法苑珠林 10.98

10.98

如因果經云。爾時太子心自念。我年已至十九。今是二月復是七日。宜應方出。思求出家今正是時。作此念已。身放光明照四天王宮乃至淨居天宮。不令人見此光明。爾時諸天見此光已。皆知太子出家時到。即便來下到太子所頭面禮足。合掌白言。無量劫來所修行願今正成熟。太子答言。如汝等語。今正是時。然父王勅內外官屬嚴見防衛。欲去無從。諸天白言。我等自當設諸方便令太子出使無知者。即以神力。令諸宮屬悉皆困臥。耶輸陀羅眠臥之中得三大夢。一者夢月墮地。二者夢牙齒落。三者夢失右臂。得此夢已。眠中驚覺心大怖懼。白太子已具述三夢。太子言。月猶在天。齒又不落。臂復尚在。當知諸夢虛假不實。汝今不應橫生怖畏。又語太子。如我自忖。所夢之事。必是太子出家之瑞。太子又答。汝但安眠勿生此慮聞已遂眠。又普曜經云。於時菩薩夜觀妓女。百節空中譬如芭蕉。九孔不淨無一可樂。明星適現。即勅車匿起被揵陟。適宣此語時。四天王與無數閱叉龍等。皆被鎧甲從四方來。稽首菩薩曰。城中男女皆疲極。孔雀眾鳥亦疲極寐。又本起經云。諸天皆言。太子當去恐作稽留。急去遠此大火之聚。爾時太子思如是已。至於後夜。淨居天王及欲界諸天充滿虛空。即共同聲白太子言。內外眷屬皆悉昏臥。今者正是出家之時。爾時太子即自往至車匿所。以天力故車匿自覺。而語之言。汝可為我牽揵陟來。爾時車匿聞此語已。舉身顫怖心懷猶豫。一者不欲違太子令。二者畏王勅旨嚴峻。思惟良久流淚而言。大王慈勅如是。又今非游觀時。又非降伏怨敵之日。云何於此後夜之中。而忽索馬欲何所之。太子又復語車匿言。我今欲為一切眾生降伏煩惱結賊故。汝今不應違我此意。爾時車匿舉聲號泣。欲令耶輸陀羅及諸眷屬。皆悉覺知太子當去。以天神力昏臥如故。車匿即便牽馬而來。太子徐前而語車匿及以揵陟。一切恩愛會當別離。世間之事易可果遂。出家因緣甚難成就。車匿聞已默然無言。於是揵陟不復噴鳴。爾時太子見明相出。放身光明徹照十方。師子吼言。過去諸佛出家之法。我今亦然。於是諸天捧馬四足并接車匿。釋提桓因執蓋隨從。天即便令城北門自然而開不使有聲。車匿重悲。門閉下𨷲誰當開者。時諸鬼神阿須倫等。自然開門。太子於是從門而出。虛空諸天歌讚隨從。至於天曉所行道路已三踰闍那。時諸天眾。既從太子。至此處已。所為事畢忽然不現。太子次行。至彼跋伽仙人苦行林中。即便下馬撫背而言。所難為事汝作已畢。又語車匿。唯汝一人獨能隨我。甚為希有。我今既已至閑靜處。汝便可與揵陟俱還宮也。車匿聞此語已悲號啼泣。迷悶躄地不能自勝。於是揵陟既聞被遣。屈膝舐足淚落如雨。我今云何而捨太子獨還宮也。太子答言。世間之法獨生獨死。豈復有伴。吾今為欲。滅諸苦使。故來至此。眾苦斷時。然後當與一切眾生而作伴侶。又佛本行經云。爾時護世四天王。及天帝釋。知太子出家時至。各隨其方辦具莊飾。各領一切眷屬百千萬眾。前後道從。作諸音樂。從四方來。三匝圍繞迦毘羅城。各合十指掌。低頭曲躬。面向太子側塞虛空。復見鬼星與月合時。爾時諸天唱大聲言。大聖太子鬼宿已合。今時至矣。欲求勝法莫住於此。太子聞已。觀諸婇女。穢污不淨。睡眠不覺。以手拔髮令寤。又以脚蹋彼婇女身。不覺不知（以外同前）。

As the Yinguo jing states: At that time, the prince thought to himself: "My age has reached nineteen. Today is the seventh day of the second month; it is fitting that I should now go forth. Thinking of seeking renunciation, now is precisely the time." Having made this thought, his body emitted light that illuminated the palaces of the Four Heavenly Kings up to the Śuddhāvāsa heaven, without letting anyone [in the palace] see this light. At that time, seeing this light, the devas all knew that the time for the prince to leave home had arrived. They immediately descended and came to the prince's presence, bowed their heads at his feet, joined their palms, and said: "The vows and practices cultivated across immeasurable kalpas are now maturing." The prince replied: "It is as you say; now is precisely the time. However, my father the king has ordered the inner and outer officials to maintain a strict guard; wishing to leave, there is no way." The devas said: "We shall ourselves devise expedients to cause the prince to depart without anyone knowing." Thereupon, through divine power, they caused all the palace retinue to fall into a dead sleep. In her sleep, Yaśodharā had three great dreams: first, dreaming that the moon fell to the ground; second, dreaming that her teeth fell out; third, dreaming that she lost her right arm. Having had these dreams, she awoke startled from her sleep in great fear. Having told the prince, she recounted the three dreams in full. The prince said: "The moon is still in the sky, the teeth have not fallen out, and the arm is still there. You should know that all dreams are false and unreal; you should not give rise to groundless terror now." She also told the prince: "According to my own reflection, the matter of these dreams must be an auspicious omen of the prince leaving home." The prince again replied: "Just sleep peacefully and do not give rise to such worries." Having heard this, she then went to sleep. Again, the Puyao jing states: At that time, the bodhisattva observed the courtesans at night: the hundred joints of their bodies were hollow like plantain trees, the nine apertures were impure, with nothing delightful. As the morning star had just appeared, he immediately ordered Chandaka to arise and saddle Kaṇṭhaka. Just as he spoke these words, the Four Heavenly Kings together with countless yakṣas, nāgas, and others, all clad in armour, came from the four directions. Bowing to the bodhisattva, they said: "The men and women in the city are all exhausted; the peacocks and flocks of birds are also sleeping in deep fatigue." Again, the Benqi jing states: The devas all said: "The prince should depart; we fear he might delay. Quickly leave and distance yourself from this heap of great fire!" At that time, after the prince had thought thus, when the late night arrived, the king of the Śuddhāvāsa heaven and the devas of the desire realm filled the sky. They spoke with one voice to the prince, saying: "The inner and outer retinue are all in a stupor of sleep. Now is precisely the time to leave home." At that time, the prince went in person to Chandaka's place. By heavenly power, Chandaka woke of himself, and the prince said to him: "Bring Kaṇṭhaka to me." At that time, hearing these words, Chandaka's whole body trembled with fear, and his heart was filled with hesitation: on the one hand, he did not wish to disobey the prince's command; on the other hand, he feared the severe decree of the king. Reflecting for a long while, shedding tears, he said: "The great king's affectionate decree was like this; moreover, now is not the time for an excursion, nor is it a day for subduing enemies. Why in this late night do you suddenly ask for the horse? Where do you wish to go?" The prince again spoke to Chandaka, saying: "I now wish to subdue the thieves of the defilements and fetters for the sake of all sentient beings; you must not oppose this wish of mine." At that time, Chandaka wailed aloud, wishing to make Yaśodharā and all the retinue awake and aware that the prince was about to leave. By the divine power of the devas, they remained in a stupor as before. Chandaka then led the horse forward. The prince stepped forward slowly and said to Chandaka and Kaṇṭhaka: "All affection and love must inevitably part. The affairs of the worldly realm are easily accomplished, but the causes and conditions of renunciation are extremely difficult to achieve." Hearing this, Chandaka remained silent. Thereupon Kaṇṭhaka no longer snorted or neighed. At that time, seeing the sign of dawn appear, the prince radiated light from his body completely illuminating the ten directions. He roared like a lion: "The manner of renunciation of the past Buddhas—I shall now do likewise." Thereupon the devas upheld the four hooves of the horse and also supported Chandaka, while Śakra, Lord of the Devas, held an umbrella and followed. The devas immediately caused the northern gate of the city to open spontaneously without making a sound. Chandaka grieved again: "The gate is closed and bolted; who will open it?" At that time, all the spirits, asuras, and others opened the gate spontaneously. The prince then departed through the gate. Devas in the sky sang praises and followed him. By dawn, the path traversed was already three yojanas. At that time, the hosts of devas, having followed the prince to this place and having completed their task, suddenly disappeared. The prince next walked on, arriving at the ascetic forest of the sage Bhārgava. He then dismounted, stroked the horse's back, and said: "The difficult deed you were to do has already been accomplished." He also spoke to Chandaka: "Only you alone were able to follow me; this is extremely rare. Now that I have arrived at a quiet place, you may return to the palace together with Kaṇṭhaka." Hearing these words, Chandaka wailed and wept, fell to the ground in a faint, unable to bear it. Thereupon, Kaṇṭhaka, having heard that he was being sent back, bent his knees, licked the prince's feet, and his tears fell like rain: "How can I now abandon the prince and return alone to the palace?" The prince answered: "In the ways of the world, one is born alone and dies alone; how could there be a companion? I have come here now wishing to extinguish all painful afflictions. When the manifold sufferings are severed, then I shall become a companion to all sentient beings." Furthermore, the Fo benxing jing states: At that time, the Four Heavenly Kings protecting the world and Śakra, lord of the devas, knew that the time for the prince to leave home had arrived. Each according to his direction prepared adornments, each leading all his retinue of hundreds of thousands of myriads, preceding and following, making various kinds of music, coming from the four directions. They circumambulated the city of Kapilavastu three times, each joining the palms of their ten fingers, lowering their heads, and bowing their bodies. Facing the prince, they packed the sky. Again, they saw that the Puṣya star coincided with the moon. At that time, the devas proclaimed in a loud voice: "Great Holy Prince! The Puṣya asterism has already coincided; the time has arrived now! If you wish to seek the supreme Dharma, do not remain here!" Hearing this, the prince observed the courtesans: filthy and impure, sleeping without awareness. He pulled their hair with his hand to awaken them, and also kicked the bodies of those courtesans with his foot, but they were unawakened and unaware (the rest is the same as above).