法苑珠林 49.16

49.16

又雜寶藏經云。昔過去久遠。雪山之中有一鸚䳇。父母都盲。常取好菓先奉父母。當於爾時有一田主。初種穀時而作願言。所種之穀要與眾生而共噉食。時鸚䳇子以彼田主先有施心。常取其穀以供父母。田主行穀見有蟲鳥揃穀穗處。瞋恚懊惱便設羅網捕得鸚䳇。鸚䳇爾時語田主言。田主。先有好心布施。故敢來取。如何今者而見網捕。田主問言。取穀為誰。鸚䳇答言。有盲父母願以奉之。田主語言。自今以後常於此取勿生疑難。畜生尚爾。孝養父母。豈況於人。佛告比丘。昔鸚䳇者。今我身是。時田主者。舍利弗是。盲父母者。今我父母淨飯王摩耶夫人是。由昔孝養今得成佛。

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Storehouse of Sundry Jewels states: Long ago in the past, in the Himālayas, there was a parrot whose parents were both blind. It would constantly gather fine fruit to offer to its parents first. At that time, there was a landowner who, when first sowing grain, made a vow, saying, 'The grain I sow must be shared with sentient beings to eat.' At that time, the young parrot, knowing that the landowner had previously had the intention of giving, would constantly take his grain to supply its parents. The landowner, inspecting the grain, saw where birds and insects had gathered the ears of grain. Feeling anger and frustration, he set up nets and caught the parrot. The parrot then said to the landowner, 'Landowner, you previously had the good intention to give, and therefore I dared come to take it. Why do you now capture me in a net?' The landowner asked, 'For whom did you take the grain?' The parrot answered, 'I have blind parents, and I wished to offer it to them.' The landowner said, 'From now on, you may always take from here; do not have doubts or hesitation.' If even beasts are like this in filial support of their parents, how much more so humans? The Buddha told the monks, 'The parrot of the past was my own body now. The landowner of that time was Śāriputra. The blind parents were my present parents, King Śuddhodana and Lady Māyā. Due to my past filial support, I have now attained Buddhahood.'