法苑珠林 38.16

38.16

又菩薩本行經云。昔佛在世時告五百阿羅漢。汝等各說前世宿行所作功德。今得值我得道因緣。時有阿羅漢。名婆竭多梨。即從坐起白佛言。世尊。我念過去無央數劫有佛出世。號曰定光。入涅槃後分布舍利起塔供養。法欲末時有一貧人。無方自濟賣薪為業。向澤採薪。遙見澤中有一塔寺。甚為巍巍。即到塔邊瞻覩形像歡喜作禮。唯見狐狼飛鳥走獸止宿之處。草木荊棘不淨滿中。逈絕無人復無行跡。無供養者。貧人覩見心中愴然。而不曉知如來神德。但以歡喜誅伐草木掃除不淨。掃訖歡喜繞之八匝作禮而去。緣此功德命終之後生光音天。眾寶宮殿光明晃焴。於諸天中巍巍最勝不可計量。盡其天壽而後復百返作轉輪王。七寶自然王四天下。後復壽盡常生國王大姓長者家。財富無量。顏容端正殊妙無雙。人見歡喜無不愛敬。欲行之時道路自淨。虛空之中雨散眾華。婆竭多言。昔貧人者今我身是。由昔掃塔生處自然。一阿僧祇九十劫中不墮惡道。天上人間富貴尊榮封受自然快樂無極。今最後身值釋迦佛。捨豪出家得阿羅漢。三明六通具八解脫。若有人能於佛法僧少作微善如毛髮許。所生之處受報弘大無有窮盡。

Furthermore, the Pusa benxing jing says: Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, he told the five hundred arhats: "Let each of you recount the merits cultivated in past lives, which have now caused you to encounter me and attain the Way." At that time, an arhat named Bhagatali arose from his seat and said to the Buddha: "World-Honoured One, I recall that countless kalpas ago, a Buddha appeared in the world named Dīpaṃkara. After he entered nirvāṇa, his relics were distributed and stūpas erected to make offerings. When the Dharma was on the verge of its end, there was a poor man who had no means to support himself and made a living by selling firewood. He went into the marshes to gather firewood and saw in the distance within the marsh a stūpa and temple, which was exceedingly towering and grand. He went to the side of the stūpa, gazed upon the image, and bowed in homage with joy. He saw only that it was a dwelling place for foxes, wolves, flying birds, and running beasts; weeds, trees, thorns, and filth filled its interior; it was deserted and devoid of people, with no footprints and none making offerings. The poor man, upon seeing this, felt mournful in his heart. Yet, unaware of the Tathāgata's divine virtue, simply with joy he cut down the grass and trees and swept away the filth. When the sweeping was finished, he circumambulated it eight times with joy, bowed in homage, and departed. By reason of this merit, after his life ended he was reborn in the Ābhāsvara Heaven. Its palaces of diverse jewels shone with dazzling radiance, and among all the heavens he was the most towering and supreme beyond measure. When his heavenly lifespan was exhausted, he subsequently became a wheel-turning king a hundred times, naturally possessing the seven jewels and ruling over the four continents. Later, when his lifespan was again exhausted, he was constantly reborn into the families of kings, great clans, and elders, possessing immeasurable wealth, with an upright countenance exquisite beyond compare, so that whoever saw him rejoiced and none failed to love and respect him. When he wished to walk, the roads cleaned themselves, and from empty space diverse flowers rained down. Bhagata said: 'The poor man of that time is now myself. Because of sweeping the stūpa in the past, my rebirths were spontaneous and natural; for one asaṃkhyeya and ninety kalpas I did not fall into the evil realms, but enjoyed wealth, noble status, natural endowments, and boundless bliss in the heavens and the human realm. Now in my final body, I have encountered Śākyamuni Buddha, abandoned nobility to leave home, and attained arhatship, possessing the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, and the eight liberations. If someone can perform even a tiny amount of good, as small as a hair, toward the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha, the retribution they receive in the places of rebirth will be vast, great, and without end.'"