[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 95.18 # 法苑珠林 95.18 法苑珠林 95.18 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [95.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95.18) 又法句喻經云。昔有一國。名曰賢提。時有長老比丘。長病委頓羸瘦垢穢。在賢提精舍中臥。無瞻視者。佛將五百比丘往到其所。使諸比丘傳共視之。為作漿粥。而諸比丘聞其臭處。皆共賤之。佛使帝釋取其湯水。佛以金剛之手洗病比丘身體。地尋震動。豁然大明。莫不驚肅。國王臣民天龍鬼神無央數人。往到佛所稽首作禮。白佛言。佛為世尊。三界無比。道德已備。云何屈意。洗病比丘。佛告國王及眾會者言。如來所以出現於世。正為此窮厄無護者耳。供養病瘦沙門道人。及諸貧窮孤獨老人。其福無量所願如意。會當得道。王白佛言。今此比丘宿有何罪。因病積年療治不差。佛告王曰。往昔有王。名曰惡行。治政嚴暴。使一多力五百主令鞭人。五百假王威怒私作寒暑。若欲鞭者齎其價數。得物者鞭輕。不得鞭重。舉國患之。有一賢者為人所謀。應當得鞭。報五百言。吾是佛弟子。素無罪過。為人所枉。願小垂恕。五百聞是佛弟子。輕手過鞭。無著身者。五百壽終墮地獄中。栲掠萬毒。罪滅復出墮畜生中。常被撾杖。五百餘世罪畢為人。常嬰重病痛不離身。爾時國王者今調達是。五百者今此病比丘是。時賢者今吾身是。吾以前世為其恕鞭不著身。是故世尊躬為洗之。人作善惡殃福隨人。雖更生死不可得免。於是世尊即說偈言。 > Furthermore, the Sūtra of Avadāna on the Dharmapada states: In the past there was a country named Śāketa (Xieti). At that time there was an elder bhikṣu who had long been sick, exhausted, emaciated, and filthy, lying in the Śāketa monastery with no one attending to him. The Buddha led five hundred bhikṣus to go to his place, and had the bhikṣus take turns to tend to him and make broth and gruel for him. But the bhikṣus smelled his foulness and all despised him. The Buddha had Śakra take hot water, and the Buddha washed the sick bhikṣu's body with his adamantine hands. The earth immediately shook, and there was suddenly a great radiance; none were not astonished and awed. The king of the country, his ministers and people, heavenly dragons, and ghosts and spirits, countless people, went to the Buddha's place, bowed their heads in obeisance, and said to the Buddha: "The Buddha is the World-Honoured One, peerless in the three realms, his moral power fully perfected. Why do you deign to bend your will to wash a sick bhikṣu?" The Buddha told the king and the great assembly: "The reason why the Tathāgata appears in the world is precisely for these destitute, distressed, and helpless ones. If one provides for sick and emaciated śramaṇas and practitioners, as well as the poor, solitary, and elderly, the merit is boundless, what is wished for will be fulfilled, and one will certainly attain the Path." The king addressed the Buddha: "What past sin did this bhikṣu commit, such that he has been afflicted for years on end and medical treatment does not cure him?" The Buddha told the king: "In the past there was a king named Wicked Conduct (Durgati), whose rule was severe and cruel. He employed a man of great strength, a commander of five hundred, to whip people. The commander of five hundred made use of the king's awe and wrath to privately bring about cold or warmth (severity or leniency). If he was about to whip someone, they would bring him a price. For those who gave goods, the whipping was light; for those who did not, the whipping was heavy. The whole country suffered from him. There was a worthy man who was plotted against by others and was due to receive a whipping. He told the commander of five hundred, 'I am a disciple of the Buddha; I am usually without fault and have been wronged by others. I pray you show a little mercy.' The commander of five hundred, hearing that he was a disciple of the Buddha, whipped lightly, not letting it touch the body. When the life of the commander of five hundred ended, he fell into hell, where he was tortured with ten thousand poisons. When his penalty was exhausted, he came out again and fell among animals, where he was constantly beaten with staves. For more than five hundred lifetimes, when his penalties were finished, he became a human, but he was always afflicted with grave illnesses and pains that never left his body. The king at that time is now Devadatta; the commander of five hundred is now this sick bhikṣu; the worthy man at that time is now myself. Because in a past life he spared me the whip and did not let it touch my body, therefore the World-Honoured One personally washes him. When a person performs good or evil, calamity or blessing follows the person; though one traverses births and deaths, one cannot escape it." Thereupon the World-Honoured One spoke a verse: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 95.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95.17) - [Next: 95.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95.19) - [Up: 95](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.95.18) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [諸經要集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.19.12) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.95.18) · Pramāṇa