諸經要集 3.18

3.18

又雜阿含經云。阿育王問比丘言。誰於佛法中能行大施。諸比丘言。給孤獨長者最行大施。王問。彼施幾許。比丘答曰。以捨億千金。王聞已。彼長者尚捨億千金。我今為王。何緣復以億千金施。當以億百千金施。乃至用私藏盡。將此閻浮提夫人婇女太子大臣。總施與聖僧。後用四十億金。還復贖取。如是計挍。總用九十六億千金。乃至王得重病自知命盡。常願以億百千金作功德。今願不滿便就後世。唯減四億未滿。王即辦諸珍寶。送與雞頭摩寺。乃至以半阿摩勒果。送與僧禮拜僧足。問訊大聖眾等。我領此閻浮提。是我所有。今者頓盡不得自在唯此半果哀愍納受。令我得福。上座耶舍令研磨著石榴羹中行之。一切皆得周遍。王復問傍臣曰。誰是閻浮提王。諸臣啟王言。大王是也。時王從臥起而坐。顧望四方合掌作禮。念諸佛功德心念口言。我今復以此閻浮提施與三寶。時王書紙上而封緘之。以齒印印之。作如是事畢即便無常。爾時太子及諸人民。興種種供養葬送。如王之法而闍維之。

Furthermore, the Saṃyuktāgama states: King Aśoka asked the bhikṣus: 'Who within the Buddha's teaching has been capable of the greatest giving?' The bhikṣus said: 'The elder Anāthapiṇḍada practiced the greatest giving.' The king asked: 'How much did he give?' The bhikṣus replied: 'He gave a hundred thousand million in gold.' Upon hearing this, the king said: 'That elder could give even a hundred thousand million in gold; now that I am a king, why should I give only a hundred thousand million? I should give hundreds of thousands of millions in gold.' He even exhausted his private treasury, and gave all of this Jambudvīpa, including his consorts, maidservants, crown prince, and ministers, to the noble saṅgha, and later redeemed them with four billion in gold. Reckoning in this manner, he expended altogether ninety-six hundred thousand million in gold. Eventually the king fell gravely ill, and knowing his life was coming to an end, he thought: 'I have always vowed to perform meritorious deeds with hundreds of thousands of millions in gold; now before my vow is fulfilled, I must pass on to the next life, falling short by four billion.' The king then prepared various precious gems to send to the Kukkuṭārāma Monastery, and even sent half an āmalaka fruit to the saṅgha, bowing down at the saṅgha's feet and asking after the health of the great noble assembly: 'I have ruled over this Jambudvīpa, and it belonged to me; now all has suddenly been stripped away and I have no mastery over it. Only this half fruit remains; out of pity, please accept it, so that I may obtain merit.' The elder Yaśa ordered that it be ground up and put into pomegranate broth to distribute it, so that all might receive a share. The king then asked the ministers at his side: 'Who is the king of Jambudvīpa?' The ministers replied to the king: 'Your Majesty is.' Thereupon the king rose from his bed and sat upright, looked around at the four directions, joined his palms in reverent worship, recollected the merits of all Buddhas, and said aloud with his mind focused: 'Now I once again donate this Jambudvīpa to the Triratna.' The king then wrote this on paper, sealed it up, and stamped it with an impression of his teeth. Having completed these deeds, he forthwith passed away. At that time, the crown prince and the populace provided various kinds of offerings and funeral rites, cremating him in accordance with royal law.