法苑珠林 21.39

21.39

又佛說無畏女經云。爾時阿闍世王有女名無畏德。端正無比成就最勝殊妙功德。年始十二其父王堂閣之上。著金寶屐。彼處而坐。時無畏德女見諸聲聞。不起不迎。默然而住。不共問答。不迎不禮。不讓床坐。阿闍世王見無畏德默然而住。即告之言。汝豈不知。此等皆是釋迦如來上足弟子成就大法耶。世間福田耶。以為愍念諸眾生故而行乞食。汝今既見。何故不起。不馳不禮。不共相問。復不讓坐。汝今覩見何事故而不起迎。爾時無畏白父王言。不審大王。頗見頗聞轉輪聖王見諸小王而起迎不。王言不也。復言。頗見頗聞師子獸王見野干時為起迎不。王言不也。復言。頗見頗聞帝釋天王迎餘天不。王言不也。頗見頗聞大海之神禮敬江河池神不。王言不也。女言。大王。如是菩薩發心趣向阿耨菩提。轉輪聖王。以大慈悲初發心已。云何禮敬離大慈悲小王聲聞。大王。頗有已求無上正覺之道師子獸王。而禮小乘野干人耶。頗有欲到大智之海欲求善知大法之聚。而求牛迹聲聞人耶。大王。若有親近聲聞人者。是人即發聲聞之心。若有親近緣覺人者。是人即發緣覺之心。若有親近正真正覺之人者。是人即發阿耨菩提心。爾時阿闍世王復語無畏德女言。汝大我慢。云何如是。見諸聲聞而不奉迎。女言。大王。勿作此語。大王亦慢。云何不迎王舍城內諸貧窮者。王語女言。彼非我類。我云何迎。女言。大王。初心菩薩亦復如是。一切聲聞緣覺亦非我類。王語女言。汝豈不見。諸菩薩等皆悉敬一切眾生。女言。大王。菩薩為度憍慢瞋惱諸眾生等令彼得起迴向之心。是故禮敬一切眾生。為長眾生諸善根本。是故禮敬。

Furthermore, the Abhayavatī-paripṛcchā-sūtra says: 'At that time King Ajātaśatru had a daughter named Abhayā (Fearless Virtue), of peerless beauty and endowed with the most supreme, wondrous merit. At the age of twelve, she was sitting upon the upper story of her father the king's palace, wearing golden jewelled clogs. At that time the girl Abhayā saw the śrāvakas, but did not rise or welcome them; she remained silent, not exchanging greetings with them, neither welcoming them nor bowing, nor offering her seat. King Ajātaśatru, seeing Abhayā remain silent, told her: "Do you not know that these are all chief disciples of the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, endowed with the Great Dharma, the fields of merit for the world? Out of pity for sentient beings, they go about begging for food. Now that you have seen them, why do you not rise, do you not hurry to bow, do you not exchange greetings, and do you not offer your seat? Seeing them now, for what reason do you not rise to welcome them?" At that time Abhayā addressed her father the king, saying: "May I inquire of the Great King: have you ever seen or heard of a wheel-turning sage king (cakravartin) rising to welcome petty kings?" The king said: "No." She said again: "Have you ever seen or heard of the lion, king of beasts, rising to welcome a jackal?" The king said: "No." She said again: "Have you ever seen or heard of Indra, king of devas, welcoming other devas?" The king said: "No." "Have you ever seen or heard of the deity of the great ocean paying homage to the deities of rivers and pools?" The king said: "No." The girl said: "Great King, just so is the bodhisattva who has aroused the mind to head toward anuttarā samyak-saṃbodhi—a wheel-turning sage king. Having initially aroused the mind with great compassion, how could he pay homage to petty kings, the śrāvakas who are devoid of great compassion? Great King, has there ever been a lion, king of beasts, who has already sought the way of unsurpassable correct awakening, paying homage to the jackal-like persons of the Hīnayāna? Has there ever been one who wishes to reach the ocean of great wisdom and seek to know well the mass of the Great Dharma, seeking the ox-hoofprint-like śrāvakas? Great King, if someone associates with śrāvakas, that person will arouse the mind of a śrāvaka. If someone associates with pratyekabuddhas, that person will arouse the mind of a pratyekabuddha. If someone associates with those of correct and true awakening, that person will arouse the anuttarā-bodhicitta." At that time King Ajātaśatru again spoke to the girl Abhayā, saying: "You have great conceit! Why do you act like this, seeing the śrāvakas and not welcoming them?" The girl said: "Great King, do not say this. The Great King also has conceit; why do you not welcome the poor people within Rājagṛha?" The king told the girl: "They are not of my kind; why should I welcome them?" The girl said: "Great King, the newly-aroused bodhisattva is also like this: all śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are likewise not of my kind." The king told the girl: "Do you not see that all bodhisattvas pay respect to all sentient beings?" The girl said: "Great King, in order to deliver sentient beings who are arrogant, angry, and afflicted, and to cause them to arouse a mind of dedication (pariṇāmanā), bodhisattvas pay respect to all sentient beings. In order to nurture the roots of all goodness in sentient beings, they pay respect."'