法苑珠林 4.7

4.7

As stated in the Mahāsaṃnipāta-sūtra: At that time, the Dragon King Sāgara addressed the Bodhisattva Suciravrata, saying: 'Great Being, by whom were these lunar mansions originally spoken? Who made the great stars and small stars? Who made the sun and moon? On which day does which star come first? Who set them in empty space? Why are thirty days, twelve months, and a year considered time? To what place are they tied? What are their clans and names? Which are good and which are bad? What food offerings [do they receive]? How do day and night come to be? How do the sun, moon, and lunar mansions travel, and so forth? You are the first and most supreme among the sages. May you take pity on me, a dragon, and explain it fully. Having heard it, we shall be freed from suffering and put it into practice.'

At that time, the Bodhisattva Suciravrata told the dragons: 'In a past age, at the beginning of this Bhadrakalpa, there was a prince named Mahāsaṃmata. He was handsome, with few peers, talented and wise. He transformed [beings] through righteous conduct and ever delighted in quietude; he did not delight in loving attachment and ever delighted in keeping his person pure. The king had a consort who was exceedingly greedy for carnal desire. Since the king did not grace her, she had nowhere to fulfil her desire. Once, she saw the genital organ of a donkey from a herd displayed. Lust arose within her; she stripped off her clothes and approached it. When the donkey saw her, it mated with her, and she conceived in her womb. When the months were fulfilled, she gave birth to a son. His head, ears, mouth, and eyes were entirely like a donkey's; only his body was like a human's. Moreover, he was coarse and rough, and mottled hair covered his body, no different from a beast. When the consort saw him, her heart was terrified, and she immediately abandoned him, casting him into a latrine.

Owing to the power of his merit, he remained in mid-air and did not fall. At that time, there was a rākṣasa woman named Donkey Spirit. Seeing that the child was unsoiled, she thought, "This is a child of merit." Thereupon, she caught him in mid-air, washed and took care of him, brought him to the Snowy Mountains (Himālaya), and nursed and reared him just like her own son, with no difference. When he grew up, she taught him to ingest the medicine of the immortals. Day and night, he roamed together with heavenly boys. Furthermore, great devas also came to love and protect him. As this child ate sweet fruits and medicinal herbs, his body transformed: adorned with merit and virtue, a great light shone brightly from him. Thus, the heavenly hosts praised him together, designating him Kharoṣṭha (in Chinese, "Donkey Lips"), the Great Sage Immortal.

Due to these causes and conditions, in those Snowy Mountains and elsewhere, all kinds of fine flowers, fine fruits, fine medicines, fine fragrances, clear streams, and fine birds were spontaneously transformed and produced. Wherever he walked and dwelt, all was abundant. Because of the nourishing benefit of these medicinal herbs and fruits, the rest of his coarse features were entirely transformed, and his body became upright and handsome; only his lips were like a donkey's. Therefore, he was named the Donkey-Lipped Immortal.

This Donkey-Lipped Immortal studied the noble Dharma. For sixty thousand years, he stood on one leg day and night without lowering it, feeling no weariness in his heart. The devas saw the great immortal enduring such hardship. Then the Brahmā hosts and Śakra Devendra, together with the rest of the above realms of desire and form, gathered together and came to pay homage and make offerings. Even the dragon hosts, asuras, and yakṣas all assembled like clouds. All the immortals, sages, and practitioners of brahma-conduct came to the side of this Donkey Sage. Having completed their offerings, they joined their palms and asked: "Great Sage Immortal, what do you seek? We only wish that you explain it to us devas. If we are able, we will grant it to you at once; we will never be begrudging."'

Then Donkey Lips, having heard these words, rejoiced inwardly. He replied to the devas: 'If you can truly grant what my heart seeks, I shall now explain it briefly. I remember through recollection of past lives that in past kalpas, I saw in empty space the constellations, the sun, moon, and five planets, revolving day and night, keeping to their regular courses, and providing illumination for the world below. I wish to know, distinguish, and understand this darkness, and thus I did not shrink from toil. At the beginning of this Bhadrakalpa, there were no such things. All of you devas, dragons, and spirits have come out of pity for me. I wish that you speak of the methods and functions of the stars, sun, and moon, just as in the past they were established and arranged, creating advantages and disadvantages, good and bad, auspicious and inauspicious; explain it fully according to my wish.'

All the devas said: 'Venerable Immortal, this matter is extremely profound and not within our realm. If you would have pity on all sentient beings, please speak of it yourself quickly, just as it was in the past.'

At that time, the immortal Kharoṣṭha told all the devas: 'When first arranging the lunar mansions, Kṛttikā is set as the first. The multitude of stars rotate and revolve through empty space.' He said to the heavenly hosts, 'Speaking of Kṛttikā as the first—is this correct or not?'

At that time, the Sun Deva said: 'This Kṛttikā mansion constantly traverses empty space, passing through the four continents, always doing good deeds and benefiting us. Know that this mansion belongs to the Fire Deva (Agni).' At that time, there was a sage in the assembly named Great Authority (Mahātejas), who also said: 'That Kṛttikā mansion is the son of my younger sister. It has six stars, shaped like a razor. In one day and one night, it traverses the four continents, moving for thirty hours. It belongs to the Fire Deva, and its clan is Vaiyānī. For those belonging to that mansion, curd is used for sacrifice.'