法苑珠林 68.80

68.80

又輪轉五道經云。迦維羅衛國。舍衛國。佛在世時。二國之間有一大樹。名尼俱類。樹高二十里。枝布方圓覆六十里。其樹上子皆數千萬斛。食之香甘。其味如蜜。甘果熟落。人民食之。眾病皆愈。眼目精明。佛在樹下。時諸比丘取果食之。佛告阿難。天下萬物各有宿緣。阿難白佛。何等宿緣。佛言。夫人作福。譬喻此樹稍稍漸大收子無限。夫人豪貴國王長者。從禮三尊中來。為人大富財物無限。從布施中來。為人長壽無有疾病。身體強壯姝長。從持戒中來。為人端正顏色潔白輝容第一見無不喜。從忍辱中來。為人精進樂於福事。從精進中來。為人安庠言行審諦。從禪定中來。為人才明達解深法。從智慧中來。為人音聲清徹聞者樂聽。從歌歎三寶中來。為人潔淨無有疾痛。從慈心中來。阿難白佛。云何為慈。佛言。一慈眾生如母愛子。二悲世間欲令解脫。三解脫道意心常歡喜。四為能護一切不犯。是名慈心。佛言。為人姝長恭敬人故。為人短小輕慢人故。為人醜陋喜瞋恚故。為人生無所知不學問故。為人專愚不教人故。為人瘖瘂謗毀人故。為人聾盲不聽法故。為人奴婢負債不償不禮三寶故。為人醜黑遮佛光明故。為人生在裸國者。輕衣入精舍故。生馬蹄國者。著屐躡佛前故。生穿胸人國者。布施作福悔惜心故。生在麞鹿麋麂中者。喜驚悑人故。生在龍中者。調戲忿怒人故。身生惡瘡癩疾難差醫藥所不治苦痛難言者。前身喜鞭打眾生故。人見歡悅者。前身見人歡悅故。人見不歡悅者。前身見人不歡悅故。喜遭縣官閉在牢獄杻械其身者。前身喜籠繫眾生不從意故。為人口缺者。前身鉤魚口缺故。為人聞說法心不聽採於中兩舌亂人聽受者。後生作長耳驢耽耳狗中。為人慳貪而驕悕好獨食者。死入地獄墮餓鬼中。出生為人貧窮飢餓。衣不蓋形。食不供口。為人好食獨噉惡食施人者。後墮猪肫蜣蜋之中。為人喜剝脫人物者。後墮羊中生被剝皮。為人喜殺生者。後生為水上作蜉蝣之蟲。朝生暮死。為人喜偷盜人物者。後生奴婢牛馬中。為人喜妄語傳人惡者。死入地獄。烊銅灌口拔出其舌。以牛犁之。後墮鴝鵅鴉鵲鳥中。人聞其鳴莫不驚悑。皆言變怪祝令其死。為人喜婬他婦女者。死入地獄。男抱銅柱。女臥鐵床。後墮婬象鵞鴨鳥中。為人喜飲酒醉犯三十六失者。死入地獄墮沸𡱁泥犁中。後生墮狌狌獸中。後生為人。愚癡故無所知。為人夫婦不相和順。數共鬪諍更相驅遣者。後墮鳩鴿中。為人喜貪人力者。後墮象中。佛言。除州縣官長稟食官祿無罪。或私侵於民。鞕打輸送。告訴無地。杻械繫錄。不得寬縱者。此人罪報死入地獄。神更受痛數千萬劫。罪畢乃出。後墮水牛中。穿領決鼻牽船挽車。大杖打撲償其宿罪。為人不潔淨者。從猪中來。為人慳貪不好施者。從狗中來。為人佷戾自用者。從羊中來。為人不安庠不能忍事者。從獼猴中來。為人內惡含毒心者。從蝮蛇中來。為人好於美食恐害眾生無有善者。前身從犲狼狸猫中來。

Furthermore, the Sūtra on Transmigration in the Five Destinies states: Between the kingdoms of Kapilavastu and Śrāvastī, when the Buddha was in the world, there was a great tree named nyagrodha. The tree was twenty li tall, and its branches spread in a circumference covering sixty li. The fruits upon this tree numbered in the tens of millions of hu. When eaten, they were fragrant and sweet, their flavor like honey. When the sweet fruits ripened and fell, people ate them, and all diseases were healed, and their eyes became bright and clear. The Buddha was beneath the tree. At that time, the monks picked the fruits and ate them. The Buddha addressed Ānanda: "All things under heaven each have their past conditions." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "What past conditions are these?" The Buddha said: "When people cultivate merit, it is like this tree: it gradually grows large, and its harvest of fruits is boundless. When a person is noble and eminent, a king or an elder, this comes from paying homage to the Three Honored Ones. When a person is greatly wealthy, with boundless property and goods, this comes from giving (dāna). When a person has long life, free from illness, with a strong, handsome, and tall body, this comes from upholding the precepts. When a person is dignified and upright, with a fair and spotless complexion, radiant and of supreme beauty, so that whoever sees them rejoices, this comes from forbearance (kṣānti). When a person is energetic and delights in deeds of merit, this comes from vigor. When a person is composed and tranquil, deliberate and precise in word and deed, this comes from meditative absorption (dhyāna). When a person is talented and bright, thoroughly understanding profound phenomena, this comes from wisdom (prajñā). When a person's voice is clear and penetrating, so that hearers delight in listening, this comes from singing praise of the Three Jewels. When a person is pure and clean, free from illness and pain, this comes from a mind of benevolence (maitrī)." Ānanda said to the Buddha: "What is benevolence?" The Buddha said: "First, being benevolent toward sentient beings as a mother loves her child. Second, having compassion for the world, wishing to bring about their liberation. Third, having a mind directed toward the path of liberation, constantly rejoicing. Fourth, being able to protect all without transgressing against them. These are called a mind of benevolence." The Buddha said: "A person who is tall and handsome [is so] because of having respected others. A person who is short and small [is so] because of having treated others with contempt. A person who is ugly [is so] because of having been prone to anger. A person who is born knowing nothing [is so] because of not having studied and inquired. A person who is stubborn and foolish [is so] because of not having taught others. A person who is mute [is so] because of having slandered and disparaged others. A person who is deaf and blind [is so] because of not having listened to the Dharma. A person who is a slave or servant [is so] because of not having repaid debts and not having paid homage to the Three Jewels. A person who is ugly and dark-complexioned [is so] because of having blocked the light of the Buddha. Those who are born in the Kingdom of the Naked [are so] because of having entered a monastery in skimpy clothes. Those born in the Kingdom of Horse-Hoofed People [are so] because of having stepped before the Buddha wearing clogs. Those born in the Kingdom of the Pierced-Chest People [are so] because of having felt regret and stinginess when practicing giving and making merit. Those born among roe deer, red deer, elaphures, and muntjacs [are so] because of having taken pleasure in frightening people. Those born among dragons [are so] because of having mocked others or become enraged at them. Those whose bodies develop malignant sores or leprosy that is difficult to cure, untreatable by medicine and physicians, with agonizing pain that is hard to express, [are so] because in a previous life they took pleasure in whipping sentient beings. Those whom people rejoice to see [are so] because in a previous life they rejoiced upon seeing people. Those whom people do not rejoice to see [are so] because in a previous life they did not rejoice upon seeing people. Those who are prone to encountering officials, being locked in prison, and having their bodies fettered in pillories and chains [are so] because in a previous life they took pleasure in caging and tying up sentient beings against their will. Those who have a harelip [are so] because in a previous life they hooked fish, tearing their mouths. Those who, upon hearing the Dharma preached, do not listen with their minds, but engage in double-tongued talk and disrupt others from hearing and receiving it, will in a later life be born among long-eared donkeys and floppy-eared dogs. Those who are stingy and greedy, proud and arrogant, and fond of eating alone, will upon death enter hell and fall among hungry ghosts (pretas); when born as humans, they will be poor and starving, their clothes not covering their forms, and their food not sustaining their mouths. Those who enjoy fine food and eat it alone, giving foul food to others, will later fall among pigs, suckling swine, and dung beetles. Those who take pleasure in stripping others of their belongings will later fall among sheep, having their skin flayed while alive. Those who take pleasure in killing living beings will in a later life be born as mayflies on the water, born in the morning and dying in the evening. Those who take pleasure in stealing other people's property will in a later life be born among slaves, cattle, and horses. Those who take pleasure in lying and transmitting the faults of others will upon death enter hell; molten copper will be poured into their mouths, their tongues pulled out and plowed by oxen; later they will fall among crows, magpies, and screeching birds, so that when people hear their cries, none will fail to be alarmed and frightened, and all will say it is an ominous prodigy, cursing them to die. Those who take pleasure in illicit lust with the wives and daughters of others will upon death enter hell: the men will embrace copper pillars, and the women will lie on iron beds; later they will fall among rutting elephants, geese, and ducks. Those who take pleasure in drinking alcohol to intoxication and committing the thirty-six offenses will upon death enter hell, falling into the boiling dung of Niraya; later they will fall among apes (xingxing); later when born as humans, they will be foolish and ignorant, knowing nothing. Those married couples who are not harmonious, frequently quarreling and driving each other away, will later fall among turtledoves and pigeons. Those who greedily exploit the labor of others will later fall among elephants. The Buddha said: Except for prefectural and county officials who draw government grain and salary without offense, if any privately extort the common people, whipping them to extract supplies, leaving them with nowhere to appeal, binding and recording them in fetters and pillories without leniency, such a person's sinful retribution will be to enter hell upon death, their consciousness undergoing torment for tens of millions of kalpas; when their sin is exhausted, they will emerge, and later fall among water buffaloes, their necks pierced, their noses hooked, pulling boats and hauling carts, beaten with heavy rods to repay their past offenses. Those who are unclean have come from among pigs. Those who are stingy and greedy, not fond of giving, have come from among dogs. Those who are stubborn, perverse, and opinionated have come from among sheep. Those who are restless and unable to endure matters have come from among macaques. Those who are internally malicious and harbor venomous minds have come from among vipers. Those who are fond of rich food and terrorize and harm sentient beings without any goodness have in their past lives come from among jackals, wolves, wildcats, and felines."