法苑珠林 87.27

87.27

又雜阿含經云。與須達令受三歸終生天上。有懷妊者為其胎子。受三自歸。生已後有知見。復教三歸。設有奴婢客人懷妊生子。亦如是教。若買奴婢能受三歸。及以五戒。然後買之。不能不買。乃至乞貸舉息要受三歸。然後與之。若有施三寶物者。從世尊聞。稱名呪願乃得生天。佛言。善哉如來。有無上知見。審知方便皆得生天。故知三歸功力最大。不得不受。又法句喻經云。昔者天帝釋五德離身。自知命盡當下生世間在陶作家受驢胎。自知福盡甚大愁憂。自念三界之中濟人苦厄。唯有佛耳。於是馳往佛所。稽首作禮。伏地志心三自歸命佛法聖眾。未起之間其神忽出。便至陶家驢母腹中作子。時驢自解走瓦坏間破壞坏器。其主打之。尋時傷胎。其神即還入故身中。五德還備復為天帝。佛三昧覺。讚言。善哉天帝。能於殞命之際歸命三尊。罪對已畢不更勤苦。爾時世尊以偈頌曰。

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktāgama says: [The Buddha] had Sudatta receive the three refuges, so that he was ultimately reborn in heaven. When someone was pregnant, he would have the unborn child receive the three self-refuges. After it was born and gained discernment, he would again teach it the three refuges. If male or female slaves or guests were pregnant and bore children, they were taught in the same way. When buying male or female slaves, if they could receive the three refuges and the five precepts, only then would he buy them; if they could not, he would not buy them. Even when begging loans or borrowing on interest, they had to receive the three refuges before he would give to them. If someone gave material goods to the Three Jewels, upon hearing from the World-Honoured One, he would pronounce their name and make an aspirational prayer so that they would attain rebirth in heaven. The Buddha said: "Excellent! The Tathāgata possesses unsurpassed discernment; he thoroughly knows the expedients whereby all attain rebirth in heaven." Thus we know that the efficacy of the three refuges is supreme, and one cannot but receive them. Furthermore, the Dharmapada-avadāna-sūtra says: In the past, the five virtues departed from Śakra, the lord of gods, and he knew that his life was coming to an end and that he was destined to descend to be reborn in the mundane world, entering the womb of a donkey at a potter's house. Knowing that his blessings were exhausted, he was filled with immense sorrow. He reflected to himself: "In the tridhātu, the only one who can rescue people from distress and disaster is the Buddha." Thereupon he rushed to the Buddha's abode, bowed his head in homage, prostrated himself on the ground, and with single-minded devotion took the three self-refuges in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Holy Saṃgha. Before he had even risen, his spirit suddenly departed and entered the womb of a mother donkey at the potter's house as its foal. At that time, the donkey slipped its tether, ran among the unfired clay vessels, and shattered them. Its master beat it, instantly injuring the fetus. His spirit immediately returned to his old body, the five virtues were restored, and he was once again the lord of gods. The Buddha awoke from samādhi and praised him, saying: "Excellent, lord of gods! At the very point of losing your life, you were able to take refuge in the Three Venerable Ones. Your karmic retributions are already finished, and you shall not suffer further toil and hardship." At that time, the World-Honoured One spoke in verse: