經律異相 15.21

15.21

佛告王曰。王宿奉三尊今受宿福。得生人道去女為男獲世上位。夫王者之法當以聖人教令制御其心。恕己育民。妖言燒國之火也。王其慎之。王稽首受教王又留佛。時三月七寶床机帷帳茵褥病藥之供竭盡國珍。佛未之許。王心念曰。供養之上孰勝吾者。佛知王心有貢高意。即謂王曰。有勝王者其惠無量。王曰。願聞其名。佛曰。維綾縣有至孝之子。其名歡豫。奉佛三寶受吾明法。恕己視彼等育群生。清貞守真手不持寶。并諸利刃賣器養親。不諍其價忍辱慈惠。以正道為心。以聖典為樂。不敢娶妻。懼傲其親以為不孝。每之佛所側心聽法。為親陳喪明之苦不清覩佛。言之流涕。佛取其食撤其屋瓦舉門無怨。喜忘飢十有五日。其為至仁至孝德難具陳。吾當周行教化天下不得就王請。王有慍心與。佛曰。論功喻德。彼仁清貞信孝行難齊。興居周旋未甞不孝。仁德思親斯行難等。非所能逮矣。王曰善哉。歡豫至孝為佛所歎。德稱之美乃至於茲。吾當貢之助其養也。迦葉佛說經竟。遊行教化。王遣使者。重載五百乘車。粳米麻油醍醐石蜜雜物珍寶。謙辭致敬。使者到曰。天中天。重歎賢者至孝普慈。大王欣歡使吾致虔。願納此貢。以育于親并供養佛。歡豫對曰。大王慈惠助吾。還宮具宣此意。同縣梵志子名花結。與歡豫𩮰角善友。累劫結親道化相成。久而益厚。共於深水浴。遙覩大樹。歡豫指曰。迦葉如來聖人在此。須先謁拜。佛道難忘吾敢冀矣。歡豫惻然曰。佛世難值猶優曇花。或復累劫乃一有耳。豈可失時。牽衣力挽共至佛所歡豫稽首華結不拜。揖讓而坐。歡豫白佛言。華結者與我𩮰角善友。邪迷未寤。願滅其癡。迦葉如來應病說法。心即開解敬信三寶。二人歡喜稽首俱退。花結尋路曰。世幸有佛家為穢藪。汝不作沙門為乎。對曰。吾親年在西垂。又俱喪明恃吾為命故不去家耳。華結曰。吾當為沙門矣。歡豫即如事啟佛即授其戒。億歲以後。生第四兜率天上。從天一下自致成佛。佛告諸比丘。時花結者我身是也。歡豫者阿難是。阿難為吾良友。力牽吾至佛所聽經令吾得佛。夫賢友之喻乃萬福之基。現世免王之牢獄。死則杜塞三塗之門戶。昇天得道皆賢友之助矣（出歡豫經）。

The Buddha told the king: “In past lives you served the Three Honoured Ones, and now you reap those past blessings, obtaining birth in the human realm, leaving behind womanhood to become a man, and gaining supreme status in the world. As for the way of a ruler, one must govern one's mind according to the teachings of the sages, measure others by oneself, and nurture the people. Slanderous talk is a fire that burns a state; take heed of this, O King.” The king bowed his head and received the instruction. The king then asked the Buddha to remain for three months, completely exhausting his state’s treasures on offerings of seven-jewelled beds, desks, curtains, mattresses, and medicines for illness; but the Buddha did not grant his request. The king thought to himself: “In making supreme offerings, who could surpass me?” Knowing that pride had arisen in the king’s mind, the Buddha immediately said to him: “There is someone who surpasses the king, whose kindness is immeasurable.” The king said: “I wish to hear his name.” The Buddha said: “In the county of Weiling there is a most filial son named Huanyu. He serves the Buddha and the Three Jewels, and receives my luminous Dharma. Measuring others by himself, he regards them with impartiality and nurtures all living beings. Pure and upright, preserving truth, his hands do not hold jewels or sharp blades; he sells pottery to support his parents, never disputing their price. Enduring forbearance and practicing compassionate benevolence, he takes the right path as his mind and finds joy in the sacred scriptures. He dares not take a wife, fearing she might be insolent toward his parents, which he considers unfilial. Whenever he goes to the Buddha's place, he listens to the Dharma with dedicated focus. He speaks to me of his parents' sorrow at losing their sight, unable to clearly behold the Buddha, weeping as he speaks. When the Buddha took his food and removed the tiles from his roof, the whole household harboured no resentment, rejoicing so much that they forgot their hunger for fifteen days. His supreme benevolence and supreme filiality possess virtues difficult to fully describe. I must travel about transforming all under Heaven, so I cannot accept the king's invitation.” The Buddha asked: “Does the king harbour resentment?” The Buddha said: “Assessing merit and illustrating virtue, that benevolent one’s pure integrity, faith, and filial conduct are hard to equal. In all his daily movements, he is never unfilial; his benevolent virtue in minding his parents is a practice difficult to match, beyond what you can attain.” The king said: “Excellent! Huanyu's supreme filiality is praised by the Buddha; the beauty of his virtuous reputation has reached such heights! I shall send tribute to aid his filial support.” After Kāśyapa Buddha finished preaching the scriptures, he travelled on to transform beings. The king dispatched messengers with five hundred heavily laden carts of non-glutinous rice, sesame oil, clarified butter (sarpirmaṇḍa), rock sugar, and various precious items, delivering them with humble words of respect. The messenger arrived and said: “The God among Gods repeatedly praised the virtuous one’s supreme filiality and universal compassion. The Great King rejoiced and sent me to pay respects. May you accept this tribute to support your parents and make offerings to the Buddha.” Huanyu replied: “The Great King shows me compassionate benevolence to assist me. Return to the palace and fully convey this sentiment.” In the same county was a brāhmaṇa’s son named Huajie, who was a childhood companion of Huanyu. Having formed close ties over many kalpas, they brought one another along in spiritual transformation; their bond grew ever deeper with time. While bathing together in deep water, they saw a large tree far off. Huanyu pointed and said: “Kāśyapa Tathāgata, the sage, is here; we must go pay homage first.” [Huajie said:] “The Buddha's path is hard to comprehend; how can I dare hope for it?” Huanyu sorrowfully said: “Meeting an era with a Buddha is as difficult as finding an uḍumbara flower, occurring perhaps once in many kalpas. How could we miss the opportunity?” Grasping his clothes, he pulled him with force, and together they arrived at the Buddha's place. Huanyu bowed his head, but Huajie did not bow, merely saluting courteously and taking a seat. Huanyu addressed the Buddha, saying: “Huajie is my childhood companion. In delusion and error, he has not yet awakened; may you dispel his folly.” Kāśyapa Tathāgata taught the Dharma in accordance with his illness; his mind immediately opened in understanding, and he faithfully revered the Three Jewels. The two rejoiced, bowed their heads, and withdrew together. Along the way, Huajie said: “Fortunately, there is a Buddha in the world, while household life is a cesspool of defilement. Will you not become a monk?” He replied: “My parents are in the twilight of their years and both have lost their sight, depending on me for their lives; therefore I cannot leave home.” Huajie said: “I will become a monk.” Huanyu reported the matter to the Buddha, who thereupon conferred the precepts upon him. After a hundred million years, he was born in the fourth, Tuṣita heaven, and descending from that heaven, he attained Buddhahood by his own effort. The Buddha told the monks: “Huajie of that time was myself, and Huanyu was Ānanda. Ānanda was my good friend; by forcefully dragging me to the Buddha’s place to hear the scriptures, he enabled me to become a Buddha. Indeed, the illustration of a virtuous friend is the foundation of myriad blessings: in this life one avoids the king's prisons, and at death the gates to the three evil destinies are blocked. Ascending to heaven and attaining the Way are all the assistance of a virtuous friend.” (Drawn from the *Huanyu jing*)