Summary
s.1In The Past Endeavor of Kanakavarṇa the Buddha Śākyamuni illustrates the power of generosity by narrating a distant past life as a magnanimous king named Kanakavarṇa, who ruled over the entire continent of Jambudvīpa. While faced with a devastating famine, this bodhisattva king decided to offer the last bit of food left in Jambudvīpa—which had been kept especially for him—to a pratyekabuddha who had come to his palace begging for alms. As a result of King Kanakavarṇa’s selfless gift, the whole continent was miraculously showered with all possible foods and goods, and the people of Jambudvīpa were saved. In addition to this immediate fruit of the king’s meritorious deed, a further fruit of the king’s good deed is implied when the Buddha discloses King Kanakavarṇa’s identity at the end of the story. The king’s generosity would reach full karmic fruition in his perfect awakening in a future life as the Buddha Śākyamuni.
s.1在《金色王過去行經》中，釋迦牟尼佛透過敘述自己遠古的一段過去生，來說明布施的力量。在那一生中，他是一位名叫金色王的慈心王，統治著整個閻浮提。當閻浮提遭遇嚴重的饑荒時，這位菩薩王決定將閻浮提僅存的最後一點食物——那是特別為他保留的——獻給一位來到他的宮殿乞食的辟支佛。由於金色王無私的布施，整個閻浮提奇蹟般地降下了各種食物和物資，閻浮提的人民因此得救。除了國王這一善業所產生的直接果報外，當佛陀在故事的結尾揭示金色王身份時，暗示了國王善行還有進一步的果報。金色王的布施功德最終會在他未來轉生為釋迦牟尼佛時，達成圓滿的業報成熟，實現無上菩提。