Tứ Đại Thiên Vương

如是我聞：

一時，佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤T 0389a11獨園。爾時，佛告諸比丘：「月八日，四天王遣使T 0389a12者案行天下，伺察世間，有慈孝父母，敬順尊T 0389a13長，奉事沙門、婆羅門，修於善法，及行惡者，是T 0389a14故宜應修行善法，滅除眾惡，撿情守戒。至十T 0389a15四日，四天王復遣太子案行天下。至十五日，T 0389a16四天王自案行伺察，亦復如是。時，四天王既T 0389a17伺察已，往帝釋善法堂上，啟白帝釋并語：『諸T 0389a18天世間人中，多有不孝父母，不敬沙門、婆羅T 0389a19門者，不奉事師及家尊長，乃至無有多持戒T 0389a20者。』爾時，帝釋及諸天眾聞斯語已，慘然不T 0389a21樂，諸天咸作是言：『損諸天眾，益阿脩羅。』若世T 0389a22間中，有人常能孝順父母，供養沙門、婆羅門，T 0389a23乃至多能持戒。四天王上啟帝釋，時諸天等T 0389a24極大歡喜，咸作是言：『世間人中，修行善事，極T 0389a25為賢善，作所應作，增益諸天，損阿脩羅。』帝釋T 0389a26歡喜，即說偈言：

「『月八十四日，　　及以十五日，T 0389a28
　并及神足月，　　受持清淨戒，T 0389a29
　是人得生天，　　功德如我身。』」

T 0389b01佛告諸比丘：「帝釋所說，不名善說。所以者何？T 0389b02若漏盡阿羅漢，所作已辦，應作是偈：

「『月八十四日，　　及以十五日，T 0389b04
　并及神足月，　　受持清淨戒，T 0389b05
　斯人獲勝利，　　功德如我身。』

T 0389b06「佛與羅漢應說斯偈，名稱實說，名為善說。」

佛T 0389b07說是已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。

SC 1Thus have I heard, once, the Buddha was staying at Sāvatthī at the Jeta Grove in the Anāthapiṇḍika Park.

SC 2At that time the World-honored One said to the monks: “On the eighth day of every fortnight the four guardian kings send out their messengers to walk the earth and observe who in the world practices filial piety, respects elders, makes offerings to renunciants and brāhmaṇas and does good, and who does evil. For this reason one should do good, get rid of all evil behavior, and keep the precepts.

SC 3Again on the fourteenth day of every fortnight the four guardian kings send out their sons to walk the earth; and on the fifteenth day of every fortnight the four guardian kings themselves walk the earth to observe in the same way.

SC 4Having observed human behavior, the four guardian kings ascend to see Sakka in the Hall of True Dhamma. They report to Sakka and the other Tāvatiṁsa devas: ‘In the world there are many human beings who do not observe filial piety, do not respect renunciants and brāhmaṇas, do not make offerings to their teachers and the clan elders, and so on…; and not many keep the precepts.’ When Sakka and the host of devas hear these words, they are sad and unhappy. The gods say: ‘The host of devas will decrease, and the host of asuras will grow.’

SC 5If, however, there are human beings in the world who always practice filial piety, make offerings to renunciants and brāhmaṇas, and so on …, and many who keep the precepts, then the four guardian kings go up and report this to Sakka. Then the devas are very much delighted and all say: ‘The human beings in the world are acting in a wholesome way. They are indeed wise and good and doing what they should do. The number of devas will grow, and the number of asuras will decrease.’

Sakka is pleased and speaks a verse:

SC 6“Those who on the eighth, the fourteenth /
and the fifteenth,
as well as during the fortnight when the spirits walk /
keep the precepts in purity –
they will be reborn in heaven, /
their merit equaling my own.’”

SC 7The Buddha said to the monks: “What Sakka said, cannot be called well-spoken. Why? An Arahant, who has destroyed the taints, has done what was to be done, he should speak this verse:

SC 8“Those who on the eighth, the fourteenth /
and the fifteenth,
as well as during the fortnight when the spirits walk, /
keep the precepts in purity –
they will gain supreme victory, /
their merit equaling my own.”

SC 9Buddhas and other Arahants should speak this verse. This is called truly spoken, well spoken.”

SC 10When the Buddha had finished, the monks, having listened to what he had said, were happy and remembered it well.