經律異相 16.30

16.30

In the time of King Aśoka, more than two hundred years had passed since the Buddha's parinirvāṇa. At that time, the monk Mahinda went to the island of Siṃhala. The king was about to go hunting. A tree deity wished to let the king see Mahinda, so the tree deity transformed into a deer, appeared grazing not far from the king, and then walked slowly away. Seeing the transformed deer, the king drew his bow, fitted an arrow, and pulled the bow intending to shoot. The king thought again, 'I must aim carefully to shoot this deer.' The deer then turned toward the Javadāhara road and ran. The king pursued it from behind. When he reached Javadāhara, not far from Mahinda, it vanished. Seeing the king draw near, Mahinda thought, 'Now by my supernatural power I shall cause the king to see only me and not see any of the other people.' The Venerable Mahinda then called the king by name: 'Tissa, come!' Hearing himself called, the king thought, 'Who in this land dares call me by my name? What sort of person is this, wearing red garments stitched from cut-off cloth, calling me by name?' Feeling suspicious, he wondered, 'What is this? Is it a man, or is it a spirit?' Mahinda answered, 'I am a śramaṇa, a disciple of the Dharma, a son of the Śākya clan. Out of compassion for you, O king, I have come all this way from Jambudvīpa.' At that time King Devānaṃpiyatissa already had correspondence with King Aśoka; from afar they were friends, presenting precious gifts to one another in mutual recompense. The Dharma master then said, 'I have the Three Jewels to offer to the king, which cannot be matched by anything worldly in your realm, O Devānaṃpiya.' He then taught the king the Dharma of the Three Refuges. The king received the Three Refuges and became an upāsaka. He also declared to King Devānaṃpiyatissa the Dharma of the Śākyas. In the hunting grounds, the king then recalled: 'In King Aśoka's letters there was mention of the sons of the Śākya clan.' He immediately cast down his bow and arrows and inquired after him thoroughly. The Dharma master taught him the sūtras and gave him the Three Refuges. Then he sent Mahinda to summon the novice Sumana, saying, 'Now the Dharma should be taught. You should proclaim the turning of the wheel of Dharma.' Sumana said, 'Now when I proclaim it, how far should the sound carry?' He answered, 'Let the sound fill the land of Siṃhala.' Sumana then entered the fourth dhyāna, and arising from samādhi, proclaimed the turning of the wheel of Dharma. All the people of the land of Siṃhala heard it. All the deities and devas in space assembled. When the three proclamations were completed, Mahinda taught the Dharma for them. Countless devas and humans all attained the path (From the second fascicle of the Samantapāsādikā Vibhāṣā).