The Buddha Expounds the Mahayana Sutra for Repaying Kindness – Shakyamuni and the Goose (upon which) One Writes and Notifies the Prince

The Buddha of the Great Canon said: Prince Kalyanamitra put to sea to gather treasure and spend time in other lands. But before putting to sea, he offered to his parents one white goose. His mother and wives said to the white goose, “The prince in the past always was inseparable from you. Today he has left on the great sea and we will not know if he is dead or alive. Why do you not think of the prince?” The white goose thereupon declared, “I wish to look for the prince, but I dare not disobey his orders.” The ladies of rank then wrote a message (placing it around) the goose’s head, and with that the goose then flew into the void, going so far as the great sea where he saw the prince in the distance, and tucking in his body he (flew down) below. The prince received the message. Opening the envelope and unrolling the letter he read it and realized how his father and mother had lost their eyesight in longing for their princely son. Immediately, (the prince) returned to his own country and his father and mother were very joyous. (However,) the king and his wife blind of sight could not see the prince’s countenance. With their hands laid upon him, they stroked the prince saying, “Your father and mother missed you; worry and suffering has made us like this.” After making the customary inquiries and protocols of greeting, the prince took out a pearl and uttered this wish, “With this cintamani pearl, I order that both the eyes of my father and mother be as clear and bright as before.” Upon making this wish, (their eyesight) was immediately restored. When the father and mother saw their son, their joy was unbounded. The person Prince Kalyanamitra was likewise the Thus Come One.

大藏佛说《大方便报恩经》释迦雁书报太子 大藏佛言：善友太子入海采宝，留滞他国。未入海时，养一白雁。时母夫人白雁言：太子昔时常共汝俱，今入大海，生死未分，汝今云何不念太子？雁即报言：欲觅太子，不敢违命。时夫人作书系在雁头，其雁飞空，至于大海，遥见太子，敛身而下。太子取书，发封披读，即知父母追念太子，两目失明。寻即归国，父母欢喜。王与夫人，目瞑不见太子形容，以首扪摸，作如是言：父母念汝，忧苦如是。太子问讯起居事讫，持珠发愿：此是如意宝者，令父母两目明净如故。作是愿已，寻即平复。父母见子，欢喜无量。时善友太子者亦□如来。