法苑珠林 1.18

1.18

依中阿含經云。過去有輪王出世。名曰頂生。奉持齋法修行布施。國中貧者出財用給。後經多時。然國中有貧窮者。不能出物用給恤乏。人轉窮困。因窮便盜他物。其主捕伺收縛。送詣剎利頂生王所。白曰。天王。此人盜我物。願天王治。王問彼人曰。汝實盜耶。彼曰。實盜。所以者何。以貧困故。若不盜者便無自濟。王即出財而給與之。語盜者曰。汝等還去後莫復作。由斯之故人作是念。我等亦應盜取他物。於是各競行盜。是謂因貧無物不能給恤。故人轉窮困因盜滋甚。故彼人壽轉減形色轉惡。父壽八萬歲。子壽四萬歲。彼人壽四萬歲。時有人復盜送王。王聞已便作是念。若我國中有盜他物。更出財物盡給與者如是竭藏盜遂滋甚。我今寧可作極利刀。若我國中有偷盜者。便收捕取坐高標下斬截其頭。作此念已便勅行之。於後彼人効此利刀。持行劫物。捉彼物主截斷其頭。因貧盜甚刀殺轉增。故彼人壽轉減形色轉惡。父壽四萬歲。子壽二萬歲。人壽二萬歲時。時彼盜者便作是念。王若知實。或縛鞭我。或擯罰錢。或貫標上。我寧妄言欺誑王耶。念已白王。我不偷盜。是為因貧無物。不能給恤盜殺轉增。便妄言兩舌。故彼人壽轉減形色轉惡。父壽二萬歲。子壽一萬歲。人壽一萬歲時。人便嫉妬邪婬轉增。故彼人壽轉減形色轉惡。父壽一萬歲。子壽五千歲。人壽五千歲時。三法轉增。非法欲惡貪邪法。故父壽五千歲。子壽二千五百歲。人壽二千五百歲時。復三法轉增。兩舌麁言綺語。故彼壽轉減形色轉惡。故父壽二千五百歲。子壽千歲。人壽千歲時。一法轉增。邪見是也。因一法增故。彼人壽轉減形色轉惡。父壽千歲。子壽五百歲。人壽五百歲時。彼人不孝父母。不能尊敬沙門梵志。不行順事。不作福業。不見後世罪。故父壽五百歲。子壽二百五十歲。或二百歲。今若長壽。或壽百歲。或不啻者。佛復告比丘曰。未來久時。人壽十歲。女生五月即便出嫁。人壽十歲時。有穀名稗子。為第一美食。如今糠糧以為上饌。所有蘇油鹽蜜甘蔗一切盡沒。唯行十惡業道者為人所敬。都未有善。母於其子極有害心。子亦於母極有害心。父子兄弟姊妹親屬。展轉相向有賊害心。猶如獵師見彼鹿已極有害心。人壽十歲時。乃有七日刀兵劫盛。彼若捉草即化成刀。若捉樵木亦化成刀。以此刀兵各各相殺。彼於七日刀兵劫過七日便止。爾時亦有人。生慚恥羞愧厭惡不愛。彼人七日刀兵劫時。便入山野在隱處藏。過七日已則從山野於隱處出。更互相見生慈愍心極相愛念。猶如慈母唯有一子。與久離別遠來相見。極相愛念便作是語。諸賢我今相見令得安隱。我等由坐生不善心令親族死盡。我等寧可共行善法離斷殺業。行善法已壽便轉增形色轉好。壽十歲人生子壽二十。壽二十人復作是念。若求善者壽色轉好。我等應可更增行善共離不與取。行是善已壽便轉增。人生子壽四十歲。復離邪婬。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽八十歲。復離妄言。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽百六十歲。壽百六十已。復離兩舌。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽三百二十歲。復離麁言。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽六百四十歲。復離綺語。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽二千五百歲。復離貪疾。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽五千歲。復離瞋恚。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽一萬歲。復離邪見。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽二萬歲。復離非法欲惡貪行邪法。我等寧可離此三惡不善法。行是善已壽色轉好。人生子壽四萬歲。壽四萬歲時。孝順父母。尊重恭敬沙門梵志。奉行順事。修習福業。見後世罪。行是善已。人生子壽八萬歲。人壽八萬歲時。此閻浮洲極大豐樂多有人民。村邑相近如雞一飛。女年五百歲乃當出嫁。唯有七病。寒熱大小便利婬欲飢渴老等。更無餘患。時有王名螺。為轉輪王。聰明智慧。有四種軍整御四天下。七寶千子具足。端正勇猛無畏能伏他眾。統領大地乃至大海。不以刀仗。以法教令令得安樂（餘有疾病飢饉作法延促並皆同前）。

According to the Madhyamāgama: In the past, there was a cakravartin who appeared in the world named Mūrdhata. He upheld the precepts of fasting and practiced dāna. To the poor in the kingdom, he gave out wealth to provide for them. Later, after a long time had passed, although there were poor people in the kingdom, he could not provide goods to relieve their lack. The people became increasingly impoverished; because of poverty, they then stole others' property. The owners watched, arrested, bound, and brought them before the kṣatriya King Mūrdhata, saying: 'Heavenly King, this person stole my property. May the Heavenly King punish him.' The king asked that person, saying: 'Did you truly steal?' He replied: 'I truly stole. Why? Because of poverty and distress. If I did not steal, I would have no way to support myself.' The king then gave out wealth and granted it to him, saying to the thief: 'You may return; do not do it again.' For this reason, people thought: 'We should also steal others' property.' Thereupon, they competed with one another in committing theft. This means that because of poverty and having no goods, they could not be relieved; therefore, people became increasingly impoverished, and theft flourished greatly. Therefore, the people's lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for eighty thousand years, and sons lived for forty thousand years. When human lifespan was forty thousand years, someone again stole and was brought before the king. Having heard this, the king thought: 'If someone in my kingdom steals others' property, and I again give out wealth to provide for all of them, my treasury will be depleted and theft will flourish ever more. I had rather make an extremely sharp sword now: if there is someone in my kingdom who steals, I will arrest him, place him under a high pole, and cut off his head.' Having made this thought, he ordered it to be executed. Afterwards, the people imitated this sharp sword, using it to commit robbery: seizing the owner of the property, they severed his head. Because of poverty, theft flourished, and killing with weapons increased. Therefore, the people's lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for forty thousand years, and sons lived for twenty thousand years. When human lifespan was twenty thousand years, the thieves thought: 'If the king knows the truth, he may bind and whip me, banish me and fine me, or impale me on a pole. Should I not speak falsely to deceive the king?' Having thought thus, he said to the king: 'I did not steal.' This means that because of poverty and having no goods, they could not be relieved; theft and killing increased, and then false speech and divisive speech followed. Therefore, their lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for twenty thousand years, and sons lived for ten thousand years. When human lifespan was ten thousand years, jealousy and sexual misconduct increased. Therefore, their lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for ten thousand years, and sons lived for five thousand years. When human lifespan was five thousand years, three dharmas increased: unlawful desire, wicked covetousness, and false dharmas. Therefore, fathers lived for five thousand years, and sons lived for two thousand five hundred years. When human lifespan was two thousand five hundred years, another three dharmas increased: divisive speech, harsh speech, and frivolous speech. Therefore, their lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for two thousand five hundred years, and sons lived for one thousand years. When human lifespan was one thousand years, one dharma increased: that is, false views. Because one dharma increased, their lifespans decreased and their physical appearance deteriorated: fathers lived for one thousand years, and sons lived for five hundred years. When human lifespan was five hundred years, those people were not filial to their parents, could not respect śramaṇas and brahmans, did not practice compliant deeds, did not perform meritorious karma, and did not perceive the transgressions of future lives. Therefore, fathers lived for five hundred years, and sons lived for two hundred and fifty years, or two hundred years. Now, if someone has a long life, it may be a hundred years or not much more. The Buddha further addressed the bhikṣus: 'In the distant future, when the human lifespan is ten years, a girl five months after birth will already be married off. When the human lifespan is ten years, there will be a grain called barnyard grass that will be the foremost delicious food, just as now coarse grain is considered the finest meal. All ghee, oil, salt, honey, and sugarcane will completely vanish. Only those who practice the paths of the ten unwholesome actions will be respected by people; there will be no goodness at all. A mother toward her child will have an intensely harmful mind; a child toward the mother will also have an intensely harmful mind. Fathers, sons, brothers, sisters, and relatives, turned toward one another, will have murderous intent, just as a hunter seeing a deer has an intensely harmful mind. When the human lifespan is ten years, there will be the culmination of the seven-day calamity of weapons. If one grasps grass, it turns into a sword; if one grasps firewood, it also turns into a sword. With these weapons, they kill one another. After the seven days of the calamity of weapons have passed, it then stops. At that time, there will also be people who give rise to shame, modesty, revulsion, and distaste. During the seven-day calamity of weapons, these people enter the mountains and wilderness to hide in concealed places. When the seven days have passed, they emerge from the concealed places in the mountains and wilderness. Meeting one another again, they give rise to compassionate minds and cherish one another deeply, just as a loving mother with an only son, having been long parted from him, meets him coming from afar and cherishes him deeply; they then say: 'Good sirs, our meeting today allows us to attain peace. Because we gave rise to unwholesome thoughts, all our kinsmen have died. We should together practice good dharmas and abandon the karma of killing.' Having practiced good dharmas, their lifespans increase and their physical appearance improves: people with a lifespan of ten years give birth to children with a lifespan of twenty. People with a lifespan of twenty then think: 'If we seek goodness, our lifespan and appearance improve. We should increase our practice of goodness and together abandon taking what is not given.' Having practiced this good, their lifespans increase: people give birth to children with a lifespan of forty years. Furthermore, they abandon sexual misconduct; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of eighty years. Furthermore, they abandon false speech; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of one hundred and sixty years. Having attained one hundred and sixty years, they further abandon divisive speech; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of three hundred and twenty years. Furthermore, they abandon harsh speech; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of six hundred and forty years. Furthermore, they abandon frivolous speech; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of two thousand five hundred years. Furthermore, they abandon covetousness and envy; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of five thousand years. Furthermore, they abandon anger; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of ten thousand years. Furthermore, they abandon false views; having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of twenty thousand years. Furthermore, they abandon unlawful desire, wicked covetousness, and the practice of false dharmas, [thinking:] 'We had better abandon these three evil, unwholesome dharmas.' Having practiced this good, their lifespan and appearance improve, and people give birth to children with a lifespan of forty thousand years. When the lifespan is forty thousand years, they are filial to parents, respect and revere śramaṇas and brahmans, practice compliant deeds, cultivate meritorious karma, and perceive the transgressions of future lives. Having practiced this good, people give birth to children with a lifespan of eighty thousand years. When the human lifespan is eighty thousand years, this continent of Jambudvīpa will be exceedingly abundant and joyful, with numerous inhabitants; villages and towns will be so close that a chicken could fly from one to the next. Women will marry only at the age of five hundred. There will be only seven illnesses: cold, heat, urination, defecation, sexual desire, hunger and thirst, and aging, with no other afflictions. At that time, there will be a king named Śaṅkha, who will be a cakravartin, clever and wise, possessing four kinds of armies to govern and rule the four continents, fully endowed with the seven treasures and a thousand sons, upright, valiant, fearless, and able to subdue others' hosts, ruling the great earth as far as the great sea, not by weapons, but by the command of Dharma, bringing them peace and happiness. (The rest regarding the prolongation and abbreviation through methods concerning illness and famine are all identical to the preceding.)