法苑珠林 17.37

17.37

賢愚經云。昔佛在世時有一比丘。林中誦經音聲雅好。時有一鳥聞法敬愛在樹而聽。時為獵師所射命終。緣此善根生忉利天。面貌端正光相昞然。無有倫匹。自識宿命。知因比丘誦經聽法得生此中。即持天華到比丘所。禮敬問訊以天香華供養比丘。比丘具問知其委曲。即命令坐為其說法得須陀洹。既得果已還歸天上。禽鳥聽法尚獲福報無邊。豈況於人信心聽法。寧無善報。

The Scripture of the Wise and the Foolish states: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there was a monk who recited scriptures in a forest with an elegant and fine voice. At that time, a bird, hearing the Dharma, revered and loved it, and listened from a tree. Then it was shot by a hunter and died. By virtue of this good root, it was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven with a handsome countenance and radiant marks that were bright and peerless. Knowing its past lives, it recognized that it had attained rebirth there because of hearing the Dharma as the monk recited scriptures. It immediately took heavenly flowers, went to where the monk was, paid homage, made inquiries, and made offerings of heavenly incense and flowers to the monk. The monk questioned it thoroughly and learned the details of the matter. He then bade it sit and preached the Dharma for it, and it attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. Having attained the fruit, it returned to heaven. If even birds listening to the Dharma reap boundless rewards, how much more so when human beings listen to the Dharma with faithful minds—how could there not be a good reward?