法苑珠林 35.16

35.16

Furthermore, the Sāgaranāgarājaparipṛcchā-sūtra says: At that time, the Nāga King said to the World-Honoured One: 'In this ocean there are countless kinds of nāgas, and there are four kinds of garuḍas that constantly eat these nāgas and their wives and children. We pray that the Buddha will protect us so that we may always attain peace and safety.' Thereupon, the World-Honoured One took off his black robe and told the Ocean Nāga King: 'Take this robe and divide it among the nāgas so that it covers them all completely. If one encounters even a single thread, the garuḍa king will not be able to harm or touch them; and those who uphold the prohibitions and precepts will surely attain what they wish.' At that time, the nāgas were all filled with fear, and each thought: 'This black robe of the Buddha is exceedingly small; how could it cover all the nāgas of the great ocean?' The Buddha, knowing the doubts in the nāgas' minds, told the Nāga King: 'Even if all the people of the trichiliocosm were each to take a share of the Tathāgata's black robe, it would never be depleted. Just like empty space, it arises naturally according to whatever they desire.' Then the nāgas took the Buddha's robe and divided it into countless hundreds of thousands of millions of pieces, distributing them to each according to their needs; whether broad or narrow, large or small, it was naturally provided, and the robe remained as before, its supply inexhaustible. 'You should revere this robe as you revere the World-Honoured One and as you revere stūpas and monasteries.' The Buddha said: 'Those who gaze upon the Tathāgata's robe will be freed from the body of a nāga; and in this Bhadrakalpa, all will attain non-attachment and enter parinirvāṇa.' At that time, the four garuḍa kings, each together with a thousand attendants, said to the Buddha: 'Today we take refuge in the Three Jewels, repent of our past offenses, and uphold the prohibitions and precepts. From this day forward, we shall always bestow fearlessness upon all nāgas, protect the True Dharma until its disappearance, and not violate the Buddha's teachings.' The Buddha told the four garuḍa kings: 'In the past, at the time of Krakucchanda Buddha, you were four bhikṣus named Abhirati, Mahābhirati, Uttara, and Uttaramitra. These four bhikṣus violated the precepts, craved offerings, and did not guard their body, speech, and mind, committing numerous evil deeds; yet the offerings they made to Krakucchanda Buddha were also beyond reckoning. For this reason, they did not fall into hell, but fell into this state of birds and beasts, having killed living beings beyond measure from first to last.' The Buddha manifested his supernatural power, causing them to recognize their past lives, and they completely recalled all their offenses and merits. [They said:] 'We would rather lose our bodies and lives than dare to commit evil.' The Buddha expounded the scripture for them and bestowed upon them the prophecy: 'At the time of Maitreya Buddha, all of you will be delivered at the first assembly.'