福力太子因緣經

Afterward, the prince Puṇyabala, together with his four brothers, came to the royal pleasure garden to roam and enjoy themselves. But along the way there were thousands of hungry ghosts (pretas) with mouths as small as the eye of a needle, dwelling halfway up the mountain. Their appearance was gaunt and hideous, like skeletons, and their entire bodies were ablaze with fire. The ghosts surrounded the people, but the people did not see them; only the prince Puṇyabala first saw their form and appearance. The ghosts joined their palms together, came forward, and addressed the prince:

"You are a being of great merit and virtue, of great renown, a compassionate one. We are hungry and thirsty, oppressed and afflicted by suffering. We beg you to grant us even a little portion of food and drink. In our former lives we created the cause of stinginess, and so in this life we have fallen into the realm of hungry ghosts. For countless thousands of years we have not been able to drink water—how much less even to behold food."

At that time, the prince Puṇyabala looked up into the empty sky and at once gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness and compassion: "How joyful it would be for me, if now heaven would send down a little food, that I might grant it to these starving hungry ghosts." Then suddenly a great deal of food fell down from the heavens. The prince Puṇyabala then took all this food to the hungry ghosts. But because of the force of their karma from former lives, they could not see the food, and they all said:

"We have heard that the prince is a compassionate being. Why, then, do you not bring food to us today?"

The prince replied:

"I have brought the food that heaven sent down and handed it to you. Why do you not take it?"

The hungry ghosts said:

"O prince, because of the force of our karma from former lives, we are unable to see the food."

The prince Puṇyabala then reflected: "How pitiable is this stinginess! How truly detestable!" He said:

"If meritorious rewards have great power, then because it is so for me, let me speak these words of truth: may these hungry ghosts be able to see the food, so that fittingly all of them may take the food."

When the prince had finished speaking, all those hungry ghosts were able to see the food, and at once the hungry ghosts were transformed, their faces becoming like those of human beings. The prince Puṇyabala gave rise to a mind of rejoicing and at once bestowed the food upon all the kinds of hungry ghosts. Having received the food, their hunger and thirst were ended; their bodies became truly complete, and they no longer had their hideous, evil forms. Toward the prince Puṇyabala, all the kinds of hungry ghosts gave rise to thoughts of purity and rejoicing, and so at that very moment their lives ended, and they were reborn in the Tuṣita heaven. Circling about in the open sky, they addressed the prince:

"O prince, that we have been reborn in the Tuṣita heaven is entirely due to the majestic spiritual power that you have brought about."

The prince Puṇyabala, hearing these fine words, was greatly delighted. He went toward the grove of trees where his elder brothers were, and together they discussed: "How should the people of the world cultivate in order to attain many benefits?" The brother possessed of the most perfect physical beauty said:

"In this world, whoever cultivates the deeds of physical form and appearance will attain many benefits. How do we know this? Because if a person who has never before beheld it now beholds it, they at once give rise to rejoicing. Whoever has never before had faith and reverence, upon seeing it gives rise to faith and reverence. As I once heard the master, the sage seer, also say so. If there is a person endowed with beautiful form and appearance, the people delight to behold their beauty, gazing upon it, taking pleasure and delight in it, just as a wise person delights in the supreme Dharma and sets forth various offerings."

Next, the brother who was endowed with diligence said:

"It is not by cultivating form and appearance that one attains many benefits. Here you should know that if a person cultivates the deeds of diligence, they will attain many benefits. Why?

Because if one cultivates form and appearance but is not diligent, how then, in this life and in other lives, could one attain results according to one's wishes? Or to hold that the person who cultivates form and appearance attains many benefits—that is a foolish person, covered over by deluded views. As I say: through the practice of diligent deeds, in this very present life one attains the results one wishes for.

Just as the farmer who plants and cultivates and then sells for profit, the scholar who receives a stipend, the learner who masters the meaning of the teachings, the one who cultivates meditative concentration and attains tranquil ease—it is by present diligence that they attain results according to their wishes. Furthermore, the diligent person, in other lives, accomplishes the results they wish for: being reborn in the good destinies and reborn in the heavenly realms, wealthy and at ease, and attaining present realization of liberation—all because of diligence in other lives, they accomplish what they wish.

All these merits take diligence as their support. Furthermore, the diligent person can counteract cowardice and weakness. If one applies diligence, then there is not even one small dharma that is not accomplished."

The one endowed with skillful means said:

"O worthy ones, although many opinions have been spoken, in truth there is not one opinion that I acknowledge. Why? Because if a person is diligent but has no skillfulness, in the end they will not attain a substantial result. Only if one practices both diligence and skillful means can one accomplish the result. Therefore you should know that the person who cultivates the deeds of skillfulness will gain many benefits. Furthermore, the person endowed with skillfulness—whether a king, an official, a śramaṇa, a brāhmaṇa, an elder (gṛhapati)... down even to a person of low caste and other skillful people—all come to present offerings."

Next, the one endowed with wisdom said:

"You should know that the cultivation that attains many benefits is neither form and appearance, nor diligence, nor skillfulness. Why? When one regards form and appearance, if there is no wisdom, then though it may seem similar, it has no substance.

When one rouses diligence, if there is no wisdom, then though one may gain benefit, one does not succeed. When one acts with skillfulness, if there is no wisdom, then though one may cultivate, one cannot gather it in and guard and uphold it. Therefore you should know that wisdom has the capacity to accomplish all undertakings, and if a person cultivates it, they will attain many benefits.

Furthermore, this wisdom can obtain form and appearance, can accomplish skillfulness, can give rise to diligence, and can attain all that is supremely wondrous in the human realm."

At that time, the prince Puṇyabala looked with delight upon the one endowed with wisdom and said:

"Just so, just so! What you have said is most true. Because if one has form and appearance, skillfulness, and diligence but lacks wisdom, one cannot attain many benefits.

Therefore you should know that wisdom has the function of encompassing all fruits as they truly are... O worthy one, yet if this wisdom lacks the power of merit, then in carrying out one's affairs one also will not accomplish them. Therefore you should know precisely: if a person cultivates merit, they attain many benefits.

Why? Because merit is a fruit purely and wholly so; merit is a brilliant, shining fruit; merit is a fruit agreeable to the mind; merit is a fruit of rejoicing. Such a fruit of merit—its virtues I cannot finish telling.

Now, for your sakes, wishing to cause the gate of merit to be opened and revealed, I will speak but a small part. Listen well: because there is merit, one obtains form and appearance; merit fully provides diligence; merit obtains good fortune and great wealth; merit fully provides wisdom; merit can hymn and praise the virtues of the true Dharma; merit fully provides keen penetration; merit leads to the right path; merit gives birth in noble and honored families; merit obtains recollection of former lives; merit fully provides a good reputation; merit perfects the conduct of moral discipline; merit gives the capacity for generosity; merit causes one always to have faculties unimpaired; merit makes one always joyful; with merit one is always honored with offerings by the wise;

merit fully provides all the powers; merit always brings one to meet good spiritual friends; the power of merit can accomplish all undertakings.

That is to say, whether plowing the fields or trading in pursuit of profit, even a little merit of generosity will attain great accumulation, and one obtains wealth, nobility, and sovereign ease. A person of merit can, within a single thought-moment, cause to rain down naturally from the sky garments, food, and precious treasures—all complete—and accordingly obtain peace and joy. By merit one obtains a fine dwelling agreeable to one's wishes; by merit, in the present life and reborn in other lives, one always obtains a beautiful wife and children, kinfolk, wealth, and food.

"In whatever land a person of merit walks, naturally there are no thorns, no stones or gravel, and they go and stand in peace. The person of merit also obtains a tall and stately bodily form. If there be a person sick and afflicted, when the person of merit touches them with their hand, the illness accordingly gradually diminishes.

Again, if the person of merit touches someone, they can then cause to pour forth from that person food, garments, precious treasures, possessions, rice and grain... supplied for use without exhaustion. The person of merit is always followed and guarded by devas, nāgas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, ghosts... Just as when it rains there are spirits who shelter the newly sprouting plants, so too is this protection.

The person of merit is always honored and loved by many. Merit brings a good reputation; merit causes people to praise one; merit always makes one fully provided with the portions of wholesome dharmas. When the person of merit speaks, everyone trusts and accords with them; the person of merit is always radiant and lovable; the person of merit always utters wondrous Brahma-voiced sounds; the body of the person of merit is naturally soft and supple; the person of merit always utters gentle, wholesome, and beautiful words.

The person of merit always meets good friends and wise people, and their kinfolk are not destroyed; the person of merit is without illness; the person of merit is loved by all; the person of merit obtains wealth and profit; the person of merit is strong and healthy.

"The person of great merit becomes a king of men endowed with all things, free from the various diseases; the person of merit is always wealthy without ruin; the person of merit comes upon flowing treasure-stores, fully provided with the seven treasures; the person of merit can travel through the empty sky; the person of merit's majestic radiance equals the sun and moon; the person of merit becomes the Moon Deva; the person of merit becomes the Sun Deva; the person of merit becomes Brahmā; the person of merit becomes Śakra; the person of merit can dwell in the towers and palaces of the heavens, just like a deva-son.

They have great might like an asura-king; the person of merit is always reborn in the good destinies; the person of merit departs far from the evil paths; the person of merit always obtains supreme wondrous flowers, lofty and rare, hard to come by yet agreeable; whatever the person of merit does is accomplished; the person of merit can produce lights that illumine the world; the person of merit is always honored with the offerings of rightly-believing devas, humans, asuras..."

When the prince spoke of these matters of merit, the four brothers, holding different views and cultivating differently, accordingly caused the prince to speak again:

"Now I wish, together with you brothers, to journey on by stages to another country, and according to where we dwell, to put to the test this question: whether one ought to cultivate much in form and appearance, diligence, skillful craft, wisdom, or the power of merit?"

The four brothers, hearing the prince's words, all acted accordingly and, without reporting to their royal father, they crossed over to another country. Having entered that country, they changed their adornments, and each went to seek a place to lodge.

The one endowed with form and appearance, because he had beautiful form, all who gazed upon him gave rise to rejoicing, and thereby he attained wealth and abundance, enjoying possessions and gains.

The one endowed with diligence, because he had strength, was able to take what was needed. Suddenly he saw in a great river—its current swift, the river both deep and wide and fearsome—an extremely large fragrant sandalwood (candana) log. The diligent one obtained this log of wood, sold it for money, became wealthy, and enjoyed possessions and gains.

The one endowed with skillfulness used the power of skill to accomplish various tasks, and thereby became wealthy, enjoying possessions and gains.

The one endowed with wisdom, because he had subtle and ingenious wisdom, had the capacity to undo deep and grave enmities, and moreover he often drew near to people of talent and power, pleasing them and causing them to give rise to rejoicing, and accordingly received garments, food, and precious possessions... and in this way enjoyed the pleasures of possessions and gains.

The prince Puṇyabala, in accordance with his surpassing merit and the power of his great majestic virtue, went everywhere bestowing meritorious deeds for the benefit of others. One day, by chance passing by the house of a poor person, the prince entered into the house, and by the majestic power of the prince's merit and virtue, that poor house suddenly had appearing within it auspicious signs of great peace and goodness—that is, gold, silver, jewels and treasures, rice and grain, filling all around.

The poor person of that house, seeing this, was greatly amazed and rejoiced, thinking: "This matter has never been so since of old—from what does it arise, and from where has it come? Could it be that this person has entered my house, and that by his majestic power this event has been brought about? In the past I have endured very much poverty and suffering, and now I have gained a great benefit, all of it complete—surely it is this person who has brought it here, causing auspicious signs to appear in my house.

This person has great merit and great renown; I ought to honor him and make offerings to this person."

Therefore, this poor person honored and served him continuously without interruption. The prince, dwelling in this poor person's house, became very wealthy and noble and enjoyed pleasure. After some time had passed, the good report spread far, and people said to one another: "There is a certain household that formerly was very poor and suffering; another person entered into this house, and because of his majestic power, that house suddenly manifested auspicious signs." When the people heard this, toward the prince Puṇyabala they gave rise to faith and reverence, and together they praised him:

"How marvelous is surpassing merit, which has great power! And because of the prince's majestic power of merit and virtue, in that place the trees burst into flower and bore fruit, without fault; auspicious rains sprinkled everywhere, and the seeds grew lush, flourishing and fresh."

At that time the people, toward the prince Puṇyabala, gave rise to reverence and love, and all came to gaze upon him. The prince, for the sake of these people, gathered in their minds and reflected: "How joyful—today, dwelling in this house, I am able to obtain all manner of precious treasures and various musical instruments. I have obtained these exquisite things agreeable to my wishes; let me give them to the people who have come here, causing them to be fully provided."

When the prince gave rise to this thought, in accordance with the thought, at once the precious treasures... all appeared, filling everything in abundance. The people, beholding this, were astonished and praised him:

"How marvelous! Great merit is a fruit fragrant and delicious!"

Toward the prince, the people all gave rise to reverence. At that time the prince, for the people's sake, according to their needs, used the Four Means of Embracing (the four saṅgraha-vastu) to embrace and sustain them equally, causing all to be in harmony—namely, being one and the same in generosity, kindly speech, beneficial conduct, and shared endeavor. Therefore his good reputation resounded throughout the whole country, from the cities to the countryside, villages, and hamlets.

Then one day, the prince, journeying on by stages, came to a certain country, and saw that the king of this country was punishing a person—one who was a skilled physician. The king ordered the jailer to mutilate his body, cutting off all his limbs, and the convict's blood flowed everywhere, in pain and torment. At that time, the one being punished saw the prince and cried out very loudly, weeping and saying:

"Worthy one, save me! Worthy one, save me!"

Before this event the prince was deeply grieved, and he reflected: "Now by what means must I find a way to save this person from suffering?" In the midst of his reflection the prince suddenly gave rise to an understanding: "I already possess the power of merit regarding generosity, as the world presently sees."

Reflecting thus, the prince's heart was filled with deeply moved compassion and pity, and at once he wounded his own body. A great deal of blood flowed out, and he gave it to that person to drink, and the man was completely freed from his pain and torment. The prince further saw that the man's hands and feet had been cut off, which was very tormenting; so he took a sharp knife and cut off his own hands and feet and joined them to the places of the man's hands and feet that had been cut off.

At that time, the prince observed the empty sky and all classes of sentient beings, and accordingly gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness, then made a vast and true vow:

"In this life I have met with very many portions of unwholesome karma; if the words I speak are true, then I vow that the places where this person's hands and feet were cut off—right now let the parts join together with one another and be restored to health as before."

When the prince had finished making the vow, the various parts of that man at once joined together with one another, his body became wholly complete, and he was restored to health as before. The prince, seeing this, was filled with satisfaction, and he reflected: "Diligently and valorously I have striven, and the deed has been accomplished: I drew blood from my body to save this person from suffering, I cut off my own hands and feet to join the parts back onto him, and moreover, by the power of my true great vow, I caused that man's body and life to be wholly restored to health as before.

I vow to take this supreme root of goodness and accomplish the fruit of supreme, perfect, complete enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi); I shall bestow the savor of the Dharma upon that man, so that he may ultimately dwell in the peace and joy of nirvāṇa."

When the prince made this vow, the entire great earth quaked in six ways. The palace of Śakra in the heavens also quaked thus. At that time the lord of the devas, Śakra, reflected: "What phenomenon is this?" The deva-son observed and only then saw the prince Puṇyabala performing this exceedingly lofty and difficult deed, and he rejoiced and praised it. He thought further: "This person of great majestic virtue performs this difficult deed—in hope of seeking what? I ought to go there to put the prince to the test."

The lord of the devas, Śakra, transformed himself into a brāhmaṇa and descended from the heavens above, and standing before the prince he said:

"I have seen the prince cut off his own hands and feet. Why do you do so?"

"O worthy one, when another suffers torment, that is my torment. If that person is at peace and joy, that is my peace and joy. Therefore just now I saw a person being punished by the king, in great torment, and at that time I used the power of truth to cut off my own hands, feet, and limbs in order to join them back onto the places where that person had been cut off. By the power of a true and sincere vow, that person was restored to as before."

The lord of the devas, Śakra, was even more filled with admiration, and at once returned to his original form and said to the prince:

"Could it be that you did this without true sincerity, or in hope of seeking something else, or because of backsliding, that you thus sacrificed your own body?"

"O lord of the devas, I have sacrificed my own hands and feet with a true mind, not in hope of seeking anything else, nor because of backsliding."

"If it is so, prince, how am I to be made to verify this matter?"

"O lord of the devas, have you not heard that all I have done is by the power of truth?"

The prince then, toward all classes of sentient beings, gave rise to a mind of loving-kindness, observed the four directions by the power of his true vow, and spoke a verse:

When he had finished speaking this verse, the prince's body was restored to as before. In the open sky above, the heavens rained down flowers everywhere; the music of the heavens played melodies clear, sweet, and wondrous; cool breezes gently and softly blew; and various auspicious signs appeared.