經律異相 45.12

45.12

昔維衛佛。從諸比丘六萬二千。初從山出還父王國。國王於城外割地立精舍。諸比丘各得地分。有比丘語左右家。欲請作屋。男子不許。其家老母手自為之屋得成。十指皆穿。比丘坐中禪定。一定入火光三昧舍現大火。母遙望見。念我作屋尋便已燒何薄福乎。入屋故在。但於火光中見比丘。甚大歡喜。壽終生天。釋迦成佛天命未盡。來下白佛。明日飯佛及聖眾。佛默然受之。波斯匿王又遣請佛。佛曰。已受天請。王曰。未嘗見天人下施。何緣有此。明日遣人候之不見施辦。乃至禺中亦復寂然。王勅備餚饌。若無人為吾當供之。日中天至了不齎食。但將諸天玉女。鼓諸音樂禮佛而住。白曰時到。即舉手巾眾事皆辦。行水既訖。復更舉手。出厨百味甘露在地。手自斟酌眾會皆足。王見驚欣。澡畢白佛。不審此天。宿有何福手出百味福德乃爾。佛為王說。前世手為比丘作屋。從是生天九十一劫。手出眾物福尚未終（出雜譬喻經第一卷）。

Formerly, the Buddha Vipaśyin, accompanied by sixty-two thousand bhikṣus, first emerged from the mountains to return to his royal father's kingdom. The king granted land outside the city to establish a vihāra, and the bhikṣus each obtained a plot of land. There was a bhikṣu who spoke to a neighboring family, wishing to ask them to build a hut. The man of the house would not allow it, but the old mother of the family built it with her own hands until the hut was completed, her ten fingers all pierced and wounded. The bhikṣu sat inside in meditation, and once entering the fire-light samādhi, a great fire appeared from the hut. Seeing it from afar, the mother thought, "I just built the hut, and immediately it has burned down—how meager is my fortune!" Entering the hut, it was still there as before, and she saw the bhikṣu amidst the blazing light. She was exceedingly joyful. When her life ended, she was born in heaven. When Śākyamuni attained buddhahood, her heavenly lifespan had not yet ended. She came down and addressed the Buddha, wishing to offer a meal the next day to the Buddha and the holy assembly. The Buddha accepted in silence. King Prasenajit also sent an invitation to the Buddha. The Buddha said, "I have already accepted an invitation from a deva." The king said, "I have never seen a deva descend to give alms. For what reason is this?" The next day he sent someone to watch, but saw no preparation of alms; even toward midday it remained completely quiet. The king ordered delicacies to be prepared: "If no one serves him, I shall provide the offering." At midday the deva arrived without bringing any food, but merely led heavenly jade maidens playing various music, paid homage to the Buddha, and stood to one side. She said, "The time has come," and raised her napkin, whereupon all affairs were instantly provided. After the distribution of water was completed, she raised her hand again, and sweet nectar of a hundred flavors emerged from the kitchen onto the ground. Serving it with her own hands, the entire assembly was satisfied. Seeing this, the king was astonished and delighted. After washing was finished, he addressed the Buddha: "I do not know what merit this deva possessed in a previous life, that her hands produce a hundred flavors and her meritorious virtue is like this." The Buddha explained to the king: "In a previous life, she built a hut for a bhikṣu with her own hands. Since then, she has been born in heaven for ninety-one kalpas, her hands producing all kinds of things, and her blessings are not yet exhausted" (from the first fascicle of the Miscellaneous Avadāna Sūtra).