[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) › 22.4 # 經律異相 22.4 經律異相 22.4 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [22.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22.4) 舍衛國。有山民村。五六十家。去國五百里。村中有一貧家。婦懷妊十月雙生二男。大端正無比。父母愛之。為子作字。一名雙德。二名雙福。生五六十日。其父牧牛息臥床上。其母拾薪未反。此二兒共相責詰。一言前時垂當得道。正坐愚意謂命可常。退墮生死不可計劫。今生此貧家。蓑草之物以為氈褐。食飲麁惡裁自支命。如此至久云何可活。皆坐前世戀慕富貴。放身散意快樂須臾。從爾以來長塗受苦。如今憂惱當奈何恃怙。一人答言。時有小難一時之勤不竟精進。而今數世遭諸惡患。此是自為非父母作也。但共當之復何所言。父聞怪之謂呼是鬼。曼小未大宜當殺之。父驚到田中。收取樵薪欲燒殺之。母還問夫。用此薪何為。夫說如是。母聞罔然。明日夫婦俱出潛聽。二子相責如故。便共集薪密欲燒之。佛天眼見。往到村中普放光明。天地大動。山川樹木皆作金色。到雙生小兒家。二兒見佛光明。喜踊難量。父母又驚各抱一子。將至佛所問佛世尊。此兒生來四五十日。所說如是甚共怪之。恐作禍害欲火燒之。不知為是何等鬼魅也。唯願解說。小兒見佛踊躍歡喜。佛見小兒大笑。口出五色光。普照天地。佛告。此二小兒非是鬼魅。福德之子。前迦葉佛時作沙門。少小共為朋友。同志出家各自精進。臨當得道欻起邪想。共相沮敗樂世榮華。恃福生天。下為侯王國主長者。欻起是想便自退轉。不得泥洹更此生死。彌連歲數常相鉤牽。輒共雙生遭我世時。今始乃生。已曾供養佛故餘福應度。生識宿命今來度之。我不度者橫為火所燒。即說偈言。 > In the kingdom of Śrāvastī there was a mountain village of fifty or sixty households, five hundred leagues away from the capital. In the village was a poor household. The wife was pregnant for ten months and gave birth to twin boys, who were exceedingly handsome without match. Their parents loved them and named the children: one was called Shuangde (Double Virtue) and the other Shuangfu (Double Fortune). When they were fifty or sixty days old, their father was herding cattle and had rested to sleep on the bed, while their mother was out collecting firewood and had not yet returned. These two children then reproached each other. One said, “Formerly, when we were on the verge of attaining the Way, it was precisely because of foolish notions, thinking that life was permanent, that we fell back into birth-and-death for incalculable kalpas. Now we have been born into this poor household, where rain-cloaks of grass are used as felt and coarse cloth, and the food and drink are coarse and wretched, barely supporting our lives. Going on like this for so long, how can we survive? All of this was because in our former lives we longed for wealth and rank, indulging our bodies and scattering our minds for momentary pleasures. From then on, we have suffered on this long journey. Now, in this anxiety and distress, what can we rely upon?” The other replied, “At that time, faced with a small difficulty, we did not see our diligent effort through with vigor for a single moment, and so now for many lifetimes we have encountered various evil misfortunes. This was done by ourselves, not caused by our parents. We must simply bear it together; what more is there to say?” Their father, hearing this, thought it strange and called them ghosts, thinking, ‘While they are still small and not yet grown, it would be fitting to kill them.’ In fright, the father went into the fields to gather firewood, wishing to burn them to death. The mother returned and asked her husband, “What are you using this firewood for?” The husband explained as before. The mother heard this in bewilderment. The next day, the husband and wife went out together and eavesdropped in secret. The two children were reproaching each other as before. They then gathered firewood together, secretly intending to burn them. The Buddha saw this with his divine eye and came to the village, universally emitting light. Heaven and earth shook violently, and the mountains, rivers, and trees all turned golden in color. He arrived at the home of the twin infant boys. Seeing the Buddha’s light, the two children leapt with boundless joy. The parents were also startled, and each took a child in their arms and brought them to the Buddha, asking the Bhagavat, “These children were born forty or fifty days ago, yet they spoke in such a manner. We were very suspicious of them and feared they would cause harm, so we wanted to burn them with fire. We do not know what kind of demonic spirits they are. We only pray you explain.” The children saw the Buddha and leapt for joy. The Buddha saw the children and smiled broadly, his mouth emitting rays of light of five colors, universally illuminating heaven and earth. The Buddha said, “These two children are not demonic spirits; they are children of merit and virtue. Formerly, in the time of the Buddha Kāśyapa, they became śramaṇas. They had been friends since youth and, with a common aspiration, left home, each exerting vigorous effort. When they were on the verge of attaining the Way, improper thoughts suddenly arose in them: they disheartened each other and delighted in worldly glory and luxury, wishing to rely on their merit to be born in heaven and descend as lords, kings, rulers, and elders. When this thought suddenly arose, they retrogressed of themselves, failed to attain nirvāṇa, and underwent this cycle of birth-and-death. Year after year they were constantly bound together, always being born as twins. When they encountered my age, only now were they born. Because they had once made offerings to the Buddha, their remaining merit is such that they should be delivered. Having been born with the recollection of their past lives, I have now come to deliver them. If I had not delivered them, they would have been burned by fire undeservedly.” Then he spoke these verses: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 22.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22.3) - [Next: 22.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22.5) - [Up: 22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.22.4) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.22.4) · Pramāṇa