經律異相 31.21.2

31.21.2

女小有頭痛疾日日增甚朝發致命。 祇域以藥王照女頭。 見有剡蟲。 大小相生乃數百枚鑽食頭腦腦盡故死。 便以金刀披破其頭。 悉出諸蟲封著甖中。 以三種神膏塗瘡。 一種補蟲所食骨間之傷。 一種生腦。 一種治外刀瘡。 告女父曰。 好令安靜慎莫使驚。 七日當愈。 到日我當復來祇域適去。 女母便更啼哭曰。 我子為再死也。 豈有破頭鑿腦當復活者。 父止之曰。 祇域生而把持針藥。 捐棄尊位行作醫師。 但為一切護治人命。 此天醫王豈當妄耶。 囑語汝言慎莫使驚。 而卿今反啼哭以驚動之。 欲令此兒不復生耶。 母聞便止哭供養護之。 寂靜七日。 女便吐氣而寤如從臥覺。 曰。 我今者了不頭痛。 身體皆安誰護我者使得如是。 父曰。 汝前已死。 醫王祇域故來護汝。 破頭出蟲以得更生。 便開甖出蟲示之。 女見大更驚怖。 深自僥倖曰。 祇域乃神。 如是何報其恩。 須臾祇域來至。 女大歡喜。 出門奉迎作禮跪曰。 願為君婢終身以報更生之恩。 祇域曰。 我為醫師周行治病居無常處何用婢為。 必欲報恩者與我五百兩金。 我不自用當謝師恩。 師雖無以教我。 我見甞為弟子。 今得汝金當以與之。 女便奉五百兩金。 祇域受以與師。 因白王暫歸省母。 到維耶離國。 有迦羅越家兒。 好學作一木馬高七尺餘。 學習蹁上初學得上馬。 後遂失據躄地而死。 祇域聞之。 便往以藥王照。 復見肝反戾向後氣結不通故死。 復以金刀破腹手探料理。 還肝向前畢。 以三種神膏塗之。 其一種者補手所護持之處。 一種通利氣息。 一種主合刀瘡。 囑語其父曰。 慎莫令驚三日當愈。 父承教勅寂靜養視至於三日。 兒便吐氣而寤亦如臥覺。 即便起坐。 俄而域來。 兒出迎禮曰。 願為作奴終身供養以報生活之恩。 祇域曰。 我為醫師周行治病。 病者之家爭為我使當用奴為。 我母養我勤苦。 我未有供養。 卿若欲謝我。 與我五百兩金。 以報母恩。 取金以上奈女。 還歸羅悅祇國。 祇域活此兩人便馳名天下莫不聞知。 又南有大國去羅悅祇八千里。 洴沙及諸小國皆臣屬之。 其王疾病積年不差。 恒苦瞋恚睨眥殺人。 人舉目視之亦殺。 低頭不仰亦殺。 使人行遲亦殺。 疾走亦殺。 左右侍人不知當何措手足。 醫師合藥輒嫌有毒亦復殺之。 前後所殺傍臣宮女及醫師輩不可稱數。 病乃日增其毒氣攻心。 煩滿短氣如火燒身。 聞祇域名即為下書。 勅洴沙王徵召祇域。 祇域聞此王多殺醫師大小恐怖。 洴沙又憐其年小恐為所殺。 適欲不遣畏見誅伐。 父子相守晝夜憂愁。 乃將祇域俱往問佛。 佛告祇域。 汝宿命時與我約誓俱當救護天下人病。 我治內病汝治外病。 今我得佛故如本願會生我前。 此王病篤遠來迎汝如何不往。 急往護之。 趣作方便令病必愈。 不殺汝也。 祇域便承佛威神。 往到王所。 診省脈理。 及以藥王照之。 見王五藏百脈之中。 血氣擾擾悉見。 是蛇蠆之毒周匝身體。 祇域白王。 王病可治。 治之保愈。 然宜見大后諮議合藥。 若不見大后藥終不成。 王聞此語不解其故。 意甚欲怒。 然患身病。 宿聞祇域之名故遠迎之。 冀必有益且見小兒知無姦私忍而聽之。 即遣青衣黃門將入見太后。 祇域白太后。 王病可治今當合藥。 宜密啟其方不可宣露。 願屏左右。 太后即遂遣青衣黃門出。 祇域因問太后。 向省王病。 見王身中血脈悉是蛇蠆之毒似非人類。 王為定是誰子。 太后以實語我。 我能治之。 若不語我。 我則不知所治。 太后曰。 我昔甞於金柱殿中晝臥。 忽有來摩我上者。 我時恍惚夢與通情。 忽然而寤。 見有大蠆長三丈餘從我上去即覺有軀。 王實是此蠆子也。 我為羞恥此未常出口。 童子今乃覺之何其神妙。 若病可治。

The daughter suffered slightly from a headache, which worsened day by day; [one] morning it flared up and proved fatal. Jīvaka illuminated the girl’s head with the king of medicines, seeing that there were sharp parasites, breeding into several hundreds, large and small, which had bored into and devoured the brain; because the brain was consumed, she had died. He then used a golden scalpel to slit open her head, extracted all the parasites, sealed them into a jar, and smeared three kinds of divine ointment on the wound. One kind repaired the injuries between the bones where the parasites had eaten; one kind generated brain matter; and one kind treated the external incision from the blade. He addressed the girl’s father, saying, ‘Keep her properly quiet and take strict care not to startle her. In seven days she will recover. When that day arrives, I shall return.’

As soon as Jīvaka had departed, the girl’s mother began weeping anew, saying, ‘My child has died a second time! How could anyone whose head has been cut open and whose brain has been chiseled out ever come back to life?’

The father stopped her, saying, ‘From his birth Jīvaka has held acupuncture needles and medicine; he cast aside noble status to travel about practicing as a physician, solely to protect and heal human lives for the sake of all. How could this divine king of physicians be lying? He admonished you, saying, “Take strict care not to startle her,” yet now you weep and wail instead to agitate her! Do you wish to ensure that this child will never live again?’

Upon hearing this, the mother ceased weeping, tended her, and watched over her. Quiet was kept for seven days. The girl then let out a breath and awoke, as if waking from sleep, saying, ‘Now I have no headache at all, and my entire body is at ease. Who looked after me to make me like this?’

The father said, ‘You were previously dead. The king of physicians, Jīvaka, came specifically to look after you. He opened your head and removed the parasites so that you were brought back to life.’ He then opened the jar, took out the parasites, and showed them to her. Seeing them, the girl was all the more terrified, feeling deeply fortunate, and said, ‘Jīvaka is truly divine! How can such grace be repaid?’

Presently Jīvaka arrived. The girl rejoiced greatly; going out the gate, she welcomed him, paid homage, knelt, and said, ‘I wish to be your maidservant for the rest of my life to repay your kindness in giving me new life.’

Jīvaka said, ‘I am a physician who travels all about treating illnesses, having no fixed dwelling. What use would I have for a maidservant? If you truly wish to repay my kindness, give me five hundred ounces of gold. I will not use it for myself; I must thank my master for his kindness. Although my master had nothing to teach me, I once served as his disciple; now that I have obtained your gold, I shall give it to him.’

The girl then offered five hundred ounces of gold. Jīvaka accepted it and gave it to his master. Thereupon he informed the king that he wished to return temporarily to visit his mother. Arriving in the kingdom of Vaiśālī, [he heard of] a son of a householder (gṛhapati) who was fond of learning and made a wooden horse over seven cubits high. While practicing vaulting onto it, he at first managed to mount the horse, but subsequently lost his footing, fell to the ground, and died. Hearing of this, Jīvaka went and illuminated him with the king of medicines, seeing once more that his liver had twisted backwards and the flow of qi was blocked and obstructed, which is why he had died. Again, using a golden scalpel, he opened the abdomen and reached in with his hand to adjust and treat it. Having returned the liver to face forward, he smeared it with three kinds of divine ointment: one repaired the places tended by his hand, one smoothed and unblocked the respiration, and one governed the closing of the incision. He instructed the father, saying, ‘Take strict care not to startle him; in three days he will recover.’

The father received the instruction and nursed him in stillness and quiet until three days had passed. The boy then let out a breath and awoke, just as if waking from sleep, immediately getting up and sitting. Soon Jīvaka arrived. The boy came out to welcome him, bowed, and said, ‘I wish to be your slave for the rest of my life, serving you to repay the kindness of being restored to life.’

Jīvaka said, ‘I am a physician who travels all about treating illnesses; the households of the sick compete to run errands for me, so what use would I have for a slave? My mother raised me with bitter toil, yet I have not provided for her. If you wish to thank me, give me five hundred ounces of gold to repay my mother’s kindness.’ Taking the gold, he presented it to Āmrapālī, and returned to the kingdom of Rājagṛha.

Having revived these two people, Jīvaka’s fame spread throughout the world so that there was none who had not heard of him.

Furthermore, to the south there was a great kingdom eight thousand li from Rājagṛha; Bimbisāra and all the small kingdoms were vassal states to it. Its king had been ill for many years without recovering; he constantly suffered from fury and glared about, putting people to death. If anyone raised their eyes to look at him, he had them killed; if they lowered their heads and did not look up, he also had them killed. If he sent someone on an errand and they walked slowly, he had them killed; if they ran quickly, he also had them killed. The attendants at his side did not know where to put hands or feet. Whenever physicians compounded medicine, he invariably suspected it was poisonous and had them killed as well. Those he had killed beforehand—ministers, palace women, and the ranks of physicians—were beyond count. The illness worsened daily, its virulent vapor attacking his heart; agitated, swollen, and short of breath, it was like fire burning his body. Hearing Jīvaka’s name, he immediately issued a decree ordering King Bimbisāra to summon Jīvaka.

When Jīvaka heard that this king killed many physicians, young and old were terrified. Bimbisāra also pitied his youth and feared he would be killed. Yet if he wished not to send him, he feared punitive attack. Father and son looked upon each other, sorrowing day and night. They then took Jīvaka and together went to question the Buddha. The Buddha told Jīvaka, ‘In a past life you made a vow with me that together we should rescue and protect the illnesses of the people of the world. I treat internal illnesses, and you treat external illnesses. Now that I have attained buddhahood, by virtue of that original vow you were born before me. This king’s illness is grave, and he has sent from afar to welcome you; how could you not go? Go quickly to attend him; promptly employ skillful means to ensure the illness is definitely cured. He will not kill you.’

Jīvaka then, supported by the Buddha’s spiritual power, went to the king’s place. He examined the pulse and illuminated him with the king of medicines. In the king’s five viscera and hundred vessels, the blood and qi were seething and turbulent, and all was visible: it was the poison of a scorpion that pervaded his body.

Jīvaka addressed the king, ‘Your Majesty’s illness can be treated; if treated, recovery is guaranteed. However, I must see the queen mother to consult and compound the medicine. If I do not see the queen mother, the medicine will never succeed.’

When the king heard these words, he did not understand the reason. In his heart he wished greatly to rage; yet suffering from his bodily affliction, and having long heard of Jīvaka’s fame—which is why he had welcomed him from afar—he hoped there would certainly be benefit, and seeing that he was a young boy, he knew there was no treacherous deceit, so he endured it and listened. He immediately sent a maidservant and a palace eunuch to lead him in to see the queen mother.

Jīvaka addressed the queen mother, ‘The king’s illness can be treated; I must now compound the medicine. Its formula must be disclosed secretly and cannot be made public. I request that your attendants be dismissed.’

The queen mother then dismissed the maidservant and eunuch. Jīvaka then asked the queen mother, ‘Just now when examining the king’s illness, I saw that the blood and vessels within the king’s body were entirely the venom of a snake and scorpion, resembling nothing human. Whose child is the king truly? Let the queen mother tell me the truth, and I will be able to treat him. If you do not tell me, I shall not know what to treat.’

The queen mother said, ‘Long ago, when resting during the day in the Hall of Golden Pillars, something suddenly came and stroked me. In a daze, I dreamed of having relations with it. Suddenly I awoke and saw a huge scorpion over thirty feet long leaving from atop me, and immediately I felt I was pregnant. The king is truly the child of this scorpion. Out of shame, this has never passed my lips. How wondrously divine that you, child, have detected it now! If the illness can be treated—’