法苑珠林 50.33

50.33

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Nine-Coloured Deer states: Long ago, the Bodhisattva was reborn as a nine-coloured deer. Its hair had nine colors, and its antlers were as white as snow. It frequently drank water and ate grass along the banks of the Gaṅgā River. It was always a companion to a crow. At that time, there was a drowning man in the water drifting down with the current, bobbing up and down. Looking up, he cried out to Heaven: 'Spirits of the mountains, spirits of the trees, and all devas and nāga spirits, why do you not take pity on me?' Hearing him, the deer entered the water to rescue him, saying to him, 'You may ride upon my back and hold onto my antlers.' It carried him out onto the bank. Reaching dry land, the drowning man circumambulated the deer three times and kowtowed to it, begging to become the master's slave, to serve at its bidding and gather water and grass for it. The deer said, 'There is no need; just go your own way. If you wish to repay my kindness, do not speak of where I am. People covet my hide and antlers, and will surely come to kill me.' At that time, the queen of the country saw the nine-coloured deer in a dream at night. She then feigned illness and took to her bed. The king asked why, and she replied, 'Last night I saw an extraordinary deer in a dream. Its hair had nine colors, and its antlers were as white as snow. I long to obtain its hide to make a seat cushion and its antlers to make a whisk handle. The king must obtain it for me; if the king does not obtain it, I shall die.' The king made an appeal throughout the country: 'Whoever is able to obtain it shall be granted half the kingdom to govern, given a golden bowl filled with silver millet, and given a silver bowl filled with golden millet.' The drowning man heard this, and wishing to secure wealth and nobility, thought to himself: 'The deer is an animal; what does its life or death matter?' He went before the king and said he knew where the deer was. The king was greatly delighted and said, 'If you can bring its hide and antlers, I will reward you with half the kingdom.' Leprous sores immediately grew upon the drowning man's face. The drowning man said, 'Great King! Although this deer is an animal, it possesses great supernatural power. The king ought to send out a large force of men and soldiers; only then can it be caught.' The king thereupon dispatched a vast army and went straight to the bank of the Gaṅgā River. The crow, perched in a treetop, saw the men and soldiers coming and at once called out to the deer, 'Friend, arise! The king's soldiers have arrived!' The deer was sleeping soundly and did not wake. The crow flew down and pecked its ear, and only then was the deer startled awake. Looking around in all four directions, there was nowhere left to flee. It then proceeded toward the side of the king's chariot. The flanking ministers wished to shoot it. The king said, 'Do not shoot! This deer is extraordinary; it must be a heavenly deity.' The deer said, 'Great King, pray do not shoot me! Previously, I saved a person from the king's country.' The deer then knelt upright and asked the king, 'Who told you that I was here?' The king pointed directly to the leprous-faced man beside the chariot, indicating that it was he. The deer then looked up at this man's face, tears flowing from its eyes beyond restraint. 'Earlier, this man was drowning in the water. Spared neither body nor life, I threw myself into the water and carried this man out. We agreed that he would not guide others here. Man has no gratitude; he is not as good as floating wood retrieved from the water.' The king showed shame on his face: 'You received its kindness, yet how could you turn around and wish to kill it?' He immediately issued an order throughout the country: 'Whoever chases or hunts this deer shall have their nine clans exterminated.' Several thousand deer all came to take refuge there; they ate grass and drank water without infringing upon the standing grain. The wind and rain came in season, the five grains ripened in abundance, people were free from disease, and that age was peaceful. At that time, the nine-coloured deer was myself; the crow was Ānanda; the king was my present royal father, Śuddhodana; the queen was Sundarī; and the drowning man was Devadatta. Though I had a good heart toward him, he still wished to harm me; it is difficult to find a sincere mind.