諸經要集 10.178

10.178

帝釋聞之。與八萬諸天。到其井側曰。不聞聖教久處幽冥。向說非凡。願更宣法。野干答曰。天帝無訓。不識時宜。法師在下自處其上。初不。修敬而問法要。帝釋於是以天衣接取。叩頭懺悔。憶念我昔曾見世人。先敷高座後請法師。諸天即各脫寶衣。積為高座。野干升座曰。有二大因緣。一者說法開化天人。福無量故。二者為報施食恩。報無量故天帝白曰。得免井厄。功德應大。云何恩不及耶。答曰。生死各宜。有人貪生。有人樂死。有愚癡人。不知死後更生。違遠佛法。不值明師。貪生畏死死墮地獄。有智慧人。奉事三寶。遭遇明師。改惡修善。如斯之人惡生樂死。死生天上。天帝曰。如尊所誨。全命無功。志願聞施食施法。答曰。布施飲食。濟一日之命。施珍寶者。濟一世之厄。增益生死。說法教化者。能令眾生出世間道。得三乘果。免三惡道。受人天樂。是故佛說。以法布施功德無量。天帝曰。師今此形。為是業報。為是應化。答曰。是罪非應。天帝曰。我謂是聖。方聞罪報。未知其故。願聞因緣。答曰。昔生波羅柰國波頭摩城。為貧家子。剎利之種。幼懷聰朗。特好學習。至年十二逐師於山。不失時節經五十年。九十六種經書。靡所不達。皆由和尚之恩。其功難報。由先學慧自識宿命。由受王位。奢婬著樂。報盡命終。生地獄畜生（自下云云略而不述）時帝釋與八萬諸天。從受十善。今還天宮。和尚何時捨此罪報得生天上。野干曰。剋後七日。當捨此身生兜率天。汝等便可欲生。彼天多有菩薩說法教化。七日命盡生兜率王宮。後識宿命。行十善道。又賢愚經云。佛在波羅柰國。於林澤中。為諸天人四輩之類。顯說妙法。時虛空中有五百雁群聞佛音聲。深心愛樂。迴翔欲下。獵師張羅。雁墮其中為獵師所殺。生忉利天。處父母膝上。若八歲兒。端嚴無比光若金山。便自念言。我何因生此。即識宿命愛法果報。即共持華下閻浮提。至世尊所。禮足白言。我蒙法音。生在妙天。願重開示。佛說四諦。得須陀洹果。即還天上（此略出歎法功德。若廣明求法方軌。具在上第二卷敬法中也）。

Śakra, lord of the gods, heard it. Together with eighty thousand gods, he came to the side of the well and said, 'Having not heard the noble teachings, we have long dwelled in darkness. What you just spoke is no ordinary matter. We pray that you will proclaim the Dharma further.'
The jackal replied, 'The heavenly lord lacks instruction and does not know what is fitting for the occasion. The Dharma master is below, while you place yourself above. Without showing any respect at the start, you ask for the essentials of the Dharma.'
Thereupon, Śakra caught and received him with heavenly robes, bowed down, and repented, [saying,] 'I recall that in the past I once saw worldly people first set out a high seat and only then invite the Dharma master.'
The gods then each took off their precious robes and piled them up into a high seat. The jackal ascended the seat and said, 'There are two great causes and conditions: first, preaching the Dharma to convert gods and humans brings immeasurable merit; second, repaying the kindness of those who provide food brings immeasurable recompense.'
The heavenly lord said, 'To be spared the peril of the well—the merit of that should be great. Why is that kindness not equal [to giving food]?'
He replied, 'Life and death each have what is fitting. Some covet life, and some rejoice in death. There are foolish people who do not know that after death one is reborn again; they violate and turn away from the Buddha-Dharma and do not encounter an enlightened master; coveting life and fearing death, upon death they fall into hell. There are wise people who attend upon the Triratna, encounter an enlightened master, and reform evil to cultivate good; such people detest life and rejoice in death, and upon death are born in heaven.'
The heavenly lord said, 'As your honor has instructed, preserving life brings no merit. Our sincere wish is to hear about the gift of food and the gift of the Dharma.'
He replied, 'Giving food and drink saves a single day of life; giving precious jewels saves from the perils of a single lifetime, yet only increases saṃsāra. But preaching the Dharma to convert others enables sentient beings to transcend the mundane path, attain the fruits of the three vehicles, escape the three evil destinies, and receive the bliss of gods and humans. Therefore, the Buddha taught that the merit of giving the Dharma is immeasurable.'
The heavenly lord said, 'Is this present form of yours, Master, a karmic retribution or a manifest transformation?'
He replied, 'It is retribution for sin, not a manifest transformation.'
The heavenly lord said, 'I took you to be a sage, but now I hear it is a karmic retribution for sin. Not knowing the reason, I pray to hear the causes and conditions.'
He replied, 'In the past, I was born in the city of Paduma in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī as the child of a poor family of the kṣatriya clan. From my youth I harboured an agile intelligence and was particularly fond of study. When I reached the age of twelve, I followed a master into the mountains, never missing a proper time, for fifty years. Of the ninety-six kinds of scriptures and treatises, there was none I did not master. This was all due to the kindness of my upādhyāya, a merit difficult to repay. Because of my former learning and wisdom, I can recognize my past lives. Later, receiving the royal throne, I became extravagant, lustful, and attached to pleasure. When the retribution was exhausted and my life ended, I was born into hell and as an animal.' (What follows below is elaborate and omitted.)
At that time, Śakra and the eighty thousand gods received the ten good deeds from him. [Śakra asked,] 'We are now returning to the heavenly palace. When will you, upādhyāya, renounce this sinful retribution and attain rebirth in heaven?'
The jackal said, 'Strictly after seven days, I will abandon this body and be born in Tuṣita Heaven. You may also wish to be born there, for in that heaven there are many bodhisattvas who preach the Dharma and instruct beings.'
After seven days, his life ended and he was born in the Tuṣita royal palace; afterwards, he recognized his past lives and practiced the path of the ten good deeds.
Furthermore, the Xianyu jing says: The Buddha was in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, in a forest marsh, expounding the wondrous Dharma for gods, humans, and the four assemblies. At that time, a flock of five hundred wild geese in the sky heard the Buddha's voice; their hearts were filled with deep joy, and they wheeled around, wanting to alight. A hunter had spread a net; the geese fell into it and were killed by the hunter. They were reborn in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, sitting on the knees of their parents like eight-year-old boys, incomparably dignified and upright, their radiance like golden mountains. They thought to themselves, "By what cause was I born here?" Immediately they recognized their past lives and the retribution for having loved the Dharma. Together holding flowers, they descended to Jambudvīpa, went to the Bhagavat's place, bowed to his feet, and said, "Having received the sound of the Dharma, we were born in a wondrous heaven. We pray that you will explain it to us again." The Buddha preached the Four Noble Truths, and they attained the fruit of srotāpanna, then returned to heaven. (This briefly sets forth the praise of the Dharma's merit. If one would explain at length the rules and methods for seeking the Dharma, it is fully present above in fascicle 2, under "Revering the Dharma.")