法苑珠林 11.7

11.7

如四分律云。爾時菩薩漸漸游行。從摩竭國界往至婆羅閱城。於彼止宿。明旦入城乞食。顏貌端正屈伸俯仰。行步庠序視前直進。不左右顧眄。著衣持鉢入羅閱城乞食。時摩竭王在高樓上。諸臣前後圍繞。遙見菩薩入城乞食行步庠序。即向諸臣以偈讚之。王即遣信問。比丘欲何所詣。菩薩答之。山名斑荼婆。當於彼止宿。使人速還返白王如是事。王聞彼使言。即嚴好象乘。眾人共尋從即往禮菩薩。時王語太子言。今可於此住。我舉國一切所有及脫此寶冠。相與可居王位治化。我當為臣。時菩薩報言。我捨轉輪王出家學道。豈可於此邊國王位而處俗耶。王今當知。猶如有人曾見大海水後見牛跡水。豈可生染著心。此亦如是。豈可捨轉輪王位習粟散小王位。此事不然。時王前白言。若成無上道者。先詣羅閱城。與我相見。菩薩報言。可爾。爾時王即禮菩薩足。繞三匝而去。

As the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya states: At that time, the Bodhisattva wandered on step by step, going from the borders of Magadha to the city of Rājagṛha, and stayed there overnight. The next morning, he entered the city to beg for food. His countenance was dignified and upright; bending and stretching, looking down and up, his deportment was composed, and he looked straight ahead as he advanced, not glancing to the left or right. Donning his robes and carrying his bowl, he entered Rājagṛha to beg for food. At that time, the King of Magadha was on a high terrace, surrounded before and behind by his ministers. Seeing the Bodhisattva from afar entering the city to beg for food with composed steps, he praised him in verse to his ministers. The king then dispatched a messenger to ask: "Where does the bhikṣu wish to go?" The Bodhisattva answered him: "The mountain is named Pāṇḍava; I shall stay there overnight." The messenger returned swiftly and reported this matter to the king. Hearing the messenger's words, the king immediately adorned a fine elephant mount, and followed by the multitude, he went to pay homage to the Bodhisattva. The king then said to the prince: "You may dwell here now. I offer you everything in my entire kingdom, and I will take off this jewelled crown; you may ascend the royal throne and govern, and I will serve as your minister." The Bodhisattva replied: "I have renounced the position of a cakravartin to leave household life and study the Way; how could I remain in secular life on the royal throne of this frontier country? O King, you should know now: it is like someone who, having seen the great ocean, afterwards sees water in a cow's footprint; how could he produce a mind of attachment to it? It is just the same here: how could I abandon the throne of a cakravartin to adopt the position of a petty, millet-scattered king? This cannot be." Then the king stepped forward and said: "If you attain the unexcelled Way, come first to Rājagṛha to meet with me." The Bodhisattva replied: "So be it." Thereupon the king paid homage at the Bodhisattva's feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed.