Udanavarga 3.50

3.50

昔佛在羅閱祇耆闍崛山中。時調達與阿闍貰王共議毀佛及諸弟子，王勅國人不得奉佛，眾僧分衛不得施與。時舍利弗、目連、迦葉、須菩提等，及波和提比丘尼等，各將弟子去到他國，唯佛與五百羅漢住崛山中。調達往至阿闍貰所與王議言：「佛諸弟子今已迸散，尚有五百弟子在佛左右。願王明日請佛入城，吾當飲五百大象令醉，佛來入城驅使醉象令蹹殺之盡斷其種，吾當作佛教化世間。」阿闍貰王聞之歡喜，即到佛所稽首作禮，白佛言：「明日設薄施，願屈世尊及諸弟子於宮內食。」佛知其謀，答言：「大善！明旦當往。」王退而去，還語調達：「佛已受請，當念前計，飲象令醉伺候待之。」明日食時，佛與五百羅漢共入城門，五百醉象鳴鼻而前，搪揬牆壁樹木摧折，行人驚怖一城戰慄。五百羅漢飛在空中，獨有阿難在佛邊住，醉象齊頭徑前趣佛，佛因舉手，五指應時化為五百師子王，同聲俱吼震動天地，於是醉象屈膝伏地不敢舉頭，酒醉尋解垂淚悔過。王及臣民莫不驚肅。世尊徐前至王殿上，與諸羅漢食訖呪願。王白佛言：「稟性不明信彼讒言，興造逆惡圖為不軌，願垂大慈恕我迷愚。」於是世尊告阿闍貰及諸大眾：「世有八事興長誹謗，皆由名譽，又貪利養，以致大罪累劫不息。何等為八？利、衰、毀、譽、稱、譏、苦、樂。自古至今尠不為惑。」

In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Gridhrakūta Mount, near Rājagriha, then Devadatta, in concert with Ajātaśatru Rāja, contrived a plan for the destruction of the Teacher and his followers. The plan was this:— That the King should prohibit the people of the town from giving anything in charity to the community, and so, when they had found their begging excursion through the streets ineffective, that then the King should ask them all to an entertainment at the palace. Meantime Devadatta, having intoxicated 500 elephants, was to let them loose on the Teacher and his followers, and so destroy them all. Accordingly, the invitation was given and accepted by Buddha, and so on the morrow they entered the city as agreed upon. On this the elephants, having been let loose, with upraised trunks, came bellowing down on the crowd, on which the 500 Rahats who followed Buddha rose into the air (and flew away), but Buddha, with Ānanda by his side, checked the fury of the beasts, who now came and bowed down, and went before the Teacher perfectly subdued. On this Buddha, raising the five fingers of his hand, caused the appearance of five lions, who uttered their roar, whilst the earth shook, and the elephants lay down affrighted on the ground. Hereupon Buddha and his followers proceeded to the King's palace, and after listening to the confession of the King, Buddha uttered these stanzas :—

“Amongst men there is no one who is not blamed, from old time till now. Since they blame the man of many words, they blame the patient and quiet man; they also blame the man who seeks the happy medium; there is always blame in the world. Those who desire to find fault with the righteous (holy) man are never able to discriminate with impartiality (take a middle course); they blame him entirely or they praise him entirely, but it is all done from some false idea of profit or fame. But he whom the enlightened and wise praise, and whom they consider and call upright and good, a man of true wisdom and innocent life, without any ground for censure in himself, as a Rahat for purity, there is no blame for him—such an one the gods themselves must admire, even Brahma and Śakra must praise such an one.”