法苑珠林 52.8

52.8

如須摩提長者經云。佛在世時。舍衛城有大長者子。名須摩提。是人命終。父母宗親及諸知識。一時號哭哀悼躄踊。稱怨大喚悶絕于地。或有喚父母兄弟者。或有呼夫主大家者。如是種種號咷啼哭。又有把土而自坌者。又有持刀斷其髮者。譬如有人毒箭入心苦惱無量。或有以衣自覆而悲泣者。譬如大風鼓扇林樹枝柯相棖。又如失水之魚宛轉在地。又如斬截大樹崩倒狼藉。以如是楚毒而加其身。爾時世尊知而故問阿難。彼諸大眾何故哀號悲泣如是。阿難具以白佛。唯願世尊。為度一切。可往至彼。諸佛世尊不以無請而有不說。我今為彼諸人勸請於佛。世尊以大慈悲願往至彼。

As stated in the Sumati-grahapati Sūtra: When the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Śrāvastī there was the son of a great elder named Sumati. When this man died, his parents, clan members, and acquaintances all wept aloud together, mourning and beating their breasts, crying out grievances, screaming loudly, and fainting to the ground. Some called out to parents and siblings; some cried out to husbands and masters. Thus in diverse manners they wailed and wept. There were also those who seized dirt and threw it upon themselves, and those who took knives and cut their hair, like a person whose heart is pierced by a poisoned arrow, suffering immeasurable affliction. There were also those who covered themselves with garments and wept in sorrow, like trees in a great wind blowing and whipping about, their branches clashing against one another; or like fish out of water writhing upon the ground; or like a great felled tree crashing down in disarray. Such was the severe torment inflicted upon their bodies. At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing this, purposefully asked Ānanda, “Why is that great assembly wailing and weeping in sorrow like this?” Ānanda fully reported it to the Buddha: “I only pray that the World-Honoured One, for the sake of delivering all beings, may go there. The Buddhas and World-Honoured Ones do not speak without being requested. I now beseech the Buddha on behalf of those people. May the World-Honoured One, out of great compassion, please go there.”