經律異相 27.8

27.8

The king of the kingdom of Śrāvastī was named Prasenajit. At that time, in the south there was a kingdom called Suvarṇabhūmi. Its king was named Kapphina, and the crown prince was named Mahākapphina. When the father died, the crown prince ascended the throne. By nature intelligent and brave, he held sway over thirty-six thousand small kingdoms. His prestige and power shook the distant lands, and none failed to surrender to him. However, he had no communication with the Central Realm. Later, a merchant traveled to Suvarṇabhūmi and offered four bolts of fine cotton cloth to that king. The king asked the merchant, saying, 'This item is very fine; where was it produced?' The merchant replied, 'It was produced in the Central Realm.' The king asked again, saying, 'What are the names of [the kingdoms in] that Central Realm?' The merchant answered, saying, 'One is named Rājagṛha, and another is named Śrāvastī.' The king asked again, saying, 'For what reason do the kings of the Central Realm not come to present offerings to me?' The merchant replied again, saying, 'Each dominates their own territory, and their prestige and renown equal [yours]; thus they do not come.' The king reflected to himself, 'I shall now exert my might and make them submit.' He again asked the merchant, 'Among the kings of the Central Realm, which is the greatest?' The merchant said, 'The king of the kingdom of Śrāvastī is the very greatest.' [The king] immediately dispatched an envoy to the kingdom of Śrāvastī, bearing a letter that conveyed his instructions, fully setting forth the circumstances and addressing its king. Prasenajit said [in the letter]: 'My prestige and power pervade Jambudvīpa. What do you rely upon to cut off diplomatic missions? Now I purposely send an envoy to communicate with you: after seven days, meet with me! If it is not so, I shall raise an army and destroy the borders of your kingdom.' When Prasenajit heard this, he was deeply alarmed and frightened. He at once went to the Buddha and fully explained these matters. The Buddha told the king, 'Return and say to the envoy: "I am not great; there is a still greater king."' The king accepted the Buddha's teaching and said to that envoy, 'In the world there is a sage king who is near here. You may go to his side and deliver your king's command.' The envoy immediately went to Jetavana. At that time, the Bhagavat transformed his own body into a wheel-turning king, fully equipped with the seven treasures and retinues. The envoy entered the transformed city. Seeing the great king, he felt great awe and handed him the letter. The transformed king received the letter and trampled it beneath his feet. He said to that envoy, 'I am the Great King, presiding over the four quarters. Your king is stubborn and deluded, daring to oppose and resist me! Return quickly to your kingdom and proclaim my command: On the day the message arrives, gallop swiftly to have an audience with me. When lying down and hearing it, he must rise; when sitting and hearing it, he must stand. The deadline is seven days—he may not delay! Daring to violate this ordinance, the penalty will be unforgivable.' The envoy returned to his native kingdom and fully reported what he had heard and seen to the king of Suvarṇabhūmi. Receiving this report, the king deeply blamed himself. Gathering the petty kings under his rule, he wished to pay court to the Great King, but before setting out on the road, he first dispatched an envoy to tell the Great King: 'My subjects, the thirty-six thousand kings—should they all come, or should I bring half?' The Great King sent back an answer: 'Permission is granted for half to remain behind; bring only half.' Then the king of Suvarṇabhūmi brought eighteen thousand petty kings, arriving at the same time. Having seen the transformed king and paid obeisance, he thought to himself: 'Although the Great King's appearance surpasses mine, his strength must not be equal [to mine].' At that time, the transformed king ordered his military officer to give him a bow. The king of Suvarṇabhūmi could not lift it with his hand. The transformed king took it back, bent the bow with a single finger, and gave it to him again, commanding him to draw it. The king of Suvarṇabhūmi was utterly unable to draw it. The transformed king took it again and plucked its string: the trichiliocosm all shook and trembled. Next, he took an arrow, drew the bow, and shot. After leaving his hand, it transformed into five shots, and all the arrowheads emitted light. At the tip of the light, there were lotus flowers as large as cartwheels. On each flower, there was a wheel-turning king, fully possessing the seven treasures, blazing forth light that illumined the great trichiliocosm everywhere. None of the sentient beings of the five destinies failed to receive benefit. The heavenly realms saw his light and heard the exposition of the Dharma; their bodies and minds purified, some gave rise to the aspiration for the unsurpassed, correct, and true path, while others attained the stage of non-retrogression. Among the sentient beings of the human destiny, some attained the first path, the second path, or the third path; those who went forth into homelessness and entered the essentials attained arhatship; those who gave rise to the aspiration for the unsurpassed, correct, and true path and attained the stage of non-retrogression were countless. Sentient beings in the three bad destinies were freed from suffering, attained liberation, and were born among humans and devas. At that time, King Mahākapphina and the petty kings of Suvarṇabhūmi saw these divine transformations, and their minds faithfully submitted. Far removed from dust and free from defilement, they attained the purity of the Dharma eye. The eighteen thousand petty kings did so simultaneously. In an instant, the Buddha withdrew his divine power and resumed his original form, surrounded before and behind by the saṅgha of monks. The host of the king of Suvarṇabhūmi asked to go forth into homelessness. Their hair and beards fell off on their own, and the kāṣāya appeared on their bodies. Contemplating the wondrous Dharma, they all attained arhatship (from the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish, fascicle 7).