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一切智光明仙人慈心因緣不食肉經

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Sutra on the Omniscient Luminous Sages [Possessing] the Causes and Conditions of a Compassionate Heart and [thus] Not Eating Meat

Senses:

  • The Yiqiezhi guangming xianren cixin yinyuan bushirou jing; one fascicle, T 183; K 509. Translator unknown; supposedly translated during the Qín 秦 Dynasty, 353–431. It is a very short text and one of the few sources on the former lives of Maitreya when he is said to have earned the merit to become a future buddha. The literary structure is that typical of a jātaka. It deals with Maitreya in a former life as Brahmin by the name of Jiābōlì 迦波利 who possessed all the marks of a great man (T 183.3.457c21). He encounters Śākyamuni Buddha and becomes his disciple, generating the wish to attain Buddhahood in a future age. While unable to obtain food by begging during the rainy season, he encounters 500 white rabbits and their king. The rabbit king and his mother want to offer their lives in order to save the life of the Brahmin and thereupon jump into the fire. Being aware of violating the precept against eating meat the Brahmin rescues the rabbits from the fire pit (T 183.3.458c7). In typical jātaka style, nature and spirits are described as reacting to this great deed. The rabbit king is identified as Śākyamuni and the rabbit child as Rāhula (T 183.3.458c14–15), and the Brahmin as Maitreya Bodhisattva Mahāsattva (T 183.3.458c17). The story concludes with the prediction that Maitreya will achieve Buddhahood on the Diamond seat under the Lónghuá Bodhi Tree, during the rule of a Cakravartin King, hundreds of millions of years after the nirvāṇa of Śākyamuni (T 183.3.458c17–19). Identifications of the other protagonists (the remaining rabbits, tree spirits, etc.) follow in the narrative. The text concludes with a more general discussion about meat eating violating the monastic prohibitions and about the significance of compassion. Remarkably, the text cites the Mílè púsà xiàshēng jīng 彌勒菩薩下生經. [Christoph Anderl]
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    [Dictionary References]

    The Korean Buddhist Canon: A Descriptive Catalogue {digital}

    Fo Guang Dictionary 15

    Ding Fubao {Digital Version}

    Bukkyō daijiten (Oda) 65-2

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 2002-07-15

    Updated: 2014-10-02