諸經要集 14.8

14.8

又賢愚經云。昔佛在世時。舍衛城中有一長者。名黎耆彌。有七頭兒皆以婚娶。最小兒婦字毘舍離。甚有賢智無事不知。時黎耆彌。以其家業悉皆付之。由其賢智。波斯匿王敬禮為妹有時懷妊。月滿便生三十二卵。其一卵中出一男兒。顏貌端正勇健非凡。一人之力敵於千夫。長為納婦。皆是國中豪賢之女。時毘舍離。請佛及僧於舍供養。佛為說法。合家悉得須陀洹果。唯最小兒。未得道迹。乘象出遊。逢輔相子乘車橋上。便捉擲著橋下塹中。傷破身體。來告其父。輔相語子。彼人力壯又是國親。難與諍勝。當思密報。即以七寶作馬鞭三十二枚。純剛作刀。著馬鞭中。人贈一枚。諸人愛之歡喜納受。恒捉在手。出入見王。國法見王。禮不帶刀。輔相見受。便白王讒。毘舍離兒。年盛力壯一人當千。今懷異計謀欲殺王。各作利刀置馬鞭中。事審明矣。王即索看果如所言。王意謂實皆悉殺之。殺竟便以三十二頭。盛著一函封閉印之。送與其妹。當日毘舍離。請佛及僧就舍供養。見王送函謂王助供。即欲開看。佛止不聽。待僧食竟。飯食訖已佛為說法無常苦等。時毘舍離。得阿那含果。佛去之後。開函見兒三十二頭。由斷欲愛不至懊惱。但作是言。痛哉悲矣。人生有死不得長久。驅馳五道何苦乃爾。三十二兒婦家親族。聞此事理懊惱唱言。大王無道枉殺善人。共集兵馬欲往報讐。王時恐怖走向佛所。諸人引軍圍繞祇桓。阿難見王殺毘舍離三十二子。婦家親族。欲為報讐。合掌問佛。有何因緣。三十二兒為王所殺。佛告阿難。乃往過去。三十二人。盜他一牛。共牽將到一老母舍。欲共殺之。老母歡喜為辦殺具。臨下刀時牛跪乞命。諸人意盛遂爾殺之。牛死誓言。汝今殺我。我將來世終不放汝。死已共食。老母食飽。歡喜之言。由來安客。未如今日。佛告阿難。爾時牛者。今波斯匿王是。盜牛人者。今毘舍離三十二子是。時老母者今毘舍離是。由殺牛故。五百世中。常為所殺。老母歡喜。五百世中常為作母。兒被殺時極懷懊惱。今值我故得阿那含果。婦家親族。聞佛所說恚心便息。各作是言。此人自種今受其報。由殺一牛今尚如是。何況多也。波斯匿王是我之王。云何懷怨而欲殺害。即投王前求哀懺悔。王亦釋然不問其罪。阿難白佛。復修何福豪貴勇健值佛得道。佛告阿難。乃往過去。迦葉佛時有一老母。合集眾香以油和之。欲往塗塔。路中逢值三十二人。因而勸之共往塗塔。塗竟發願。生生之處尊榮豪貴。恒為母子。值佛得道。從是以來五百世中。生恒尊貴常為母子。今值佛故各得道迹。

Furthermore, the Damamūka-nidāna-sūtra says: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there was an elder in the city of Śrāvastī named Ligimi (Mṛgāra), who had seven sons, all of whom were married. The youngest son's wife was named Vaiśālī (Viśākhā); she was exceedingly wise and virtuous, knowing everything. Thereupon, Mṛgāra entrusted all of his household estate to her. On account of her wisdom and virtue, King Prasenajit treated her with reverence as his sister. At one time she became pregnant, and when the months were fulfilled she gave birth to thirty-two eggs. From each egg came a male child, whose appearance was handsome and whose courage and strength were extraordinary; the strength of each single person was equal to a thousand men. When they grew up, wives were taken for them, all daughters of noble and virtuous families in the country. At that time Viśākhā invited the Buddha and the Saṃgha to her house to make offerings. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and the whole family attained the fruit of srotāpanna; only the youngest son had not yet attained the stages of the Path. Riding an elephant, he went out on an excursion and met the chief minister's son riding in a chariot on a bridge; he seized him and threw him down into the moat beneath the bridge, injuring and breaking his body. He came and told his father. The chief minister told his son, "His strength is mighty and he is moreover a relative of the ruler; it is hard to contend and win against him. We should devise a secret revenge." He then made thirty-two horsewhips out of the seven treasures, fashioned swords of pure steel, placed them within the horsewhips, and presented one to each person. Everyone liked them, joyfully accepted them, and constantly held them in their hands, going in and out to see the king. By the law of the state, it was forbidden to carry swords when seeing the king. Seeing that they had accepted them, the chief minister calumniated them to the king, saying, "The sons of Viśākhā are in the prime of life and mighty in strength, each equal to a thousand. Now they harbor deviant plots, scheming to assassinate the king; each has made a sharp sword and placed it within his horsewhip. The matter is clearly evident." The king immediately demanded to inspect them, and indeed it was as he had said. Believing it to be true, the king executed them all. When the killing was done, he placed the thirty-two heads in a single casket, sealed and stamped it, and sent it to his sister. On that day, Viśākhā had invited the Buddha and the Saṃgha to her house to receive offerings. Seeing the casket sent by the king, she thought the king was contributing to the offering and wished to open it and look. The Buddha stopped her and did not permit it, waiting until the Saṃgha had finished eating. When the meal was over, the Buddha preached the Dharma of impermanence, suffering, and so on for her. At that time Viśākhā attained the fruit of anāgāmin. After the Buddha had departed, she opened the casket and saw the thirty-two heads of her sons. Because she had severed desire and craving, she did not fall into anguish; she merely said, "How grievous! How sorrowful! Human life ends in death and cannot long endure; galloping through the five destinies, why must there be such suffering?" When the families and kinsmen of the thirty-two sons' wives heard this matter, they lamented in anguish and cried out, "The Great King is unprincipled, falsely executing good men!" Gathering their troops and horses together, they wished to go and seek revenge. At that time the king was terrified and fled to where the Buddha was. The people led the army and surrounded the Jetavana. Seeing that the king had executed the thirty-two sons of Viśākhā and that their wives' families and kinsmen wished to take revenge, Ānanda joined his palms and asked the Buddha, "What was the cause and condition whereby the thirty-two sons were executed by the king?" The Buddha told Ānanda, "Long ago in the past, thirty-two men stole an ox belonging to another and led it together to the house of an old woman, wishing to slaughter it together. The old woman was pleased and prepared the slaughtering implements for them. When the knife was about to strike, the ox knelt down and begged for its life. The men's passions ran high, and so they slaughtered it. As it died, the ox made a vow: 'You slaughter me now; in future lives I will never let you go.' After it was dead, they ate it together. Having eaten her fill, the old woman said joyfully, 'Never have I entertained guests as I have today!'" The Buddha told Ānanda, "The ox at that time was King Prasenajit now. The men who stole the ox were the thirty-two sons of Viśākhā now. The old woman of that time was Viśākhā now. Because they slaughtered the ox, for five hundred lifetimes they have constantly been killed by it. Because the old woman rejoiced, for five hundred lifetimes she was constantly their mother, experiencing extreme anguish whenever her sons were killed. Now, because she encountered me, she has attained the fruit of anāgāmin." When the wives' families and kinsmen heard what the Buddha said, their hateful intentions subsided. Each said, "These men sowed it themselves and now receive the retribution. Even from slaughtering one ox it is still like this, how much more so for many! King Prasenajit is our king; how could we harbor resentment and wish to slay him?" They thereupon threw themselves before the king, begging for mercy and repenting; the king too was relieved and did not hold them guilty. Ānanda addressed the Buddha, "What merit did they cultivate to be noble, rich, courageous, strong, and to meet the Buddha and attain the Path?" The Buddha told Ānanda, "Long ago in the past, in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there was an old woman who gathered various incenses, mixed them with oil, and wished to go and plaster a stūpa. On the road she met thirty-two men and thereupon exhorted them to go together to plaster the stūpa. When the plastering was finished, they made a vow: 'May we, wherever we are born in life after life, be honoured, glorious, noble, and wealthy; may we always be mother and sons; and may we meet a Buddha and attain the Path.' From that time onward, throughout five hundred lifetimes, they were always born into high nobility and were constantly mother and sons. Now, because they encountered the Buddha, each attained the traces of the Path."