Sutra
of the Collection of the Six Perfections, Fascicle 3
Once upon a time, a bodhisattva manifested as a deer king. Its
physique was exceptionally large, its fur had five magnificent colors, and its
hooves and antlers were uniquely elegant. Many deer submitted to its
leadership, forming a herd of several thousand.
One day, the king of the land ventured out from his palace to hunt.
The hunting party scattered the deer herd, causing them to leap down steep
cliffs. Some fell into deep pits, some were left dangling from tree branches,
swaying helplessly, and many were pierced by thorns, suffering grievous
injuries or dying. The deer king was overcome with sorrow at the tragic sight.
Choking back tears, it said, “As the leader of this herd, I should have
carefully considered and chosen a safe haven for us all. Yet, I carelessly
brought everyone here for the sake of lush grasslands, causing the decline and
devastation of our entire clan. This is my fault!” Determined to rectify the
situation, the deer king resolved to personally seek an audience with the king
to make him aware of the harm inflicted upon the deer by his hunting
expeditions.
The deer king went directly to the capital city. When the people
saw the divine deer, they all exclaimed, “Because our king possesses the most
supreme benevolence and virtue, a divine deer has come here to roam. This is an
auspicious omen for the nation, worthy of celebration!” Thus, no one dared to
obstruct the deer king’s way. Upon reaching the royal palace, the deer king kneeled
before the great hall and beseeched the king, “We, a humble group of animals,
seek only to survive and have entrusted our lives to the land of your noble
kingdom. Suddenly, we were beset by hunters, scattering us in all directions.
Some of us have lost kin; others lie wounded or dead. Our plight is truly
pitiable! The heavens cherish life with a compassionate heart and abhor
extermination. I implore Your Majesty! Please cease hunting. We are willing to
arrange specific days to come to your royal palace to be at the disposal of the
superintendent of the Royal Kitchen.”
The deer king then said, “We wish to know the quantity of deer meat
Your Majesty requires daily; we would never dare to deceive Your Majesty!” The king,
upon hearing this, said with great surprise, “The superintendent of the Royal
Kitchen requires no more than one deer’s meat each day. I never imagined it
would cause such immense casualties among you! If what you say is true, I
swear: From this day forward, I shall hunt no more!”
After returning to the grassland, the deer king gathered the herd and explained to them in detail what it and the king had agreed upon. All the deer obeyed the deer king’s instructions, voluntarily arranging the order in which they would enter the palace. Before entering the palace to face death, each deer would bid farewell to the deer king. The deer king, shedding tears of sorrow, would tell the deer, “All beings will face death; no one can avoid it. On your way to the palace, be mindful of the Buddha’s benevolent and kind teachings. Face the human king with a heart of loving kindness and harbor no resentment toward him!” Thus, the herd lived each day under a cloud of grief and despair. (Part 1/3)
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