法苑珠林 49.14

49.14

又六度集經云。昔者菩薩身為鶴鳥。生子有三。時國大旱無以食之。自裂腋下肉以濟其命。三子疑曰。斯肉氣味與母身氣相似無異。得無吾母以身肉飼吾等乎。三子愴然有悲猛之情。又曰。寧殞吾命不損母體也。於是閉口不食。母覩不食而更索焉。天神歎曰。母慈慧難喻。子孝希有也。諸天祐之。願即從心。佛告諸比丘。鶴母者吾身是也。三子者舍利弗目連阿難是也。菩薩慈慧度無極行布施如是。

Furthermore, the Sūtra on the Collection of the Six Perfections states: In the past, the Bodhisattva was a crane and had three chicks. At that time, there was a great drought in the country, and he had nothing to feed them. He tore open the flesh beneath his own wings to save their lives. The three chicks wondered, saying, 'The scent and flavor of this flesh are identical and no different from our mother's own body. Could it be that our mother is feeding us with her own flesh?' The three chicks felt grieved, with intense sorrow. They also said, 'We would rather lose our lives than harm our mother's body!' Thereupon they closed their beaks and would not eat. The mother saw that they would not eat and sought [food] again. A heavenly deity sighed and said, 'The mother's loving wisdom is beyond compare; the chicks' filial devotion is exceedingly rare!' The devas assisted her, and her wish was immediately fulfilled as she desired. The Buddha told the monks, 'The mother crane was myself; the three chicks were Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and Ānanda. The Bodhisattva's loving wisdom, boundless practice, and dāna were like this.'