宗鏡錄 18.25.2

18.25.2

produced diverse flowers completely covering over it, transforming its city walls into deep blue lapis lazuli. The people within the city were all able to see through clearly to me and the great assembly. The gates opened of themselves, with none able to hinder them. The weapons they had arrayed turned into assorted flowers. With the elder Ruci as their leader, the people accompanied one another and went to where the Buddha was. I then taught them various essential dharmas, causing all of those people to generate the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly conjure various trees, pure flowing waters, overflowing rivers and ponds, nor transform their native city into deep blue lapis lazuli, nor cause those people to see clearly through to me, open their city gates, or turn weapons into flowers. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which could cause those people to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the city of Śrāvastī there was a brahmin woman of the Vāsiṣṭha clan who had only an only son whom she loved deeply. When he contracted an illness and died, the woman's grief pierced her heart like poison; she was driven mad and lost her sanity. Naked without shame, she wandered about the four crossroads weeping and wailing, crying out, 'Child, child, where have you gone?' She traversed the cities and towns without fatigue. Yet this woman had already planted roots of virtue under past buddhas. Good sons, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness and pity toward this woman. At that time the woman was then able to see me, and immediately conceiving the thought that I was her child, she regained her original mind, came forward to embrace my body, and kissed my mouth. I then told my attendant Ānanda, 'You may take robes and give them to this woman.' After giving her robes, I preached various essential dharmas for her. Hearing the Dharma, the woman rejoiced exceedingly and generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I was truly not her child, nor was she my mother, nor was there any embracing. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that woman to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the city of Vārāṇasī there was an upāsikā named Mahāsenadattā, who had already planted roots of goodness under past buddhas of immeasurable light. For ninety days of the summer, this upāsikā invited the saṅgha of monks and offered them medicines. At that time, one monk among the assembly was stricken with a grave illness. When a skilled physician examined him, [the physician stated that] he required meat as medicine: if he could obtain meat, the illness could be cured; if he could not obtain meat, his life would not be preserved. When the upāsikā heard these words of the physician, she immediately took gold and went throughout the marketplaces, crying out, 'Who has meat for sale? I will buy it with gold. If anyone has meat, I will give an equal amount of gold.' Having searched throughout the city, she was unable to obtain any. This upāsikā then took a knife, cut the flesh from her own thigh, minced it to make a broth, seasoned it with various spices, and sent it to the sick monk. After taking it, the monk's illness was cured. The upāsikā, tormented by the suffering of the wound beyond endurance, called out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya!' At that time, I was in the city of Śrāvastī. Hearing her voice, I gave rise to great loving-kindness toward this woman. The woman immediately saw me holding fine medicine, which I applied to her wound so that it joined back together as before. I then preached various dharmas for her. Hearing the Dharma, she rejoiced and generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly go to the city of Vārāṇasī to apply medicine to this upāsikā's wound. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that woman to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, that evil man Devadatta was greedy and insatiable. Because he consumed a large amount of ghee, his head ached and his belly swelled, causing him great agony beyond endurance. He called out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya!' At that time I was staying in the city of Ujjayinī. Hearing his voice, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Devadatta then immediately saw me go to where he was, rub his head and belly with my hand, and give him salt broth to drink. Having drunk it, he recovered. Good sons, I did not truly go to where Devadatta was to rub his head and belly, nor give him broth to drink. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused Devadatta to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, in the kingdom of Kośala there was a band of robbers, five hundred in number, who pillaged in gangs and caused immense harm. King Prasenajit, troubled by their violence, dispatched soldiers to watch for and capture them. Once captured, their eyes were gouged out, and they were cast out beneath a dark, dense forest. These robbers had already planted many roots of virtue under past buddhas. Having lost their eyes and experiencing great agony, each cried out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya! We now have no one to rescue or protect us!' and they wept and wailed. At that time I was staying in the Jeta Grove vihāra. Hearing their cries, I gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness. Then a cool breeze blew various fragrant medicines from Mount Gandhamādana, filling their eye sockets, and immediately their eyes were restored, no different from before. When the robbers opened their eyes, they saw the Tathāgata standing right before them, expounding the Dharma for them. Having heard the Dharma, the robbers generated the aspiration for anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi. Good sons, at that time I did not truly make the wind blow various fragrant medicines from Mount Gandhamādana, nor stand before those people to expound the Dharma for them. Good sons, you should know that these were all the power of the roots of goodness of loving-kindness, which caused that band of robbers to see such things. Furthermore, good sons, Prince Virūḍhaka, out of foolishness, deposed his father the king and set himself up as ruler. Harboring an old grudge, he slaughtered many of the Śākya clan, taking twelve thousand Śākya women, cutting off their ears and noses, severing their hands and feet, and casting them into pits and moats. At that time, these women suffered agony and cried out, 'Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya! We now have no one to rescue or protect us!' and wailed loudly. These women,