大唐西域記 11.7

11.7

佛牙精舍側有小精舍，亦以眾寶而為瑩飾。中有金佛像，此國先王等身而鑄，肉髻則貴寶飾焉。其後有盜，伺欲竊取，而重門周檻，衛守清切。盜乃鑿通孔道，入精舍而穴之，遂欲取寶，像漸高遠。其盜既不果求，退而歎曰：「如來在昔修菩薩行，起廣大心，發弘誓願，上自身命，下至國城，悲愍四生，周給一切。今者，如何遺像悋寶？靜言於此，不明昔行。」像乃俯首而授寶焉。是盜得已，尋持貨賣，人或見者，咸謂之曰：「此寶乃先王金佛像頂髻寶也。爾從何獲，來此鬻賣？」遂擒以白王。王問所從得，盜曰：「佛自與我，我非盜也。」王以為不誠，命使觀驗，像猶俯首。王覩聖靈，信心淳固，不罪其人，重贖其寶，莊嚴像髻，重置頂焉。像因俯首，以至於今。

By the side of the king's palace is the vihâra of Buddha's tooth, which is decorated with every kind of gem, the splendour of which dazzles the sight like that of the sun. For successive generations worship has been respectfully offered to this relic, but the present king of the country, called A-li-fun-nai-'rh (Alibunar' ?), a man of So-li (Chôla), is strongly attached to the religion of the heretics and does not honour the law of Buddha ; he is cruel and tyrannical, and opposed to all that is good. The people of the country, however, still cherish the tooth of Buddha.] By the side of the vihâra of Buddha's tooth is a little vihâra which is also ornamented with every kind of precious stone. In it is a golden statue of Buddha ; it was cast by a former king of the country, and is of the size of life. He afterwards ornamented the head-dress (the ushnîsha) with a precious gem. In course of time there was a robber who formed the design to carry off the precious stone, but as it was guarded by a double door and a surrounding balustrade, the thief resolved to tunnel out an entrance underneath the obstacles, and so to enter the vihâra and take the jewel. Accordingly he did so, but on attempting to seize the gem, the figure gradually raised itself higher, and outreached the grasp of the thief.

He, then, finding his efforts of no avail, in departing sighed out thus, "Formerly when Tathâgata was practising the life of a Bodhisattva, he cherished in himself a great heart and vowed that for the sake of the four kinds of living things he would of his compassion give up everything, from his own life down to his country and its towns. But now the statue which stands in his place (bequeathed) grudges to give up the precious stone. His words, weighed against this, do not seem to illustrate his ancient conduct." On this the statue lowered its head and let him take the gem. The thief having got it, went to the merchants to sell it; on which they all exclaimed and said, "This is the gem which our former king placed on the head-dress of the golden statue of Buddha. Where have you got it from, that you want to sell it surreptitiously to us?" Then they took him to the king and stated the case. The king then asked him from whom he had procured the gem, on which the thief said, "Buddha himself gave it to me. I am no robber." The king not believing him, ordered a messenger to be sent immediately to ascertain the truth. On arriving he found the head of the statue still bent down. The king seeing the miracle, his heart was affected by a sincere and firm faith. He would not punish the man, but bought the gem again from him, and ornamented with it the head-dress of the statue. Because the head of the figure was thus bent on that occasion, it remains so until now.