[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法華傳記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068) › 7.42 # 法華傳記 7.42 法華傳記 7.42 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [7.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7.42) 昔波羅奈國南有連山。曠絕無人。幽谷瞑闇。毒蛇惡龍充滿其中。迷失道路。入其深谷。十之一二無存者。時有俱睒彌國一遊學僧。志慕大乘。尋其梵夾。聞云俗曰波羅奈城中王宮在法華夾。即辦衣糧。涉嶮而獨征。及日西宿連山中。夜半忽有青光。漸見大龍也。動山照地。來張口向僧。僧生恐怖作是念。一生空過不遂本懷。大乘功用救毒龍苦。即問汝食我不。龍曰。我報吐毒氣。見者驚亡。更無害心。我是前身作沙門。恒懷忿毒。不行正道。此罪受醜身。八萬四千小虫。噉食身肉。苦痛不可堪忍。汝施慈悲救此苦。僧曰。如何救。答造法華經。即奉上明月神珠。僧受珠。即出波羅奈奉獻王。王集巧書。造法華經二夾。皆以白㲲而寫。已與僧。僧還到山。山臭穢不可近。爾時無數天人。來至山中。天香滿中。臭氣止息。僧問天。天答吾是此山毒龍。我施明珠。師始造經。脫苦生天。今來供養本身。并欲報阿師恩。即與珠三枚還去。僧歸國起塔收經。天人恒來供養經塔（出西國傳）。 > Anciently, south of the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, there was a continuous range of mountains, desolate and devoid of people. The secluded valleys were dark and gloomy, filled with venomous serpents and evil dragons. Those who lost their way and entered their deep valleys—not one or two in ten survived. At that time, there was a monk from the kingdom of Kauśāmbī traveling to study, who aspired to the Mahāyāna and searched for its Sanskrit manuscripts. He heard a worldly rumor that inside the royal palace in the city of Vārāṇasī were manuscripts of the Lotus Sūtra. He then prepared clothing and provisions and journeyed alone through the perils. When the sun set in the west, he stayed overnight in the mountains. At midnight, there was suddenly a green light, and gradually a great dragon appeared, shaking the mountains and illuminating the earth. It came opening its mouth toward the monk. The monk became terrified and thought, "Having lived this life in vain without fulfilling my original wish, let the power of the Mahāyāna save the suffering of this venomous dragon!" He then asked, "Will you eat me?" The dragon said, "As my retribution I spew venomous vapor; those who see it perish in terror, but I have no intention to harm you. In my past life I was a śramaṇa. I constantly harbored wrath and malice and did not practice the correct path. Because of this sin I have received an ugly body; eighty-four thousand small worms devour the flesh of my body, causing unbearable agony. Bestow your compassion and save me from this suffering!" The monk said, "How may I save you?" It replied, "Produce copies of the Lotus Sūtra." It then offered up a luminous divine pearl. The monk accepted the pearl, went out to Vārāṇasī, and presented it to the king. The king assembled skillful scribes and produced two sets of manuscripts of the Lotus Sūtra, both written on white fine cotton. Having completed them, he gave them to the monk. The monk returned to the mountain; the mountain was foul-smelling and repulsive, impossible to approach. At that time, countless devas arrived in the mountain; heavenly fragrance filled the air, and the foul odor ceased. The monk asked a deva, and the deva replied, "I was the venomous dragon of this mountain. I offered the luminous pearl, and the master began to make the sūtras; I have escaped suffering and been born in heaven. Now I have come to make offerings to my former body, and also wish to repay the master’s kindness." It then gave him three pearls and returned. The monk went back to his home country, erected a stūpa, and stored the sūtras. Devas constantly came to make offerings to the sūtra stūpa. (From the Account of the Western Countries.) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 7.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7.41) - [Next: 7.43](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7.43) - [Up: 7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068~en-mt.7.42) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2068.7.42) · Pramāṇa