經律異相 10.16

10.16

佛昔在於兜率天上。時婆藪仙在閻浮提。與六百二十萬估客常作商主入海採寶。乘於大舶欲還本國。於其中道值摩竭魚及大風波夜叉之難。如是六百二十萬人。即時各許摩醯首羅天。人各一牲。便離四難。還達本國。各辦一羊。欲往天祠。時婆藪默念。我今云何教諸商人作不善事。當設方便。即化作二人。一出家沙門。二在家婆羅門時婆羅門於眾人中作是唱言。天主與六百二十萬人欲往天祠。爾時沙門於其中路遙見此婆羅門。問言。汝與是大眾欲止何方。在家人言。我往天廟而求大利。沙門答言。吾觀汝等欲得大衰。云何大利。諍訟不止。爾時眾人問婆羅門言。此是何人。形貌如是。婆羅門言。此名沙門。諸人問言。沙門何言。答言。殺生祠天當得大罪。眾人語言。此癡沙門何用是言。速往天祠得大利也。時婆羅門言。我等大師今在天祠無事不達可共請問。皆言善哉。沙門與婆羅門及諸人等到大仙所。爾時沙門問大仙言。殺生祠天當得生天入地獄乎。大仙答言。何癡沙門殺生祠天必墮地獄。婆藪言。不也。沙門言。若不墮者汝當證知。爾時婆藪即時陷身入阿鼻獄。諸人見已嗚呼禍哉有如是事。大仙聰智今已磨滅。況復我等而得不入於地獄耶。爾時眾人各放諸羊退走四方。到諸山中推覓諸仙。既得仙已而受仙法。二十一年各各命終生閻浮提。我於爾時從兜率天下生閻浮提白淨王家。時六百二十萬人生舍衛國得受人身。我於昔時始到舍衛降伏六百二十萬人令其出家發菩提心。即往昔估客是也。善男子。婆藪仙人有如是威神之力。化如是諸人來至我所（出方等陀羅尼經第一卷）。

Formerly, when the Buddha was in Tuṣita Heaven, the ṛṣi Vasu was in Jambudvīpa. Constantly serving as a caravan leader with 6.2 million merchants, he entered the sea to gather jewels. Boarding a large ship, they were about to return to their home country when midway they met with the perils of a makara fish, great winds and waves, and yakṣas. At that moment, each of the 6.2 million men made a pledge to Maheśvara that each would sacrifice a beast. Having escaped the four perils and returned to their home country, each prepared a sheep and wished to proceed to the celestial shrine. Then Vasu silently thought: 'How can I now allow these merchants to perform unwholesome deeds? I must devise an expedient means.' Thereupon he transformed himself into two men: one a monk who had gone forth from home, and the other a lay brāhmaṇa. At that time, the brāhmaṇa proclaimed among the crowd: 'The lord of heaven, along with 6.2 million people, wishes to go to the celestial shrine.' Then the monk, midway on the road, saw this brāhmaṇa from afar and asked: 'Where do you and this great assembly intend to go?' The householder said: 'I am going to the celestial temple to seek great benefit.' The monk replied: 'I observe that you are seeking great ruin. How could it be great benefit? Contention will not cease.' Then the people asked the brāhmaṇa: 'What kind of man is this with such an appearance?' The brāhmaṇa said: 'This is called a monk.' The people asked: 'What does the monk say?' He replied: 'Killing living beings to sacrifice to heaven brings great sin.' The people said: 'What use are the words of this foolish monk? Let us hasten to the celestial shrine to obtain great benefit.' Then the brāhmaṇa said: 'Our great master is now at the celestial shrine and understands all things; we may go together and question him.' They all said: 'Excellent!' The monk, the brāhmaṇa, and the people arrived at the great ṛṣi's dwelling. Then the monk asked the great ṛṣi: 'Does killing living beings to sacrifice to heaven result in rebirth in heaven or entry into hell?' The great ṛṣi answered: 'What a foolish monk! Killing living beings to sacrifice to heaven will certainly plunge one into hell.' Vasu said: 'Not so.' The monk said: 'If one does not fall, you shall bear witness to it.' Thereupon Vasu immediately sank into the Avīci hell. When the people saw this, they cried: 'Alas, what a calamity that such a thing should happen! Even the great ṛṣi's wisdom has now been extinguished; how much more so could we avoid entering hell?' Then the people each released their sheep and fled in the four directions. Going into the mountains, they sought out ṛṣis, and having found ṛṣis, they received the teachings of the ṛṣis. After twenty-one years, each ended his life and was reborn in Jambudvīpa. At that time, I descended from Tuṣita Heaven and was born in Jambudvīpa into the household of King Śuddhodana. The 6.2 million people were born in the country of Śrāvastī, obtaining human bodies. Formerly, when I first arrived in Śrāvastī, I subdued those 6.2 million people, causing them to go forth from home and generate the bodhicitta; these were indeed those merchants of the past. Good son, the ṛṣi Vasu possessed such supernatural power that he transformed those people and led them to my presence." (Extracted from the Fangdeng tuoluoni jing, fascicle 1).