釋迦譜 1.19

1.19

爾時眾生懊惱悲泣。各封田宅以分疆畔。其後眾生自藏己米。盜他田穀。無能決者。議立一平等主。善護人民。賞善罰惡。各共減割以供給之。時彼眾中有一人。形質長大容貌端正。甚有威德請以為主。於是始有民主之名。曇無德律云。古昔有王。最初出世名大人。眾之所舉。樓炭經云。時彼眾中有一人。最尊端正威神巍巍。眾人便白當為我典主。作君長。號之曰王。以法取租。是故名為剎利。時閻浮利天下富樂熾盛安隱。生青草色如孔雀尾。有八萬郡國。人民聚落雞鳴相聞。天下無病無大熱大寒。大王以法治國。奉行十善哀念人民。如父母愛子。人民敬王如子敬父。人壽大久。後有他王。不如先王。壽遂減。至壽十萬歲。稍減至萬歲。至今裁壽百歲。

At that time, living beings were filled with distress and wept bitterly, each demarcating fields and residences to divide their boundaries. Afterward, beings hid their own rice and stole the field grain of others, and there was no one to judge [disputes]. They conferred and decided to establish a Lord of Equality to properly protect the people, reward good, and punish evil, each contributing a share [of their harvest] to support him. At that time, among the multitude there was a person whose stature was tall and large, whose appearance was upright and dignified, and who possessed great majesty and virtue; they asked him to be their lord. Thereupon, the name 'Mahāsammata' (Chosen by the People) first arose. The *Dharmaguptaka Vinaya* says: 'In antiquity there was a king who first appeared in the world named Great Man (Mahāpuruṣa), chosen by the multitude.' The *Loutan jing* says: 'At that time among the multitude there was a person, the most honorable and upright, whose spiritual majesty was majestic. The people said to him: "You shall be our governing lord, act as our ruler and chief, and be called King." Taking taxes according to the Dharma, he was therefore named kṣatriya.' At that time the land of Jambudvīpa was wealthy, joyful, flourishing, and peaceful; green grass grew, colored like a peacock's tail. There were eighty thousand commanderies and kingdoms; the people's settlements were so close that the crowing of roosters could be heard from one to the next. In all under heaven there was no sickness, nor excessive heat or cold. The Great King governed the state according to the Dharma, practiced the ten good actions, and had compassion for the people, loving them as parents love their children. The people revered the king as children revere their father. Human lifespans were very long. Later there were other kings who were not equal to the former king, and lifespans subsequently decreased, falling to a hundred thousand years, gradually decreasing to ten thousand years, until today when lifespans are barely one hundred years.