諸經要集 8.20

8.20

Furthermore, the Candana Tree Sūtra says: The Buddha told Ānanda, "Listen carefully and bear this in mind. Once, in the country of Vaiśālī, five hundred men went into the ocean to gather jewels. Leaving their ships behind, they returned on foot, travelling through deep mountains. When evening fell, they halted and lodged. Making preparations in advance, they set out early. Four hundred and ninety-nine men had already departed, while one man, sound asleep, fell behind his companions. He then encountered falling rain and snow, and lost the trail. In dire distress in the midst of the mountains, he wept and cried out to Heaven. There was a great candana tree, and the tree deity said to the destitute man, 'You may stay here. I will provide you with food and clothing myself; when spring comes, you may leave.' The destitute man then stayed until the third month. He addressed the tree deity, saying, 'Having received your kindness, my whole life has been preserved, yet I have not offered even the slightest recompense. When I reflect that my two parents are now in my native land, I truly long to return. I pray that you will permit me to depart.' The tree deity said, 'Very well,' and following his wish, presented him with a disk of gold, [saying,] 'Not far from here, you shall return to your settlement.' As the destitute man was about to leave, he asked the tree deity, 'This tree is fragrant and pure, rare in the world. Now that I am to leave it behind and return, I wish to know its name.' The deity said, 'There is no need to ask.' The destitute man spoke again: 'I have sheltered beneath this tree for three full months. If I reach my native land, I ought to proclaim the tree's benevolence.' The deity then replied, 'The tree is named candana. Its roots, trunk, branches, and leaves cure people of a hundred illnesses. Its fragrance is heard far and wide; it is a wondrous rarity of the world, coveted and sought by men. There is no need to speak of it.' When the destitute man returned to his country, his kinsmen rejoiced. Not long afterward, the king fell ill with a headache. He prayed and offered sacrifices to the various spirits of heaven, earth, mountains, and waters, but the pain did not subside. A famous physician examined him [and said that] only by obtaining candana incense to protect him would the illness be cured. The king immediately sought it through recruitment, but none was to be found among the populace. He then proclaimed throughout the country that whoever obtained candana incense would be enfeoffed as a marquis and given the king's daughter in marriage. Hearing of the great reward, the destitute man went before the king and said, 'I know the place where the candana incense is.' The king then ordered his artisans and ministers to lead the destitute man to go and fell the fragrant tree. When they arrived at the tree, the envoys saw that the tree was vast and upright, its branches and foliage lush and flourishing, its flowers and fruits radiant. Because it was so rare to behold, they could not bear in their hearts to fell it. Yet if they did not fell it, they would disobey the royal command. They hesitated and paced about, not knowing what to do. The tree deity spoke from the air, saying, 'Fell it, but leave its roots. After felling it, smear it with human blood, and cover it with human liver and entrails; the tree will naturally regenerate and become as it was before.' Hearing the deity speak thus, the envoys ordered men to fell it. The destitute man was standing beside the tree, and a tree branch struck the ground, crushing the destitute man to death. The envoys then conferred with their attendants, saying, 'Earlier, the tree deity said that we must obtain human blood, liver, and entrails to sacrifice to the tree's heart. We did not know who should be used for this sacrifice. Since this man has now died, we may use him in place.' They thereupon butchered and severed him, taking his liver and blood as the deity had instructed. The tree immediately grew again, no different from the original. They loaded the felled tree onto carts to return to the capital. The physician then administered the medicine, and the king's illness was cured. The entire kingdom rejoiced. The king commanded the people of the kingdom that all who were ill should be given the incense; their illnesses were all cured. The entire kingdom was joyful, bringing about great peace. Ānanda stepped back from his seat, bowed his head, and said, 'Why was this destitute man so ungrateful, betraying the oath made to the divine spirit of the tree?' The Buddha replied, 'Long ago, in the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, there was a father and two sons. The father observed the fasting precepts without ever growing slack. The elder son always burnt incense in the open air of the central courtyard as an offering to the Buddhas of the ten directions. The younger brother was foolish and did not know the Three Honoured Ones; he repeatedly threw garments over the incense. The elder brother said to the younger, "This matter is of great gravity; why have you violated it?" The younger brother harboured resentment and evil words, vowing, "I will cut off both your feet." The elder brother then conceived the thought, "I should strike you to death." The father said, "The quarrelling of you two sons gives me a headache." The elder brother replied, "May my body be broken to make medicine so that our father may recover." Because his mouth spoke no false words, he suffered retribution across lifetime after lifetime. The younger brother harboured an evil intention to cut off the elder brother's feet, and consequently led men to cut down the tree trunk. The elder brother wished to strike the younger brother to death; now as the tree deity, he naturally used the tree as a body to strike the younger brother's body to death. The king who had the headache was their father; because he observed the fast with diligence, he attained noble station. Because he had said, "You make my head ache," he later suffered a headache as a result. Each received his own misfortune.' The Buddha said, 'The retribution of sins and blessings follows one like a shadow following a form.' The verse says: