釋迦譜 5.20

5.20

'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.