法苑珠林 65.12

65.12

又智度論云。過去世時人民多病黃白痿瘁。菩薩爾時身為赤魚。自以為其肉施諸病人以救其疾。又昔菩薩作一飛鳥。在林中住。見有一人入於深水。非人行處。為水神所羂著不可解。若能至香山取一藥草。著其羂上。繩即爛壞。人得脫去。菩薩宿世作如是等無量本生。多有所濟名本生經。

Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: In a past life, the people suffered greatly from diseases of jaundice, pallor, and emaciation. The bodhisattva at that time took the body of a red fish, and offered his own flesh to the sick people to cure their illnesses. Furthermore, in the past the bodhisattva became a flying bird living in the forest. He saw a man who had entered deep water, a place where humans do not walk, ensnared by a water deity and unable to untie himself. If someone could go to Mount Gandhamādana and obtain a medicinal herb to place upon the snare, the rope would immediately rot and break, and the man could escape. In past lifetimes, the bodhisattva had countless such jātaka tales, bringing great benefit; these are called jātaka sūtras.