經律異相 2.18

2.18

At that time, Devaputra Śibi said to the Buddha, 'In a past life of mine, I was a king named Śibi. At the four city gates, I practiced universal giving to cultivate merit, and at the crossroads within the city, I also practiced giving. At that time, the principal queen said, "The king performs great merit, but I wish to be foremost." The king said, "The giving and making of merit outside the eastern gate of the city shall all belong to you." The princes further said, "The merit of giving performed outside the southern gate of the city shall all belong to you." At that time, a minister also addressed the king, saying, "The merit of giving performed outside the western gate of the city shall all belong to you." At that time, the generals and soldiers also addressed the king, saying, "Allow the outside of the northern gate to be ours." At that time, all the common people also addressed the king, and the king replied, "The merit of giving performed at the four crossroads within the city shall all belong to you." At that time, the king, queen, ministers, generals, soldiers, and commoners all gave generously. In all the merits that I had formerly performed, the merit of generous giving was thereupon interrupted. Then those whom I had employed to perform the meritorious deeds returned to where I was, bowed to me, and said, "Great King, you should know: the places for cultivating merit have each been occupied by the queen, the princes, the ministers, the generals and soldiers, and the commoners to practice giving and cultivate merit. The Great King's giving is thereupon interrupted." I then replied, "As for the annual taxes from all regions that should enter to me, divide them in half: half to enter the storehouse, and half to be given generously there." Through such generous giving over the long night of the past, I have always obtained lovely, agreeable, and delightful retributions of blessing, and constantly enjoyed happiness without end. Through this karmic retribution of blessing, I have entered the great accumulation of merit. Just as the five great rivers merge into a single stream, namely the Gaṅgā, whose waters no one can measure in terms of hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, or billions of pecks and pints—its retributions of merit are immeasurable, and all enter the great accumulation of merit.' At that time, Devaputra Śibi, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced, paid homage to his feet, and vanished from sight (From the Sūtra on the Verses Spoken by Buddhas to Devaputra Śibi).