法苑珠林 35.16

35.16

又海龍王經云。爾時有龍王。而白世尊曰。於此海中無數種龍。有四種金翅鳥。常食斯龍及龍妻子。願佛擁護常得安隱。於是世尊脫身皂衣。告海龍王。汝取是衣分與諸龍。皆令周遍。有值一縷者。金翅鳥王不能犯觸。持禁戒者所願必得。爾時諸龍各懷驚懼。各心念言。是佛皂衣甚為小少。安得周遍大海諸龍。時佛則知龍心所疑。告龍王言。假使三千大千世界所有人民。各分如來皂衣終不減盡。譬如虛空。隨其所欲則自然生。時龍即取佛衣。而分作無鞅數百千萬段。各各分與。隨其所乏。廣狹大小自然給與。其衣如故給不知盡。當敬此衣。如敬世尊。如敬塔寺。佛言。觀如來衣者即脫龍身。於是賢劫中皆得無著當般泥洹。爾時四金翅鳥王各與千眷屬俱白佛言。今日吾等自歸三寶。悔過前犯奉持禁戒。從今日始常以無畏施一切龍。擁護正法到于滅盡。不違佛教。佛告四金翅鳥王。汝等先於金仁佛時。為四比丘。名曰欣樂大欣樂上勝上友。是四比丘違犯戒法。貪於供養不護身口意。作惡眾多。供養金仁佛亦不可計。以是之故不墮地獄。墮此禽獸。前後殺生不可稱計。佛現神足令識宿命。所作罪福普悉念之。我等寧沒身命不敢犯惡。佛為說經授其決言。彌勒佛時在第一會皆當得度。

Furthermore, the Sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchā-sūtra says: At that time, the Nāga King said to the World-Honoured One: 'In this ocean there are countless kinds of nāgas, and there are four kinds of garuḍas that constantly eat these nāgas and their wives and children. We pray that the Buddha will protect us so that we may always attain peace and safety.' Thereupon, the World-Honoured One took off his black robe and told the Ocean Nāga King: 'Take this robe and divide it among the nāgas so that it covers them all completely. If one encounters even a single thread, the garuḍa king will not be able to harm or touch them; and those who uphold the prohibitions and precepts will surely attain what they wish.' At that time, the nāgas were all filled with fear, and each thought: 'This black robe of the Buddha is exceedingly small; how could it cover all the nāgas of the great ocean?' The Buddha, knowing the doubts in the nāgas' minds, told the Nāga King: 'Even if all the people of the trichiliocosm were each to take a share of the Tathāgata's black robe, it would never be depleted. Just like empty space, it arises naturally according to whatever they desire.' Then the nāgas took the Buddha's robe and divided it into countless hundreds of thousands of millions of pieces, distributing them to each according to their needs; whether broad or narrow, large or small, it was naturally provided, and the robe remained as before, its supply inexhaustible. 'You should revere this robe as you revere the World-Honoured One and as you revere stūpas and monasteries.' The Buddha said: 'Those who gaze upon the Tathāgata's robe will be freed from the body of a nāga; and in this Bhadrakalpa, all will attain non-attachment and enter parinirvāṇa.' At that time, the four garuḍa kings, each together with a thousand attendants, said to the Buddha: 'Today we take refuge in the Three Jewels, repent of our past offenses, and uphold the prohibitions and precepts. From this day forward, we shall always bestow fearlessness upon all nāgas, protect the True Dharma until its disappearance, and not violate the Buddha's teachings.' The Buddha told the four garuḍa kings: 'In the past, at the time of Krakucchanda Buddha, you were four bhikṣus named Abhirati, Mahābhirati, Uttara, and Uttaramitra. These four bhikṣus violated the precepts, craved offerings, and did not guard their body, speech, and mind, committing numerous evil deeds; yet the offerings they made to Krakucchanda Buddha were also beyond reckoning. For this reason, they did not fall into hell, but fell into this state of birds and beasts, having killed living beings beyond measure from first to last.' The Buddha manifested his supernatural power, causing them to recognize their past lives, and they completely recalled all their offenses and merits. [They said:] 'We would rather lose our bodies and lives than dare to commit evil.' The Buddha expounded the scripture for them and bestowed upon them the prophecy: 'At the time of Maitreya Buddha, all of you will be delivered at the first assembly.'