法苑珠林 17.37

17.37

The Scripture of the Wise and the Foolish states: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there was a monk who recited scriptures in a forest with an elegant and fine voice. At that time, a bird, hearing the Dharma, revered and loved it, and listened from a tree. Then it was shot by a hunter and died. By virtue of this good root, it was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven with a handsome countenance and radiant marks that were bright and peerless. Knowing its past lives, it recognized that it had attained rebirth there because of hearing the Dharma as the monk recited scriptures. It immediately took heavenly flowers, went to where the monk was, paid homage, made inquiries, and made offerings of heavenly incense and flowers to the monk. The monk questioned it thoroughly and learned the details of the matter. He then bade it sit and preached the Dharma for it, and it attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. Having attained the fruit, it returned to heaven. If even birds listening to the Dharma reap boundless rewards, how much more so when human beings listen to the Dharma with faithful minds—how could there not be a good reward?