經律異相 9.14

9.14

In the past, the Bodhisattva was born into one of the four castes. As soon as he fell to the ground, he said: "Sentient beings face ten thousand calamities; I shall save them. They are without understanding and without the Dharma; I shall remove their blindness and deafness so that they hear and see the clear model of the many sages." His relatives were startled and said: "We have never heard of an infant who could speak. Could this be the spirit of a deva, nāga, ghost, or deity? We ought to divine it." He replied: "I have been transformed by the highest sages and cherish the wisdom of universal illumination. I am none of those various specters; do not doubt it." Having spoken, he fell silent. His relatives said: "The child has the intention to vastly enrich heaven and earth; could he be an ordinary mortal?" They named him Puśi ("Universal Giving"). By the time he reached the age of ten, there was none of the Buddha's scriptures or worldly techniques that he had not mastered. Taking leave of his parents to save the multitude and give alms to the impoverished, his parents said: "We have the highest reputation for the greatest wealth. You may do as you please." He replied: "That is not enough. I beg to become a śramaṇa; bestow upon me the Dharma robes, the alms bowl, and the tin staff to save the multitude with them." His parents consented. Traveling around teaching and converting, he passed through a great country. In that country, there was a prominent clan who was also learned in various texts. Beholding Puśi's appearance and demeanor, his mind and nature calm, tranquil, and pure as heavenly gold, showing the signs of a superior sage who would become a hero of the world, he said to Puśi: "I have an unsightly daughter and wish to offer her to sweep your floors." He replied: "Very well, wait until I return." He then embarked on a ship, crossed the sea, went ashore, and entered the mountains. Arriving at an uninhabited place, he saw a silver city in the distance. In its palace, there were venomous snakes circling the city seven times; their bodies were a hundred spans in girth, and they raised their heads to look at him. Puśi thought: "These beings have harmful intentions; I must arouse loving-kindness." The snakes' poison immediately subsided, and they lowered their heads and fell asleep. Climbing over their heads, he entered the city. A deva in the city saw him and said with joy: "I have long submitted to your holy virtue, and now you have soared here; this is truly the wish of my heart." He stayed for thirty days. Puśi entrusted the affairs to a close attendant and personally received the food offerings. When the offerings were finished, the deva presented him with a luminous, genuine pearl. The pearl's light shone for forty thousand li; if a vow was made, all kinds of treasures would be supplied. The deva said: "If later you attain buddhahood, I vow to be your disciple." Puśi said: "So it shall be." He then proceeded forward and saw a golden city, with venomous snakes surrounding the city fourteen times. Their enormous bodies were twice those of before, and they raised their heads several zhang high. Puśi entered the absorption of loving-kindness again, and the snakes lowered their heads. Climbing over them, he entered the city. The devas within were joyful to meet him, saying: "We have long submitted to your divine brilliance; that you have soared here is very good. We wish for you to stay for one hundred and eighty days to receive our offerings." When this period passed, he took his leave, and the devas presented him with a divine pearl. Its bright radiance shone for two hundred thousand li; whatever was wished in the mind, all kinds of treasures would fill it. "If you, noble son, attain the Way, we vow to be your disciples, supreme in supernatural powers." He then advanced further and saw a lapis lazuli city. There were again venomous snakes whose bodies encircled the city twenty-one times, raising their heads with glaring eyes, blocking the city gate. He aroused the absorption of loving-kindness again, vowing to save sentient beings. Their poison ceased, and they lowered their heads; climbing over them, he entered the city. The devas rejoiced as before, requesting him to stay for three seasons, wishing to offer him whatever he desired. When the period ended and he took his leave, they also presented him with a divine pearl, whose radiance shone for one million six hundred thousand li. Wherever the pearl was, all kinds of treasures followed it, filling the space within its illumination, so that whatever was wished in the mind, nothing sought was not obtained. They said: "When you, noble son, attain right awakening, we vow to be disciples possessing the most luminous wisdom." He said: "You will surely obtain your wish." Having obtained the pearls, Puśi returned to his former abode. All the sea deities gathered in counsel and said: "In our vast ocean, only these three pearls are our glory. The man of the Dao has obtained them all. We would rather lose all other treasures than lose these pearls." A sea deity transformed into an ordinary man and stood before Puśi, saying: "I have heard that the benevolent one has obtained the supreme treasures of the world; may I see them?" He immediately showed them to him. The deity clapped his hands and snatched them away. Puśi said: "I braved dangers and crossed the sea to obtain these treasures, wishing to relieve the destitute. Am I now to have them snatched away by this spirit?" He said: "Return my pearls; if not, I will drain your ocean dry." The deity said: "The great ocean is deep and wide; who could drain it? The heavens prompt the rising of winds." Puśi said: "Before Dīpaṅkara Buddha, I vowed to attain the power of the Way to overturn the oceans, point at and pull up Mount Sumeru, shake heaven and earth, and move all buddha lands. The Buddha granted my wish, and I have attained it today. How could the thread-and-hair strength of you ghostly creatures halt the force of my right truth?" He then stood on both feet and scooped out the sea water, tossing it outside the Iron Ring Mountains. A Śubhakṛtsna deva said: "Formerly, before Dīpaṅkara Buddha, I heard his vow; he will surely become a Bhagavat and deliver us sentient beings." He then came down to help him scoop out the water, draining eight-tenths of it. The sea deity was terrified, saying: "This water will be exhausted, and my dwelling will be ruined!" He immediately returned his pearls. Puśi made offerings all along the road. In the countries he passed through, there were no longer any impoverished people. The kings everywhere all transformed their conduct, taking the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds as the governance and law of their states, opening prisons in a grand amnesty, and extending moisture to sentient beings until he finally attained buddhahood. Puśi was my own person. The father was King Śuddhodana. The mother was my mother Māyā. The ascetic's daughter at that time is now Gopī. The deva in the silver city is now Ānanda. The deva in the golden city is Maudgalyāyana. The deva in the lapis lazuli city is Śāriputra. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the Collection on Crossing the Limitless; also appearing in the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish.)