法苑珠林 83.25

83.25

Furthermore, the Saṭpāramitā-saṃgraha-sūtra says: The Buddha told the disciples, "You should be diligently vigorous in listening, chanting, and reciting; do not be indolent or covered by the hindrances. I recall that countless kalpas ago, there was a Buddha named Sarvatāra-rāja. At that time, there were two monks in the assembly: one named Vīryapratibhāna, and the other named Guṇaratikṣānti. Together they listened to the Dharma. Vīryapratibhāna rejoiced upon hearing the scripture, and immediately attained the stage of non-retrogression (avaivartika) and full endowment of supernatural powers. Guṇaratikṣānti slept without waking, and alone attained nothing. Then Vīryapratibhāna said to Guṇaratikṣānti, 'Buddhas are difficult to encounter; only once in hundreds of millions of generations does one appear. You should be diligently vigorous and serve as an exemplar for the multitude. Why do you sleep?' Hearing his instruction, Guṇaratikṣānti immediately practiced walking meditation. Just as he began walking among the Jeta trees, he stopped again and fell asleep. Agitated and confused like this, unable to calm himself, he went to the side of a spring, sat down intending to contemplate, and fell asleep again. Then Vīryapratibhāna, using skillful means, went to deliver him. He transformed into a king of bees and flew toward his eyes, as if about to sting him. Guṇaratikṣānti was startled awake and sat up; fearing this king of bees, after a short while he fell asleep again. Then the king of honeybees flew under his armpit and stung him on the chest and belly. Guṇaratikṣānti was startled, frightened in his heart, and dared not sleep again. At that time, in the spring water there were multicolored flowers of various pure colors. The king of honeybees flew and rested upon a flower, feeding on the taste of sweet nectar. Guṇaratikṣānti sat upright and watched it; fearing it would fly back, he dared not sleep, and contemplated the bee king, observing its origin. The bee king fed on the nectar without leaving the flower; in a short while, the bee king fell asleep, fell into the foul mud, and bathed its body therein; afterwards, it flew back and rested upon the flower. Then Guṇaratikṣānti spoke a verse to the king of honeybees: