諸經要集 4.44

4.44

Furthermore, the Xianyu jing states: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, King Prasenajit passed by the side of Jetavana with his military forces. He heard the chanting of a monk, which was elegant and pleasing. The military forces stood listening without ever tiring, and the elephants and horses pricked up their ears and halted, refusing to advance. The king and his army then entered the monastery to see. They saw the chanting monk: his appearance was extremely short, stunted, and repulsive, so that the king could not bear to look at him. The king then asked the Buddha, 'What karma did this monk perform in the past to receive such a retribution as this?' The Buddha told the king, 'Long ago in the past, a Buddha appeared in the world named Kāśyapa. After he entered nirvāṇa, King Kṛkī gathered his relics, intending to erect a stūpa for them. Four dragon kings transformed into human forms and came to the king's place to inquire about the building of the stūpa: "Will you make it of jewels or of earth?" The king then replied, saying, "I wish to make the stūpa large, but I do not have many precious jewels; now it will be made of earth, five li square and twenty-five li high." The dragons said to the king, "We are dragon kings, and have therefore come to ask you. If you make it of jewels, we will assist you." Hearing this, the king rejoiced. The dragons further said to the king, "Outside the four city gates there are four springs. If you take the water from the eastern gate's spring to make a moat, it will transform into lapis lazuli; if you take the water from the southern gate's spring to make a moat, it will transform into yellow gold; if you take the water from the western gate's spring to make a moat, it will transform into white silver; if you take the water from the northern gate's spring to make a moat, it will transform into white jade." Hearing these words, the king's joy doubled. He then appointed four overseers, each to superintend one side. The work of three of the overseers was nearly finished, but one overseer was indolent, and his work alone was not accomplished. The king went on inspection, saw this, and reprimanded him according to reason. Harbouring resentment, that man said to the king, "This stūpa is too large; when will it ever be finished?" The king ordered the workers to labour diligently day and night, and it was entirely completed all at once. The stūpa was extraordinarily lofty and steep, adorned with many jewels, and exceedingly extraordinary to behold. Seeing it, that overseer leapt for joy and repented of his former fault. Holding a golden bell, he placed it atop the pole of the stūpa and made this vow: "May my voice in all my future births be exceedingly fine, so that all sentient beings will delight to hear it; and in the future may there be a Buddha named Śākyamuni, and may I meet him and be delivered from birth and death!" Because in the past he had resented the stūpa being large, he was constantly born repulsive; but because he held the golden bell and suspended it atop the stūpa's pole, and vowed to see the Buddha, from that time onward for five hundred lives he had an exceedingly fine voice, and now he has again met the Buddha, gone forth from household life to cultivate the Way, and attained the fruit of arhatship. By this cause and condition, when all sentient beings see another performing meritorious acts, they should not slander them, lest afterward they receive an evil retribution and regret will be of no avail.'