法苑珠林 44
English (machine translation) 44
- Language
- English
44.1
Compiled by the śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple
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Chapter 41: Sovereign and Subject (containing six sections)
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Section 1: Explaining the Intention
Section 2: Virtues of the King
Section 3: Faults of the King
Section 4: Deeds of the King
Section 5: Blessings of the King
Section 6: Royal Capitals
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Section 1: Explaining the Intention
Formerly, when the Tathāgata was in the world, he entrusted the Dharma of the final age in advance to Śakra Devānām-indra and the various kings. This was truly because divine power can crush the myriad evils, and royal majesty can lead the myriad commoners. That the bequeathed Dharma is now entrusted to them is meant to rely on them for its propagation. Because the fourfold assembly is weak, and it is feared that the Three Jewels might fall into ruin, the king is relied upon to awe and subdue, and the king's authority is engaged to exert pressure, so that the unworthy will put an end to their misconduct, and those who slander and defile it will cease their confusion. This aids the great plan to be renewed and fans the imperial breeze to spread far and wide. With a single transformation, the gradual progress is announced; with a second transformation, the realm is cleansed. The multitude of living beings wear the grace of sage virtue, and the Buddha-Dharma secures the way of being entrusted. This is what is meant by ‘entrustment.’ As the secular tradition says: In ancient times, when sage kings established institutions, their intention was to let yin and yang have their proper stations, sovereign and subject have their rules, male and female have their distinction, and governmental decrees have their order. Therefore, the ruler faces south and governs all under heaven, housing the queen in the northern palace and the crown prince in the east. The Son of Heaven establishes ancestral temples, and the queen establishes markets. When there is a solar eclipse, the king cultivates his virtue; when there is a lunar eclipse, the queen cultivates her conduct. This embodies the stations of yin and yang. Thus, the Qian hexagram begins at Zi, so Zi is the celestial commencement of the year. The Kun hexagram begins at Wei, and its counterbalance is at Chou. Yin does not exercise sole authority, but goes to support yang; thus Chou is the terrestrial commencement of the year. The sage king receives from Heaven and orders the Earth to accomplish his work; thus Yin is the human commencement of the year. The three commencements are used in alternation, changing without cessation. Therefore, a king must preserve the descendants of the preceding two dynasties to embody the three commencements. The Book of Changes says: ‘In the southwest, one gains friends and walks with one’s own kind; in the northeast, one loses friends, but in the end there is celebration.’ Thus subjects follow the sovereign and women submit to men. Qian begins at Zi, moves leftward, and ends at Xu; Kun begins at Wei, moves rightward, and ends at You. Thus men esteem the left and women esteem the right.
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Section 2: Virtues of the King
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According to the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra: “Great King, you should know that the virtues of a king are briefly of ten kinds. If a king achieves such virtues, even if he lacks a great treasury, great ministers, and a great host of troops, he can still be taken as a refuge. What are the ten? First, his clan and lineage are noble and exalted. Second, he attains great sovereignty. Third, his nature is neither cruel nor evil. Fourth, his arousal of anger is slight. Fifth, his grace and benevolence are vigorous and acute. Sixth, he accepts upright and true words. Seventh, in whatever he undertakes, he deliberates carefully and accords well with proper norms. Eighth, he yearns after wholesome phenomena. Ninth, he discerns differences well and knows the thoughts behind what is done. Tenth, he does not indulge himself or practice negligence. (If the opposite of these ten applies, even if he has a great treasury, great ministers, and a great army, he cannot be taken as a refuge.) Great King, you should know that the king’s skillful means are briefly of five kinds. What are the five? First, he observes well and embraces his ministers. Second, he acts benevolently and with wondrous conduct in accordance with the proper time. Third, free from negligence, he concentrates his thoughts on affairs of state. Fourth, free from negligence, he guards his treasuries well. Fifth, free from negligence, he exclusively cultivates the practice of the Dharma. (If the opposite of these five practices occurs, they become the five gates of decline and loss, regressing from and losing the present phenomena and the benefits of the Dharma.) Great King, you should know that there are briefly five kinds of lovable things. What are the five? First, being respected and loved by the world. Second, preeminent sovereignty. Third, the ability to crush enemies. Fourth, taking good care of the physical body. Fifth, the ability to go to good destinies. Furthermore, there are five kinds of things that can bring about what is lovable. What are the five? First, nurturing the world with kindness. Second, being endowed with heroism and valor. Third, skillful expedients. Fourth, experiencing objects with correct reception. Fifth, diligent cultivation of the practice of the Dharma. (The opposite of these five kinds is called unlovable.) Furthermore, kings have three kinds of fulfillment: first, fulfillment of karmic fruition; second, fulfillment of human effort; third, fulfillment of virtue. If a king is born into a wealthy and noble family, has a long life with few illnesses, possesses a great ancestral estate, and achieves an innate keen wisdom, this king is called one with fulfillment of karmic fruition. If a king, upheld by skillful expedients, constantly achieves perfect heroism, this king is called one with fulfillment of human effort. If a king upholds the True Dharma, he is called a Dharma King; abiding peacefully in the True Dharma, together with the inner palace, princes, ministers, heroes, nobility, and people of the state, he cultivates wisdom and dāna, plants blessings, observes the upoṣadha precepts, and firmly maintains the prohibitions; this king is called one with fulfillment of virtue. Furthermore, one with fulfillment of karmic fruition enjoys the retribution of pure karma from past lives. One with fulfillment of human effort enjoys the lovable fruits of the present life. One with fulfillment of virtue will also enjoy the fulfillment of the retribution of pure karma in the future. If a king is deficient in all three, he is called an inferior man. If he has fulfillment of karmic fruition, or fulfillment of human effort, or both, he is called a middling man. If he is endowed with all three, he is called a superior man.”
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Furthermore, the Madhyamāgama says: “When kṣatriya kings have water sprinkled on their crowns and become rulers of men, presiding over the great earth, they observe five ceremonial regalia: first, the sword; second, the parasol; third, the celestial crown; fourth, the jewel-handled whisk; fifth, the ornamented sandals. When these are all removed, [the king is just an ordinary man]. Furthermore, there are three types of ministers: first, those who are loyal and faithful, but lack skills and wisdom; second, those who are loyal, faithful, and skilled, but lack wisdom; third, those endowed with loyalty, faith, skills, and wisdom. The first is called an inferior man; the next is called a middling man; the last is called a superior man. If one is neither loyal nor faithful, and has neither skills nor wisdom, one should know that such a minister is the lowest among the inferior.”
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Section 3: Faults of the King
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As the Xiangfa jueyi jing states: “Furthermore, all laypeople, regardless of high or low station, must not beat or strike the slaves, maids, or domestic animals belonging to the Three Jewels, nor may they receive the bows and prostrations of the slaves and maids of the Three Jewels. All such acts incur calamity and guilt.” Therefore, the Satyaka-nirgrantha-sūtra says: “If one destroys stupas or monasteries, or takes the property of the Buddha; or if one encourages others to do so and rejoices in it; or if there is a śramaṇa wearing dyed robes, whether keeping the precepts or breaking the precepts, and one detains, beats, binds, forces him to return to lay life, or cuts off his life—if one commits such root grave offenses, one will certainly fall into hell to suffer the torment of Avīci. Because such unwholesome deeds are carried out in the kingdom, the ṛṣis and sages will leave the country, the powerful gods will not protect its realm, the ministers will contend with each other, uprisings will occur in all four directions, droughts and floods will fall out of harmony, winds and rains will lose their season, the people will starve, bandits will run rampant, pestilence and illness will cause countless deaths, and not knowing that this is of their own making, they will resent the gods.”
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Furthermore, the Benevolent King Sūtra says: “Kings and ministers, relying on their own nobility, destroy and ruin my Dharma. Establishing regulatory laws, they constrain my disciples: forbidding them from leaving home, forbidding them from making Buddha images, establishing administrative officials and institutional registries to record the monks, causing monks to stand on the ground while laypeople sit on high seats. Furthermore, kings and crown princes arbitrarily enact statutory regulations that do not accord with the Buddha's teachings, giving rise to conditions that break the Saṃgha. With administrative officials controlling the monks and managing the monastic registers, keeping them in harsh constraint, the Buddha-Dharma will not last long.”
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Furthermore, the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra says: “Great King, you should know that there are ten faults of a king. What are the ten? First, his clan and lineage are not noble. Second, he does not attain sovereignty. Third, his established nature is cruel and evil. Fourth, his arousal of anger is fierce. Fifth, his grace and benevolence are meager. Sixth, he accepts crooked and flattering words. Seventh, in whatever he undertakes, he does not deliberate and does not accord with proper norms. Eighth, he does not care for wholesome phenomena. Ninth, he does not discern differences and forgets the kindness done for him. Tenth, he indulges himself completely and exclusively practices negligence.”
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Furthermore, the Sūtra of One Hundred Parables says: “Formerly, there was a man who spoke of the king's faults and transgressions, saying, ‘The king is extremely tyrannical and his governance lacks principle.’ When the king heard these words, he became furious. Without investigating the matter thoroughly, he believed a flatterer at his side, seized a virtuous minister, and had him laid down on his stomach so that a hundred ounces of flesh were peeled from his back. Someone then proved that he had never spoken such words. The king's heart was filled with regret, and he sought a thousand ounces of flesh to patch his back. In the middle of the night, the minister moaned in immense agony. Hearing his voice, the king asked, ‘Why are you in agony? I took a hundred ounces from you and gave you ten times as much. Is your mind not satisfied? Why do you moan in agony?’ A bystander replied, ‘Great King, it is like severing a person's head: even if he were given a thousand heads, he could not avoid death. Although he has received ten times as much flesh, he cannot avoid the bitter pain.’ Foolish people are also like this: not fearing future lives and coveting murky present pleasures, they torment sentient beings and levy harsh taxes on the common people to acquire abundant wealth, hoping to extinguish their guilt and obtain blessed retribution. This is just like that king cutting open a person's back to take his flesh and patching it with other flesh in the hope of making it painless—this is utterly impossible.”
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Also, the Sūtra of a Hundred Parables says: In the past, there was a man who spoke of the king's faults and offenses, saying, "The king is extremely tyrannical and governs without principle." When the king heard these words, he became furious and did not investigate them thoroughly at all. Believing a flatterer at his side, he seized a worthy minister and ordered that his back be flayed to take one hundred ounces of flesh. Someone testified that he had never spoken these words. Regret arose in the king's heart, and he sought a thousand ounces of flesh to patch his back with. During the night [the minister] groaned in intense suffering and distress. Hearing the sound, the king asked, "Why are you in distress? I took a hundred ounces from you and have given you ten times as much. Is this not enough for your mind? Why are you in distress?" A bystander replied, "Great King, it is like severing your son's head: even if you obtained a thousand heads, it would not save your son from death. Though he has received ten times the flesh, he cannot avoid suffering and pain." Foolish people are also like this: not fearing future lives, they greedily crave present pleasures, tormenting living beings and levying taxes upon the common people to acquire abundant wealth, hoping thereby to eradicate their offenses and obtain fortunate recompense. This is just like that king who sliced a man's back, took the man's flesh, and patched it with other flesh, hoping to make him feel no pain—this is impossible.
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Furthermore, the Za piyu jing states: Anciently, there was a king who took pleasure in eating human flesh. He commanded his cooks, saying, 'Prowl by night and secretly gather humans to provide food for the kitchen.' He made this a regular practice. His subjects and ministers all came to know of it; they banded together, banished him, and cast him outside the borders, choosing another virtuous and worthy person to be king. Thereupon, after thirteen years had passed, two wings grew on the man-eating king's body, and he could fly about eating people regardless of near or far. He besought the deity of the mountain trees to grant him blessings, [promising]: 'I shall take the bodies of five hundred kings to sacrifice to the mountain tree deity, so that you may cause me to return and recover my kingdom.' The king then flew about capturing them, and had already caught four hundred and ninety-nine men. He brought them to a mountain valley, blocking the entrance with a stone. At that time, there was [another] king who took his ladies of the inner palace to a pool to bathe and disport themselves. Just as he went out through the palace gate, he encountered a practitioner of the Way reciting verses and begging for alms. The king immediately promised him, [saying that] upon returning to the palace he would bestow gold and silver upon him. When the king entered the pool and was about to bathe, the man-eating king flew through the air, seized the king in his arms, carried him off, and returned to the mountains. When the king saw the man-eating king, he showed neither fear nor dread, and his facial expression remained unchanged. The man-eating king said, 'I initially terrified people because I had to offer sacrifices to the deity; I have already obtained four hundred and ninety-nine men. Now that I have obtained you, the number is fulfilled, and I will kill you to sacrifice to the deity. Why are you not afraid?' The king replied, 'Where there is life, there is death; where things form, they decay; where there is union, there is separation. When retribution arrives, it takes its share—why must one grieve? This morning when I came out of the palace, I encountered a practitioner of the Way on the road who recited verses for me. I promised to give him gifts, but have not yet had the chance to do so. This is my only regret. Now, if the King, in your vast compassion, would graciously grant me a reprieve, I shall return here after completing the almsgiving, not daring to violate the agreement.' [The man-eating king] then allowed him to leave, and told him, 'I give you a period of seven days. If you do not return, it will not be difficult for me to go and take you.' The king immediately returned to his palace, and everyone throughout the capital, within and without, was overjoyed. He at once opened the storehouses and distributed alms near and far. He enthroned the crown prince as king, took fond leave of the hundred surnames, and departed. When the man-eating king saw him coming, he thought, 'Could this be an extraordinary person? Having escaped death to gain life, he has still returned!' He then asked, 'One's body and life are what people of the world hold dearest; yet you give up your life, which is rare in this world. I wonder what your aim is? Please explain your intent.' The king replied, 'Today I gave alms and sincerely vowed that I shall attain the anutpatti[kadharma-kṣānti] samyaksaṃbuddha, vowing to deliver [all beings in] the ten directions.' That king asked, 'What does this business of seeking the Buddha mean?' The king then broadly expounded to him the five precepts, the ten good deeds, the four immeasurables, and the six pāramitās. His mind opened up extensively; he received the five precepts from him and became a pure-faith lay disciple (upāsaka). Thereupon, he released the four hundred and ninety-nine men, sending each back to his country. The kings all went together to his country; moved by his truthful vow by which they had received the salvation of their lives, none was willing to return to his original realm. Thereupon, they remained and dwelt in this country. For this king, each of them built a supreme residence, adorned with carvings and engravings, gleaming, ornate, and stately. The food, drink, and royal equipage of the various kings were no different from those of the king himself. When people from the four directions arrived, they asked, 'Why are there so many residences like the king's palace spread throughout this one kingdom?' The crowd replied, 'These are all the dwellings of the various kings.' Their fame subsequently spread far and wide, and from that time onward, it was therefore called Rājagṛha ('City of Kings' Abodes'). After the Buddha attained the Way, he himself recounted this former deed: 'The king who established trust was myself; the man-eating king was Aṅgulimāla. Those who were delivered in infinite numbers when I returned to Rājagṛha to teach the Dharma were all individuals who had karmic connections with me when I was a king in a past life.'
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Section 4: The Royal Enterprise
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As the Jian wang jing states: When the Buddha was in the world, there was a king named Prasenajit. Traveling within his realm, he passed by the Buddha's dwelling, paid homage to the Buddha, and sat down in a seat.
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The Buddha addressed the king, saying: 'In governing, a king should rely on the true Dharma and not abandon moderation and rule. Always nurture and nourish the people with a compassionate mind. The reason one can rule as a hegemon and become a king of a country is entirely brought about by practicing good in past lives. In administering the affairs of the people, you must not be partial or crooked. If the various ministers, high officials, subordinate officers, and down to the common people all harbor grievances, the king's governance will be uneven and all within the seas will be indignant. When the body dies, the spirit will enter the Mount Tai hell; though one may regret it later, it will be of no avail. If the king governs the country with equitable administration and always acts with moderation, the ministers and people will praise his virtue and all within the four seas will turn their hearts to him; devas, dragons, ghosts, and spirits will all hear of the king's goodness, and upon death he will ascend to heaven, with no regrets thereafter. King, do not indulge in licentiousness so as to ruin yourself. Do not allow feelings of anger to inflict harm. You must accept the straightforward remonstrances of loyal ministers. When speaking with people, always be lenient and deliberate, free of burning words. Simply be filial, nurture your two parents with loving care, and attend to and serve śramaṇas of elevated conduct and purity. When seeing ordinary elderly people, you must revere them. Share whatever wealth and treasures you have with the people. You should bestow favor upon the people with a benevolent mind; do not use slanderous words to harm the lives of the people. As the standard for a king, you must proclaim the noble path and teach the people to do good. Simply maintain a single mind and keep the Three Honoured Ones in mind. If a king acts like this, all sages will praise him, and devas, dragons, ghosts, and spirits will protect his country. In life he will enjoy glory, and in death he will ascend to heaven. Worldly glory and status are like phantoms, like dreams—they cannot be preserved for long. When a person is about to die, family members, both within and without, gather by his side, beating their breasts, calling on Heaven, all saying, 'What can be done?' Tears stream down in confusion. 'Alas, how agonizing! The spirit departs alone, forsaking us!' Whoever hears it is heartbroken; whoever witnesses it joins in the grief. He is carried out of the city and discarded in the wilderness, where birds of the air and beasts of the earth tear and devour him; worms inside his body turn back to eat his flesh; scorched by the sun and blown by the wind, his bones all dry up. His past glory, nobility, and bustling majesty were just like the Great King's now; yet suddenly, they are seen no more. This is clear proof of impermanence. Antiquity was still like this; how much more so today! King, reflect deeply on this: have no thoughts of licentiousness, do not accept flattering words, accept loyal remonstrance when verifying someone's guilt, and govern with moderation. You should dread the agony of being interrogated and punished in hell. All blood-bearing creatures long for life; you must not kill them.' When the Buddha finished preaching the sūtra, the king's mind opened in understanding. Wishing to become a disciple, he immediately received the five precepts, placed his head to the ground, and paid homage to the Buddha.
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The Moda guowang jing also states: When the Buddha was in the world, there was a king named Moda. At that time, the king was about to send out an army on a campaign. There was a bhikṣu who had already attained the path of an arhat, who had arrived in the kingdom to beg for food. He was arrested along with others and brought to the gate of the king's palace. The king had an overseer of horses, who made the bhikṣu tend and care for the official horses, toiling in bitter hardship for seven days. Later, the king personally went to inspect the military battle array. When the bhikṣu saw the king, he lightly rose and flew up before him, remaining in the sky and displaying his awe-inspiring spiritual powers. The king became terrified, knocked his head on the ground, and repented of his error: 'I was truly ignorant and could not distinguish the genuine from the false.' He made inquiries throughout the country: 'Who ordered this spiritual person to tend horses like this? I shall now punish him with death.' The bhikṣu said to the king, 'It is neither the fault of the King nor of the people of the kingdom. It is because in my own past life, when I practiced the Way, I constantly made offerings to my teacher. Once, when I set out food for my teacher, my teacher said to me, 'First wash your hands; only then should you serve me food.' In my foolish mind, I thought, 'My teacher is not tending official horses; why did he not wash his hands beforehand?' My teacher then said to me, 'Now you harbor this light thought; how will you bear the heavy consequence later?' Hearing these words, I became sorrowful and distressed. My teacher knew my thought and thought to himself, 'I must inevitably pass into nirvāṇa; why should I cause this person distress?' That very night, at the third watch, he entered parinirvāṇa. Since that distant time, each of us has undergone life and death. Now, on account of this, I have received that residual past calamity and tended horses for seven days. Good and bad deeds always bring calamities or blessings, just like a shadow following a form.' When the king heard about guilt and blessings, he begged to take refuge in the Three Jewels, received the five precepts, and became an upāsaka. The Buddha then preached the Dharma for the king and the people, and they attained the path of a srotāpanna.
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The Faju piyu jing also states: Anciently, there was a king who governed according to the true Dharma, and the people admired his transformation. He had no crown prince and grieved over this. When the Buddha entered the kingdom, [the king] respectfully received the five precepts and revered them without remiss. He had an attendant, aged eleven, who constantly ran errands for the king, faithfully upholding the Dharma without considering it wearisome. He suddenly contracted a grave illness and passed away. His consciousness returned to become the king's son. When he reached the age of fifteen, he was established as the crown prince. When the father king died, he succeeded him as king. He was arrogant and self-indulgent, neglecting state affairs. The ministers and officials neglected taxes, and the people suffered from this. The Buddha knew that his conduct did not conform to his original consciousness; taking his disciples with him, he went to that kingdom. The Buddha said to the king, 'Does the King know where you originally came from?' The king said, 'I am ignorant and unperceptive; I do not know my former lives.' The Buddha said to the Great King, 'Originally, by five matters one is able to become a king. What are the five? First, through giving alms (dāna), one becomes a king, with the myriad people presenting palaces, buildings, and limitless wealth. Second, through erecting monasteries and offering beds, couches, and canopies to the Three Honoured Ones, one becomes a king, sitting on the royal throne in the main hall to govern the state. Third, through personally paying respectful homage to the Three Honoured Ones and to elders of virtue, one becomes a king, so that all the myriad people bow down to him. Fourth, through patient endurance (kṣānti), being free of evil in the three actions of the body, the four actions of speech, and in thought, one becomes a king, so that all who behold him are filled with joy. Fifth, through learning and constantly seeking wisdom, one becomes a king, so that whatever decisions he makes in affairs of state are carried out without exception. By these five matters, one becomes a king life after life. In your former life, King, you were an attendant to a great king. You served the Buddha with faith, the Dharma with love, the Saṃgha with respect, your parents with filial piety, and your sovereign with loyalty. You constantly practiced one-minded, diligent almsgiving, toiling and exhausting your body without ever growing weary. This merit followed your person, enabling you to become a prince and succeed to the royal line. Now, enjoying wealth and nobility, you have instead become indolent. A king of a country must practice five matters. What are the five? First, administer the myriad people without injustice or false accusations. Second, support and nourish generals and soldiers, distributing stipends in due season. Third, remember to cultivate your fundamental enterprise so that blessings and virtues never cease. Fourth, trust the honest remonstrance of loyal ministers, without accepting slanderous words to harm the upright. Fifth, restrain desires and greed for pleasure, keeping the mind free from negligence. If you practice these five matters, your renown will spread across the four seas, and blessings and prosperity will arrive of themselves. If you abandon these five matters, the general order will collapse: when the people are impoverished, they will contemplate rebellion; when soldiers are overworked, their strength cannot be rallied; when one lacks merit, ghosts and spirits will not assist; when one acts willfully, one loses the great principle; when loyal ministers dare not remonstrate, the mind becomes reckless and dissipated; when the lord of the state does not attend to duties, the people harbor much grievance. If it is like this, one will lose one's good name and subsequently have no blessings.' Thereupon, the World-Honoured One spoke the verses again:
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"One who serves as a leader in the world,
Cultivates uprightness without partiality or crookedness;
With mind subdued, overcoming all evils,
Such a one is a King of Dharma.
Seeing the upright, he can cultivate wisdom;
Benevolent and affectionate, he loves to benefit others.
Having benefited them, he acts equitably;
Thus the multitude attaches to and draws close to him."
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When the Buddha said this, the king was overjoyed. Prostrating his whole body, he repented and apologized. Hearing the Dharma from the Buddha, he attained the path of a srotāpanna.
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Furthermore, the Bindoulu wei Youdayan wang shuofa jing states: Anciently, the prime minister's son, the arhat Piṇḍola, spoke verses for King Udayana, saying:
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"From the afflictions of birth, old age, sickness, and death,
You have not yet attained liberation;
The poisoned arrows of ignorance and craving
Have not yet been pulled out.
O Lord of Men, why do you
Conceive notions of delight and attachment?
Like an elephant in the middle of a forest
With great fires rising on all four sides,
Dwelling in such a perilous place,
How can there be any joy?
The Great King should know
That glorious rank lasts but a moment;
A wise person observes deeply
And should not, concerning these things,
Conceive notions of rarity.
Why do you misunderstand,
Not yet freed from the womb of birth and death,
Yet arbitrarily conceiving notions of fearlessness?
The thieves of desire rob the sense faculties,
Yet you arbitrarily conceive notions of fearlessness.
Impermanent and unstable,
Like a plantain tree or water froth,
And like floating clouds dispersing,
The venerable and supreme rank of a heavenly king
Is also fragile like this.
The Lord of Men should know
That greed for gain is exceedingly swift,
Like water pouring into a deep gorge;
Addiction to desire is exceedingly light and rapid,
Shifting and revolving like a tossed rope;
Deluded fools, tainted by desire,
Are led without realizing it to fall."
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The Venerable One said: "Great King, I shall now briefly explain an analogy for the king. Listen with earnest mind! Once there was a man travelling on a desolate road who encountered a great vicious elephant and was pursued by it. Frantic with fear, he ran wildly with nowhere to rely on. Seeing an abandoned well, he grasped a tree root and entered the well to hide. Above, there were two mice, one black and one white, gnawing alternately at the tree root. Around the four sides of this well were four venomous serpents wanting to bite him, and beneath this well were three great venomous dragons. On the flanks he feared the four serpents, and below he feared the venomous dragons; the root of the tree he clung to was shaking. Honey from the tree dropped into his mouth, five drops. At that moment the shaking of the tree disturbed and broke a beehive; a swarm of bees scattered in flight and stung him, and a wildfire flared up, coming again to burn the tree. Great King, you should know that this man's anguish was beyond reckoning, yet what he tasted was exceedingly little, while his suffering was exceedingly great. The flavor he tasted was like water in an ox's footprint; his suffering was like the great ocean. The flavor was like a mustard seed; the suffering was like Mount Sumeru. The flavor was like a firefly's light; the suffering was like the sun and moon. It is like the hole in a lotus root compared to the vast emptiness of space, or like a mosquito compared to a Garuḍa. The relative amount of its flavor and suffering was like this." The Venerable One said: "Great King, the desolate wild represents saṃsāra. That man represents the ordinary worldling. The elephant represents impermanence. The abandoned well represents the human body. The tree root represents human life. The white and black mice represent day and night. Their gnawing at the tree root represents destruction from moment to moment. The four venomous serpents represent the four great elements. The honey represents the five desires. The swarm of bees represents bad thoughts and investigations. The burning by wildfire represents old age. The three venomous dragons below represent dying and falling into the three bad destinies. Therefore, you should know that the flavor of desires is exceedingly little, while suffering is exceedingly great. Birth, old age, sickness, and death hold sovereign sway over all people. People in the world are toiled and afflicted in body and mind with nowhere of refuge; pressed by manifold sufferings, they are fleeting as lightning. This is cause for sorrow, and should not be craved or clung to."
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Section 5: Kings' Merit
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As the *Old Sutra of Miscellaneous Parables* states: In the past, a king returned from going out hunting. Passing a monastery, he circumambulated a stūpa and paid homage to the śramaṇas. The ministers laughed at him together. The king noticed this and asked the ministers, 'If there is gold in a boiling cauldron, can it be retrieved with one's hand?' They answered, 'It cannot.' The king said, 'If you cast cold water into it, can it be retrieved?' The ministers said to the king, 'It can.' The king said, 'When I conduct royal affairs, the deeds of hunting are like boiling water. Burning incense, lighting lamps, circumambulating stūpas, and paying homage to the saṃgha are like pouring cold water into boiling water. Now when one acts as king there are both good and bad deeds; why should there be only bad and no good?'
44.27
Also, the *Kāśyapa Sūtra* states: The Buddha told Kāśyapa: Countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas in the past, there was a Buddha named Supuṣpa. At that time there was a cakravartin named Nemi, who ruled the world according to Dharma, governing the four continents. At that time the great king saw two apparitionally-born youths, and after they attained renunciation, he immediately ordered the crown prince to succeed to the royal throne. The king, together with his nine hundred and ninety-nine sons, eighty-four thousand consorts, five thousand ministers, and the populace, all went forth into homelessness together with pure, faithful minds. At that time, when the crown prince had occupied the throne for seven days, he reflected within himself: 'I shall never abandon the mind of sarvajña; of what use is the royal throne?' Having thought this, he resolved to go forth into homelessness. On the fifteenth day he travelled through the four continents and spoke these verses:
44.28
'My father and relatives / have all already gone forth;
innumerable koṭis of sentient beings / have also gone forth for the sake of the Dharma.
I now delight in renunciation, / not in dwelling in the five desires.
With single mind I seek the Buddha path, / wishing to go to the Guide.
If one resolves to go forth into homelessness / and departs from the fires of desire,
one should swiftly follow after me; / to escape difficulties is extremely hard to obtain.
If one does not resolve to go forth, / and does not distance oneself from the fires of desire,
then settle your mind in household life, / and dwell securely in the true Dharma.'
44.29
"Kāśyapa, when that youth spoke these verses, not a single sentient being in the four continents took pleasure in household life; they all generated the resolve and aspired to go forth into homelessness. Once they had gone forth, there was no need to cultivate crops: the earth naturally produced husked grain, and the trees naturally produced garments. All the devas attended, served, and ran errands for them, and all sentient beings attained the fruits of the Path."
44.30
Section 6: Royal Capitals
44.31
As the *Sūtra of the Twelve Wanderings* states: King Prasenajit in the Jin language is 'Pleasant and Joyful'. The country of Kapilavastu in the Jin language is 'Wondrous Virtue'. The country of Śrāvastī in the Jin language is 'Where Nothing Is Lacking'. The country of Vaiśālī in the Jin language is 'Extensive and Great', and another name is 'Crossing Over Saṃsāra'. The city of Rājagṛha in the Jin language is 'City of the King's House'. The country of Kuru in the Jin language is 'Wise Scholars'. The country of Vārāṇasī in the Jin language is 'Deer Park', and another name is 'Country of the Buddhas'. In Jambudvīpa there are sixteen great countries and eighty-four thousand cities. There are eight kings and four Sons of Heaven. To the east is the Son of Heaven of the Jin, whose people flourish. To the south is the Son of Heaven of the country of India, whose land abounds in elephants. To the west is the Son of Heaven of Da Qin, whose land abounds in gold and jade. To the north is the Son of Heaven of the Yuezhi, whose land has many fine horses. Within the eighty-four thousand cities there are 6,400 types of people, and the sounds of all things differ respectively. There are 560,000 koṭis of villages. Of fish there are 6,400 kinds; of birds there are 4,500 kinds; of beasts there are 2,400 kinds; of trees there are 10,000 kinds; of grasses there are 8,000 kinds; of miscellaneous medicinal herbs there are 740 kinds; of miscellaneous fragrances there are 43 kinds; of treasures there are 121 kinds; and of primary treasures there are 7 kinds. In the ocean there are 2,500 countries. In 180 countries the people eat the five grains. In 330 countries the people eat fish, softshell turtles, giant softshell turtles, and alligators. There are five great kings, each king ruling five hundred cities. The first king is called the country of Sili, whose land entirely serves the Buddha and does not serve diverse heterodoxies. The second king is called Jialuo, whose land yields the seven treasures. The third king is called Bula, whose land yields forty kinds of incense and white lapis lazuli. The fourth king is called Sheye, whose land yields long pepper and black pepper. The fifth king is called Na'e, whose land yields white pearls and seven-colored lapis lazuli. The people in the cities of the five great kingdoms are mostly black and short. They are 650,000 li apart. Beyond this, there is only sea water and no human inhabitants, 1,400,000 li to the Iron Ring Mountains.
44.32
Also, the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* asks: 'In large cities like Śrāvastī, all have royal houses; why is this city alone called Rājagṛha [City of the King's House]?' The answer states: 'Some say that the king of Magadha had a son with one head, two faces, and four arms. The people of the time considered him inauspicious. The king then tore his body and head apart and abandoned them in the wilderness. A rākṣasī named Jarā rejoined his body and nursed him. Later, when he grew up, his strength enabled him to annex all the kings and possess the realm. He took eighteen thousand kings and placed them among these five mountains, ruling Jambudvīpa with great power. People on this account named these mountains Rājagṛha. Others say that in the city where the king of Magadha previously lived, fires broke out within the city; as soon as it was rebuilt, it burned again, up to seven times. The people of the kingdom were exhausted by the labor, and the king was deeply worried and terrified. Gathering wise men, he inquired into the reason for this. Some said, "You should change location." The king then sought another dwelling place, saw these five mountains surrounding the area like a city wall, and thereupon built a palace to dwell within it. For this reason it was named Rājagṛha. Furthermore, in ancient times this country had a king named Vasu. Disgusted with worldly ways, he renounced the world and became a ṛṣi. At that time, householder brahmins and renounced ṛṣis were debating together. The householder brahmins said, "The scriptures state that in heavenly sacrifices one ought to kill living beings and eat meat." The renounced ṛṣis said, "One should not kill living beings and eat meat in heavenly sacrifices." They argued back and forth. The renounced brahmins said, "Here is a great king who has gone forth and become a ṛṣi. Do you believe him?" The householder brahmins said, "We believe him." The renounced ṛṣis said, "We shall take this man as witness and ask him another day." That night, the householder brahmins went ahead to the ṛṣi Vasu's place. After inquiring in various ways, they said to the ṛṣi Vasu, "In tomorrow's debate, you must assist us." Thus, at the debate the next morning, the renounced ṛṣis asked the ṛṣi Vasu, "In heavenly sacrifices, should one kill living beings and eat meat or not?" The ṛṣi Vasu said, "In the brahmin dharma, in heavenly sacrifices one should kill living beings and eat meat." The renounced ṛṣis said, "What is in your true mind?" The ṛṣi Vasu said, "For the sake of heavenly sacrifices one should kill living beings and eat meat. Because this living being dies in a heavenly sacrifice, it attains rebirth in heaven." The renounced ṛṣis said, "You are terribly wrong! You are telling a great lie!" They then spat on him, saying, "Sinner, perish!" At that moment the ṛṣi Vasu immediately sank into the ground up to his ankles, for this was the first opening of the gate of great sin. The renounced ṛṣis said, "You must speak the truth! If you persist in lying, your body will sink into the earth." The ṛṣi Vasu said, "I know that for the sake of heaven, killing living beings and eating meat is blameless." He immediately sank further into the earth up to his knees. In this way he gradually sank to his waist and to his neck. The renounced ṛṣis said, "You are now lying and receiving present retribution. If you speak the truth again, though you have entered beneath the earth, I can bring you out so you escape guilt." At that time, the ṛṣi Vasu reflected to himself: "I am a noble person and should not speak with two tongues. Furthermore, in the four Vedas of the brahmins, through various reasons the rituals of heavenly sacrifice are praised. Why should the death of myself alone be worth caring about?" With single mind he said, "For heaven, killing living beings and eating meat in heavenly sacrifices is blameless." The renouncers said, "You heavy sinner, be destroyed! We have no use seeing you!" Thereupon his entire body sank into the earth. From then down to the present day, they constantly follow the ṛṣi-king Vasu's law: when sacrificing sheep in heavenly sacrifices, as the knife descends they say, "The ṛṣi Vasu kills you!" Vasu's son was named Bṛhadratha. He succeeded to the throne as king. Later, he also grew weary of worldly ways but was unable to renounce home life. He reflected: "My father, the former king, went forth and sank alive into the earth. If I govern the realm, I will again commit great sins. How should I conduct myself now?" As he was reflecting thus, he heard a voice in the air say: "If as you travel you see a rare and hard-to-find place, you should build a house there and dwell in it." Having spoken these words, the voice was heard no more. Not long after, the king went out hunting and saw a deer running as swiftly as the wind. The king pursued it but could not catch it; he continued pursuing without stopping, and none of the hundred officials or attendants could keep up with him. Moving forward, he saw five mountains encircling the place, steep and secure. The ground was flat and level, growing soft, fine grass and beautiful flowers everywhere. Various groves of trees bore flourishing flowers and fruits, and thermal spring bathing ponds were all pure and clean. The ground was adorned, with heavenly flowers and heavenly incense scattered everywhere, and heavenly music heard. At that moment the gandharva musicians, upon seeing the king arrive, each withdrew. [The king thought:] "This place is rare and never before seen. Right now I should build a house here and dwell in it." Having reflected thus, the ministers and officials followed his tracks and arrived. The king announced to the ministers, "The voice I heard in the air before said: 'If as you travel you see a rare and hard-to-find place, you should build a house there and dwell in it.' Now I have seen this rare place; I should build a house here and dwell in it." Thereupon he abandoned his original city and dwelt within these mountains. This king was the first to dwell here, and from then on they dwelled here successively. Because this king originally erected palaces and dwellings here, it was called Rājagṛha [City of the King's House].'
44.33
Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain is called here Vulture Peak Mountain. Question: Why is it called Vulture Peak Mountain? Answer: The peak of this mountain resembles a vulture. Because the people of Rājagṛha saw that it resembled a vulture, they passed on the name Vulture Peak Mountain; hence it was named Vulture Peak Mountain. Moreover, in the śīvavana south of Rājagṛha there were many dead corpses; vultures constantly came to feed on them and then returned to rest on the mountain peak. The people of the time thereupon called it Vulture Peak Mountain. This mountain is the highest and largest among the five mountains, possessing many fine groves and waters, and is an abode of sages.
44.34
Furthermore, the Mahākaruṇā-sūtra states: That the Buddha was at Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in Rājagṛha was the roaming and residing place of past Buddhas, established by the Tathāgata's majestic spiritual power. Its site of enlightenment was praised in common by the assembly of bodhisattvas. Heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, and spirits of the boundless Dharma throne all took refuge, bowed their heads, and paid homage.
44.35
Furthermore, the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra states: Question: The Buddha has universal compassion for all; why did he dwell solely in Rājagṛha and not dwell in other cities? Answer: He also dwelt in other cities, but seldom; yet he mostly dwelt in Rājagṛha and Śrāvastī. As for the other cities, they were borderlands, and moreover, mleccha lands had many evil people whose roots of goodness were not yet mature; hence he did not dwell in them. Furthermore, because the Buddha recognized gratitude, he mostly dwelt in these two cities. Question: For what reason of recognizing gratitude did he mostly dwell in these two cities? Answer: The country of Kośala was the land of the Buddha's physical birth; and as the Buddha was the Dharma Lord of the great city of Śrāvastī, he was also in this city. Question: If he mostly dwelt in Śrāvastī out of recognizing gratitude, Kapilavastu was close to the place of the Buddha's birth; why did he not dwell there? Answer: The Buddha had no remaining habit-energies, and being near his kinsmen was also without entangling thoughts. However, the Śākya disciples had mostly not yet abandoned desire; if they were close to their kinsmen, then thoughts of attachment would arise. Because of repaying gratitude to the land of his birth, he mostly dwelt in Śrāvastī. For all sentient beings long for their birthplace, as the verse says:
44.36
All masters of debate
Accept their own known dharmas;
Like people longing for their birthplace,
Though having left home, they still dispute.
44.37
Because of repaying gratitude to the land of his dharmakāya, he mostly dwelt in Rājagṛha. For all Buddhas cherish the dharmakāya, as the verse says:
44.38
The past, future,
And present Buddhas
Make offerings to the dharmakāya,
Revering and honouring it as master.
44.39
Because the dharmakāya is superior to the physical body, between the two cities he mostly dwelt in Rājagṛha.
44.40
The eulogy states:
44.41
Ruler and ministers resonate in virtue; / The numinous texts and golden mirrors,
The jewelled tablets luxuriantly bloom, / And imperial charts shine radiant.
The bird record portends auspiciousness; / The dragon script indicates celebration.
Ten thousand states come to court; / The hundred officials compose songs.
It commenced with the elevated Martial Emperor, / Whose later heirs took the sage as ancestral model.
Cruel barbarians and treacherous obstructions / Were eliminated and merged through awe-inspiring resonance.
Compassion shades the common folk; / Deeds prosper longevity.
Supreme indeed are these supreme achievements; / The sage ruler institutes governance.
44.42
Circumstances of Sympathetic Resonance (briefly citing five verifications)
44.43
Zhuang Ziyi, minister of Yan
Ruyi, prince of Han
Emperor Ling of Han
Emperor Xuan of Han
Also Emperor Ling of Han
44.44
Zhuang Ziyi, a minister of Yan, was blameless, yet Duke Jian executed him. Ziyi said, "If the dead have no consciousness, then let it rest; but if they do have consciousness, within not more than three years I will surely let my lord know of it." In one full year, Duke Jian sacrificed at Zuze. Yan having Zuze was like Song having Sanglin; it was the state's great sacrifice. Men and women watched as Ziyi arose from the left side of the road, carrying a red staff, and struck the Duke. The Duke died in his carriage.
44.45
Ruyi, prince of Han, was the fourth son of Emperor Gao of Han. Empress Lü had borne the eldest son, who was established as Crown Prince, but Ruyi's mother, Consort Qi, found favour with the Emperor. The Emperor repeatedly wished to depose the Crown Prince and establish Ruyi. The ministers disputed it, and so Ruyi was enfeoffed in Zhao. Empress Lü envied him on account of this. When Emperor Gao passed away, Empress Lü summoned Ruyi; once he arrived in Chang'an, she had him seized and killed. She also severed Consort Qi's hands and feet, calling her the "human swine." Later, when Empress Lü was returning from performing the lustration ritual at Ba River, she saw on the road an object like a blue-grey dog snatching at her armpit; it suddenly vanished. Divination concerning it declared: "Prince Ruyi of Zhao is causing haunting." She thereupon fell ill from the armpit injury and died (the above two verifications are from the Yuanhun zhi).
First 45 of 50 passages. Read on
Linked texts (1)
- 法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese