經律異相 37.11

37.11

One hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, a king worshipped celestial gods. For a great sacrifice, he used cattle, sheep, pigs, dogs, chickens, and so forth—one hundred of each—and ordered his kitchen clerk to kill them all. At that time, the kitchen clerk said, "I have received the Buddha's precepts and cannot take life." The kitchen overseer was furious and reported it to the king so that he might punish him. The king said, "He who disobeys my decree shall die." The kitchen clerk replied, "I am a disciple of the Buddha and observe the five precepts. I would rather kill myself than disobey the Buddha's teachings and take life. If I comply with the king's command and commit slaughter, upon death I shall enter hell, and only emerge when my punishment is finished, always having a short lifespan. If I die keeping the precepts, I shall immediately be born in heaven; in heaven, blessed pleasures occur naturally according to one's wishes. Supposing I must die, by shedding this human body I shall receive a heavenly form. For this reason, I would die rather than kill." The king said, "I give you a period of seven days; then I shall have elephants trample you to death. If you do not die, your words are true." After seven days, the king looked upon this upāsaka, whose body was like that of a Buddha. He drove five hundred elephants to trample him to death. Following the method of the Buddha, the upāsaka raised five fingers; they transformed into five mountains, and between each mountain a lion emerged. Seeing the lions, the elephants fell to the ground in terror, just as when the Buddha was in the world. The king then believed in the Buddha, abolished the sacrifices, and received the Buddha's five precepts from this man. Officials and commoners, inside and out, all received the Dharma as well, and he became the state preceptor. (Extracted from the sixth volume of the Sūtra of Parables.)