釋迦譜 2.18.3

2.18.3

Why is this? The words of the Buddha, the Tathāgata, are never dual.' At that time, the māṇava Hāku said to the king: 'Great King, do not be afraid. At present there is neither adversity nor disaster beyond our borders. Today, Great King, make merry and enjoy yourself!' King Virūḍhaka said: 'Māṇava, you should know that the words of the Buddha are unerring.' At that time, King Virūḍhaka had people count the days. When the seventh day arrived, the king was overjoyed, leaping with irrepressible delight. Taking his troops and court maidens, he went to the bank of the Aciravatī River to make merry. Right at that place, there was a sudden great crash of thunder, unseasonable clouds arose, and a violent wind and torrential rain fell. Then King Virūḍhaka and his troops were all swept away by the water and destroyed. When their bodies broke up and their lives ended, they fell into the Avīci Hell. Furthermore, a heavenly fire burned down the palace within the city. At that time, the World-Honoured One, viewing with his divine eye, saw that King Virūḍhaka and his fourfold army had all ended their lives and fallen into hell. At that time, the bhikṣus said to the World-Honoured One: 'King Virūḍhaka and his fourfold army have now ended their lives; where have they been reborn?' The World-Honoured One told them: 'King Virūḍhaka has now entered into the Avīci Hell.' The bhikṣus said: 'What cause and condition did these Śākyas create in the past that they have now been slain by King Virūḍhaka?' At that time, the World-Honoured One told the bhikṣus: 'In the past, there was a fishing village in this city of Rājagṛha. At that time, there was a famine in the world, and people ate grass roots; one dou of gold traded for one dou of rice. In that village there was a large pond, which also abounded with fish. At that time, the people of the city of Rājagṛha went to the pond to catch fish and eat them. At that very time, there were two kinds of fish in the water: one was named Gou-suo ('Hook-Chain') and the other was named Duo-she ('Many-Tongues'). Then the two fish said to each other: "We have never committed any offense against these people. We are water-dwelling creatures and do not live on dry land, yet these people have all come to eat us. If in a future life we have a little merit, we shall take revenge!" At that time, there was a young boy in the village, nearly eight years old, who did not catch fish nor harm life; yet seeing the fish caught and placed on the bank, the boy looked at them and felt great delight. Bhikṣus, you should know: were the people of the city of Rājagṛha at that time different people? They are the present Śākyas. The fish named Gou-suo at that time was King Virūḍhaka today. The fish named Liang-she ('Double-Tongued') was the māṇava Hāku today. The young boy who saw the fish and laughed was myself today. At that time, because the Śākyas took the fish and ate them, they suffered the torments of hell for countless kalpas, and now they have received this retribution. Because I looked on and laughed at the time, I now suffer a headache as if pressed by a stone, like carrying Mount Sumeru upon my head. Why is this so? The Tathāgata receives bodily form no more, having already abandoned all conditioned actions and crossed beyond all perils. Thus, bhikṣus, it was due to these causes and conditions that they have now received this retribution.' (The Sūtra on the Śākyas Expiating Their Guilt is broadly similar with slight differences. It says: King Virūḍhaka destroyed the Śākyas, turned his army around, and disbanded his troops. He sent an envoy to pay respects to the Buddha. The Buddha looked at the envoy and answered: 'The king shall receive it himself.' Ānanda adjusted his robes, bowed his head, and said: 'The Buddha does not look without reason; there must surely be a cause.' The One of All Blessings said: 'The Śākyas' guilt has ended. Henceforth retribution shall arise; after seven days, the ghosts and spirits of Mount Tai will press upon the king and his subjects with fire. The king's guilt will be hard to remedy, just as the Śākyas' calamity was hard to avert.' The king walked along the lakeside and his troops entered the water to bathe. Spirits transformed into poisonous insects and stung his troops; the poison coursed through their bodies, and some died in the water, while others died within a hundred paces or a li, nearly half of them. Entering the country, ominous spirits gathered in clouds within the palace. At night, creatures cried out and congregated in the palace, lying in wait for one another. The sun and moon suffered eclipses, and the constellations lost their regular courses; strange portents occurred from beginning to end. Hearing the Buddha's admonition and seeing the strange disasters, the king felt as if scalded by boiling water inside; he assembled his ministers to deliberate. Some said to flee to the mountains, while others said to take to the rivers. The king then boarded a boat and entered the sea. The strong and wealthy were able to follow, while the poor and weak remained in the country. The women of the king's inner palace took off their clothes and removed a burning lens, placing it on the boat. On that day, clouds arose, the ropes snapped, and the boat drifted. The ministers and people all said: 'The wicked king's cruel deeds have brought about this calamity!' Toward midday, the sun came out and scorched the burning lens, which produced fire and began to burn the king's boat. Falling into the water, he immediately sank; thunder crashed and lightning struck, and he straightway entered the Hell of Mount Tai. Those who remained on the shore were slightly frightened but safe. The Dharmapada Avadāna Sūtra says: The Buddha's disciple named Maudgalyāyana, seeing King Virūḍhaka invade the Śākya kingdom to repay a past grudge and that he was to kill the four groups of disciples, took pity on them. He went to where the Buddha was and addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Now King Virūḍhaka is attacking the Śākya kingdom. I wish by three expedient means to save the Śākya kingdom: first, by raising the Śākya kingdom and placing it in empty space; second, by raising the people of the Śākya kingdom and placing them between the two Iron Enclosing Mountains; third, by raising the people of the Śākya kingdom and placing them in the center of a great country in another realm, so that King Virūḍhaka will not know where they are.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'Although I know you have wisdom and virtue and can settle the people of the Śākya kingdom in peace, sentient beings have seven things they cannot avoid. What are the seven? First is birth; second is old age; third is sickness; fourth is death; fifth is demerit; sixth is merit; seventh is cause and condition. Even if the mind wishes to avoid these seven things, one cannot do so at will. Although with your spiritual power you could do this, the debt of past retribution cannot be avoided.' Thereupon Maudgalyāyana paid homage and departed. Still unable to resign himself, he took four thousand five hundred acquaintances and dānapatis of the Śākya kingdom, placed them in his alms-bowl, and raised it into empty space amidst the stars. King Virūḍhaka invaded the Śākya kingdom, and after killing three hundred million people, he led his army back to his country. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana went to where the Buddha was, paid homage to the Buddha, and proudly said: 'Virūḍhaka invaded the Śākya kingdom; relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, your disciple saved four or five thousand people of the Śākya kingdom. Now they are in empty space, and all have completely escaped.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'Have you gone to look at the people in the bowl or not?' He answered: 'I have not yet gone to look at them.' The Buddha said: 'You go first to look at the people in the bowl and come back.' Maudgalyāyana lowered the bowl with his spiritual power, and saw that the people in the bowl were all dead. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana was despondent and wept sorrowfully. Returning, he said to the Buddha: 'The people in the bowl are now all completely dead.' The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'When karma ripens, the retribution must be endured; it cannot be avoided.' Countless people in the assembly, hearing the Buddha preach the teaching of impermanence, joyfully attained the Path and realized the fruit of the srotaāpanna.)