The Long Āgama Sūtra 15.27

15.27

「時，頭摩語波梨子言：『汝自無智，但有空聲為言：「當歸！當歸！」尚自不能離此繩床，何由能得至大眾所？』頭摩復語波梨子曰：『諸有智者，以譬喻得解，乃往久遠有一師子獸王在深林中住，師子清旦初出窟時，四向顧望，奮迅三吼，然後遊行擇肉而食。波梨子！彼師子獸王食已還林，常有一野干隨後食殘，氣力充足便自言：「彼林師子竟是何獸？能勝我耶？今寧可獨擅一林，清旦出窟，四向顧望，奮迅三吼，然後遊行，擇肉而食耶！」彼尋獨處一林，清旦出窟，奮迅三吼，然後遊行，欲師子吼，作野干鳴。波梨子！汝今亦爾，蒙佛威恩，存生於世，得人供養，而今更與如來共競。』時，頭摩子以偈責數曰：

“Dhūma then said to Pāṭiputra, ‘You are ignorant, just saying these empty words, ‘I’ll return! I’ll return!’ Still, you can’t free yourself from this rope seat. How can you go to that large assembly?’

Dhūma also said to Pāṭiputra, ‘Some wise people use parables to understand things. Far away, there was a lion, a king of beasts, that lived in a deep forest. It came out of its cave at daybreak, surveyed the four directions, and boldly roared three times. Afterward, it would go wandering in search of meat to eat.

“‘Pāṭiputra, when that lion, that king of beasts, returned to its forest after eating, there would usually be a jackal that followed it to eat the leftovers. When the jackal was at full strength, it would say to itself, “What kind of animal is that forest lion, really? Could it best me? Now, I’d like to find my own forest. I’ll emerge from my cave at daybreak, survey the four directions, and roar three times. Afterward, I’ll go wandering in search of meat to eat.”

“‘It immediately went to live in a forest. It emerged from its cave at daybreak … boldly roared three times. Afterward, it went wandering, but it’s lion’s roar was a jackal’s bark.

“‘Pāṭiputra, you are likewise now. As a result of the Buddha’s magnanimity arising in the world, you’ve received people’s offerings, but now you compete with the Tathāgata.’

“That Licchavi son Dhūma then chastised him in verse: