法苑珠林 17.36

17.36

The Scripture of the Wise and the Foolish states: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, the elder Sudatta in the country of Śrāvastī faithfully revered the Buddha's Dharma and was a dānapati to the saṃgha, providing whatever the assembly of monks needed. Within Sudatta's household there were two parrots, one named Riti and the other named Śariti. By nature they were clever and intelligent, and understood human speech. Seeing a monk arrive, they would first inform the household so they would come out to welcome him. Later, Ānanda came to the elder's house. Seeing that the birds were intelligent, he expounded to them the four noble truths: suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path. In front of the gate there was a tree. Having heard the Dharma, the two birds flew up into the tree and joyfully recited and upheld it. At night, while roosting in the tree, they were eaten by a wild cat. By virtue of this good root, they were reborn among the Four Heavenly Kings. Having exhausted their lifespan in that heaven, they were reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. When their life in Trāyastriṃśa ended, they were reborn in the Yāma Heaven. When their life in Yāma ended, they were reborn in the Tuṣita Heaven. When their life in Tuṣita ended, they were reborn in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven. When their life in Nirmāṇarati ended, they were reborn in the sixth heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. When their life in Paranirmitavaśavartin ended, they were reborn back in the Nirmāṇarati Heaven. Descending sequentially in this manner, they returned down to the heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. When their life in the Four Heavenly Kings ended, they returned up to the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. Going up and down in this manner, they passed through seven cycles of rebirth in the six desire heavens, freely enjoying pleasures, living out the full heavenly lifespans without dying prematurely. Later, when their lives ended, they were born among humans, left the household life to cultivate the way, and attained pratyekabuddhahood. One was named Dharma and the other was named Sudharma.