法華傳記 10.26

10.26

昔梁武帝。造五百袈裟。欲施須彌山頂五百阿羅漢。謂誌公。公往忉利天上。施武帝袈裟。時有一天子。名曰寶瓔。身所著瓔珞。過天王百千萬倍。光明映蔽餘天。誌公問曰。汝衣瓔殊特何因。天答曰。我昔生在閻浮提華氏國。為長者子。以身所著衣服瓔珞。供養妙法。以是因緣。生此天中。衣瓔超過天王百千萬倍。又有天子名妙雲。形色端正。百千天女而圍繞之。誌公問因即答。我昔在摩竭陀國畢波羅邑。以華供養妙法。得此天報如此。百千威德天。皆由供養妙法果報。誌公還來。具作是說。

Formerly, Emperor Wu of the Liang made five hundred kāṣāyas, wishing to offer them to the five hundred arhats atop Mount Sumeru. He addressed Master Zhi; the Master went up to Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to distribute Emperor Wu's kāṣāyas. At that time, there was a deva named Precious Necklace; the necklaces worn on his body exceeded those of the heavenly king a hundred, thousand, ten thousand times, their radiance overshadowing the other devas. Master Zhi asked: 'For what reason are your clothing and necklaces so extraordinary?' The deva answered: 'Formerly I was born in Jambudvīpa in the land of Pāṭaliputra as the son of an elder; with the clothing and necklaces I wore on my body, I made offerings to the Wondrous Dharma. Due to these causes and conditions, I was born in this heaven, my clothing and necklaces surpassing those of the heavenly king a hundred, thousand, ten thousand times.' There was also a deva named Wondrous Cloud, of handsome appearance, surrounded by hundreds of thousands of heavenly maidens. Master Zhi asked the cause, and he at once answered: 'Formerly I was in Pippala village in the kingdom of Magadha, and by offering flowers to the Wondrous Dharma, I obtained this heavenly retribution as such.' The hundreds of thousands of majestic devas all obtained their retributive rewards through making offerings to the Wondrous Dharma. Master Zhi returned and recounted this in full.