法苑珠林 83.25

83.25

又六度集經云。佛告弟子。當勤精進聽聞諷誦莫得懈怠陰蓋所覆。吾念過去無數劫時。有佛名一切度王。是時眾中有兩比丘。一名精進辯。一名德樂止。共聽法。精進辯者。聞經歡喜。應時即得阿惟越致。神通具足。德樂止者。睡眠不覺。獨無所得。時精進辯謂德樂止言。佛者難值。億百千世時乃一出。當勤精進為眾作本。如何睡眠。時德樂止聞其教招便即經行。於祇樹間甫始經行。復住睡眠。如是煩亂不能自定。詣泉側坐欲思惟。復生睡眠。時精進辯便以善權往而度之。化作蜂王飛趣其眼。如欲螫之。時德樂止驚覺而坐。畏此蜂王須臾復睡。時蜜蜂王飛入腋下螫其胸腹。德樂止驚心中懅悸。不敢復睡。時泉水中有雜色華。種種鮮潔。時蜜蜂王飛住華上食甘露味。時德樂止端坐視之。畏復飛來不敢睡。思惟蜂王觀其根本。蜂王食味不出華中。須臾之頃蜂王睡眠。墮污泥中身體沐浴。已復還飛住其華上。時德樂止向蜜蜂王說偈言。

Furthermore, the Saṭpāramitā-saṃgraha-sūtra says: The Buddha told the disciples, "You should be diligently vigorous in listening, chanting, and reciting; do not be indolent or covered by the hindrances. I recall that countless kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Sarvatāra-rāja. At that time, there were two monks in the assembly: one named Vīryapratibhāna, and the other named Guṇaratikṣānti. Together they listened to the Dharma. Vīryapratibhāna rejoiced upon hearing the scripture, and immediately attained the stage of non-retrogression (avaivartika) and full endowment of supernatural powers. Guṇaratikṣānti slept without waking, and alone attained nothing. Then Vīryapratibhāna said to Guṇaratikṣānti, 'Buddhas are difficult to encounter; only once in hundreds of millions of generations does one appear. You should be diligently vigorous and serve as an exemplar for the multitude. Why do you sleep?' Hearing his instruction, Guṇaratikṣānti immediately practiced walking meditation. Just as he began walking among the Jeta trees, he stopped again and fell asleep. Agitated and confused like this, unable to calm himself, he went to the side of a spring, sat down intending to contemplate, and fell asleep again. Then Vīryapratibhāna, using skillful means, went to deliver him. He transformed into a king of bees and flew toward his eyes, as if about to sting him. Guṇaratikṣānti was startled awake and sat up; fearing this king of bees, after a short while he fell asleep again. Then the king of honeybees flew under his armpit and stung him on the chest and belly. Guṇaratikṣānti was startled, frightened in his heart, and dared not sleep again. At that time, in the spring water there were multicolored flowers of various pure colors. The king of honeybees flew and rested upon a flower, feeding on the taste of sweet nectar. Guṇaratikṣānti sat upright and watched it; fearing it would fly back, he dared not sleep, and contemplated the bee king, observing its origin. The bee king fed on the nectar without leaving the flower; in a short while, the bee king fell asleep, fell into the foul mud, and bathed its body therein; afterwards, it flew back and rested upon the flower. Then Guṇaratikṣānti spoke a verse to the king of honeybees: