妙色王因緣經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika's Park, in the country of Śrāvastī.

At that time the Blessed One had just emerged from concentration, and for the fourfold assembly he was expounding the subtle, marvelous Dharma, the unsurpassed ambrosia. At that time there were immeasurable hundreds of thousands in the great assembly surrounding the Buddha before and behind. All of them, with their faculties unmoving, were attentively listening to the essential teachings. The Bhikṣus, seeing that the whole great assembly was tranquil in body and mind, listening to the Dharma so earnestly, gave rise to a doubt and addressed the Buddha:

"Blessed One, we humbly beg you in your compassion to dispel the net of doubt within us. The Tathāgata, the Great Teacher, is the Unsurpassed King of the Dharma. Today, upon the jeweled throne, you expound the Dharma for the great assembly. Why is it that they are so utterly earnest, their bodies and minds unwavering, listening to the subtle, marvelous Dharma as though drinking ambrosia?"

The Blessed One said:

"Bhikṣus, in ages past I too sought the Dharma with a mind as earnest, reverent, and respectful as this. Listen well and keep it carefully in mind, and I shall expound for you the causes and conditions of it.

"In the distant past, in the great city of Vārāṇasī, there was a king named Wondrous Form. He governed his people by the Dharma, and so the country was prosperous, wealthy, and strong, the people numerous, peaceful, and joyful. There was no warfare or harassment by enemies and bandits, nor were there any disasters, calamities, or epidemics.

Grain was abundant, livestock plentiful, the landscape lush and fair, and wind and rain came in due season. The king bestowed his grace and cared for the multitudes as though they were his only child. He also possessed reverent faith; his heart and mind delighted in the path of virtue and goodness.

He made firm vows to benefit himself and to benefit others, and with a mind of loving-kindness and compassion he wholeheartedly sought the great Dharma. He cared for his people, cherished his ministers, cast off greed and stinginess, and constantly gave generously. The king's consort was named Wondrous Visage.

Her countenance was beautiful, her bearing dignified, and her virtues complete, so that she was esteemed by all. The king and queen had but one son, named Upright and Proper. Though the prince was still young, he already displayed clearly a nature of benevolence, loyalty, and filial piety, and the royal father loved him so dearly that he would not be parted from him for a single step.

"Some time afterward, King Wondrous Form, wholeheartedly longing to seek the subtle, marvelous, supreme Dharma, summoned his assembled ministers and said:

"'Toward the subtle, marvelous Dharma my heart yearns and aspires without limit. You, my ministers, must go and seek and inquire after it on my behalf.'

"The great ministers addressed the king:

"'Great King, you should know that only when the Blessed One, the Greatly Awakened One, appears in the world is there the unsurpassed subtle, marvelous Dharma.'

"The king said to his assembled ministers:

"'Although no Buddha has appeared in the world now, you should nevertheless try to seek out the Dharma for me.'

"At that time the king then filled a chest with gold, silver, and precious jewels, hung it upon a banner pole, and beat the drum to proclaim it everywhere so that all people might know:

"'Whoever can expound for me the supreme Dharma, I shall repay his kindness and virtue with this chest of gold, and I shall perform all kinds of music to praise and celebrate that person.'

"Though the king called out in this way, a long time passed and still not a single person could expound the Dharma, and so he harbored ever more sorrow, longing, and aspiration.

"At that time the god Śakra, surveying the whole human world to see who was good and who was evil, and who in regard to the supreme cause had a mind that was not slothful or remiss—Śakra saw this King Wondrous Form grieving for the sake of the Dharma, and so he thought: 'This King Wondrous Form has long sought the supreme Dharma. Let me test whether it is true or false.'

"Śakra then transformed himself into a great Yakṣa with a body, hands, and feet that were strange, and a face most fearsome. He came among the people in the royal palace and addressed the king:

"'Worthy one, you seek the supreme Dharma. I am able to expound it.'

"When the king heard the sound of the Dharma, he rejoiced beyond measure and said to the Yakṣa: 'Lord Guhyapati possesses the subtle, marvelous Dharma—how fortunate indeed! I beg you to expound it; I wish to hear it.'

"The Yakṣa said:

"'Now the Great King has a mind that makes light of the Dharma. Because you regard the Dharma as easy to hear, you bid me expound it at once—but the matter cannot be so. I am presently afflicted by hunger; how could I expound the Dharma for you?'

"Hearing this, the king at once gave an order to the chief steward of the kitchen, saying: 'Whatever the most delicious food may be, quickly bring it and present it to the spirit.' The Yakṣa said:

"'I do not partake of the food of the royal house. I customarily eat only the cooked blood and flesh of human beings.'

"The king asked:

"'How could human blood and flesh be found at once?'

"The Yakṣa said:

"'The king should bring his beloved son here.'

"Hearing this, the king then thought: 'For a long time I have endured hardship seeking the supreme, marvelous Dharma. Now that I have heard the sound of the Dharma, this is something beyond price.'

"At that time the prince Upright and Proper was standing beside his royal father, and hearing this he knelt down and addressed his father the king:

"'I humbly beg my royal father not to give rise to sorrow. What my royal father seeks shall be perfectly fulfilled. I am able to offer my body to Guhyapati to eat, that he may be relieved of his hunger.'

"The king said:

"'Because you have seen the greatness of seeking the Dharma, you would relinquish your own beloved body. Excellent, O great man! Let it be as you wish.'

"The prince Upright and Proper then brought his body and offered it to the Yakṣa.

"The Yakṣa accepted, and said to the king and to all the people:

"'Tear apart the prince's body, that I may drink his blood and eat his flesh.' Though the king clearly understood this, because of his profound longing and yearning for the Dharma he was not afraid.

"Lord Guhyapati again said to the king:

"'I am still very hungry. Give me your beloved wife.'

"At that time the consort Wondrous Visage was also standing beside the king, and hearing this she begged the king to let her offer her own body to the Yakṣa, just as the prince had done.

"After the Yakṣa had eaten and drunk the blood and flesh of the consort Wondrous Visage, he again said to the king:

"'I am still not satisfied, and remain very hungry!'

"The king said:

"'Lord Guhyapati has eaten up my wife and my son, yet still says he is hungry. Now let the spirit choose as he wishes; I shall provide enough, and my mind shall never turn back.'

"The Yakṣa said:

"'Bring your own person to me to eat.'

"The king said:

"'Excellent! Truly I dare not begrudge it! But if my body dies, how shall I be able to hear the Dharma? Now I beg first to hear the marvelous Dharma and, having received and upheld it, at that time I shall relinquish my body and offer it up to the spirit.'

"At that time the Yakṣa bade the king rise, and amid the immeasurable hundreds of thousands of myriads of koṭis of the great assembly, he spoke a supreme, subtle, and marvelous verse:

"From craving sorrow is born;

From craving fear is born.

If a person can be free of craving,

There is neither fear nor sorrow.

"When the king had heard this supreme, subtle, and marvelous Dharma, his mind gave rise to immeasurable joy, and he said to Lord Guhyapati:

"'I have heard the Dharma and upheld it thus. Now the spirit may eat the flesh of my body as he wishes.'

"At that time Śakra, seeing that the king was wholeheartedly devoted for the sake of the Dharma, his body and mind unmoving like Mount Sumeru, and knowing for certain that the king would realize the fruit of the unsurpassed enlightenment, cast off the form of the Yakṣa and manifested again the form of Śakra. With a mind greatly rejoicing and a countenance full of gladness, he advanced forward, leading the prince with one hand and grasping the consort's hand with the other, and said to the king:

"'Excellent! Excellent! Truly you are a virtuous and good great man, who has donned firm and sturdy armor to shatter the foe of the afflictions and to ferry the deluded and foolish across out of the sea of birth and death. I clearly perceive this valiant mind, and so it is certain that before long you shall attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment, Anuttarā Samyaksaṃbodhi. Your wife and son I now return and hand back to you.'

"The king said to Śakra:

"'Excellent! Excellent! Lord of the Gods, Kauśika, you have clearly manifested a mind of great loving-kindness and compassion. You are a good and wise friend who has fulfilled my heart's longing to seek the Dharma.'

"At that time Śakra suddenly vanished from amid the great assembly."

The Blessed One said to the Bhikṣus:

"What do you think? Do not think that it was anyone else. King Wondrous Form at that time was myself. The prince Upright and Proper was Rāhula. The consort Wondrous Visage was Yaśodharā.

"You should know! In ages past, because I wholeheartedly sought the Dharma, I relinquished my beloved wife and son; even my own body I did not begrudge, how much less other things. Because of these causes and conditions, today I have all this great assembly following me to hear the Dharma, single-mindedly comprehending it and receiving it without ever growing weary or weary of it. Moreover, because in ages past I sought the Dharma forgetting all toil and hardship, today, expounding the Dharma for sentient beings my whole life long, I likewise never grow weary.

"Bhikṣus, you should learn to practice my conduct of reverence, respect, and wholehearted seeking of the supreme Dharma. Having heard the Dharma, then in accordance with the teaching cultivate it, and do not be heedless."

When the Bhikṣus and the assemblies of gods and humans had heard what the Buddha taught, they all rejoiced and reverently practiced it.