經律異相 48.87

48.87

In the Kāra pond there was a frog. Hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma, it came out of the pond and went under the roots of grass. At that time, there was a cowherd who saw the great assembly surrounding and listening to the Buddha preach the Dharma. He went to where the Buddha was, and wanting to hear the Dharma, pierced the ground with his staff, mistakenly striking the frog's head. The frog died instantly and was born in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven. Seeing the courtesans and the sounds of music and entertainment, it immediately reflected: 'I was previously an animal. By what cause and condition was I born in this heavenly palace?' It observed with the heavenly eye and saw that previously, by the edge of the pond, it had listened to the Buddha preach the Dharma, and through this merit had obtained this retribution. The frog deity then rode his palace to where the Buddha was and bowed his head at [the Buddha's] feet. The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, and he attained the fruit of srotāpanna. (Extracted from the fourth fascicle of the Samantapāsādikā)