經律異相 5.36

5.36

In the kingdom of Vaiśālī, there was a brāhmaṇa who clung to wrong views and had no son. Anxious that he might suddenly pass away and have his wealth forfeited to the state, he made offerings and worshiped various mountains and tree deities. He realized that his wife had become pregnant, and when the months were fulfilled, she gave birth to a boy. The boy was handsome, and his parents loved and cherished him. When he reached the age of twelve, he went outside for an excursion. On the road, he encountered a drunken elephant, which trampled him to death. The parents were devastated with grief; their minds became mad and bewildered, and they ran about naked. The Tathāgata, with compassionate mindfulness, magically transformed himself into their son. The parents came forward and embraced him, rejoicing boundlessly; their madness immediately ceased, and they regained their original senses. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and they at once gave rise to the aspiration for the path (derived from the fourth fascicle of the Sūtra on the Buddha’s Skill in Means to Repay Kindness).