經律異相 27.25

27.25

時有國王。名曰犍陀。奉事婆羅門居在山中。多種果樹樵人毀樹。時婆羅門。將詣王所言其無狀。殘敗果樹請王治殺王敬事婆羅門。即為殺戮。自後未久。有牛食人稻。其主遂捶牛折一角。血流被面痛不可忍。牛徑到王所白言。我實無狀食人少稻。今捶折我角。王曉鳥獸語。告牛言。當為汝治殺之。牛言。雖殺此人不止我痛。但當約勅後莫苦人。王便感念。我事婆羅門。但坐果樹令我殺人。不如此牛也。便呼婆羅門問言。今事此道有何福乎。婆羅門報言。可得攘災致福富貴長壽。王復問言。可得脫於生死不。報言。不得免於生死也。王到佛所。五體投地為佛作禮白言。我聞佛道至尊。教化天下所度無數。願受法言以自改革。佛即授王五戒十善。為說一切天地人物無生不死者。布施持戒現世得福。忍辱精進心行智慧者其德無量。後生天上亦可得作遮迦越王。可得無為度世之道。佛現相好威神光耀。王歡喜意解。得須陀洹道。牛後七日壽終。上生天上（出揵陀國王經）。

Once there was a king named Gandha who served a brāhmaṇa living in the mountains. [The brāhmaṇa] had planted many fruit trees, and woodcutters damaged them. Thereupon the brāhmaṇa brought [one of them] before the king, stating his misdeed of ravaging the fruit trees, and asked the king to execute him. Because the king reverently served the brāhmaṇa, he immediately had [the man] executed. Not long thereafter, an ox ate someone's rice crops. Its owner beat the ox, breaking one of its horns; blood flowed over its face, and the pain was unbearable. The ox went straight to the king and said: 'I indeed was negligent and ate a little of someone's rice, and now he has beaten me and broken my horn.' The king understood the speech of birds and beasts. He said to the ox: 'I shall have him executed for you.' The ox said: 'Even if you kill this man, it will not stop my pain. You should only command him never to torment others hereafter.' The king was moved to reflect: 'I serve a brāhmaṇa, yet merely on account of fruit trees he caused me to kill a man; he is not as good as this ox.' He then summoned the brāhmaṇa and asked: 'Serving this path of yours now, what blessing is there?' The brāhmaṇa replied: 'Disaster may be averted, blessings brought about, and one will gain wealth, honor, and long life.' The king asked again: 'Can one be freed from birth and death?' He replied: 'One cannot escape birth and death.' The king went to the Buddha, threw his five limbs to the ground, bowed in reverence to the Buddha, and said: 'I have heard that the Buddha's path is supreme, transforming the world and saving countless [beings]. I wish to receive the words of the Dharma to reform myself.' The Buddha thereupon bestowed upon the king the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and explained to him that among all things between heaven and earth, none that is born does not die. One who gives alms and keeps the precepts obtains blessings in the present life; for one who practices patience, vigorous exertion, and wisdom with his mind, his virtue is boundless. Later he will be born in heaven and may also become a cakravartin king, and can attain the unconditioned path of crossing over the world. The Buddha manifested his marks, primary and secondary, and his majestic divine light shone brightly. The king rejoiced and attained understanding, winning the path of the srotāpanna. Seven days later the ox's life came to an end, and it was reborn above in the heavens. (Extracted from the Gandha-rāja-sūtra.)