經律異相 22.8

22.8

There was a king named Candrāvata. He venerated the teachings of the brāhmaṇas and also employed them to govern the state. The king held his junior queen in high regard, and the other queens hated and envied her. Bestowing gold upon a brāhmaṇa, they slandered her to the king, saying that the child she bore would surely bring misfortune to the kingdom. Hearing this, the king was unhappy, and asked the brāhmaṇa, “What should be done?” He answered, “She and [the child] must both be killed.” The king said, “Human life is precious; how can she be killed?” He replied, “If she is not killed, you will surely lose your kingdom and lose your life.” The king then wrongfully killed the child[’s mother]. Later, the child was born in the tomb. Half of his mother’s body did not decay, and the child drank her milk—dong means milk. This continued for three years, until the tomb collapsed. The child was able to get out, and played with birds and beasts, returning to the tomb at dusk. When he reached six years of age, the Buddha took pity on his toil and hardship living among birds and beasts, and transformed himself into a śramaṇa. He went to call and ask him, saying, “Whose child are you? Where do you live?” The child joyfully answered, “I have no home, but only roost and sleep in this tomb. I beg to follow the man of the Way.” The Buddha said, “What do you wish to do?” The child replied, “In good or bad fortune, I will ultimately follow the man of the Way.” The Buddha then led him into the Jetavana. Seeing the dignified manners and rules of the bhikṣus, his mind was greatly delighted, and he said to the Buddha, “I wish to request to become a bhikṣu.” The Buddha then permitted it, stroked his head with his hand, and his hair fell off of itself, with kāṣāya robes covering his body. He was named Śrutadhara. Guarding the precepts with vigorous effort and an untiring mind, after passing seven days he attained the Way of arhatship. The Buddha said to Śrutadhara, “You should go deliver King Candrāvata.” Śrutadhara went to him. The king of that country said, “My mind is greatly troubled; what should I do?” The man of the Way said, “What are you troubled by?” The king said, “I am advanced in years, and past the time of having an heir, which causes me grief and anxiety.” Hearing the king’s words, the man of the Way did not respond at first, but merely smiled to himself. The king then grew angry, saying, “I spoke with the man of the Way, yet he does not answer me at all, but instead merely laughs to himself.” He then wished to kill him. Śrutadhara knew his intention, and lightly took flight into the air, dividing his form and scattering his body, entering and emerging without obstruction. Seeing these miraculous transformations, the king repented of his error, saying, “I am truly foolish and do not distinguish the genuine from the false. I only pray that the great spirit return at once, so that I may take refuge [in you].” Śrutadhara then descended from the air and stood before the king, saying to him, “If you can take refuge, it is very good. You should take refuge in the Buddha. The Buddha is my master, the Lord of the Three Realms, who liberates sentient beings.” In the time it takes to stretch out an arm, Śrutadhara brought the king and his people together to the Buddha’s presence, where they took refuge in the Three Honored Ones and begged to receive the five precepts as upāsakas. The Buddha fully explained that Śrutadhara was the king’s son. Hearing the Buddha’s words, the king was so overwhelmed with terror that he could not contain himself. The Buddha said: “Long ago, in the time of the Buddha Krakucchanda, there was a king named Puṣyadata. The people in the kingdom all made offerings to the Three Honored Ones. At that time, there was an ordinary person who lived in poverty without an occupation. He was constantly hired by the wealthy in the kingdom to herd and tend several hundred cattle. Seeing the king and people making offerings to the community of bhikṣus, he asked, ‘What are you all doing?’ The people answered, ‘We are making offerings to the Three Honored Ones. In future times, wherever we are, we will be at peace, joyful, honored, and wealthy, free from hardship and suffering.’ He then thought to himself, ‘Being poor, I should simply simmer cow’s milk into yogurt and ghee, and with a pure mind offer it to the bhikṣus.’ The community of bhikṣus made a vow of blessing for him, saying, ‘May you obtain blessings life after life.’ From then on, passing through cycle after cycle of birth-and-death, he always received these blessings, either being born above as devas or below as kings and lords. Once, as a king or lord, he went out hunting. Seeing a fine cow that was pregnant with a calf, he killed it. The queen said to the king, ‘Do not kill her offspring.’ At that time, the cow’s owner cut [the cow] open, took the calf, and raised it. The owner said angrily, ‘May the king become like this cow!’ Thereafter, his consciousness became the king’s child. Before he was born, his mother was killed by the king; this was Śrutadhara. Śrutadhara’s mother was the queen of that time. The brāhmaṇa was that cow owner. Śrutadhara was born in the tomb, and half of his mother’s body did not decay so that he could drink her milk and grow up by himself, because in a past life he had offered yogurt and ghee to the community of bhikṣus.” Hearing this, the king’s mind opened to understanding, and he attained srotāpanna. (Extracted from the King Candrāvata Sūtra).”