經律異相 46.33

46.33

Within the borders of the Vṛji country, there was a ghost named Viśa (the *Chengshisheng yi jing* says Āḷavaka) who was extremely violent and ferocious, killing countless people, usually dozens every day. The people gathered together and said, "We may flee this country and go far away to other realms." The ghost, knowing the minds of the people, said to them: "Do not leave this place for other lands. You will never escape my hands. If you bring one person each day to sacrifice to me, I will not disturb you." At that time, the Vṛji people brought one person each day to sacrifice to that evil ghost. The bones of the humans this ghost devoured filled the mountain valleys. At that time, there was the son of an elder named Subhūti, who resided there, possessing abundant wealth and many treasures. His son was named Nakula; he had only this one son. Because of this restriction, the boy Nakula was due to be sacrificed to the ghost. The parents bathed the little boy, dressed him in fine garments, and took him to the ghost's dwelling, crying and wailing beyond measure, while saying: "May all the ghosts and earth gods together bear witness! This is our only son; we pray that you protect this boy so that he may be saved and spared! Śakra Devānām Indra and the Brahmā king, all the disciples of the Tathāgata, the arhats whose outflows are ended, and the pratyekabuddhas, up to the Tathāgata, the most honoured, supreme, auspicious protector and field of merit—there is none surpassing the Tathāgata—may they examine this! May the Tathāgata illuminate our sincere mind!" Having handed the boy over to the ghost, they withdrew and departed. At that time, the Bhagavat, seeing and hearing with his divine eye and divine ear, went north of the snowy mountains by the power of his supernatural feet, entered the ghost's dwelling place, and sat cross-legged. At that time, the little boy arrived at the ghost's dwelling place and saw from afar the Tathāgata's brilliant light and colour, his body adorned with the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary signs. He gave rise to a joyful mind toward the Tathāgata, thinking he was the evil ghost, [ready to be] eaten at will. At that time, the Bhagavat said to him: "Nakula, it is as you say. I am now the Tathāgata, Samyaksaṃbuddha; I have come specifically to save you and subdue this ghost." Nakula joyfully bowed his head at the Buddha's feet. The Bhagavat then explained the wondrous doctrine to him, and right upon his seat, all dust and defilements were exhausted, and he obtained the purity of the Dharma eye. Having seen the Dharma, he took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Holy Saṅgha, and received the five precepts. When the evil ghost returned to his original place and saw from afar the Bhagavat sitting upright and motionless, he was aroused to fury. He rained thunderbolts, lightning, and claps of thunder, or rained swords and knives. Before they could fall to the ground, the Tathāgata transformed them into blue utpala lotuses. The ghost further sent down various supernatural forces, but the Tathāgata subdued them as they came. [The ghost thought,] "Not a hair of the śramaṇa's robe has moved; I shall now go and question him on deep doctrines. If he cannot answer me, I will seize his two feet and throw him into the southern sea." The Buddha said, "Whether human or non-human, none can seize my two feet and throw me into the southern sea. If you wish to ask, then ask." At that time the ghost asked, "What are past actions, new actions, and the cessation of actions?" The Bhagavat told him: "You should know that the eye is past action: actions formed in the past due to conditions and afflictions. The ear, nose, mouth, body, and mind are also past actions. What is performed in the present life—three of the body, four of speech, and three of the mind—these are new actions. You should know that when past actions are brought to an end, no longer arise, and no further actions are formed, one can take these actions to never arise again, exhausted forever without remainder; this is called the cessation of actions." The ghost said to the Buddha, "I am now extremely hungry; return the little boy to me." The Bhagavat told him: "In the past, when I was a bodhisattva, a dove threw itself upon me, and I did not even spare my own life to save that dove from peril. How much less now that I have become a Tathāgata could I abandon this boy to be eaten by you? In the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, you were once a śramaṇa who cultivated the brahma-conduct, but later you broke the precepts and were born as this evil ghost." At that time, relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, the evil ghost remembered all the deeds he had performed in the past. He immediately went before the Bhagavat, bowed his head at his feet, [and said:] "I am now ignorant and deluded, unable to distinguish the true from the false, and thus gave rise to such a mind toward the Tathāgata. I only pray that the Bhagavat accept my repentance!" He repeated this three or four times. The Bhagavat told him, "I permit your repentance," and explained the wondrous Dharma for him. Then that evil ghost raised several thousand ounces of gold in his hands and offered them to the Bhagavat, [saying:] "I now offer this mountain valley to the saṅgha of the four quarters. I only pray that the Bhagavat accept it on my behalf." The Bhagavat then accepted it and spoke this verse: