諸經要集 7.38

7.38

長者聞偈驚而問之。道人何故說此。答曰。案上雞者。是卿先世時父。以慳貪故。常生雞中為卿所食。此小兒者。往作羅剎。卿作估客大人。乘船入海。舟輒失流。墮羅剎國中。為羅剎所食。如是五百世。壽盡來生為卿作子。以卿餘罪。未畢故。來欲相害耳。今是妻者。是卿先世時母。以恩愛深固。今還與卿作婦。今卿愚癡不識宿命。殺父為怨。以母為妻。五道生死輪轉無際。周旋五道。誰能知者。唯有道人見此覩彼。愚者不知豈不慚恥。於是長者。㱇然毛竪。如畏怖狀。佛現威神令識宿命。長者見佛即識宿命。尋則懺悔謝過。便受五戒。佛為說法。得須陀洹道。

When the elder heard the gāthā, he asked in astonishment: “Why does the man of the way say this?” He replied: “The chicken on the table was your father in a past life. Because of his stinginess and greed, he has constantly been reborn as a chicken to be eaten by you. This small child was formerly a rākṣasa. You were a merchant leader; boarding a boat to cross the sea, your ship went off course and fell into the realm of the rākṣasas, where you were eaten by the rākṣasa. In this way, for five hundred lifetimes, when his lifespan ended he came to be reborn as your son; because the remnants of your offenses are not yet exhausted, he came intending to harm you. This present wife was your mother in a past life. Because her affectionate attachment was deep and solid, she has now returned to become your wife. Now you are foolish and do not recognize your past lives: you kill your father, treat your enemy as a child, and take your mother as your wife. In the five destinies, birth and death revolve without end; wandering through the five destinies, who can know this? Only a man of the way sees this and beholds that. The foolish do not know; shouldn't you be ashamed?” Thereupon the elder's hair stood on end with horror, as if in dread. The Buddha manifested his spiritual power to make him recognize his past lives. Seeing the Buddha, the elder immediately recognized his past lives; he at once repented and confessed his faults, and then received the five precepts. The Buddha preached the Dharma to him, and he attained the path of the srotāpanna.