經律異相 2.6

2.6

Śakra heard this, and along with eighty thousand gods, sought where it was and flew down beside the well. He said: "For long we have not heard the holy teachings, in darkness without a guide. What you just spoke were no ordinary words; we pray you proclaim the Dharma teachings for us." [The jackal] answered: "The heavenly lord has no discipline and completely fails to know proper conduct: the Dharma master is below while you position yourself above, showing not the slightest respect yet inquiring after the essentials of the Dharma!" Śakra lowered his heavenly garments, pulled up the jackal, and bowed down in repentance. The heavenly lord said: "I remember that in the past I once saw worldly people who wished to hear the true Dharma: first they set out a high seat, adorned and purified it, and only then invited the Dharma master." The gods then each took off their celestial jewel robes and piled them up into a high seat. The jackal ascended the seat and said: "There are two great causes and conditions [for speaking the Dharma]: first, preaching the Dharma to transform gods and humans brings boundless merit; second, to repay the kindness of offering food, how could I not speak?" The heavenly lord said: "To be rescued from the distress of the well is a great recompense of merit; why is preaching the Dharma to repay kindness not equal to this?" He answered: "Life and death have their fitting paths, and each person differs: some crave life, while some take pleasure in death. Foolish people do not know that after death one is born again; they turn away from the Buddha's Dharma, do not meet an enlightened teacher, and engage in killing, stealing, sexual misconduct, and deceit, devoting themselves solely to evil. Such people crave life and fear death, but upon death they fall into hell. Wise people serve the Three Jewels, encounter an enlightened teacher, reform evil and cultivate good, show filial piety to parents, respect and serve teachers and elders, keep their relatives in harmonious concord, and act with humility and respect toward inferiors. Such people detest life and welcome death, and upon death they are born in heaven."