經律異相 29.14

29.14

時有國王。名曰阿質。其所治處周十萬里。人民熾盛。王大勇猛不解於法。侵伐隣國抂苦良善。隣國皆苦之。佛與大眾往到其國。阿質聞之。與三十二子身皆勇健惡心興兵。合聚人眾數百萬人。當於大道迎欲拒佛。佛語阿難。阿質國王父子。明日惡意向我及大眾。汝等何以降之。諸大士天人笑動天地。佛問何笑。阿難曰。笑阿質王耳。佛言。阿質愚癡起是惡意。使民獲罪。已發大兵恃怙人馬之力。正使滿四天下不能動我一毛。況但數百萬人。佛告阿難。勅諸明士皆持鉢行。明日當於阿質國王軍中取飯。王父子兵馬大盛鬼神驚動。當此之時佛身在前放大光明。從軍中渡阿質國。王鼓不復鳴。弓弩不施刀兵不拔。象馬顛倒步兵轉筋。天地陰冥日月無光。王及諸子。皆迷惑失息頓伏而走。佛大眾住皆取飯滿鉢。前到王國。城門自開。佛前進王宮入殿而坐。寂寞無聲。八十一萬七千天人悉各就坐。宮更廣大自然高座交露寶帳五音自奏。王及諸子自相謂言。王者之力不如道德之力也。士眾驚怖。諸王子言。今聞佛入已在宮內。宜還與佛相見。王言。復何面目與佛相見。上慚愧神下負人民。諸子曰。佛既仁慈不傷人意。王便收斂士眾安徐還宮。與佛相見。頭面著地為佛作禮前謝。佛言卑鄙闇陋少不學問不知禮義狼獸為比。愚癡迷惑違犯天人。大聖不顧邊陲小國。今抂世尊遠來鄙土君臣勃逆。唯願天尊哀此無智。既已厚恩教化人民。王復以頭面著地叉手却住。王三十二子公卿百官吏民。皆悔過自責一心向佛。王見八十一萬眾神人皆列坐師子之座。交露帳中自然伎樂。知佛神妙。王勅後宮夫人婇女。皆出禮佛。王設百味之飯。悉與夫人三十二子。膝行澡水手自斟酌。飯悉周遍上下恭肅一心歡喜食竟。王前稽首白佛言。蒙天中天恩。宿福之厚先君之助得在黎民之上。天尊大聖。當哀我國人民乞戒終身奉行。治民正平當以何法。當與隣國為盟去惡就善。願佛留意。佛言。王侵伐非義非求。長生安社稷者也。王當恩信仁義慈孝貞潔寬柔忍辱布施育民覆蓋恕己。凡行此事。可長保社稷。若無此九社稷難保。王曰為之如何。願垂哀教。佛言。眾生可哀人命可惜。國土珍寶不足恃怙。王當愛惜人命當如父母哀其子也。人民親王過於父母。天下萬國皆可得保。非但一國也。王雖有數百萬眾車兵馬兵。適可以拒小敵耳。我為菩薩道時於樹下坐禪。魔王與鬼神兵一億八千人。皆變形作雜獸畜生身欲壞我心。我以神力右手指案地。而天地大動皆悉顛蹶。不能復本形。魔王降伏。以王數百萬人民之力。何如鬼神億數之力。王曰。實以愚癡無所知故。王即叩頭懺謝乞更改厲。佛言。我以大慈念度十方一切人民皆使解脫。早得佛道未度者度。非但為王父子。王復悔責。願佛哀我更受教戒終身奉行。使國民安隱。佛言。王當寬刑罰除賦斂廣恩信給孤獨數赦囚窮者救之貧者饒之飢者飽之。王若是者可保其終始。王發道心謂左右傍臣。取藏珍寶以上世尊。佛呪願畢。悉以施王左右皆得饒富。王三十二子自相謂言。生為無義之人。死為無義之鬼。不如兄弟求作沙門。皆言大善。即俱詣佛具陳所懷。佛知其意深入道慧。天帝釋剃其頭鬚皆成沙門。後宮夫人婇女三千人。公卿百官一切人民。皆受五戒月月六齋。國致豐熟。隣國聞之遙敬仰焉。王自從是來。治國寬仁盜賊無有。男女相敬無相貪欲普悉和善。王以七寶作大精舍。國中人民俱行十善。壽盡生天無入惡道者。佛言。我為人求道但令度脫。非天龍鬼神所能傾動也。汝曹行道。當應如我（出阿質國王經）。

At that time there was a king named Aji. The land he ruled was a hundred thousand li across, and its population was flourishing. The king was extremely brave and fierce, but he did not understand the Dharma; he invaded neighbouring countries and unjustly oppressed the good and innocent, so that all the neighbouring countries suffered from him. When the Buddha and his great assembly went to his country, Aji heard of it. He and his thirty-two sons, all brave and robust in body, raised an army with evil intent, assembling millions of soldiers to intercept and resist the Buddha upon the great highway. The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Tomorrow the king of Aji and his sons will direct their evil intentions against me and the great assembly. How will you subdue them?' The great beings, gods, and humans laughed so that heaven and earth shook. The Buddha asked: 'Why do you laugh?' Ānanda said: 'We are merely laughing at King Aji.' The Buddha said: 'Aji is foolish and has aroused this evil intent, causing his people to incur guilt. He has dispatched a great army, relying on the strength of men and horses. Even if the four continents were full of them, they could not move a single hair of mine, let alone a mere few millions.' The Buddha told Ānanda: 'Instruct all the luminous beings to proceed carrying their bowls. Tomorrow we shall take food in the army of the king of Aji.' The troops and horses of the king and his sons were formidable, startling the ghosts and spirits. At that time, the Buddha walked in front, emitting a great light, and crossed through the army into the land of Aji. The king's drums no longer sounded; bows and crossbows could not be discharged, nor swords and weapons drawn; elephants and horses tumbled over, and the foot soldiers suffered cramps; heaven and earth grew dark and gloomy, and the sun and moon lost their light. The king and his sons were all bewildered, lost their breath, fell prostrate, and fled. The Buddha's great assembly stood firm, and all took food until their bowls were filled. They proceeded to the royal city, and the city gates opened of themselves. The Buddha advanced into the royal palace, entered the hall, and sat down; it was silent, without a sound. Eight hundred and seventeen thousand gods and humans each took their seats. The palace grew even more spacious; spontaneously there appeared high seats, jewelled canopies with open sides, and the five musical notes played of themselves. The king and his sons said among themselves: 'The power of a king is not equal to the power of the Way and virtue.' The soldiers were terrified. The princes said: 'We hear that the Buddha has already entered and is inside the palace; we should return and meet with the Buddha.' The king said: 'With what face could I meet the Buddha? Above, I am ashamed before the spirits; below, I have failed the people.' The sons said: 'The Buddha is benevolent and merciful and does not hurt people's feelings.' The king then gathered his troops and returned leisurely to the palace. Meeting with the Buddha, he placed his head and face on the ground, bowed to the Buddha, and stepped forward to apologize, saying: 'Base, dark, and ignorant, unlearned from youth, I knew not propriety and righteousness, and was no different from wolves and wild beasts. In my foolishness and delusion, I offended against gods and men. The Great Sage did not neglect this small borderland realm, and now the World-Honoured One has suffered the hardship of coming afar to this base land, yet ruler and ministers rebelled against you. We only pray that the God among Gods will pity our ignorance, and having already bestowed great kindness, will instruct and transform the people.' The king again placed his head and face on the ground, joined his palms, and stepped back to stand. The king's thirty-two sons, the dukes, ministers, hundred officials, clerks, and commoners all repented, blamed themselves, and single-mindedly turned toward the Buddha. The king saw the assembly of eight hundred and ten thousand divine beings all seated in ranks upon lion thrones, with music playing spontaneously inside the canopies with open sides, and recognized the Buddha's divine wonder. The king ordered the ladies and court maidens of the inner palace all to come out and bow to the Buddha. The king prepared food of a hundred flavours, and together with his queen and thirty-two sons, crawled on his knees, washed with water, and served it with his own hands. When the food had been served to all, high and low respectful and solemn, rejoicing with one mind, and the meal was finished, the king stepped forward, bowed his head, and said to the Buddha: 'Having received the grace of the God of Gods, and through the abundance of past blessings and the assistance of former rulers, I have been placed above the multitude of people. May the God among Gods, the Great Sage, pity the people of our country: I beg for the precepts to uphold them for life. By what method should I govern the people uprightly and equitably? I should form alliances with neighbouring states, abandon evil, and pursue good. May the Buddha deign to give thought to this.' The Buddha said: 'The king's invasions were unrighteous and not what should be sought. They were not the way to obtain long life or pacify the state. A king should be gracious, trustworthy, benevolent, righteous, compassionate, filial, chaste, pure, magnanimous, gentle, forbearing, generous, nurturing of the people, protective, and forgiving. By practicing these matters, one may long preserve the state. Without these nine, the state is difficult to preserve.' The king said: 'How should I practice them? Please deign to grant compassionate instruction.' The Buddha said: 'Sentient beings are pitiable; human life is to be cherished. Lands and treasures are not sufficient to rely upon. A king should cherish human life as parents love their children. The people will be closer to the king than to their parents, and all ten thousand realms under heaven may be preserved, not merely one country. Although the king has an army of millions with chariots and horses, it can only withstand minor enemies. When I was practicing the bodhisattva path and sat in meditation under the tree, the Demon King and his army of ghosts and spirits, one hundred and eighty million strong, all transformed their shapes into various wild beasts and animals, wishing to destroy my mind. With divine power, I pressed the earth with my right finger, and heaven and earth shook violently so that they all fell prostrate and could not return to their original forms; the Demon King was subdued. How does the strength of the king's millions of people compare to the strength of hundreds of millions of ghosts and spirits?' The king said: 'It was truly out of foolishness and lack of knowledge.' The king then kowtowed in repentance and begged to reform and exert himself. The Buddha said: 'With great compassion, I think of saving all people in the ten directions, causing them all to attain liberation, to attain the Buddha-way early, and saving those who are not yet saved—not only for the sake of the king and his sons.' The king repented and blamed himself again: 'May the Buddha pity me, and let me receive instruction and precepts anew to uphold them for life, so that the people of the state may have peace.' The Buddha said: 'The king should lighten punishments, abolish levies and taxes, extend grace and trust, provide for the orphaned and solitary, grant amnesties frequently to prisoners, rescue the destitute, enrich the poor, and satisfy the hungry. If the king acts thus, he may preserve his reign from beginning to end.' The king aroused the aspiration for the Way and said to his attendants and ministers: 'Take the treasures from the treasury and offer them to the World-Honoured One.' When the Buddha had finished his blessing, he bestowed them all upon the king, and those around him were all made wealthy. The king's thirty-two sons said to one another: 'To live as unrighteous men and to die as unrighteous ghosts—it would be better for us brothers to seek to become śramaṇas.' All said: 'Excellent!' They then went together to the Buddha and fully expressed their intentions. The Buddha knew their minds had penetrated deeply into the wisdom of the Way. Śakra Devānām Indra shaved their hair and beards, and they all became śramaṇas. The three thousand queens and court maidens of the inner palace, the dukes, ministers, hundred officials, and all the people received the five precepts and observed the six monthly fasts. The country attained abundance and harvest. Neighbouring countries heard of it and revered him from afar. From then on, the king governed the country with leniency and benevolence; there were no thieves or robbers; men and women respected each other without lustful desire, and all were harmonious and good. The king built a great monastery with the seven treasures. The people in the country all practiced the ten wholesome deeds; when their lives ended, they were born in heaven, and none entered the evil destinies. The Buddha said: 'I seek the Way for people's sake only to liberate them; it cannot be shaken by gods, dragons, ghosts, or spirits. In practicing the Way, you all should be like me.' (From the Sūtra of King Aji)