法苑珠林 58.24

58.24

又舍利弗目揵連及頻婆娑羅王。并諸王夫人末利夫人。諸國大長者如須達等。如是諸人皆佛弟子。如來世尊於一切法知見無礙。故名為佛。今者近在此住。若欲實知當詣佛所。爾時長者即詣佛所以事問佛。佛言。長者。汝婦懷妊是男無疑。福德無比。長者歡喜。六師心嫉。以菴羅果和合毒藥。持與長者。汝婦臨月可服此藥。兒則端正產者無患。長者受之與婦令服。服已尋死。六師歡喜周遍城市。唱言。沙門瞿曇記彼長者婦當生男。今兒未生母已喪命。爾時長者復於我所生不信心。即便殯斂棺蓋焚之。我見此事欲往摧邪。六師遙見佛往各相謂言。瞿曇沙門至此塚間欲噉肉耶。未得法眼者各懷愧懼。而白佛言。彼婦已死願不須往。爾時阿難語諸人言。且待須臾。如來不久當廣開闡諸佛境界。佛到長者所長者難言。所言無二。兒母已終云何生子。我言。長者卿於爾時都不見問母命脩短。但問所懷為是男女。諸佛如來發言無二。是故當知定必得子。是時死屍。火燒腹裂。子從中出。端坐火中如蓮華臺。六師見已謂為幻術。長者見喜訶責六師。若言幻者汝何不作。我於爾時告耆婆。汝往火中抱是兒來。耆婆前入火聚。猶入清涼大河。抱是兒還。我受兒已告長者言。一切眾生壽命不定。如水上泡。眾生若有重業果報。火及毒螫並不能害。非我所作。是兒生於猛火之中。火名樹提。因名樹提。

"Furthermore, Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, King Bimbisāra, together with the king's consorts, Queen Mallikā, and the great elders of various countries such as Sudatta—all such people are disciples of the Buddha. The Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, has unhindered knowledge and vision regarding all dharmas, and therefore is called 'Buddha'. He currently resides nearby. If you wish to know the truth, you should go to the Buddha's place." Thereupon, the elder went to the Buddha's place and asked the Buddha about the matter. The Buddha said: "Elder, that your wife is pregnant with a boy is without doubt; his blessings and virtues are peerless." The elder was delighted. The six teachers were jealous, and mixing poison with an āmra fruit, they gave it to the elder, saying: "When your wife is near her month of delivery, she should take this medicine; the child will be handsome and the mother will have no difficulties in childbirth." The elder received it and gave it to his wife to take. Having taken it, she soon died. The six teachers were delighted and went all around the city proclaiming: "The śramaṇa Gautama prophesied that that elder's wife would bear a son; now before the child is born, the mother has already lost her life!" At that time, the elder also lost faith in me. He immediately placed her in a coffin and cremated it. Seeing this, I wished to go to subdue the heterodox. Seeing the Buddha approaching from afar, the six teachers said to one another: "Has the śramaṇa Gautama come to this graveyard wishing to eat flesh?" Those who had not yet attained the Dharma-eye were filled with shame and fear, and said to the Buddha: "That woman is already dead; please do not go." At that time, Ānanda said to the people: "Wait just a moment! Before long, the Tathāgata will broadly manifest the realm of the Buddhas." When the Buddha arrived at the elder's place, the elder questioned him: "Your words are supposed to be unequivocal. The child's mother has already died; how can a son be born?" I said: "Elder, at that time you did not ask at all whether the mother's life was long or short; you only asked whether she was carrying a boy or a girl. The words uttered by the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, are never dual. Therefore, you should know that you will certainly obtain a son." At that time, as the corpse burned, the belly burst open, and a boy emerged from within, sitting upright in the midst of the fire like on a lotus dais. When the six teachers saw this, they called it an illusionist's trick. Seeing this, the elder was overjoyed and rebuked the six teachers: "If you call it an illusion, why can you not do it?" At that time, I told Jīvaka: "Go into the fire and bring this child out in your arms." Jīvaka stepped forward into the mass of flames as if entering a cool, great river, and brought the child back in his arms. Having received the child, I told the elder: "The lifespan of all sentient beings is unfixed, like a bubble on water. If a sentient being has heavy karmic retribution, neither fire nor poisonous bites can harm him. This was not of my doing. This child was born in the midst of a fierce fire; fire is named Jyotiṣ, hence he is named Jyotiṣka."