法苑珠林 66.16

66.16

爾時彼天問帝釋言。今如來竟為所在。帝釋報曰。今如來在摩竭提國羅閱城中迦蘭陀竹園所。天子報言。我今無力至彼。帝釋報言。汝當右膝著地長跪。叉手向下方界而作是言。唯願世尊。善觀察之。今在垂窮之地。願矜愍之。今自歸三尊如來無所著。時彼天子隨帝釋語。即便長跪向下方界。自稱姓名自歸佛法眾。盡其形壽為真佛子。非用天子。如是至三。說此語已不復處猪胎。乃生長者家。是時天子隨壽長短生羅閱城中大長者家。是時長者婦自知有娠。十月欲滿生一男兒。端正無雙世之希有。年至十歲。父母將至佛所。佛為說法。即於座上諸塵垢盡得法眼淨。無復瑕穢。後離俗出家得阿羅漢果。

At that time, that deva asked Śakra: 'Where is the Tathāgata now?' Śakra replied: 'The Tathāgata is now at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in the city of Rājagṛha in the country of Magadha.' The devaputra replied: 'I now lack the strength to go there.' Śakra replied: 'You should place your right knee on the ground, kneel upright, clasp your hands together toward the lower realm, and say these words: "I only pray that the World-Honoured One will kindly look upon me. Being now in a state bordering on utter exhaustion, I pray you will take pity on me. I now take refuge in the Three Honoured Ones, the Tathāgata who has no attachments."' At that time, that devaputra complied with Śakra's words, and immediately knelt upright toward the lower realm, announced his own name, and took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha, [saying]: 'To the end of my bodily life, I will be a true disciple of the Buddha, no longer relying on being a devaputra.' He repeated this up to three times. Having spoken these words, he no longer entered the womb of a pig, but was born into the family of an elder. At that time, according to the length of his life, the devaputra was born into the household of a great elder in the city of Rājagṛha. At that time, the elder's wife knew herself to be pregnant; when the ten months were complete, she gave birth to a boy, exceptionally handsome and rare in the world. When he reached ten years of age, his parents brought him to the Buddha's place. The Buddha preached the Dharma for him, and right on his seat all dust and defilement were exhausted and he attained the purity of the Dharma eye, free of further blemish. Later he left secular life to become a monk and attained the fruit of an arhat.