佛說長者子制經
後漢安息三藏安世高譯
Translation by An Shigao, Tripitaka Master from Parthia, Later Han Dynasty
聞如是：
This is what I heard:
一時，佛在羅閱祇耆闍崛山中，時與五百沙門俱，皆阿羅漢，平旦皆被袈裟持鉢入城匃食。
At that time, the Buddha was on Vulture Peak Mountain in Rājagṛha. He was accompanied by five hundred monks, all of whom were Arhats. At dawn, they donned their robes, took their alms bowls, and entered the city to beg for food.
時城中有四姓豪貴家，國中第一，所居高燥，舍宅樓觀甚好，垣牆周匝七重門。四姓豪家字檀尼迦柰，有一子字制。年十六，父檀尼迦柰歿，故制獨與母居。
At that time, there were four prominent families in the city, the most distinguished in the kingdom. They lived in elevated, dry areas, with magnificent houses, towers, and pavilions, surrounded by seven layers of walls and gates. Among these four wealthy families was one named Tanikana, who had a son named Zhi. When Zhi was sixteen, his father Tanikana passed away, leaving Zhi to live alone with his mother.
佛時到其家匃食，時制在內第三門住，遙見佛來，制即念言：「是人何壹端正絕好乃爾！好如明月珠，光明如日月，其色如黃金，如月十五日盛滿。」
The Buddha arrived at his home to beg for alms. At that time, Zhi was staying inside the third gate. From a distance, he saw the Buddha approaching. Zhi thought to himself: "Why is this person so extraordinarily handsome and refined! He is as beautiful as a luminous pearl, as radiant as the sun and moon, his complexion like gold, like the full moon on the fifteenth day."
時佛住於門外，制便走入語母言：「我見一人來，大端正絕妙天下無有輩，我生以來未曾見人如是，今在門住欲乞匃。」
At that time, the Buddha stood outside the gate. Zhi then went inside and said to his mother, "I saw a man coming—so handsome and magnificent, unparalleled in all the world. I have never seen anyone like him in my life. He is now at the gate, wishing to beg for alms."
制語母：「當匃之。」
The mother said, "You must beg for it."
其母大慳貪不肯匃與，制言：「母當哀用我故，匃與是人；與是人者，如病者得良醫。」制復言：「與是人者，名字達於天上天下，是人今續在外住。」
His mother was extremely stingy and refused to give. Zhi pleaded, "Mother, for my sake, please take pity and give to this person. Giving to him is like a sick person finding a skilled healer." Zhi continued, "Giving to this person will make your name known throughout heaven and earth, and this person now remains waiting outside."
其母復不肯匃，制數數語母不止。母便恚，語制言：「汝嬈我不止者，汝令我煩亂。」母言：「是人不用是乞匃故來，但欲欺調汝耳。今汝小癡兒，當何等知？汝所索不止者，會得我捶杖乃止耳。」
The mother still refused to give alms, but the child kept pleading with her. The mother grew angry and said to the child, "If you keep pestering me, you'll only make me more upset." She continued, "This person didn't come here just for alms—he only wants to deceive and mock you. You're still a foolish child—what could you possibly understand? If you keep asking, you'll only end up getting a beating from me, and then you'll stop."
佛預知其母慳貪，佛便放威神徹照七重門內。制見佛光明心大歡喜，制即復到母所，啟語言：「愚人不知布施，譬如盲人墮火中，其人但坐無目故。世間人但坐慳貪，不信布施，後當得其禍。人心念惡、口言惡、身行惡，愚癡不信佛、不信經、不信比丘僧，死後皆墮地獄中餓鬼畜生中。人不慳貪，信布施，後得其福，身行善、口言善、心念善，自得其福其人家常當與，智者相隨令人有智。」
The Buddha, knowing his mother was miserly, used his divine power to illuminate the seven gates of the palace. The king, seeing the Buddha's radiant light, felt great joy. He then went to his mother and said:
"Foolish people who do not know generosity are like blind men falling into fire—they suffer because they cannot see. People in this world suffer because of greed and lack of faith in giving; misfortune will follow them. Those whose minds think evil, whose mouths speak evil, whose bodies do evil—who are foolish, disbelieve the Buddha, disbelieve the teachings, disbelieve the monastic community—after death will fall into hell, or be reborn as hungry ghosts or animals.
But those who are not greedy, who believe in generosity, will receive blessings. Those whose bodies do good, whose mouths speak good, whose minds think good—they will gain their own merit. Such people should always keep company with the wise, for the wise bring wisdom."
制言：「母不肯匃與者，自持我今日飯分來，我寧一日不食。哀我疾持來，我欲與是人，恐是人棄我去。是人棄我去，是人難值。」
The mother said, "If you won't give it to me, then bring me my own portion of food for today. I would rather go without eating for a day. Have pity on my condition and bring it to me. I wish to give it to this person, for I fear they may leave me. If they leave, such a person is hard to come by."
其母復不肯與，制便自往取飯分，復取所著好衣，持去至佛所，前以頭面著佛足，却住叉手，白佛言：「持我所有衣被、飯，願上佛。」佛默然不應。
制復白言：「今佛是天上、天下人師，當哀度脫我曹，願為我受之，當令我得福。」如是者三，佛便受之，制即大歡喜。
The king then spoke again: "Now the Buddha is the teacher of all beings in heaven and on earth. Please have compassion and liberate us. I beseech you to accept this offering, that we may gain merit." He repeated this plea three times, and the Buddha then accepted it. The king was filled with great joy.
佛語制言：「今諸慳貪者汝皆伏之，今日汝施與佛衣被、飯食，使汝心中諸欲願者，亦皆得之。」
制大歡喜，復白佛言：「我所可願者，亦不求作第二忉利天王釋，亦不求作第七天王梵，亦不求世世豪貴，願使我智慧光明如佛。」
佛言：「大善！諸所願者皆令得之。」
第二天王釋聞制語，即在佛後叉手住，天王釋便於佛前，語謂制言：「汝今日持小飯食、衣被與佛，便欲求作佛者不能得也，十劫、百劫、千劫、萬劫、億劫，汝尚未能得作佛。」
制報天王釋言：「我亦不用一飯食故欲得作佛，我常當持善心精進不懈，求佛不止，會當作佛。」
天王釋報制言：「汝持四寶須彌山，汝慈心念天下人民，千萬劫億萬劫，汝尚未能得佛也。」
制復報天王釋言：「譬如匠師持斧入山索樹木，會當擇取好直者，會當可意乃取耳。我不用一飯食、衣被故求作佛也。」
天王釋復語制言：「汝欲求佛者劇苦，汝不如求作第七梵，若第二忉利天王釋，汝欲求作佛，難得也。」
制復報天王釋言：「汝寧見閻浮利內不？」
天王釋言：「見之。」
制言：「滿其中大火上至天，持身投其中，我會當求作佛終不止。」
天王釋言：「汝滿閻浮利地內其中火，是中有人民畜生及蠕動之類，汝不當殺之，汝口言惡、心念惡，死當入地獄中，汝當那得作佛？」
制報天王釋：「世間人民及蠕動，我持慈心皆付彌勒佛，彌勒佛自當度脫之，我求佛道會不止。」
制復報天王釋言：「第七梵眾、第二天王釋，所居止處會當衰敗，皆當歸死，無有脫不死者。」
天王釋便叉手報制言：「卿持心堅乃如是，念欲求佛不止者，卿會得作佛。」
制復報天王釋言：「汝莫持汝天上意，自貢高也，復有勝汝者，我持善心精進不懈，求佛不止，會當得作佛。」天王釋便默然無所復語。
佛便語制：「汝前後所承事凡六萬佛，汝常當願求作佛，汝常持心精進承事諸佛，却後二百億萬劫，汝不復更地獄餓鬼畜生中，却後二百億萬劫竟，汝當作遮迦越王，當有十億小國皆屬汝，汝當領四天下當飛行。汝所行當正，壽盡當上生第七梵天、第四兜術天，天上壽盡，當復下生作遮迦越王，壽盡當復上生第七梵天。如是上下百億萬劫竟，汝當作佛字須彌迦羅，當度脫天上、天下人民，汝生下地當照萬二千億天地，上至二十八天上，天地皆為大動，夜明如日出，人民皆壽七千億歲。汝身當長二百丈，當有萬一千城，城皆四百八十里，城皆板著之，皆刻鏤金銀、琉璃、水精、珊瑚、車𤦲、馬瑙七寶。
「汝作佛時，當再會說經，一會時有六千億沙門皆得阿羅漢；第二會說經時，有四千億沙門皆得阿羅漢。當爾時，人民無有偷盜者，男子、女人皆同一心無有惡者，亦無山林谿谷，地皆平正，人民無有疾病憂苦，皆安樂，所居皆自守。天日三雨裁淹塵土，人欲議語皆大聚會，夏月則不暑，冬月則不寒皆得中適。
「汝教授精舍名為難提陀，若有男子、女人，持戒布施與佛辟支佛阿羅漢，求作佛者皆可得佛。道不可不求，八方上下無有能窮極者，佛智慧如是，天下人不知生所從來，亦不知死趣何道。」
佛說經已，制及諸比丘僧，皆前以頭面著佛足，作禮而去。
佛說長者子制經