經律異相 27.27

27.27

There was a king of the country of Fuyan named Puda. In his own person he venerated the Buddha's Dharma, never partial or unjust, and was always compassionate. The foolish people within the country did not know of the Three Honored Ones. Whenever there was a fast day, [the king] would climb to a height to look, and upon returning he would always bow his head to the ground in homage. The ministers and people within the realm found it strange that the king was like this. They discussed it among themselves, saying: 'The king occupies the position of supreme honor over the myriad people; far and near revere and submit to him. Whenever he ascends, he has a retinue following him. What desire or plea could cause him to disgrace his majestic demeanor and put his head and face to the ground?' The ministers wished to remonstrate, but dared not. [Once,] going out of the palace not far with several thousand officials and subjects, he saw a Daoist. The king stepped down from his carriage, put away his canopy, halted, and had his retinue pay homage to him. Soon after, he followed him back, and held a feast of food, so that the excursion was abandoned. The ministers remonstrated, saying: 'Great King, you are of supreme honor. Why is it fitting to put your head and face to the ground on the road for this begging Daoist? In all the world, what is most honorable and precious is only the head and face. Furthermore, as king of a realm, you are not the same as others.' The king commanded his ministers to seek a dead human head and the heads of the six domestic animals. The ministers searched everywhere and only obtained them after several days. The king said: 'Sell them in the marketplace.' The ministers sold them; the heads of oxen, horses, pigs, and sheep were all sold, but only the human head could not be sold. The king said: 'Sell it off whether dearly or cheaply; if it cannot be sold, give it to someone as a gift.' Thus several days passed: it could not be sold, nor was there anyone who would take it as a gift, and the head became swollen and putrid. The king then feigned great anger and said to the ministers: 'You said that a human head is the most honorable and must not be disgraced. Why now will no one take this human head even when given away?' He immediately ordered his carriage prepared and went out into the wilderness, saying he had something to ask. The ministers, trembling with awe, followed him outside the city. He said to the ministers: 'Do you remember, in the time of my late father, a young boy who always held the canopy?' The ministers replied: 'Indeed we remember.' The king said: 'Where is this boy now?' They replied: 'He has been dead for seventeen years.' The king said: 'How was this boy as a person, good or bad?' They replied: 'We often saw him serving the late king, keeping the fasts, respectful and solemn, faithful and self-restrained, never speaking what was contrary to the Dharma.' The king said to the ministers: 'If you were now to see the clothes this boy wore while alive, would you recognize them?' The ministers replied: 'Although it has been long, we would still recognize them.' The king had the clothes of the deceased boy brought out and said: 'Are these indeed they?' The ministers replied: 'They are.' The king said: 'If you were to see the boy's body now, would you recognize it?' The ministers were silent for a long time and then replied: 'We are afraid that due to our ignorance and blindness, if we suddenly saw him, we would not distinguish him.' The Daoist seen earlier then arrived. The king was greatly pleased, and on account of the Daoist having [revealed the lesson of] selling the head and finding no one to take it as a gift, he now wished to show them the origin and outcome: 'It is fortunate that we meet. Please guide and instruct them.' The Daoist then explained to the ministers: 'The king was originally the canopy-holding boy in the time of the late king. He constantly followed the late king, kept the fasts, practiced the true Dharma, guarded his mind in purity, and did not commit any evils. Later, when he passed away, he was reborn as a prince. That he has now attained honor and nobility is entirely due to his past observance of the fasts and precepts.' Among the ministers, great and small, none did not say in unison: 'We are fortunate to meet and behold the Daoist. We pray that you take pity on our foolishness and blindness and allow us to become your disciples.' The Daoist told the ministers and people: 'I have a great teacher; you should receive instructions from him.' The ministers replied: 'We wish for the rest of our lives to receive his teachings of the Dharma even once.' The Daoist said: 'My teacher's name is the Buddha. His body can fly, and there is light upon the crown of his head. He divides his body and scatters his form, with ten thousand transformations. Walking alone through the three realms, none can match his peerless standard. His disciples are pure and clean, and are all śramaṇas. What he teaches and delivers is not in vain.' The ministers immediately said to the Daoist: 'Can the Buddha be seen? How far is it from here?' The Daoist replied: 'Very good. I shall inform the Bhagavat. It is more than six thousand li.' The Daoist then flew to Śrāvastī and reported everything to the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'Tomorrow I shall arrive in the country of Fuyan. When approaching, I shall manifest divine power.' The king and his ministers, holding flowers and incense, went outside the city to welcome the Buddha. Beholding the Buddha's majestic spirit, joy and awe mingled; they threw their five limbs to the ground and bowed their heads in homage. They said to the Buddha: 'We have troubled and tired the Bhagavat and the saṃgha to come from afar to this land.' The king wholeheartedly provided offerings, personally pouring the drinks and offering water for washing. When the benediction was finished, the Buddha smiled, and five-colored light issued from his mouth. Ānanda said: 'The Buddha does not smile without cause.' [The Buddha] replied: 'Formerly, in the time of Mahā-Māyā Buddha, the king was the son of a great clan. His father made offerings to the Three Honored Ones. The father ordered the son to pass around incense. At that time there was a servant whom he looked down upon in his mind, and he did not give him incense. As retribution for wrongdoing and blessings follows like an echo, he temporarily incurred the retribution of servile labor. Yet because he upheld the Dharma without lapse, he now became a king. [I vowed:] "If I attain the path, I shall deliver this person." ' Understanding the origin and outcome, [the king] immediately attained the stage of srotāpanna. The people within the country all received the five precepts and practiced the ten wholesome deeds. (Extracted from the King Puda Sūtra.)