin to the king of the country to serve as his garment?' He then pressed down the dragon's head with a staff and stripped off the skin with a knife. The dragon thought to himself: 'My strength is according to my will; overturning this kingdom would be as easy as turning over my palm. How could this petty person trap me? Now, because I keep the precepts, I will not regard this body, but will follow the Buddha's words.' Thereupon he endured it himself, closed his eyes and did not look, held his breath and did not breathe, feeling pity for this person, for the sake of keeping the precepts. With single-minded focus he underwent the flaying, not giving rise to any regret. Having lost his skin, his red flesh lay upon the ground. The sun was extremely hot at that time; he tossed and turned in the dirt, wishing to go toward a large body of water. Seeing many small worms come to eat his body, because he was keeping the precepts, he dared not move again. He reflected to himself: 'Now I give this body to these worms for the sake of the Buddha's path. Now I give my flesh to fill their bodies; later, when I attain Buddhahood, I will give them the gift of the Dharma to benefit their minds.' Having made this vow, his body dried up and his life ended, and he was immediately reborn in the second heaven, Trāyastriṃśa. The venomous dragon of that time was Śākyamuni Buddha. The hunter of that time was the six teachers, Devadatta and the others. The host of small worms were the eighty thousand devas who attained the path when the wheel of the Dharma was first turned. That the Bodhisattva guarded the precepts, not sparing bodily life, and was resolute without regret—such was the matter. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2.18) - [Next: 2.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2.20) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862~en-mt.2.19) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [大智度論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.prajnaparamita.pancavimsatisahasrika!mahaprajnaparamitopadesa*zh-kumarajiva.14.9) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1862.2.19) · Pramāṇa