經律異相 27.25

27.25

Once there was a king named Gandha who served a brāhmaṇa living in the mountains. [The brāhmaṇa] had planted many fruit trees, and woodcutters damaged them. Thereupon the brāhmaṇa brought [one of them] before the king, stating his misdeed of ravaging the fruit trees, and asked the king to execute him. Because the king reverently served the brāhmaṇa, he immediately had [the man] executed. Not long thereafter, an ox ate someone's rice crops. Its owner beat the ox, breaking one of its horns; blood flowed over its face, and the pain was unbearable. The ox went straight to the king and said: 'I indeed was negligent and ate a little of someone's rice, and now he has beaten me and broken my horn.' The king understood the speech of birds and beasts. He said to the ox: 'I shall have him executed for you.' The ox said: 'Even if you kill this man, it will not stop my pain. You should only command him never to torment others hereafter.' The king was moved to reflect: 'I serve a brāhmaṇa, yet merely on account of fruit trees he caused me to kill a man; he is not as good as this ox.' He then summoned the brāhmaṇa and asked: 'Serving this path of yours now, what blessing is there?' The brāhmaṇa replied: 'Disaster may be averted, blessings brought about, and one will gain wealth, honor, and long life.' The king asked again: 'Can one be freed from birth and death?' He replied: 'One cannot escape birth and death.' The king went to the Buddha, threw his five limbs to the ground, bowed in reverence to the Buddha, and said: 'I have heard that the Buddha's path is supreme, transforming the world and saving countless [beings]. I wish to receive the words of the Dharma to reform myself.' The Buddha thereupon bestowed upon the king the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, and explained to him that among all things between heaven and earth, none that is born does not die. One who gives alms and keeps the precepts obtains blessings in the present life; for one who practices patience, vigorous exertion, and wisdom with his mind, his virtue is boundless. Later he will be born in heaven and may also become a cakravartin king, and can attain the unconditioned path of crossing over the world. The Buddha manifested his marks, primary and secondary, and his majestic divine light shone brightly. The king rejoiced and attained understanding, winning the path of the srotāpanna. Seven days later the ox's life came to an end, and it was reborn above in the heavens. (Extracted from the Gandha-rāja-sūtra.)