法苑珠林 43.24

43.24

佛告阿難。取此鉢中所施之沙捨著如來經行處令當生彼處。阿難受教。即取鉢沙捨經行處。阿難當知。於巴連弗邑有王名日月護。彼王當生子。名曰頻頭娑羅。當治彼國。彼復有子。名曰修師摩。時彼瞻婆國有一婆羅門女。極為端正。令人樂見。為國所珍。諸相師輩見彼女相。即記彼女當為王妃。又生二子。一當領一天下。二當出家學道當得聖迹。時婆羅門聞彼相師所說歡喜無量。即莊嚴女嫁與此王。王見其女端正有德。即為夫人。前夫人及諸婇女。見其夫人來作是念言。此女端正國中所珍。王棄捨我等乃至目所不視諸女即使學習剃毛師業。彼悉學已為王料理鬚髮。料理之時王大歡喜。即問彼女。汝何所求欲。女啟王言。唯願王心愛念我耳。如是三啟。時王言。我是剎利灌頂王。汝是剃毛師。云何得愛念汝。彼女白王言。我非是下姓生。乃是高貴婆羅門之女。相師語我父云。此女應嫁與國王。是故來至此耳。王言。若然者誰令汝習下劣之業。女啟王言。是舊夫人婇女令我學此。王即勅言。自今勿復習下業。王即立為第一夫人。王常與彼自相娛樂。仍便懷體。月滿生子。生時安隱母無憂惱。過七日後立字名無憂。又復生子。名曰離憂。無憂者。身體麁澁（以其施沙得相似果）父王不大附捉情所不念。又王欲試二子。呼賓伽羅阿時婆羅門言。和尚觀我諸子。於我滅後誰當作王。婆羅門言。將此諸子出城金殿園館中。於彼當觀其相。乃至出往彼園。時阿育王母言。承王出向金殿園館中觀諸王子誰當作王。汝今云何不去。阿育啟言。王既不念我。亦復不樂見我。母復語言。但往彼所。阿育復啟母言。今便往去。願母當送飯食。母言。如是。當出城門。時逢一大臣。名曰阿㝹羅陀。此臣問阿育言。王子今至何所。阿育答言。聞大王出金殿園館觀諸王子於我滅後誰當作王。今往詣彼。王先勅大臣。若阿育來者。當使其乘老鈍象。又復老人為眷屬。時阿育乘是老象乃至園館中。於諸王子中地坐。時諸王子各下飯食。阿育母以瓦器盛酪飯送與阿育。如是諸王子各食飲食。時父王問師言。此中誰有王相當紹我位。時彼相師視諸王子。見阿育具有王相當得紹位。我若語言王愁不樂。即語言。我今總記。王報言。如師所教。師言。此中若有乘好乘者。是人當作王。時諸王子聞彼所說。各念言。我乘好乘。時阿育言。我乘老象我得作王。又言。此中有第一座者。彼當作王。諸王子各相謂言。我坐第一座。阿育言。我今坐地。是我勝座。我當作王。又言。此中上器食者。此當作王。乃至阿育念言。我有勝乘勝座勝食。時王觀子相畢便即還宮。時阿育母問阿育言。誰當作王。婆羅門記誰耶。阿育啟言。上乘上座上器上食當作王。王子自見當作王。老象為乘。以地為座。素器盛食。糠米雜酪飯。時彼婆羅門知阿育當作王。數修敬其母。其母亦重餉婆羅門。若子作王者師當一切善得吉利。盡形供養。時頻頭羅王邊國德叉尸羅反。時王語阿育。汝將四兵眾伐彼國。王子去時都不與兵甲。時從者白王子言。今往伐彼國。無有軍仗云何得平。阿育言。我若為王。善根果報者兵甲自然來應。發是語時。尋聲地開兵甲從地而出。即將四兵往伐彼國。時彼諸國人民聞阿育來。即平治道路莊飾城郭。執持吉瓶之水及種種供養奉迎王子。而作是言。我等不反大王及阿育王子。然諸臣輩不利我等。是故違背聖化。即以種種供養王子請入城邑。平此國已。又使至伐佉沙國。時彼二大力士為王平治道路。諸天宣令。阿育當王此天下。汝等勿興逆意。彼國王即便降伏。如是乃至平此天下至於海際。時父王得重疾。王語諸臣。吾今欲立修師摩為王。令阿育往至彼國。時諸臣欲令阿育作王。以黃物塗阿育體及面手脚已。諸臣白王言。阿育王子今得重疾。諸臣即便莊嚴阿育將至王所。今且立此子為王。我等後徐徐當立修師摩為王。時王聞此語甚以不喜。默不對。時阿育心念口言。我應正得王位。諸天自然來以水灌我頂素繒繫首。時王見此相貌極生愁惱。即便命終。阿育王如禮法殯父王已。即立阿㝹樓陀為大臣。時修師摩王子。聞父崩背今立阿育為王。心生不忍。即集諸兵而來伐阿育。阿育王四門中。二門安二力士。第三門安大臣。自守東門。時阿㝹樓陀大機關木象。又作阿育王形像。即騎象安置東門外。又作無煙火坑以物覆之。修師摩既來到。阿㝹樓陀大臣語修師摩王子。欲作王者。阿育在東門。可往伐之。能得此王者自然得作王。時彼王子即趣東門。即墮火坑便即死亡。有一大力士。名曰跋陀申陀。聞修師摩終亡厭世。將無數眷屬於佛法中出家學道得阿羅漢。時諸臣輩我等共立阿育為王。故輕慢於王不行君臣之禮。王亦自知諸臣輕慢於我。時王語諸臣曰。汝等可伐華菓之樹殖於刺棘。諸臣答曰。未甞見聞却除華菓而殖刺樹。而應除伐刺棘樹而殖菓實。乃至二三勅令伐。彼亦不從。爾時國王忿諸大臣。即持利劍殺五百大臣。又時王將婇女眷屬出外園中游戲。見一無憂樹華極敷盛。王見此華樹與我同名。心懷歡喜。王形體醜陋皮膚麁澁。諸婇女輩心不愛王。憎惡王故以手毀折無憂樹華。王從眠覺見無憂樹華狼藉在地心生忿怒繫諸婇女以火燒殺。王行暴惡故曰暴惡阿育王。時阿㝹樓陀大臣白王言。王不應為是法。云何以手自殺人諸臣婇女。王今當立屠殺之人。應有可殺以付彼人。王即宣教立屠殺者。彼有一山。名曰耆梨。中有一織師家。織師有一子。亦名耆梨。兇惡撾打繫縛小男小女。及捕水陸之生。乃至拒逆父母。是故世人傳云兇惡耆梨子。時王使語彼。汝能為王斬諸凶人不。彼答曰。一切閻浮提有罪者。我能淨除。況復此一方。時彼使輩還啟王言。彼人已得。王言。覓將來耶。諸使呼彼。答曰。小忍。先奉辭父母具說上事。父母言。子不應行是事。如是三勅。彼生不仁之心。即便殺父母已。然後乃至。諸使問曰。何以經久不速來耶。時彼兇惡具說上事。以具啟王。王即勅彼。我所有罪人事應至死。汝當知之。彼啟王言。為我作舍。王為作舍極為端嚴。唯開一門亦極精嚴。於其中間作治罪之法。狀如地獄。彼兇惡人啟王乞願。若人來入此中者不復得出。王答言。當以與願。彼諸屠主。往詣寺中聽諸比丘說地獄事。時有比丘誦地獄經。有眾生生地獄者。以熱鐵鉗鉗開其口。以熱鐵丸著其口中。次融銅灌口復以鐵斧斬截其體。次復杻械枷鎖撿繫其身。次復火車鑪炭。次復鐵鑊。次復灰河。次復刀山劍樹。具如五天使經所說。彼屠主具聞比丘說是諸事。開其住處。所作治罪之法如彼所說。案此法則而治罪人。又一商主入海十年。採諸重寶還到本鄉。道中值五百群賊殺於商主。商主之子見父死及失寶物。厭世出家游行諸國。次至巴連弗邑。過此夜已晨朝著衣持鉢入城乞食。誤入屠殺舍中。時彼比丘遙見舍裏火車鑪炭等。治諸眾生。如地獄中。尋生恐怖衣毛皆豎。便欲出門。時兇惡主即往執彼比丘言。入此中者無有得出。汝今此死。比丘聞說心生悲毒泣淚滿目。兇主問曰。汝云何如小兒啼。爾時比丘以偈答曰。

The Buddha told Ānanda, "Take this sand given into the bowl and scatter it along the Tathāgata's walkway, causing him to be born in that place." Ānanda received the instruction, took the sand from the bowl, and scattered it along the walkway. [The Buddha said,] "Ānanda, you should know that in the city of Pāṭaliputra there will be a king named Candragupta. That king will father a son named Bindusāra, who will rule that country. He in turn will have a son named Suśīma. At that time, in the country of Campā, there will be a brahman maiden, exceedingly beautiful and delightful to behold, cherished by the entire country. The physiognomists, seeing her features, will prophesy that she is destined to become the king's consort and give birth to two sons: one will rule the world under heaven, and the other will leave home to study the Path and attain the sacred traces. The brahman, hearing what the physiognomists said, was immeasurably joyful; he at once adorned his daughter and gave her in marriage to this king. The king, seeing that the maiden was beautiful and virtuous, made her his consort. The former consorts and the palace ladies, seeing this consort arrive, thought to themselves: 'This maiden is beautiful and cherished by the country; the king will cast us aside, to the point of not even looking upon us.' The women then had her learn the trade of a barber. Once she had learned it all, she trimmed the king's beard and hair. While she was grooming him, the king was greatly delighted and asked her, 'What is it that you desire?' The maiden addressed the king, 'My only wish is that the king's heart will cherish me with love.' Thus she petitioned three times. Then the king said, 'I am a kṣatriya consecrated king, and you are a barber. How could I cherish you with love?' The maiden said to the king, 'I was not born of a low caste; I am the daughter of an exalted and noble brahman. A physiognomist told my father, "This maiden should marry a king." It was for this reason that I came here.' The king said, 'If that is so, who made you learn such a base trade?' The maiden addressed the king, 'It was the former consorts and palace ladies who made me learn this.' The king at once ordered, 'From now on, do not practice this base trade again.' The king then established her as his principal consort. The king regularly took delight in her, whereupon she became pregnant. When her months were full, she gave birth to a son; at the time of birth all was peaceful, and the mother was free from grief and distress. After seven days had passed, she gave him the name Aśoka (Wuyou, 'Free from Grief'). Furthermore, she gave birth to another son, named Vītāśoka (Liyou, 'Apart from Grief'). As for Aśoka, his body was rough and coarse (having obtained a corresponding retribution because of offering sand), and the father-king did not hold him close or care for him in his heart. Furthermore, the king, wishing to test his two sons, summoned the Ājīvika brahman Piṅgala and said, 'Upādhyāya, examine my sons: after my death, who should become king?' The brahman said, 'Take these sons out of the city to the Golden Palace Garden Pavilion; there I shall examine their physiognomy.' Thereupon they went out to that garden. Then King Aśoka's mother said, 'I hear that the king has gone out to the Golden Palace Garden Pavilion to examine the princes as to who should become king. Why do you not go now?' Aśoka replied, 'Since the king does not care for me, neither does he take pleasure in seeing me.' His mother spoke to him again, 'Just go to that place.' Aśoka replied to his mother again, 'I will go right away. I only ask that mother send food.' His mother said, 'So be it.' As he was about to leave the city gate, he met a great minister named Aniruddha. This minister asked Aśoka, 'Where is the prince going now?' Aśoka answered, 'I heard that the Great King went out to the Golden Palace Garden Pavilion to examine the princes as to who should become king after his death. I am going there now.' The king had previously ordered the ministers, 'If Aśoka comes, make him ride an old, dull elephant and have old men as his attendants.' Then Aśoka rode this old elephant to the garden pavilion and sat on the ground among the princes. Then each of the princes had food served. Aśoka's mother placed curds and rice in an earthenware vessel and sent it to Aśoka. Thus the princes each partook of their food and drink. Then the father-king asked the master, 'Among these, who has the marks of a king and should succeed to my throne?' Then that physiognomist looked at the princes and saw that Aśoka fully possessed the marks of a king and should succeed to the throne. [He thought:] 'If I speak [the truth], the king will be sorrowful and displeased.' So he said, 'I shall now make a general prophecy.' The king replied, 'As the master instructs.' The master said, 'Among these, whoever has the best mount, that person shall become king.' When the princes heard what he said, each thought, 'I have the best mount.' Then Aśoka said, 'I ride an old elephant; I shall become king.' [The master] also said, 'Whoever among these has the foremost seat, he shall become king.' The princes each said to one another, 'I sit on the foremost seat.' Aśoka said, 'I now sit on the ground; this is the supreme seat. I shall become king.' [The master] also said, 'Whoever among these eats from the superior vessel, he shall become king.' And so forth, until Aśoka thought, 'I have the supreme mount, the supreme seat, and the supreme food.' When the king finished examining his sons' marks, he at once returned to the palace. Then Aśoka's mother asked Aśoka, 'Who shall become king? For whom did the brahman make the prophecy?' Aśoka replied, 'He who has the superior mount, superior seat, superior vessel, and superior food shall become king. I, the prince, saw for myself that I shall become king: with an old elephant as my mount, the ground as my seat, an unadorned earthenware vessel holding the food, and coarse rice mixed with curds for food.' Then that brahman, knowing that Aśoka would become king, frequently paid respect to his mother, and his mother also gave lavish gifts to the brahman, [saying:] 'If my son becomes king, the master shall obtain all blessings and auspicious fortune, and I will make offerings to you for the rest of my life.' At that time, the frontier country of Takṣaśilā rebelled against King Bindusāra. The king then said to Aśoka, 'Take the fourfold army and subjugate that country.' When the prince set out, [the king] gave him no weapons or armor at all. Then his attendants addressed the prince, 'We are now going to subjugate that country, yet we have no military weapons; how can it be pacified?' Aśoka said, 'If I am destined to be king, through the retribution of my wholesome roots, weapons and armor will naturally appear in response.' When he uttered these words, instantly the earth split open and weapons and armor emerged from the ground. He then led the fourfold army to subjugate that country. When the people of those lands heard that Aśoka was coming, they leveled the roads, adorned the city walls, held vessels of auspicious water, and presented various offerings to welcome the prince, saying: 'We do not rebel against the Great King or Prince Aśoka, but the ministers brought harm to us; therefore we disobeyed the sacred governance.' They then made various offerings to the prince and invited him to enter the city. Having pacified this country, he was further dispatched to subjugate the country of Khaśa. At that time, two great warriors leveled the roads for the king, and the devas proclaimed the command: 'Aśoka is destined to rule this world under heaven; do not give rise to rebellious intentions.' The king of that country thereupon surrendered. In this way he pacified this world under heaven, right up to the edge of the ocean. At that time, the father-king contracted a severe illness. The king spoke to his ministers, 'I now wish to install Suśīma as king and send Aśoka to that country.' At that time, the ministers, wishing to make Aśoka king, smeared Aśoka's body, face, hands, and feet with yellow substance. The ministers addressed the king, 'Prince Aśoka has now contracted a severe illness.' The ministers then adorned Aśoka and brought him to the king's presence, [saying:] 'For now, let this son be installed as king; later we will gradually install Suśīma as king.' When the king heard these words, he was extremely displeased and remained silent without answering. At that time, Aśoka thought in his mind and spoke aloud: 'If I am truly destined to obtain the royal throne, let the devas spontaneously come to consecrate my crown with water and bind my head with white silk.' When the king saw these signs, he gave rise to extreme sorrow and distress, and thereupon breathed his last. After King Aśoka had buried his father according to ritual decorum, he appointed Aniruddha as prime minister. When Prince Suśīma heard that his father had passed away and that Aśoka was now installed as king, he could not bear it in his heart, and he assembled an army to attack Aśoka. At the four gates of King Aśoka's city, two warriors were stationed at two of the gates, a minister was stationed at the third gate, and the king himself guarded the eastern gate. At that time, Aniruddha constructed a large mechanical wooden elephant and also made a likeness of King Aśoka, mounting it on the elephant and placing it outside the eastern gate; he also made a pit of smokeless fire and covered it with a cloth. When Suśīma arrived, Minister Aniruddha said to Prince Suśīma, 'If you wish to be king, Aśoka is at the eastern gate; you may go and attack him. If you can capture this king, you will naturally become king.' The prince then rushed toward the eastern gate, fell into the fire pit, and died immediately. There was a great warrior named Bhadraśreṣṭhin who, hearing that Suśīma was dead, was filled with revulsion toward the world; he took his countless followers, went forth from home into the Buddha's Dharma, practiced the Path, and attained arhatship. At that time, the ministers [thought:] 'We jointly installed Aśoka as king,' and therefore slighted the king and did not observe the etiquette of ruler and minister. The king also knew himself that the ministers slighted him. The king then spoke to the ministers, saying, 'Cut down the flowering and fruiting trees and plant thorns.' The ministers replied, 'We have never seen or heard of clearing away flowers and fruits to plant thorny trees; one should cut down thorny trees to plant fruits.' Even though ordered two or three times to cut them down, they did not comply. At that time, the king became furious with the ministers, drew a sharp sword, and killed five hundred ministers. At another time, the king took his palace ladies and attendants out to play in a park. Seeing an aśoka tree whose flowers were in full bloom, the king, seeing that this flowering tree shared his name, was filled with joy. The king's physical form was ugly, and his skin was rough and coarse. The palace ladies did not love the king in their hearts; out of hatred for the king, they broke and tore off the flowers of the aśoka tree with their hands. When the king awoke from his sleep and saw the flowers of the aśoka tree strewn about in disarray on the ground, he was enraged; he bound the palace ladies and burned them to death with fire. Because the king engaged in such violent cruelty, he was called Fierce Aśoka (Caṇḍāśoka). Then Minister Aniruddha said to the king, 'A king should not act in this manner. How can you kill the ministers and palace ladies with your own hand? The king should now appoint an executioner; whoever deserves to be killed should be handed over to that person.' The king then issued an edict to appoint an executioner. In that land was a mountain called Giri, where there was a weaver's household. The weaver had a son, also named Giri, who was ferocious and cruel, flogging and binding young boys and girls, catching the living creatures of water and land, and even defying his parents; hence people passed on the name 'Cruel Girika'. The king's envoy spoke to him, 'Can you behead wicked people for the king?' He answered, 'I can wipe out all the guilty ones in the entire Jambudvīpa, let alone this one region.' The envoys returned and reported to the king, 'We have found the man.' The king said, 'Bring him here.' The envoys called him, and he answered, 'Wait a moment. First let me take leave of my parents and explain the matter.' His parents said, 'Son, you should not do such a thing.' After they admonished him three times, unfilial thoughts arose in him, and he killed his parents before arriving. The envoys asked, 'Why took you so long and did not come quickly?' The cruel man related the matter in full, and reported it completely to the king. The king then instructed him, 'All my guilty subjects whose crimes warrant death shall be in your charge.' He addressed the king, 'Build me a house.' The king built him an extremely magnificent house, with only one gate opened, which was also extremely refined and grand; inside it he arranged methods of punishing crimes just like those in hell. That cruel man petitioned the king with a request: 'If anyone enters herein, they must never be allowed to leave.' The king answered, 'I shall grant your wish.' That executioner went to a monastery to listen to the monks preaching on the matters of hell. At that time, a monk was reciting the Hell Sūtra: 'When beings are born in hell, their mouths are pried open with heated iron pincers, and heated iron pellets are placed into their mouths. Next, molten copper is poured into their mouths, and their bodies are chopped and severed with iron axes. Next, their bodies are bound and restrained with stocks, manacles, and chains. Next are fire-carts and burning coals; next are iron caldrons; next is the river of ash; next are mountains of knives and trees of swords'—just as spoken in the Sūtra of the Five Messengers of Deva (Devadūta-sūtra). When the executioner had heard in full all these matters spoken by the monk, he opened his dwelling and prepared methods of punishing crimes just as described, punishing criminals according to these methods. Furthermore, a merchant chief went out to sea for ten years, gathered heavy treasures, and returned to his home country. On the road, he encountered a band of five hundred thieves who killed the merchant chief. The merchant chief's son, seeing his father die and his treasures lost, felt revulsion toward the world, left home, and wandered through various countries. Next he arrived at Pāṭaliputra. When that night had passed, in the morning he donned his robes, held his bowl, and entered the city to beg for food, mistakenly entering the executioner's house. At that time, that monk, seeing from afar the fire-carts, burning coals, and the like inside the house, and the punishment of various beings as if in hell, immediately gave rise to terror, his hairs standing on end, and he wished to leave through the gate. At that time, the cruel master went over, seized that monk, and said, 'Whoever enters here never gets to leave. You shall die here today.' Hearing these words, the monk gave rise to deep sorrow and anguish in his heart, his eyes full of tears. The cruel master asked, 'Why do you weep like a little child?' At that time, the monk answered in verse: