釋迦譜 1.401

1.401

爾時太子。復經少時啟王出遊。王聞此言。心生憂慮而自念言。太子前出。逢見老人憂愁不樂。今者云何而復求出。王愛太子不忍違意。僶俛從之。即集諸臣而共議言。太子前者出城東門。逢見老人還輒不樂。今者已復求出遊觀。吾不能免遂復許之。諸臣答言。當更嚴勅外諸官屬。修治道路。懸繒幡蓋。散華燒香。皆使華麗。無令臭穢諸不淨潔及以老疾在道側也。爾時迦毘羅雞兜城。四門之外各有一園。樹木華果浴池樓觀。種種莊嚴皆悉無異。王問諸臣。外諸園觀何者為勝。諸臣答言。外諸園觀皆等無異。如忉利天歎喜之園。王又勅言。太子前出已從東門。今者可令從南門出。爾時太子。百官導從出城南門。時淨居天化作病人。身瘦腹大。喘息呻吟。骨消肉竭。顏貌痿黃。舉身戰掉。不能自持。兩人扶腋在於路側。太子即問。此為何人。從者答言。此病人也。太子又問。何謂為病。答曰。夫謂病者。皆由嗜欲飲食無度。四大不調轉變成病。百節苦痛氣力虛微。飲食寡少眠臥不安。雖有身手不能自運。要假他力然後坐起。爾時太子以慈悲心。看彼病人自生憂愁。又復問言。此人獨爾餘皆然耶。答曰。一切人民無有貴賤同有此病。太子聞已心自念言。如此病苦普應縈之。云何世人耽樂不畏。作是念已。深生恐怖身心戰動。譬如月影。現波浪水。語從者言。如此身者是大苦聚。世人於中橫生歡樂。愚癡無識不知覺悟。今者云何欲往彼園遊觀嬉戲即便迴車還入王宮。坐自思惟愁憂不樂。王問從者。太子今出寧有樂不。從者答言。始出南門逢見病人。以此不樂即迴車還。王聞此語。心大愁憂慮其出家。時王即便問諸臣言。太子前者出城東門。逢見老人愁憂不樂。以此事故。吾勅卿等淨治道路。無令老病在於巷側。云何今出於城南門。而復致有疾病人耶。又令太子逢值見之。諸臣答言。近受王勅嚴命外司。勿使有諸臭穢老病。在於前側互相檢覆。無敢懈怠。不知何緣忽有病人。非是我等之罪咎也。爾時王問諸從者言。汝等並見病人在路。從何而至。從者答曰。無有蹤跡。不知何來。時王深於太子生猶豫心。恐其學道更增妓女而悅其意。又復欲使於五欲中生戀著心。

At that time, after a short while had passed, the prince again petitioned the king to go out on an excursion. When the king heard this, anxiety arose in his heart, and he thought to himself: "When the prince went out previously, he encountered an old man and was sorrowful and displeased. Why does he now seek to go out again?" Loving the prince and unable to bear thwarting his wish, the king reluctantly complied. He immediately assembled his ministers and deliberated with them, saying: "Previously, when the prince went out through the eastern gate of the city, he encountered an old man and returned straightway displeased. Now he has again sought to go out on an excursion. Unable to refuse, I have granted it to him once more." The ministers answered: "We should give strict orders again to the external officials to repair the roads, hang silk banners and canopies, and scatter flowers and burn incense, making everything splendid. Do not allow anything foul and unclean, or any aged or sick persons, to be beside the road." At that time, outside the four gates of the city of Kapilavastu, there was a park outside each gate. Their trees, flowers, fruits, bathing ponds, towers, and pavilions were all adorned in various ways without any difference. The king asked his ministers, "Among the various outer parks and pavilions, which is superior?" The ministers replied, "The outer parks and pavilions are all equal and without difference, like the Garden of Delight in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven." The king ordered again, "When the prince went out previously, he did so through the eastern gate. Now let him go out through the southern gate." At that time, the prince, escorted by the hundred officials, went out through the southern gate of the city. Then a Śuddhāvāsa god transformed into a sick person, with an emaciated body and a swollen belly, panting and groaning, his bones wasting and his flesh consumed, his complexion sallow and withered, his entire body trembling and shaking, unable to support himself, with two people supporting his armpits by the roadside. The prince immediately asked, "What kind of person is this?" The attendant answered, "This is a sick person." The prince asked again, "What is meant by 'sick'?" He replied, "What is called 'sick' arises from desires and uncontrolled eating and drinking; the four elements become unbalanced and turn into disease. The hundred joints suffer pain, breath and strength are deficient and faint, food and drink are meager, and sleeping and lying down are uneasy. Although he has a body and limbs, he cannot move them himself, but must rely on the strength of others to sit up or stand." At that time, with a heart of compassion, the prince looked upon that sick person and naturally gave rise to sorrow. He asked again, "Is this person alone like this, or are all others so?" He replied, "All people, whether noble or base, alike suffer from this illness." Having heard this, the prince thought to himself: "Such suffering of sickness must pervade and entangle all. Why are worldly people indulged in pleasure and feel no dread?" Having thought this, deep terror arose within him, and his body and mind trembled and shook, like the reflection of the moon appearing on rippling water. He said to the attendant, "Such a body is a great mass of suffering. Worldly people groundlessly give rise to joy within it; foolish and ignorant, they fail to awaken to it. Why should we now go to that park for an excursion and amusement?" He immediately turned his carriage back and reentered the royal palace, sitting and reflecting in sorrow and displeasure. The king asked the attendants, "Did the prince have any pleasure when he went out just now?" The attendants answered, "No sooner had he gone out through the southern gate than he encountered a sick person; being displeased by this, he immediately turned his carriage back." Hearing these words, the king was exceedingly sorrowful, fearing that he would leave the household life. Thereupon the king asked his ministers, "Previously, when the prince went out through the eastern gate of the city, he encountered an old man and was sorrowful and displeased. For this reason, I ordered you to cleanse the roads and not allow the old and sick to be beside the thoroughfares. Why is it that, going out now through the southern gate of the city, there was again a diseased person, causing the prince to encounter and see him?" The ministers answered: "Recently we received the king's decree and strictly ordered the external authorities not to permit any foul, aged, or sick persons to be nearby, checking and rechecking one another without daring to be negligent. We do not know for what reason a sick person suddenly appeared; it is not our fault." At that time, the king asked the attendants, "You all saw the sick person on the road. Whence did he come?" The attendants replied, "There were no footprints; we do not know whence he came." Then the king felt deep vacillation regarding the prince, fearing that he would study the Path. He added more courtesans to please his mind, wishing furthermore to make him develop attachment to the five desires.