[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [諸經要集](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123) › 15.55 # 諸經要集 15.55 諸經要集 15.55 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [15.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15.55) 又六度集經云。昔者菩薩身為象王。其心弘遠。照知有佛法僧。常三自歸。每以普慈拯濟眾生。誓願得佛當度一切。從五百象。時有兩妻。象王於水中得一蓮花。厥色甚妙。以惠適妻。適妻得華。欣懌曰。氷寒尤甚何緣有斯華乎。小妻貪嫉。而誓曰。會以重毒鴆殺汝矣。結氣而殞。魂靈感化。為四姓女。顏華絕人。智意流通博識古今。仰觀天文明時盛衰。王聞若茲。娉為夫人。至即陳化治國之政。義合忠臣。王悅而敬之。每言輒從。夫人曰。吾夢覩六牙之象。心欲其牙以為珮几。王不致之吾即死矣。王曰。無妖言。人聞見笑。爾時夫人心生憂結。王請議臣四人。自云己夢。曰古今有斯象乎。一臣對曰。無有之也。一臣曰。王不夢也。一臣曰。當聞有之所在彌遠。一臣曰若能致之帝釋。今詳於茲矣。四臣即召四方射師問之。南方師曰。吾亡父常云有之。然遠難致。臣上聞云。斯人知之。王即現之。夫人曰。汝直南行三千里入山。行二日許。即至象所。道邊作坑。除汝鬚髮著沙門服。於坑中射之。截取其牙將二寸來。象師如命。行之象處。先射象脚。著法衣服持鉢。於坑中止住。象王見沙門。即低頭言。和南道士。將以何事殺吾軀命。答曰。欲得汝牙。象曰。吾痛難忍。疾取牙去。無亂吾心令惡念生也。志念惡者。死入太山餓鬼畜生道中。夫懷忍行慈。惡來善往。菩薩之上行也。人即截牙。象曰。道士汝當却行。無令群象尋足跡也。象遣人去遠。甚痛難忍。躄地大呼。奄然而死。即生天上。群象四來。咸曰。何人殺吾王者。行索不得。還守王屍。悲痛哀號。師以牙還。王覩象牙心即慟怖。夫人以牙著手中適欲視之。雷電礔礰椎之吐血。死入地獄。佛告諸沙門。爾時象王者我身是也。大婦者裘夷是。獵師者調達是。夫人者好首是。菩薩執志度無極。行持戒如是。 > Furthermore, the Liudu ji jing says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was an elephant king. His mind was vast and far-reaching: he clearly knew of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṃgha, and constantly took refuge in the three. He always used universal compassion to rescue and deliver sentient beings, making a vow that upon attaining Buddhahood he would liberate all. He was followed by five hundred elephants and had two wives. The elephant king obtained a lotus flower in the water, of extraordinarily exquisite color, and presented it to his senior wife. The senior wife received the flower and rejoiced, saying: 'The ice and cold are severe; how did you happen to obtain such a flower?' The junior wife was covetous and jealous, and made a vow: 'I shall surely kill you with potent venom!' She died from choked indignation. Her spirit was transformed and born as the daughter of a family of the four varnas, with beauty surpassing all people. Her wisdom flowed freely, broadly conversant with past and present; looking up, she observed the celestial signs and understood the seasons and their rise and decline. When the king heard of this, he took her as his consort. Upon arriving, she expounded governance for the state, her righteousness matching that of loyal ministers. The king was pleased and respected her, complying with whatever she said. The consort said: 'In a dream, I saw a six-tusked elephant; my heart desires its tusks to make an armrest and ornaments. If the king does not obtain them, I shall die.' The king said: 'Do not speak such ominous words; people will laugh upon hearing them.' At that time, the consort felt distress and anxiety. The king summoned four councilors, claiming it was his own dream, and asked: 'Has such an elephant existed from ancient times to the present?' One minister replied: 'There has never been such a thing.' One minister said: 'The king did not dream it.' One minister said: 'I have heard of it, but its whereabouts are extremely distant.' One minister said: 'If anyone can obtain it, it would be Śakra Devendra, but this must now be investigated.' The four ministers then summoned archers from the four quarters and questioned them. The southern archer said: 'My deceased father always said it existed, but it is distant and difficult to obtain.' The ministers reported to the throne: 'This man knows of it.' The king then granted him an audience. The consort said: 'Go straight south for three thousand li into the mountains. Traveling for about two days, you will reach the elephant's abode. Dig a pit beside the road, shave your hair and beard, put on the robes of a śramaṇa, and shoot it from within the pit. Sever its tusks and bring back two inches.' The elephant hunter obeyed the order, went to the elephant's place, and first shot the elephant in the foot. Wearing the Dharma robes and holding a bowl, he remained stopped in the pit. The elephant king saw the śramaṇa, bowed his head, and said: 'Vandana, man of the Way! For what reason would you slay my body and life?' He answered: 'I wish to obtain your tusks.' The elephant said: 'My pain is hard to bear. Quickly take the tusks and depart, lest you disturb my mind and cause evil thoughts to arise. One whose thoughts harbor evil will at death enter the realms of Mount Tai, hungry ghosts, or animals. Now, harboring patience and practicing benevolence, repaying evil with goodness—this is the supreme practice of a bodhisattva.' The man then severed the tusks. The elephant said: 'Man of the Way, you should walk backwards, so that the herd of elephants cannot track your footprints.' When the elephant had sent the man far off, the pain became unbearable; he collapsed to the ground with a great cry and suddenly died, being immediately reborn in heaven. The herd of elephants came from all four sides, all saying: 'Who killed our king?' They searched without finding the culprit, and returned to guard the king's corpse, weeping and howling in grief. The hunter returned with the tusks. When the king saw the elephant tusks, his heart was struck with grief and dread. The consort took the tusks in her hands; just as she went to gaze upon them, thunderbolts crashed, she vomited blood, and at death fell into hell. The Buddha told the bhikṣus: 'The elephant king at that time was myself. The senior wife was Gopā; the hunter was Devadatta; and the consort was Sundarī. The Bodhisattva holds fast to his intent to ferry beings across without limit, maintaining the precepts in this way.' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 15.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15.54) - [Next: 15.56](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15.56) - [Up: 15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123~en-mt.15.55) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (1) - [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.78.8) — 道世, Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.15.55) · Pramāṇa