釋迦譜 5.21

5.21

雜阿含經云。阿育王得大敬信。問諸比丘言。誰於佛法中。能行大布施。諸比丘言。給孤獨長者最行大施。王復問曰。彼施幾許。比丘答曰。以億千金。王聞已如是思惟。彼長者尚能捨億千金。我今為王。何緣復以億千金施。當以億百千金施。時王起八萬四千佛塔。於彼一一塔中復施百千金。復作五歲大會。會有三百千比丘。用三百億金供養於彼。彼眾中第一分是阿羅漢。第二分是學人。第三分是貞實凡夫。除私庫藏。此閻浮提夫人婇女太子大臣。施與聖僧四十億金。還復贖取。如是計校。用九十六億千金。乃至王得重病自知命盡。王言我常所願。欲以滿億百千金作功德。今願不得滿足。便就後世。時計校前後所施金寶。唯減四億未滿。王即辦諸珍寶。送與雞雀寺中。法益之子名三波提。為太子諸臣等啟太子言。大王將終不久。今復以此珍寶送與寺中。國藏財寶已竭。諸國法以物為尊。太子今宜斷之。勿使用盡。時太子即勅典藏者。勿復出與。時王自知索物不復能得。所食金器送與寺中。太子今斷金器。以銀器與王食。食已復送與寺中。太子又斷銀器。給以銅器。王亦送與寺中。又斷銅器給以瓦器。時王手中有半阿摩勒菓。悲淚問諸大臣。今誰為地主。時諸臣啟王。王為地主。時阿育王呼侍者言。汝今憶我恩養。汝持此半阿摩勒菓。送雞雀寺中。作我意。禮拜諸僧足。白言。阿育王問訊諸大聖眾。我領此閻浮提。閻浮提是我所有。今者頓盡不得自在。唯此半阿摩勒菓。我得自由。此是最後檀波羅蜜。哀愍我故納受此施。令我得福。時彼上座告諸大眾。誰聞是語而不厭世。如佛經說。見他衰事應生厭離。時彼上座作是念言。云何令此半阿摩勒。一切眾僧得其分食。即教令研磨。著石榴羹中行之。一切皆得周遍。時王復問傍臣曰。誰是閻浮提主。臣啟王言。大王是也。時王從臥起而坐。顧望四方合掌作禮。念諸佛德心念口言。我今復以此閻浮提施與三寶。時王盡書紙上而封緘之。以齒印印之。作如是事畢。即便無常。爾時太子及諸人民。興種種供養葬送。如王之法而闍維之。

The Saṃyuktāgama states: King Aśoka attained great reverent faith and asked the monks, "Who within the Buddha's Dharma has been able to perform great giving?" The monks said, "The elder Anāthapiṇḍada performed the greatest giving." The king asked again, "How much did he give?" The monks answered, "A hundred thousand kotis of gold." Having heard this, the king reflected: "That elder could still give up a hundred thousand kotis of gold. Now that I am king, for what reason should I merely give a hundred thousand kotis of gold? I should give ten million kotis of gold!" Thereupon the king erected eighty-four thousand stupas of the Buddha, and at every single one of those stupas he further gave a hundred thousand [pieces of] gold. He also held a great five-year assembly. At the assembly there were three hundred thousand monks, whom he supported with three hundred kotis of gold. Among that assembly, the first division were arhats, the second division were trainees (śaikṣas), and the third division were pure and honest ordinary persons. Setting aside his private treasury, he gave this Jambudvīpa, along with his royal wives, palace maidens, crown prince, and great ministers, to the noble Sangha for forty kotis of gold, and then redeemed them again. Calculating in this manner, he expended ninety-six thousand kotis of gold. Eventually, the king fell gravely ill and knew his life was coming to an end. The king said, "It has always been my vow that I wished to complete ten million kotis of gold to perform meritorious deeds. Now my vow cannot be fulfilled, and I must depart to the afterlife." At that time, calculating the gold and jewels given from beginning to end, they fell short by only four kotis. The king then prepared various precious jewels to send to the Kukkuṭārāma Monastery. The son of Dharmavardhana, named Saṃprati, was the crown prince. The ministers addressed the prince, saying, "The Great King will soon pass away. Now he is again sending these precious jewels to the monastery. The state treasury's wealth is already exhausted. The laws of states hold material wealth as preeminent. The crown prince should now stop this, and not let it be completely depleted." The prince then commanded the keeper of the treasury not to issue any more. The king himself knew that when he asked for things he could no longer obtain them. He then sent the gold vessels from which he ate to the monastery. The prince then stopped the gold vessels and gave the king silver vessels to eat from. Having finished eating, he again sent them to the monastery. The prince again stopped the silver vessels and provided copper vessels. The king also sent them to the monastery. He then stopped the copper vessels and provided earthenware vessels. At that time, the king held half an āmalaka fruit in his hand. Weeping tears of sorrow, he asked the ministers, "Who is now master of the earth?" The ministers addressed the king, "Your Majesty is the master of the earth." Then King Aśoka summoned an attendant and said, "You now remember my kindness in nurturing you. Take this half āmalaka fruit and deliver it to the Kukkuṭārāma Monastery. In accordance with my intention, bow down to the feet of the monks and say: 'King Aśoka pays homage and inquires after all the great noble assembly. I governed this Jambudvīpa; Jambudvīpa belonged to me. Now it is completely gone and I have no autonomy. Only in this half āmalaka fruit do I retain my freedom. This is my final perfection of giving (dānapāramitā). Out of pity for me, please accept this offering, so that I may obtain merit.'" Then the sthavira (senior elder) announced to the great assembly, "Who that hears these words would not be weary of the world? As the Buddha's sūtra says: 'Seeing the decline of others, one should give rise to revulsion and renunciation.'" Then that sthavira thought to himself, "How can this half āmalaka be shared so that the entire Sangha receives a portion to eat?" He then ordered it ground to powder and stirred into pomegranate broth to be distributed, so that all received a share throughout. The king then asked his attendant ministers again, "Who is the master of Jambudvīpa?" The ministers addressed the king, "The Great King is." The king then sat up from his bed, looked out in the four directions, joined his palms in reverence, recalled the virtues of the Buddhas, thought in his mind and spoke aloud: "I now again give this Jambudvīpa to the Three Jewels." The king wrote it all down on paper, sealed it up, and stamped it with his tooth-mark as a seal. Having completed these matters, he then passed away. At that time, the prince and the people raised up various offerings for his funeral and cremated him in accordance with the royal law.