法苑珠林 44.19

44.19

又法句喻經云。昔有國王。治行正法民慕其化。無有太子以為憂愁。佛來入國。尊受五戒。奉敬不懈。有一給使。其年十一。常為王使忠信奉法不以為勞。卒得重病遂致無常。其神來還為王作子。至年十五。立為太子。父王命終習代為王。憍慢自恣不理國事。臣寮廢調民被其患。佛知其行不會本識。將諸弟子往到其國。佛告王曰。今王自知本所從來不。王曰。愚暗不達不知先世。佛告大王。本以五事得為國王。何等為五。一者布施得為國王。萬民奉獻宮觀資財無極。二者興立寺廟供養三尊床榻幃帳。以是為王在於正殿御座理國。三者親身禮敬三尊及諸長德。以是為王。一切萬民莫不為之作禮。四者忍辱身三口四及意無惡。以是為王。一切見者莫不歡喜。五者學問常求智慧。以是為王。決斷國事莫不奉行。此之五事世世為王。王前世時為大王給使。奉佛以信。奉法以愛。奉僧以敬。奉親以孝。奉君以忠。常行一心精進布施。勞身苦體初不懈倦。是福追身得為王子。補王之弟。今者富貴而反懈怠。夫為國王當行五事。何謂為五。一者領理萬民無有枉濫。二者養育將士隨時廩與。三者念修本業福德無絕。四者當信忠臣正直之諫。無受讒言以傷正直。五者節欲貪樂心不放逸。行此五事名聞四海福祿自來。捨此五事眾綱不舉。民窮則思亂。士勞則勢不舉。無福則鬼神不助。自用則失大理。忠臣不敢諫則心蕩放逸。國主不理務民則多怨。若如是者身失令名後則無福。於是世尊重說偈言。

The Faju piyu jing also states: Anciently, there was a king who governed according to the true Dharma, and the people admired his transformation. He had no crown prince and grieved over this. When the Buddha entered the kingdom, [the king] respectfully received the five precepts and revered them without remiss. He had an attendant, aged eleven, who constantly ran errands for the king, faithfully upholding the Dharma without considering it wearisome. He suddenly contracted a grave illness and passed away. His consciousness returned to become the king's son. When he reached the age of fifteen, he was established as the crown prince. When the father king died, he succeeded him as king. He was arrogant and self-indulgent, neglecting state affairs. The ministers and officials neglected taxes, and the people suffered from this. The Buddha knew that his conduct did not conform to his original consciousness; taking his disciples with him, he went to that kingdom. The Buddha said to the king, 'Does the King know where you originally came from?' The king said, 'I am ignorant and unperceptive; I do not know my former lives.' The Buddha said to the Great King, 'Originally, by five matters one is able to become a king. What are the five? First, through giving alms (dāna), one becomes a king, with the myriad people presenting palaces, buildings, and limitless wealth. Second, through erecting monasteries and offering beds, couches, and canopies to the Three Honoured Ones, one becomes a king, sitting on the royal throne in the main hall to govern the state. Third, through personally paying respectful homage to the Three Honoured Ones and to elders of virtue, one becomes a king, so that all the myriad people bow down to him. Fourth, through patient endurance (kṣānti), being free of evil in the three actions of the body, the four actions of speech, and in thought, one becomes a king, so that all who behold him are filled with joy. Fifth, through learning and constantly seeking wisdom, one becomes a king, so that whatever decisions he makes in affairs of state are carried out without exception. By these five matters, one becomes a king life after life. In your former life, King, you were an attendant to a great king. You served the Buddha with faith, the Dharma with love, the Saṃgha with respect, your parents with filial piety, and your sovereign with loyalty. You constantly practiced one-minded, diligent almsgiving, toiling and exhausting your body without ever growing weary. This merit followed your person, enabling you to become a prince and succeed to the royal line. Now, enjoying wealth and nobility, you have instead become indolent. A king of a country must practice five matters. What are the five? First, administer the myriad people without injustice or false accusations. Second, support and nourish generals and soldiers, distributing stipends in due season. Third, remember to cultivate your fundamental enterprise so that blessings and virtues never cease. Fourth, trust the honest remonstrance of loyal ministers, without accepting slanderous words to harm the upright. Fifth, restrain desires and greed for pleasure, keeping the mind free from negligence. If you practice these five matters, your renown will spread across the four seas, and blessings and prosperity will arrive of themselves. If you abandon these five matters, the general order will collapse: when the people are impoverished, they will contemplate rebellion; when soldiers are overworked, their strength cannot be rallied; when one lacks merit, ghosts and spirits will not assist; when one acts willfully, one loses the great principle; when loyal ministers dare not remonstrate, the mind becomes reckless and dissipated; when the lord of the state does not attend to duties, the people harbor much grievance. If it is like this, one will lose one's good name and subsequently have no blessings.' Thereupon, the World-Honoured One spoke the verses again: