法苑珠林 43.38

43.38

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktāgama states: King Aśoka asked the bhikṣus, saying, "Who has practiced great giving in the Tathāgata's Dharma?" The bhikṣus replied, saying, "The householder Anāthapiṇḍada practiced the greatest giving." The king asked again, saying, "How much treasure did he give?" The bhikṣus replied, saying, "One hundred thousand times ten million [in pieces of] gold." When the king heard this, [he thought], "Even that householder could give away that much gold; now that I am king, why should I give only that much? I should give one hundred million times one hundred thousand [pieces of] gold." Then the king erected eighty-four thousand stūpas for the Buddha, and at every single stūpa he further gave one hundred thousand [pieces of] gold. He also held a five-year grand assembly (pañcavārṣika), where there were three hundred thousand bhikṣus, and used thirty billion [pieces of] gold to make offerings to them. Among that assembly, the first portion were arhats, the second portion were trainees (śaikṣa), and the third portion were genuine ordinary people (pṛthagjana). Except for his personal treasury, this Jambudvīpa, the queen, the court ladies, the crown prince, and the great ministers were given away to the noble Saṃgha, and redeemed for forty billion [pieces of] gold. Calculating in this manner, he expended ninety-six thousand times ten million [pieces of] gold. Eventually, the king fell ill; he had wished to complete one hundred million times one hundred thousand [pieces of] gold to make merit, but now his vow could not be fulfilled before departing for the next life. At that time, when calculating the gold, silver, and precious jewels given earlier and later, it was short by only four billion. The king immediately prepared various precious jewels to send to the Kukkuṭārāma monastery. The son of Fayid, named Saṃprati, was the crown prince. The ministers addressed the crown prince, saying, "The Great King will not live long; now he sends these precious jewels to the monastery, and the treasury's wealth is already exhausted. By royal law, material wealth is paramount; the crown prince should now stop this, and not allow the Great King to spend it." Then the Great King knew himself that when he demanded various goods, he could no longer obtain them; so he sent the golden vessels from which he ate to the monastery. Then the crown prince had the golden vessels stopped, ordering silver vessels to be provided. When the king finished eating, he again sent them to the monastery. Silver vessels were then stopped and copper vessels were provided; the king sent them to the monastery as well. Then copper vessels were stopped and earthenware vessels were provided. At that time, holding half an āmalaka fruit in his hand, the Great King wept tears of sorrow and said to the ministers, "Who is the master of the earth now?" Then the ministers addressed the Great King, saying, "The king is the master of the earth." The king then spoke a verse in reply, saying: