法苑珠林 49.16

49.16

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Storehouse of Sundry Jewels states: Long ago in the past, in the Himālayas, there was a parrot whose parents were both blind. It would constantly gather fine fruit to offer to its parents first. At that time, there was a landowner who, when first sowing grain, made a vow, saying, 'The grain I sow must be shared with sentient beings to eat.' At that time, the young parrot, knowing that the landowner had previously had the intention of giving, would constantly take his grain to supply its parents. The landowner, inspecting the grain, saw where birds and insects had gathered the ears of grain. Feeling anger and frustration, he set up nets and caught the parrot. The parrot then said to the landowner, 'Landowner, you previously had the good intention to give, and therefore I dared come to take it. Why do you now capture me in a net?' The landowner asked, 'For whom did you take the grain?' The parrot answered, 'I have blind parents, and I wished to offer it to them.' The landowner said, 'From now on, you may always take from here; do not have doubts or hesitation.' If even beasts are like this in filial support of their parents, how much more so humans? The Buddha told the monks, 'The parrot of the past was my own body now. The landowner of that time was Śāriputra. The blind parents were my present parents, King Śuddhodana and Lady Māyā. Due to my past filial support, I have now attained Buddhahood.'