法苑珠林 50.17

50.17

又六度集經云。昔者菩薩為大理家積財巨億。常奉三尊慈向眾生。觀市覩鼈心悼之焉。問價貴賤。鼈主知菩薩有普慈之德。答曰。百萬。菩薩答曰。大善。將鼈歸家。臨水放之覩其游去悲喜誓曰。眾難命全如爾今也。廣起弘願。諸佛讚善。鼈於後夜來齧其門。怪門有聲便出見鼈。語菩薩曰。吾受重潤身得獲全。無以答恩。水居之物知水盈虛。洪水將至必為巨害矣。願速嚴舟臨時相迎。答曰。大善。明晨詣門如事啟王。王以菩薩宿有善名信用其言。遷下處高。時至鼈來洪水至矣。可速下載。尋吾所之可獲無患。船尋其後。有蛇趣船。菩薩曰取。鼈云大善。又覩漂狐。曰取。鼈云亦善。又覩漂人博頰呼天哀濟吾命。曰取。鼈曰慎無取也。凡人心偽。尠有終信。背恩追勢好為凶逆。菩薩曰。蟲類爾濟。人類吾賤。豈是仁哉。吾不忍為也。於是取之。鼈王悔哉。遂之豐土。鼈辭曰。恩畢請退。答曰。吾獲如來無所著至真等正覺者。必當相度。鼈曰。大善。鼈退蛇狐各去。狐以穴為居。獲古人伏藏紫磨名金百斤。喜曰。當以報彼恩矣。狐還白曰。小蟲受潤獲濟微命。蟲穴居之物求穴以自安。獲金百斤。斯穴非塜非家非劫非盜。吾精誠之致。願以貢賢。菩薩深惟。不取徒損無益於貧民。可以布施眾生獲濟。不亦善乎。尋而取之。漂人覩焉曰。分吾半矣。菩薩即以十斤惠之。漂人曰。爾掘塜劫金罪應奈何。不半分之吾必告有司。答曰。貧民困者吾欲等施。爾欲專之不亦偏乎。漂人遂告有司。菩薩見拘無所告訴。唯歸命三尊悔過自責。慈願眾生早離八難。莫有怨結如今吾也。蛇狐會曰。奈何斯事。蛇曰。吾將濟之。遂銜良藥開關入獄。見菩薩狀顏色有損愴而心悲。謂菩薩言。以藥自隨。吾將齚太子。其毒尤甚莫能濟者。賢者以藥自聞傅即瘳矣。菩薩默然蛇如所云。太子命欲將殞。王令曰。有能濟茲。封之相國吾與參治。菩薩上聞。傅之即瘳。王喜問其所由。本末自陳。王悵然自咎曰。吾闇甚哉。即誅漂人大赦其國。封為相國執手入宮。並坐談論佛法遂致太平。佛告諸沙門。理家者是吾身。國王者彌勒是。鼈者阿難是。狐者秋露子是。蛇者目連是。漂人者調達是。菩薩慈惠度無極行布施如是。

Furthermore, the Liudu ji jing says: 'Long ago, the Bodhisattva was the head of a great household, possessing wealth of hundreds of millions. He always served the Three Jewels and harboured compassion toward sentient beings. Seeing a turtle in the marketplace, he felt pity for it in his heart and asked whether the price was high or low. The owner of the turtle, knowing that the Bodhisattva had universal benevolence, replied: "One million." The Bodhisattva replied: "Very well." He took the turtle home, and releasing it beside the water, watched it swim away; weeping with joy, he made a vow: "May the lives of those in all disasters be preserved just as yours is now!" He gave rise to vast, great vows, and all the Buddhas praised him. Later that night, the turtle came and gnawed at his gate. Surprised by the sound at the gate, he went out and saw the turtle. It said to the Bodhisattva: "I received your heavy grace and my body was preserved; I have nothing with which to repay your kindness. As a creature living in water, I know when the waters swell and subside. A great flood is about to come, which will surely cause immense catastrophe. Please prepare a boat quickly, and at that time I will come to guide you." He replied: "Very well." The next morning he went to the palace gates and reported the matter to the king. Because the Bodhisattva had an old reputation for goodness, the king trusted his words and moved from the lowlands to high ground. When the time arrived, the turtle came, and the flood arrived. [The turtle said:] "Quickly board the boat; follow where I go and you will obtain safety." The boat followed behind it. A snake approached the boat; the Bodhisattva said, "Take it aboard." The turtle said, "Very well." He then saw a floating fox, and said, "Take it aboard." The turtle said, "Good also." He then saw a drowning man, beating his cheeks, crying out to heaven and pleading, "Have mercy and save my life!" He said, "Take him aboard." The turtle said, "Take care not to take him aboard! Ordinary men's hearts are deceitful; few possess steadfast faith. Turning their backs on kindness to chase after power, they love to commit evil and treason." The Bodhisattva said, "If you rescue crawling creatures, while I despise humankind, how could that be benevolence? I cannot bear to do so." Thereupon he took him aboard. The turtle king sighed with regret. Thereupon they reached a fertile land. The turtle took its leave, saying: "My debt of kindness is fulfilled; please allow me to withdraw." He replied: "When I attain the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Samyaksambuddha, I will surely deliver you." The turtle said: "Very well." The turtle withdrew, and the snake and fox each went their way. The fox made its dwelling in a burrow, and obtained a hundred catties of famous purple-sheen gold hidden by people of antiquity. In delight it said: "I should repay his kindness with this!" The fox returned and reported, saying: "This small creature received your grace and had its humble life saved. As an animal that lives in burrows seeking holes for safety, I obtained a hundred catties of gold. This burrow is not a tomb, not a house, not robbery, not theft; it was brought about by my sincere devotion. I wish to offer it to the worthy one." The Bodhisattva reflected deeply: "Not taking it would be a wasted loss of no benefit to the poor. If it can be given in dāna to sentient beings so they are saved, would that not be good?" He soon took it. The rescued man saw it and said: "Give me half!" The Bodhisattva immediately bestowed ten catties upon him. The rescued man said: "You dug up a tomb and robbed gold—what crime should you face? If you do not divide it in half, I will surely report it to the authorities." He replied: "I wish to give it equally to the impoverished and suffering people; you wish to monopolise it—is that not partial?" The rescued man thereupon reported him to the authorities. The Bodhisattva was arrested and had nowhere to appeal; he only took refuge in the Three Jewels, repented of his errors, and blamed himself, wishing with compassion: "May sentient beings quickly leave the eight difficulties and have no grievances like mine today." The snake and fox met and said: "What can be done about this matter?" The snake said: "I will save him." Thereupon, holding good medicine in its mouth, it broke through the latch and entered the prison. Seeing the Bodhisattva's appearance and colour diminished, it felt grief and sorrow in its heart, and said to the Bodhisattva: "Keep this medicine with you. I will bite the crown prince; its poison will be extremely virulent, and no one will be able to save him. When you, worthy one, report the medicine to the king and apply it, he will immediately recover." The Bodhisattva was silent, and the snake acted as it had spoken. When the crown prince's life was on the verge of expiring, the king issued an order: "If anyone can save him, I will enfeoff him as Prime Minister and rule alongside him." The Bodhisattva reported it to the king; upon applying the medicine, he immediately recovered. The king rejoiced and asked about the circumstances; he related the matter from beginning to end. The king lamented, blaming himself: "How utterly benighted I was!" He immediately executed the rescued man and granted a general amnesty throughout his kingdom. He enfeoffed the Bodhisattva as Prime Minister, took him by the hand into the palace, and sitting side by side, they discussed the Buddha-Dharma, ultimately bringing about great peace. The Buddha told the bhikṣus: "The householder was my own self; the king was Maitreya; the turtle was Ānanda; the fox was Śāriputra; the snake was Maudgalyāyana; and the drowning man was Devadatta. The Bodhisattva's perfection of benevolence and practice of dāna was like this."'