佛說光明童子因緣經

At that time in the city of Rājagṛha there were two youths, one of the Brāhmaṇa lineage, and the second of the Kṣatriya lineage.

The youth of the Kṣatriya lineage was named Āyuṣmant (Long Life).

These two youths set out from the city of Rājagṛha and were playing together by the left side of the road. For a long time, the youth Āyuṣmant had possessed right faith. The Brāhmaṇa youth did not possess right faith.

The youth Āyuṣmant said:

"I have heard the World-Honored One say before: 'The wife of the elder Sudhana shall bear a son. After he is born, the family shall become wealthy and prosperous, supremely at peace, and among humankind he shall enjoy the blessings of the heavens. Later he shall leave the household life to study the Way within the Dharma of the Buddha, cut off all afflictions, and attain Arhatship.' Sudhana's wife has died, and the child died along with her. The kinsmen of the elder have laid the corpse in the Śītavana forest. I wonder whether the World-Honored One spoke falsely about this matter or not?"

At that time the youth Āyuṣmant spoke a verse for the Brāhmaṇa youth:

"The sun, the stars, and the moon may fall,

The mountains, rocks, and earth may fly up into the void,

The ocean waters and the deep abysses may run dry—

But the words the Buddha has spoken are surely without falsehood."

When the Brāhmaṇa youth had heard the verse, the youth Āyuṣmant said:

"If you do not believe, let me go together with you to the Śītavana forest to see this matter clearly."

At that time the World-Honored One continued to set forth from the city of Rājagṛha. The two youths were playing by the left side of the road. The youth Āyuṣmant beheld the World-Honored One and the great assembly drawing near, and through his former wholesome roots he straightaway spoke a verse:

"The Great Muni, so rare,

Free from all marks of disturbance and agitation;

The whole great assembly of gods and humans

Follow after Him in due order.

He roars the lion's roar,

Demolishing the doctrines of all the heterodox,

Forever cutting off the nets of doubt—

Supreme, most difficult to behold.

The Buddha comes to the Śītavana forest,

His majestic bearing dignified and beautiful,

Like the wind blowing the snow clean,

Bright and cool throughout all space.

The Honored One Śākyamuni

Transforms and manifests radiant light;

Those who behold Him in a single moment

Thereby obtain benefit."

At that time the lord of the realm of Magadha, King Bimbisāra, had earlier heard the Buddha, the World-Honored One, say: "The wife of the elder shall bear a son. After he is born, the family shall become wealthy and prosperous, supremely at peace. Among humankind he shall enjoy the blessings of the heavens. Later he shall leave the household life to study the Way within the Dharma of the Buddha, cut off all afflictions, and attain Arhatship. The wife of the elder has died, and her kinsmen have borne her into the Śītavana forest. Now the Buddha, the World-Honored One, together with the great assembly drawing near, also comes to the Śītavana forest."

When the king had heard this, he thought to himself: "Our Buddha, the World-Honored One, if it were not for some benefit, would not come to the Śītavana forest. It is not that Sudhana's wife, having died, could come back to life. The World-Honored One goes there because He wishes to perform deeds of benefit. I ought to go and observe this matter."

When King Bimbisāra had thought thus, he straightaway, together with his great minister Vārṣakāra, his retinue, and his close concubines, set forth from the city. As he went out from the city, the two youths were still playing by the left side of the road.

The youth Āyuṣmant beheld King Bimbisāra, and at once came before him and spoke a verse:

"The supreme and victorious lord of the realm of Magadha,

With his ministers and guards, sets forth from the city,

Giving rise to pure and firm faith—

All the people are filled with joy."

At that time, the Buddha and the entire great assembly of gods and humans, King Bimbisāra, the youth Āyuṣmant, and the rest, all went to the Śītavana forest.

At that time, from the mouth of the World-Honored One there issued forth pure radiant light that illumined the whole assembly. The heterodox fortune-teller Nirgrantha was also present in the assembly. Seeing the Buddha, the World-Honored One, emit radiant light, he straightaway thought: "The śramaṇa Gautama manifests the mark of radiant light amid the great assembly—could it be that Sudhana's son has not yet died?!"

Having thought this, he said to the elder:

"Elder! I see the śramaṇa Gautama manifest the mark of radiant light; surely your son still lives and has not died."

The elder Sudhana asked:

"O holy one, my teacher! If this matter is so, what must I do?"

The heterodox one said:

"Elder! If your son still lives, then he should be given over to cultivate and study within my teaching."

At that time the elder was about to cremate his wife; he had piled up the firewood and the funeral implements outside, and then set them alight. When the flames had blazed up, from the navel of his wife there gradually split open and grew forth a lotus blossom, and within that lotus blossom there was a youth seated upright, his countenance beautiful, his form and features extraordinary.

At that time, the countless great assembly in the gathering all beheld this mark and praised it as unprecedented. Those of right faith recalled the words the Buddha had spoken before, that they were truthful and without falsehood. The heterodox one Nirgrantha, seeing this matter, was grieved and pained at heart, and stood silent.

The World-Honored One said to the elder Sudhana:

"Take this youth back, and guard and nurture him."

At that time, the heterodox one Nirgrantha secretly watched the elder's manner and then said:

"Elder! In the fire that burned the corpse a youth has suddenly come into being. All of this is inauspicious. You ought not to take the child back to nurture him."

The elder Sudhana, heeding these words, was unwilling to accept that youth. At that time, the Buddha said to the youth Āyuṣmant:

"You should accept this youth and take him back to guard and nurture him."

The youth Āyuṣmant, having weighed the matter from beginning to end, then said to the Buddha:

"Within my household there is no place to receive him. Even were I to obtain this child, it is not a thing I ought to do."

After the cremation of Sudhana's wife was completed, the Buddha, using the majestic spiritual power of His radiant light, caused the fire to extinguish of itself. In a moment, fine snow fell from the sky, and naturally all became pure and clear; it swept up the remaining firewood and cleansed the ground of the cremation site. From within the fire there had been born a youth standing firm and steady.

The World-Honored One said to the assembly and to the youth Āyuṣmant:

"You are people of faith. Do not learn from the deranged frenzy of the other, wrong heterodox ones, but should abide in right mindfulness."

The youth Āyuṣmant said to the Buddha:

"I was born in the royal lineage, indeed a royal lineage of long ages, and my body is pure, like the fragrance of oxhead sandalwood. I truly do not know of the deranged frenzy of the other, wrong heterodox ones."

At that time the World-Honored One again said to the elder Sudhana:

"This youth is your son; you should take him back to guard and nurture him."

That elder Sudhana, with his wrong views obstinate, did not practice the right Way. At that moment he again secretly glanced at the heterodox one Nirgrantha.

The heterodox one said:

"Elder Sudhana! You should consider: this youth is a remnant left over from the fire, most ill-omened. Though the fire did not burn him, how can his marks be good? If you take him back to dwell with you, your family will be ruined; moreover, he does not accord with your destiny, and dwelling with you he will cause much harm—whatever you wish to do will not turn out favorably, and afterward you will come to regret it."

The elder, having heard the heterodox one speak thus, was unwilling to accept the youth.

At that time the World-Honored One said to King Bimbisāra:

"Great King, you should take this youth back to your palace and nurture him."

King Bimbisāra obeyed the Buddha's teaching, and in haste rose, bent down, took the youth up in both his hands, gazed all over the child, and then said to the Buddha:

"I obey the Buddha's teaching and shall take the youth back to the palace; but by what name shall the youth be called? I pray the Buddha, the World-Honored One, to bestow it."

The Buddha said:

"Great King! This youth was born from within the fire; he should be named Agni-prabhā (Fire-Radiance)."

At that time, the World-Honored One, amid the great assembly, entrusted the youth to King Bimbisāra, and then, perceiving and knowing King Bimbisāra and the assembly, expounded the Dharma to them according to their faculties and dispositions and what they delighted in.

When these assemblies had heard the Dharma, more than a hundred people gave rise to supreme pure faith. Some attained the fruit of Srota-āpanna, some attained the fruit of Sakṛd-āgāmin, some attained the fruit of Anāgāmin, some attained the fruit of Arhat, some reached the wholesome-root stage of Heat (uṣmagata), some reached the wholesome-root stage of Summit (mūrdhan), some reached the wholesome-root stage of Forbearance (kṣānti), some gave rise to the mind of Śrāvaka-Bodhi, some gave rise to the mind of Pratyekabuddha-Bodhi, some gave rise to the mind of Unsurpassed Perfect Enlightenment (Anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi), some gave rise to the mind of taking refuge and embracing the precepts, some gave rise to the mind of receiving and upholding the precepts and rules.

For all such assemblies, the Buddha used the power of His merit to bring the assembly into harmony, so that, each according to his case, all obtained benefit.

At that time, King Bimbisāra departed from the Buddha's assembly and took the youth back to the royal palace. The Great King summoned eight concubines to serve as eight mothers:

— Two to serve as foster-mothers to nurture him.

— Two to serve as wet-nurses to attend to his suckling.

— Two to serve as bath-mothers to bathe and wash him.

— Two to serve as play-mothers to be his companions in study and amusement.

The Great King appointed the eight mothers to do thus, and then entrusted the youth to them to raise, from the time of suckling until he reached maturity. At the times of eating, of suckling, and in all other matters, throughout the whole day and night, they earnestly nurtured him, soothed him, and loved him, allowing nothing to be lacking. Gradually, as he reached maturity, he was elegant and pure like a lotus blossom rising up from a pond, ever loved and protected in this way.

The youth Prabhā had a maternal cousin who had taken goods abroad to trade for a long time and, after passing many years, had not yet returned. Suddenly, on a certain occasion, he heard others say: "Your younger sister is with child, and the Buddha has given the prediction that she shall surely bear a son. After he is born, the family shall be wealthy and prosperous, supremely at peace, and among humankind he shall enjoy the blessings of the heavens; afterward he shall leave the household life to study the Way within the Dharma of the Buddha, cut off all afflictions, and attain Arhatship."

When the elder brother had heard this, he straightaway gathered up his trading goods, carried them on his back, and journeyed wearily from afar back to his home. Arriving home, he learned that his sister had died, and he cried out and wept in sorrow. He thought to himself: "Earlier, when I was abroad, I heard the Buddha give the prediction that my sister would surely bear a son, cut off all afflictions, and attain Arhatship. Now my sister has died—the Buddha's words are false. Could it be that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, also speaks falsely?"

Having thought thus, he went to the neighbors' houses to inquire about the matter. Arriving there, he asked the neighbors:

"I have just returned from trading afar. Earlier I heard people say: my sister was with child, and the Buddha gave the prediction that she would surely bear a son. After he was born, the family would be wealthy and prosperous, and among humankind he would enjoy the blessings of the heavens; afterward he would leave the household life to study the Way within the teaching of the Buddha, cut off all afflictions, and attain Arhatship. Having heard this, I rejoiced and hurried back. But by the time I reached home, my sister had died. Were the words the Buddha spoke false or not?"

The neighbors, for the elder brother's sake, spoke a verse:

"The moon and stars lie beneath the earth,

The mountains and rocks fly up into the void,

The great ocean may run dry—

But the Buddha's words are truly without falsehood."

When the neighbors had spoken the verse, they further said to the elder brother:

"The words the World-Honored One spoke are truly without falsehood; but the death of your sister has a cause. The elder Sudhana believed the words of the heterodox one and so committed the karma of killing. By reason of that killing your sister died. The youth Prabhā has great majestic virtue—fire cannot burn him, for he was born from within a lotus blossom. Now King Bimbisāra is nurturing him in the palace."

The neighbors recounted the matter in full to the elder brother.

When the elder brother had heard this, he returned home and said to the elder Sudhana:

"What you, elder, have done does not accord with the law of righteousness. As to how my younger sister died, I now know clearly. My sister was with child, and you set about contriving a scheme, so that the birth was not brought to term.

The cause was that you, employing wrong views and believing in the heterodox, killed my sister. The youth Prabhā has great majestic virtue, was born from within a lotus blossom, and fire cannot burn him; now he dwells in the king's palace. This matter is truly contrary to reason!

This very day, go quickly to the king's palace and bring the youth back—then the matter will be well. If you do not do so, then surely you and I shall no longer be on friendly terms. I shall take white ashes and scatter them everywhere throughout the crossroads and all about, making the ground white, causing all the people to be afraid, and then I shall proclaim aloud: 'The elder Sudhana has killed a woman.

My sister, by reason of this, died before. The youth Prabhā is now in the king's palace; now the king will perform an act of no benefit.' I shall proclaim this matter everywhere. Reckon for yourself; you ought not to leave behind such disgrace."

When the elder Sudhana had heard these words, grief and distress arose in his heart, and he thought: "What the brother says is true and not false. If it is truly so, I shall be put to shame!" Having thought thus, he straightaway went to the king's palace. Arriving there, he knelt and paid homage with reverence, and laid the matter before the king, saying:

"Great King! I have been too rash, while you are truly lofty and supreme! If the youth cannot be brought back, I fear the king will be reproached. I pray the king to let this youth be taken back."

The king said:

"Elder! My heart never wished to keep this youth. It was because the Buddha, the World-Honored One, entrusted him to me. Had the Buddha not so commanded, why would I keep him? If you wish to take this youth back, you should go to the Buddha and lay the matter out in full."

The elder Sudhana then departed from the king's palace, went to where the Buddha was, and said to the Buddha:

"I have a kinsman who has returned from afar, and he said to me: 'The youth Prabhā is in the king's palace. This very day it would be well to bring the youth back quickly. If not, that man, not being on friendly terms, will go to the crossroads and cry out: "The elder Sudhana has killed a woman. My sister, by reason of this, died before. The youth Prabhā is in the king's palace, and the king too performs no act of benefit."' For this matter I went to the king's palace to request the youth back. The king replied: 'It was formerly because the Buddha commanded me to take him back and nurture him.' Now I have come here to pray that the Buddha command the king to hand the youth back over to me."

At that time the World-Honored One, knowing this matter, perceived and knew that if the elder Sudhana did not obtain this youth, his heart would be oppressed with grief and distress, and, failing to attain this wish, he would surely vomit blood and die.

The Buddha, out of great compassion, performed an act of rescue, and straightaway said to the Venerable Ānanda:

"Ānanda, you may go to the palace of King Bimbisāra and convey these words as My own: 'The Buddha asks whether the Great King is well. Now there is a matter; pray heed the Buddha's instruction: The elder Sudhana has come to request back the youth Prabhā. I pray the king to hand him back over. If the elder Sudhana does not obtain the youth, his heart will be oppressed with grief and distress, and, this wish unattained, he will surely vomit blood and die. The king, for this matter, should act according to the Buddha's instruction.'"

The Venerable Ānanda, obeying the holy command of the Buddha, straightaway went to the palace of King Bimbisāra, and having met the king, spoke as the Buddha had instructed:

"The Buddha asks whether the Great King is well. Now there is a matter; pray heed the Buddha's words: The elder Sudhana has come to request back the youth Prabhā. If Sudhana does not obtain this youth, he will be oppressed with grief and distress, and not having it as he wishes, he will surely vomit blood and die. The Great King, for this matter, should hand the youth back over to them."

At that time King Bimbisāra obeyed the Buddha's teaching, and straightaway said:

"Venerable of great virtue! I pray you to return and report to the Buddha on my behalf: King Bimbisāra bows his head beneath the feet of the World-Honored One, respectfully sends his greetings to the World-Honored One, and I shall obey the Buddha's teaching."

The Venerable Ānanda departed from the king's palace, returned to where the Buddha was, and reported to the Buddha, the World-Honored One, fully as the king had said.

At that time, King Bimbisāra straightaway summoned the elder Sudhana and said to him:

"Sudhana! This youth has been nurtured and guarded in the king's palace for a long time. Eight mothers have cared for him and attended to his suckling at every time. My heart loves him more than a father loves a son. Although I now obey the Buddha and hand him back over to you, you too shall be of the same mind and intention as I: three times each day you shall bring the youth into the palace, for I wish to see him."

The elder Sudhana, obeying the king's command, straightaway said:

"I obey the king's command and dare not act contrary to it. Three times each day I shall bring him to the king's palace."

King Bimbisāra then took various beautiful jewels and adornments, and ornaments of ivory, and had the youth Prabhā ride upon a precious elephant, with a single attendant assigned as his companion, and sent him to the elder's house. Thereafter, three times each day, the elder brought the youth to the king's palace, and the king personally examined closely whatever the youth Prabhā did, all in accord with the law of righteousness.

Until afterward, when the father Sudhana had died, the youth Prabhā became master of the household and carried on the family enterprise, and moreover, with diligence and zeal, he believed in the Buddha, believed in the Dharma, believed in the Bhikṣu Saṅgha; and he took refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Bhikṣu Saṅgha.

In this place, where formerly the father had committed the karma of killing, the elder Prabhā now, for his father's sake, cultivated and performed deeds of merit. In his household, at all times, he fully provided the four kinds of offerings and served the Bhikṣus of the four directions. In the future he would be one who compiles and treasures the right Dharma of the World-Honored One, one foremost in seniority among the great Śrāvakas, and he also constantly provided and offered up the various requisites.

The elder Prabhā, in the city of Rājagṛha, cultivated such deeds of merit, all for his father's sake performing acts of benefit.

At that time there was a merchant, formerly an old friend and fellow tradesman of Sudhana's, who had been trading in a far region for a long time without returning, and who thought that Sudhana had performed no wholesome karma whatever. Now he came to hear that the man had died, and had a son named Prabhā, and that the elder Prabhā believed in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha, took refuge in the Triple Gem, and performed deeds in accord with reason. When the merchant had heard of this matter, he felt compassion for Sudhana and rejoiced for the elder Prabhā, and straightaway took fine oxhead sandalwood incense and made a great bowl filled with precious things, and from the far region sent someone to bring it, saying thus:

"My intention is that it may forever serve as a keepsake, to remember and not forget."

At that time the elder Prabhā straightaway gave a mantra of protection on their behalf. That mantra is:

"Ke na ci si thāc dạ phược thất thāc dạ phược yết lý ca thāc ke na phược ngật lý hệ hằng."

Having spoken this mantra, he further said:

"This precious bowl is given to a śramaṇa or a Brāhmaṇa, or one who possesses the various spiritual powers and great majestic might, who shall receive this bowl. If it be so received, then let there be rejoicing."

Having pronounced the blessing, he then took this bowl out of the city of Rājagṛha. First he planted a great pillar by the left side of the road, then adorned it with silken cords, and above hung a bell, and placed the bowl beneath the pillar as a marker.

At that time there were certain heterodox ones who, as was their custom, went at early dawn to the river to bathe and wash, and passing in turn along that road, saw this precious bowl and asked the elder Prabhā:

"Elder! For what purpose have you placed the bowl here?"

The elder Prabhā recounted the reason to the heterodox ones, and the heterodox ones said:

"The pure śramaṇas, sons of Śākya, may receive this bowl; one without the power cannot bear to receive it."

Having spoken thus, the heterodox ones went their own way.

Afterward there came certain assemblies of senior, greatly virtuous Bhikṣus, who, carrying their bowls to beg for alms, entered the city of Rājagṛha, and seeing this precious bowl by the left side of the road, asked the elder Prabhā:

"For what purpose have you placed the bowl here?"

The elder Prabhā likewise gave the former reason in reply.

The Bhikṣus said:

"Elder! This precious bowl we cannot accept; you should offer it up to the Buddha, so as to increase the benefit of practice and extinguish the defilements of all transgressions."

When the Bhikṣus had spoken thus, they went their own way.

THE BUDDHA EXPOUNDS THE SŪTRA OF THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS OF THE YOUTH PRABHĀ (RADIANCE)

End of Fascicle 2