法苑珠林 54.44

54.44

Furthermore, the Liudu ji jing says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was a peacock king. Leading five hundred wives, he abandoned his former mates, wishing to take a green bird as his wife. This green bird ate only sweet dew and fine fruits. The peacock king went out daily to fetch them for his wife. The queen consort of the king of that country fell ill; in a dream she saw a peacock and said that its flesh could serve as medicine. Having awoken, she reported this to the king. The king ordered hunters to set out swiftly to search for it. The queen said: 'To whoever can capture it, I will give my youngest daughter in marriage and bestow a thousand catties of gold.' The hunters of the country dispersed to search for it. [One] saw the peacock king following a green bird at his usual feeding place. He then smeared honeyed roasted flour on the trees in every place. The peacock king constantly took it to provide for his wife. The archer-hunter smeared his body with honeyed roasted flour, crouched down, and waited. When the peacock king took the roasted flour, the man caught him. The peacock king said: 'Your toiling of your body must be for profit. I shall show you a golden mountain that can serve as an inexhaustible treasure; spare my life!' The hunter replied: 'The great king will bestow on me a thousand catties of gold and give his youngest daughter to me as a wife. How could I believe your words? I am determined to deliver you as an offering.' The peacock king said: 'The great king cherishes benevolence, and his moisture of grace leaves nothing unreached. I pray you heed my humble words: grant me a little water; I shall empower it with a compassionate incantation, and when she drinks it, her illness will be healed. If it has no effect, it will not be too late to receive punishment.' The king complied with his wish. When the queen consort drank it, all her ailments were completely healed, and her radiant complexion became brilliant; so it was for all the palace ladies. The entire country praised the king's vast benevolence in preserving the peacock's life and thereby extending the lifespan of the entire country. The peacock said: 'I wish to cast my body into that great lake and empower its water with an incantation; the multiple ailments of the common people across the land can then be healed. If there is any deceit or falsehood, you may strike my feet with a staff.' The king said: 'I permit it.' The peacock did so. The people of the country drank the water and all gained strength: the deaf heard, the blind saw, the mute spoke, and the crippled stretched out; so it was for all illnesses. The queen's illness was eliminated, the people of the country were all free from disease, and they had no mind to harm the peacock. The peacock, knowing this fully, addressed the king, saying: 'Having received the king's kindness that granted me life, I have repaid it by saving the lives of the entire country. The recompense being completed, I beg to withdraw.' The king said: 'You may do so.' The bird then took flight, mounted a tree, and spoke again: 'In the world there are three fools.' The king said: 'What are the three?' 'The first is my folly; the second is the hunter's folly; the third is the great king's folly.' The king said: 'I pray you explain them.' The bird said: 'The heavy precepts of all Buddhas regard lust as fire; burning the body and endangering life arises from greed for sex. I abandoned five hundred wives who attended me and craved the green bird, seeking food to supply her like a servant, and was captured by a wild deceiver, nearly endangering my body and life: this is my folly. As for the hunter's folly: at my words of utter sincerity, he abandoned a mountain of gold and cast aside inexhaustible treasure, believing the deceitful falsehood of the queen and longing for the youngest daughter as a wife. Looking upon the mad fools of the world, all are of this kind! Violating the Buddha's truthful precepts, they believe the deceits of ghosts and demons, indulging in wine, pleasure, and licentious debauchery; some suffer the calamity of a ruined household, or at death enter Mount Tai, their sufferings being countless. Longing to return to human form is like a featherless bird wishing to fly up to heaven; how could it not be difficult? The seductive bewitchment of a wanton woman is comparable to that drought demon; there is none who does not thereby lose their kingdom and endanger their body. Yet foolish men revere them; among ten thousand words there is not one truth. Yet the archer-hunter believed her: this is called the hunter's folly. The king obtained a heavenly physician who eliminated the illness of the entire country, completely eradicating all poisons so that faces were like blossoms in full bloom, with both great and humble rejoicing and relying on it; yet the king released him: this is called the king's folly.' The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'As for the peacock king, from that time onward he travelled through the eight directions, constantly bestowing divine medicine with a compassionate mind to cure the diseases of sentient beings. The peacock king was my own body. The king of the country was Śāriputra. The hunter was Devadatta. The queen consort was Devadatta's wife. Such is the Bodhisattva's compassionate wisdom in crossing over without limit by practicing generosity.'