法苑珠林 49.30

49.30

如雜寶藏經云。佛言。若人於父母所作少供養。獲福無量。少作不順罪亦無量。我於過去久遠世時。生波羅柰國為長者子。字慈童女。其父早喪與母共居。家貧賣薪日得兩錢奉養於母。方計轉勝。日得四錢以供於母。遂復漸差日得八錢供養於母。後人投趣獲利轉多。日得十六錢奉給於母。眾人見其聰明福德。皆來勸之入海採寶。聞已白母。母見慈孝謂不能去。戲語之言。聽汝入海。兒即結伴剋日已定辭去。母即抱兒啼哭而言。不待我死何由得去。兒已許他恐負言信。便自掣出絕母頭髮傷數十根。遂去入海多得寶還。至於中路徒伴在前。童女獨後失伴錯道。到一山上見瑠璃城。飢渴往趣有四玉女。擎四如意珠作唱伎樂。出城來迎。四萬歲中受大快樂。復生厭心捨之而去。見玻𬎙城有八玉女。擎八如意珠作樂來迎。八萬歲中極大歡喜。後厭捨去。至白銀城有十六玉女。擎十六如意珠如前來迎。十六萬歲受大快樂。後復捨去。至黃金城有三十二玉女。擎三十二如意珠如前來迎。三十二萬歲受大快樂。後厭捨去。到一鐵城。入見一人頭戴火輪。捨著童女頭上而去。時慈童女即問獄卒。我戴此輪何時可脫。獄卒答言。世間有人作罪福業。如汝入海經歷諸城。然後當來代汝受罪。若無代者終不墮地。復問。我昔作何罪福。獄卒答言。汝昔兩錢供養母故。得琉璃城四如意珠及四玉女。四萬歲中受其快樂。四錢供母。得玻𬎙城八如意珠及八玉女。八萬歲中受諸快樂。八錢供母。得白銀城十六如意珠十六玉女。十六萬歲受於快樂。以十六錢供養母故得黃金城。有三十二如意珠三十二玉女。三十二萬歲受大快樂。以絕母髮今得鐵城火輪之報。有人代汝乃可得脫。復問獄卒。今此獄中頗有受罪如我比不。答言。無量不可稱計。聞已念言。我會不免。願使一切應受苦者盡集我。身作是念已鐵輪即墮。獄卒見已鐵叉打頭。尋即命終生兜率天。佛告比丘。昔慈童女今我身是。以是因緣。於父母所少作善惡獲報無量。是故應勤供養父母。又成實論云。如來於諸聖人及父母等。起善惡業則受現報。又文殊問經。佛說偈云。

As the Za baozang jing states: The Buddha said, 'If a person makes even a small offering to their parents, they obtain boundless merit; if they show even a little disobedience, their offense is likewise boundless. Long ago in the past, I was born in the country of Vārāṇasī as the son of an elder, named Maitrakanyaka. His father had died early, and he lived together with his mother. The family was poor, and by selling firewood he earned two coins a day to provide for his mother. Devising better plans, he earned four coins a day to supply his mother. Gradually doing still better, he earned eight coins a day to support his mother. Later, turning to commerce, he made increasingly larger profits, earning sixteen coins a day to provide for his mother. Seeing his intelligence and blessed merit, everyone came to encourage him to go out to sea to gather jewels. Having heard this, he informed his mother. His mother, seeing his filial love, thought he could not go, and jokingly said to him, "I permit you to go out to sea." The son then formed a group of companions, fixed a date, and took his leave. His mother embraced her son and wept, saying, "Without waiting for my death, how can you go?" Having already given his word to the others, the son feared breaking his promise; he pulled himself away, tearing out several dozen strands of his mother's hair and injuring her. He then went out to sea and returned with a great abundance of jewels. Halfway back, his companions went ahead, and Maitrakanyaka lagged behind alone, losing his companions and straying from the road. Arriving at a mountain, he saw a city of lapis lazuli. Hungry and thirsty, he went toward it, and four jade maidens holding four wish-fulfilling gems came out of the city playing music to welcome him. For forty thousand years he experienced great happiness. Then he grew weary, abandoned them, and departed. He saw a city of crystal, where eight jade maidens holding eight wish-fulfilling gems came playing music to welcome him. For eighty thousand years he experienced tremendous joy. Later, growing weary, he abandoned them and departed. Arriving at a city of white silver, sixteen jade maidens holding sixteen wish-fulfilling gems came to welcome him as before. For one hundred and sixty thousand years he experienced great happiness. Afterward, he again abandoned them and departed. Arriving at a city of yellow gold, thirty-two jade maidens holding thirty-two wish-fulfilling gems came to welcome him as before. For three hundred and twenty thousand years he experienced great happiness. Then, growing weary, he abandoned them and departed. He arrived at an iron city. Entering, he saw a man wearing a flaming wheel upon his head, who cast it upon Maitrakanyaka's head and departed. Thereupon Maitrakanyaka asked the hell warden, "When can I be freed from wearing this wheel?" The hell warden replied, "When there is someone in the world who performs actions of sin and merit like yours—entering the sea and passing through the various cities—he will then come to take your place and receive the punishment. If no one takes your place, it will never fall to the ground." He asked again, "What sin and merit did I perform in the past?" The hell warden answered, "Because in the past you supported your mother with two coins, you obtained the lapis lazuli city with four wish-fulfilling gems and four jade maidens, experiencing that pleasure for forty thousand years. Supplying your mother with four coins, you obtained the crystal city with eight wish-fulfilling gems and eight jade maidens, experiencing various pleasures for eighty thousand years. Supplying your mother with eight coins, you obtained the silver city with sixteen wish-fulfilling gems and sixteen jade maidens, experiencing pleasure for one hundred and sixty thousand years. Because you supported your mother with sixteen coins, you obtained the golden city with thirty-two wish-fulfilling gems and thirty-two jade maidens, experiencing great happiness for three hundred and twenty thousand years. Because you tore your mother's hair, you now receive the retribution of the iron city's flaming wheel. Only when someone takes your place will you be freed." He asked the hell warden again, "Are there many in this hell who undergo retribution comparable to mine?" He answered, "They are limitless and beyond calculation." Having heard this, he thought, "I will certainly not escape it. May all who ought to suffer pain have it gather entirely upon my body!" As soon as he formed this thought, the iron wheel immediately fell [from his head]. Seeing this, the hell warden struck his head with an iron pitchfork. He immediately perished and was reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven.' The Buddha said to the bhikṣus: 'The former Maitrakanyaka was myself. By this reason, whether one does a little good or evil toward one's parents, one receives boundless retribution. Therefore, one should diligently provide for one's parents.' Furthermore, the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra says: 'Toward the various noble ones and toward parents and the like, if the Tathāgata generates good or evil karma, he receives immediate retribution.' Furthermore, in the Mañjuśrīparipṛcchā-sūtra, the Buddha spoke in verse, saying: