經律異相 44.76

44.76

佛泥洹後百年。山中田澤草木茂盛。山外不遠有居人村牛馬入池。生五色蓮華。牧牛小兒入池採取。滿器蓮華持出山際欲以上佛。未至於寺。道逢群牛觸殺小兒。其神即生忉利天上。自然宮殿五色蓮華。始生天中而自念言。吾宮獨有異色蓮華。但諸天法。先觀宿命因緣後乃食福。即見前天。相謂此天新來共相娛樂云何惶怖不安。便往問之。答曰。吾本是牧牛小兒。採蓮華欲散佛塔。中道無常。緣是之福來生此耳。是以今擿華復欲詣先塔散佛禮拜卒我本願。時五百天人執持蓮華。相隨散佛塔。緣是之福彌勒下時當共得道（出譬喻經第五卷）。

One hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, in the mountains and wetlands the grasses and trees were flourishing. Not far outside the mountains was a inhabited village. Cattle and horses entered a pond, where five-colored lotuses grew. A cowherd boy went into the pond and picked them, filling a vessel with lotus blossoms. Carrying them out to the edge of the mountains, he wished to offer them to the Buddha. Before reaching the monastery, on the road he encountered a herd of cattle, which gored the boy to death. His consciousness was immediately born in Trāyastriṃśa heaven, into a spontaneous palace with five-colored lotuses. Just born in heaven, he thought to himself: 'My palace alone has lotuses of rare colors!' Now, it is the law of the devas first to contemplate the conditions of their past lives and only then to enjoy their blessings. He saw the devas from before, who said to one another: 'This newly arrived deva, while we are amusing one another, why is he frightened and uneasy?' They went and asked him, and he answered: 'I was originally a cowherd boy. I picked lotus blossoms intending to scatter them at the Buddha's stūpa, but met impermanence on the way. Because of this blessing, I came to be born here. Therefore, having picked flowers now, I wish again to go to the former stūpa, scatter them before the Buddha, and pay homage to fulfill my original vow.' Thereupon, five hundred devas, holding lotus blossoms, followed one another to scatter them at the Buddha's stūpa. By virtue of this merit, when Maitreya descends, they will attain the Way together. (Taken from the Parable Sūtra, fascicle 5.)