經律異相 3.46

3.46

舍衛國有官園。生一毒樹。男女遊觀停息其下。或頭痛欲裂。或腰脊疼。或於樹下終。守園人。施長柯斧。長一丈有餘。遙斫去之。未經旬日。生已如故。如是多過。枝葉隨後。如舊團圓。樹中之妙。眾人見者。無不歡喜。不知忌諱。皆來遭此。園人宗親。貪樂樹蔭。盡取命終。園人隻立。晝夜愁憂。號悲行走。有問。智人語之。當盡其根。適欲掘根。復恐定死。進更思惟。出家學道。佛言。

In the kingdom of Śrāvastī there was a royal park where a poisonous tree grew. When men and women strolled about and rested beneath it, some suffered headaches as if their heads would split, some suffered pain in their waists and spines, and some died beneath the tree. The park keeper took an axe with a long handle over a zhang in length and chopped it down from afar. Before ten days had passed, it grew back as before. This happened many times; its branches and leaves grew back afterward, becoming as full and round as before. The marvel among trees was such that none who saw it failed to rejoice; unaware of the danger, they all came and met with this fate. The park keeper's kin and relatives, coveting the pleasure of the tree's shade, all lost their lives. The park keeper was left alone; day and night he grieved and worried, crying out in sorrow as he walked about. Someone asked about it, and a wise man told him: “You must exhaust its roots.” Just as he was about to dig up the roots, he was terrified that he would certainly die. Thinking further, he left home to train in the Way. The Buddha said: