法苑珠林 35.62

35.62

又譬喻經云。昔佛在世時。佛大弟子大目揵連。乘通往到忉利天上。入帝釋園游行觀看。見一天女形貌端正光明照曜與眾超絕。目連見已。即問天女。汝本前身種何福緣。今受此報奇妙無量。天女答曰。我本前身時作瓶沙王宮中使人。時王宮中有佛精舍。我時夜入見佛塔中。暗無光明。我即然燈著精舍中。由是因緣今受此身光明殊妙。天堂受福快樂無極。

Furthermore, the Dṛṣṭānta-sūtra says: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, the Buddha's great disciple Mahāmaudgalyāyana ascended by supernatural power to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Entering Śakra's garden, he strolled and looked around. He saw a goddess whose appearance was upright, whose radiant light shone, far surpassing the multitude. Having seen her, Maudgalyāyana asked the goddess: 'What blessed conditions did you plant in your previous life, that you now receive this retribution, wondrous and boundless?' The goddess replied: 'In my previous life, I was a maidservant in King Bimbisāra's palace. At that time, there was a Buddha-vihāra in the royal palace. Once entering at night, I saw that inside the Buddha-stūpa it was dark and without light. I immediately lit a lamp and placed it in the vihāra. Due to this cause, I now receive this body of extraordinary radiance, enjoying blessing in the heavenly hall with boundless joy.'