法苑珠林 4.7

4.7

如大集經云。爾時娑伽羅龍王。白殊致羅婆菩薩言。大士。是星宿者本誰所說。誰作大星小星。誰作日月。何日之中何星在先於虛空中復誰安置。三十日十二月年云何為時。繫屬何處。姓何字誰。何善何惡何食施。若為是晝是夜。日月星宿復若為行等。汝於諸聖中第一最尊。願愍我龍具足解說。我等聞已脫苦奉行。爾時殊致羅婆菩薩告諸龍言。過去世時此賢劫初有一天子。名曰大三摩多。端正少雙才智聰明。以正行化常樂寂靜。不樂愛染常樂潔身。王有夫人多貪色慾。王既不幸無處遂心。曾於一時見驢群命根相出現。慾心發動脫衣就之。驢見即交。遂成胎藏。月滿生子。頭耳口眼悉皆似驢。唯身類人。而復麁澁駮毛被體。與畜無殊。夫人見之心驚怖畏。即便委棄投於廁中。以福力故處空不墜。時有羅剎婦。名曰驢神。見兒不污念言福子。遂於空中接取洗持。將往雪山乳哺畜養。猶如己子等無有異。及至長成教服仙藥。與天童子日夜共游。復有大天亦來愛護。此兒飯食甘菓藥草。身體轉異。福德莊嚴大光照曜。如是天眾同共稱美。號為佉盧虱吒（漢言）驢脣大仙聖人以是因緣。彼雪山中并及餘處悉皆化生種種好華好菓好藥好香種種清流種種好鳥。在所行住普皆豐盈。以此藥菓滋益因緣。其餘形容麁相悉轉。身體端正。唯脣似驢。是故名為驢脣。仙人。是驢脣仙人學於聖法。經六萬年翹於一脚。日夜不下無有倦心。天見大仙如是苦。時諸梵眾及帝釋天。并餘上方欲色界等。和合悉來禮拜供養。乃至龍眾脩羅夜叉一切雲集。所有仙聖修梵行人。皆來到此驢聖人邊。都設供養已合掌問言。大仙聖人欲求何等。唯願為我諸天說之。若我能即當相與。終不悋惜。爾時驢脣聞是語已。內心慶幸。答諸天言。必能稱我情所求者。今當略說。我念宿命過去劫時。見虛空中有諸列宿日月五星。晝夜運行守常度。為於天下而作照明。我欲了知分別。識解暗瞑故不憚劬勞。此賢劫初無如是事。汝等一切諸天龍神。憐我故來。願說星辰日月法用。猶如過去置立安施造作便宜善惡好醜。如我所願具足說之。一切天言。大德仙人。此事甚深非我境界。若為憐愍一切眾生。如過去時願速自說。爾時佉盧瑟吒仙告一切天言。初置星宿昴為先首。眾星輪轉運行虛空。告諸天眾說昂為先首。其事是不。爾時日天而作是言此昴宿者。常行虛空。歷四天下恒作善事饒益我等。知彼宿屬於火天。是時眾中有一聖人名大威德。復作是言。彼昴宿者我妹之子。其星有六形如似剃刀。一日一夜歷四天下。行三十時。屬於火天。姓鞞耶尼。屬彼宿者祭之用酪。

As stated in the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra: At that time, the Dragon King Sāgara addressed the Bodhisattva Suciravrata, saying: 'Great Being, by whom were these lunar mansions originally spoken? Who made the great stars and small stars? Who made the sun and moon? On which day does which star come first? Who set them in empty space? Why are thirty days, twelve months, and a year considered time? To what place are they tied? What are their clans and names? Which are good and which are bad? What food offerings [do they receive]? How do day and night come to be? How do the sun, moon, and lunar mansions travel, and so forth? You are the first and most supreme among the sages. May you take pity on me, a dragon, and explain it fully. Having heard it, we shall be freed from suffering and put it into practice.'

At that time, the Bodhisattva Suciravrata told the dragons: 'In a past age, at the beginning of this Bhadrakalpa, there was a prince named Mahāsaṃmata. He was handsome, with few peers, talented and wise. He transformed [beings] through righteous conduct and ever delighted in quietude; he did not delight in loving attachment and ever delighted in keeping his person pure. The king had a consort who was exceedingly greedy for carnal desire. Since the king did not grace her, she had nowhere to fulfil her desire. Once, she saw the genital organ of a donkey from a herd displayed. Lust arose within her; she stripped off her clothes and approached it. When the donkey saw her, it mated with her, and she conceived in her womb. When the months were fulfilled, she gave birth to a son. His head, ears, mouth, and eyes were entirely like a donkey's; only his body was like a human's. Moreover, he was coarse and rough, and mottled hair covered his body, no different from a beast. When the consort saw him, her heart was terrified, and she immediately abandoned him, casting him into a latrine.

Owing to the power of his merit, he remained in mid-air and did not fall. At that time, there was a rākṣasa woman named Donkey Spirit. Seeing that the child was unsoiled, she thought, "This is a child of merit." Thereupon, she caught him in mid-air, washed and took care of him, brought him to the Snowy Mountains (Himālaya), and nursed and reared him just like her own son, with no difference. When he grew up, she taught him to ingest the medicine of the immortals. Day and night, he roamed together with heavenly boys. Furthermore, great devas also came to love and protect him. As this child ate sweet fruits and medicinal herbs, his body transformed: adorned with merit and virtue, a great light shone brightly from him. Thus, the heavenly hosts praised him together, designating him Kharoṣṭha (in Chinese, "Donkey Lips"), the Great Sage Immortal.

Due to these causes and conditions, in those Snowy Mountains and elsewhere, all kinds of fine flowers, fine fruits, fine medicines, fine fragrances, clear streams, and fine birds were spontaneously transformed and produced. Wherever he walked and dwelt, all was abundant. Because of the nourishing benefit of these medicinal herbs and fruits, the rest of his coarse features were entirely transformed, and his body became upright and handsome; only his lips were like a donkey's. Therefore, he was named the Donkey-Lipped Immortal.

This Donkey-Lipped Immortal studied the noble Dharma. For sixty thousand years, he stood on one leg day and night without lowering it, feeling no weariness in his heart. The devas saw the great immortal enduring such hardship. Then the Brahmā hosts and Śakra Devendra, together with the rest of the above realms of desire and form, gathered together and came to pay homage and make offerings. Even the dragon hosts, asuras, and yakṣas all assembled like clouds. All the immortals, sages, and practitioners of brahma-conduct came to the side of this Donkey Sage. Having completed their offerings, they joined their palms and asked: "Great Sage Immortal, what do you seek? We only wish that you explain it to us devas. If we are able, we will grant it to you at once; we will never be begrudging."'

Then Donkey Lips, having heard these words, rejoiced inwardly. He replied to the devas: 'If you can truly grant what my heart seeks, I shall now explain it briefly. I remember through recollection of past lives that in past kalpas, I saw in empty space the constellations, the sun, moon, and five planets, revolving day and night, keeping to their regular courses, and providing illumination for the world below. I wish to know, distinguish, and understand this darkness, and thus I did not shrink from toil. At the beginning of this Bhadrakalpa, there were no such things. All of you devas, dragons, and spirits have come out of pity for me. I wish that you speak of the methods and functions of the stars, sun, and moon, just as in the past they were established and arranged, creating advantages and disadvantages, good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious; explain it fully according to my wish.'

All the devas said: 'Venerable Immortal, this matter is extremely profound and not within our realm. If you would have pity on all sentient beings, please speak of it yourself quickly, just as it was in the past.'

At that time, the immortal Kharoṣṭha told all the devas: 'When first arranging the lunar mansions, Kṛttikā is set as the first. The multitude of stars rotate and revolve through empty space.' He said to the heavenly hosts, 'Speaking of Kṛttikā as the first—is this correct or not?'

At that time, the Sun Deva said: 'This Kṛttikā mansion constantly traverses empty space, passing through the four continents, always doing good deeds and benefiting us. Know that this mansion belongs to the Fire Deva (Agni).' At that time, there was a sage in the assembly named Great Authority (Mahātejas), who also said: 'That Kṛttikā mansion is the son of my younger sister. It has six stars, shaped like a razor. In one day and one night, it traverses the four continents, moving for thirty hours. It belongs to the Fire Deva, and its clan is Vaiyānī. For those belonging to that mansion, curd is used for sacrifice.'