經律異相 27.27

27.27

有夫延國王。名曰普達。身奉佛法未常偏抂。常有慈愍。國內愚民不知三尊。每當齋戒登高觀視。還必頭面稽首為禮。國中臣民怪王如此。自共議言。王處萬民之尊。遠近敬服登謂人從。有何請欲毀辱威儀頭面著地。群臣欲諫不敢。與吏民數千出宮未遠見一道人。王下輦却蓋住。其群從為之作禮。尋從而還。施設飯食遂不成行。群臣諫言。大王至尊。何宜於道路為此乞匃道人頭面著地。天下尊貴唯有頭面。加為國王不與他同。王勅臣下。求死人首及六畜頭。臣下遍索歷日乃得。王言。於市賣之。臣下賣之。牛馬猪羊頭皆售。但人頭未售。王言。貴賤賣去如其不售。使以匃人如是歷日賣既不售。匃無取者頭皆膖臭。王便大怒。語臣下言。卿言。人頭最貴不可毀辱。今人頭何故匃無取者。即勅嚴駕出曠澤中當有所問。群臣振聳出到城外。告群臣言。卿寧識吾先君時。有小兒常執持蓋者不。臣下對曰實識。王言。今此兒何所在。對曰。亡已十七年。王言。此兒為人善惡何如。對言。臣等常覩其承事先王。齋戒恭肅誠信自守非法不言。王告諸臣。今若見此兒在時所著衣服。寧識之不。諸臣對曰。雖自久遠臣故識之。王使取前亡小兒衣。曰。此寧是不。臣下對曰是。王曰。今儻見兒身為識之不。臣下良久。對曰。臣自懼蔽闇卒覩不別。前所見道人來。王大歡喜。又為道人賣頭匃人不取。今欲示其本末。有幸相遇。願為開導。道人即為臣下說。王本是先王時執蓋小兒。常隨先王。齋戒奉行正法清淨守意不犯諸惡。其後過世生為王子。今得尊貴皆由宿行齋戒所致。臣下大小莫不僉曰。吾等幸遇得覩道人。願哀愚朦乞為弟子。道人告諸臣民。吾有大師。當從受問。諸臣報言。願盡年命一受法言。道人曰。我師字佛。身能飛行頂有光明。分身散體變化萬端。獨步三界莫與齊倫。門徒清潔皆為沙門。其所教授度脫不唐。臣下即啟道人。佛寧可得見不。去此幾何。道人報言。甚善。當啟世尊。六千餘里。道人即飛到舍衛。具以啟佛。佛言。明日當到夫延國臨至皆現威神。王及群臣持華香出城迎佛。覩佛威靈喜懼交并五體投地稽首為禮。白佛言。勞屈世尊。并及眾僧遠到此土。王盡心供設。手自斟酌行澡水。呪願畢。佛笑口光五色。阿難言。佛不妄笑。答言。昔摩呵文佛時。王為大姓家子。其父供養三尊。父命子傳香。時有一侍使。意中輕之不與其香。罪福響應暫招役報。奉法無替今得為王。若我得道當度此人。本末意解即得須陀洹。國中人民。皆受五戒行十善（出普達王經）。

There was a king of the country of Fuyan named Puda. In his own person he venerated the Buddha's Dharma, never partial or unjust, and was always compassionate. The foolish people within the country did not know of the Three Honored Ones. Whenever there was a fast day, [the king] would climb to a height to look, and upon returning he would always bow his head to the ground in homage. The ministers and people within the realm found it strange that the king was like this. They discussed it among themselves, saying: 'The king occupies the position of supreme honor over the myriad people; far and near revere and submit to him. Whenever he ascends, he has a retinue following him. What desire or plea could cause him to disgrace his majestic demeanor and put his head and face to the ground?' The ministers wished to remonstrate, but dared not. [Once,] going out of the palace not far with several thousand officials and subjects, he saw a Daoist. The king stepped down from his carriage, put away his canopy, halted, and had his retinue pay homage to him. Soon after, he followed him back, and held a feast of food, so that the excursion was abandoned. The ministers remonstrated, saying: 'Great King, you are of supreme honor. Why is it fitting to put your head and face to the ground on the road for this begging Daoist? In all the world, what is most honorable and precious is only the head and face. Furthermore, as king of a realm, you are not the same as others.' The king commanded his ministers to seek a dead human head and the heads of the six domestic animals. The ministers searched everywhere and only obtained them after several days. The king said: 'Sell them in the marketplace.' The ministers sold them; the heads of oxen, horses, pigs, and sheep were all sold, but only the human head could not be sold. The king said: 'Sell it off whether dearly or cheaply; if it cannot be sold, give it to someone as a gift.' Thus several days passed: it could not be sold, nor was there anyone who would take it as a gift, and the head became swollen and putrid. The king then feigned great anger and said to the ministers: 'You said that a human head is the most honorable and must not be disgraced. Why now will no one take this human head even when given away?' He immediately ordered his carriage prepared and went out into the wilderness, saying he had something to ask. The ministers, trembling with awe, followed him outside the city. He said to the ministers: 'Do you remember, in the time of my late father, a young boy who always held the canopy?' The ministers replied: 'Indeed we remember.' The king said: 'Where is this boy now?' They replied: 'He has been dead for seventeen years.' The king said: 'How was this boy as a person, good or bad?' They replied: 'We often saw him serving the late king, keeping the fasts, respectful and solemn, faithful and self-restrained, never speaking what was contrary to the Dharma.' The king said to the ministers: 'If you were now to see the clothes this boy wore while alive, would you recognize them?' The ministers replied: 'Although it has been long, we would still recognize them.' The king had the clothes of the deceased boy brought out and said: 'Are these indeed they?' The ministers replied: 'They are.' The king said: 'If you were to see the boy's body now, would you recognize it?' The ministers were silent for a long time and then replied: 'We are afraid that due to our ignorance and blindness, if we suddenly saw him, we would not distinguish him.' The Daoist seen earlier then arrived. The king was greatly pleased, and on account of the Daoist having [revealed the lesson of] selling the head and finding no one to take it as a gift, he now wished to show them the origin and outcome: 'It is fortunate that we meet. Please guide and instruct them.' The Daoist then explained to the ministers: 'The king was originally the canopy-holding boy in the time of the late king. He constantly followed the late king, kept the fasts, practiced the true Dharma, guarded his mind in purity, and did not commit any evils. Later, when he passed away, he was reborn as a prince. That he has now attained honor and nobility is entirely due to his past observance of the fasts and precepts.' Among the ministers, great and small, none did not say in unison: 'We are fortunate to meet and behold the Daoist. We pray that you take pity on our foolishness and blindness and allow us to become your disciples.' The Daoist told the ministers and people: 'I have a great teacher; you should receive instructions from him.' The ministers replied: 'We wish for the rest of our lives to receive his teachings of the Dharma even once.' The Daoist said: 'My teacher's name is the Buddha. His body can fly, and there is light upon the crown of his head. He divides his body and scatters his form, with ten thousand transformations. Walking alone through the three realms, none can match his peerless standard. His disciples are pure and clean, and are all śramaṇas. What he teaches and delivers is not in vain.' The ministers immediately said to the Daoist: 'Can the Buddha be seen? How far is it from here?' The Daoist replied: 'Very good. I shall inform the Bhagavat. It is more than six thousand li.' The Daoist then flew to Śrāvastī and reported everything to the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'Tomorrow I shall arrive in the country of Fuyan. When approaching, I shall manifest divine power.' The king and his ministers, holding flowers and incense, went outside the city to welcome the Buddha. Beholding the Buddha's majestic spirit, joy and awe mingled; they threw their five limbs to the ground and bowed their heads in homage. They said to the Buddha: 'We have troubled and tired the Bhagavat and the saṃgha to come from afar to this land.' The king wholeheartedly provided offerings, personally pouring the drinks and offering water for washing. When the benediction was finished, the Buddha smiled, and five-colored light issued from his mouth. Ānanda said: 'The Buddha does not smile without cause.' [The Buddha] replied: 'Formerly, in the time of Mahā-Māyā Buddha, the king was the son of a great clan. His father made offerings to the Three Honored Ones. The father ordered the son to pass around incense. At that time there was a servant whom he looked down upon in his mind, and he did not give him incense. As retribution for wrongdoing and blessings follows like an echo, he temporarily incurred the retribution of servile labor. Yet because he upheld the Dharma without lapse, he now became a king. [I vowed:] "If I attain the path, I shall deliver this person." ' Understanding the origin and outcome, [the king] immediately attained the stage of srotāpanna. The people within the country all received the five precepts and practiced the ten wholesome deeds. (Extracted from the King Puda Sūtra.)