法苑珠林 27.7

27.7

The Dazhi jing says: Formerly there was a country named Delight. There was a householder named Mahādāna, whose wife was named Candā. She gave birth to a son whose appearance was upright and handsome, with few peers in the world. As soon as he fell to the ground, he spoke, making a vow, "I shall practice dāna to relieve and benefit the poor and destitute." His parents therefore named him Mahāmati. When he reached seventeen years of age, for the sake of sentient beings he set his mind to enter the ocean to obtain the bright-moon jewel to relieve sentient beings. When he first entered the ocean, he reached a silver city. The dragon king gave him a bright-moon jewel, which possessed treasures [sufficient for] twenty leagues. Going forward, he again reached a golden city. The dragon king gave him a bright-moon jewel, which possessed treasures [sufficient for] forty leagues. Again going forward, he reached a crystal city. The dragon king gave him a bright-moon jewel; this jewel possessed treasures [sufficient for] sixty leagues. Again going forward, he reached a lapis lazuli city. The dragon king gave him a bright-moon jewel; this jewel possessed treasures [sufficient for] eighty leagues. [The dragon king said,] "When you attain the Way in the future, may I be your disciple, with pure intentions making offerings that surpass those of today, causing me to obtain wisdom for a long time." Mahāmati accepted the jewels and departed. Wanting to return to his home country, he traveled through the ocean. The ocean spirit kings thereupon deliberated together, saying, "Although in our ocean there are many rare and renowned treasures, we do not have such jewels as these." They then ordered an ocean spirit to intercept him and seize them. The spirit transformed into a human and met with Mahāmati, asking, "I hear that you have obtained extraordinary objects; could you perhaps lend them to me to see?" Mahāmati opened his hand and showed him the four jewels. The ocean spirit then shook his hand, causing the jewels to fall into the water. Mahāmati thought to himself, "The kings said to me that these jewels are difficult to keep safe. I was fortunate to obtain them, and now to be robbed by this fellow is intolerable." He immediately said to the ocean spirit, "I underwent hardship and traveled through perils to obtain these jewels. You, on the contrary, have robbed me; if you do not return them to me now, I shall scoop out and dry up the ocean water." The ocean spirit, hearing this, asked, "Your ambition is extraordinarily elevated. The ocean is 3,360,000 yojanas deep, and its breadth is limitless. How could you exhaust it? It is like the sun never falling to the ground, or like a great wind that cannot be grasped and bound. The sun may yet fall, and the wind may yet be bound, but the great ocean water cannot be scooped dry." Mahāmati laughed and answered, "I reflect that from beginning to end, receiving bodies throughout birth, death, and ruin, my accumulated bones exceed Mount Sumeru, and my shed blood flows more abundantly than the five rivers. Still I wish to sever the root of birth and death; why should this small ocean not be scooped dry? Formerly, when I made offerings to the Buddhas, I made a vow: 'May my aspirational practice be valiant in determination for the Way, meeting no difficulty wherever I turn. I shall move Mount Sumeru and dry up the waters of the great ocean, never retreating in mind.'" He then single-mindedly began scooping the ocean water with a vessel. Moved by his utmost sincerity, the Four Heavenly Kings came to aid Mahāmati. Two-thirds of the water had already been scooped away. Thereupon all the spirits in the ocean were greatly terrified and deliberated together, saying, "If we do not return the jewels now, it will be no small matter. When the water is exhausted and the mud appears, our palaces will be ruined." The ocean spirit then brought forth numerous treasures to give to Mahāmati. Mahāmati would not take them: "I only want to get my jewels; I will never let the matter rest." The ocean spirit, knowing the intensity of his determination, brought forth the jewels and returned them to him. Having obtained the jewels, Mahāmati returned to his home country and gave generously at will. From that time onward, in his realm there were no longer any who were hungry, cold, poor, or destitute. The Buddha told the bhikṣus, "Mahāmati of that time was myself." Ānanda said to the Buddha, "By what merit did he obtain these four jewels, with numerous treasures following along with them?" The Buddha said, "Formerly, in the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, Mahāmati used the four treasures to erect a stūpa for the Buddha, making offerings to the Three Jewels and observing the fast for seven days. At that time, there were five hundred people who simultaneously built a monastery together: some hung silk banners and lit lamps; some burned incense and scattered flowers; some made offerings to the saṃgha of bhikṣus; and some recited sūtras and explained them. Today they have all encountered the Buddha, and all have obtained liberation."