經律異相 44.44

44.44

Formerly, a man heard that in a foreign land there was immortal water, and that by entering it one would become an immortal. He then set out for the foreign land and lodged with someone. The host asked the guest: 'Where do you wish to go?' He answered: 'To learn the way of the immortals.' Harboring evil intentions, the host told the guest: 'I have an immortal tree. If you can perform hard labor for me for one year, I will grant you immortality; why trouble yourself to go far away?' The guest said: 'Very well.' He performed hard labor for one year without ever showing a countenance of resentment. When the year was completed, the host—who had intended all along to deceive him and actually had no immortal tree—led him into the mountains, pointed to a tree overhanging a cliff, and said: 'This is the immortal tree. Climb to its top, and when I call you to fly, cast yourself off into flight upon my voice.' With sincere devotion, the guest soared into the empty sky from this tree and attained the way of the immortals. Seeing this, the host thought: 'I intended for him to die; how could I have realized he would become an immortal?' Deeply venerating this tree, he believed it was divine. After a short time, the host and his son went together to the base of the tree. Yielding to his father to go up first, the son called out: 'Father, you may fly!' The father then attempted to fly, but fell onto the rocks of the cliff and his body was smashed to pieces. (Extracted from the Miscellaneous Parables Sūtra).