經律異相 30.8

30.8

佛與千二百五十比丘。遊拘藍尼國美音精舍。足蹈門閫天地震動。珠璣樂器不鼓自鳴。蠱毒隱伏吉瑞和清。境界人民靡不渴仰。王名優填。強虣侵剋開納佞言耽荒女樂。置左右二后。容姿妙絕。左名照堂。憍傲讒嫉。右字詃容。常行仁愛。王珍其操每事私焉。詃容有老宿青衣。名曰度勝。恒行布香。減省而合集。飯佛及僧。佛為說法。盡心不忘。施訖還宮。持所布香。因此功德。本行所追香氣遠聞。斤兩倍香。詃容誥問。首減香錢。飯佛及僧。法深義妙非世所聞。詃容聞佛。心生歡喜。自念無因得聞正法。即報度勝。汝為我說。度勝啟曰。身賤口穢不敢便宣如來尊言。乞行詣佛受勅而還。便遣出宮。重告之曰。具受儀式。度勝末還。夫人與侍女側塞中庭。佛告度勝。汝還說法多有度者。說法之儀先施高座。度勝具宣聖旨。詃容欣悅。開笥出衣積為高座。承佛威神如應說法。夫人詃容及諸侍女疑解得道。度勝得總持。照堂妬責數譖非一。王不肯從。後又說之。王心乃惑。伺其齋時勸王奏樂。請召夫人。王便普召被命皆會。詃容持齋獨不應命。反覆三召執節不移。王怒隆盛縛曳殿前。將欲射殺。詃容寸心歸佛。王自射兩箭皆還自向。王怖而解之。問曰。汝有何術乃致是耶。對曰。唯事如來歸命三尊。朝奉佛齋過中不食。加行八事莊嚴不近。必是世尊哀愍若茲。王曰。善哉。豈可言也。當詣精舍奉覲世尊。會有敵國興兵入界。王自出征顧命梵志。名曰吉星。權領國政。照堂喜曰。吾父領正殺子必矣。女與父謀遂燒殺詃容及諸侍女。詐言失火謂可掩塞。事後發露。王大恚之。遠徙吉星捐於界外。照堂等輩幽之地窟。摧逐邪道。廣闡佛化（出中本起經）。

The Buddha, together with one thousand two hundred and fifty monks, was traveling in the Kingdom of Kauśāmbī and staying at the Beautiful Sound Monastery (Ghoṣitārāma). When his feet stepped upon the threshold, heaven and earth shook, pearls and musical instruments sounded spontaneously without being struck, venomous poisons lay dormant, and auspicious portents were harmonious and pure. Among the people of that domain, none failed to thirst for him with reverence. The king was named Udayana; he was violent, oppressive, open to flattering words, and indulged in female musicians. He established two queens, left and right, whose beauty was peerless. The left was named Zhaotang; she was haughty, slanderous, and jealous. The right was named Yirong (Śyāmāvatī); she constantly practiced benevolence and love. The king treasured her conduct and was partial to her in every matter. Yirong had an elderly maidservant named Dushéng (Uttiyā/Uttarā). She constantly distributed incense, economizing on expenses to gather funds to provide meals for the Buddha and the saṅgha. The Buddha expounded the Dharma for her, and she kept it wholeheartedly without forgetting. Having completed the donation, she returned to the palace carrying the remaining incense. By virtue of this merit, as a result of her past deeds, the fragrance was smelled from afar, and its weight was double that of the incense. Yirong questioned her, and she confessed that she had reduced the incense money to provide meals for the Buddha and the saṅgha, [adding that] the Dharma's depth and wondrous meaning were unlike anything heard in the world. Hearing of the Buddha, Yirong rejoiced in her heart. Thinking to herself that she had no opportunity to hear the true Dharma, she immediately said to Dusheng: “Expound it for me.” Dusheng said: “My person is base and my mouth impure; I dare not casually declare the Tathāgata’s venerable words. Pray permit me to go to the Buddha, receive his instructions, and then return.” Thereupon, she was sent out of the palace, and [the queen] instructed her again: “Receive the full ceremonial protocol.” Before Dusheng had returned, the queen and her maidservants were already waiting, lining the courtyard. The Buddha told Dusheng: “When you return and expound the Dharma, many will be delivered. The protocol for expounding the Dharma requires that you first prepare a high seat.” Dusheng fully declared the holy instruction. Yirong rejoiced, opened her chests, brought out robes, and piled them up into a high seat. Relying on the Buddha's spiritual authority, [Dusheng] expounded the Dharma appropriately. Queen Yirong and all the maidservants resolved their doubts and attained the Path, while Dusheng attained dhāraṇī. Zhaotang, filled with jealousy, repeatedly slandered and reproached them on more than one occasion, but the king refused to listen. Later, she spoke of it again, and the king's mind was led into delusion. Waiting for the day of their observance of the precept fast (poṣadha), she urged the king to play music and summon the queens. The king then issued a general summons, and all who were commanded assembled, except for Yirong, who, observing the precept fast, alone did not comply with the order. Repeatedly summoned three times, she held fast to her observance without wavering. The king's fury blazed; he had her bound and dragged before the hall, intending to shoot and kill her with arrows. Yirong focused her entire heart on taking refuge in the Buddha. The king shot two arrows himself, but both turned back toward him. Terrified, the king unbound her and asked: “What art do you possess to bring about such a thing?” She replied: “I serve only the Tathāgata and take refuge in the Three Venerable Ones. In the morning, I uphold the Buddha's fast and do not eat past midday. Furthermore, I practice the eight precepts, adorning myself and avoiding intimacy. It must be that the World-Honoured One pities me thus.” The king said: “Excellent! How could words describe it? I must go to the monastery to pay homage to the World-Honoured One.” Just then, an enemy state raised an army and invaded the borders. The king went out on campaign in person, and entrusted a brahmacārin named Jixing to temporarily administer the affairs of state. Zhaotang rejoiced, saying: “My father is administering affairs; killing her is now certain!” The daughter plotted with her father, and they burned and killed Yirong and all her maidservants, falsely claiming it was an accidental fire, thinking they could cover it up. Afterwards, the matter was exposed. The king was greatly enraged; he exiled Jixing far away, banishing him outside the borders, and imprisoned Zhaotang and her companions in underground caves. He crushed and expelled false paths and widely propagated the Buddha's teachings. (Extracted from the Zhong benqi jing.)