大唐西域記 8.17

8.17

伽藍側有大窣堵波，名阿摩落伽者。印度藥果之名也。無憂王搆疾彌留，知命不濟，欲捨珍寶，崇樹福田。權臣執政，誡勿從欲。其後因食，留阿摩落果，玩之半爛，握果長息，問諸臣曰：「贍部洲主今是何人？」諸臣對曰：「唯獨大王。」王曰：「不然。我今非主。唯此半果，而得自在。嗟乎！世間富貴，危甚風燭。位據區宇，名高稱謂，臨終匱乏，見逼強臣，天下非己，半果斯在！」乃命侍臣而告之曰：「持此半果，詣彼雞園，施諸眾僧，作如是說：『昔一贍部洲主，今半阿摩落王，稽首大德僧前，願受最後之施。凡諸所有，皆已喪失，唯斯半果，得少自在。哀愍貧乏，增長福種。』」僧中上座作如是言：「無憂大王宿期弘濟，瘧疾在躬，姦臣擅命，積寶非己，半果為施。承王來命，普施眾僧。」即召典事，羹中總煮。收其果核，起窣堵波。既荷厚恩，遂旌顧命。

The king answered, "Not so! I am no longer lord; for I have only this half fruit to call my own! Alas! the wealth and honour of the world are as difficult to keep as it is to preserve the light of a lamp in the wind! My wide-spread possessions, my name and high renown, at close of life are snatched from me, and I am in the hands of a minister violent and powerful. The empire is no longer mine; this half fruit alone is left!" Then he commanded an attendant officer to come, and he addressed him thus: "Take this half fruit and offer it in the garden (drama) of the cock (monastery] to the priests, and speak thus to the venerable ones, 'He who was formerly lord of Jambudvipa, but now is master of only this half Amala fruit, bows down before the priests (chief priest}. I pray you (on behalf of the king) receive this very last offering. All that I have is gone and lost, only this half fruit remains as my little possession. Pity the poverty of the offering, and grant that it may increase the seeds of his religious merit.'"

The Sthavira, in the midst of the priests, spake thus in reply: "Asoka-raja by his former deeds may hope to recover. Whilst the fever has held his person, his avaricious ministers have usurped his power and amassed wealth not their own. But this offering of half a fruit will secure the king an extension of life." The king having recovered from his sickness, gave large offerings to the priests. Moreover he ordered the manager of the affairs of the convent (Tin-see — Karmmadana) to preserve the seeds of the fruit in a vessel of liquid fit for the purpose, and he erected this stupa as a mark of gratitude for his prolonged life.

To the south-east of the old city there is the sangháráma called K'iu-cha-'o-lan-mo (Kukkutarama), which was built by Asoka-raja when he first became a believer in the religion of Buddha. It was a sort of first-fruit (preparation in planting the root of virtue), and a pattern of majestic construction (lofty building). He gathered there a thousand priests; a double congregation of lay people and saints made their offerings of the four necessary things, and provided gratuitously all the articles for use. This building has long been in ruins, but the foundation walls are still preserved. By the side of the sangháráma is a great stûpa called 'O-mo-lo-kia (Amalaka), which is the name of a fruit used as a medicine in India. King Asóka having fallen sick and lingering for a long time, felt that he would not recover, and so desired to offer all his possessions (gems and valuables) so as to crown his religious merit (to plant high the field of merit). The minister who was carrying on the government was unwilling to comply with his wish. Some time after this, as he was eating part of an Âmalaka fruit, he playfully put the half of it (in the hand of the king) for an offering. Holding the fruit in his hand he said with a sigh to his minister, "Who now is lord of Jambudvipa?" The minister replied, "Only your majesty."