釋迦譜 5.20

5.20

沙彌作小兒戲。如世間小兒戲。如世間小兒。以土團更互相擲。如是二沙彌。以[麩-夫+少]團。以餅歡喜丸更互相擲。上座白王言。彼二沙彌。是俱解脫阿羅漢。更相奉食。王聞是已增其信心。而作是念此二沙彌能展轉相施。我今亦當於一切僧人施絹劫貝。時二沙彌知王心所念。二沙彌共相謂言。令王倍增敬信。一沙彌持鑊授與王。一沙彌授以染草。王問彼沙彌。用作何等。二沙彌白王言。王因我故。施與眾僧絹及劫貝。我欲令大王染成其色。施與眾僧。時王作是念。我雖心念口未發言。此二達士。得他心智而知我心。王即稽首敬禮眾。語沙彌言。我因汝等施僧衣。施僧衣已。復以三衣并四億萬兩珍寶。嚫五部眾嚫願已。復以四十億萬兩珍寶。贖取閻浮提宮人綵女。及大子群臣。阿育王所作功德無量如是。

'śrāmaṇeras playing children's games. Just as children in the world play—throwing lumps of earth back and forth to each other—so did these two śrāmaṇeras throw flour dumplings, cakes, and sweet laddu balls back and forth to each other.' The senior elder said to the king: 'Those two śrāmaṇeras are both doubly-liberated arhats, serving food to one another.' Hearing this, the king increased his faithful mind and thought: 'If these two śrāmaṇeras can give to each other in turn, I too should now donate silk and cotton to all the monks.' At that time, the two śrāmaṇeras knew the thoughts in the king's mind. The two śrāmaṇeras said to each other: 'Let us make the king double his reverence and faith.' One śrāmaṇera held a cauldron and handed it to the king, while the other handed him dyeing herbs. The king asked the śrāmaṇeras: 'What are these to be used for?' The two śrāmaṇeras said to the king: 'Because of us, the king wishes to donate silk and cotton to the saṅgha. We wish for the Great King to dye them with colour and donate them to the saṅgha.' The king then thought: 'Although I thought it in my mind, my mouth had not yet spoken. These two accomplished men possess the knowledge of others' minds and know my mind.' The king then bowed his head in homage to the saṅgha and said to the śrāmaṇeras: 'Because of you, I donate monastic robes to the saṅgha.' Having donated the monastic robes, he furthermore offered the three robes together with four trillion ounces of precious treasures as dakṣiṇā to the five assemblies. After making the dakṣiṇā aspirations, he additionally redeemed Jambudvīpa, the palace maidens and concubines, the crown prince, and all his ministers with forty trillion ounces of precious treasures. Such was the measureless merit performed by King Aśoka.