法苑珠林 65.21

65.21

獵師即時解放鹿王。佛言。昔鹿王者。今我身是。五百鹿者。五百比丘是。時有雁王。獵者得之。有同伴雁欲代捨命。還說偈相報。獵師見愍二雁並放。後求寶報恩。大意同前。

The hunter immediately released the deer king. The Buddha said: “The deer king of the past was my own person today. The five hundred deer were the five hundred bhikṣus.” At another time there was a king of geese who was caught by a hunter; a companion goose wished to give up its life in his stead, and likewise spoke verses in response. Seeing this, the hunter pitied them and released both geese. Later they sought treasures to repay his kindness. The general meaning is the same as the above.