父母恩重經

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa near the city of Rājagṛha, together with the great Bodhisattvas, the assembly of Śrāvakas and their retinues, bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, upāsikās, and all the devas and humans, as well as the heavenly dragons, ghosts, and spirits, who had likewise come to gather in assembly. With one mind they listened to the Buddha expounding the Dharma, gazing reverently upon his honored countenance, their eyes unwilling to look away for even a moment. Thereupon the Buddha said:

"In this world, everyone is born of father and mother. Without a father, none could come into the world. Without a mother, none could be nurtured. Therefore, when one descends into the womb, the mother's body bears and carries the child for ten months. When the time of birth arrives, the infant comes forth from the mother and lies upon a bed of grass. Thereafter, the father and mother rear and nurture the child, placing it in the cradle, or cherishing and embracing it. At times the father and mother coo and play to make merry, and the child smiles though it cannot yet speak.

When it is hungry and needs to eat, who but the mother feeds it morsel by morsel? When it is thirsty and needs to drink, who but the mother gives it suck? Even when she herself is hungry, the mother swallows the bitter and feeds the sweet to her child.

When sleeping, the mother willingly lies in the wet place to leave the dry place for her child. Were she not of close kinship, how could her love be so deep? Were they not father and mother, how could they nurture in such a way?

When she takes the child out of the cradle, even though the child's filth clings to all ten of her fingers, the loving mother minds it not, knowing only how to care utterly for her child. On average each infant drinks about 840 liters of mother's milk. If one were to recount the loving kindness of the mother, it would be like the heavens, vast and boundless.

Alas! How can we ever repay our loving mother?"

The Venerable Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying:

"World-Honored One! How must we repay this kindness and virtue? We respectfully implore the World-Honored One to expound it."

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"Listen attentively and reflect well upon it. I shall analyze and explain it for you.

The kindness and virtue of father and mother is like the heavens, vast and boundless. But if there be a filial and obedient child who can, for the sake of father and mother, perform meritorious deeds and print scriptures, or who can prepare trays bearing offerings to present to the Buddha and the Saṅgha on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, then that child shall obtain immeasurable retribution, and thus may repay the kindness and virtue of both parents.

If, moreover, there be anyone who transcribes and circulates this scripture so that all people may receive, uphold, read, and recite it, then know that such a person has repaid the deep kindness of father and mother. As it is the duty of one who is a child to know how one may repay the two who gave one life.

Each day the father and mother go out to labor. Often the mother draws water from the well, cooks food, or pounds rice. Even while at her labor, the mother is ever anxious that perhaps her child is weeping or longing for her return.

When the mother comes home, the child, seeing the mother approach from afar, joyfully bobs its head in the cradle, or turns its belly and crawls toward the mother. At that moment, the mother bends down, stretches out both hands, and washes and cleans her child's body. Then she lifts the child up, coos with her mouth, and opens the front of her robe to give it suck.

When the mother sees the child, the mother's heart is glad. When the child sees the mother, the child's heart rejoices. The tender, intermingling love between mother and child is sacred and beyond compare.

At two or three years of age, the little one is joyful as it toddles, learning to walk. Were there no mother, surely it would not know when it needed to eat.

Now and then the father and mother are invited to attend a feast and have cakes and meat to eat, yet they do not eat them but put them away and carry them home for the child. In nine of ten times, the child is greatly delighted. But sometimes the father and mother bring nothing back, and the child shrieks and pretends to weep. Such is an unfilial and defiant child. On the contrary, a filial child would not be so. Such a one is ever filial, obedient, and gentle.

When the children grow up, they have friends with whom to play together. At such times, the father and mother comb and smooth the children's hair so that it is neat and tidy. When they wish for fine clothes to wear, the father and mother do not mind wearing coarse and shabby garments, while the white cotton clothes, clean, new, and fine, are reserved for the children.

Then, when the children begin to go out to attend to public matters or private affairs, the hearts of the father and mother lean south and back north, their thoughts run east and dash west, and their heads turn ever toward the direction of their children.

When they come of age to take a wife, they marry the daughter of another household. Husband and wife converse merrily together in their private chamber, while the father and mother grow ever more estranged. As time passes, although the parents have grown old in years and their vital strength has waned, from morning until evening the children never come to inquire after them.

Or there may be a father who has lost his wife, a mother who has lost her husband. They dwell alone in an empty house and feel as though they were guests lodging in another's home. They have no one to care for them; moreover, they have no clothing to ward off the cold, and must meet with hardships and miseries. When they reach old age, the color of their faces grows feeble, and many lice arise upon their bodies, so that day and night they cannot sleep. Often they lament, saying:

'What sin did we commit in a former life, that we should give birth to so unfilial a child?'

Or sometimes the father and mother call the child to come, but the child glares with angry eyes. Not only this, but even the daughter-in-law and the grandchildren rail and curse and, drawing in their heads, laugh in contempt of them. Such is an unfilial daughter-in-law; both husband and wife together commit the five defiant sins.

Or at times there is an urgent matter, so the father and mother call the child to come, but in nine of ten times the child takes no heed. The child is utterly disobedient and, growing angry, curses and reviles:

'Why do you people not hurry up and die? What is the use of your living on in the world?'

When the father and mother hear these words, their hearts are grieved with sorrow and pity, and tears fall in two streams. They weep and sob until both their eyes are swollen. They lament, saying:

'When you were a small child, were it not for your father and mother, who would have reared you to maturity? Though we gave birth to you, it would perhaps have been better had we not.'"

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"If any good man or good woman is able, for the sake of father and mother, to receive, uphold, read, recite, and transcribe the Scripture on the Profound Kindness of Father and Mother of the Mahāyāna Mahā-prajñāpāramitā, then even if their parents should but see or hear one time a single line or a single verse of this scripture, the five defiant sins shall all be utterly extinguished and forever cut off—not even a trace remaining. They shall ever behold the Buddha and hear the Dharma, and swiftly attain liberation."

At that time the Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt upon both knees, joined his palms before the Buddha, and said:

"World-Honored One! What is this scripture named, and how shall we uphold it in practice?"

The Buddha said to Ānanda:

"This scripture is named The Profound Kindness of Father and Mother.

If there be any sentient being who can, for the sake of father and mother, perform meritorious deeds, print scriptures, burn incense, invite the Buddha, pay homage, and make offerings to the Triple Gem, or offer food and drink to the Saṅgha, then know that such a person has repaid the kindness and virtue of both parents."

When Śakra, Brahmā, the devas, humans, and all sentient beings had heard this scripture, they all rejoiced and gave rise to the bodhi-mind. Thereupon, the sound of their weeping shook the great earth, and tears poured down like rain as they bowed their heads to the ground in faithful acceptance. Then they paid homage, their foreheads touching the feet of the Buddha, and joyfully undertook to practice it.

The Buddha Expounds the Scripture on the Profound Kindness of Father and Mother