諸經要集 8.17

8.17

Furthermore, the Zhujing yaoji says: A man entered a forest to fell trees, lost his way, and went astray. At that time there was heavy rain; dusk fell, and he was hungry and cold. Evil insects and venomous beasts were about to harm him. The man went inside a stone cave. There was a great bear inside, and upon seeing it he fled out in terror. The bear said to him, "Do not be afraid. This dwelling is warm; you may lodge within." The rain then continued for seven days, during which the bear constantly supplied this man with sweet fruit and delicious water. After seven days the rain stopped, and the bear led the man and showed him the path. The bear said to the man, "I possess a body born of sin and have many human enemies. If anyone asks, do not say you saw me." The man answered, "Yes." Ahead, this man met hunters who asked, "Where do you come from? Have you seen any beasts?" He answered, "I saw a great bear. It was kind to me, so I cannot show you." The hunters said, "You are of the company of humans. Considering our common human kind, why should you spare a bear? Now having lost your way once, when will you ever return? If you show us, we will give you a large share." The man's heart changed, and he immediately led the hunters to point out the bear's dwelling. The hunters killed the bear and gave him a large share. The man stretched out his arms to take the meat, and both of his forearms fell off. The hunters said, "What sin have you committed?" He answered, "This bear looked upon me as a father looks upon a child. Now that I have turned my back on its kindness, this is the retribution for my sin." The hunters were terrified and did not dare to eat the meat. They took it and offered it to the saṃgha. The elder [monk], who was an arhat, said to the junior monks, "This was a bodhisattva who in a future life in the world will become a Buddha. Do not eat this meat." They immediately erected a stūpa to make offerings to it. When the king heard of this matter, he issued an edict throughout the kingdom: "Let no ungrateful person dwell here." (The New Vibhāṣā-śāstra says: At that time, the elder examined the meat and recognized it was the flesh of a bodhisattva. Together they gathered fragrant firewood, burned the meat, collected the remaining bones, erected a stūpa, and bowed and made offerings to it just as if serving a Buddha-stūpa.) Furthermore, the Jiu se lu jing (Sūtra of the Nine-Coloured Deer) says: In the past, the Bodhisattva was born as a nine-coloured deer. Its hair was of nine colours, and its horns were as white as snow. It always lived along the banks of the Ganges, drinking water and eating grass, and was constantly friends with a crow. At that time, there was a drowning man in the water, drifting downstream, now surfacing, now submerging, who looked up to the heavens and cried out, "Spirits of the mountains, spirits of the trees, all you devas and nāgas, why do you not take pity on me?" The deer, hearing this, went into the water to save him, telling him, "You may ride on my back and hold onto my horns." It carried him out onto the bank. The drowning man got down onto the ground, circumambulated the deer three times, kowtowed to it, and begged to become its slave, serving its needs and collecting water and grass for it. The deer said, "There is no need. Just go your own way. If you wish to repay my kindness, do not tell anyone that I am here. People covet my hide and horns and would surely come to kill me." At that time, the king's consort saw the nine-coloured deer in a dream at night; she immediately feigned illness and took to her bed. The king asked why, and she answered, "Last night I dreamed of an extraordinary deer whose hair was of nine colours and whose horns were as white as snow. I long to obtain its hide to make a seat cushion and its horns to make fly-whisk handles. The king must obtain it for me; if you do not, I shall die." The king offered a bounty throughout the kingdom: whoever could obtain it would be granted half the kingdom to govern, presented with a golden bowl filled with silver grain, and presented with a silver bowl filled with golden grain. The drowning man heard of this, and wishing to gain wealth and honour, he thought, "The deer is an animal—what does its life or death matter?" He went to the king and said he knew the deer's location. The king was overjoyed and said, "If you can bring its hide and horns, I shall reward you with half the kingdom." Leprous sores immediately broke out on the drowning man's face. The drowning man said, "Great King, although this deer is a beast, it possesses great spiritual power. Your Majesty should deploy many soldiers, only then can it be taken." The king immediately deployed a large force and went straight to the bank of the Ganges. The crow was atop a tree, and seeing the soldiers coming, it called out to the deer, "Friend, get up quickly! The king's soldiers have arrived!" The deer was still in a deep sleep, lying unaware. The crow flew down and pecked its ear, and only then did the deer wake with a start. It looked in all four directions, but there was no ground left to flee, so it went straight up to the side of the king's chariot. The flanking ministers were about to shoot it, but the king said, "Do not shoot! This deer is extraordinary; it must be a deva." The deer said, "Great King, do not shoot me. I previously saved a man of your kingdom." The deer then knelt upright and asked the king, "Who told you I was here?" The king pointed to the man with the leprous face beside his chariot: "It was he." The deer then looked up at this man's face, and tears welled up in its eyes, uncontrollable: "This man was previously drowning in the water. Sparing neither body nor life, I cast myself into the water and carried him out, with an agreement that he would not speak of it. Humans are ungrateful and treacherous; they are not even equal to a piece of driftwood rescued from the water!" The king looked ashamed: "You received its kindness—how could you turn around and wish to kill it?" He immediately issued an edict throughout the kingdom: "If anyone chases this deer, their five clans shall be executed." Thousands of deer all came to take refuge there, drinking water and eating grass without harming the crops. The wind and rain came in due season, the five grains ripened in abundance, people were free from illness, and the age was one of great peace. The nine-coloured deer of that time was myself; the crow was Ānanda; the king was my present father, King Śuddhodana; the king's consort was Sundarī; and the drowning man was Devadatta. Although I turned toward him with a benevolent heart, he still wished to harm me; it is difficult to find sincere intentions.