相应部2相应23经 尸利经
相应部2相应23经/尸利经(天子相应/有偈篇/祇夜)
一时,尸利天子站在一旁,用偈颂对世尊说:
"天人与人类,
都只喜食物;
究竟是何人,
不喜于食物?"
世尊回答说:
"若人以信心,
清净意布施;
此食必回报,
今世及来生。
是故除悭吝,
胜垢应布施;
功德为众生,
来世之依止。"
尸利天子说:"世尊,真是稀有!世尊,真是未曾有!世尊所说真是善说啊!"(他重复了上述偈颂)
"世尊,我前世曾是名叫尸利的国王,是布施者、施主,常赞叹布施。我在王宫四门都设布施处,供养沙门、婆罗门、贫困者、流浪者和乞丐。
那时,后宫的妃嫔们来对我说:'大王在布施,而我们没有布施的机会。请允许我们依托大王也行布施、修功德。'我心想:'我是布施者、施主,常赞叹布施,当他们说要布施时,我怎能拒绝?'于是我把第一道门交给后宫妃嫔布施。她们在那里布施,而我的布施则减少了。
接着,随从的刹帝利来对我说:'大王和后宫都在布施,而我们没有布施的机会。请允许我们依托大王也行布施、修功德。'我想:'我是布施者、施主,常赞叹布施,当他们说要布施时,我怎能拒绝?'于是我把第二道门交给随从的刹帝利布施。他们在那里布施,而我的布施又减少了。
然后,军队来对我说:'大王、后宫和刹帝利都在布施,而我们没有布施的机会。请允许我们依托大王也行布施、修功德。'我想:'我是布施者、施主,常赞叹布施,当他们说要布施时,我怎能拒绝?'于是我把第三道门交给军队布施。他们在那里布施,而我的布施又减少了。
接着,婆罗门和居士们来对我说:'大王、后宫、刹帝利和军队都在布施,而我们没有布施的机会。请允许我们依托大王也行布施、修功德。'我想:'我是布施者、施主,常赞叹布施,当他们说要布施时,我怎能拒绝?'于是我把第四道门交给婆罗门和居士布施。他们在那里布施,而我的布施又减少了。
后来,有人来报告我说:'大王现在已经没有布施处了。'听到这话,我对他们说:'那么,从外邦所得的收入,把一半送入内宫,另一半就在那里布施给沙门、婆罗门、贫困者、流浪者和乞丐。'
世尊,我如此长期修习功德、善法,却不知道这些功德的边际——不知道功德有多少,不知道功德果报有多少,也不知道能在天界住多久。世尊,真是稀有!真是未曾有!世尊所说真是善说啊!"(他最后又重复了之前的偈颂)
这篇经文的主旨是赞叹布施的功德,通过尸利天子前世作为国王时的亲身经历,说明布施不仅能利益他人,也能让自己获得现世和来世的福报。
巴利语原版经文
SN.2.23/(3). Serīsuttaṃ
104. Ekamantaṃ ṭhito kho serī devaputto bhagavantaṃ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi–
“Annamevābhinandanti ubhaye devamānusā;
Atha ko nāma so yakkho, yaṃ annaṃ nābhinandatī”ti.
“Ye naṃ dadanti saddhāya, vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṃ bhajati, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.
“Tasmā vineyya maccheraṃ, dajjā dānaṃ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṃ, patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
“Acchariyaṃ bhante, abbhutaṃ, bhante! Yāvasubhāsitamidaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā–
“Ye naṃ dadanti saddhāya, vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṃ bhajati, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.
“Tasmā vineyya maccheraṃ, dajjā dānaṃ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṃ, patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.
“Bhūtapubbāhaṃ, bhante, sirī nāma rājā ahosiṃ dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, catūsu dvāresu dānaṃ dīyittha samaṇa-brāhmaṇa-kapaṇaddhika-vanibbakayācakānaṃ. Atha kho maṃ, bhante, itthāgāraṃ upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca – ‘devassa kho dānaṃ dīyati; amhākaṃ dānaṃ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṃ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, etadahosi– ‘ahaṃ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṃ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṃ, bhante, paṭhamaṃ dvāraṃ itthāgārassa adāsiṃ. Tattha itthāgārassa dānaṃ dīyittha; mama dānaṃ paṭikkami.
“Atha kho maṃ, bhante, khattiyā anuyantā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṃ– ‘devassa kho dānaṃ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṃ dīyati; amhākaṃ dānaṃ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṃ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, etadahosi– ‘ahaṃ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṃ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti So khvāhaṃ, bhante, dutiyaṃ dvāraṃ khattiyānaṃ anuyantānaṃ adāsiṃ. Tattha khattiyānaṃ anuyantānaṃ dānaṃ dīyittha, mama dānaṃ paṭikkami.
“Atha kho maṃ, bhante, balakāyo upasaṅkamitvā etadavoca– ‘devassa kho dānaṃ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṃ dīyati; khattiyānaṃ anuyantānaṃ dānaṃ dīyati; amhākaṃ dānaṃ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṃ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, etadahosi– ‘ahaṃ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṃ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṃ bhante, tatiyaṃ dvāraṃ balakāyassa adāsiṃ. Tattha balakāyassa dānaṃ dīyittha, mama dānaṃ paṭikkami.
“Atha kho maṃ, bhante, brāhmaṇagahapatikā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṃ– ‘devassa kho dānaṃ dīyati; itthāgārassa dānaṃ dīyati; khattiyānaṃ anuyantānaṃ dānaṃ dīyati; balakāyassa dānaṃ dīyati; amhākaṃ dānaṃ na dīyati. Sādhu mayampi devaṃ nissāya dānāni dadeyyāma, puññāni kareyyāmā’ti. Tassa mayhaṃ, bhante, etadahosi – ‘ahaṃ khosmi dāyako dānapati dānassa vaṇṇavādī. Dānaṃ dassāmāti vadante kinti vadeyyan’ti? So khvāhaṃ, bhante, catutthaṃ dvāraṃ brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṃ adāsiṃ. Tattha brāhmaṇagahapatikānaṃ dānaṃ dīyittha, mama dānaṃ paṭikkami.
“Atha kho maṃ, bhante, purisā upasaṅkamitvā etadavocuṃ– ‘na kho dāni devassa koci dānaṃ dīyatī’ti. Evaṃ vuttāhaṃ, bhante, te purise etadavocaṃ– ‘tena hi, bhaṇe, yo bāhiresu janapadesu āyo sañjāyati tato upaḍḍhaṃ antepure pavesetha, upaḍḍhaṃ tattheva dānaṃ detha samaṇa-brāhmaṇa-kapaṇaddhika-vanibbaka-yācakānan’ti So khvāhaṃ, bhante, evaṃ dīgharattaṃ katānaṃ puññānaṃ evaṃ dīgharattaṃ katānaṃ kusalānaṃ dhammānaṃ pariyantaṃ nādhigacchāmi– ettakaṃ puññanti vā ettako puññavipākoti vā ettakaṃ sagge ṭhātabbanti vāti. Acchariyaṃ, bhante, abbhutaṃ, bhante! Yāvasubhāsitamidaṃ, bhante, bhagavatā –
“Ye naṃ dadanti saddhāya, vippasannena cetasā;
Tameva annaṃ bhajati, asmiṃ loke paramhi ca.
“Tasmā vineyya maccheraṃ, dajjā dānaṃ malābhibhū;
Puññāni paralokasmiṃ, patiṭṭhā honti pāṇinan”ti.