法苑珠林 58.24

58.24

"Furthermore, Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, King Bimbisāra, together with the king's consorts, Queen Mallikā, and the great elders of various countries such as Sudatta—all such people are disciples of the Buddha. The Tathāgata, the World-Honoured One, has unhindered knowledge and vision regarding all dharmas, and therefore is called 'Buddha'. He currently resides nearby. If you wish to know the truth, you should go to the Buddha's place." Thereupon, the elder went to the Buddha's place and asked the Buddha about the matter. The Buddha said: "Elder, that your wife is pregnant with a boy is without doubt; his blessings and virtues are peerless." The elder was delighted. The six teachers were jealous, and mixing poison with an āmra fruit, they gave it to the elder, saying: "When your wife is near her month of delivery, she should take this medicine; the child will be handsome and the mother will have no difficulties in childbirth." The elder received it and gave it to his wife to take. Having taken it, she soon died. The six teachers were delighted and went all around the city proclaiming: "The śramaṇa Gautama prophesied that that elder's wife would bear a son; now before the child is born, the mother has already lost her life!" At that time, the elder also lost faith in me. He immediately placed her in a coffin and cremated it. Seeing this, I wished to go to subdue the heterodox. Seeing the Buddha approaching from afar, the six teachers said to one another: "Has the śramaṇa Gautama come to this graveyard wishing to eat flesh?" Those who had not yet attained the Dharma-eye were filled with shame and fear, and said to the Buddha: "That woman is already dead; please do not go." At that time, Ānanda said to the people: "Wait just a moment! Before long, the Tathāgata will broadly manifest the realm of the Buddhas." When the Buddha arrived at the elder's place, the elder questioned him: "Your words are supposed to be unequivocal. The child's mother has already died; how can a son be born?" I said: "Elder, at that time you did not ask at all whether the mother's life was long or short; you only asked whether she was carrying a boy or a girl. The words uttered by the Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, are never dual. Therefore, you should know that you will certainly obtain a son." At that time, as the corpse burned, the belly burst open, and a boy emerged from within, sitting upright in the midst of the fire like on a lotus dais. When the six teachers saw this, they called it an illusionist's trick. Seeing this, the elder was overjoyed and rebuked the six teachers: "If you call it an illusion, why can you not do it?" At that time, I told Jīvaka: "Go into the fire and bring this child out in your arms." Jīvaka stepped forward into the mass of flames as if entering a cool, great river, and brought the child back in his arms. Having received the child, I told the elder: "The lifespan of all sentient beings is unfixed, like a bubble on water. If a sentient being has heavy karmic retribution, neither fire nor poisonous bites can harm him. This was not of my doing. This child was born in the midst of a fierce fire; fire is named Jyotiṣ, hence he is named Jyotiṣka."