English
In the vast ocean, one will be reborn as a fat creature with a body of a hundred measures. Due to the karma of previous deeds, the water around that measure will turn red like molten copper. There, it will endure the suffering of sentient being hells in the water for hundreds of thousands of years. After that, it will die and be reborn in a vast wilderness, becoming a huge, fat creature as tall as a mountain. The winds from all four directions will be filled with heat, burning it. There, goats and birds from all four directions will gather and devour it completely. After a long time, it will die again and be reborn in the great sentient being hells. After that, it will die and experience such great retribution again and again. If observed closely, in a hundred rebirths, one will occasionally share the fate with humans, but even if reborn as a human, one will be reborn as someone with incomplete eyes or inauspicious in the Buddha-fields filled with the five degenerations. Great king, those who seize the wealth and enjoyment dedicated to the monks who abide by the Dharma, and steal property, their retribution is like that. After that, the embodied king shed tears of sorrow and said: Venerable Bhagavan, such a person should not be destined to remain in the sentient being hells. If someone obtains a human body but engages in such great non-meritorious deeds, then obtaining a human body is meaningless. The Bhagavan taught: Great king, whether now or in the future, rulers, you royal families who abide by the Dharma, be sure to protect those entrusted to you. Be sure to protect them! Whether ordained or householders, if anyone seizes the wealth and enjoyment dedicated to the monks who abide by the Dharma, and steals property, you must punish them severely according to the Dharma. The king said: Venerable Bhagavan, if anyone seizes the wealth and enjoyment dedicated to the monks who abide by the Dharma, and steals pro
Chinese
盗取财物用具的在家者和出家者，如果因为符合教法而用刑罚惩处，是不应该做的。如果国王对此保持中立，那么这位国王将会造下多少非福德的恶业啊！世尊开示道：大国王，除了如来之外，所有声闻和独觉等一切众生所拥有的福德总和，如果一个众生拥有了这样的福德，那么这个众生将远远超过所有声闻和独觉，并且是最 具福德的，是这样吗？国王回答说：尊者世尊，确实是这样。尊者世尊，这个众生非常殊胜，因为在一切有情众生中，比所有声闻和独觉更具福德的人，是很少出现的。世尊开示道：大国王，如果之前的那个众生拥有了那样的福德总和，并且所有众生都拥有了那样的福德总和，然后出现了一个人，他切割所有有情众生的肢体，挖出眼睛，切割耳朵、鼻子、手和脚。大国王，你觉得怎么样？这个人会造下多少非福德的罪恶之业？然后，具形心国王流下了眼泪，一言不发地坐着。世尊开示道：大国王，回答我，回答我！然后，大国王具形心抽泣着哭着说道：尊者世尊，如果有人切割了这样一个具有福德的众生的肢体，挖出眼睛，切割耳朵、鼻子、手和脚，那么这个人所造下的非福德的罪恶之业是无数的，没有限量的，不可估量的，无法比拟的。如果有人对这样具有福德的
English
and those householders and renunciates who steal property and belongings should not be punished with penalties because they are in accordance with the Dharma. If the king remains neutral in this matter, how much non-meritorious karma will that royal family generate? The Blessed One said: Great King, if one sentient being possesses the sum total of merit that all sentient beings, including Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, possess, except for the Tathagata, then that sentient being will be far superior to all Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas, and will be the most meritorious. Is that so? The king replied: Venerable Blessed One, that is indeed so. Venerable Blessed One, that sentient being is extremely special, because among all living beings, a person who is more meritorious than all Shravakas and Pratyekabuddhas rarely appears. The Blessed One said: Great King, if that previous sentient being possessed such a mass of merit, and all sentient beings possessed such a mass of merit, and then a person appeared who cut off the limbs of all living beings, gouged out their eyes, and cut off their ears, noses, hands, and feet. Great King, what do you think? How much non-meritorious, sinful karma would that person generate? Then, King Rupahrdaya shed tears and sat silently. The Blessed One said: Great King, answer me, answer me! Then, Great King Rupahrdaya sobbed and cried, saying: Venerable Blessed One, if someone cuts off the limbs of such a meritorious sentient being, gouges out their eyes, and cuts off their ears, noses, hands, and feet, then the non-meritorious, sinful karma that person generates is countless, limitless, immeasurable, and incomparable. If someone does that to such a meritorious
Chinese
斩断所有有情众生的肢体，挖出眼睛，更何况是割截耳朵、鼻子、手和脚呢？ 世尊开示说：大国王，无论是现在还是未来，如来在世或已入涅槃，直到末法五百年，对于安住于法的出家或在家、具有功德者，那些供养的受用、近受用、财物、田地、房屋、园林、花果园、奴仆、婢女、四足牲畜、法衣、乞食、卧具、坐垫、医药和资具等，如果王族对偷盗或抢夺这些财物者置之不理，不按照对出家或在家盗贼应有的惩罚来加以惩处，那么这个王族就会造下极大的非福德。如同王族一样，被任命为村长、市长、城镇长官和地方长官的人，如果也同样置之不理，不阻止那些偷盗的有情众生，那么从村长到地方长官，都会造下极大的非福德之堆。 之后，具形国王禀告说： 尊者世尊，国王的责任实在太重了。王族大多妻妾成群。尊者世尊，如果国王能够安住于不娶妻妾，守护那些安住于法的人，同样地，如果能够阻止那些抢夺供养受用和近受用的有情众生作恶，以及从村长到地方长官，也同样能够阻止那些偷盗供养受用和近受用的有情众生作恶，那么将会积累多少福德之聚呢？ 世尊开示说：国王
English
severing the limbs of all sentient beings who possess [them], gouging out eyes, what need is there to mention cutting off ears, noses, hands, and feet? The Blessed One said: Great King, whether now or in the future, whether the Thus-Gone One is alive or has passed into complete nirvana, until the end of the final five hundred years, for those who abide in the Dharma, whether ordained or householders, who are rich in qualities, if the royal family is indifferent to those who steal or plunder the offerings, enjoyments, possessions, fields, houses, gardens, groves, servants, maids, quadrupeds, Dharma robes, alms, bedding, cushions, medicines for the sick, and implements dedicated to them, and does not allow them to be punished as thieves, whether ordained or householders, should be punished, then that royal family will generate a great deal of non-merit. Just as the royal family does, if those appointed as village chiefs, city chiefs, town officials, and regional officials are also indifferent and do not prevent those sentient beings who steal in this way, then from the village chief to the regional official, they will generate a great heap of non-merit. Then King Embodied Heart spoke thus: Venerable Blessed One, the responsibility of a king is indeed very heavy. Royal families mostly live with many consorts. Venerable Blessed One, if a king could abide without consorts and protect those who abide in the Dharma, and similarly, if he could prevent those sentient beings who plunder offerings and enjoyments from doing evil, and from the village chief to the regional official, if they could also prevent those sentient beings who steal offerings and enjoyments from doing evil, then how much merit would be accumulated? The Blessed One said: King
Chinese
大王，如果像我以前所说的那样，有如此巨大的福德之蕴，并且所有众生都具备这样的福德。所有众生都被关在监狱里，遭受饥渴的折磨。这时，如果有一个人，让所有具备如此福德的众生从监狱中完全解脱出来，并且在一百年里，为所有这些众生提供法衣、食物、卧具、坐垫、治疗疾病的药物和各种必需品。大王，您怎么想？这个人是否会因此积累更多的福德？ 国王回答说：尊者世尊，是的，他会积累更多的福德。尊者善逝，这个人会积累无数、无量、不可思议的福德之蕴。 世尊开示说：大王，相比之下，从现在到未来末法时代的五百年间，对于那些安住于正法、具备功德的人，阻止那些想要夺取供养的众生造作恶业的国王或地方首领，会积累更多的福德之蕴。 国王问道：尊者世尊，如果一位安住于正法的比丘没有受到守护，他会积累如此之多的非福德，那么，如果有人守护他，他会积累多少福德呢？ 世尊开示说：大王，我没有允许一个人接受供养，也不是两个人，也不是三个人，也不是四个人。大王，我允许为了四方僧众的缘故，在一个寺庙或一个修行处，即使是最少的，也有五位安住于正法的比丘接受供养。敲击犍椎后，与突然到来的四方比丘一起享用、受用住所、卧具、坐垫、食物、饮料、治疗疾病的药物和各种必需品。如果在一个寺庙或一个修行处，有一百到一千位比丘安住，在那里也敲击犍椎。
English
Great King, if, as I said before, there were such a great accumulation of merit, and all sentient beings possessed such merit, and all were imprisoned and tormented by hunger and thirst, and then someone were to completely liberate all those sentient beings possessing such merit from that prison, and for a full hundred years, provide all those sentient beings with Dharma robes, alms, bedding, cushions, medicine for the sick, and various necessities, what do you think, Great King? Would that person generate more merit than that? The king replied: Venerable Bhagavan, yes, he would generate more merit. Venerable Sugata, that person would generate an immeasurable, limitless, inconceivable accumulation of merit. The Bhagavan said: Great King, even more so than that, from now until the final five hundred years of the future degenerate age, a king or regional leader who, for those abiding in the Dharma and possessing qualities, prevents beings who want to steal offerings from engaging in sinful deeds, will generate a much greater accumulation of merit. The king asked: Venerable Bhagavan, if a Dharma-abiding bhikshu who is not protected generates so much non-merit, then how much merit would someone who protects him generate? The Bhagavan said: Great King, I have not permitted one person to receive offerings, nor two, nor three, nor four. Great King, I have permitted, for the sake of the Sangha of the four directions, in one temple or one monastic dwelling, even if it is the least, five Dharma-abiding bhikshus to receive offerings. After striking the ghanta, together with the bhikshus of the four directions who suddenly arrive, to enjoy and partake of dwellings, bedding, cushions, food, drink, medicine for the sick, and various necessities. If in one temple or one monastic dwelling, one hundred to one thousand bhikshus reside, there also the ghanta should be struck.