經律異相 24.29

24.29

In the kingdom of Pāṭaliputra (in the Saṃyuktāgama called the city of Bālempha), the king was of the Maurya clan and named Bindusāra (his father was named Candragupta). He had a son named Aśoka (in the Liang language, 'Without Sorrow'; also called King Aśoka. In a previous life his name was Jaya. When he was a young boy, he encountered Śākyamuni entering Rājagṛha. Because his mind was mindful of the Buddha, by the side of the great road he made an offering using sand as dumplings and put them into the Buddha's bowl to express his veneration. He then made a vow, saying: 'May I in the future become a king of the golden earth and extensively sponsor offerings.' The Buddha thereupon made a prophecy for him: 'A hundred years after I enter parinirvāṇa, you will be born in the city of Pāṭaliputra, of the Maurya clan, named Aśoka. You will be a wheel-turning king over one quarter [of the world], erecting eighty-four thousand stupas to make offerings to my relics.' Extracted from fascicle 1 of the Sūtra of King Aśoka). His body was coarse and rough, and his father did not love him. Sometime later, the king sent for an expert physiognomist to examine which of his sons was fit to become king. King Bindusāra secretly informed Aśoka's mother: 'You should take your turn.' Aśoka addressed his mother: 'My royal father does not like me.' His mother said: 'Just go.' The great minister Radhagupta asked: 'Where are you going now?' Aśoka replied with the truth. Radhagupta harnessed the finest elephant for him to ride. The meals set out for the other sons were all in precious vessels, but none was provided for Aśoka. His mother privately prepared fine dishes and vessels, superior to all others. The physiognomist said: 'Aśoka is the most superior; he is fit to become king.' The great king said: 'He is the one I do not value; he will surely be killed. Make another calculation.' The physiognomist said again: 'The one with the best mount, best food, and best vessels now is fit to become king; no one is more superior.' Later, a small country within his borders named Takṣaśilā wished to rebel. The king commanded Aśoka: 'Assemble the fourfold army and take that country by surprise. Weapons and provisions will not be given to you.' Aśoka received the order and thought to himself: 'If I have the merit and am destined to become king, may they emerge of themselves!' Thereupon, the earth quaked and split open, and countless weapons and provisions [emerged]. When the country of Takṣaśilā heard that Aśoka was coming, they swept and adorned the roads, awaiting him from afar and welcoming him. All the people vied to present offerings. At first he did not harbor resentment. Second, messengers were dispatched to the kingdom of Kāśī to seek two valiant men whose strength could smash mountains and overturn peaks. At that time the devas spoke and said to the two men: 'This king who turns the wheel over a quarter rules over Jambudvīpa and must not be opposed. None among the valiant and worthy fail to pay homage to him.' The devas placed a divine jewel-crown upon his head. When the great king heard of this, he dispatched his eldest son, Susīma, with a grand army, but he was entirely unable to punish him. The great king contracted a grave illness and became even more enraged. Hearing that Susīma had not prevailed, he vomited hot blood from his mouth and immediately passed away. Aśoka thereupon ascended the great throne and appointed Radhagupta as his foremost minister to govern state affairs. Susīma and the others, hearing of their father's death and Aśoka's installation as king, could not bear it, and they gathered forces to attack Aśoka. The two mighty warriors and Radhagupta each defended a gate, while the king was stationed at the eastern gate. A great pit of fire was dug and covered with objects so that there was no smoke or flame. Mechanical wooden men were made. The king rode a large wooden elephant and advanced slowly to show weakness. Susīma led his crack troops forward to kill Aśoka. Seeing the wooden men moving weakly, he urged his army straight ahead, fell into the great fire pit, and was burned to death. Two hundred and eighty thousand li all submitted to Aśoka as subjects. The nāgas and yakṣas of the land were all subdued. Only the land where one nāga dwelled—more than three hundred li in breadth, which had obtained the Buddha's relics and originally built a stupa at Rāmagrāma—possessed great merit and alone did not submit to conversion. Aśoka therefore recruited a caṇḍāla executioner named Girika, who was capable of slaughter. A prison was immediately built to punish those who did not obey. The gate of the prison was adorned to be extremely resplendent; anyone who saw it was charmed, entered, and could not leave. At that time, a monk from Kukkuṭārāma was reciting a sūtra, and the sūtra spoke of the matters of the hells. When Girika heard it, he accordingly fashioned boiling cauldrons, charcoal pits, mountains of blades, and forests of sword-trees. There was a monk named Samudra who rose early, put on his robes, took his bowl, and entered the city to beg for food. He happened to enter the prison gate. Girika seized him. The monk wept and said to him: 'A human body is difficult to obtain, and leaving the household life is rare to encounter. I have already attained the teachings of the Path; I beg for a delay of one month.' Girika replied: 'I have received the king's command; that can never be granted.' He allowed him seven days. Day and night the monk was vigorous. He also saw a prince speaking with a woman of the palace; an edict sent them to the prison, and Girika immediately crushed them in an iron mortar with a pestle. The monk's terror increased. On the night of the seventh day, through contemplation he attained the fruit of arhatship. The next day, Girika placed the monk into an iron cauldron filled with boiling feces, urine, and filthy pus and blood, cooking him with a fierce fire, but after much time he was not harmed. The monk sat alone on a lotus flower. Hearing of this, the king went with all his people to see it. The monk then, by his spiritual power, ascended into the sky and displayed the eighteen transformations. The king rejoiced greatly and said: 'Your body is like a human body, but your power surpasses human power. Pray let me know how you perform such psychic powers.' The monk answered: 'The king must follow the Buddha's words to build stupas extensively and make offerings to the relics. For the benefit of the Dharma, the Buddha eradicated all taints; he is the Master of compassionate and peerless, supreme debate who crushes heterodoxy. I am his disciple. The Buddha prophesied that a wheel-turning king would take his relics and build eighty-four thousand stupas, extensively performing the Buddha's work. The king previously established a hell and killed countlessly; you must eliminate your sinful deeds and bestow fearlessness.' The king then joined his palms, confessed his faults to the monk, and entered the prison to release him. Girika said: 'I previously received an edict that there would be no exceptions: those who enter cannot leave.' The king said: 'Do you wish to kill me?' Girika replied: 'It is so.' The king asked: 'When this prison was first established, who entered first?' Girika answered: 'Girika entered first.' The king said to the guards: 'Place Girika inside a house of glue and burn him with fire.' Then the prison was destroyed. Thereupon, to the Saṅgha of the five divisions, the king presented a thousand jars of gold, silver, and lapis lazuli filled with scented water, and offered various foods, perfumes, flowers, and the like. After receiving the eight precepts, holding an incense burner in his hands, he ascended a high palace and invited the Saṅgha of the four directions, saying: 'May the disciples of the World-Honoured One in the four directions all come here to receive me.' And he spoke a verse: