法苑珠林 50.31

50.31

如百喻經云。昔有一婦荒婬無度。欲情既盛嫉惡其夫。每思方策規欲殘害。種種設計不得其便。會值其夫騁使隣國。婦密為計。造毒藥丸欲用害夫。詐語夫言。爾今遠使慮有乏短。今我造作五百歡喜丸。用為資糧以送於爾。爾若出國至他境界。飢困之時乃可取食。夫用其言。至他界已未及食之。於夜暗中止宿林間。畏懼惡獸上樹避之。其歡喜丸忘置樹下。即以其夜值五百偷賊。盜彼國王五百匹馬并及寶物來止樹下。由其逃突盡皆飢渴。於其樹下見歡喜丸。諸賊取已各食一丸。藥毒氣盛五百群賊一時俱死。時樹上人至天明已。見此群賊死在樹下。詐以刀箭斫射死屍。收其鞍馬并及財寶驅向彼國。時彼國王多將人眾尋跡來逐。會於中路值於彼王。彼王問言。汝是何人何處得馬。其人答言。我是某國人。而於道路值此群賊共相斫射。五百群賊。今皆一處死在樹下。由是之故我得馬及以珍寶來投王國。若不見信。往看賊之創痍殺害處所。是王即遣親信往看。果如其言。王時欣然歎未曾有。既還國已厚加爵賞。封以聚落。彼王舊臣咸生妬嫉。而白王言。彼是遠人未可信伏。如何卒爾寵遇過厚。至於爵賞逾越舊臣。遠人聞已而作是言。誰有勇健能共我試。請於平原校其技能。舊人愕然無敢敵者。後時彼國大曠野中有惡師子。截道殺人。斷絕王路。時彼舊臣詳共議之。彼遠人者。自謂勇健無能敵者。今復若能殺彼師子為國除害。真為奇特。作是議已便白於王。王聞是已給賜刀仗尋即遣之。爾時遠人既受勅已。堅強其意向師子所。師子見之奮迅虓吼騰躍而前。遠人驚悑即便上樹。師子張口仰頭向樹。其人悑急失所捉刀落師子口。師子尋死。爾時遠人歡喜踊躍。來白於王。王倍寵遇。時彼國人率爾敬服。咸皆讚歎。

As the *Sūtra of a Hundred Parables* says: Formerly, there was a woman who was profligate and lascivious without limit. As her lustful desires flared, she hated her husband and constantly pondered methods and schemes, wishing to harm him. Devising all manner of plans, she found no opportunity. It happened that her husband was dispatched on an embassy to a neighboring country. The wife secretly devised a scheme, preparing poisoned medicine balls to harm her husband. She deceitfully told her husband, 'Now that you are going on a distant mission, I fear you will lack provisions. I have now prepared five hundred joy-balls as provisions to send you off with. When you cross the border into another realm and are hungry and exhausted, only then should you take them to eat.' The husband followed her words. Having arrived in the other realm, before he had time to eat them, he stopped to spend the night in a forest in the dark of night. Fearing ferocious beasts, he climbed a tree to avoid them, forgetting and leaving the joy-balls under the tree. That very night, five hundred bandits who had stolen five hundred horses and precious goods from the king of that country came to halt under the tree. Due to their flight, they were all hungry and thirsty. Seeing the joy-balls under the tree, the bandits took them and each ate one ball. The poisonous effect of the medicine was potent, and the five hundred bandits all died at once. When dawn arrived, the man in the tree saw these bandits lying dead under the tree. He deceitfully used a sword and arrows to strike and shoot the corpses, gathered their saddles, horses, and precious treasures, and drove them toward that country. At that time, the king of that country was leading a large crowd pursuing their tracks, and met him halfway. The king asked, 'Who are you, and where did you get the horses?' The man replied, 'I am a man of such-and-such country. On the road I encountered these bandits and fought with them, hacking and shooting them. The five hundred bandits are all dead together under a tree in one place. For this reason, I took the horses and precious treasures to come take refuge in Your Majesty's country. If you do not believe me, go inspect the place where the bandits were wounded and slain.' The king immediately sent trusted attendants to go inspect it, and it was indeed as he had said. The king was then overjoyed and exclaimed that it was unprecedented. Having returned to the country, he generously granted him noble ranks and rewards, enfeoffing him with a village. The king's old ministers all became jealous and spoke to the king, saying, 'He is a man from afar and cannot yet be trusted and submitted to. Why should he suddenly receive such excessive favor, so that his noble ranks and rewards surpass the old ministers?' The man from afar heard this and said, 'Who is valiant and able to test himself against me? I request to match skills with him on the open plain.' The old ministers were astonished, and none dared to face him. Later, in a great wilderness of that country, there was a ferocious lion that blocked the road and killed people, cutting off the king's highway. The old ministers deliberated together: 'That man from afar considers himself valiant and unmatched. If he can now kill that lion and remove the menace for the country, it will be truly extraordinary.' Having formed this plan, they reported it to the king. Hearing this, the king bestowed weapons upon him and dispatched him at once. At that time, having received the order, the man from afar steeled his resolve and went to where the lion was. Seeing him, the lion bristled, roared, and leapt forward. Terrified, the man from afar immediately climbed a tree. The lion opened its mouth and raised its head toward the tree. In his panic, the man dropped the sword he was holding right into the lion's mouth, and the lion died instantly. At that time, the man from afar danced with joy and came to report to the king. The king doubled his favor, and all the people of that country spontaneously submitted with respect and praise.