---
title: "菩薩本生鬘論 · 2 尸毘王救鴿命緣起"
description: "菩薩本生鬘論是一部宋代佛教典籍，由紹德、慧詢等法師共同譯出。該論輯錄了釋迦牟尼佛在過去生中行菩薩道時的多則本生故事，以敘事形式闡述布施、持戒、忍辱等波羅蜜多修行。這些故事生動體現了大乘佛教利他與慈悲的核心精神，是菩薩行願的具體典範。在佛教文學與教義史上，本生類經典具有重要地位，此論不僅為修行者提供實踐指引，也是研究佛教敘事文學與倫理思想的重要文獻，廣受漢傳佛教重視。"
url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmcwc5xd60e6jl804j27p3f1c"
---

### 尸毘王救鴿命緣起第二

> King Shibi Saves the Dove

佛告諸比丘：「我念往昔無量阿僧祇劫，閻浮提中有大國王，名曰尸毘，所都之城號提婆底，地唯沃壤人多豐樂，統領八萬四千小國，后妃采女其數二萬，太子五百，臣佐一萬。王蘊慈行仁恕和平，愛念庶民猶如赤子。是時三十三天帝釋天主，五衰相貌慮將退墮。彼有近臣毘首天子，見是事已白天主言：『何故尊儀忽有愁色？』帝釋謂言：『吾將逝矣，思念世間佛法已滅，諸大菩薩不復出現，我心不知何所歸趣？』時毘首天復白天主：『今閻浮提有尸毘王，志固精進樂求佛道，當往歸投必脫是難。』天帝聞已，『審為實不？若是菩薩今當試之。』乃遣毘首變為一鴿，我化作鷹，逐至王所，求彼救護可驗其誠。毘首白言：『今於菩薩正應供養，不宜加苦，無以難事而逼惱也。』

> The Buddha addressed the assembly of monks, saying, “I recall countless eons in the past, when in the world of Jambudvīpa there was a great king named Shibi. The capital city he ruled was called Devavatī, a land of fertile soil where people lived in prosperity and joy. He governed eighty-four thousand smaller kingdoms, and had twenty thousand consorts and attendants, five hundred princes, and ten thousand ministers. The king embodied compassion, practicing benevolence, forbearance, and peace, cherishing the common people as if they were his own children. At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, perceived the five signs of decay and feared he would soon fall from his celestial station. His close minister, the deity Viśvakarman, noticing this, addressed the Lord of Heaven, saying, ‘Why does your noble countenance suddenly bear a sorrowful expression?’ Śakra replied, ‘My end approaches. I reflect that in the world the Dharma has already declined, and great bodhisattvas no longer appear. My heart knows not where to turn.’ Then Viśvakarman addressed the Lord of Heaven again, ‘In Jambudvīpa there is now King Shibi, whose resolve is steadfast and vigorous, who delights in seeking the path to Buddhahood. Let us go and take refuge with him—he will surely deliver you from this peril.’ Hearing this, Śakra said, ‘Is this truly so? If he is a bodhisattva, we must now test him.’ He then directed Viśvakarman to transform into a dove, while he himself would become a hawk chasing it to the king’s presence, seeking his protection, so as to verify his sincerity. Viśvakarman replied, ‘Now is the time to make offerings to this bodhisattva, not to cause him suffering. We should not distress him with such a difficult trial.’

「時天帝釋而說偈曰：

> Then the god-king Śakra spoke these verses:

「『我本非惡意， 如火試真金；以此驗菩薩， 知為真實不？』

> "I had no ill intent, Like fire testing true gold; Thus I examined the Bodhisattva, To know if he was genuine or not?"

「說是偈已，毘首天子，化為一鴿，帝釋作鷹，急逐於後，將為搏取；鴿甚惶怖，飛王腋下求藏避處。鷹立王前，乃作人語：『今此鴿者是我之食，我甚饑急，願王見還。』王曰：『吾本誓願當度一切，鴿來依投終不與汝。』鷹言：『大王今者愛念一切，若斷我食，命亦不濟。』王曰：『若與餘肉汝能食不？』鷹言：『唯新血肉我乃食之。』王自念言：『害一救一於理不然，唯以我身可能代彼，其餘有命皆自保存。』即取利刀自割股肉，持肉與鷹貿此鴿命。鷹言：『王為施主，今以身肉，代於鴿者可稱令足。』王敕取稱，兩頭施盤，挂鉤中央，使其均等；鴿之與肉，各置一處，股肉割盡鴿身尚低，以至臂脇身肉都無，比其鴿形輕猶未等。王自舉身，欲上稱槃，力不相接失足墮地，悶絕無覺，良久乃穌。以勇猛力自責其心：『曠大劫來我為身累，循環六趣備縈萬苦，未甞為福利及有情，今正是時何懈怠耶？』爾時大王，作是念已，自強起立置身盤上，心生喜足，得未曾有。

> After speaking this verse, the god Vishvakarman transformed into a dove, and Indra became a hawk, swiftly pursuing it from behind, about to seize it. The dove, terrified, flew under the king’s arm, seeking a place to hide. The hawk stood before the king and spoke in human words: “This dove is my food. I am very hungry and desperate. I ask you, O King, to return it to me.” The king said, “I have vowed to save all beings. The dove has come to me for refuge; I will not give it to you.” The hawk replied, “Great King, you now cherish all beings, but if you deprive me of my food, my life too will not be sustained.” The king asked, “If I give you other meat, will you eat it?” The hawk said, “Only fresh flesh and blood will I eat.” The king thought to himself: “To harm one to save another is not right in principle. Only with my own body can I take its place; all other living beings must be preserved.” He then took a sharp knife and cut flesh from his own thigh, offering the meat to the hawk in exchange for the dove’s life. The hawk said, “You are the benefactor, O King. Now, with your own flesh in place of the dove, it must be made equal in weight.” The king ordered a scale to be brought. A pan was hung from each end, with a hook in the center to balance them equally. The dove and the flesh were placed separately. When the flesh from his thigh was exhausted, the dove’s side was still heavier. He continued cutting flesh from his arms and ribs until his body was stripped bare, yet still it did not equal the dove’s weight. The king tried to lift his whole body onto the scale, but his strength failed, and he fell to the ground, losing consciousness. After a long while, he revived. With fierce resolve, he reproached his own heart: “For countless ages, I have been burdened by this body, cycling through the six realms, entangled in all manner of suffering, never having brought benefit to sentient beings. Now is the time—how can I be indolent?” Then the great king, having thought this, forced himself to stand and placed his whole body upon the scale. His heart was filled with joy and satisfaction, such as he had never known before.

「是時大地六種震動，諸天宮殿皆悉傾搖，色界諸天住空稱讚，見此菩薩難行苦行，各各悲感淚下如雨，復雨天華而伸供養。時天帝等復還本形，住立王前作如是說：『王修苦行功德難量，為希輪王釋梵之位，於三界中欲何所作？』王即答曰：『我所願者，不須世間尊榮之報，以此善根誓求佛道。』天帝復言：『王今此身痛徹骨髓，寧有悔不？』王曰：『弗也！』『我觀汝身甚大艱苦，自云無悔，以何表明？』王乃誓曰：『我從舉心迄至于此，無有少悔如毛髮許。若我所求決定成佛真實不虛得如願者，令吾肢體即當平復。』作此誓已頃得如故。諸天世人讚言希有，歡喜踊躍不能自勝。」

> At that moment, the great earth trembled in six ways, and all the heavenly palaces shook. The gods of the form realm, remaining in the sky, praised him. Seeing this bodhisattva’s difficult and austere practice, they were each moved with sorrow, their tears falling like rain, and again they showered heavenly flowers as an offering. Then the heavenly lords returned to their original forms and stood before the king, saying: “The merit of your ascetic practice is immeasurable. Do you seek the position of a wheel-turning king, or the rank of Indra or Brahma? What is it you wish to accomplish within the three realms?” The king replied: “What I aspire to is not worldly honor or reward. Through this wholesome root, I vow to attain buddhahood.” The heavenly lords asked again: “Your Majesty, this body of yours is pierced with pain to the marrow. Do you have any regret?” The king said: “None.” “We see your body in great hardship, yet you say you have no regret. How can you prove this?” The king then made a vow: “From the moment I first resolved until now, I have not felt even a hair’s breadth of regret. If my quest to certainly become a buddha is true and not false, and if I am to attain my wish, may my limbs and body at once be restored.” After making this vow, in an instant he was as before. Gods and humans exclaimed, “How rare!” and rejoiced with boundless delight.

佛告大眾：「往昔之時尸毘王者，豈異人乎？我身是也。」時彼眾會聞是語已，異口同音咸伸勸請：「昔者世尊救度眾行，不惜軀命為求大法，法海已滿，法幢已建，法鼓已擊，法炬已然，機熟緣和正得其所，云何捨離一切眾生欲入涅槃而不說法？」時梵天王稱讚如來，為求法故嘗捨千頭。

> The Buddha addressed the assembly, "The King Shibi of the past—who else could he be? It was I myself." Hearing these words, the entire gathering spoke in unison, pleading, "In the past, the World-Honored One rescued and guided all beings, sparing no effort or even his own life in seeking the great Dharma. Now the ocean of Dharma is full, the banner of Dharma is raised, the drum of Dharma has been struck, the torch of Dharma is already lit. The conditions are ripe, the time is harmonious—it is precisely the right moment. How could you abandon all beings, enter Nirvana, and not teach the Dharma?" Then Brahma King praised the Tathagata, saying that for the sake of seeking the Dharma, he had once sacrificed a thousand heads.

佛受請已，即時往趣波羅奈國鹿野苑中三轉法輪同觀四諦，三寶於是出現世間。

> The Buddha accepted the invitation and immediately set out for the Deer Park in Varanasi. There, he turned the Wheel of Dharma three times, teaching the Four Noble Truths to his companions. In this way, the Three Jewels appeared in the world.