經律異相 27.8

27.8

舍衛國王名波斯匿。于時南方有國。名曰金地。其王字劫賓寧。太子名摩訶劫賓寧。父崩太子即位。體性聰勇。領三萬六千小國。威風遠振莫不摧伏。然與中土不相交通。後有商客往到金地。以四端細㲲奉上彼王。王問商客言。此物甚好為出何處。啟曰。出於中國。王復問言。其中國者號字云何。答曰。名羅悅祇。又名舍衛。王復問言。中國王以何等故不來獻我。又答曰。各自霸土威名相齊。故不來耳。王自思惟。今當加威令彼率伏。復問商客。中國諸王何者最大。白言。舍衛國王為第一大。即便遣使詣舍衛國。持書示教其理委備告語其王。波斯匿言。我之威風遍閻浮提。卿何所恃斷絕使命。今故遣使共卿相聞。却後七日與我相見。設不如是吾當興兵破汝國界。波斯匿聞深用驚惶。即往詣佛具白斯事。佛告王言。還語使云。我不大更有大王。王奉佛教。告彼使言。世有聖王。近在此間。卿可到邊傳汝王命。使即詣祇洹。于時世尊。自變其身作轉輪王。七寶侍從皆悉備有。使前入化城。既覩大王情甚驚悚以書與之。化王得書蹹著脚下。告彼使言。吾為大王臨領四域。汝王頑迷敢見違拒。汝速還國致宣吾教。信至之日馳奔來覲。臥聞當起。坐聞應立。剋期七日不得稽遲。敢違斯制罪在不請。使還本國具以聞見白金地王。王承斯問深自咎責。合率所領諸小王輩欲朝大王未便即路。先遣一使白大王言。臣所統御三萬六千王。為當都去。將半去耶。大王還報。聽半留住但將半來。時金地王將萬八千小王同時來到。既見化王謁拜畢已。心作是念。大王形貌雖復勝我。力必不如。化王于時勅典兵臣以弓與之。金地國王手不能勝。化王還取以指張弓。復持與之勅令挽。金地國王殊不能挽。化王復取而彈扣之。三千世界皆為震動。復次取箭彎弓而射。離手之後化為五發。其諸箭頭皆出光明。其光明頭皆有蓮華大如車輪。一一華上各各皆有一轉輪王。七寶具足奮出光明。普照三千大千世界。五道眾生莫不蒙賴。諸天境界見其光明及聞說法。身心清淨有發無上正真道意。復有得住不退地者。人道眾生有得一道二道三道之者。出家入要得應真者。有發無上正真道意。得不退地不可稱計。三塗眾生離苦解脫生人天中。時摩訶劫賓寧王。及金地諸小王。見斯神變其心信伏。遠塵離垢得法眼淨。萬八千小王一時皆然。須臾之頃佛攝神力還復本形。諸比丘僧前後圍繞。金地王眾求索出家。鬚髮自墮袈裟在體。思惟妙法盡得羅漢（出賢愚經第七卷）。

The king of the kingdom of Śrāvastī was named Prasenajit. At that time, in the south there was a kingdom called Suvarṇabhūmi. Its king was named Kapphina, and the crown prince was named Mahākapphina. When the father died, the crown prince ascended the throne. By nature intelligent and brave, he held sway over thirty-six thousand small kingdoms. His prestige and power shook the distant lands, and none failed to surrender to him. However, he had no communication with the Central Realm. Later, a merchant traveled to Suvarṇabhūmi and offered four bolts of fine cotton cloth to that king. The king asked the merchant, saying, 'This item is very fine; where was it produced?' The merchant replied, 'It was produced in the Central Realm.' The king asked again, saying, 'What are the names of [the kingdoms in] that Central Realm?' The merchant answered, saying, 'One is named Rājagṛha, and another is named Śrāvastī.' The king asked again, saying, 'For what reason do the kings of the Central Realm not come to present offerings to me?' The merchant replied again, saying, 'Each dominates their own territory, and their prestige and renown equal [yours]; thus they do not come.' The king reflected to himself, 'I shall now exert my might and make them submit.' He again asked the merchant, 'Among the kings of the Central Realm, which is the greatest?' The merchant said, 'The king of the kingdom of Śrāvastī is the very greatest.' [The king] immediately dispatched an envoy to the kingdom of Śrāvastī, bearing a letter that conveyed his instructions, fully setting forth the circumstances and addressing its king. Prasenajit said [in the letter]: 'My prestige and power pervade Jambudvīpa. What do you rely upon to cut off diplomatic missions? Now I purposely send an envoy to communicate with you: after seven days, meet with me! If it is not so, I shall raise an army and destroy the borders of your kingdom.' When Prasenajit heard this, he was deeply alarmed and frightened. He at once went to the Buddha and fully explained these matters. The Buddha told the king, 'Return and say to the envoy: "I am not great; there is a still greater king."' The king accepted the Buddha's teaching and said to that envoy, 'In the world there is a sage king who is near here. You may go to his side and deliver your king's command.' The envoy immediately went to Jetavana. At that time, the Bhagavat transformed his own body into a wheel-turning king, fully equipped with the seven treasures and retinues. The envoy entered the transformed city. Seeing the great king, he felt great awe and handed him the letter. The transformed king received the letter and trampled it beneath his feet. He said to that envoy, 'I am the Great King, presiding over the four quarters. Your king is stubborn and deluded, daring to oppose and resist me! Return quickly to your kingdom and proclaim my command: On the day the message arrives, gallop swiftly to have an audience with me. When lying down and hearing it, he must rise; when sitting and hearing it, he must stand. The deadline is seven days—he may not delay! Daring to violate this ordinance, the penalty will be unforgivable.' The envoy returned to his native kingdom and fully reported what he had heard and seen to the king of Suvarṇabhūmi. Receiving this report, the king deeply blamed himself. Gathering the petty kings under his rule, he wished to pay court to the Great King, but before setting out on the road, he first dispatched an envoy to tell the Great King: 'My subjects, the thirty-six thousand kings—should they all come, or should I bring half?' The Great King sent back an answer: 'Permission is granted for half to remain behind; bring only half.' Then the king of Suvarṇabhūmi brought eighteen thousand petty kings, arriving at the same time. Having seen the transformed king and paid obeisance, he thought to himself: 'Although the Great King's appearance surpasses mine, his strength must not be equal [to mine].' At that time, the transformed king ordered his military officer to give him a bow. The king of Suvarṇabhūmi could not lift it with his hand. The transformed king took it back, bent the bow with a single finger, and gave it to him again, commanding him to draw it. The king of Suvarṇabhūmi was utterly unable to draw it. The transformed king took it again and plucked its string: the trichiliocosm all shook and trembled. Next, he took an arrow, drew the bow, and shot. After leaving his hand, it transformed into five shots, and all the arrowheads emitted light. At the tip of the light, there were lotus flowers as large as cartwheels. On each flower, there was a wheel-turning king, fully possessing the seven treasures, blazing forth light that illumined the great trichiliocosm everywhere. None of the sentient beings of the five destinies failed to receive benefit. The heavenly realms saw his light and heard the exposition of the Dharma; their bodies and minds purified, some gave rise to the aspiration for the unsurpassed, correct, and true path, while others attained the stage of non-retrogression. Among the sentient beings of the human destiny, some attained the first path, the second path, or the third path; those who went forth into homelessness and entered the essentials attained arhatship; those who gave rise to the aspiration for the unsurpassed, correct, and true path and attained the stage of non-retrogression were countless. Sentient beings in the three bad destinies were freed from suffering, attained liberation, and were born among humans and devas. At that time, King Mahākapphina and the petty kings of Suvarṇabhūmi saw these divine transformations, and their minds faithfully submitted. Far removed from dust and free from defilement, they attained the purity of the Dharma eye. The eighteen thousand petty kings did so simultaneously. In an instant, the Buddha withdrew his divine power and resumed his original form, surrounded before and behind by the saṅgha of monks. The host of the king of Suvarṇabhūmi asked to go forth into homelessness. Their hair and beards fell off on their own, and the kāṣāya appeared on their bodies. Contemplating the wondrous Dharma, they all attained arhatship (from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish, fascicle 7).