眾經撰雜譬喻 1.26

1.26

昔有放牛人，在大澤中，見有金色華光明善好，自即生念：「佛去此不遠當取供養。」即採華數斛重擔而去。未至道中為牛所觝殺，心存佛故，即生第二忉利天上。所受宮殿廣博嚴好，宮出四邊，陸生金色華，光明徹照，諸天之法。適生天上，先觀宿命却食天福。時彼天人自觀宿命，具見採華為牛所殺，歡喜歎曰：「佛無量福祚！未及設供報已巍巍，況恒修德者？」便復取其宮邊華，并持種種餘供養具，欲遵本願。諸天見其取華，皆往問之：「汝方來受福，當五欲自樂，而採華為？」天子報言：「吾為人時，欲詣佛以華供養，竟不果願，尚得來生此，況得作者？今所以取華，欲遵本願增將來福。」爾時諸天皆生善心，有八萬四千天子俱共來下，作天伎樂、天花、天香種種供養。諸塔寺中未見佛，復有上座得道比丘而為說法。諸天聞法心皆歡喜，增諸功德，遂得見佛。鼓樂絃歌，散眾名華，種種供養佛及眾僧。佛為說清淨妙法，其人及八萬四千諸天，皆得法眼淨。此天子之與八萬諸天，皆昔日善知識，今相發起一時得道。

Once there was an oxherd who, in a great marsh, saw golden flowers of excellent brilliance and beauty. The thought at once arose in him: "The Buddha is not far from here; I should gather them to make an offering." He at once plucked several bushels of flowers and set off bearing a heavy load. Before he arrived, while on the road, he was gored to death by an ox. Because his mind was fixed on the Buddha, he was immediately reborn in the second heaven, Trāyastriṃśa. The palace he received was vast, magnificent, and fair. From the four sides of the palace, land-growing golden flowers sprang forth, their brilliant light shining through everywhere, as is the way of the devas. Just after being born in heaven, [a deva] first observes his former lives and only then partakes of heavenly bliss. At that time that deva observed his own former lives and saw in full how he had plucked flowers and been killed by an ox. Joyfully he praised: "How immeasurable is the Buddha's merit and blessing! Before I could even make the offering, the reward is already so sublime—how much more so for those who constantly cultivate virtue?" Thereupon he took the flowers beside his palace, together with various other offerings, wishing to carry out his original vow. The devas, seeing him gathering flowers, all went to ask him: "You have just arrived to enjoy blessings and should be delighting in the five desires; why do you gather flowers?" The devaputra replied: "When I was a human, I wished to go to the Buddha to offer flowers. In the end my wish was not fulfilled, yet I could still be reborn here—how much more so if I had completed it? The reason I gather flowers now is that I wish to carry out my original vow and increase future blessings." At that time the devas all gave rise to wholesome thoughts. Eighty-four thousand devaputras came down together with him, performing heavenly music, scattering heavenly flowers, burning heavenly incense, and presenting various offerings. In the stūpas and vihāras they did not see the Buddha, but there was a senior bhikṣu who had attained the Way, who preached the Dharma for them. The devas, hearing the Dharma, were all filled with joy, and having increased their merits, they were at last able to see the Buddha. They played drums, strings, and songs, scattered various wondrous flowers, and presented manifold offerings to the Buddha and the saṃgha. The Buddha preached the pure, wondrous Dharma for them, and that man together with the eighty-four thousand devas all attained the purity of the Dharma-eye. This devaputra and the eighty-four thousand devas were all good friends in past lives, and now, stimulating each other, they attained the Way at the same time.