經律異相 47.139

47.139

昔有兔王遊在山中。與群輩俱食果飲水。行四等心慈悲喜護。教諸眷屬悉令仁和勿為眾惡。畢脫此身得為人形。可受道教。時諸眷屬歡喜。從教不敢違命。有一仙人處在林樹。食果飲水獨修道行。未曾遊放建四梵行。慈悲喜護誦經念道。音聲通利其音和雅聞莫不欣。於時兔王往附近之。聽其誦經意中欣踊不以為厭。與諸眷屬共齎果苽供養道人。如是積日經歷年月。時冬寒至。仙人欲還到於人間。兔王見之愁憂不樂。心懷戀恨不欲令捨。問何所趣。在此日日相見以為娛樂。飢渴忘食如依父母。願留莫去。仙人報曰。吾有四大當慎將護。今冬寒至果苽已盡。山水氷凍又無巖窟可以居止。故欲捨去依處人間。分衛求食頓止精舍。過此冬寒當復相就。勿以悒悒。兔王答曰。吾等眷屬當行求果。遠近募索當相給足。願一屈意愍傷見濟。假使捨去憂慼之戀或不自全。設使今日無有供具。便以我身供上道人。道人見之感惟哀念。愍之至心當奈之何。仙人事火前有生炭。兔王心念。道人為我是以默然便自舉身投於火中。火大熾盛道人欲救。尋已命過生兜術天。於菩薩身功德特尊威神巍巍。仙人見之。為道德故不惜身命。愍傷憐之亦自剋責。絕穀不食。尋時遷神處兜率天。佛言。時兔王者則我是。仙人者定光佛是（出生經第三第四卷又出兔王經）。

Formerly, a hare king roved in the mountains, eating fruit and drinking water together with his flock. He practiced the four immeasurables—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and taught all his companions to be benevolent and harmonious and not commit any evil, so that once freed from this bodily form, they might obtain human form and receive the teachings of the Path. At that time, all his companions rejoiced and followed his instruction, not daring to disobey. There was a ṛṣi dwelling among the trees of the forest, eating fruit and drinking water, cultivating the path alone. He never wandered about in heedlessness, established the four brahma-vihāras—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and recited sūtras and recollected the Path. His voice was fluent, smooth, and melodious, so that none who heard it failed to rejoice. Thereupon, the hare king went near to him, listened to his recitation of sūtras, and leaped with joy in his heart without weariness. Together with his companions, he brought fruits and melons to offer to the practitioner. In this way days accumulated and months and years passed. When the winter cold arrived, the ṛṣi wished to return to human settlements. Seeing this, the hare king was sorrowful and unhappy; his heart harbored longing and regret, not wishing him to leave. He asked, “Where are you going? Living here, seeing each other day after day, we find delight. In our hunger and thirst we forget food, relying on you as on father and mother. We pray you will stay and not depart!” The ṛṣi replied, “I have the four great elements, which I must carefully preserve. Now the winter cold has arrived and the fruits and melons are exhausted; the mountain waters are frozen into ice, and there are no rock caves where I may dwell. Therefore, I wish to leave and rely on the human world, seeking food on almsround and temporarily residing in a vihāra. Once this winter cold has passed, I shall join you again. Do not be dejected.” The hare king replied, “My companions and I shall go and seek fruits; searching far and wide, we will supply you sufficiently. Pray condescend to show pity and save us! If you leave, from the yearning of sorrow we may perhaps perish. Even if today there are no offerings, I shall offer my own body to the practitioner.” Seeing this, the practitioner was moved with grief and pity: “With his utmost sincerity, what can I do?” The ṛṣi worshipped fire, and before him were burning coals. The hare king thought, “The practitioner remains silent on my account,” and thereupon threw himself into the fire. The fire blazed fiercely; the practitioner tried to save him, but his life had already ended, and he was reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven. As a bodhisattva, his merit was preeminent and his majestic spiritual power was magnificent. The ṛṣi saw that for the sake of the Way and virtue, he did not spare his life; feeling grief, pity, and love for him, he also reproached himself, abstained from grain, and ate no food. Soon thereafter, his spirit departed and he took rebirth in the Tuṣita Heaven. The Buddha said, “The hare king of that time was myself; the ṛṣi was Dīpaṃkara Buddha.” (Extracted from the third and fourth fascicles of the Jātaka Sūtra; also found in the Hare King Sūtra.)