[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) › 25.12 # 經律異相 25.12 經律異相 25.12 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [25.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25.12) 過去有國。名波羅奈。王名曰大光明。心慈一切不逆人意。有一小王常懷惡逆。大王於月齋日。以五百大象載珍寶衣食。著大市中及四城門外。布施一切。時敵國怨家聞。王布施恣前人意。心生嫉妬。即集諸臣。誰能乞大光明王頭。賞金千斤。有一婆羅門言我能。王即資給。婆羅門往到界上。其地六種震動。禽獸四散日月無精星宿失度。赤黑白虹晝夜常現流星崩落。於其國中諸泉浴池而皆枯乾。婆羅門往到城門。時守門神語守門者言。此人大惡。從遠方來欲乞大王頭。汝莫聽入。時婆羅門停滯一七日不能得前。語守門者。我從遠來欲見大王。時守門者即入白王。王聞即出奉迎。如子見父前為作禮問所從來。冒涉塗路得無疲惓。婆羅門言。我在他方聞。王布施不逆人意。名聲遠聞上徹蒼天下徹黃泉。故從遠來欲有所得。王言。我一切施有所求索莫自疑難。婆羅門言。審實爾不。我不用餘物。今欲大祀。從王乞頭。王自思惟。從無始來未曾為法。空受生死勞我精神。今有此身欲求菩提誓及眾生。今不與者違我本心。何緣當得成無上菩提。王言大善。須我撿挍委付國位夫人太子。過於七日當相給與。爾時大王。即入宮中報諸夫人言。有婆羅門。欲乞我頭我已許之。夫人太子聞是語已。身投於地舉聲大哭自拔頭髮裂壞衣裳。而作是言。大王天下所重莫若己身。云何今日持用施人。時五百大臣語婆羅門言。汝用是臭爛膿血頭為。婆羅門言。我自乞匃用問我為。大臣言。卿入我國我應問卿卿應答我。時婆羅門。正欲實答心懷恐懼畏斷其命。時大臣言。我等今者施汝無畏以大王故。貧婆羅門何用是頭為。我等五百。人人作一七寶頭。共相貿易并與所須。婆羅門言。吾不用也。時諸大臣不果所願。舉聲悲哭上白大王。何忍捨國夫人太子。為一婆羅門永棄孤背。王言。今為一切故捨此身。時第一大臣聞王語定。即自思惟。我今云何當見大王捨此身命。即入靜室以刀自害。爾時大王。便入後園喚婆羅門來。汝從我乞頭。我愍汝故不逆汝意。令我來世得智慧頭施於汝等。作是語已即起合掌。向十方佛作禮而言。十方諸佛諸尊菩薩威神護助令我此事必得成辦。語婆羅門隨汝持去。時婆羅門言。王有力士之力臨時苦痛脫能變悔或反害我。王審能爾者何不以頭髮自繫樹枝。王聞是語心生慈愍。此婆羅門老而且羸若當不能斷我頭者而失大利。即隨其言以髮縛樹。語婆羅門。汝斷我頭還著我手中。我當以手授與於汝。時婆羅門捉刀而前。爾時樹神即以手搏婆羅門悶絕倒地。爾時大光明王語樹神言。汝不助我反起留難。樹神聞是心生苦痛。即唱苦哉。於虛空中無雲雨血。天地大動日無精光。時婆羅門尋斷王頭持還本國。爾時五百太子及諸群臣。收大王所餘身骨起塔供養。佛告阿難。爾時第一大臣聞大光明王以頭布施。心不堪忍尋自捨命者今舍利弗是。爾時大光明王者釋迦是（出大方便佛報恩經第四卷）。 > In the past, there was a kingdom named Vārāṇasī. The king was named Mahāprabhāsa. His mind was compassionate toward all, and he never went against people's wishes. There was a petty king who constantly harbored malice and hostility. On fast days of the month, the great king would load precious jewels, clothing, food, and drink onto five hundred great elephants and place them in the great marketplace and outside the four city gates to bestow on all. When the enemy king heard that the king gave charity and indulged everyone's wishes, he felt jealousy in his heart. He immediately assembled his ministers, \[asking,\] 'Who can beg for King Mahāprabhāsa's head? The reward will be a thousand catties of gold.' There was a brāhmaṇa who said, 'I can.' The king at once provided him with provisions. When the brāhmaṇa reached the border, the earth shook in six ways, birds and beasts scattered in the four directions, the sun and moon lost their brilliance, the stars fell out of order, red, black, and white rainbows constantly appeared day and night, and shooting stars plummeted. Within that kingdom, all springs and bathing pools dried up. The brāhmaṇa reached the city gate. At that time, the gate-guarding deity said to the gatekeeper, 'This man is extremely evil; he comes from afar wishing to beg for the great king's head. Do not let him enter.' The brāhmaṇa was held up for seven days, unable to advance. He said to the gatekeeper, 'I have come from afar wishing to see the great king.' The gatekeeper then went in and reported to the king. Hearing this, the king came out to welcome him, just as a son sees his father, stepping forward to bow and asking where he came from: 'Braving this journey along the road, have you not grown weary?' The brāhmaṇa said, 'In another realm I heard of the king's giving, that you never go against people's wishes. Your renown is heard far and wide, reaching up to the blue heavens and down to the Yellow Springs. Therefore, I have come from afar wishing to obtain something.' The king said, 'I give all away; whatever you seek, do not hesitate.' The brāhmaṇa said, 'Is that truly so? I have no need for other things. Today I wish to hold a great sacrifice, and I beg for the king's head.' The king reflected to himself: 'From beginningless time, I have never acted for the sake of the Dharma, enduring saṃsāra in vain and wearying my spirit. Now that I have this body, I wish to seek bodhi and vow to reach all sentient beings. If I do not give it now, it will violate my original resolve; by what cause could I achieve supreme bodhi?' The king said, 'Very well. Wait until I arrange to entrust the kingdom's throne to my queen and the crown prince. After seven days, I shall give it to you.' At that time, the great king went into the palace and informed his queens, saying, 'There is a brāhmaṇa who wishes to beg for my head, and I have already promised it.' When the queens and the crown prince heard these words, they threw themselves onto the ground, wailed loudly, tore out their hair, and rent their clothes, saying: 'Great King, under heaven there is nothing more valued than one's own body. How can you now take it to bestow on someone else?' Then the five hundred ministers said to the brāhmaṇa, 'What will you do with this foul, rotting head of pus and blood?' The brāhmaṇa said, 'I am begging for it myself; why do you question me?' The ministers said, 'You have entered our kingdom; we should question you, and you should answer us.' The brāhmaṇa wished to answer truthfully, but harbored fear in his heart, dreading that they would end his life. The ministers said, 'We now grant you fearlessness on account of the great king. Poor brāhmaṇa, what will you do with this head? Each of us five hundred will make a head of the seven treasures, exchange it with you, and also provide all your needs.' The brāhmaṇa said, 'I have no need for them.' His wish not granted, the ministers wept sorrowfully, went up to report to the great king, \[saying,\] 'How can you bear to abandon the kingdom, your queen, and the crown prince, forever abandoning and forsaking us for the sake of a single brāhmaṇa?' The king said, 'Now, for the sake of all, I renounce this body.' At that time, the chief minister, hearing that the king's words were resolved, reflected to himself: 'How could I now bear to watch the great king give up this body and life?' He went into a quiet room and killed himself with a knife. At that time, the great king went into the back garden and called the brāhmaṇa to come: 'You begged for my head from me. Out of pity for you, I will not go against your wishes. May I in future lives obtain a head of wisdom to bestow upon you all.' Having spoken these words, he arose, joined his palms, bowed to the buddhas of the ten directions, and said, 'May the buddhas and revered bodhisattvas of the ten directions, with their divine power, protect and assist me so that this deed will certainly be accomplished!' He told the brāhmaṇa, 'Take it as you wish.' The brāhmaṇa said, 'The king has the strength of a mighty man; when the pain comes, you might change your mind or turn around to harm me. If the king is truly able to do this, why not tie your hair to a tree branch yourself?' Hearing these words, the king gave rise to compassion: 'This brāhmaṇa is old and frail; if he is unable to sever my head, he will lose a great benefit.' He followed his words and tied his hair to the tree, telling the brāhmaṇa, 'When you sever my head, place it in my hands; I shall present it to you with my own hands.' The brāhmaṇa took up the knife and advanced. At that time, the tree deity struck the brāhmaṇa with a hand, causing him to faint and collapse to the ground. Then King Mahāprabhāsa said to the tree deity, 'Instead of helping me, you raise obstacles!' Hearing this, the tree deity felt grief and distress, and cried out, 'How bitter!' In the empty sky, blood rained down without clouds, heaven and earth shook violently, and the sun lost its brilliant light. The brāhmaṇa soon severed the king's head and took it back to his own country. Then the five hundred princes and all the ministers gathered the remaining bones of the great king and erected a stūpa to make offerings to them. The Buddha said to Ānanda, 'The chief minister at that time who, hearing that King Mahāprabhāsa would give away his head, could not bear it and soon ended his own life, was Śāriputra today. King Mahāprabhāsa at that time was Śākyamuni.' (Drawn from the fourth fascicle of the Sūtra of Great Expedient Means for Repaying Kindness.) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 25.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25.11) - [Next: 25.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25.13) - [Up: 25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.25.12) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.25.12) · Pramāṇa