..續本文上一頁short of killing his mother and, instead, ordered the court officials to lock her in an inner chamber and not to allow her to leave.

　　[3] 時阿阇世問守門人。父王今者猶存在耶。時守門者白言。大王。國大夫人身塗麥蜜。璎珞盛漿持用上王。沙門目連及富樓那。從空而來爲王說法。不可禁製。時阿阇世聞此語已。怒其母曰。我母是賊。與賊爲伴。沙門惡人。幻惑咒術。令此惡王多日不死。即執利劍欲害其母。時有一臣名曰月光。聰明多智。及與耆婆。爲王作禮。白言大王。臣聞毗陀論經說。劫初已來。有諸惡王貪國位故。殺害其父一萬八千。未曾聞有無道害母。王今爲此殺逆之事。汙刹利種。臣不忍聞。是栴陀羅。我等不宜複住于此。時二大臣說此語竟。以手按劍卻行而退。時阿阇世驚怖惶懼。告耆婆言。汝不爲我耶。耆婆白言。大王。慎莫害母。王聞此語忏悔求救。即便舍劍止不害母。敕語內官。閉置深宮不令複出。

　　Shakyamuni”s visit to Vaidehi

　　[4] Vaidehi, thus confined, grew emaciated with grief and despair. Facing the Vulture Peak, she worshipped the Buddha from afar and said, "O Tathagata, World-Honored One, you used to send Ananda to comfort me. Now I am in deep sorrow and distress. Since there is no way of my coming to look upon your august countenance, World-Honored One, I pray you send the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana and the Venerable Ananda here to see me."

　　When she had said these words, tears of sorrow streamed down her cheeks like rain. Then she bowed towards the Buddha in the distance. Even before she raised her head, the World-Honored One, who was then staying on the Vulture Peak, knew Vaidehi”s thoughts and immediately ordered Mahamaudgalyayana and Ananda to go to her through the air; he himself disappeared from the mountain and reappeared in the inner chamber of the royal palace.

　　After worshipping him, Vaidehi raised her head and saw Shakyamuni Buddha, the World-Honored One. He was the color of purple gold and was seated upon a lotus-flower of a hundred jewels. He was attended by Mahamaudgalyayana on his left and Ananda on his right. Shakra, Brahma, the guardian gods of the world and other devas were in the air about him. Scattering heavenly blossoms like rain, they paid homage to the Buddha.

　　When she saw the World-Honored One, Vaidehi tore off her ornaments and prostrated herself on the ground. Weeping bitterly, she said to the Buddha, "O World-Honored One, what bad karma did I commit in former lives that I have borne such an evil son

　　 I wonder, World-Honored One, what karmic relations could have made you a relative of Devadatta

　　[4] 時韋提希被幽閉已。愁憂憔悴。遙向耆阇崛山。爲佛作禮而作是言。如來世尊在昔之時。恒遣阿難來慰問我。我今愁憂。世尊威重無由得見。願遣目連尊者阿難。與我相見。作是語已。悲泣雨淚遙向佛禮。未舉頭頃。爾時世尊在耆阇崛山。知韋提希心之所念。即敕大目揵連及以阿難。從空而來。佛從耆阇崛山沒。于王宮出。時韋提希禮已舉頭。見世尊釋迦牟尼佛。身紫金色坐百寶蓮華。目連侍左。阿難在右。釋梵護世諸天在虛空中。普雨天華持用供養。時韋提希見佛世尊。自絕璎珞舉身投地。號泣向佛白言。世尊。我宿何罪生此惡子。世尊複有何等因緣。與提婆達多共爲眷屬。

　　Vaidehi wishes to be born in Amida”s Pure Land

　　[5] "I beseech you, World-Honored One, to reveal to me a land of no sorrow and no affliction where I can be reborn. I do not wish to live in this defiled and evil world of Jambudvipa where there are hells, realms of hungry spirits, animals and many vile beings. I wish that in the future I shall not hear evil words or see wicked people. World-Honored One, I now kneel down to repent and beg you to take pity on me. I entreat you, O Sun-like Buddha, to teach me how to visualize a land of pure karmic perfection."

　　Then the World-Honored One sent forth from between his eyebrows a flood of light, which was the color of gold and illuminated the innumerable worlds in the ten quarters. Returning to the Buddha, the light settled on his head and transformed itself into a golden platform resembling Mount Sumeru. On the platform appeared the pure and resplendent lands of all the Buddhas in the ten quarters. Some of these lands were made of seven jewels, some solely of lotus-flowers; some resembled the palace in the Heaven of Free Enjoyment of Manifestation by Others, while some were like a crystal mirror in which all the lands in the ten quarters were reflected. Innumerable Buddha-lands like these, glorious and beautiful, were displayed to her.

　　Vaidehi then said to the Buddha, "O World-Honored One, these Buddha-lands are pure and free of defilement, and all of them …

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