經律異相 18.53

18.53

路有一人。害所生母。止住樹下。啼哭懊惱。稱叫奈何。自責無狀而造大逆。自害我母當墮地獄。其人雖爾當修律行。溥首菩薩。見其現在應當得度。化作異人。携其父母詣害母人所。去之不遠中道而住。父母謂子此是正路。子言非正。遂共諍計。子現瞋怒殺化父母。已啼哭酸毒不能自勝。往殺母人所。謂言。我殺父母當墮地獄。哭言奈何。當設何計。其害母者而自念言。今此來人乃害二親。我但危母。其人癡冥罪莫大焉。我之為逆尚差於彼。知彼受罪吾猶覺輕。其人悲哀酸酷口並宣言。吾當往詣能仁佛所。其無救者佛為設救。其恐懅者佛能慰除。如佛所教我當奉遵。於時化人啼哭進路在其前行。此害母者尋隨其後。如彼悔過吾亦當爾。吾罪微薄彼人甚重。化人詣佛稽首于地。而白佛言。唯然世尊。吾造大逆而害二親。犯斯大罪。佛告化人。善哉善哉。子為至誠而無所欺言行相副詣如來前。言說至誠。口不兩舌。亦不自侵。當自察觀心之法。以何所心。危二親者。用過去心當來心乎。現在心耶。其過去心即已滅。現在心即以別去。無有處所。亦無方面。不知安在。當來心者。此則未至。無集聚處。未見旋反。亦無往還。子當知之。心亦不立於身之內。亦不由外亦無境界。不處兩間不得中止（如此文多不可備載）化人歎曰。未曾有。如來成最正覺。了知法界無有作者。亦無有受無有生者。無滅度者。無所依倚。願得出家。因佛世尊得作沙門。受具足戒。佛言。比丘善來。於時化人前作沙門。即白佛言。唯然世尊。吾獲神通今欲滅度。佛之威神使彼化人去地四丈九尺。於虛空中而取滅度。身中出火。還自燒體。逆子見之。心自念言。彼作沙門便得滅度。吾効此人。往詣佛所。稽首聖足。我亦造逆。自危母命。佛言。善哉。至誠而無所欺。言行相副。於是逆人地獄之火從毛孔出。其痛甚劇。而無救護。白佛言。我今被燒。唯天中天而見救濟。世尊出金色臂。著人頭上。火時即滅。見如來身。若干相好。身痛休息。而得安隱。又前白佛。欲作沙門。佛尋聽之。即為出家。說四諦法。其人聞之。遠塵離垢得法眼淨。修行法教。逮得往還。證得羅漢。又白佛言。欲般泥洹。佛言隨意。時比丘踊在虛空。去地四丈九尺。身自出火。還燒己體。百千天人於虛空中。而來供養。時舍利弗白佛言。如來恩施所說律。乃令逆者得度。唯有如來。諸大菩薩能覩一切群萌根源。隨而度之。非聲聞緣覺境界。佛言如是（出心本淨經）。

On a road there was a man who had killed his own birth mother. Stopping beneath a tree, he wept, lamented, and cried out, 'What can be done?' He blamed himself for being unprincipled and committing a heinous crime: 'Having killed my own mother, I am bound to fall into hell.' Although the man was like this, he was destined to practice the discipline. The bodhisattva Puṣou saw that in his present life he ought to be liberated, and manifested an illusory man who brought his parents to where the mother-killer was, stopping along the way not far from him. The parents said to the son, 'This is the right road.' The son said it was not the right one. They then disputed and argued. The son feigned anger and killed the illusory parents. Having done so, he wept bitterly and inconsolably, and went to where the mother-killer was, saying to him, 'Having killed my parents, I am bound to fall into hell!' Weeping, he said, 'What can be done? What plan should be devised?' The mother-killer thought to himself: 'Now this man who has come has actually killed both his parents, whereas I have only harmed my mother. That man is dark and foolish, and no sin is greater than his. My heinous crime is still less than his; knowing that he will suffer punishment, my own still feels light.' That man grieved bitterly, and openly declared: 'I must go to the presence of the Buddha, the Capable and Benevolent One. For those without rescue, the Buddha provides rescue; for those terrified, the Buddha can comfort and relieve them. As the Buddha teaches, so I shall obey.' Thereupon, the illusory man wept and proceeded along the road, walking in front of him. This mother-killer immediately followed behind him, [thinking,] 'As he repents, so should I also do. My sin is slight, whereas that man's is very grave.' The illusory man went to the Buddha, touched his head to the ground, and addressed the Buddha, saying, 'Indeed, Bhagavat, I have committed a heinous crime and killed both my parents, transgressing this great offense.' The Buddha said to the illusory man, 'Excellent, excellent! You are sincere without deceit, your words and actions matching, as you come before the Tathāgata. Your speech is truthful; your mouth is not double-tongued, nor do you violate yourself. You should inspect and observe the nature of the mind: With what mind did you harm your two parents? Was it with the past mind, the future mind, or the present mind? The past mind has already ceased; the present mind has already departed—it has no location, no direction, and one does not know where it abides. As for the future mind, it has not yet arrived—it has no place of gathering, has not been seen to return, and has no coming or going. You should know that the mind also does not stand within the body, nor does it arise from the outside, nor does it have a realm of objects; it does not abide between the two, nor can it be found in the middle.' (The text here is extensive and cannot be fully recorded.) The illusory man praised: 'Unprecedented! The Tathāgata has attained the most correct awakening, thoroughly understanding that within the dharma-realm there is no maker, nor any receiver; no one who is born, nor anyone who passes into extinction; and that it has nothing upon which it relies. I wish to go forth.' Through the Buddha, the Bhagavat, he was able to become a śramaṇa and receive the full precepts. The Buddha said, 'Come, monk!' At that time, the illusory man stepped forward and became a śramaṇa. He then addressed the Buddha, saying, 'Indeed, Bhagavat, I have attained supernatural powers and now wish to pass into extinction.' The Buddha's transcendent power caused that illusory man to ascend forty-nine feet above the ground, into the sky, and pass into extinction. Fire issued from his body, consuming his own form. Seeing this, the matricidal son thought to himself: 'He became a śramaṇa and immediately attained extinction. I shall follow this man.' He went to where the Buddha was, touched his head to the holy feet, [and said,] 'I have also committed a heinous crime and personally harmed my mother's life.' The Buddha said, 'Excellent! You are sincere without deceit, your words and actions matching.' Thereupon, the fires of hell emerged from the matricidal man's pores. The pain was extremely severe, and there was no help or rescue. He addressed the Buddha, saying, 'I am now being burned. Only the God among Gods can save me!' The Bhagavat extended his golden arm and placed it upon the man's head; the fire was immediately extinguished. Seeing the Tathāgata's body with its various marks and signs, his bodily pain ceased, and he found peace. He also stepped forward and addressed the Buddha, wishing to become a śramaṇa. The Buddha at once granted it, immediately having him go forth, and preached the teaching of the Four Noble Truths. Hearing it, the man left behind the dust and removed defilements, attaining the purity of the Dharma eye. Practicing the Dharma teachings, he attained the stage of returning and attained arhatship. He then addressed the Buddha, saying, 'I wish to enter parinirvāṇa.' The Buddha said, 'As you will.' At that time, the monk leaped into the sky, forty-nine feet above the ground; fire issued from his own body, consuming his own form. Hundreds of thousands of devas and humans came in the sky to make offerings. At that time, Śāriputra addressed the Buddha, saying, 'The Tathāgata's bestowed grace and preached discipline can actually cause those who committed heinous crimes to attain liberation. Only the Tathāgata and all the great bodhisattvas can discern the roots and origins of all living beings and liberate them accordingly; it is beyond the realm of śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas.' The Buddha said, 'It is so.' (Extracted from the *Sūtra on the Mind Being Originally Pure*.)