法苑珠林 64.51

64.51

如一切智光明仙人慈心不食肉經云。佛住摩伽提國寂滅道場彌迦女村自在天寺精舍。時有迦波利婆羅門子。名曰彌勒。軀體金色。相好具足。威光無量。來至佛所。時有結髮梵志五百人等。遙見彌勒清淨白佛言。世尊。如此童子光明無量。與佛無異。於何佛所初發道心。受持誰經。為我解說。佛告式乾梵志。汝今諦聽。當為汝說。乃往過去無量無邊阿僧祇劫。時有世界。名勝華敷。佛號彌勒。常以慈心教化一切。彼佛說經名慈三昧光大悲海雲。若有聞者。即得超越百億萬劫生死之罪。必得成佛。時彼國中有大婆羅門。名一切智光明。聰慧多智廣博眾經聞佛出世說慈三昧經。即便信伏為佛弟子。發菩提心。而作是言。我今誦持大慈三昧經。願於未來必得成佛。而號彌勒。於是捨家即入深山。八千歲中少欲無事乞食自活。誦持此經一心除亂。時連雨不止洪水暴漲。仙人端坐不得乞食。經歷七日。時彼林中有五百白兔。有一兔王母子三獸。見於仙人七日不食。而作是言。今此仙人為佛道故不食多日。命不云遠。法幢將崩。法海將竭。我今當為無上大法令得久住不惜身命。即告諸兔。一切諸行皆悉無常。眾生愛身空生空死。未曾為法。我今欲為一切眾生作大橋梁。令法久住供養法師。爾時兔王告諸兔言。我今以身欲供養法師。汝等宜當各各隨喜。時諸山樹神等。即積香薪以火然之。兔王母子圍繞仙人足滿七匝。白言。大師。我今為法供養尊者。仙人告言。汝是畜生。雖有慈心何緣能辦。兔白仙人。我自以身供養仁者。為法久住令諸眾生得饒益故。作此語已即語其子。汝可隨意求覓水草繫心思惟正念三寶。爾時兔子聞母所說。跪白母言。如尊所說無上大法欲供養者。我亦願樂。作此語已自投火中。母隨後入。當於菩薩捨身之時。天地大動。乃至色界及以諸天。皆雨天華持用供養。肉熟之後。時山樹神白仙人言。兔王母子為供養故。投身火中。今肉已熟。汝可食之。時彼仙人聞樹神語。悲不能言。以所誦經書置樹葉上。又說偈曰。

As the Sūtra on the Compassionate Mind of the All-Knowledge Radiance Ṛṣi Who Did Not Eat Meat says: The Buddha was dwelling in the country of Magadha, at the seat of enlightenment of tranquil extinction, in the vihāra of the Maheśvara Temple in the village of Megha. At that time, there was a Kapali brāhmaṇa youth named Maitreya, whose body was golden-hued, endowed with all the physical marks and signs, and possessed of boundless majestic radiance; he came to where the Buddha was. At that time, five hundred matted-hair ascetics (jaṭilas), seeing Maitreya's purity from afar, said to the Buddha: 'World-Honoured One, this youth's radiance is boundless, no different from a Buddha's. Under which Buddha did he first arouse the aspiration for awakening? Whose sūtra does he uphold? Please explain it for us.' The Buddha said to the ascetic Śikhi: 'Listen attentively now; I shall explain it for you. In the past, countless, boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a world named Supreme Flower Splendor. The Buddha was named Maitreya, and he constantly transformed all beings with a compassionate mind. That Buddha preached a sūtra named "The Radiance of the Compassion-Samādhi and the Cloud of the Ocean of Great Compassion." If anyone heard it, they would immediately transcend the sins of birth and death for hundreds of millions of myriad kalpas, and would surely attain Buddhahood. At that time in that kingdom, there was a great brāhmaṇa named All-Knowledge Radiance, intelligent, greatly wise, and versed in many scriptures. Hearing that a Buddha had appeared in the world and was preaching the Compassion-Samādhi Sūtra, he immediately believed, submitted, and became a disciple of the Buddha. Arousing the bodhicitta, he said: "Now I chant and uphold the Great Compassion-Samādhi Sūtra; I vow that in the future I shall surely achieve Buddhahood and be named Maitreya." Thereupon he renounced the household life and entered deep into the mountains. For eight thousand years, with few desires and no worldly affairs, he sustained his life by begging for food, chanting and upholding this sūtra, single-mindedly eliminating distraction. At that time, continuous rain did not cease, and torrential floods surged. The ṛṣi sat upright and could not beg for food; seven days passed. At that time, in that forest there were five hundred white rabbits, among which was a rabbit king, a mother with her young, three animals in total. Seeing that the ṛṣi had not eaten for seven days, they said: "Now this ṛṣi, for the sake of the Buddha path, has not eaten for many days. His death is not far off; the banner of the Dharma is about to collapse, and the ocean of the Dharma is about to dry up. Now, for the sake of the unsurpassed great Dharma, so that it may long abide, we must not begrudge our bodies and lives." The rabbit king then said to the rabbits: "All conditioned phenomena are impermanent. Sentient beings cherish their bodies, living in vain and dying in vain, never having done anything for the Dharma. I now wish to act as a great bridge for all sentient beings, to make the Dharma abide long and to make offerings to the Dharma master." At that time, the rabbit king said to the rabbits: "I now wish to offer my body to the Dharma master; each of you should rejoice accordingly." At that time, the spirits of the mountains and trees gathered fragrant firewood and lit it with fire. The rabbit king, mother and young, circumambulated the ṛṣi's feet seven full times and said: "Great master, now for the sake of the Dharma we make an offering to the Venerable One." The ṛṣi said: "You are animals; although you have a compassionate heart, by what means could you manage this?" The rabbit said to the ṛṣi: "I offer my own body to the benevolent one, so that the Dharma may long abide and all sentient beings may be benefited." Having said this, she then said to her offspring: "You may seek water and grass as you wish, focus your minds, reflect, and maintain right mindfulness of the Three Jewels." At that time, the young rabbit, hearing what its mother said, knelt and said to its mother: "As you have spoken, Venerable One, of the unsurpassed great Dharma to which you wish to make an offering, I too wish and delight in it." Having said this, it cast itself into the fire, and the mother followed after it. When the bodhisattvas sacrificed their bodies, the earth shook violently, and up to the form realm and the devas, they all rained down divine flowers to make offerings. After the meat was cooked, the spirits of the mountains and trees said to the ṛṣi: "The rabbit king, mother and young, have cast themselves into the fire for the sake of an offering. Now the meat is cooked; you may eat it." At that time, hearing the words of the tree spirits, the ṛṣi was grieved beyond words. He wrote down the sūtras he chanted upon tree leaves, and also spoke a verse:'