諸經要集 3.18

3.18

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.