經律異相 46.37

46.37

昔有一母人。甚多子息。性惡無慈。喜盜人子殺而噉之。亡子家不知誰取。行巷涕哭如是非一。阿難出行輒見涕哭。還已共議。傷亡子家。佛知故問。眾何等議。阿難白佛言。向行分衛見人涕哭。問之皆云。生亡我子不知屍處。佛便為阿難說。是國中盜人子者非凡人。是鬼子母。今生作人喜盜人子。是母有千子。五百子在天上。五百子在人間。千子皆為鬼王。一王者從數萬鬼。如是五百鬼王在天上嬈諸天。五百鬼王在世間嬈帝王人民。如是五百鬼王天亦無奈何。阿難言。鬼子母在是國中。寧可勅令不盜人子耶。佛言大善。阿難言。用何方便。佛語阿難。到是母所伺其出已。斂取其子著精舍中。即往伺斂得十數子逃精舍中。母來不見便捨他子不敢復殺。行索其子遍不知處。行道啼哭如是十日。母便自擗自撲仰天大呼不復飲食。佛遣沙門往問。即報沙門言。亡多子故哭耳。沙門又言。汝欲得子不。報言欲得。沙門言。汝審欲得者可往問佛可得汝子。母聞是語。歡喜意解便到佛所。為佛作禮。佛即問母。何為啼哭。母報言。亡我子故。佛問。汝捨汝子。至何所而亡汝子。母即默然。如是至三。母知盜人子為惡。即起作禮。我愚癡故。佛復問言。汝有子愛之不母言。我有子坐起常欲著我傍。佛復問曰。汝有子知愛之。何以日行盜他人子。他人有子亦如汝愛之。亡子之家亦行道啼哭如汝。汝反盜人子殺噉之。死後當入太山地獄。汝寧欲得汝子不。母即頭面著地。願佛哀我。佛言。汝子若在汝寧能自悔不。若能自悔當還汝子。母言。我能自悔。佛言。汝能自悔當作何等自悔。母言。聽佛教戒當隨佛語。佛還我子佛言。審如汝語。授以五戒。汝有千子皆為說名。五百子在天上。五百子在世間。嬈諸天人。汝子作鬼王將數萬鬼。如是不可勝數。或稱樹木神地神水神及船車。舍宅闇冥夢寤恐怖怪異種種之神。如是矯稱令人祠祀。烹殺飲食不能護活人命。但增益罪。是愚癡人不知坐思貧窮。鬼子母聞佛說。一心自悔。即得須陀洹道。長跪白佛言。願佛哀我。欲止佛精舍傍。我欲呼千子。我欲使與佛結要。我欲報彼天上天下人恩。佛言善哉。如汝有是意大善。佛言。便止佛精舍邊。其國中人民無子者。來求子當與之子自在所願。我當勅子往使隨護人。不得復妄嬈之。欲從鬼子母求願者。名浮陀摩尼鉢。姊名炙匿。天上天下鬼屬是摩尼鉢主。四海內船車治生有財產皆屬摩尼鉢。摩尼鉢與佛結要受戒。主護人財物。炙匿主人若有產生當往救之（出鬼子母經）。

In the past, there was a woman who had very many children. By nature she was wicked and devoid of compassion, fond of stealing other people's children, killing them, and eating them. The families who lost children did not know who had taken them, and weeping throughout the lanes like this was not an isolated occurrence. Whenever Ānanda went out, he saw them weeping. Having returned, [the monks] discussed it together, grieving for the families who had lost children. Knowing this, the Buddha intentionally asked, "What are the assembly discussing?" Ānanda said to the Buddha, "Just now while walking for alms I saw people weeping. When I questioned them, they all said: 'Our children have disappeared alive, and we do not know where their corpses are.'" The Buddha then explained to Ānanda: "The one stealing people's children in this country is no ordinary human being. She is the Mother of Demon Children (Hārītī). Having now been born as a human, she takes pleasure in stealing people's children. This mother has a thousand sons: five hundred are in the heavens, and five hundred are among humans. All thousand sons are demon kings, each accompanied by tens of thousands of demons. In this way, the five hundred demon kings in the heavens harass the devas, and the five hundred demon kings in the world harass kings and common people. Even the devas can do nothing against these five hundred demon kings." Ānanda said, "Since the Mother of Demon Children is in this country, could she perhaps be commanded not to steal people's children?" The Buddha said, "Excellent." Ānanda said, "By what expedient means?" The Buddha said to Ānanda, "Go to this mother's place, watch for her going out, collect her children, and place them inside the monastery." [Ānanda] immediately went, watched, collected more than ten of her children, and hid them in the monastery. When the mother returned and did not see them, she abandoned the other person's child and did not dare kill it again. She went in search of her children everywhere without knowing where they were, weeping along the roads like this for ten days. The mother then beat her breast, threw herself on the ground, cried aloud to heaven, and no longer ate or drank. The Buddha sent a monk to go and ask her. She replied to the monk, "It is because I have lost many children that I weep." The monk said further, "Do you wish to get your children back?" She replied, "I do." The monk said, "If you truly wish to get them back, you may go and ask the Buddha; you will be able to recover your children." Hearing these words, the mother was delighted and relieved in mind, and she went to the Buddha's place. She paid homage to the Buddha. The Buddha then asked the mother, "Why are you weeping?" The mother replied, "Because I have lost my children." The Buddha asked, "Where did you go when you abandoned your children and lost them?" The mother remained silent. When this happened three times, the mother realized that stealing other people's children was evil. She immediately rose and paid homage, saying, "It was out of my foolishness." The Buddha asked her again, "You have children; do you love them?" The mother said, "When I have children, whether sitting or rising, I always want them by my side." The Buddha asked again, "Since you have children and know how to love them, why do you go out every day to steal other people's children? Other people have children and love them just as you do. The families of lost children also weep along the roads just like you. In return, you steal people's children, kill them, and eat them. After death, you shall enter the Taishan hell. Would you rather get your children back?" The mother then bowed her head and face to the ground: "May the Buddha have pity on me!" The Buddha said, "If your children were still alive, would you be able to repent? If you can repent, your children will be returned to you." The mother said, "I can repent." The Buddha said, "If you can repent, what kind of repentance will you make?" The mother said, "I will listen to the Buddha's teachings and precepts, and follow the Buddha's words. Let the Buddha return my children!" The Buddha said, "If it is truly as you say, [I will] confer the five precepts upon you. You have a thousand sons; I will declare their names: five hundred are in the heavens, and five hundred are in the world, harassing the devas and humans. Your sons are demon kings leading tens of thousands of demons, countless in number. Some are called tree spirits, earth spirits, water spirits, spirits of boats and carriages, of houses, of darkness, of dreams and waking, of terror and bizarre occurrences, various kinds of spirits. Falsely assuming these titles, they cause people to offer sacrifices, slaughtering and cooking for food and drink, yet they cannot protect or preserve human life; they only multiply offenses. These foolish people do not understand, sitting and brooding in poverty." When the Mother of Demon Children heard the Buddha's preaching, she whole-heartedly repented, and immediately attained the fruit of stream-entry (srotāpanna). Kneeling upright, she said to the Buddha, "May the Buddha have pity on me! I wish to dwell beside the Buddha's monastery. I wish to summon my thousand sons; I wish to make them enter into an agreement with the Buddha; I wish to repay the kindness of those people above in heaven and below on earth." The Buddha said, "Sadhu! If you have such an intention, it is very good." The Buddha said, "Then dwell beside the Buddha's monastery. When people in this country have no children, if they come seeking children, you must grant them children according to their wish. I will instruct your sons to go and protect people accordingly, and not harass them recklessly again. Those who wish to seek boons from the Mother of Demon Children should know that her name is Bhūtamāṇibhadra, and her elder sister is named Jitinī. The demons in heaven and on earth belong under this Māṇibhadra's control. Within the four seas, boats, carriages, commerce, and property all belong to Māṇibhadra. Māṇibhadra entered into an agreement with the Buddha, received the precepts, and protects people's wealth and property. Jitinī presides over humans: when there is childbirth, she goes to save them." (Extracted from the Sūtra of the Mother of Demon Children)