經律異相 9.6

9.6

有二百天子發菩薩心。而未堅固皆欲墮落。各自念言佛法難得。我等今定不學菩薩。不如取羅漢辟支佛而般泥洹。佛知是人可成菩薩。而意中退。佛便化作一迦羅越。持百味飯滿鉢到佛前。而便作禮以鉢上佛。佛即受鉢。文殊師利白言。世尊。當故報恩。舍利弗疑即便問佛。佛即以鉢捨地。其鉢便下沒過諸剎。直過七十二恒沙等剎土。名曰漚呵沙。其佛號曰光明王。今現在世。其鉢於彼佛剎住止空中亦無持者。鉢所過諸佛剎。其佛侍者皆問於佛。佛答上方有佛號釋迦文。鉢從彼來。救護墮退菩薩意耳。佛語舍利弗。行求鉢來。舍利弗即承佛威神。自以慧力以萬三昧過萬佛剎都不見鉢。從三昧起還白佛言。求之不見。復遣目連亦復不見。須菩提等五百尊者悉不能見。彌勒菩薩又不能見。令文殊師利求鉢。文殊師利不起于坐即入三昧。以其右手指地下。行過諸佛剎莫不聞知。所過剎土皆為震動。凡諸剎土皆見文殊。過七十二恒河沙。其臂上毛一一毛間有億百千光明億百千蓮華。一蓮華上有坐菩薩。悉歎釋迦文佛功德聲聞菩薩及以佛土。時釋迦文放足下光明。照下方過七十二恒河沙等剎。見其光明悉得摩仳低三昧。文殊師利以右手取鉢。與無央數菩薩俱來。鉢在手中作禮授鉢。佛謂舍利弗。今為汝說過去劫事。往昔有佛。號勇莫能勝。有比丘僧。名曰慧王。持鉢入惟致國中分衛。得百味飯。爾時有尊者子名離垢王。為乳母所抱。在城門上。其兒遙見比丘。而從抱下便往趣之。求其飲食。比丘即以蜜餅授之。其兒則食知味甘美。隨比丘行不顧乳母。便隨至勇莫能勝佛所。為佛作禮而坐一面。比丘以所持鉢食與是小兒令其上佛。兒便授佛。佛食隨滿。以是遍八萬四千比丘及菩薩萬二千人。各各皆飽。其兒所持食猶無減損。佛以威神令兒歡喜。因從比丘受五戒法發菩提心。兒父母求子為佛作禮。子白父言。我今已得入菩薩法。願作沙門。父母即聽。吾等亦為發心從汝。佛言。慧王比丘文殊師利是。其時兒者我身是也。如我身等不可稱數。阿僧祇剎土諸佛。悉為文殊師利之所發動。我等悉蒙文殊師利之恩。其二百天子即時自念。釋迦文佛為文殊師利之所發意自致成佛。我等何為懈怠。用是念故其心則堅（出阿闍世王經上卷）。

There were two hundred sons of the gods who had generated the bodhisattva mind, but it was not yet firm, and they all wished to fall back. Each thought to himself: "The Buddha-Dharma is difficult to attain. We are now determined not to practice as bodhisattvas; it would be better to attain arhatship or pratyekabuddhahood and enter parinirvāṇa." The Buddha knew that these people were capable of becoming bodhisattvas, yet their minds were retreating. The Buddha then transformed into a householder carrying a bowl full of food of a hundred flavors, who came before the Buddha, paid homage, and offered the bowl to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted the bowl. Mañjuśrī said, "Bhagavat, you should requite this kindness." Śāriputra was puzzled and immediately questioned the Buddha. The Buddha then dropped the bowl onto the ground. The bowl sank downward, passing through various lands, passing directly through lands equal in number to seventy-two Ganges sands, to a land named Ohasa. The Buddha there was named King of Radiance, who is presently in the world. The bowl hovered stationary in the empty space of that Buddha's land without anyone holding it. In the various Buddha lands through which the bowl passed, that Buddha's attendants all asked their Buddha about it. Their Buddha answered: "Above there is a Buddha named Śākyamuni. The bowl came from there merely to rescue and protect the resolution of the bodhisattvas who are falling back." The Buddha said to Śāriputra: "Go, seek the bowl, and bring it back." Śāriputra, relying on the Buddha's majestic spiritual power and using his own power of wisdom, passed through ten thousand Buddha lands with ten thousand samādhis, yet did not see the bowl at all. Rising from samādhi, he returned and said to the Buddha: "I sought it but did not see it." He then dispatched Maudgalyāyana, who also did not see it. Subhūti and the other five hundred venerable ones were all unable to see it. The Bodhisattva Maitreya was also unable to see it. He commanded Mañjuśrī to seek the bowl. Without rising from his seat, Mañjuśrī entered samādhi. Pointing to the earth with his right finger, he traveled through the various Buddha lands, and there were none that did not hear and know of it. The lands he passed through all quaked. In all the lands, they saw Mañjuśrī passing through seventy-two Ganges sands. Between each and every hair on his arm, there were a hundred thousand koṭis of lights and a hundred thousand koṭis of lotus flowers. Upon each lotus sat a bodhisattva, all praising the merits, śrāvakas, bodhisattvas, and Buddha-land of Śākyamuni Buddha. At that time, Śākyamuni emitted light from under his feet, illuminating downward through lands equal in number to seventy-two Ganges sands. Seeing this light, they all attained the Madhura samādhi. Mañjuśrī took the bowl with his right hand, and together with countless bodhisattvas, he came back with the bowl in hand, paid homage, and presented the bowl. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: "Now I shall tell you of an event in a past kalpa. In the past, there was a Buddha named Courage Unsurpassable. There was a monk named Wisdom King, who held his bowl and entered the country of Vedeha to beg for alms, obtaining food of a hundred flavors. At that time, there was an elder's son named Vimalarāja, who was held in his wet-nurse's arms atop the city gate. Seeing the monk from afar, the boy climbed down from her arms and went toward him, begging for his food. The monk gave him a honey cake. When the child ate it and knew its sweet flavor, he followed the monk, paying no heed to his wet-nurse. He followed him directly to the place of the Buddha Courage Unsurpassable, paid homage to the Buddha, and sat to one side. The monk gave the bowl of food he held to this little boy, having him offer it to the Buddha. The boy then presented it to the Buddha. As the Buddha ate, it became full again. With this, eighty-four thousand monks and twelve thousand bodhisattvas were all fed to satisfaction, yet the food held by the boy was still not diminished. By his majestic spiritual power, the Buddha caused the boy to rejoice, whereupon he received the five precepts from the monk and generated the bodhicitta. The child's parents, searching for their child, paid homage to the Buddha. The son said to his father: 'I have now attained entry into the bodhisattva Dharma; I wish to become a śramaṇa.' The parents then granted permission, saying: 'We also generate the aspiration and follow you.'" The Buddha said: "The monk Wisdom King was Mañjuśrī, and the boy of that time was myself. Buddhas equal in number to my own body, incalculable, in asaṃkhyeya lands, were all inspired by Mañjuśrī. We have all received the kindness of Mañjuśrī." The two hundred sons of the gods immediately reflected: "Śākyamuni Buddha was inspired by Mañjuśrī to attain buddhahood on his own. Why should we be indolent?" Through this reflection, their minds became firm. (From the Ajātaśatru-rāja-sūtra, fascicle 1).