經律異相 24.23

24.23

過去世時。王名堅固。有四種兵。為轉輪王。攝御天下。以法為治。與七寶俱人間四妙。王於後時失於天輪。告太子頂來。我本從舊人聞。若轉輪王失天輪者。王必不長壽。太子。我已食人間欲。復欲求天欲。我欲剃髮被著法服信樂出家。我今以大海地與汝。汝當以法教令莫作非法。若復與汝天輪移處。堅固王學道七日天輪晝忽然不見。頂來王。白父王言。不可為王當云何。父王言。當作輪之福行可有是處。十五日說戒時。沐頭昇在堂上。東方有天輪來。非工巧所作。光炎極妙。齋日沐頭昇在堂上東。堅固王曰。子當如法觀行於男女婦子及諸臣民。非是一人沙門婆羅門。下至鳥鹿。當持齋月八日十四日十五日。施與沙門婆羅門貧窮孤老乞者。當以飲食衣被華鬘眾香床臥屋舍給與。使為明證。若界內所識沙門婆羅門。當至其所隨時問論。云何為善不善白黑報。云何現世義。云何後世義。云何作行受善不受惡。當如是覺。若界內有貧窮人。當施與財物。是為得輪之行。汝與行相應者便得。若十五日說戒時。沐頭昇堂上東方。當有天輪來至繼後有。頂來王。以法治行。於其界內施與財物。為轉輪王與七寶俱。人間四妙。云何曰妙。如上七寶如上四妙。彼輪於後時。天輪亦移處。至輪不現。頂來王亦初不憂慼。樂著婬欲不知敗壞。強御天下人民日減不增。先王如法但增不減。知明星婆羅門白言。天王當知。以欲御民但減不增。猶若過去諸轉輪王。與輪法相應人但增不減。王曰。我當云何。答曰。天王界內有明算法。有諸臣中明呪術知於輪法。王當與輪法行相應。若與相應者可有是處。輪便可得。十五日說戒時。沐浴昇高堂上東方。當得天輪。王曰。云何為輪行。令我行與相應。當如法見行於法於妻子至施物。是為天王天輪行。若應此行。可有是處便可得輪。頂來王。於後時行法於妻子至貧窮人。惜財不施既窮無物。便行偷盜。詣王罰之。王作是言。汝眾生真諦不與取耶。答言。實爾。我若不盜無以存命。王便與物。語彼人曰。汝去後莫復爾。復有窮者聞盜見王即賜其物。我等寧可作不與取便復行盜。盜轉增廣。人壽漸減。始八萬四千歲終至百年。時有過者。王言。若復於我界盜者。當悉著樹下以刀梟首。佛告諸比丘。當來人壽十歲（出阿含經第十四卷）。

In a past age, there was a king named Dṛḍha (Jian'gu). He possessed the four kinds of troops and was a wheel-turning king, governing the world, ruling with the Dharma, endowed with the seven treasures and the four worldly splendours. In later times, the king lost the celestial wheel. He said to the crown prince Mūrdhata (Dinglai), 'I originally heard from the elders: if a wheel-turning king loses the celestial wheel, the king will certainly not live long. Crown prince, I have already consumed human desires, and now I wish to seek celestial desires. I desire to shave my hair, put on the Dharma robes, and go forth with faithful delight. I now give you the earth of the great oceans. You must teach and govern by the Dharma, and do not commit illegal acts. If the celestial wheel moves again from its place...' King Dṛḍha practised the Path for seven days, and by day the celestial wheel suddenly disappeared. King Mūrdhata addressed his father, the king, saying, 'If I cannot be king, what should I do?' The father-king said, 'You must perform the meritorious practices of the wheel, and then it may be possible. On the fifteenth day, at the time of reciting the precepts, bathe your head and ascend the hall; from the eastern direction the celestial wheel will come. It is not made by craftsman's skill, and its brilliant flame is extremely exquisite. On the fast day, bathe your head and ascend the hall, to the east.' King Dṛḍha said, 'Son, you should observe and act according to the Dharma toward men, women, wives, children, and all ministers and subjects—not just toward one person—and toward śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, down to birds and deer. You should observe the fast on the eighth, fourteenth, and fifteenth days of the month, and give to śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, the poor, the destitute, the elderly, and beggars. You should supply them with food, drink, clothing, flower garlands, various perfumes, beds, bedding, and houses, making them your clear witnesses. If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas within your realm who are recognized, you should go to their dwellings and inquire and discuss with them from time to time: What is wholesome and unwholesome, white and black retribution? What is the meaning of the present world? What is the meaning of the future world? How does one practice so as to receive good and not receive evil? You should be aware of this. If there are poor people within your realm, you should give them wealth. This is the practice for obtaining the wheel. If your practice accords with this, then you will obtain it. If on the fifteenth day, at the time of reciting the precepts, you bathe your head and ascend the hall, from the eastern direction the celestial wheel will come and succeed after.' King Mūrdhata governed and acted according to the Dharma, bestowing wealth within his realm, and became a wheel-turning king, endowed with the seven treasures and the four worldly splendours. What are the splendours? As mentioned above, the seven treasures, and as mentioned above, the four splendours. Later, that celestial wheel also moved from its place until the wheel disappeared. King Mūrdhata, however, was not at all grieved at first; attached to lustful desires, he did not realize the decline and ruin. He forcibly governed the world, and the people decreased day by day and did not increase; whereas under the former king, [governing] according to the Dharma, they only increased and did not decrease. A brāhmaṇa who knew the bright stars addressed him, saying, 'Heavenly King, you should know: governing the people with desire only causes decrease and not increase. Like the past wheel-turning kings, when one accords with the Dharma of the wheel, the people only increase and do not decrease.' The king said, 'What should I do?' He replied, 'Within the Heavenly King's realm, there are those who understand arithmetic, and among the ministers there are those skilled in incantations who know the Dharma of the wheel. The king should accord with the practice of the Dharma of the wheel; if you accord with it, it may be possible, and the wheel can be obtained. On the fifteenth day, at the time of reciting the precepts, bathe and ascend the high hall, and from the eastern direction you will obtain the celestial wheel.' The king said, 'What is the practice of the wheel, so that my actions may accord with it?' [The reply was,] 'You should see and practice according to the Dharma toward wives, children, down to giving things. This is the practice of the celestial wheel for the Heavenly King. If you accord with this practice, it may be possible, and you can obtain the wheel.' Later, King Mūrdhata practiced the Dharma toward wives and children, down to the poor. Yet, begrudging his wealth, he did not give it away; when [the people] were destitute and had nothing, they engaged in theft. They were brought to the king for punishment. The king said, 'You living beings, did you truly take what was not given?' They answered, 'It is indeed so. If I did not steal, I would have no way to stay alive.' The king then gave him goods and said to that person, 'Go, and do not do so again.' Other poor people heard: 'If one steals and sees the king, he bestows goods upon him. We might as well take what is not given!' and they also committed theft. Theft increased and spread. Human lifespan gradually decreased, starting from eighty-four thousand years and eventually reaching one hundred years. At that time, when there were offenders, the king said, 'If anyone steals in my realm again, they shall all be placed beneath a tree and beheaded with a knife.' The Buddha told the monks, 'In the future, human lifespan will be ten years.' (Taken from the fourteenth fascicle of the Āgama-sūtra.)