法句喻經云。昔者天帝釋。五德離身。自知命盡。當下生世間。在陶作家。受驢胎身。既知福盡。甚大愁憂。自念三界之中。濟人苦厄。惟有佛耳。於是馳往佛所。稽首作禮。伏地至心。三自歸命佛。法。聖眾。未起之間。其命忽出。便至陶家驢母腹中作子。時驢自解走瓦坏間。破壞坏器。其主打之。尋時傷胎。其神即還入故身中。五德還福。復為天帝。佛從定起。讚言。善哉天帝。能於殞命之際。歸命三尊。罪對已畢。不更勤苦。爾時世尊。以偈頌曰。所行非常。謂興衰法。夫生輒死。寂滅為樂。譬如陶家。埏埴作器。一切要壞。人命亦然。帝釋聞偈。知無常之要。達罪福之變。解興衰之本。尊寂滅之行歡喜奉受。得須陀洹道(五德離身。即五衰相現。一衣服垢穢。二頭上華萎。三腋下汗流。四身體臭穢。五不樂本座。反上即五德也。凡言經云。律云。是釋迦如來親說。若言論云。乃菩薩羅漢註釋經律。之語)。
The Dharmapada Avadāna Sūtra states: In ancient times, when the five virtues departed from the body of Śakra, Lord of the Devas, he knew his life was ending and he would descend to be born in the human world, in the household of a potter, receiving the body of a donkey. Knowing his merit was exhausted, he was greatly distressed. He reflected that within the three realms, only the Buddha could save beings from suffering and calamity. Thereupon he hastened to where the Buddha was, prostrated himself, bowed his head in reverence, and with utmost sincerity took refuge three times in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha. Before he could rise, his life suddenly ended, and he entered the womb of a mother donkey belonging to the potter. At that time, the donkey, breaking loose, ran among the unfired clay vessels, destroying them. The owner struck her, immediately injuring the fetus. The spirit then returned to its former body, the five virtues and merit restored, and he again became Śakra, Lord of the Devas. The Buddha, rising from meditation, praised him, saying: "Excellent, Lord of the Devas! That at the moment of your demise you took refuge in the Three Jewels. Your karmic retribution is now ended, and you will not undergo further suffering." Then the World-Honored One spoke this verse:
All conditioned things are impermanent, They are subject to arising and decay. Having been born, one must die. Extinction, quiescence, is bliss. Just as a potter molds clay into vessels, All are destined to break. So too is human life.
Hearing this verse, Śakra understood the essential truth of impermanence, comprehended the transformation of transgression and merit, realized the root of arising and decay, and revered the practice of quiescent extinction. With joyful acceptance, he attained the fruit of Stream-Entry.(The five virtues departing from the body refers to the manifestation of the five signs of decay: 1) one's garments become soiled and defiled; 2) the flowers in one's hair wither; 3) sweat flows from the armpits; 4) one's body emits a foul odor; 5) one finds no pleasure in one's own seat. The opposite of these are the five virtues. Generally, when a text says "a sūtra states" or "a vinaya states," it indicates words spoken directly by Śākyamuni Tathāgata. If it says "a śāstra states," it indicates commentary on the sūtras or vinaya by bodhisattvas or arhats.)