法苑珠林 54.44

54.44

又六度集經云。昔者菩薩為孔雀王。從妻五百棄其舊匹。欲娶青雀為妻。其青雀唯食甘露好果。孔雀為妻日行取之。其國王夫人有疾。夢覩孔雀云。其肉可為藥。寤已啟聞。王令獵士疾行索之。夫人曰。有能得之者。娉以季女賜金千斤。國諸獵士分布行索。覩孔雀王從一青雀在常食處。即以蜜[麩-夫+少]每處塗樹。孔雀輒取以供其妻。射師以蜜[麩-夫+少]塗身踞坐而候。孔雀取[麩-夫+少]。人應獲之焉。孔雀曰。子之勤身必為利也。吾示子金山可為無盡之寶。子原吾命矣。獵者又曰。大王賜吾千斤金妻以季女。豈信汝言乎。剋以送獻汝矣。孔雀曰。大王懷仁潤無不周。願納微言。乞得少水。吾以慈呪。服之疾瘳矣。若其無効受罪不晚。王順其意。夫人服之眾疾皆瘳。華色煒曄。宮人皆然。舉國歎王弘慈全孔雀之命獲延一國之壽。孔雀曰。願得投身于彼大湖并呪其水。率土黎民眾疾可瘳。若有疑妄願以杖捶吾足。王曰。許可。孔雀如之。國人飲水並皆得力。聾聽盲視瘖語躄申。眾疾皆然。夫人疾除國人並得無病。兼無害孔雀之心。孔雀具知向王陳曰。受王生潤之恩。吾報濟一國之命。報畢乞退。王曰。可爾。雀即翔飛昇樹重曰。天下有三癡。王曰。何謂三耶。一者吾癡。二者獵士癡。三者大王癡。王曰。願釋之也。雀曰。諸佛重戒。以色為火。燒身危命貪色之由也。吾捨五百供養之妻而貪青雀。索食供之有如僕使。為狂罔所得殆危身命。斯吾癡也。獵者之癡。吾至誠之言捨一山之金。棄無窮之寶。信夫人邪偽之欺。望季女之妻。覩世狂愚皆斯類矣。損佛真誠之戒。信鬼魅之欺酒樂婬亂。或度破門之禍。或死入太山其苦無數。思還為人猶無羽之鳥欲飛昇天。豈不難哉。婬婦之妖蠱喻彼魃魅。靡不由之亡國危身。而愚夫尊之。萬言無一誠也。而射師信之。斯謂獵者愚矣。王得天醫除一國疾。諸毒都滅顏如盛華。巨細欣賴。而王放之。斯謂王愚矣。佛告舍利弗。孔雀王者。自是之後周旋八方。輒以神藥慈心布施愈眾生病。雀王者吾身是也。國王者舍利弗是也。獵者調達是也。夫人者調達婦是。菩薩慈慧度無極行布施如是。

Furthermore, the Liudu ji jing says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was a peacock king. Leading five hundred wives, he abandoned his former mates, wishing to take a green bird as his wife. This green bird ate only sweet dew and fine fruits. The peacock king went out daily to fetch them for his wife. The queen consort of the king of that country fell ill; in a dream she saw a peacock and said that its flesh could serve as medicine. Having awoken, she reported this to the king. The king ordered hunters to set out swiftly to search for it. The queen said: 'To whoever can capture it, I will give my youngest daughter in marriage and bestow a thousand catties of gold.' The hunters of the country dispersed to search for it. [One] saw the peacock king following a green bird at his usual feeding place. He then smeared honeyed roasted flour on the trees in every place. The peacock king constantly took it to provide for his wife. The archer-hunter smeared his body with honeyed roasted flour, crouched down, and waited. When the peacock king took the roasted flour, the man caught him. The peacock king said: 'Your toiling of your body must be for profit. I shall show you a golden mountain that can serve as an inexhaustible treasure; spare my life!' The hunter replied: 'The great king will bestow on me a thousand catties of gold and give his youngest daughter to me as a wife. How could I believe your words? I am determined to deliver you as an offering.' The peacock king said: 'The great king cherishes benevolence, and his moisture of grace leaves nothing unreached. I pray you heed my humble words: grant me a little water; I shall empower it with a compassionate incantation, and when she drinks it, her illness will be healed. If it has no effect, it will not be too late to receive punishment.' The king complied with his wish. When the queen consort drank it, all her ailments were completely healed, and her radiant complexion became brilliant; so it was for all the palace ladies. The entire country praised the king's vast benevolence in preserving the peacock's life and thereby extending the lifespan of the entire country. The peacock said: 'I wish to cast my body into that great lake and empower its water with an incantation; the multiple ailments of the common people across the land can then be healed. If there is any deceit or falsehood, you may strike my feet with a staff.' The king said: 'I permit it.' The peacock did so. The people of the country drank the water and all gained strength: the deaf heard, the blind saw, the mute spoke, and the crippled stretched out; so it was for all illnesses. The queen's illness was eliminated, the people of the country were all free from disease, and they had no mind to harm the peacock. The peacock, knowing this fully, addressed the king, saying: 'Having received the king's kindness that granted me life, I have repaid it by saving the lives of the entire country. The recompense being completed, I beg to withdraw.' The king said: 'You may do so.' The bird then took flight, mounted a tree, and spoke again: 'In the world there are three fools.' The king said: 'What are the three?' 'The first is my folly; the second is the hunter's folly; the third is the great king's folly.' The king said: 'I pray you explain them.' The bird said: 'The heavy precepts of all Buddhas regard lust as fire; burning the body and endangering life arises from greed for sex. I abandoned five hundred wives who attended me and craved the green bird, seeking food to supply her like a servant, and was captured by a wild deceiver, nearly endangering my body and life: this is my folly. As for the hunter's folly: at my words of utter sincerity, he abandoned a mountain of gold and cast aside inexhaustible treasure, believing the deceitful falsehood of the queen and longing for the youngest daughter as a wife. Looking upon the mad fools of the world, all are of this kind! Violating the Buddha's truthful precepts, they believe the deceits of ghosts and demons, indulging in wine, pleasure, and licentious debauchery; some suffer the calamity of a ruined household, or at death enter Mount Tai, their sufferings being countless. Longing to return to human form is like a featherless bird wishing to fly up to heaven; how could it not be difficult? The seductive bewitchment of a wanton woman is comparable to that drought demon; there is none who does not thereby lose their kingdom and endanger their body. Yet foolish men revere them; among ten thousand words there is not one truth. Yet the archer-hunter believed her: this is called the hunter's folly. The king obtained a heavenly physician who eliminated the illness of the entire country, completely eradicating all poisons so that faces were like blossoms in full bloom, with both great and humble rejoicing and relying on it; yet the king released him: this is called the king's folly.' The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'As for the peacock king, from that time onward he travelled through the eight directions, constantly bestowing divine medicine with a compassionate mind to cure the diseases of sentient beings. The peacock king was my own body. The king of the country was Śāriputra. The hunter was Devadatta. The queen consort was Devadatta's wife. Such is the Bodhisattva's compassionate wisdom in crossing over without limit by practicing generosity.'