眾經撰雜譬喻 1.26

1.26

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.