[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121) › 15.35 # 經律異相 15.35 經律異相 15.35 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [15.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15.35) 阿難與兩比丘。到阿育王國。在山向中。比丘之松上。香華自至。鈴鳴如語。山向比丘。不知何故。出四面作禮。還齋堂中誦經。阿難與兩比丘。化作乞兒。復將三百乞兒往乞食。山向比丘作食飯訖。索衣便假衣之。三百乞兒不肯復去。乃朝夕供養乞兒悉病。山向比丘便朝夕燒香請福合藥。三百乞兒悉死。山向比丘便行假匃沐浴棺斂。阿育國王令人葬之。後數日。阿難。又與兩比丘化作三書生。衣被潔淨。往到松中。山向比丘下講堂迎之。設座令坐。三書生謂山向比丘言。汝事佛欲以何求。山向比丘言。佛道者神道也。天地之間唯佛道神。我事佛者。欲願佛道度人非人。無他所求。三書生言。佛道不神也。但當空虛故也。人少有事者。汝何愚癡。追人事佛。山向比丘言。諸君所言非法也。佛道最神非人所見。變化無常非人所知。百姓愚癡自不知之。空作此語益諸君罪。三書生便怒。汝事佛不逆人意。汝工追我作奴不。山向比丘言。諾。三書生云。汝不中善奴。當令汝擔屎。汝自當得百石糞。若不得百石糞者。當斬汝頭。山向比丘便行擔屎。不能得多還謝書生力極不能得多。乞原罪負。三書生大怒。便取縛之。痛鞭三百。忽然自去。阿難便化作優婆塞。往語山向比丘。三書生所為無道。不當語王令治之乎。山向比丘言。此自我過故致此耳。事佛者無所愛惜。求頭與頭求軀與軀。我但擔屎見鞭此有何苦。阿難與兩比丘。復作阿育王。往告山向比丘言。事佛定自無益也。空自勤苦。人生世間須臾當死。何獨勤苦奉是經乎。我今欲相與議事。從我者佳。不從我者。道人必死。山向比丘言。大王欲議何事耶。王言我有貴女。才操絕人。面目好美。手如蜂子。我貪道人為人溫良。欲以相與故來報意。道人必當相從。山向比丘言。知王厚意。我奉佛法已積年歲。功德未成反貪王女。恥辱佛道是罪不小。王若相殺自當受之。王便使人將山向比丘詣市斬之。山向比丘便禮佛而去。顧與王謝。乃是阿難。山向比丘便前作禮頭面著地。阿難起持之。使之還坐悉自相識。阿難謂山向比丘。汝功德已成。汝當得道。我故試汝。視汝志意耳。山向比丘下地言。我無知被受佛恩。得在法中不能作善。煩苦神人來相憂念。阿難以道授山向比丘。俱上樓上誦經說義。合樂歡喜。阿育王作禮長跪。阿難問王。佛經有幾卷。王答言。佛經甚多不可計數。今見在經有十二部。有八萬四千卷。阿難問王。王已持幾卷。王答言。我已誦三昧經萬二千卷。般若波羅蜜經萬二千卷。阿難問王。王見經已多。乃知天地相去幾里。王答言。大品三昧經言。天地相去八十一萬里。阿難問王。地有幾品。王答言。般若波羅蜜經言。地有八十一城。城自有人。北城中人長十丈。中城中人長八尺。南城中人長三尺。阿難問王。王自知本是何人。王答言。不知識遠但能知近。已甞入泥犁。已甞上天。已甞更勤苦。已甞作奴婢。已甞作六畜。已甞入火中。已甞作善人。從作善人。得為國王。已見勤苦之事。不敢復為惡也。阿難言。王本是提惒竭佛比丘。名提頭羅。山向比丘是釋迦文佛。比丘須拔者也。自從佛去後。我人孤窮持法不固。以致罪過。踰歷年數。不復相識。我昔與山向比丘。俱生小家我為兄山向比丘為弟。常自相憐出入相追。初不相識。我後當為國王。山向比丘來生我亦不識。天下反覆轉相寄生。不可稱數。今者自知得脫生死。便授阿育王羅漢之道（出阿難現變經）。 > Ānanda, together with two monks, arrived in the kingdom of King Aśoka. In Shanxiang, upon the monk's pine tree, fragrant flowers arrived of themselves, and bells chimed as though speaking. The monk of Shanxiang did not know the reason; he came out, bowed to the four quarters, and returned to the vegetarian hall to recite sūtras. Ānanda and the two monks transformed themselves into beggars and, leading three hundred other beggars, went to beg for food. The monk of Shanxiang prepared food, and when they had finished eating, they asked for robes, so he lent them clothing. The three hundred beggars refused to leave, so he provided for them morning and evening. All the beggars fell ill. The monk of Shanxiang then burned incense morning and evening, praying for blessings, and compounded medicine. The three hundred beggars all died. The monk of Shanxiang then went about soliciting donations, bathed them, and encoffined them. The king of the Aśoka kingdom sent people to bury them. A few days later, Ānanda and the two monks again transformed themselves into three scholars, their robes and bedding spotless, and went among the pines. The monk of Shanxiang came down from the lecture hall to welcome them, set out seats, and had them sit. The three scholars said to the monk of Shanxiang, “What do you seek by serving the Buddha?” The monk of Shanxiang said, “The Buddha's Path is a divine path. Between heaven and earth, only the Buddha's Path is divine. In serving the Buddha, I wish and vow through the Buddha's Path to deliver humans and non-humans, seeking nothing else.” The three scholars said, “The Buddha's Path is not divine; it is merely empty and void. Few people follow it. Why are you so foolish as to follow others in serving the Buddha?” The monk of Shanxiang said, “What you gentlemen say is contrary to the Dharma. The Buddha's Path is supremely divine, not something seen by ordinary people. Its transformations and impermanence are not something ordinary people can know. The common people are foolish and do not know it themselves. Making such vain statements only increases your guilt, gentlemen.” The three scholars then grew angry: “If you serve the Buddha, you should not go against people's wishes. Are you able to follow us and be our slave?” The monk of Shanxiang said, “Yes.” The three scholars said, “You are not fit to be a good slave; we shall have you carry night soil. You must obtain a hundred dān of dung on your own. If you fail to obtain a hundred dān of dung, we shall cut off your head.” The monk of Shanxiang then went out to carry night soil. Unable to obtain much, he returned to apologise to the scholars: “My strength is exhausted and I could not obtain much. I beg you to forgive my fault.” The three scholars were furious; they seized him, tied him up, flogged him severely three hundred times, and suddenly vanished on their own. Ānanda then transformed into an upāsaka, went to the monk of Shanxiang, and said, “What the three scholars did was unprincipled. Should you not report it to the king so that they may be punished?” The monk of Shanxiang said, “This was brought upon me by my own faults alone. One who serves the Buddha begrudges nothing: if asked for a head, he gives his head; if asked for a body, he gives his body. I only carried night soil and was flogged—what suffering is there in this?” Ānanda and the two monks then turned into King Aśoka and went to tell the monk of Shanxiang, “Serving the Buddha is certainly of no benefit. It is merely vain toil and suffering. Born into this world, a person must die in an instant. Why alone toil and suffer to uphold this scripture? I now wish to discuss a matter with you. If you comply with me, it will be well; if you do not comply, you, man of the Path, must die.” The monk of Shanxiang said, “What matter does the Great King wish to discuss?” The king said, “I have an exalted daughter whose talents and conduct surpass all others; her face and eyes are fair and beautiful, and her hands are like bee larvae. I admire you, man of the Path, for being gentle and good, and wish to give her to you; therefore I have come to make known my intention. You, man of the Path, must comply with me.” The monk of Shanxiang said, “I know the king's generous intention. I have upheld the Buddha's Dharma for accumulated years. Before my merit is accomplished, to covet instead the king's daughter and bring shame upon the Buddha's Path would be no small sin. If the king would kill me, I shall naturally accept it.” The king then sent men to take the monk of Shanxiang to the marketplace to be beheaded. The monk of Shanxiang then bowed to the Buddha and departed. Looking back to take leave of the king, he saw that it was actually Ānanda. The monk of Shanxiang then came forward, bowed with head and face to the ground. Ānanda rose, supported him, and made him sit down again; they all recognised one another. Ānanda said to the monk of Shanxiang, “Your merit is already accomplished, and you are destined to attain the Path. I tested you on purpose, merely to observe your resolve.” The monk of Shanxiang stepped down to the ground and said, “Ignorant as I am, I received the Buddha's grace and was able to be in the Dharma, yet I could not perform good deeds, troubling the divine person to come with such concern.” Ānanda transmitted the Path to the monk of Shanxiang, and together they ascended to the upper storey, reciting scriptures and explaining their meanings in shared joy and delight. King Aśoka bowed and knelt upright. Ānanda asked the king, “How many fascicles of Buddhist scriptures are there?” The king replied, “The Buddhist scriptures are exceedingly numerous, beyond counting. The scriptures currently extant consist of twelve divisions, comprising eighty-four thousand fascicles.” Ānanda asked the king, “How many fascicles have you already upheld?” The king replied, “I have already recited twelve thousand fascicles of the Samādhi Sūtra, and twelve thousand fascicles of the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra.” Ānanda asked the king, “Since you have seen so many scriptures, do you know how many li separate heaven and earth?” The king replied, “The Large Chapter Samādhi Sūtra states that heaven and earth are eight hundred and ten thousand li apart.” Ānanda asked the king, “How many grades of earth are there?” The king replied, “The Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states that the earth has eighty-one cities, and each city has its people. The people in the northern city are ten zhang tall; those in the central city are eight chi tall; those in the southern city are three chi tall.” Ānanda asked the king, “Do you know who you originally were?” The king replied, “I cannot know the distant past, but can only know the recent past. I have once entered Naraka; I have once ascended to heaven; I have once undergone toil and suffering; I have once been a slave; I have once been domestic animals; I have once entered fire; and I have once been a good person. From having been a good person, I obtained becoming a king. Having witnessed matters of toil and suffering, I dare not do evil again.” Ānanda said, “You, O King, were originally a monk under Dīpaṃkara Buddha named Titouluo. The monk of Shanxiang was the monk Subhadra under Śākyamuni Buddha. Since the Buddha passed away, our people have been destitute and failed to uphold the Dharma firmly, thereby incurring guilt and transgressions; over the passing of many years, they no longer recognised each other. Formerly, the monk of Shanxiang and I were both born into an ordinary family; I was the elder brother, and the monk of Shanxiang was the younger brother. We always loved each other and followed each other in going out and coming in, without initially recognising this. In the future I shall become a king, and when the monk of Shanxiang is reborn, I shall also not recognise him. In this world, the turning and dependent rebirths are beyond counting. Knowing now that he is to be liberated from saṃsāra, he then transmitted the path of an arhat to King Aśoka.” (Extracted from the Sūtra on Ānanda's Manifesting Transformations) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 15.34](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15.34) - [Next: 15.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15.36) - [Up: 15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.15.35) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15.35](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.15.35) · Pramāṇa