經律異相 31.21.4

31.21.4

信祇域言飲食。 其餘果水。 為藥所中下痢三日始今且差自知當死。 比烏還三日之中王病已差。 悔遣烏行。 見烏來還。 且喜且悲曰。 賴汝不即將兒來。 當我恚時必當捶殺。 我得其恩今得生活。 而反殺之逆戾不可即料。 前後所抂殺者悉更厚葬。 復其家門賜與錢財。 思見祇域欲報其恩。 即遣使者奉迎祇域。 祇域雖知王病已。 差猶懷怖畏不欲復往。 佛告祇域。 汝今宿命已有弘誓願成就功德。 何得中止應當更往。 汝已治其外病我亦復治其內病。 祇域便隨使去。 王見祇域甚大歡喜。 引與同坐把持其臂曰。 賴蒙仁者之恩今得更生。 當何以報當分國土以半相與。 宮內婇女庫藏寶物悉當分半。 祇域曰。 我本為太子。 雖實小國亦有民人。 珍寶具足。 不樂治國故求為醫當行治病。 當用土地婇女寶物為皆所不用。 王前聽我五願。 外病得愈。 今若復聽我一願。 內病復除。 王曰。 唯聽仁教。 請復問之。 祇域曰。 願王請佛從受明法。 為王說佛功德。 王聞大喜曰。 今欲遣烏臣以白象迎佛可得致不。 祇域曰。 不用白象也。 佛遙知心念。 但齋戒清潔辦諸供具燒香遙禮長跪請佛佛必自來。 王如其言。 佛與千二百五十比丘俱來飯食已畢。 為王說經。 王即開解發無上道心。 舉國大小皆奉五戒。 柰女生時既有奇異。 長又聰明從父學問。 博知經道星歷諸術有勝於父。 加達音樂聲如梵天。 諸迦羅越及梵志家女合五百人皆往從學以為大師。 柰女常將五百弟子講授經術。 或相與遊戲園池及作音樂。 國人不解其故。 便生誹謗呼為婬女。 五百弟子皆號婬黨。 柰女生時。 國中復有二女俱產。 一須蔓女。 二波曇女。 須蔓女者生在迦羅越家常笮。 須曼以為香膏。 笮膏石邊忽作瘤節。 大如彈丸。 長如手捲。 石便爆破。 見石節中耿如熒火。 射出墮地三日而生須曼。 又三日成華。 中有小女。 迦羅越取而養之。 名須曼女。 及年長大才明智慧亞次柰女。 波曇女者有梵志家。 浴池之內生青蓮華。 日日長大如五升瓶。 華舒見中有一小女。 梵志養之名曰波曇女。 年長大才智明達如須曼女。 諸國王聞此二女顏容絕世。 交來求娉。 二女曰。 我生不由胞胎。 乃出草華之中。 與凡人不同。 何宜當隨世俗乃復嫁娶。 聞柰女聰明遍世無匹。 生又與我同體。 皆辭父母往事柰女求作弟子。 明智博達皆勝五百人。 佛時到維耶離國。 柰女師諸弟子出城奉迎禮佛跪言。 願佛明日我園中食。 佛默然受。 王出宮迎。 又請明日宮食。 佛言。 柰女前請王後之矣。 王曰。 我為國主至心請佛必望哀許。 柰女但是婬女。 日日將從五百弟子行作不軌。 佛何為捨我而應其請。 佛言。 此女非婬。 其宿命有大功德已供養三億佛。 昔又常與須曼波曇俱為姊妹。 柰女最大須曼次之。 波曇最小生於大姓家。 財寶饒富姊妹相師共供養五百比丘尼。 施設飲食及作衣服隨所乏無皆悉供之盡其壽命。 三人誓言。 願我後世值佛自然化生。 不由胞胎遠離穢濁。 今如本願生得值我。 昔雖供養五百比丘尼。 既生豪富言語嬌縱。 時戲尼曰。 諸道人等抱悒日久必當欲嫁。 迫我供養不得恣情耳。 故今者受此餘殃。 雖講經道而虛被婬謗。 此五百弟子時併力同心今生復得相隨。 祇域時為貧家小兒柰女見供養意甚慕樂而無資財。 乃常為比丘尼掃除淨已。 輒復念言。 願我能除天下人病。 柰女憐其貧。 又加其勤常呼為子。 其比丘尼輩有疾病者。 常使祇域迎醫及合湯藥。 僉曰。 願汝後世與我共獲是福。 祇域迎醫所治悉愈。 乃誓曰。 願我後身為大醫王常治一切人身四大之病所向皆愈。 王聞佛言。 乃自悔過。 却期後日。 佛明日便與諸比丘到柰女園。 具為說本願功德。 三女聞經皆悉開解。

trusted Jīvaka's words regarding food and drink. The rest [of the court, however, had eaten] fruit and water, and, stricken by the medicine, suffered from diarrhea for three days; only now were they somewhat relieved, knowing that they had been on the verge of death. During the three days before Wu returned, the king's illness had already subsided. He regretted having dispatched Wu. Seeing Wu return, he was both joyous and sorrowful, saying, 'It is fortunate that you did not immediately bring the lad back! In my fury, I surely would have beaten him to death. Having received his favor, I now survive; yet had I killed him instead, such perverse wickedness would have been beyond measure!' Those who had previously been wrongfully put to death were all reburied with great honor, their households had their statuses restored, and they were bestowed money and goods. Longing to see Jīvaka to repay his kindness, he immediately dispatched an envoy to welcome him back. Although Jīvaka knew that the king's illness had subsided, he still harbored dread and did not wish to go again. The Buddha said to Jīvaka, 'In past lives you already made a great vow to accomplish merit; how can you stop midway? You ought to go once more. You have already cured his external illness; I too shall cure his internal illness.' Jīvaka then departed with the envoy. The king was exceedingly joyful to see Jīvaka. Drawing him close to sit beside him, he grasped his arm and said, 'Relying upon the benevolence of the Humane One, I have now been given back my life! How can I repay you? I shall divide the realm to share half with you; the palace handmaidens and the treasures of the storehouses shall all be divided in half.' Jīvaka said, 'I was originally a crown prince; though indeed of a minor realm, it too had its people and was fully equipped with rare treasures. Because I took no pleasure in ruling a state, I sought to become a physician to travel about curing illnesses. What use would I have for land, handmaidens, or treasures? I have no need for any of them. Previously, Your Majesty granted my five wishes, and your external illness was cured; if now you grant me one more wish, your internal illness will also be removed.' The king said, 'I shall heed only the Humane One's teachings. Please ask it.' Jīvaka said, 'I wish that Your Majesty would invite the Buddha and receive the clear Dharma from him.' He then expounded on the Buddha's virtues for the king. Hearing this, the king was overjoyed and said, 'Now I wish to dispatch Minister Wu with a white elephant to welcome the Buddha; can he be brought here or not?' Jīvaka said, 'There is no need for a white elephant. The Buddha knows thoughts from afar. Simply observe the fast, be pure and clean, prepare all the offerings, burn incense, pay reverence from afar, and kneel long to invite the Buddha; the Buddha will surely come of his own accord.' The king did as he said. The Buddha came together with one thousand two hundred and fifty monks. When the meal was finished, he expounded the sūtras for the king. The king was immediately enlightened, gave rise to the mind set on unsurpassed awakening, and young and old throughout the whole kingdom observed the five precepts. When Āmrapālī was born, there were already wondrous portents. As she grew, she was intelligent and studied under her father; widely knowledgeable in the scriptures, the Way, astronomy, calendars, and various arts, she surpassed her father. In addition, she was skilled in music, with a voice like Brahmā. Daughters from the families of gṛhapatis and brahmacārins, totaling five hundred persons, all went to study under her and took her as their great master. Āmrapālī regularly led her five hundred disciples in lecturing on scriptures and arts, or they would disport together in gardens and pools and play music. The people of the state did not understand the reason for this, and so gave rise to slander, calling her a courtesan, and the five hundred disciples were all termed 'the band of courtesans.' When Āmrapālī was born, two other girls were born at the same time in the state: the first was named Sumanā, and the second Padmā. Sumanā was born in the house of a gṛhapati who frequently pressed sumana flowers to make fragrant ointment. Beside the stone used to press the ointment, a nodular knot suddenly formed, as large as a pellet and as long as a rolled hand. The stone then burst open, and within the knot of stone, gleaming like firefly light, [something] shot out and fell to the ground; after three days, a sumana plant sprouted, and after another three days it blossomed into a flower. Inside was a little girl. The gṛhapati took her and raised her, naming her Sumanā. When she grew up, her talents, discernment, and wisdom were second only to Āmrapālī's. As for Padmā, in the bathing pond of a brahmacārin's household, a blue lotus grew, growing daily until it was as large as a five-sheng jar. When the blossom opened, inside was seen a little girl. The brahmacārin raised her, naming her Padmā. When she grew up, her talent, wisdom, and understanding were equal to Sumanā's. When the kings of various realms heard that these two maidens possessed peerless beauty, they vied with one another to seek them in marriage. The two maidens said, 'We were not born from a womb, but came forth from within plants and flowers, different from ordinary mortals. Why should we follow worldly customs and marry?' Hearing that Āmrapālī was intelligent without peer in the world and had been born of the same nature as they, both took leave of their parents and went to serve Āmrapālī, requesting to become her disciples. Their bright wisdom and broad understanding both surpassed the five hundred persons. At that time, the Buddha arrived in the realm of Vaiśālī. Āmrapālī led her disciples out of the city to welcome and pay reverence to the Buddha, kneeling and saying, 'May the Buddha take a meal tomorrow in my grove.' The Buddha accepted in silence. The king came out of the palace to welcome him, and likewise invited him to eat at the palace the next day. The Buddha said, 'Āmrapālī invited me first; Your Majesty is second to her.' The king said, 'As sovereign of the state, I invite the Buddha with the utmost sincerity and surely hope for your compassionate assent. Āmrapālī is merely a courtesan who daily leads five hundred disciples in improper conduct; why should the Buddha cast me aside and accept her invitation?' The Buddha said, 'This woman is not a courtesan. In past lives she possesses great merit, having already made offerings to three hundred million buddhas. Long ago, she was also constantly sisters together with Sumanā and Padmā. Āmrapālī was the eldest, Sumanā was the next, and Padmā was the youngest. Born into a great clan, they were richly endowed with wealth and treasures. Guiding one another as sisters, together they made offerings to five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, providing food, drink, and making garments, supplying whatever was lacking for the duration of their lives. The three vowed, "May we in future lives encounter a buddha, be spontaneously transformed into birth, not come from a womb, and be far removed from filth and defilement!" Now, according to their original vow, they have taken birth and encountered me. In the past, although they made offerings to five hundred bhikṣuṇīs, because they were born into nobility and wealth, their words were haughty and unrestrained. Once, teasing the nuns, they said, "You practitioners have held your grief for so long; you must surely wish to marry. It is only because you are constrained by our offerings that you cannot indulge your passions!" Therefore, they now suffer the remnants of this bad karma: though they lecture on scriptures and the Way, they are falsely slandered as courtesans. The five hundred disciples at that time joined forces with one mind, and in this life have again come to follow them. Jīvaka was at that time a young boy of a poor family; seeing the offerings of Āmrapālī and the others, his mind was filled with admiration and joy, but he had no wealth. Thus, he constantly swept and cleaned for the bhikṣuṇīs, and having done so, he would always think, "May I be able to remove the illnesses of the people of the world!" Āmrapālī pitied his poverty, and moreover, noting his diligence, she always called him her son. Whenever those bhikṣuṇīs fell ill, they would always dispatch Jīvaka to fetch a physician and compound broths and medicines. They all said, "May you in a future life obtain this merit together with us!" Those treated by the physicians Jīvaka fetched were all healed. He then made a vow: "May I in my future life become a great king of physicians, constantly curing the illnesses of the four great elements in all human bodies, healing all wherever I go!" When the king heard the Buddha's words, he repented of his error and postponed his date to a later day. The next day, the Buddha went with the monks to Āmrapālī's grove and expounded in detail the merit of their original vows. Hearing the sūtra, the three maidens were all enlightened