[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) › [眾經撰雜譬喻](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208) › 1.6 # 眾經撰雜譬喻 1.6 眾經撰雜譬喻 1.6 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.6) 菩薩布施不惜身命。如昔尸毘王以身施鴿，天帝釋故往試之，知有菩薩志不。釋語毘首羯磨天：「汝作鴿身，我當作鷹逐汝，汝便佯怖入王腋下。」俄毘首即自返身作鴿，釋返身作鷹，急飛逐鴿，鴿直入王腋下舉身戰怖。是時鷹住樹上，語王言：「汝還我鴿，此是我食，非是汝有。」王言：「我初發意，欲救一切眾生，欲令度苦。」鷹言：「王度一切眾生，我是一切眾生數，何以獨不見愍而奪我食耶？」王答言：「汝須何食？」鷹言：「我作誓，食新殺血肉。」菩薩言：「我作誓，一切眾生來歸我者，一心救護令不遭難。汝須何食？當相給與。」鷹言：「我所食者新殺血肉。」王即念言：「此亦難得，自非殺生則無由得，云何殺一與一？」思惟心定即呼人來，持刀自割股肉與鷹。鷹語王言：「唯以肉與我，當以道理令肉與鴿輕重正等，勿見欺也。」王言：「持秤來！以肉對鴿。」鴿身轉重，王肉轉輕，王令割二股肉盡亦輕、不足，次割兩臗、兩乳、胸背，舉身肉盡，鴿身猶重。是時王舉身欲上，乃與鴿等。鷹語王言：「大王！此事難辦，何用如此？以鴿還我。」王言：「鴿來歸我，終不與汝。我前後喪身不少，初不為法而有愛惜，今欲求佛。」便扳稱上，心定無悔。諸天龍神、一切人民皆共讚言：「為一小鴿酸毒乃爾，是事希有。」地為大動，毘首讚善：「大士真實不虛，始是一切眾生福田。」釋及毘首還復天身，即令王身還復如故。求道如此乃可得佛。 > A bodhisattva practices dāna without begrudging body or life. For example, in the past King Śibi gave his body to save a dove. Śakra Devānāmindra went on purpose to test him, to see whether he had the resolve of a bodhisattva or not. Śakra said to Viśvakarman: "You assume the form of a dove, and I shall assume the form of a hawk pursuing you. You then pretend to be frightened and fly under the king's armpit." In a moment, Viśvakarman transformed his own body into a dove, and Śakra transformed his body into a hawk, flying swiftly in pursuit of the dove. The dove flew straight under the king's armpit, trembling with terror all over. At that time, the hawk perched on a tree and said to the king: "Return my dove to me! This is my food; it is not yours." The king said: "When I first resolved my mind, I wished to save all sentient beings and cross them over suffering." The hawk said: "The king crosses over all sentient beings, and I am counted among all sentient beings. Why do you alone not pity me, but instead snatch away my food?" The king replied: "What food do you need?" The hawk said: "I have vowed only to eat freshly killed flesh and blood." The bodhisattva said: "I have vowed that whenever any sentient being comes to take refuge in me, I will single-mindedly save and protect them so that they do not meet with disaster. What food do you need? I will provide it to you." The hawk said: "What I eat is freshly killed flesh and blood." The king then thought: "This too is difficult to obtain. Unless I take life, there is no way to obtain it. How could I kill one to give to another?" Having made up his mind, he called for someone to come, took a knife, and cut off his own thigh flesh to give to the hawk. The hawk said to the king: "If you are only going to give me flesh, it must be properly balanced by weighing so that the flesh and the dove are of equal weight; do not cheat me!" The king said: "Bring a scale! Balance the flesh against the dove." As the dove's body grew heavier, the king's flesh grew lighter. The king had the flesh of both thighs cut off completely, but it was still too light and insufficient; next he cut both buttocks, both breasts, chest, and back, until the flesh of his entire body was exhausted, yet the dove's body was still heavier. At that time, the king tried to raise his entire body onto the scale, and only then was it equal to the dove. The hawk said to the king: "Great King! This matter is difficult to accomplish. What is the use of doing this? Return the dove to me." The king said: "The dove came to take refuge in me; I will never give it to you. In the past and present, I have lost my life not a few times, but never once was it for the Dharma or held back out of attachment. Now I seek buddhahood!" He then pulled himself onto the scale, his mind resolute and without regret. All the devas, nāgas, spirits, and all the people together praised him, saying: "For the sake of a single small dove he undergoes such agonizing pain—this is an exceedingly rare thing!" The earth shook violently, and Viśvakarman praised him: "The mahāsattva is true and not false; this is truly a field of merit for all sentient beings!" Śakra and Viśvakarman returned to their celestial forms, and immediately caused the king's body to be restored as before. Seeking the Way in this manner, one may attain buddhahood. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 1.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.5) - [Next: 1.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.7) - [Up: 1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208~en-mt.1.6) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [མཛངས་བླུན་ཞེས་བྱ་བའི་མདོ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.damamukasutra*bo.1.15) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.208.1.6) · Pramāṇa