經律異相 29.32

29.32

Formerly, there was a king who did not sleep day or night. If an attendant on duty beside him fell asleep, he would kill him. He had previously killed 499 people. There was a son of an elder who was due to go on duty, and his family wept as they sent him off. A youth asked: "Why are you weeping?" They answered him with the truth. [The youth said:] "If you can hire me, I can take your place on duty." The elder was overjoyed, gave him a thousand ounces of gold, and sent him to go on duty. The king asked: "Why have you entered?" He replied: "I am taking the place of the elder's son on duty." The king said: "Take care not to sleep; otherwise, I will kill you." Later, the youth dozed off. The king was about to kill him, and asked: "Why are you sleeping?" He said: "I was not sleeping; I was merely pondering a matter." The king asked: "What were you pondering?" He said: "To make a vessel of one sheng that holds two sheng of items: filling it with one sheng of sand, it can still hold one sheng of water." The king tested it, and it was truly so. Later, he dozed off again and rolled over on the ground. The king again wanted to kill him. He said: "I was merely pondering a matter." [The king] asked: "What were you pondering?" He said: "To dig a pit of one foot: filling it back up with the earth, it falls short of eight inches." The king again had someone do it, and it was indeed so. Later, he dozed off again and lay prostrate on the ground. The king again wanted to kill him and asked: "Why are you sleeping again?" He said: "I was merely pondering a matter. If the king pardons my offense, I shall speak of it." The king said: "Speak at once." The youth said: "The king is just like a ghost." Having finished speaking, he departed. The king thought: "Why did this person call me a ghost?" He then asked his mother. His mother said: "You are truly a ghost. When I was pregnant with you, I dreamed of a ghost at night, and having intercourse with it, I conceived you." The king then had an awakening, ceased killing people, repented his transgressions, cultivated good, and consequently studied the Way. The king at that time was myself. The 499 people were the present five hundred foremost disciples. The youth who awakened me was Mañjuśrī. (Extracted from the fifth fascicle of the Parables Sūtra)