[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) › 8.13 # 諸經要集 8.13 諸經要集 8.13 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [8.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8.13) 又增一阿含經云。孝順供養父母功德果報。與一生補處菩薩功德一等。又六度集經云。昔者菩薩為大理家。積財巨億。常奉三尊慈向眾生。觀市覩鼈心悼之焉。問價貴賤。鼈主知菩薩有。慈悲之德。答曰百萬。菩薩答曰。大善。持鼈歸家臨水放之。覩其游去悲喜誓曰。眾難安全如爾今也。廣起弘願。諸佛讚善。鼈於後夜來齧其門。怪門有聲便出見。鼈語菩薩曰。吾受重潤身得獲全。無以答恩。水居之物知水盈虛。洪水將至必為巨害矣。願速嚴舟臨時相迎。答曰大善。明晨詣門如事啟王。王以菩薩宿有善名。信用其言。遷下處高。時至鼇來洪水至矣。可速下載。尋吾所之可獲無患。船尋其後。有蛇趣船。菩薩曰取。鼈云大善。又覩漂狐。曰取。鼈云亦善。又覩漂人。博頰呼天哀濟吾命。曰取。鼈曰慎無取也。凡人心偽尠有終信。背恩追勢好為凶逆。菩薩曰蟲類爾濟。人類吾賤豈是仁哉。吾不忍為也。於是取之。鼈曰悔哉。遂至豐土。鼇辭曰。恩畢請退。答曰。吾獲如來無所著至真等正覺者。必當相度。鼈曰大善。鼈退蛇狐各去。狐以穴為居。獲古人伏藏紫磨名金百斤。喜曰。當以報彼恩矣。狐還白曰。小蟲受潤獲濟微命。蟲穴居之物。求穴以自安。獲金百斤。斯穴非塚非家非劫非盜。吾精誠之致。願以貢賢。菩薩深惟不取徒捐無益。於貧民可以布施。眾生獲濟不亦善乎。尋而取之。漂人覩焉曰。分吾半矣。菩薩即以十斤惠之。漂人曰。爾掘塚劫金罪應死。奈何不分半分與。吾必告有司。答曰。貧民困者吾欲等施。爾欲專之不亦偏乎。漂人遂告有司。菩薩見拘。無所告訴。唯歸命三尊。堰過自責。慈願眾生早離八難。莫有怨結。如今吾也。蛇狐會曰。奈何斯事。蛇曰。吾將濟之。遂銜良藥開關入獄。見菩薩。狀顏色。有損愴而心悲。謂菩薩言。以藥自隨。吾將齚太子指。其毒尤甚莫能濟。賢者以藥自聞傅即瘳矣。菩薩默然蛇如所云。太子命欲將殞。王令曰。有濟茲封之相國。吾與參治。菩薩上聞。傅之即瘳。王喜問其所由。本末自陳。王悵然自咎曰。吾闇甚哉。即誅漂人。大赦其國。封為相國。執手入宮。並坐談論佛法。遂致太平。佛告諸沙門。理家者是吾身。國王者彌勒是。鼈者阿難是。狐者秋露子是。蛇者目連是。漂人者調達是。菩薩慈慧度無極行布施如是。 > Furthermore, the Ekottarika-āgama says: "The karmic reward of filial piety and making offerings to one's parents is equal to the merit of a bodhisattva in his final lifetime \[before buddhahood\]." Furthermore, the Liudu ji jing says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was an estate manager of immense wealth, possessing hundreds of millions. He constantly revered the Three Jewels and turned with loving-kindness toward all sentient beings. Observing the marketplace, he saw a turtle and felt deep pity for it. He asked its price, whether it was expensive or cheap. The owner of the turtle, knowing that the Bodhisattva possessed the virtue of loving-kindness and compassion, answered, "One million." The Bodhisattva replied, "Very good." He took the turtle home and released it by the water. Watching it swim away, with mingled sorrow and joy he vowed: "May all beings be delivered safely from difficulties just as you are now!" He broadly raised great vows, and all the Buddhas praised him. Later that night, the turtle came and gnawed at his gate. Surprised by the noise at the gate, \[the Bodhisattva\] went out and saw it. The turtle spoke to the Bodhisattva, saying, "I have received your heavy bounty and my body has been preserved; I have nothing with which to repay your kindness. As an aquatic creature, I know the rise and fall of waters. A great flood is about to arrive, which will surely bring tremendous catastrophe. Please quickly prepare a boat, and when the time comes I will meet you." He replied, "Very good." The next morning he went to the palace gate and reported the matter to the king. Because the Bodhisattva had long had a reputation for goodness, the king trusted and relied on his words, moving the populace from low-lying areas to high ground. When the time arrived, the turtle came, and the floodwaters arrived. \[The turtle said,\] "Quickly board and load the boat. Follow where I go, and you may escape calamity." The boat followed behind it. There was a snake that rushed toward the boat. The Bodhisattva said, "Take it." The turtle said, "Very good." He also saw a floating fox and said, "Take it." The turtle said, "That is also good." He then saw a drowning man, who was slapping his cheeks, crying out to heaven, and begging: "Pity me and save my life!" \[The Bodhisattva\] said, "Take him." The turtle said, "Beware of taking him! Ordinary men are deceitful, and few remain faithful to the end. They turn their backs on kindness, pursue power, and love to commit wicked rebellion." The Bodhisattva said, "If you rescue crawling creatures, yet I despise a human being, how could that be benevolence? I cannot bear to do so." Thereupon he took him aboard. The turtle said, "You will regret this!" They eventually reached a fertile land. The turtle took its leave, saying, "My debt of gratitude is fulfilled; I ask to withdraw." \[The Bodhisattva\] replied, "When I attain the Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, I will surely deliver you." The turtle said, "Very good." The turtle withdrew, and the snake and fox each departed. The fox made its dwelling in a burrow, where it discovered a hundred pounds of fine purple-burnished gold hidden by ancient people. Overjoyed, it said, "I must repay that kindness!" The fox returned and reported, "I, a small creature, received your bounty and had my meager life saved. A creature that lives in a burrow, I sought a burrow to dwell in safety and found a hundred pounds of gold. This burrow is not a tomb, nor a home; it was not robbed, nor was it stolen. It has come about through my utmost sincerity. I wish to offer it to the virtuous one." The Bodhisattva deeply reflected: "If I do not take it, it will simply be discarded to no purpose. It can be distributed in dāna to poor folk. Would it not also be good if sentient beings were aided?" He then went and took it. The rescued man saw it and said, "Give me half!" The Bodhisattva immediately bestowed ten pounds upon him. The rescued man said, "You dug up a tomb and robbed gold—a crime that deserves death! Why will you not give me half? If you do not divide it in half and give it to me, I will surely inform the magistrates!" \[The Bodhisattva\] replied, "I wish to give it equitably to the poor and destitute. For you to want to monopolize it—is that not partial?" The rescued man then reported him to the magistrates. The Bodhisattva was arrested and imprisoned, with no one to appeal to. He simply took refuge in the Three Jewels, stopped up his faults, blamed himself, and compassionately vowed: "May sentient beings quickly be freed from the eight difficulties and have no resentment or knot of enmity, as I do today." The snake and the fox met and said, "What can be done about this matter?" The snake said, "I will rescue him." It then held a miraculous medicine in its mouth, unlocked the gate, and entered the prison. Seeing the Bodhisattva, whose complexion and appearance were bruised and emaciated, it felt sorrowful and heartbroken. It said to the Bodhisattva, "Keep this medicine with you. I will bite the prince's finger; its poison is extremely deadly, and no one will be able to cure it. When you, virtuous one, announce yourself and apply the medicine, he will instantly recover." The Bodhisattva remained silent. The snake acted as it had said. The prince's life was on the verge of ending. The king issued a decree: "Whoever can save him shall be enfeoffed as prime minister, and I will share the governance with him." The Bodhisattva reported this to the king, and upon applying the medicine \[the prince\] immediately recovered. Overjoyed, the king asked the reason for this, and \[the Bodhisattva\] set forth the entire story from beginning to end. The king was filled with regret, blamed himself, and said, "How very blind I have been!" He immediately executed the rescued man, proclaimed a great amnesty throughout his kingdom, enfeoffed \[the Bodhisattva\] as prime minister, took him by the hand into the palace, and sat with him to discourse on the Buddha-Dharma, thereby bringing about great peace. The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "The estate manager was myself; the king was Maitreya; the turtle was Ānanda; the fox was Śāriputra; the snake was Maudgalyāyana; and the drowning man was Devadatta. Thus was the Bodhisattva's practice of dāna in the perfection of compassionate wisdom." > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 8.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8.12) - [Next: 8.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8.14) - [Up: 8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123~en-mt.8.13) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.50.17) — 道世, Classical Chinese - [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.11.10) — Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2123.8.13) · Pramāṇa