經律異相 25.14

25.14

王大精進。視一切眾生如母愛子。世中無佛。釋提桓因命欲終時心自念言。何處有一切智人。處處問難不能斷疑愁憂而坐。巧變化師名毘首羯摩天。問曰。天主。何以愁憂。答曰。我求一切智人不可得是故愁憂。毘首羯摩曰。有菩薩布施持戒禪定智慧不久當得作佛。帝釋問誰。答曰。是優尸那種尸毘王。釋提桓因語毘首羯摩。今當試之言。毘首羯摩變身作一赤眼赤足鴿。釋提桓因變身作鷹。急飛逐鴿直來入腋下。舉身戰怖動眼促聲。是時眾多人相與而語。是王慈仁一切宜保護。如鴿小鳥歸之如人入舍。爾時鷹在近樹上。語尸毘王。還與我鴿此我所受。王時語鷹。我前受此非是汝受。我初發意時受一切眾生皆欲度之。鷹言。王欲度一切眾生。我非一切耶。何以獨不見愍而奪我食。王答言。汝須何食。我作誓願其有眾生來歸我者必救護之。汝須何食亦當相給。鷹言。我須新殺熱肉。王心念言。如此難得自非殺生無由得也。我當云何殺一與一。思惟既定曰。

The king was of great vigor, viewing all sentient beings just as a mother loves her child. There was no buddha in the world. When Śakra Devānām Indra was about to end his life, he thought to himself: 'Where is there an omniscient person?' He asked difficult questions in many places, but was unable to resolve his doubts, and sat in sorrow. A master of skillful transformations named the deva Viśvakarman asked, 'Lord of Devas, why are you sorrowful?' He answered, 'I have sought an omniscient person and could not find one; therefore, I am sorrowful.' Viśvakarman said, 'There is a bodhisattva who practices giving, morality, meditation, and wisdom; before long he will become a buddha.' Śakra asked, 'Who is he?' He answered, 'It is King Śibi of the Uśīnara clan.' Śakra Devānām Indra said to Viśvakarman, 'We shall now test him.' Viśvakarman transformed his body into a dove with red eyes and red feet. Śakra Devānām Indra transformed his body into a hawk, flying swiftly in pursuit of the dove, which came directly under [the king's] armpit, trembling with terror all over, darting its eyes, and gasping for breath. At that time, many people said to one another, 'This king is kind and benevolent; it is fitting for him to protect everything. When a small bird like a dove seeks refuge with him, it is like a person entering a house.' At that time, the hawk perched on a nearby tree and said to King Śibi, 'Return the dove to me; this is my catch.' The king said to the hawk, 'I received it first; it is not yours to take. When I first resolved my mind, I took in all sentient beings, wishing to deliver all of them.' The hawk said, 'The king wishes to deliver all sentient beings; am I not among all? Why do you alone not show pity to me, and instead snatch my food?' The king answered, 'What food do you require? I have made a vow: if any sentient being comes to take refuge in me, I must rescue and protect them. What food you require, I will also give you.' The hawk said, 'I require freshly killed, warm meat.' The king reflected: 'Such a thing is hard to obtain; without killing, there is no way to get it. How could I kill one to give to another?' Having completed his reflection, he said: