經律異相 11.4

11.4

久遠無數劫時。有五仙人。處於山藪。四人為主。一人供給奉事未曾失意採菓汲水進以時節。一日遠採菓漿懈廢眠寐。不以時還。日已過中。四人失食。懷恨可為凶呪。侍者聞之退在樹下。思惟自責執勞歲久。今違四仙時食之供。既失道教不從四等。遂感而死。其足常著七寶之屐。翹足而坐。寶屐墮水而沒一隻。命過之後即生外道。為凶呪子。年十餘歲。與其同輩戲于路側。時有梵志。遇見戲童。人數猥多以遍觀察。見凶呪子特有貴相。應為王者。顏貌殊異於人中上。梵志命曰。爾有王相不宜遊眾。童子答曰。吾凶呪子何有王相。梵志又曰。如吾經典。儀容形體與讖書符合。爾則應之。斯國之王薨殞必禪爾位。童子曰。唯設如仁信當念重恩。梵志言畢。尋遁逃走。出遊他國。後日未幾。王薨絕嗣。娉求賢士以為國胄。使者四布。遙見斯童有異人之姿。輒尋遣人還啟群臣。唯嚴法駕尋來奉迎。群臣百寮莫不踊躍。香湯洗浴五時朝服。寶冠劍帶即位處殿。南面稱制。境土安寧民庶踊悅。於時梵志。仰瞻天文下察地理。知已嗣立。即詣宮門求奉覲王。梵志占謝。呪願曰。如誓審諦矣。王曰。誠哉。當恣所欲。梵志答曰。唯求二願。一曰。飲食進止衣服臥起與王一等。二曰。參誼國事所決同意莫自專也。王曰。善哉。王治以正法不枉萬民。梵志憍恣輕慢重臣。群臣怨忿。俱進諫曰。王尊位高。宜與國臣耆舊參議。偏信乞士。遂令恣慢凌侮群職。隣國聞之將所嗤笑以致寇難。王曰吾與之有誓安可廢耶。臣諫不止。若王食時。勿與之俱。則必改也。王遂可之。伺梵志出則先之食。梵志恚曰。本要云何而先獨食。罵曰。咄凶呪子。但給資糧驅令出國。獨涉遠路觸冐寒暑。疲極憔悴而到他國。詣異梵志家舊與親親。又而問曰。卿何從來何所綜習。業何經典能悉念乎。答曰。吾從遠來飢寒見逼。忘所習誦。梵志心念。此人無所能作。當令田作。輒給奴子及犁牛耕具。梵志耕種苦役奴子。酷令平地走使東西。奴子無聊。欲自投水往到河側。則得一隻七寶之屐。心自念言。梵志困我役使無賴。吾當奉承。以屐上之可獲寬恕。即齎屐還以用上之。梵志欣豫心自念言。此七寶屐其價難訾。吾違王意以屐奉之。愆咎可解。尋還王國。以屐上王。深自陳悔前之罪釁。願垂原赦。王曰。善哉。即內之幔裏。引座坐之。會諸群臣。詔曰。卿等寧見前梵志不耶。答曰。不見。王云。設見當如之何。僉曰。當五毒治之。王出寶屐以示群臣。命梵志出與臣相見。致此異寶當共原之。群臣啟曰。此梵志罪如山如海。獻屐一隻何所施補。若獲一緉罪可除也。王即可之。重逐梵志。令更求一隻。梵志懊惱還故主人。問奴子曰。汝前寶屐本何從得。奴子俱行示得屐處。至于水側遍恣求之不知雙處。奴子捨去。梵志念。此屐必從上流來下。即逆流上行。見大蓮華。流澓洄波魚口銜之。華有千餘葉。梵志心念。雖不得屐以此華上之。儻可解過得復前寵。便復執華。則見四仙人坐於樹下。仙人曰。卿何所從來。答曰。吾失王意。雖獻一屐不足解過。故逆流來求之未獲。仙人告曰。卿為學人當知進退。彼國王者是吾弟子。存侍愛敬同食坐誼。云何一旦罵之凶呪子。罪及誅害。今不相問指示樹下。王先故身為吾侍者。翹脚而終。寶屐墮水一隻著脚。梵志取屐稽首謝過。還到本國續以上之。王即歡喜大臣意解。復其寵位。佛言。王者則吾身是。四仙人者。拘留秦佛。拘那含牟尼佛。迦葉佛。彌勒佛是也。其梵志者調達是也（出五仙人經）。

Immeasurably many kalpas ago, in the remote past, there were five sages living in a mountain wilderness. Four were the masters, and one waited upon and served them, never failing their wishes, gathering fruits, drawing water, and presenting them at proper seasons. One day, having gone far off to gather fruit juice, he grew indolent and fell asleep, failing to return on time. The sun had already passed midday, and the four missed their meal. Harbouring resentment, they were about to cast an ominous curse. The attendant, hearing this, withdrew beneath a tree. Pondering in self-reproach, [he thought]: 'I have undertaken toil for many years, yet today I failed the timely offering of food to the four sages. Having lapsed from the teaching of the Path and not adhered to the four immeasurables, I am deeply grieved.' Thereupon, grieving, he died. His feet always wore clogs made of the seven precious substances; as he sat with raised feet, one precious clog fell into the water and sank. After his life ended, he was immediately reborn among the non-Buddhists as the son of an ominous curse-caster. At the age of ten and more, he was playing with his peers by the roadside. At that time, a brahmacārin encountered the playing children. Because their numbers were dense and many, he observed them thoroughly, and saw that the child of the ominous curse-caster possessed extraordinarily noble marks, indicating that he should become a king; his countenance was extraordinary, superior among men. The brahmacārin said to him: 'You have the marks of a king; you should not be idling among the common herd.' The boy replied: 'I am the son of an ominous curse-caster; how could I have the marks of a king?' The brahmacārin said further: 'According to my scriptures, your appearance and bodily form accord with the books of prognostication; you indeed correspond to them. When the king of this state passes away, he is sure to cede the throne to you.' The boy said: 'Indeed, if it is as your benevolence faithfully declares, I shall remember your great kindness.' When the brahmacārin finished speaking, he soon fled away and traveled to another kingdom. A short time thereafter, the king passed away without an heir. They searched for a worthy man to be the state's successor. Envoys were dispatched in all four directions; seeing from afar that this boy possessed the bearing of an extraordinary man, they immediately dispatched someone to return and report to the ministers: 'Just prepare the royal carriage, and come soon to receive and welcome him.' The ministers and all officials were overjoyed. They bathed him with scented water, dressed him in the court robes of the five seasons, and with a jeweled crown and a sword-belt, he ascended the throne in the palace. Facing south, he proclaimed his rule. The borders and territory were peaceful, and the common people rejoiced. At that time, the brahmacārin looked up to examine the heavenly signs and looked down to observe the geography, knowing that he had already succeeded to the throne. Thereupon, he went to the palace gate and requested an audience with the king. The brahmacārin divined and offered congratulations, invoking a vow, saying: 'It is truly as pledged!' The king said: 'Indeed! You may have whatever you desire.' The brahmacārin replied: 'I only seek two wishes: first, that my food and drink, movements, clothing, sleeping and waking be on par with the king; second, that in deliberating on state affairs, decisions be made by mutual agreement, and that you do not act unilaterally.' The king said: 'Excellent.' The king governed with the correct Dharma, not oppressing the myriad common people. The brahmacārin, arrogant and willful, slighted the senior ministers. The ministers, resentful and indignant, jointly submitted a remonstrance, saying: 'The king’s status is elevated and exalted. It is fitting to deliberate state affairs with the state’s senior elders. Yet by partial trust in a mendicant, you have allowed him to be arrogant and willful, insulting all the officials. If neighboring states hear of this, they will mock us, bringing about calamity from invasion.' The king said: 'I made a pledge with him; how can it be abandoned?' The ministers remonstrated unceasingly: 'When the king eats, do not dine with him; then he must surely change.' The king then consented to this. Watching until the brahmacārin went out, he ate before him. The brahmacārin said in anger: 'What was the original agreement, that you eat alone first?' He cursed: 'Bah, son of an ominous curse!' He was merely provided with travel supplies and driven out of the kingdom. Traveling the long road alone, enduring the cold and heat, exhausted and haggard, he reached another country. He went to the house of another brahmacārin with whom he had old ties of kinship. [The host] questioned him, saying: 'Where do you come from? What have you mastered and studied? What scriptures have you worked on; can you remember them all?' He replied: 'I have come from afar, pressed by hunger and cold; I have forgotten what I studied and recited.' The host brahmacārin thought to himself: 'This man can do nothing; I should have him farm the fields.' He then gave him a male slave along with a plow-ox and farming implements. The brahmacārin farmed and planted, toiling the slave harshly, cruelly forcing him to level the ground and run errands to and fro. The slave was desperate, and wishing to throw himself into the water, he went to the riverside, where he found a clog made of the seven precious substances. He thought to himself: 'The brahmacārin wears me out with unceasing toil. I ought to show him respect; by presenting this clog to him, I might obtain his forgiveness.' Thereupon, taking the clog, he returned and presented it to him. The brahmacārin was joyful, and thought to himself: 'This clog of seven precious substances is of inestimable value. Having crossed the king's will, if I offer this clog to him, my fault and blame may be dissolved.' He soon returned to the king’s state and presented the clog to the king, deeply confessing his former guilt and transgression, wishing that pardon be granted. The king said: 'Excellent.' He then placed him inside the curtain and offered him a seat. Gathering all the ministers, he decreed: 'Do you gentlemen see the former brahmacārin?' They answered: 'We do not see him.' The king said: 'Supposing you saw him, what should be done with him?' All said: 'He should be punished with the five cruelties.' The king brought out the precious clog and showed it to the ministers, ordering the brahmacārin to come out and meet the ministers: 'Having brought this extraordinary treasure, we should jointly pardon him.' The ministers stated: 'This brahmacārin’s crimes are like mountains and seas. In presenting one clog, what does it make amends for? If a pair is obtained, his crime may be wiped out.' The king then agreed, and once again drove out the brahmacārin, ordering him to seek the other one. Agonized, the brahmacārin returned to his former host, and asked the slave: 'Where did you originally obtain that precious clog before?' The slave went with him and showed him the place where he obtained the clog. Reaching the waterside, he searched everywhere at will, but could not find the place of its twin. The slave departed. The brahmacārin thought: 'This clog must have floated down from the upper stream.' He immediately traveled upstream, and saw a great lotus flower swirling in the waves, held in the mouth of a fish. The flower had over a thousand petals. The brahmacārin thought: 'Although I did not obtain the clog, by offering this flower to him, perhaps my fault may be dissolved and I may regain my former favor.' Thereupon taking the flower, he saw four sages sitting beneath a tree. The sages said: 'Where do you come from?' He replied: 'I lost the king's favor. Although I presented one clog, it was insufficient to dissolve my fault. Therefore I came upstream seeking it, but have not yet obtained it.' The sages told him: 'You are a student; you ought to know when to advance and retreat. The king of that country is our disciple; while living he served us with love and respect, sharing meals and seating with us. How could you suddenly curse him as the son of an ominous curse? The crime extends to execution and harm. Now, not interrogating you, we point beneath the tree. The king's former body was our attendant, who died with his legs raised. One precious clog fell into the water, and one remained on his foot.' The brahmacārin took the clog, bowed with his head to the ground to apologize for his fault, returned to his home country, and continuously presented it to the king. The king was immediately delighted, the ministers' resentment was dissolved, and his favored position was restored. The Buddha said: 'The king was my own person. The four sages were Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, Kāśyapa Buddha, and Maitreya Buddha. The brahmacārin was Devadatta.' (Extracted from the Sūtra on the Five Sages.)