經律異相 18.30

18.30

Formerly, a man took leave of his parents to study the Way and became an arhat. Having completely delivered all those to whom he was indebted, he saw by contemplation that his mother was in niraya. Seeking widely for expedient means to free his mother from suffering, he saw that in a frontier region there was a king who had murdered his father and usurped the throne, with only seven days left to live, and whose place of retribution would be the same as his mother's. At night, the monk went to the king's quarters and manifested half of his body in the wall. Terrified, the king drew his sword and slashed at the monk's neck; the neck fell to the ground, yet the monk remained motionless. Only then did the king understand; he kowtowed and apologized for his offense. The monk said to the king, “Did you kill your father and usurp the realm, or not?” He replied, “Indeed it is so.” The monk said, “You have seven days of life remaining, and you are destined to enter hell. I came especially to tell you.” The king then pleaded for mercy. The monk said, “Performing great meritorious deeds, I fear, will not be in time. If you simply recite ‘Namo Buddhāya’ without interruption for seven days, you will be able to avoid your offense.” The king then single-mindedly recited ‘Namo Buddhāya’ without slackening for seven days. When he died, his consciousness still remembered it; as he entered the gate of niraya, he continued reciting ‘Namo Buddhāya.’ Niraya immediately cooled, and all the people in the city were freed. The monk then expounded the Dharma for them; the monk's mother, the king, and the people in niraya were all delivered (from the second fascicle of the ten-fascicle *Avadāna-sūtra*).