著者

侯 巧紅 Qiao Hong Hou

出版者

桃山学院大学総合研究所

雑誌

国際文化論集 (ISSN:09170219)

巻号頁・発行日

no.33, pp.1-22, 2005-12

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King Sibi is crazy about `giving things to others' (布施), and Indra, the emperor of gods in Heaven, wants to know his intention. So he takes the shape of a hawk and his vassal takes the shape of a dove. Pursued by the hawk, the dove flies into the armpit of King Sibi to seek his protection. The hawk demands return of his prey, but King Sibi refuses, saying that it is his duty to protect all living beings. The hawk retorts that he is also a living being and needs flesh to live.Thereupon King Sibi proposes to offer his own flesh. The hawk accepts the proposal on condition that the flesh which he gets from King Sibi should be equal in weight to that of the dove. A scale is brought in and the dove is put on one side of it. King Sibi takes a portion of flesh from his own thigh and puts it on the other side of the scale. But the scale does not balance. Although he repeatedly adds his flesh, the scale is always inclined towards the side of thedove. Finally King Sibi puts his whole bloodstained body on the scale. Seeing that his `act of giving' has reached the ultimate level, the hawk is at last convinced that King Sibi earnestly wishes to become a buddha. The hawk and the dove resume their proper forms and return to Heaven. This is the story of Sibi as found in the Da-zhi-du-lun (大智度論) of Kumaraji va(鳩摩羅什344_413).In China this story has been handed down in many variants, among which one is worthy of special ttention. It is the story as told in the Liu-du-ji-jing (六度集經). Indra who appears there is very unique in his motive for testing a king called "Sarvadatta." This Indra is anxious about his own future and apprehensive that the king may aim at becoming Indra. If the king becomes another Indra, the present one has to lose his position. As the king has fortunately proved his wish to become a buddha, Indra feels relieved and returns to Heaven together with his vassal.