法苑珠林 46.12

46.12

又大集經濟龍品云。爾時眾中有一盲龍。名曰頗羅機梨奢。舉聲大哭作如是言。大聖世尊。願救濟我。願救濟我。我今身中受大苦惱。日夜常為種種諸蟲之所唼食。居熱水中無時暫樂。佛言。梨奢。汝過去世於佛法中曾為比丘毀破禁戒。內懷欺詐外現善相。廣貪眷屬弟子眾多。名聲四遠莫不聞知。我和尚得阿羅漢果。以是因緣多得供養。獨受用之。見持戒人反惡加說。彼人懊惱。如是念言。世世生中願我所在食汝身肉。如是惡業死生龍中。是汝前身。眾生願故食噉汝身。惡業因緣得此盲報。又於過去無量劫中。在融赤銅地獄之中。常為諸蟲之所食噉。龍聞此語憂愁啼哭。作如是言。我等今者皆悉至心咸共懺悔。願令此苦速得解脫。彼龍眾中二十六億諸餓龍等。念過去身皆悉雨淚。念過去身。於佛法中雖得出家。備造惡業經無量身在三惡道。以餘報故在龍中受極大苦。如青色龍我亦如是。爾時世尊語諸龍言。汝可持水洗如來足。令汝殃罪漸得除滅。時一切龍以手掬水。水皆成火。變作大石。滿於手中生大猛焰。棄已復生。如是至七。一切龍眾見如是已。驚怖懊惱啼泣雨淚。佛教立大誓願已焰火皆滅。乃至八過以手捧水洗如來足。至心懺悔。佛記諸龍。彌勒佛時當得人身值佛出家精進持戒得羅漢果。時諸龍等得宿命心。自念過業。於佛法中或為俗人。親屬因緣。或復聽法來去因緣。所有信心捨施種種華菓飲食。共諸比丘依次而食。或有說云。我曾喫噉四方眾僧華菓飲食。或有說言。我往寺舍布施眾僧。或復禮拜。如是喫噉。或復說言。我從毘婆尸如來法中曾作俗人。乃至有說。我釋迦牟尼佛法之中曾作俗人。或以親舊問訊因緣。或復來去聽法因緣往還寺舍。有信心人供養僧故。捨施華菓種種飲食。比丘得已迴施於我。我得便食。彼業因緣於地獄中經無量劫。大猛火中。或燒或煮。或飲洋銅。或吞鐵丸。從地獄出墮畜生中。捨畜生身生餓鬼中。如是種種備受辛苦惡業未盡。生此龍中常受苦惱。佛告諸龍。此之惡業與盜佛物等無差別。比五逆業其罪如半。汝等今當盡受三歸一心修善。以此緣故於賢劫中值最後佛。名曰樓至。於彼佛世罪得除滅。時諸龍等聞是語已。皆悉至心盡其形壽各受三歸。

Furthermore, the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra, in the “Chapter on Saving Dragons,” states: At that time, among the assembly, there was a blind dragon named Pharakiḷisa (?). Raising his voice in loud lamentation, he spoke these words: “O Great Sage, World-Honoured One! Please save and rescue me! Please save and rescue me! In my body right now I undergo great suffering and torment. Day and night, I am constantly gnawed and eaten by all manner of insects. Dwelling in boiling water, there is not even a moment of temporary joy.” The Buddha said: “Kiḷisa, in your past life within the Buddha-Dharma, you were once a monk who broke the monastic precepts. Inwardly you harboured deceit and fraud, while outwardly displaying virtuous appearances. You greedily accrued vast numbers of followers and disciples, and your reputation spread far and wide so that everyone heard of you. [You said,] ‘My preceptor has attained the fruit of an arhat.’ Because of this, you received many offerings and enjoyed them all to yourself. When you saw people who kept the precepts, you falsely reviled and spoke ill of them. Those people were filled with resentment and thought: ‘In lifetime after lifetime, wherever I may be, may I eat the flesh of your body!’ Through such evil karma, upon dying you were born among dragons. Because of the vows of those beings from your previous life, they devour your body. Due to the causes and conditions of this evil karma, you have received this retribution of blindness. Furthermore, throughout immeasurable kalpas in the past, in the molten red copper hell, you were constantly eaten and devoured by swarms of insects.” Hearing these words, the dragon was grieved and wept, saying: “All of us now, with utmost sincerity, repent together! We pray that we may quickly be liberated from this suffering!” Among that assembly of dragons, two billion six hundred million famished dragons, mindful of their past bodies, all wept like rain. Mindful of their past bodies, [they thought]: ‘Although we were able to go forth into the homeless life within the Buddha-Dharma, we committed extensive evil karma, passing through immeasurable lives in the three evil destinies. Owing to the remaining retribution, we endure extreme suffering among dragons. Just like the blue dragon, we are likewise so.’ At that time, the World-Honoured One said to the dragons: “You may take water and wash the Tathāgata’s feet, so that your calamities and offenses may gradually be eradicated.” Then all the dragons scooped water with their hands, but the water all turned into fire and transformed into large stones, filling their hands and generating ferocious blazing flames. When cast away, they generated again, doing so up to seven times. When the assembly of dragons saw this, they were terrified, filled with anguish, and wept like rain. The Buddha instructed them to make a great vow, whereupon the blazing fires were all extinguished. Then, up to eight times, they cupped water with their hands and washed the Tathāgata’s feet, repenting with utmost sincerity. The Buddha conferred a prophecy upon the dragons: “At the time of Maitreya Buddha, you will obtain human bodies, meet that Buddha, go forth into the homeless life, vigorously uphold the precepts, and attain the fruit of an arhat.” At that time, the dragons attained knowledge of their past lives (pūrvanivāsa) and recalled their past karmas: within the Buddha-Dharma, some had been laypersons through kinship relations, or had come and gone to listen to the Dharma; whatever faithful people gave as offerings of various flowers, fruits, and food, they ate in turn together with the monks. Some said: “I once consumed the flowers, fruits, and food belonging to the Saṃgha of the four quarters.” Some said: “I went to the monastery to give alms to the Saṃgha or to prostrate, and I ate in this manner.” Some said: “In the dispensation of Vipaśyin Tathāgata, I was once a layperson,” up to those who said: “In the dispensation of Śākyamuni Buddha, I was once a layperson. Whether through the connection of greeting relatives and friends, or through coming and going to listen to the Dharma, I visited the monastery. Faithful people, in order to make offerings to the Saṃgha, gave as offerings flowers, fruits, and various foods; after the monks received them, they redirected them as gifts to me, and having received them, I ate them. Due to the causes and conditions of that karma, I passed through immeasurable kalpas in hell, amid ferocious raging fire, being burned or boiled, drinking molten copper, or swallowing iron pellets. Emerging from hell, I fell among the animals; shedding the animal body, I was born among hungry ghosts. Having undergone all manner of hardship and pain in this way, yet with the evil karma not yet exhausted, I was born among these dragons and constantly suffer affliction.” The Buddha told the dragons: “This evil karma is no different from stealing the Buddha's property; compared to the offenses of the five heinous deeds (pañcānantarya), its guilt is equal to half. You should now all receive the three refuges and single-mindedly cultivate good. By virtue of this, during the Bhadrakalpa, you will meet the final Buddha named Ruci. In the era of that Buddha, your offenses will be eradicated.” Having heard these words, all the dragons, with utmost sincerity, received the three refuges for the rest of their lives.