大唐西域記 7.20

7.20

烈士池西有三獸窣堵波，是如來修菩薩行時燒身之處。劫初時，於此林野，有狐、兔、猨，異類相悅。時天帝釋欲驗修菩薩行者，降靈應化為一老夫，謂三獸曰：「二三子善安隱乎？無驚懼耶？」曰：「涉豐草，遊茂林，異類同歡，既安且樂。」老夫曰：「聞二三子情厚意密，忘其老弊，故此遠尋。今正飢乏，何以饋食？」曰：「幸少留此，我躬馳訪。」於是同心虛己，分路營求。狐沿水濱，銜一鮮鯉，猨於林樹，採異華菓，俱來至止，同進老夫。唯免空還，遊躍左右。老夫謂曰：「以吾觀之，爾曹未和。猨狐同志，各能役心，唯兔空返，獨無相饋。以此言之，誠可知也。」兔聞譏議，謂狐、猨曰：「多聚樵蘇，方有所作。」狐、猨競馳，銜草曳木，既已蘊崇，猛焰將熾。兔曰：「仁者，我身卑劣，所求難遂，敢以微躬，充此一䬸。」辭畢入火，尋即致死。是時老夫復帝釋身，除燼收骸，傷歎良久，謂狐、猨曰：「一何至此！吾感其心，不泯其迹，寄之月輪，傳乎後世。」故彼咸言，月中之兔，自斯而有。後人於此建窣堵波。

" They said, " Wait here awhile, and we will go ourselves in search of food." On this, with one mind and with single purpose, they searched through the different ways for food. The fox having skirted a river, drew out from thence a fresh carp fish. The monkey in the forest gathered fruits and flowers of different kinds. Then they came together to the appointed place and approached the old man. Only the hare came empty, after running to and fro both right and left. The old man spake to him and said, " As it seems to me, you are not of one mind with the fox and monkey; each of those can minister to me heartily, but the hare alone comes empty, and gives me nought to eat; the truth of what I say can easily be known." The hare, hearing these words and moved by their power, addressed the fox and monkey thus, " Heap up a great pile of wood for burning, then I will give (do) something." The fox and monkey did accordingly; running here and there, they gathered grass and wood ; they piled it up, and when it was thoroughly alight the hare spake thus : " Good sir ! I am a small and feeble thing; it is difficult for me to obtain you food, but my poor body may perhaps provide a meal." On this he cast himself upon the fire, and forthwith died. Then the old man reassumed his body as King Sakra, collected all the bones, and after dolorous sighs addressed the fox and monkey thus : " He only could have done it (or, unprecedented event). I am deeply touched ;

The "solitary master" said, "All was my fault; 'twas the fascination of the devil." The champion, moved with gratitude, and sad because the thing had failed, fretted himself and died. Because he escaped the calamity of fire, the lake is called "Saving the Life," and because he died overpowered by gratitude, it has its other name, "The Champion's Lake." To the west of this lake there is a stūpa of "the three animals." In this place, when Bodhisattva was practising his preparatory life, he burnt his own body. At the beginning of the kalpa in this forest wild, there lived a fox, a hare, and a monkey, three creatures of different kinds but mutually affectionate. At this time Sakra, king of Devas, wishing to examine into the case of those practising the life of a Bodhisattva, descended spiritually in shape as an old man. He addressed the three animals thus: "My children, two or three, are you at ease and without fear?" They said, "We lie upon (tread on) the rich herbage, wander through the bosky brakes, and though of different kinds we are agreed together, and are at rest and joyful." The old man said, "Hearing that you, my children, two or three, were peaceful at heart and living in sweet accord, though I am old, yet have I come from far alone, forgetting my infirmities, to visit you ; but now I am pressed with hunger, what have you to offer me to eat ?

and lest his memory should perish, I will place him in the moon's disc to dwell." Therefore through after ages all have said, " The hare is in the moon." After this event men built a stūpa on the spot. Leaving this country and going down the Ganges eastward 300 li or so, we come to the country of Chen-chu.