法苑珠林 31.44

31.44

又舊雜譬喻經云。昔有五道人俱行逢雪。過一神祠中宿。舍中有鬼神像形。國人所奉。客四人言。今夕大寒可取木人燒之用炊。一人言。此是人事不可敗之。便置不破。此室中鬼常噉食人。自相與語言。止噉彼一人。一人畏我。餘四人惡。不可犯放之。其不敢破者。夜聞鬼語起呼伴去。餘四人言。何不破像用炊然乎。便取燒之。噉人鬼怕即奔走去。夫人學道亦復如是。常須堅意不可怯弱。令鬼得便誤損人也。故維摩經云。譬如人畏時非人得其便也。又菩薩處胎經云。爾時世尊告智淨菩薩曰。一生補處菩薩。以權方便在卑賤家生。欲得示現除無明結。十月在胎。臨生之日現無手足。父母覩見謂為是鬼。捐棄曠野不使人見。其後數日母復懷娠。具滿十月生一男兒。端正殊妙世之希有。晝生夜死。父母號哭椎胸向天。山神樹神何不憐我。先生一子而無手足。捐棄曠野。今生一子端正無比狀如天神。今復晝生夜死。心肝斷絕當復柰何。復經數月母漸懷妊。十月具滿生一男兒。三頭八脚四眼八臂。覩者毛竪。父母眷屬捨而欲去。菩薩權現令不得去。父母問曰。為是天耶。為是龍鬼神耶。爾時所生兒。即以偈報父母曰。

Furthermore, the Old Sūtra of Miscellaneous Parables states: Formerly, five monks were travelling together when they encountered snow. They stopped at a shrine of the gods to pass the night. Within the house was a carved statue of a deity, venerated by the people of the country. Four of the travelers said: “It is bitterly cold tonight. We can take this wooden figure and burn it to cook our food.” One person said: “This belongs to people; it must not be ruined.” So they left it intact and did not break it. The demon living in this chamber habitually devoured humans, and whispered to himself: “I will only devour that one man. That single man fears me; the other four are fierce and cannot be provoked, so I will let them go.” The one who had not dared to break the image heard the demon's words in the night, rose, and called to his companions to leave. The other four said: “Why not chop up the statue to make a fire and cook?” So they took it and burned it. The man-eating demon was terrified and ran away at once. When a person learns the Way, it is also just like this: one must always maintain a steadfast mind and never be timid or weak, allowing demons to take advantage and bring harm to oneself. Hence the Vimalakīrti Sūtra states: “Just as when a man is frightened, non-human spirits take advantage of him.” Furthermore, the Bodhisattva-garbhastha Sūtra states: At that time, the World-Honoured One said to the Bodhisattva Jñānaśuddhi: “A bodhisattva bound to one last birth may, through skillful means, take birth in a lowly household in order to demonstrate the eradication of the fetters of ignorance. He remained ten months in the womb, and on the day of birth, he manifested without hands or feet. His parents saw him, considered him a demon, and cast him out into the wilderness so no one would see him. A few days later, the mother was pregnant again. When the full ten months were complete, she gave birth to a son who was wondrously handsome and rare in the world; but he was born by day and died by night. The parents wailed, beating their chests toward heaven: ‘Why do the mountain gods and tree gods not pity us? First we bore a son without hands or feet, and cast him into the wilderness. Now we bore a son incomparably handsome, resembling a heavenly god, yet he was born by day and died by night! Our hearts are torn asunder; what can we do?’ After several more months, the mother again became pregnant. When the ten months were complete, she gave birth to a son with three heads, eight legs, four eyes, and eight arms. Those who saw him had their hair stand on end. The parents and kin abandoned him and wished to leave, but the bodhisattva skillfully manifested [his power], preventing them from leaving. The parents asked: ‘Are you a god? Or are you a dragon, demon, or spirit?’ At that time, the newborn son addressed his parents in verse, saying: