法苑珠林 56.39

56.39

爾時國王自念。昔者貧窮之人。以何因緣得為國王。昔行乞時得蒙佛恩大得飯食。便生善念得為王者。供養七日佛之恩德。今已果之。即召群臣遙向舍衛國燒香作禮。即遣使者往請佛言。蒙世尊遺恩得為人王。願屈尊神來化此國。愚冥之人得見教訓。於是佛告諸弟子。當受彼請。佛與弟子無央數眾。往到彼國。時王出迎為佛作禮。入宮食訖。王請世尊說得王緣。佛具為說如前因緣。由起善念今王是也。時惡念者非直轢頭而死。死已復入地獄為火車所轢。億劫乃出。王今請佛報誓過厚。世世受福無有極已。爾時世尊以偈頌曰。

At that time, the king thought to himself: "By what cause and condition did I, formerly an impoverished person, attain kingship? In the past, while begging, I received the Buddha's kindness and obtained an abundance of food; thereupon I gave rise to a good thought that if I became a king, I would make offerings for seven days to repay the Buddha's kindness and virtue. Now it has indeed come to fruition." He immediately summoned his ministers, burned incense, and bowed from afar toward the city of Śrāvastī. He then dispatched an envoy to invite the Buddha, saying: "Receiving the grace bequeathed by the World-Honoured One, I have become a king of men. I pray that your venerable spirit will deign to come and transform this kingdom, so that its foolish and benighted people may receive instruction." Thereupon, the Buddha told his disciples: "We should accept his invitation." The Buddha, together with an innumerable assembly of disciples, went to that kingdom. The king came out to welcome him, bowed to the Buddha, and after they entered the palace and finished the meal, the king asked the World-Honoured One to explain the circumstances of his attaining kingship. The Buddha fully explained to him the former causes and conditions as before: "Because you gave rise to a good thought, you are the king today. The one with evil thoughts did not merely die from having his head crushed by the carriage; after dying, he further entered hell to be crushed by iron fire-carriages, emerging only after a hundred million kalpas. The king now invites the Buddha and repays his vow with great generosity; life after life you will receive blessings without end." At that time, the World-Honoured One spoke in verse, saying: