菩薩睒子經

Thus Have I Heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Vilaraka together with one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikshus, a host of Bodhisattvas, kings, great ministers, the common people, elders, lay disciples, faithful men and faithful women... so many that they could not be counted.

The Buddha said to the bhikshus and the assembly, bidding them to listen attentively:

"In a former life, when I first sought the way of the Bodhisattva, my moral conduct was most strict and pure. With single-minded diligence I cultivated wisdom, practiced skillful means, and accumulated merit beyond all telling—such that the devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, sovereign kings, and the common people were unable to practice it."

The Venerable Ananda, hearing the Buddha's words, arranged his robes, knelt, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

"Reverently I beseech the World-Honored One, we wish to hear of this matter."

The Buddha said to Ananda:

"In the past, countless kalpas ago, there was a Bodhisattva named Sarvasundara. He was benevolent, bestowing aid and rescue upon all living beings. He constantly practiced the four immeasurable minds, delivering beings from peril and calamity in the world, and grieving with compassion for those who suffered.

This Bodhisattva, dwelling in the Tushita heaven, constantly taught and transformed devas and humans. During the three periods of the day and the three periods of the night he cultivated dhyana-concentration, ever mindful of the three realms, contemplating the paths of good and evil of devas and humans throughout the ten directions. He knew which beings were filial to their parents, reverently served the Triple Gem, studied under their teachers and elders, and cultivated all manner of merit; with his divine eye he constantly observed the five paths.

"At that time, in the country of Kasi there was a household of an elder. The husband and wife were both blind and had no children. The two of them resolved in their hearts to enter the mountains to seek the supreme wisdom; they delighted in quiet and secluded places, and cultivated a pure mind.

"The Bodhisattva thought to himself: 'These people have given rise to the aspiration to seek the wondrous Way, yet their two eyes cannot see. If they enter the mountains, they will fall into pits and ravines, or encounter poisonous creatures that may harm them. If I were to die and be born as their child, I would serve and provide for my father and mother all their lives.'

"When the Bodhisattva passed away, he was at once reborn into the household of the blind husband and wife as their child. The father and mother were overjoyed and loved their child dearly. Formerly the two of them had given rise to the wish to enter the mountains, but because they had now begotten a child, they wished to remain in the world.

"When the child reached seven years of age, he was given the name Syama. Syama was most benevolent and supremely filial, and he practiced the Ten Wholesome Deeds: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not deceiving, not drinking liquor, not speaking falsely, not speaking embellished words, not harboring envy, and not cursing. Day and night he was diligent, with deep faith in the Way. He served his father and mother as one who serves heaven; he always spoke joyfully and gladdened the hearts of all; he lived according to proper conduct and did not follow wrongful ways. Therefore Syama's parents were content and had no cause for worry or anxiety.

"When he was a little over ten years of age, one day Syama knelt down and said to his parents:

"'Formerly you, my father and mother, made the great vow to enter the deep mountains to seek the true, right, supreme, and tranquil Way. Surely you have not, on my account, now forgotten your original vow? In this world a person undergoes a hundred kinds of change; life is fragile, and time makes no appointment with us in advance. I pray that you, my parents, recall your original resolve, and enter the pure mountains in good time. I vow to follow you, my parents, and to provide everything you require according to the season.'

"Syama's parents replied:

"'Your filial devotion is witnessed by heaven itself. Let us not go against our former vow, and so let us enter the mountains together.'

"Syama took all the wealth in the household and gave it as charity to the poor of the country, and then together with his parents he entered the mountains. When they arrived at the mountains, Syama used grasses and branches to build a dwelling and spread grass to make beds and mats for his parents. Whether the weather was hot or cold, they were always made comfortable.

After they had been in the mountains for one year, flowers and fruits flourished in abundance, fragrant and delicious to use as food; the spring water flowed clear, cool, and pure; in the ponds, lotus flowers of five colors vied with one another in blooming; the candana sandalwood trees and the other trees intertwined with the green meadows, more luxuriant than usual. The rains came in season and the winds were gentle, the weather was cool and pleasant, and the leaves of the trees overlapped to shelter them from dew, rain, and the rays of the sun, so that beneath them it was always cool.

Precious birds soared and chirped, their sounds like music played to gladden the hearts of the blind parents. Lions, bears, leopards, tigers, wolves, and other fierce beasts all turned toward these people with minds of loving-kindness, never harboring any intent to harm. They all ate vegetables and fruits and were without fear.

The wild deer, bears, leopards, and other kinds of beasts often came close beside Syama, their voices harmonizing into joyful melodies.

"Syama had a resolve of loving-kindness; treading upon the ground, he yet feared lest the earth feel pain. The heavenly spirits and mountain spirits all manifested in human form, and day and night they would come to inquire after the welfare of the three practitioners of the Way. They were always single-minded in right mindfulness and had no further sorrow or grief. Syama would constantly gather every kind of fruit to offer to his parents as food, so that there was always an abundance; when they were thirsty, they used the spring water to drink, and they lacked for nothing at all.

"One day his parents were thirsty and wished to drink water. Syama put on a deerskin garment, took up a pitcher, and went to fetch water. The flocks of birds and the deer also came there to drink water, fearing no calamity.

"At that time the king of the country of Kasi entered the mountains to hunt. From afar the king saw that beside the spring there were deer. He drew his bow and shot at a deer, but the arrow struck Syama in the chest by mistake. As the poisoned arrow seeped through his whole body in agony, Syama cried out:

"'Who has, with a single arrow, slain three practitioners of the Way?'

"When the king heard the cry, he at once dismounted and came to Syama's side. Syama said to the king:

"'The elephant dies for the sake of its tusks; the rhinoceros dies for the sake of its horn; birds and beasts die for the sake of their feathers and fur; the deer dies for the sake of its flesh. I have no tusks, no horn, no fur, and my skin and flesh cannot be eaten. What offense have I committed now, that you have had the heart to kill me?'

"The king said:

"'What manner of being are you, that you wear a deerskin garment, no different from the birds and beasts?'

"Syama replied:

"'I am a person of your kingdom. Together with my blind parents I came here to study the Way for more than twenty years. We have never been harmed by tigers, leopards, or poisonous creatures, yet now I have been shot and slain by the king.'

"At that very moment, the wind in the mountains blew fiercely, snapping and toppling the trees; the multitude of birds cried out in grief; lions, tigers, and leopards scattered in disarray, and their roars resounded throughout the mountains and forests. The sun no longer gave light, the streams dried up, the flowers and leaves withered, and thunder and lightning rumbled forth...

"At that time the blind father and mother, terrified, said to each other:

"'Syama went to fetch water and has long not returned. Could it be that he has been harmed by poisonous creatures or by tigers and wolves? The birds and beasts are crying out, and their sounds are not as they are on ordinary days. The wind is blowing from all four directions, and the trees are snapped and fallen—surely there is some extraordinary calamity here!'

"At that time the king was greatly afraid and reproached himself: 'I did not wish to do this. I only meant to shoot the herd of deer, yet the arrow struck and killed a practitioner of the Way by mistake. This offense is most grave; for the sake of a little flesh I have brought about this calamity. Now I will bring forth the treasures and storehouses, the jeweled riches of the whole country, along with the palaces, the courtesans, the soldiers, the city walls, and the villages, in order to save this man's life.'

"The king reached out his hand to pull the arrow from Syama's chest, but the arrow had gone in so deep that it could not be drawn out. The birds and wild beasts from the four directions gathered round, crying out piteously, their cries resounding throughout the mountains and forests. The king grew ever more afraid, his whole body trembling.

"Syama said to the king:

"'It is not your fault; it is on account of the evil karma of my former lives that I have come to this. I do not begrudge my own body and life; I only think with compassion of my blind parents, whose years are already old and frail and whose two eyes cannot see the way. After this day, with me gone, perhaps my father and mother will die, for they will not know on whom to rely. It is for this reason alone that I am grieved and pained.'

"At that very moment, the devas, the naga spirits, the mountain spirits, the water spirits, and the tree spirits were all moved and bowed their heads. The king spoke again:

"'I would rather enter the hells for a hundred kalpas to bear this offense, if only Syama could be made to live.'

"The king knelt down before Syama and spoke words of repentance:

"'If you should die, I will never return to my kingdom. I will remain in the mountains and serve your parents just as when you were alive; do not let your mind be troubled. I beg the devas and naga spirits to bear witness, and may I never betray this oath.'

"Though Syama was pierced by the poisoned arrow, when he heard this oath of the king, even though stricken by the poisoned arrow, in his heart he greatly rejoiced. Though he was about to die, he had no regret.

"'It is because of my blind parents that the king has been brought to this trouble. To serve and provide for a practitioner of the Way causes the evil karma of this present life to be eliminated and gains immeasurable merit and virtue.'

"The king said:

"'Before you die, tell me where your parents are.'

"Syama then showed the king the path:

"'Not far from here, you will see a thatched hut; that is where my father and mother are dwelling. I beg you to step lightly, and do not cause my parents to be frightened. Skillfully explain things to my parents, and let me reverently offer them my words of farewell.

Impermanence is drawing near; I am about to die. I do not begrudge my own body and life; I only think of my parents, who are already aged and frail and also blind. After this day, with me gone, on whom will my father and mother rely?

Therefore I am grieved by the harm of the poisoned arrow, with death close at hand, for on account of the karmic retribution of former days I have come to where I cannot escape. Now I beg to repent before my father and mother: from immeasurable kalpas until now I have created so much evil karma; through this, may my offenses be extinguished and my merit arise. I vow that life after life I shall not be parted from my parents.

May my father and mother enjoy peace, health, and long life, and may they have no sorrow or grief. The devas, nagas, ghosts, and spirits will follow and assist them; calamities will be eliminated, what they wish for will be fulfilled, and they will dwell at ease and in peace.'

"The king led his retinue toward the place where Syama's parents were. After the king had departed, Syama gradually breathed his last. The multitude of birds and the wild beasts from the four directions gathered together; they licked the blood upon Syama's chest and wailed piteously around his body. When Syama's parents heard these sounds, their hearts grew all the more dismayed. The king, walking in haste, brushed against the grasses and branches and made a sound. Hearing the sound, knowing that someone was there, Syama's parents asked in fear:

"'Who is there? It does not seem to be the footsteps of our child.'

"The king answered:

"'I am the king of the country of Kasi. I heard that practitioners of the Way were studying the Way in these mountains, and so I have come to make offerings.'

"They then said:

"'How truly excellent that the great king has come here! Without shrinking from weariness you have condescended to come from afar to visit this lonely thatched hermitage. O great king, do you enjoy peace? Are the queen, the crown prince, the officials and soldiers, and the people of the palace all well and at peace? Is the weather temperate and the grain in plentiful supply? Have you suffered any incursion from neighboring countries?'

"The king said:

"'By the grace of the practitioners of the Way, all is at peace.'

"The king inquired after the welfare of Syama's parents:

"'Dwelling amid these mountains, enduring toil and hardship in the midst of the dense forest, do the birds and beasts not harm you, practitioners of the Way? Is the climate here agreeable?'

"Syama's parents replied:

"'Indeed, great king, by your grace we remain at peace and ease. We have a filial son named Syama; he constantly goes to gather every kind of fruit and to fetch spring water for us. Here the rains and winds are temperate, and we lack for nothing. Our dwelling has only a grass mat; we invite the great king to sit and rest a while and to partake of the fruit. Syama, who has gone to fetch water, will also soon return.'

"When the king heard the words of Syama's parents, he was exceedingly grieved at heart and, shedding tears, said:

"'I have committed a most grave offense. Entering the mountains to hunt, I looked into the distance and saw a herd of deer beside the spring; I drew my bow and shot, and struck the child of the practitioners of the Way by mistake. Syama has been wounded by a poisoned arrow and is in great agony; it is for this that I have come here to tell you two practitioners of the Way.'

"When Syama's parents heard this, their whole bodies collapsed to the ground, like Mount Tai crumbling, like an earthquake. The king came forward to help the two of them up. Lifting their faces to heaven, they wept and cried out:

"'Syama, our child, whose benevolence and filial piety were unequaled in all the world, whose feet, treading upon the earth, always feared lest the earth feel pain—what offense has our child now committed, that he should be shot and killed by the king? Just now, all of a sudden, a windstorm snapped and toppled the trees, and the multitude of birds cried out in grief, resounding throughout the mountains and forests. We have been in these mountains for more than twenty years, and never before has there been such a strange phenomenon. We suspected that our child, having gone so long to fetch water and not returned, must have met with some misfortune.'

"The spirits were all alarmed and moved. The mother wept without cease and could not stop. The father told her to cease her weeping and said:

"'Among the people of the world, no one attains everlasting life free from death. Impermanence is the way of nature; it cannot be avoided.'

"Having spoken, he asked the king:

"'O great king, while he was still alive, did Syama leave any words?'

"The king related in full the words of Syama's exhortation for his parents to hear. Hearing the king's account, Syama's parents grieved without end and said: 'After this day, with our child gone, surely we too shall die! We beg the great king to lead us to the place where Syama's body lies.'

"The king then led Syama's parents to the side of Syama's body. When they arrived, the father embraced his child's two feet, and the mother cradled his head, laying it upon her lap, and with her two hands she felt the arrow upon his chest. Lifting her face to heaven, she cried aloud:

"'O devas, naga spirits, mountain spirits, tree spirits, and water spirits! Our child was benevolent and supremely filial—the spirits have borne witness to it. Why do you have no pity for this kind and gentle child?'

"The mother used her tongue to lick the wound upon Syama's chest, saying:

"'May the poison enter the mouth of this mother. I am already aged, and my eyes cannot see the way; let me use my own body to take the place of my child's life. If my child may live, then even though I die, I shall have no regret.'

"Syama's parents both made this vow: 'If heaven and earth bear witness to Syama's utmost sincerity and utmost filial piety, then let the arrow fall away and the poison lose all effect, and let Syama be restored to life.'

"At that time, in the second heaven, the Trayastrimsa heaven, the throne upon which the lord of devas, Sakra, was seated was shaken. With his divine eye he saw the two practitioners of the Way embracing their child and crying out in lamentation. He also perceived that in the fourth heaven, the Tushita heaven, and in the celestial palaces and naga palaces, majestic as they were, there was a shaking.

Sakra, Brahma, and the Four Heavenly Kings then, from the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings, as swiftly as a person extends his arm, descended at once to the place where Syama lay, and with a divine medicine they dripped it into Syama's mouth. As the medicine entered his mouth, the poisoned arrow fell away, and Syama was restored to life. Syama's parents, astonished and overjoyed to see that Syama, who had died, was brought back to life, found that their own two eyes had both become bright.

The multitude of birds and beasts all uttered cries of joy; the wind ceased and the clouds cleared; the sun shone more brilliantly; the spring water flowed once more; the flowers of every color and the trees shone forth more radiantly than on ordinary days.

"The king rejoiced beyond measure. He paid homage to the deva Sakra, then turned to give thanks in homage to Syama's parents and to Syama. The king begged to offer the wealth of his country to the practitioners of the Way and to remain there in person to make offerings, in the hope that the karmic obstructions of this present life might be destroyed and the grievous wrongs of former lives done away with.

"Syama said to the king:

"'To repay this kindness ten-thousandfold, the king should return to his kingdom and devote himself to caring for the people, and should cause all to uphold and observe the five precepts. Let the king not hunt and slay the birds and beasts. If he does, then even in this present life he will not be at peace, and at death he will fall into the hells. Among those who live in the world, the love and affection of a moment is followed by long separation—what is there that endures forever? You, by the merit of your former life, have now become king; do not, because you have your freedom, live in indulgence and dissipation.'

"At that time the king was deeply remorseful and reproached himself: 'From this time forward I shall act according to Syama's teaching, and shall not dare to be negligent.' The several hundred men who had followed the king on the hunt, seeing that Syama, who had died, had been brought back to life when a divine being dripped medicine into his mouth, and that Syama's parents had received the gift of sight, were greatly rejoiced. They gave rise to the aspiration to receive and uphold the five precepts, and never transgressed them all their lives.

"The king returned and issued a command throughout his kingdom: 'Whoever has parents who are poor and blind, like the parents of Syama, must support and provide for them and may not neglect them. Whoever violates this shall be punished severely.'

"Because the people of the country had seen that Syama was brought back to life, high and low alike urged one another to uphold the five precepts and to cultivate the practice of the Ten Wholesome Deeds, so that at death they would ascend to the heavens and not enter the three evil paths."

The Buddha said to Ananda:

"As for those present here: in that former life, Syama was none other than I; the blind father was King Suddhodana; the blind mother is now my royal mother, Lady Maya; the king of the country of Kasi is now Ananda; and Sakra, lord of devas, is Maitreya. The kind grace of my mother's and father's nurturing caused me swiftly to accomplish the supreme, right, and true Way. Because I moved the devas, nagas, ghosts, and spirits, I was brought back from death to life. The grace and virtue of mother and father are deep and weighty; one who is a child must be filial. That I have now become a Buddha and deliver all beings is entirely due to the virtue of filial obedience."

The Buddha said to Ananda:

"Take these words that I have taught and repeat them to all people. One who has parents cannot but be filial; the Way cannot but be studied. That the spirits help one escape suffering, and that one afterward attains Nirvana, all come about through filial piety and the study of the Way."

When the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, the host of Bodhisattvas, bhikshus, bhikshunis, upasakas, upasikas, kings, great ministers, the people, elders, and lay disciples, reverently received it in accordance with the teaching. Bowing their heads in homage to the Buddha, they withdrew.