（二）王子以肉濟父母緣
(C) Prince Rescues His Parents with His Own Flesh
如是我聞：
Thus have I heard:
一時佛在舍衛國。爾時阿難，著衣持鉢，入城乞食。見一小兒，有盲父母，乞索得食，好者供養父母，麁者便自食之。阿難白佛言：「世尊！此小兒者，甚為希有！乞得好食，用奉父母，擇麤惡者，而自食之。」
Once, the Buddha was staying in the land of Shravasti. At that time, the venerable Ananda, dressed in his robes and holding his alms bowl, entered the city to beg for food. He saw a young boy whose parents were both blind. After begging for food, the boy would offer the best portions to his parents and keep the coarse, poor-quality food for himself. Ananda addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, this young boy is truly remarkable! He takes the good food he receives through begging and offers it to his parents, while keeping only the coarse, inferior food for his own meal."
佛言：「此未為難，我過去世中，供養父母，乃極為難。」
The Buddha said, "This is not difficult. In my past lives, supporting and caring for my parents was the truly difficult thing."
阿難白佛言：「世尊！過去之世，供養父母，其事云何？」
Ananda asked the Buddha, "World-Honored One, what is the practice of honoring one's parents in times long past?"
佛言：「乃往過去，有大國王，統領國土。王有六子，各領一國。時有一大臣名羅睺求，計謀興軍，殺彼大王及其五子。其第六小子，先有鬼神，來語之言：『汝父大王及諸五兄，悉為大臣羅睺求之所殺害，次欲到汝。』王子聞已，即還家中。婦見王子顏色憂悴，不與常同，而問夫言：『汝何以爾？』夫答婦言：『男子之事不得語汝。』婦言：『王子！我今與汝生死共同，有何急緩而不見語？』夫答婦言：『適有鬼神，來語我言：「汝父大王及與五兄，悉為他殺，次來到汝。」以是憂懼，莫知所適。』
The Buddha said: "In the distant past, there was a great king who ruled over his kingdom. The king had six sons, each governing a state of their own. At that time, there was a minister named Rahu, who plotted and raised an army, killing the great king and five of his sons. As for the sixth and youngest son, a spirit had come to him beforehand and said, 'Your father, the great king, and your five elder brothers have all been killed by the minister Rahu. Next, he will come for you.' Upon hearing this, the prince returned home. His wife saw that his face was troubled and unlike his usual self, and she asked her husband, 'Why are you like this?' The husband replied to his wife, 'This is a matter for men; I cannot tell you.' The wife said, 'Prince! I share life and death with you—whether in joy or crisis, why won't you tell me?' The husband answered his wife, 'Just now a spirit came and told me, "Your father, the great king, and your five brothers have all been killed by others, and next they will come for you." That is why I am so anxious and fearful, not knowing where to turn.'"
「夫婦作計，即共將兒，逃奔他國。持七日糧，計應達到；惶怖所致，錯從曲道，行經十日，猶不達到。糧食乏盡，困餓垂死。王子思惟：『三人併命，苦痛特劇，寧殺一人，存二人命。』即便拔劍，欲得殺婦。兒顧見父，合掌白言：『願父今者莫殺我母，寧殺我身，以代母命。』父用兒語，欲殺其子。子復白言：『莫斷我命，若斷我命，肉則臭爛，不得久停，或恐其母不得前達；不斷我命，須臾削割，日日稍食。』未到人村，餘在身肉，唯有三臠，子白父母：『此肉二臠，父母食之，餘有一臠，還用與我。』擲兒放地，父母前進。
The couple devised a plan, and together with their son, they fled to another country. They carried provisions for seven days, expecting to reach their destination within that time. But because of their panic and fear, they took a wrong path and traveled for ten days without arriving. Their food ran out, and they were starving and near death. The prince thought to himself, "If the three of us all perish together, the suffering would be especially severe. It would be better to take one life so that two may survive." He then drew his sword, intending to kill his wife. The son, seeing his father, clasped his hands and said, "Father, please do not kill my mother. It would be better to kill me instead, so that I may spare her life." The father, heeding his son's words, prepared to kill him instead. The son again spoke, "Do not end my life all at once. If you cut off my life, my flesh will rot and stink, and will not keep for long. I fear my mother may not be able to reach the destination. But if you spare my life, you can cut flesh from me gradually, day by day, and eat of it." Before they reached the village, only three pieces of flesh remained on his body. The son said to his parents, "Take these two pieces of flesh for yourselves, and leave the remaining one for me." They set the boy down on the ground and continued on their way.
「時釋提桓因，宮殿震動，便即觀之，是何因緣？見此小兒作希有事，即化作餓狼，來從索肉。小兒思惟：『我食此肉，亦當命盡，不食亦死。』便捨此肉，而與餓狼。
At that time, Lord Shakra's palace trembled, and he immediately looked to see what the cause was. He saw this young child performing an extraordinary deed. So he transformed into a starving wolf and came to beg for flesh. The child reflected: "If I eat this flesh, I will still die; if I do not eat it, I will also die." So he gave up the flesh and offered it to the starving wolf.
「釋提桓因，即化作人，語小兒言：『汝今割肉，與汝父母，生悔心不？』答言：『不悔。』天言：『汝今苦惱，誰當信汝不生悔心？』小兒於是即出實言：『我若不生悔心，身肉還生，平復如故；若有悔者，於是即死。』作此言已，身體平復，與本無異。
Then Shakra, lord of devas, transformed himself into a person and said to the child: "You are now cutting your own flesh to give to your parents—do you feel any regret?" The child replied: "No regret." The heavenly being said: "You are in such pain now—who would believe that you feel no regret?" The child then spoke the truth: "If I truly have no regret, may my flesh grow back and be restored as before; if I have any regret, may I die this very moment." As soon as he said this, his body was restored completely, just as it had been originally.
「釋提桓因，即將其子并其父母，使得一處，見彼國王，心大悲喜，愍其至孝，嘆未曾有，即給軍眾，還復本國。釋提桓因，即漸擁護，作閻浮提王。爾時小兒，我身是也。爾時父母，今日父母是也。」
佛言：「非但今日讚嘆慈孝，於無量劫常亦讚嘆。」
諸比丘白佛言：「世尊！過去世中，供養父母，其事云何？」
佛言：「昔迦尸國王土界之中，有一大山，中有仙人名睒摩迦。父母年老，而眼俱盲，常取好菓鮮花美水，以養父母，安置閑靜無怖畏處。凡有所作，舉動行止，先白父母。白父母已，便取水去。
「時梵摩達王，遊獵而行，見鹿飲水，挽弓射之，藥箭誤中睒摩迦身，被毒箭已，高聲唱言：『一箭殺三人，斯痛何酷！』
「其王聞其聲，尋以弓箭，投之於地，便即往看，誰作此言？『我聞此山中有仙人，名睒摩迦，慈仁孝順，養盲父母，舉世稱嘆。汝今非睒摩迦也？』答言：『我即是也。』而白王言：『今我此身，不計苦痛，但憂父母年老目冥，從今飢困，無人供養耳。』王復問言：『汝盲父母，今在何許？』睒摩迦指示王言：『在彼草屋中。』王即至盲父母所。
「睒摩迦父時語婦言：『我眼瞤動，將非我孝子睒摩迦有衰患不？』婦復語夫：『我乳亦惕惕而動，將非我子有不祥事不？』時盲父母，聞王行聲索索，心生恐怖。『非我子行，為是誰也？』王到其前，唱言作禮。盲父母言：『我眼無所見，為是誰禮？』答言：『我是迦尸國王。』時盲父母，命王言坐。『我子若在，當以好華菓奉上於王。我子朝往取水，遲晚久待不來。』
「王便悲泣，而說偈言：
「『我為斯國王， 遊獵於此山，
但欲射禽獸， 不覺中害人。
我今捨王位， 來事盲父母，
與汝子無異， 慎莫生憂苦。』
「盲父母，以偈答王曰：
「『我子慈孝順， 天上人中無，
王雖見憐愍， 何得如我子？
王當見憐愍， 願將示子處，
得在兒左右， 并命意分足。』
「於是，王將盲父母往至睒摩迦邊。既至兒所，搥胸懊惱，號咷而言：『我子慈仁，孝順無比。天神地神，山神樹神，河神池神諸神』說偈而言：
「『釋梵天世王， 云何不佐助，
我之孝順子， 使見如此苦？
深感我孝子， 而速救濟命。』」
「時釋提桓因，宮殿震動，以天耳聞盲父母悲惻語聲，即從天下，往到其所，而語睒摩迦言：『汝於王所，生惡心也？』答言：『實無惡心。』釋提桓因言：『誰當信汝無惡心也？』睒摩迦答言：『我於王所有惡心者，毒遍身中即爾命終；若我於王無惡心者，毒箭當出身瘡便愈。』即如其言，毒箭自出，平復如故。王大歡喜，踊躍無量，便出教令，普告國內：『當修慈仁孝事父母。』
「睒摩迦從昔已來，慈仁孝順，供養父母。欲知爾時盲父者今淨飯王是。爾時盲母者，摩耶夫人是。睒摩迦者，今我身是。迦尸國王，舍利弗是。時釋提桓因，摩訶迦葉是。」