法苑珠林 87.31

87.31

又舊雜譬喻經云。昔釋迦佛往到第二忉利天上為母說經。時有一天壽命垂盡。有其七事為之應現。一者項中光滅。二者頭上傳飾華萎。三者面色變。四者衣上有塵。五者腋下汗出。六者身形瘦。七者離本座。即自思惟。壽終之後。當棄天樂下生拘夷那竭國受疥癩母猪復中作子。甚預愁憂不知何計得免此罪。有天語言。今佛在此為母說經。佛為三世一切之救。唯佛能脫卿之重罪。何不往歸。即到佛所稽首作禮。未及發問。佛告天子。一切萬物皆歸無常。汝素所知何為憂愁。天白佛言。雖知天福不可得久。恨離此座當為母猪。以是為毒。人趣受身不敢為恐也。佛言。欲脫猪身當三自歸言。南無佛。南無法。南無比丘僧。歸命佛。歸命法。歸命比丘僧。如是日三。天從佛教晨夜自歸。於後七日天命壽盡。來至維耶離國作長者子。在母胞胎。日三自歸。始生墮地。亦跪自歸。其母娩身又無惡露。母傍侍婢怖而棄走。母亦深怪兒墮地語。謂之熒惑。意欲殺之。退自念言。我少子息。若殺此兒父必罪我。即具白長者所由。父言。止止。此兒非凡人。生百歲尚不曉歸。況兒墮地能自稱佛。好養視之無令輕慢。兒遂長大。七歲與其輩類於道邊戲。時佛弟子舍利弗目連。適過兒傍。兒言。我和南。舍利弗等驚怪小兒。能禮比丘。兒言。道人不識我耶。佛於天上為母說經。我時為天當下作猪。從佛受教自歸得人。汝豈不知耶。比丘即禪亦尋知之。即為呪願。因請佛及僧供養畢訖。佛為說法。父母及兒內外眷屬。應時皆得阿惟越致。自歸之福也。

Furthermore, the Old Samyuktāvadāna-sūtra says: In the past, the Buddha Śākyamuni went up to the second heaven, Trāyastriṃśa, to preach the scriptures for his mother. At that time, a deva's lifespan was nearly exhausted, and seven signs appeared for him: first, the light in his neck was extinguished; second, the decorative flowers on his head withered; third, his facial complexion changed; fourth, dust settled upon his garments; fifth, sweat issued from under his armpits; sixth, his body became emaciated; seventh, he departed from his original seat. He then reflected to himself: "After my life ends, I must abandon heavenly joy, descend to be born in the country of Kuśinagara, and enter the womb of a mangy sow to become its piglet." He was extremely distressed and sorrowful, not knowing by what means he might escape this sin. A deva said to him: "Now the Buddha is here preaching the scriptures for his mother. The Buddha is the rescue of all across the three times; only the Buddha can deliver you from your grave sins. Why not go and take refuge in him?" He immediately went to the Buddha's abode, bowed his head, and paid homage. Before he could ask, the Buddha addressed the devaputra: "All things without exception return to impermanence. You have always known this; why be sorrowful?" The deva said to the Buddha: "Although I know that heavenly blessings cannot last long, I resent departing from this seat and having to become a mother pig. I consider this a torment. To receive a body in the human realm would not terrify me." The Buddha said: "If you wish to escape the body of a pig, you should take the three self-refuges, saying: 'Namo Buddhāya, Namo Dharmāya, Namo Bhikṣusaṃghāya. I take refuge in the Buddha, I take refuge in the Dharma, I take refuge in the Saṃgha of monks.' Do this thrice daily." The deva complied with the Buddha's instruction, taking refuge morning and night. After seven days, the deva's lifespan was exhausted, and he came to the country of Vaiśālī to become the son of an elder. While in his mother's womb, he took the three self-refuges thrice daily. When he was first born onto the ground, he also knelt and took refuge. When his mother gave birth, there were no lochia. The maidservants attending the mother were terrified and fled. The mother also thought it deeply strange that the child spoke upon falling to the ground; thinking it was a demonic delusion, she wished to kill it. She then reflected back: "I have few children; if I kill this child, the father will surely blame me." She immediately told the elder the full circumstances. The father said: "Stop, stop! This child is no ordinary person. Even at a hundred years of age, people still do not understand taking refuge; how much more so a child who, falling to the ground, can himself call upon the Buddha! Raise and care for him well, and do not let anyone treat him with slight." The child eventually grew up. At age seven, he was playing by the roadside with his peers. At that time, the Buddha's disciples Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana happened to pass by the child. The child said: "I pay reverence." Śāriputra and the others were astonished that a small child could pay homage to bhikṣus. The child said: "Do the men of the Way not recognize me? When the Buddha was in heaven preaching the scriptures for his mother, I was then a deva destined to descend and become a pig. Receiving instruction from the Buddha, I took refuge and attained human form. Did you not know this?" The bhikṣus entered dhyāna and immediately came to know it. They then made an aspirational prayer for him, and thereupon invited the Buddha and the Saṃgha to receive offerings. When finished, the Buddha preached the Dharma for them; the parents, the child, and their inner and outer kin all attained avaivartika at that very moment. Such is the blessing of taking refuge!