經律異相 31.11

31.11

In the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, the king of Vārāṇasī was intelligent, benevolent, and virtuous, but had no children. He served a mountain deity for twelve years, praying unremittingly. Later, his foremost queen gave birth to a boy, whose nature was wholesome and without anger, and who was fully endowed with the marks of a noble person. He summoned all his ministers to divine his fortune, and thereupon bestowed on him the name Kṣānti. When he grew up, he took delight in practicing generosity, regarding all sentient beings with equal loving-kindness and compassion. In the kingdom, there were six ministers who were treacherous, deceitful, flattering, wicked, perverse, and unprincipled, loathed by the people; they were jealous of the crown prince. At that time, the king was gravely ill, his life hanging in the balance. Crown Prince Kṣānti addressed his father's ministers: "My royal father is critically ill; what should be done now?" The ministers said: "Wonderful medicine is difficult to obtain, and his life is not far from ending." The crown prince fell to the ground in grief and swooning. The wicked ministers devised a scheme wishing to eliminate the crown prince, and stated to the prince: "The king's illness requires medicine, but the medicine cannot be obtained." The crown prince asked: "What kind of thing is it?" They replied: "It is the eyes and marrow of a person without anger. If this medicine is obtained, the king's life will surely be preserved." The crown prince said: "My own person seems to be such." That person then took leave of his mother, and gathered the kings of the smaller states, proclaiming of himself: "Today, this body of mine bids farewell to the great assembly." He immediately called a caṇḍāla to break his bones to take out the marrow, and gouge out both of his eyes. The ministers then pounded and blended them, and presented them to the Great King. The king took it at once, and his illness was cured. He asked the ministers: "This medicine is exceptionally wonderful, curing my suffering and affliction." The ministers replied: "This medicine was provided by the crown prince." The king said: "Where is he now?" They replied: "Outside, his body is wounded and broken, and his life is not far from ending." The king wept bitterly. Going to his son's place, his life had already ended. His mother was deeply distressed and threw herself upon the corpse: "I have past sins and should have my body crushed to dust; yet it caused my son to lose his life!" They cremated him with goshīrṣa-candan-sandalwood, and erected a stūpa of seven treasures over his bones. (From the Great Skillful Means Sūtra on the Repayment of Kindness, Fascicle Three)