諸經要集 6.31

6.31

又百緣經云。佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。於其初夜有五百天子。齎持香華。光明赫奕照祇洹林。來詣佛所。禮已却坐。佛為說法得須陀洹果。遶佛三匝還詣天宮。於其晨朝。阿難請問諸天來緣。佛告阿難。乃往過去迦葉佛時。有二婆羅門。隨從國王來詣佛所。禮拜問訊。時彼從中有一優婆塞。勸二婆羅門共受齋法。一求生天。二求人王。受已俱還諸婆羅門。聚會之處。諸婆羅門言。汝等飢渴可共飲食。殷勤數勸不免。其意求生天者即便飲食。以破齋故不果所願。其後命終生於龍中。不食者得作國王。以其先身共受齋故。生彼國王園池水中。時守園人。日日常送種種果苽。奉上獻王。於池水中得一美果。色香甚好。作是念言。我雖出入。常為門監所見前却。我持此果當用與之。作是念已。尋即持與。門監得已復作是念。我唯出入。復為黃門所見前却。當用與之。作是念已尋即持與。黃門得已復作是念。夫人為我常向國王歎譽我德。我持此果當用與之。作是念已即便持與。夫人得已復上大王。王得果已即便食之。覺甚香美。即問夫人。汝今何處得是果來。夫人即時如實對曰。我從黃門得是果來。如是展轉推到園子。王即召呼。吾園之中有是美果。何不見送。乃與他人。園子於是本末自陳。王不聽言而告之曰。自今已後常送此果。若不送者殺汝。園子還歸入其園中。號啼涕泣不能自制。此果無種何由可得。時彼龍王。聞是哭聲化作人形。來問之言。汝今何以啼哭乃爾。園子具答所由。龍聞是語。還入水中取好美果。著金槃上持與園子。因復告言。汝持此果。奉上獻王。并說吾意云。我及國王。昔佛在世。本是親友。俱作梵志共受八齋。各求所願。汝戒完具得作國王。吾戒不全生在龍中。我今還欲奉修齋法。求捨此身。願為語汝王。為我求八關齋文。送來與我。若其相違。吾覆汝國用作大海。園子於是納受果槃。奉獻王已。因復說龍所囑之語。王聞是已。甚用不樂。所以然者。當爾之時。乃至無有佛法之名。況復得有八關齋文。若其不獲恐見危害。思念此理無由可辦。時彼國王有一大臣最可敬重。而告之言。龍從我索八關齋文。仰卿得之。大臣答曰。今世無法云何可得。王復告言。汝若不獲。吾必殺卿。大臣聞已。却退至家。顏色異常。甚用愁惱。時臣有父。年在耆舊。每從外來見子顏色改易異常。尋即問言。即向父說委曲諸理。父答子言。吾家堂柱。我見有光。汝為就伐試取。破看之得經二卷。一是十二因緣。二是八關齋文。大臣得已甚用歡喜。著金槃上奉獻與王。王得之喜不能自勝。送與龍王。龍王得已甚用歡喜。齎持珍寶贈遺與王。各還所止。共五百龍子。勤加奉修八關齋法。其後命終生忉利天。來供養我。是彼光耳。佛告阿難。欲知彼時五百龍子奉修齋法者。今五百天子是。佛說是緣時。有得四沙門果者。有發無上菩提心者。聞佛所說。歡喜奉行。

Furthermore, the Avadānaśataka states: When the Buddha was in Śrāvastī at the Jetavana Grove in Anāthapiṇḍada's park, during the first watch of the night, five hundred devaputras brought incense and flowers, their bright light blazing and illuminating the Jeta Grove. They came to the Buddha's place, made obeisance, and sat down to one side. The Buddha preached the Dharma for them, and they attained the fruit of a srotāpanna. They circumambulated the Buddha three times and returned to the heavenly palace. When morning arrived, Ānanda asked about the conditions behind the coming of the devas. The Buddha told Ānanda: In the distant past, at the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, there were two brahmins who accompanied their king to the Buddha's place to pay homage and make inquiries. At that time, an upāsaka among the retinue urged the two brahmins to take the fast precepts together—one wishing to be born in heaven, and the other wishing to be a human king. Having received them, they both returned to the place where the brahmins were gathering. The brahmins said, 'You are hungry and thirsty; you may eat and drink together with us.' They persistently and repeatedly urged them, and the one whose intention was to seek rebirth in heaven could not resist, and thereupon ate and drank. Because he broke the fast, his wish was not fulfilled; after his life ended, he was born among the nāgas. The one who did not eat was able to become a king. Because they had received the fast together in their previous lives, [the nāga] was born into the water of that king's palace pool. At that time, the gardener daily brought all kinds of fruits and melons to present and offer to the king. In the pool's water he found a delicious fruit, exceptionally fine in color and fragrance. He thought to himself: 'Though I go in and out, I am always held back by the gatekeeper. I should take this fruit and give it to him.' Having had this thought, he immediately brought it and gave it to him. When the gatekeeper received it, he again thought: 'I merely go in and out, yet I am also held back by the eunuch. I should take this and give it to him.' Having had this thought, he immediately brought it and gave it to him. When the eunuch received it, he again thought: 'The queen always praises my virtues to the king. I should take this fruit and give it to her.' Having had this thought, he immediately brought it and gave it to her. When the queen received it, she again presented it to the great king. Once the king received the fruit, he immediately ate it, finding it exceptionally fragrant and delicious. He then asked the queen, 'Where did you get this fruit just now?' The queen immediately answered truthfully, 'I got this fruit from the eunuch.' In this manner it was traced step by step back to the gardener. The king then summoned him: 'There was such a delicious fruit in my garden; why did you not send it to me, but instead gave it to someone else?' The gardener thereupon recounted the matter from beginning to end. The king would not listen to his words and told him: 'From now on you must constantly deliver this fruit; if you do not deliver it, I will execute you.' The gardener returned to his garden, weeping and wailing, unable to control himself: 'This fruit has no seed; by what means can it be obtained?' At that time, that nāga king heard the sound of crying, transformed himself into a human form, and came to ask him, 'Why are you weeping so?' The gardener fully answered the cause. Having heard these words, the nāga returned into the water, fetched fine, delicious fruit, placed it on a golden platter, brought it, and gave it to the gardener. Thereupon he further told him, 'Take this fruit, present and offer it to the king, and convey my intention, saying: "The king and I, formerly when the Buddha was in the world, were originally close friends. Together we were brahmacārins and together took the eightfold fast, each seeking what we wished. Because your precepts were complete, you were able to become a king; because my precepts were incomplete, I was born among the nāgas. I now wish again to uphold and practice the fast, seeking to abandon this body. I request you to tell your king to seek the text of the eightfold fast for me and send it to me. If you refuse, I will overturn your kingdom and turn it into an ocean."' The gardener thereupon took the platter of fruit, and after presenting it to the king, he further related the words entrusted by the nāga. When the king heard this, he was very displeased. Why was this so? At that time, there was not even the name of the Buddha's Dharma, much less could there be the text of the eightfold fast. If he failed to obtain it, he feared bringing about destruction, yet thinking over this matter, there was no way it could be managed. At that time, that king had a minister who was most venerable and respected, whom he told: 'The nāga demands from me the text of the eightfold fast; I rely on you, sir, to obtain it.' The minister replied, 'In this age there is no Dharma; how could it be obtained?' The king told him again, 'If you do not obtain it, I will certainly execute you, sir.' When the minister heard this, he withdrew and returned to his home, his complexion unusual, extremely distressed and vexed. At that time the minister had an aged father. Whenever his son came in from outside, seeing his son's complexion transformed and unusual, he immediately asked him, and [the minister] then explained the details of the whole situation to his father. The father answered the son, 'In the main pillar of our hall, I have seen a light. Go and fell it, try to take it, and split it open.' Looking inside, they obtained two scrolls of scripture: the first was the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination, and the second was the Text of the Eightfold Fast. When the minister obtained them, he was overjoyed, placed them on a golden platter, and presented them to the king. The king was exceedingly joyful, beyond measure. He sent them to the nāga king. When the nāga king obtained them, he was overjoyed, and bringing rare jewels, presented them as a gift to the king, and each returned to his abode. Together with five hundred nāga offspring, he diligently upheld and practiced the eightfold fast. Later, when their lives ended, they were born into the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, and came to make offerings to me; that was their light. The Buddha told Ānanda: 'If you wish to know who the five hundred nāga offspring who practiced the fast were at that time, they are the present five hundred devaputras.' When the Buddha spoke of these conditions, there were those who attained the four fruits of the śramaṇa, and those who brought forth the aspiration for unexcelled bodhi. Having heard what the Buddha preached, they rejoiced and practiced it.