Udanavarga 4.28

4.28

昔佛在舍衛國精舍之中，為天龍鬼神、國王人民說法。時有一年少比丘，晨旦著衣服拄杖持鉢至大村中分衛。時大道邊有官菜園，外面種黍穄，其田外草中施張發箭，若有蟲獸盜賊來者，觸網箭發中箭則死。有一端正年少女子獨守此園，人欲往者遙喚示道乃得入園，不知道者必為發箭所殺。而此女子獨守悲歌，其聲妖亮，聽者莫不頓車止馬，迴旋蹀躡而欲趣之，盤桓不去皆坐聲響。時此比丘分衛行還，道聞歌聲，側耳聽音五情逸豫，心迷意亂貪著不捨，想是女人必大端正，思想欲見坐起言語，便旋往趣，未到中間意志怳惚，手失錫杖肩失衣鉢殊不自覺。佛以三達見此比丘，小復前行為箭所殺，福應得道，為愚所迷欲蓋所覆，憐愍其愚欲度脫之，自化作白衣往到其邊，以偈呵之曰：

In days of old, when Buddha was residing in the Jetavana Vihāra, near Śrāvastī, preaching his doctrine for the sake of Devas and men, there was a certain Bhikshu, young in years, who used every morning to assume his robe, and take his mendicant's staff and begging-dish, and go through the streets of the town begging his food. On the way there was a certain nobleman's garden, on the outside part of which were sown certain esculant plants, and the ground guarded by a contrivance for discharging arrows at whatever beast, or thief, came there to trespass or steal. Moreover, as guardian of the ground, there was a girl of tender age left, who used to warn travellers away from the place if they had missed their way, or were likely to trespass on the field without knowing the danger, lest they should be shot. Now it came to pass that on one occasion the Bhikshu, having gone his round through the city, was returning homewards, when, on passing the spot, he heard the plaintive alarm of the girl as she sang out to him to beware; and his passions being roused thereby, he thought to go in and hold some conversation with her, and amuse himself. While assaying to do this he was filled with sudden fear, he let his staff fall, and his robes were disordered, and his alms-dish disarranged; when Buddha, by his divine sight, seeing how the case stood, and that in a moment or two the Bhikshu would be pierced by the arrows, and so perish in his sin, transformed himself into a white-robed layman, and standing by the side of the Bhikshu, repeated these expostulatory stanzas:—