法苑珠林 95.14

95.14

Furthermore, the Sūtra on the Original Vow Asked by Maitreya states: The Buddha said to Ānanda: "In the past, when I was seeking the Path, it was through countless hardships and suffering that I was finally able to attain Buddhahood; the incidents were not just one." The Buddha said: "Ānanda, in the distant past there was a prince named Suoxian ('Manifested'), who was upright and handsome. Coming forth from his garden pavilion, on the road he saw a man afflicted with a grave and critical illness. Having seen him, he felt grief and pity in his heart, and asked the sick man, 'With what kind of medicine can your illness be cured?' The sick man replied, 'Only the blood of the king's body can cure my illness.' At that time, the prince thereupon took a sharp knife, pierced his own body to draw blood, and gave it to the sick man, giving it with a sincere mind without any regret. The prince at that time was my very person. The water of the four great oceans could still be measured by the peck, but the blood given from my body cannot be weighed or limited. Again, in the distant past there was a prince named King of the Lotus, who was upright and handsome. Coming forth from his garden pavilion, on the road he saw a man whose body was afflicted with leprosy. Having seen him, he pitied him and asked the sick man, 'With what medicine can your illness be cured?' The sick man replied, 'If I obtain the marrow from the king's body to smear upon my body, then the illness will be cured.' At this time the prince immediately broke the bones of his body to obtain the marrow, took it and gave it to the sick man, bestowing it with joy and without any regret in his heart. The prince at that time was my very person. The water of the four great oceans could still be measured by the peck, but the giving of my body's marrow cannot be reckoned or calculated."