經律異相 15.33

15.33

舍衛國歲飢。諸比丘各欲分散。以為歲節。阿難言。若諸比丘詣餘國而造歲節。此無數人失於德本。假使如來止此。舍衛多所安隱。波斯匿聞。請佛及僧三月供養。佛言。過去世時。波羅奈國王。名梵達有大威德。名稱遠聞。時國飢饉乞者眾多。王憙施與。四面雲集。天久不雨。穀米轉貴人民飢困。乞者日滋倉廩虛竭。大臣請息。王曰。若爾違我本心。何忍逆之。時諸明法吏宣告四遠。敢有乞者皆棄都市。乞者愁憂王問。大臣答曰。有此遠來得。梵志即入。王問。誰使汝來梵志答。腹使我來。時王愍以偈報曰。施赤犢牛千頭并諸犢子。梵志者阿難是（出生經第三卷腹使經大同小異）。

In the state of Śrāvastī there was a famine. The monks all wished to disperse to observe the rains retreat elsewhere. Ānanda said, "If the monks go to other lands to observe the rains retreat, countless people here will lose their roots of virtue. If the Tathāgata remains here, Śrāvastī will enjoy much peace and well-being." Prasenajit heard of this and invited the Buddha and the Saṅgha to receive offerings for three months. The Buddha said, "In a past age, there was a king of the realm of Vārāṇasī named Brahmadatta, possessed of great majesty and virtue, whose fame was heard far and wide. At that time, there was a famine in the kingdom, and beggars were numerous. The king delighted in giving, and people gathered like clouds from the four directions. It did not rain for a long time; grains grew increasingly expensive, and the people suffered from hunger. The beggars increased daily, and the granaries were depleted. The great ministers begged him to stop. The king said, 'If I do so, it will go against my original aspiration; how could I bear to turn them away?' At that time, officials who understood the law proclaimed to the four directions: 'Whoever dares to beg shall be cast out into the city marketplace.' The beggars grieved. The king inquired, and a minister replied, 'There is a person who has come from afar and gained entrance.' The brahmacārin then entered. The king asked, 'Who sent you here?' The brahmacārin answered, 'My belly sent me here.' The king took pity on him and replied in verse, giving a thousand red cows along with their calves. That brahmacārin was Ānanda." (Extracted from the third fascicle of the Sūtra of Previous Lives; the Belly-Sent Sūtra is largely identical with minor differences.)