法苑珠林 64.40

64.40

Furthermore, the Four-Part Vinaya says: The Buddha said: In the past, there was a king named Lamp of Wisdom (Prajñāpradīpa). He caused all people in Jambudvīpa who were able to speak, whether men or women, to practice the ten virtues. When the king was first born, eighty-four thousand treasures naturally emerged. At crossroads, he gave everything away in accordance with whatever was sought. At that time, Śakra, Devānām Indra, thought: “This King Lamp of Wisdom gives everything in accordance with whatever is asked for. I fear that in a future life he will seize my seat. I should go now to test him: does he give for the sake of the unsurpassed path, or will he regress?” He then transformed himself into a man and went about saying to others, “King Lamp of Wisdom has instructed us to practice the ten non-virtuous actions, from killing living beings to holding wrong views.” At that time, the ministers all went to inform the king. The king replied, “No. I previously spoke words bidding all beings in Jambudvīpa who are capable of action to practice the ten virtues, from not killing to not holding wrong views, and only thus would I serve as their king. Therefore, I uttered no such words. You may now harness my elephant mount; I wish to go out myself to instruct and transform the kingdom's people.” When the heavenly elephant arrived, the king mounted it. The king said, “Show me the man who claims that I instructed the kingdom's people to practice the ten non-virtuous actions.” They pointed him out to the king. The king asked, “Did Lamp of Wisdom teach you to practice the ten non-virtuous actions?” He replied, “Indeed so.” The king asked again, “Is there an expedient means by which you can practice the ten virtues?” He answered, “There is.” The king asked, “What is it?” He replied, “If one can obtain an accomplished bodhisattva alive, eat his flesh, and drink his blood, then one will be able to practice the ten virtues.” At that time, King Lamp of Wisdom had this thought: “From beginningless eons onward, I have experienced numerous sufferings, transmigrating through the five realms, sometimes having my hands and feet cut off, ears and nose removed, eyes gouged out, or head severed; what benefit came of it after all?” He took a sharp knife, cut the flesh of his own thigh, caught the blood in a vessel, gave it to the man, and said to him: “Good man, you may eat this flesh and drink this blood, and practice the ten virtues.” At that time, the man could not withstand King Lamp of Wisdom's majesty and virtue, and vanished from sight. Suddenly, Śakra appeared standing before him and asked the king, “Does the king practice this dāna for the sake of one world, or two, three, or four worlds? Or for the sake of the Sun and Moon, Śakra, Māra, or Brahmā?” The king replied, “I do not practice dāna for the sake of worlds, nor for Māra, Brahmā, and the rest. I have set my mind on seeking unsurpassed, true, and complete omniscience; to cross over those not yet crossed over, to liberate those not yet liberated, to cause those who have not attained nirvāṇa to attain nirvāṇa, and to deliver those afflicted with birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress.” At that time, Śakra thought: “It would be most improper for me to let King Lamp of Wisdom die of this wound. I must pour heavenly amṛta over his body.” He poured it immediately, and the wound recovered just as before. The Buddha told King Bimbisāra: “Could that king who benefited sentient beings at that time have been anyone else? He was none other than my father, King Śuddhodana. The king's primary consort was my present mother, Māyā. King Lamp of Wisdom was my very self. In a previous life, I instructed and transformed numerous people of Jambudvīpa, causing them all to practice the ten virtues. Due to these causes and conditions, the thousand-spoked wheel signs beneath my feet were accomplished with full rims, shining with bright light that illuminates three thousand great thousand realms.”