經律異相 42.13

42.13

Formerly there was a kingdom named Delight and Freedom from Sorrow. Its king was named Boundless Compassion and Pity. In the kingdom was a householder named Mahādāna, and his wife was named Candrā. They gave birth to a son whose features and appearance were upright, having few equals in the world. As soon as he fell to the ground, he spoke, making a vow: "I shall give generously to all under heaven to rescue and relieve the people; whoever is solitary or impoverished, I shall provide for and protect so that they may attain security." His parents therefore named him Mahāmati. Seeing his extraordinary appearance, unlike that of ordinary humans, they feared he might be a deva, nāga, ghost, or spirit, and wished to divine about him. Knowing this, Mahāmati told them: "I am indeed a human, not a deva, nāga, ghost, or spirit. I only think of the people under heaven who are in poverty and distress, and wish to look after them." Having expressed this thought, he did not speak again. When he reached seventeen years of age, he then told his parents: "I wish to give generously to those who suffer, so that they may attain security." His parents thought: "When our son was newly born, he already made this vow." So they told him: "Our wealth is limitless; give as you please without restraint." Mahāmati replied: "Though my parents' goods and wealth are many, they are still insufficient for my needs. I must go to sea to gather jewels to provide for and give to the people under heaven." He spoke thus repeatedly, so his parents eventually permitted it. Entering the sea, Mahāmati passed through other countries. In one kingdom was a brāhmaṇa of immeasurable wealth. Seeing Mahāmati's radiant and upright countenance, he was greatly pleased and told him: "I respect you deeply. Now I have a young daughter whom I wish to offer to you in marriage; please remain and dwell here." Mahāmati replied: "I have taken leave of my family to enter the sea in order to gather the seven precious jewels. I dare not consent yet; wait until I return." Thereupon he went on to gather jewels, and dispatched people carrying the treasures back to his home country. He then traveled on to the ocean's edge seeking rare things. Suddenly he saw a great tree, eighty yojanas in height and breadth. Mahāmati climbed the tree and from afar saw a silver city. Its palaces, towers, halls, and pavilions were all of white silver; heavenly maidens attended at its sides, and celestial music sounded naturally. There was a venomous serpent coiled three times around the city. Seeing Mahāmati, it raised its head. Mahāmati thought to himself: "Those harmed by poison suffer solely because they lack benevolent intentions." He sat down and meditated; before long, the serpent lowered its head and fell asleep. Mahāmati wished to enter the city. The gatekeeper entered to inform the king: "Outside is a worthy man who wishes to see the king." The king came out in person to welcome him, and said with joy: "I only wish that the benevolent one would remain here for one season—three months—so that I may offer provisions." He replied: "I journey to gather jewels, and ought not remain long." The king said: "I shall not attend to state affairs; I only wish you to remain." Mahāmati then stayed. The king at once provided him with robes, food, drink, music, beds, and couches, until ninety days were completed. Mahāmati took leave of the king wishing to depart. The king then took rare gems and the seven precious jewels wishing to present them to him. Mahāmati said: "I have no great use for these seven jewels. I have heard the king possesses a bright-moon pearl; I desire to ask for it." The king said: "I do not begrudge this pearl, but fear the path is arduous and dangerous, making it difficult to carry along." Mahāmati said: "He who is led by merit does not fear hardship or danger." The king said: "This pearl is naturally accompanied by treasures extending for twenty li. I wish that I may become your disciple and be able to make offerings that surpass those of today." Mahāmati received the pearl and departed. Thereupon Mahāmati moved forward and saw a golden city. Its palaces, towers, halls, and pavilions were all of yellow gold; trees of the seven precious substances produced spontaneous music, and heavenly maidens in attendance were twice as many as before. There was also a venomous serpent coiled six times around the city. Seeing Mahāmati, the serpent raised its head and looked at him. He again sat and concentrated his mind, and the serpent again lowered its head and lay down. Mahāmati wished to enter the city, and the gatekeeper went in to inform the king. The king came out to meet him, invited him forward, and said: "Remain for one season, three months, to receive my offerings." Mahāmati stayed, and the king treated him as before. After sixty days, he took his leave, saying to the king: "I have heard that the king possesses a bright-moon pearl; I pray you bestow it upon me." The king replied as before: "Rare treasures extending forty li will follow it." He then offered it, saying: "When the benevolent one later attains the Way, I wish to become your disciple, peerless in spiritual powers, and be able to make offerings surpassing those of today." Having received the pearl, he departed. Mahāmati again advanced forward, and again saw a crystal city. Its palaces, towers, halls, and pavilions were in all respects like the previous ones. There was also a venomous serpent coiled nine times around the city, which lowered its head and fell asleep. The king came out to welcome him and wished him to remain for three months. Mahāmati stayed, and the king again provided for him with all his heart, setting out food, drink, clothing, and music. After forty days, he took his leave and said to the king: "I have heard that the king possesses a bright-moon pearl; I pray you bestow it upon me." The king told him: "This pearl is naturally followed by treasures extending sixty li." He then offered it, saying: "When the benevolent one later attains the Way, I wish to become your disciple, peerless in wisdom, and again make offerings surpassing those of today." He received the pearl and departed. Going forward, he again saw a lapis lazuli city, and also saw a venomous serpent coiled twelve times around the city, which lowered its head and fell asleep. The king welcomed him and begged him to stay for three months. Mahāmati stayed, and the king personally provided him with food, drink, clothing, and music to delight him. After twenty days, he took his leave and said to the king: "I have heard that the king possesses a bright-moon pearl; you could bestow it upon me." The king said: "This pearl is followed by rare treasures extending eighty li." He then offered it, saying: "When the benevolent one later attains the Way, may I become your disciple, making offerings with a pure mind that surpass those of today, and be granted lasting wisdom." Mahāmati received the pearl and departed. He thought: "I originally came to seek jewels, and now have fulfilled my wish; I should return from here." So he followed his old path wishing to return to his native kingdom. As he traveled through the ocean, the various spirit-kings conferred together, saying: "Though our ocean holds many rare and famous treasures, we have no pearls like these." They ordered the ocean deity to intercept and seize the pearls. The deity transformed into a human and met Mahāmati, asking: "I have heard that you obtained marvelous things; could you lend them to me to see?" Mahāmati opened his hand to show him the four pearls. The ocean deity shook his hand, causing the pearls to fall into the water. Mahāmati thought to himself: "The kings spoke to me of how difficult it is to preserve these pearls, and fortunately I had obtained them; now to have them snatched by this fellow is intolerable." He said to the ocean deity: "I toiled through hardships traversing rugged dangers to obtain these pearls, yet you snatch them from me. If you do not return them to me now, I will bail this seawater dry!" Aware of this, the ocean deity asked: "Your resolution is extraordinarily lofty. The sea is 3,360,000 yojanas deep, and its breadth is boundless. How could you exhaust it? Just as the sun will never fall to the earth, and the great wind cannot be gathered and bound; the sun might sooner be made to fall to the earth, and the wind be bound, than the water of the ocean could ever be bailed dry." Mahāmati smiled and replied to him: "I reflect that in my past births and deaths, my accumulated bones have exceeded Mount Sumeru, and my shed blood has flowed in the five rivers; the four oceans are not enough to serve as an analogy. When I even wish to sever the root of this birth and death, how could this small sea not be bailed dry? In the past when I made offerings to the Buddhas, I vowed: 'May my determination and conduct be courageous in deciding for the Way, meeting no difficulty wherever I go; though moving Mount Sumeru and exhausting the waters of the ocean, I shall never turn back.'" He then single-mindedly began bailing the seawater with a vessel. Moved by his sincere devotion, the Four Heavenly Kings came to aid Mahāmati; two thirds of the water had already been bailed out. At this, the spirit-kings in the sea were greatly terrified, and conferred together: "If we do not return his pearls now, it will be no small matter: the water will be exhausted and the mud exposed, destroying our palaces." The ocean deity then brought out various treasures to give to Mahāmati. Mahāmati would not take them, saying: "I have no use for these; I only wish to obtain my pearls. Unless you return my pearls, I shall never leave off." The ocean deity, knowing his resolve was unyielding, brought out the pearls and returned them to him. Having recovered the pearls, Mahāmati stopped by to marry the brāhmaṇa's daughter, and returned to his home country, where he distributed great alms as he pleased. From that time on, within the borders there were no longer any who were cold, hungry, or impoverished. The gentry and commoners from the four directions all abandoned their old superiors, carrying their children on their backs to return to his benevolence. Giving in this manner through the years, his favour reached everywhere, so that nothing that flew, crawled, or wriggled failed to be enriched by his bounty. Afterwards, when his lifespan ended, he ascended to become Śakra, or descended as a flying emperor; accumulating merits, he brought himself to Buddhahood. Being especially revered in the three realms all stems from past practices, and does not occur by itself. The Buddha told the monks: "Mahāmati was myself. The householder Mahādāna of that time is now Śuddhodana. The mother Candrā of that time is now Lady Māyā. The king of the kingdom Delight and Freedom from Sorrow was Mahākāśyapa. The brāhmaṇa girl of that time was Gopā. The girl's father was Maitreya. The king in the silver city was Ānanda. The king in the golden city was Maudgalyāyana. The king in the crystal city was Śāriputra. The king in the lapis lazuli city was Subhūti. The Fourth Heavenly King who assisted Mahāmati in bailing the sea was Udāyin. He who snatched the pearls was Devadatta. The four city gatekeepers were Subhadra, Panthaka, Sujāta, and Bakula. The venomous serpents coiled around the four cities were the four ministers of Caṇḍāla and Sundarī." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "By what merit were the four bright-moon pearls obtained, with manifold treasures following them?" The Buddha said: "Long ago in the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, Mahāmati once built a stūpa for the Buddha out of the four precious substances, made offerings to the Three Honoured Ones, and kept the fast for seven days. At that time there were five hundred people who jointly built the monastery together: some hung banners and lit lamps, some burned incense and scattered flowers, some made offerings to the bhikṣu saṅgha, and some recited sūtras and expounded the Way. Now they have all assembled here." (Extracted from the Dayi jing)