Udanavarga 1.127-128

1.127

昔佛在舍衛國，國東南海中有臺，臺上有華香樹，樹木清淨。有婆羅門女五百人，奉事異道意甚精進，不知有佛。於時諸女自相謂曰：「我等稟形生為女人，從少至老為三事所鑑不得自由，命又短促形如幻化當復死亡。不如共至華香臺上採取香華，精進持齋降屈梵天當從求願，願生梵天長壽不死，又得自在無有鑑忌，離諸罪對無復憂患。」即齎供具往至臺上，採取華香奉事梵天，一心持齋願屈尊神。於是世尊見此諸女雖為俗齋，其心精進應可化度，即與大眾弟子菩薩天龍鬼神，飛昇虛空往至臺上坐於樹下。諸女歡喜，謂是梵天，自相慶慰得我所願矣。時一天人語諸女言：「此非梵天，是三界尊，號名為佛，度人無量。」於是諸女前至佛所，為佛作禮前白佛言：「我等多垢今為女人，求離鑑撿願生梵天。」佛言：「諸女！快得善利乃發此願。世有二事其報明審，為善受福、為惡受殃。世間之苦、天上之樂，有為之煩、無為之寂，誰能選擇取其真者？善哉諸女乃有明志。」

Formerly, when the Buddha was in the country of Śrāvastī, there was a terrace within the sea to the southeast of the country. Upon the terrace was a fragrant-flower tree, and the tree was pure and clean. There were five hundred brāhmaṇa women who served heterodox ways with very energetic intention, unaware that there was a Buddha. At that time the women said among themselves: "We have received physical form and been born as women. From youth to old age we are constrained by three things and cannot obtain freedom. Moreover, our lives are short and fleeting, our bodies like phantom illusions, destined to die again. It would be better for us to go together up onto the fragrant-flower terrace, pluck fragrant flowers, energetically observe the poṣadha, and bring down Brahmā to seek a wish from him. We wish to be born in the Brahmā heaven, to have long life and not die, and furthermore to attain independence without constraint or prohibition, to be separated from all retribution for offenses, and to have no further sorrow or grief." They immediately took offerings and went up onto the terrace, plucked fragrant flowers to serve Brahmā, and single-mindedly observed the poṣadha, wishing to bring down the venerable deity. Thereupon, the Bhagavat saw that although these women were observing a mundane poṣadha, their minds were energetic and they ought to be converted and delivered. He immediately flew up into the void together with the great assembly of disciples, bodhisattvas, devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits, went to the terrace, and sat beneath the tree. The women rejoiced, thinking he was Brahmā, and congratulated one another, saying, "We have obtained what we wished for!" At that time a deva said to the women: "This is not Brahmā; this is the Venerable One of the three realms, named the Buddha, who delivers immeasurable numbers of people." Thereupon the women went forward to the Buddha's place, paid homage to the Buddha, and stepping forward addressed the Buddha, saying: "We have many defilements and are now women; we seek to be free from constraints and wish to be born in the Brahmā heaven." The Buddha said: "O women! It is a fortunate gaining of good benefit that you have made this vow. In the world there are two things whose retributions are clear and certain: doing good brings blessing; doing evil brings disaster. The suffering of the mundane world and the joy of heaven, the agitation of the conditioned and the quietude of the unconditioned—who can choose and take what is true? Excellent, O women, that you have such clear aspiration!"

In days of old, when Buddha was residing at Śrāvastī, there was to the south-east of that country, in the mid-ocean, a certain islet (a mound, or fort, or look-out), on the top of which was a tree that bare beautiful scented flowers. In the same spot dwelt five hundred women of the Brahman caste, wholly devoted to their worldly duties, ignorant that there was a Buddha born in the world. Now these women were in the habit of conversing together on the unhappiness of their worldly condition, and in consequence they used to go to the tree that surmounted their abode, and pluck the flowers and offer them to Brahmā-deva, with the prayer that they might escape the power of Yama, and be born in heaven (Brahma-heaven). Now Buddha, perceiving their case, and knowing that they had the capacity of being converted, suddenly transported himself with his followers to their place of abode, and then came and sat down near them. The women seeing the wonderful sight, were lost in amazement, and exclaimed, “Brahmā himself has come to answer our prayers!” But on this a certain Deva answered them, and said, “This is not Brahmā, but the World-honoured Buddha, who has come to save the world.” On this the women bowed down in reverence, and addressed Buddha in these words—"We, indeed, are but women, much polluted, yet we desire, above all things, to escape the power of Yama, and to be born in the highest heaven;” to whom Buddha replied, “May you, indeed, obtain your desire! But there are two things in the world which are immutably fixed—that good actions bring happiness, and bad actions result in misery. But (it is not generally known that) the joys of heaven as well as the sorrows of earth are both to be avoided. Who, then, is able to pluck and to hold the true joy of perfect rest (the rest of non-action)? Truly ye have understanding, O women!” and therefore he recited these gāthas:

1.128

於是世尊即說偈言：

Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke verses, saying: