法苑珠林 58.25

58.25

又賢愚經云。爾時舍衛國中有一婆羅門。字曰師質。居家大富無有子息。詣六師所問其因緣。六師答言。汝相無兒。夫妻愁苦。往問世尊。世尊告曰。汝當有兒。福德具足長大出家。師質聞喜。而作是言。但使有兒學道何苦。因請佛及僧明日舍食。是時世尊默然許之。明日時到佛與眾僧往詣其家。食已還歸。路游一澤。泉水清美。佛與比丘便往休息。時諸比丘各各洗鉢。有一獼猴來從阿難求索其鉢。阿難恐破不欲與之。佛告阿難。速與勿憂。奉教便與。獼猴得鉢。持至蜜樹盛蜜滿鉢。來奉上佛。佛告之曰。去中不淨。獼猴即時拾却蜂蟲極令淨潔。佛便告曰。以水和之。如語著水和調已竟奉授世尊。世尊受已分布與僧。咸共飲之。皆悉周遍。獼猴歡喜騰躍起舞。墮大坑中即便命終。魂歸受胎於師質家。婦便覺娠。日月已足生一男兒。端正少雙。當生之時家內器物自然滿蜜。師質夫婦喜不自勝。語諸相師。相師占善。以初生之日蜜為瑞應。因名蜜勝。兒既年大。辭父出家得阿羅漢果。與諸比丘人間游化。若渴乏時擲鉢空中。自然滿蜜。眾人共飲咸蒙充足。阿難白佛。有何因緣生獼猴中。佛告阿難。乃往過去迦葉佛時。有年少比丘。見他沙門跳度渠水。而作是言。彼人飄疾熟似獼猴。沙門語云。我證四果悉辦。年少聞已衣毛皆竪。五體投地求哀懺悔。由悔過故不墮地獄。由形呰羅漢故。五百世中常作獼猴。由前出家持禁戒故今得見我。沐浴清化得盡諸苦。

Also, the *Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish* says: At that time, in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, there was a brahman named Śikṣita. His household was exceedingly wealthy, but he had no children. He went to the six teachers to ask the reason. The six teachers replied: "Your signs show no children." The husband and wife were grieved and distressed. They went to ask the World-Honoured One. The World-Honoured One told them: "You will have a son, complete with blessings and virtue, who will go forth from the household life when grown." Śikṣita was delighted to hear this and said: "If only I can have a son, what hardship is there in his studying the Path?" He then invited the Buddha and the saṃgha to a meal at his home the next day. At that time, the World-Honoured One silently consented. The next day, when the time arrived, the Buddha and the saṃgha went to his home. Having eaten, they returned. Along the road, they strolled past a marsh with clear, sweet spring water; the Buddha and the bhikṣus went to rest there. At that time, the bhikṣus each washed their bowls. A monkey came and begged Ānanda for his bowl. Fearing it would break, Ānanda did not wish to give it. The Buddha told Ānanda: "Quickly give it to him, do not worry." Following the instruction, he gave it. Having obtained the bowl, the monkey carried it to a honey tree, filled the bowl with honey, and came to offer it to the Buddha. The Buddha told him: "Remove the impurities from it." The monkey immediately picked out the bees and grubs, making it completely pure and clean. The Buddha then told him: "Mix it with water." As instructed, he added water, mixed it thoroughly, and offered it to the World-Honoured One. Having accepted it, the World-Honoured One distributed it among the saṃgha, and they all drank together, with enough for everyone. The monkey leapt and danced for joy, fell into a large pit, and immediately died. His consciousness entered the womb in the home of Śikṣita. The wife then realized she was pregnant. When the months and days were full, she gave birth to a boy, handsome and rare to match. When he was born, the vessels in the home were naturally filled with honey. Śikṣita and his wife were overjoyed beyond measure. They spoke to physiognomists; the physiognomists predicted good fortune, and because honey was an auspicious omen on the day of his birth, he was named Madhuvasiṣṭha. When the boy grew up, he took leave of his father, went forth, and attained the fruit of an arhat. He wandered through human settlements with the bhikṣus; whenever they were thirsty and exhausted, he would toss his bowl into the air, and it would naturally fill with honey, so that the multitude drank together and all were fully satisfied. Ānanda addressed the Buddha: "What were the causes and conditions for his being born among monkeys?" The Buddha told Ānanda: "Long ago in the past, at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was a young bhikṣu who saw another śramaṇa leaping across a ditch and said: 'That person is so agile, he looks just like a monkey!' The śramaṇa said to him: 'I have realized the four fruits and completed everything.' Hearing this, the youth's hair stood on end; throwing his five limbs to the ground, he begged for mercy and repented. Because he repented his fault, he did not fall into hell; because he mocked the appearance of an arhat, he was constantly born as a monkey for five hundred lifetimes. Because he had previously gone forth and maintained the prohibitive precepts, he was now able to meet me, be bathed in pure transformation, and exhaust all suffering."