Udanavarga 2.56-57

2.56

昔佛在舍衛國精舍之中，為諸天人說法。時國王第二兒名曰瑠璃，其年二十，將從官屬退其父王，伐兄太子自禪為王。有一惡臣名曰耶利，白瑠璃王：「王本為皇子，時至舍夷國外家舍，看到佛精舍中，為諸釋種子所呵，罵詈無有好醜。爾時見勅：『若我為王，便啟此事。』今時已到，兵馬興盛宜當報怨。」即勅嚴駕引率兵馬，往伐舍夷國。佛有第二弟子名摩訶目揵連，見琉璃王引率兵士伐舍夷國以報宿怨，今當伐殺四輩弟子，念其可憐便往到佛所，白佛言：「今琉璃王攻舍夷國，我念中人當遭辛苦，我欲以四方便救舍夷國人：一者舉舍夷國人著虛空中，二者舉舍夷國人著大海中，三者舉舍夷國人著兩鐵圍山間，四者舉舍夷國人著他方大國中央，令琉璃王不知其處。」佛告目連：「雖知卿有是智德，能安處舍夷國人，萬物眾生有七不可避。何謂為七？一者生，二者老，三者病，四者死，五者罪，六者福，七者因緣。此七事，意雖欲避不能得自在。如卿威神可得作此，宿對罪負不可得離。」於是目連禮已便去，自以私意取舍夷國人知識檀越四五千人，盛著鉢中，舉著虛空星宿之際。琉璃王伐舍夷國，殺三億人已引軍還國。於是目連往到佛所為佛作禮，自貢高曰：「琉璃王伐舍夷國，弟子承佛威神，救舍夷國人四五千人，今在虛空皆盡得脫。」佛告目連：「卿為往看鉢中人不也？」曰：「未往視之。」佛言：「卿先往視鉢中人眾。」目連以道力下鉢，見中人皆死盡，於是目連悵然悲泣愍其辛苦，還白佛言：「鉢中人者今皆死盡，道德神力不能免彼宿對之罪。」佛告目連：「有此七事，佛及眾聖神仙道士，隱形散體皆不能免此七事。」

In the past, when the Buddha was in the vihāra in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, he was preaching the Dharma for devas and humans. At that time, the second son of the king of the country, named Virūḍhaka, was twenty years of age. Leading his subordinate officials, he deposed his father, attacked his elder brother the crown prince, and abdicated the throne to himself as king. There was an evil minister named Ambariṣa who said to King Virūḍhaka: "When the great king was originally an imperial prince, you went to your maternal family's house in the country of the Śākyas. When you went to see the Buddha's vihāra, you were scolded by the sons of the Śākya clan, who cursed and reviled you without distinguishing good or bad. At that time, you gave an order to me: 'If I become king, then report this matter to me.' Now the time has come; your troops and horses are flourishing, and it is fitting to avenge this enmity." Thereupon he ordered the royal carriage prepared and led troops and horses to attack the country of the Śākyas. The Buddha had a second disciple named Mahāmaudgalyāyana. Seeing that King Virūḍhaka was leading troops to attack the country of the Śākyas to avenge a past enmity, and that he would now attack and slaughter the fourfold assembly of disciples, he felt pity for them and went to the Buddha's place. He said to the Buddha: "Now King Virūḍhaka is attacking the country of the Śākyas. I think of the people within it who will suffer bitter distress. I wish by four expedient means to save the people of the country of the Śākyas: first, to lift the people of the country of the Śākyas and place them in the midst of empty space; second, to lift the people of the country of the Śākyas and place them in the great ocean; third, to lift the people of the country of the Śākyas and place them between the two Iron Enclosing Mountains; fourth, to lift the people of the country of the Śākyas and place them in the center of a great country in another direction, so that King Virūḍhaka will not know their location." The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "Although I know you have such wisdom and virtue that you could securely place the people of the country of the Śākyas, there are seven things that the myriad things and living beings cannot avoid. What are the seven? The first is birth; the second is old age; the third is sickness; the fourth is death; the fifth is sin; the sixth is merit; the seventh is causes and conditions. As for these seven things, even if the mind wishes to avoid them, one cannot achieve mastery. Although through your spiritual power you could do this, past retributions and the debt of sins cannot be escaped." Thereupon Maudgalyāyana made his bows and departed. By his own intention, he took four to five thousand people—acquaintances and dānapatis of the country of the Śākyas—placed them in his alms bowl, and lifted them up to the boundary of the stars in empty space. King Virūḍhaka attacked the country of the Śākyas, and after killing three hundred million people, he led his army back to his kingdom. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana went to the Buddha's place, made obeisance to the Buddha, and said with pride: "King Virūḍhaka attacked the country of the Śākyas. Your disciple, relying on the Buddha's spiritual power, saved four to five thousand people of the country of the Śākyas; they are now in empty space, all entirely delivered." The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "Did you go look at the people in the bowl or not?" He said: "I have not yet gone to look at them." The Buddha said: "Go look at the people in the bowl first." By the power of the Way, Maudgalyāyana lowered the bowl and saw that the people within were all dead. Thereupon Maudgalyāyana, dejected and sorrowfully weeping, pitied their bitter suffering. He returned and said to the Buddha: "The people in the bowl are now all dead. The spiritual power of virtue and the Way cannot deliver them from the sins of their past retributions." The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "There are these seven things; neither the Buddhas, nor all the holy ones, divine immortals, or practitioners of the Way, though they conceal their forms and disperse their bodies, can avoid these seven things."

In old time, when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana at Śrāvastī, preaching for the benefit of gods and men, the Prince Koli having imprisoned his father and killed his elder brother, the heir to the throne, proclaimed himself King, and inaugurated his reign by the slaughter of thousands of the Śākyas, on which occasion the World-honoured one, addressing Mugalin, said:

2.57

於是世尊即說偈言：

Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke this verse: