法苑珠林 22.38

22.38

佛將難陀復至地獄。見諸鑊湯悉皆煮人。唯見一鑊炊沸空停。怪其所以而來問佛。佛告之言。汝自往問。難陀即問獄卒言。諸鑊盡皆煮治罪人。此鑊何故空無所煮。答言。閻浮提內有如來弟子。名為難陀。以出家功德當得生天。以欲罷道因緣之故。天壽命終墮此地獄。是故我今吹鑊而待難陀。難陀聞已恐怖畏獄卒留。即作是言。南無佛陀。南無佛陀。唯願將我擁護還至閻浮提內。佛語難陀。汝能勤持戒修汝天福不。難陀答言。不用生天。今唯願我不墮此獄。佛為說法。一七日中成阿羅漢。諸比丘歎言。世尊出世甚奇甚特。佛言。非但今日如是。乃往過去亦復如是。諸比丘言。過去亦爾。其事云何。請為我說。佛言昔迦尸國王。名曰滿面。毘提希國有一婬女端正殊妙。爾時二國常相怨疾。傍有佞臣向迦尸王歎說。彼國有婬女端正世所希少。王聞是語心生惑著。遣使從索。彼國不與。重遣使言。求暫相見。四五日間還當發遣。時彼國王約勅婬女。汝之姿態所有伎好。悉具足備。使迦尸王惑著於汝。須臾之間不能遠離。即遣令去。經四五日尋復喚言。欲設大祀須得此女。暫還放來後當更遣。時迦尸王即遣婦還。大祀已訖遣使還索。答言。明日當遣。既至明日亦復不遣。如是妄語經歷多日。王心惑著單將數人欲往彼國。諸臣勸諫不肯受用。時仙人山中有獼猴王。聰明博達多有所知。其婦適死取一雌獼猴。諸獼猴眾皆共瞋呵責。此雌獼猴眾所共有。何緣獨當。時獼猴王將雌獼猴。走向迦尸國投於王所。諸獼猴眾皆共追逐。既到城內發屋壞牆不可料理。迦尸國王語獼猴王言。汝今何不以雌獼猴還諸獼猴。獼猴王言。我婦死去更復無婦。王今云何欲使我歸。王語之言。今汝獼猴破亂我國。那得不歸。獼猴王言。此事不好耶。王答言。不好。如是再三。王故言不好。獼猴王言。汝宮中有八萬四千夫人。汝不愛樂欲至敵國追逐婬女。我今無婦唯取此一。汝言不好。一切萬姓視汝而活。為一婬女云何捐棄國事。大王當知。婬欲之事樂少苦多。猶如逆風而執熾炬。愚者不放必見燒害。欲為不淨如彼屎聚。欲現外相薄皮所覆。欲無反復如屎塗毒蛇。欲如怨賊詐親附人。欲如假借必當還歸。欲為可惡如廁生華。欲如疥痒而向於火搔之轉劇。欲如狗齧枯骨涎唾共合謂為有味脣齒破盡不知厭足。欲如渴人飲於鹹水逾增其渴。欲如段肉眾鳥競逐。欲如魚戰貪味至死其患甚大。爾時獼猴王者我身是也。爾時王者難陀是也。爾時婬女者孫陀利是也。我於爾時欲淤泥中拔出難陀。今亦拔其生死之苦。

The Buddha further brought Nanda to the hells. He saw cauldrons of boiling soup all boiling people, but saw only one cauldron bubbling and boiling while remaining empty. Wondering at the reason for this, he came and asked the Buddha. The Buddha told him, “Go and ask yourself.” Nanda then asked the hell-warden, saying, “All the cauldrons are boiling and torturing sinners; why is this cauldron empty with nothing being boiled in it?” He answered, “In Jambudvīpa there is a disciple of the Tathāgata named Nanda. Because of the merit of renouncing the household life, he is destined to be born in heaven. But because of the conditions of his desire to abandon the Way, when his heavenly lifespan ends he will fall into this hell. Therefore, I am now blowing the fire under the cauldron and awaiting Nanda.” Having heard this, Nanda was terrified, fearing the hell-warden would detain him. He at once said, “Namo Buddhāya! Namo Buddhāya! I only pray that you will protect and take me back to Jambudvīpa.” The Buddha said to Nanda, “Are you able to diligently keep the precepts and cultivate your heavenly blessings?” Nanda answered, “There is no use in being born in heaven; now I only pray that I do not fall into this hell.” The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, and within one seven-day period he became an arhat. The monks exclaimed in praise, “The World-Honoured One’s appearance in the world is exceedingly rare and wondrous!” The Buddha said, “Not only today is it like this; in the past it was also like this.” The monks said, “In the past it was also so? What was that affair? Please explain it for us.” The Buddha said: In the past, the king of the country of Kāśi was named Full Face (Pūrṇamukha). In the country of Videha there was a courtesan who was remarkably beautiful and wonderful. At that time the two countries were constantly hostile and resentful toward each other. A flattering minister at the side praised and spoke to the king of Kāśi: “That country has a courtesan whose beauty is rare in the world.” When the king heard these words, his mind gave rise to infatuation and attachment. He sent an envoy to request her, but that country would not give her. He sent an envoy again, saying, “I only ask to see her briefly; in four or five days she will be sent back.” Then the king of that country instructed the courtesan: “Bring to full perfection all your charms and arts, so that the king of Kāśi becomes infatuated with and attached to you, unable to leave you for an instant.” Then he sent her off. After four or five days had passed, he soon summoned her back, saying, “I wish to perform a great sacrifice and must have this woman. Release her to return for a short time; afterward she will be sent again.” Then the king of Kāśi sent the woman back. When the great sacrifice was finished, he sent an envoy to ask for her return. The reply was, “She will be sent tomorrow.” But when tomorrow came, she was still not sent. Such false words continued for many days. The king’s mind was so infatuated and attached that, leading only a few men, he wished to go to that country. The ministers remonstrated with him, but he would not accept their advice. At that time, on the Mount of the Seers (Ṛṣigiri), there was a monkey king who was intelligent, erudite, and knowledgeable. His mate having just died, he took a female monkey. The troop of monkeys all became angry and rebuked him: “This female monkey belongs in common to the troop; by what cause do you alone appropriate her?” At that time, taking the female monkey, the monkey king fled toward the country of Kāśi to take refuge with the king. The troop of monkeys all pursued them. When they arrived inside the city, they uncovered roofs and broke down walls beyond control. The king of Kāśi said to the monkey king, “Why do you not return the female monkey to the monkeys now?” The monkey king said, “My mate died and I had no other mate; why does the king now wish to make me return her?” The king said to him, “Now your monkeys are destroying and throwing my country into disorder; how could you not return her?” The monkey king said, “Is this matter bad?” The king answered, “It is bad.” Repeating this two and three times, the king still said, “It is bad.” The monkey king said, “In your palace you have eighty-four thousand consorts; you take no pleasure in them and wish to go to an enemy country in pursuit of a courtesan. I now have no mate and took only this one, yet you say it is bad. All the myriad common people look to you for their livelihood; for the sake of a single courtesan, why would you cast away the affairs of state? Great King, you should know: the matter of lust has little pleasure and much suffering, just like holding a blazing torch against the wind—the fool who does not let it go will surely be burned and harmed. Lust is impure, like a heap of dung. Lust displays an outer form covered only by thin skin. Lust has no loyalty, like a venomous snake smeared with dung. Lust is like a treacherous bandit falsely showing affection to attach to a person. Lust is like a loan that must be returned. Lust is loathsome, like flowers growing in a latrine. Lust is like an itch facing a fire: scratching it only worsens it. Lust is like a dog gnawing a dry bone, mixing it with saliva and imagining there is flavor, breaking its lips and teeth entirely without ever knowing satisfaction. Lust is like a thirsty man drinking salt water, which only increases his thirst. Lust is like a piece of meat for which many birds contend. Lust is like fish fighting [for bait], greedy for flavor unto death—its harm is exceedingly great.” The monkey king of that time was myself; the king of that time was Nanda; and the courtesan of that time was Sundarī. At that time I pulled Nanda out of the mire of lust; now I have likewise pulled him out of the suffering of birth and death.