法苑珠林 59.14

59.14

興起行經云。佛告舍利弗。往昔久遠世時。於羅閱城。時大節日聚會。時國中有兩姓力士。一姓剎帝利種。一姓婆羅門種。時共相撲。婆羅門語剎帝利曰。卿莫撲我。我當大與卿錢寶。剎帝便不盡力令其屈伏。二人俱得皆受王賞。於時婆羅門竟不報剎帝。到後節日復來相撲。還復相求如前相許。剎帝復饒不撲。得賞如上。如是至三不報。後節復會。婆羅門重語剎帝曰。前後所許當一時併報。剎帝心念。此人比數欺我。既不報我。又侵我分。我今日當使其消。便干笑語曰卿誑我滿三。今不用卿物。便右手捺項。左手捉跨腰。兩手蹴之。挫折其脊如折甘蔗。擎之三旋使眾人見。然後撲地即死。王及群臣皆大歡喜。賜金錢十萬。佛語舍利弗。爾時剎帝者則我身是。婆羅門者提婆達是。我於爾時以貪恚故撲殺力士。以是因緣墮地獄中經數千歲。今雖成佛諸漏已盡。爾時殘緣今故有此脊痛之患也。

The Sūtra on Karmic Conditions of the Buddha's Prior Deeds says: The Buddha said to Śāriputra: “Long ago in past ages, in the city of Rājagṛha, it was the occasion of a great festival gathering. At that time in the country there were two wrestlers: one of kṣatriya stock and one of brāhmaṇa stock. They wrestled together. The brāhmaṇa said to the kṣatriya: ‘Do not throw me; I will give you great wealth and treasure.’ The kṣatriya then did not use his full strength to subdue him. Both of them gained [standing] and both received the king's rewards. At that time, the brāhmaṇa ultimately did not repay the kṣatriya. At the next festival, they came again to wrestle, and [the brāhmaṇa] again made the same request and promise as before. The kṣatriya again spared him and did not throw him, receiving the reward as above. This happened up to three times without repayment. At a later festival they met again. The brāhmaṇa spoke again to the kṣatriya, saying: ‘What was promised before and after shall all be repaid together at one time.’ The kṣatriya thought to himself: ‘This man has deceived me repeatedly. Not only has he failed to repay me, he has also encroached upon my share. Today I shall destroy him.’ He then gave a forced laugh and said: ‘You have cheated me full three times; now I have no use for your goods.’ He then pressed his neck with his right hand, seized his waist from between his thighs with his left hand, and thrust with both hands, snapping his spine like breaking a sugar cane. He lifted him up and spun him three times so that the crowd could see, and then threw him to the ground, killing him instantly. The king and his ministers all rejoiced greatly, bestowing one hundred thousand gold coins. The Buddha said to Śāriputra: ‘The kṣatriya at that time was myself; the brāhmaṇa was Devadatta. At that time, because of greed and anger, I wrestled and killed the wrestler. Due to this karmic cause, I fell into the hells for several thousand years. Even though I have now attained buddhahood and all defilements are exhausted, because of the residual conditions of that time, I still suffer from this backache today.’”