經律異相 32.8

32.8

Anciently, there was a bodhisattva who was the king of a great country, named Dīrghāyus. The king had a prince named Dīrghāyu. The king ruled with righteousness, inflicting no suffering of knives or staves upon his officials or people. Wind and rain came in their proper season, and the five grains were abundant. The king of a neighbouring country behaved violently and cruelly, not cultivating righteous governance, so that his people were impoverished. He said to his ministers, "I hear that King Dīrghāyus has vast abundance and joy, with no military preparations; I wish to seize it." The ministers said, "Very good!" and raised troops to attack him. King Dīrghāyus addressed his ministers, saying, "He covets my wealth. If we do battle with him, it will surely harm my people. To fight over a kingdom and kill people is something I cannot bear." The ministers would not comply; they dispatched troops out of the borders to meet and resist him. The king and the prince scaled the city wall and went into hiding. The covetous king entered the kingdom and offered a reward for the capture of Dīrghāyus, granting a thousand catties of gold and ten million coins. Later, the king walked along the road under a tree and met a brāhmaṇa, asking, "Where have you come from?" He replied, "I am a poor practitioner of the Way. Hearing that King Dīrghāyus loves giving, I have come from afar to beg from him." The king thought in silence, "He meets me just when I have lost my kingdom." Shedding tears, he said, "I am that very king. Meeting me in this state, I have nothing to give you." Both of them wept. The king said, "I hear that the new king offers a great reward for me. If you take my head to him, you will surely obtain a rich reward." The brāhmaṇa said, "I have little merit and dare not accept this order." The king said, "You have come from afar only to meet me in destitute straits. A person's life must come to death; I wish to bestow this upon you, why do you refuse?" He replied, "How could I bear to kill you? If you truly wish to bestow a gift, I pray that you accompany me back to the kingdom." Thereupon they returned together, and upon reaching the city gate, the king had him bind him and announce it to the covetous king. The covetous king immediately rewarded him with gold and money and sent him away. At the crossroads, he wished to burn Dīrghāyus to death. In the cities, towns, and countryside, there was no one who did not cry out to Heaven. Hearing of this, the prince came forward before his father, his heart full of grief. The father, fearing that his son would seek vengeance, looked up to heaven, sighed, and said, "This death is what I delight in. If you wish to show utmost filial piety and let your father die without regret, do not avenge this wrong!" Dīrghāyu could not bear to see his father die, and returned into the mountains. After the king was dead, Dīrghāyu thought, "My father's benevolence and righteousness were deep and steadfast, unwavering unto death. The covetous king is vile, not distinguishing between good and evil; he unjustly killed my father, and I cannot bear it. If I do not kill him, I will not live on in vain!" He then went out to hire himself out as a labourer. A chief minister employed him to grow vegetables, and the vegetables flourished. The chief minister asked the overseer of the garden, and the overseer replied, "I hired a man who is exceedingly diligent and capable." The chief minister summoned Dīrghāyu and asked, "Can you prepare food and drink?" He replied, "I can." Later, he hosted the king with sweet and delicious food and drink. The king asked, "Who made this?" He replied, "A labourer." The king immediately summoned him back to the palace to have him prepare food and drink. Later the king asked, "Can you practice the military arts?" He replied, "I am most skilled in them." The king had him attend at his side, telling him, "I have an enemy and am always afraid of meeting him. Now I rely on you to assist me in guarding against him." He replied, "Yes, I will exert my strength and dedicate my life for the king." On a later day, the king asked, "Do you like hunting?" He replied, "Your servant has been fond of hunting since youth." The king then ordered the royal carriage prepared outside and went out hunting together with Dīrghāyu. As soon as they entered the mountain forest, they saw running beasts. The king and Dīrghāyu galloped in pursuit of them, veered deep into the mountains, and lost their way for three days, eventually becoming starved and exhausted. The king then dismounted, unbuckled his sword, handed it to Dīrghāyu, and said, "I am utterly exhausted; you sit down, and I wish to rest my head on your knee to sleep." Dīrghāyu drew his sword, wishing to kill the covetous king, but remembering his father's command, he sheathed the sword and stopped. This happened three times. The king then awoke in alarm and asked Dīrghāyu, "I dreamed that King Dīrghāyus's prince came wishing to harm me." Dīrghāyu said, "It is merely a fierce demon here coming to frighten you." Finally, [the king] spoke of the wish to kill. Dīrghāyu said, "I am indeed the prince of King Dīrghāyus, and came here wishing to kill the Great King. On the verge of death, my father earnestly enjoined me not to avenge the wrong done by the king. Remembering my father's instruction, I cast my sword to the ground to obey my father's command. Even so, I still fear that in days to come I may become confused and lose my judgment. I pray that the Great King kill me now." The king then felt remorse, saying, "I have been fierce and rebellious, not distinguishing between good and evil. The worthy father and son practiced benevolence, pure and solid, unwavering unto death, yet I, covetous and cruel, was oblivious to it from the start. Today my life was in your hands; you still harboured benevolence, recalled your father's words, and preferred not to harm me. Truly, I am deeply moved by this great kindness. Now, wishing to return to the kingdom, which path should we take?" Dīrghāyu said, "I know the path; earlier I intentionally led the king astray, wishing to avenge my father's death." Thereupon they emerged from the forest together and saw the royal retinue. The king returned to his original kingdom, gave this kingdom back to the prince, and together they became sworn brothers, vowing never to invade each other. They sent tributes to one another and aided each other in emergencies. King Dīrghāyus was myself; the prince was Ānanda; the covetous king was Devadatta. (Extracted from the King Dīrghāyus Sūtra.)