Udanavarga 4.32-33

4.32

昔私訶牒國中有大山，名私休遮他，山中有梵志五百餘人，各達神通，自相謂曰：「吾等所得正是涅槃。」佛始出世初建法鼓開甘露門，此等梵志聞而不就，宿福應度，佛往就之獨行無侶。到其路口坐一樹下，三昧定意放身光明照一山中，狀如失火山中盡燃。梵志怖懼呪水滅之，盡其神力不能使滅，怪而捨走從路出山，遙見世尊樹下坐禪，譬如日出金山之側，相好炳然如月星中明。怪是何神就而觀之。佛命令坐，問所從來？梵志對曰：「止此山中修道來久，旦欻火起燒山樹木怖而走出。」佛告梵志：「此是福火不傷損人，欲滅卿等癡結之垢。」梵志師徒顧相謂曰：「是何道士也？九十六種未曾有此。」師曰：「曾聞白淨王子名曰悉達，不樂聖位出家求佛。將無是也？」徒等啟師：「可共問佛，梵志所行事為如法不也？」師徒之等共起白佛：「梵志經法名四無礙，天文地理，王者治國領民之法，并九十六種道術所應行法，此經為是涅槃法不？願佛解說開化未聞。」佛告梵志：「善聽思之。吾從宿命無數劫來常行此經，亦得五通移山住流，更歷生死不可計數，既不得涅槃，亦復不聞有得道者。如汝等行，非名梵志。」

Formerly, in the country of Sihedie, there was a great mountain named Sixiuzheta. On this mountain dwelt more than five hundred brahmacārins, each having attained supernatural knowledges. They said among themselves, "What we have attained is truly nirvāṇa." When the Buddha first appeared in the world, initially set up the drum of Dharma, and opened the gate of nectar, these brahmacārins heard of it but did not approach him. Their past merit ripening for deliverance, the Buddha went to them, traveling alone without companion. Reaching the entrance of their path, he sat beneath a tree. In the samādhi of concentrated thought, he emitted light from his body that illuminated the whole mountain, appearing like an accidental fire completely burning the mountain. The brahmacārins were terrified and chanted incantations over water to extinguish it, yet despite using all their supernatural powers, they could not put it out. Astonished, they abandoned [the place] and fled, emerging from the mountain along the path. From afar, they saw the Bhagavat sitting in meditation beneath the tree, like the sun rising beside a golden mountain, his marks and signs radiant, shining like the moon among the stars. Wondering what deity this might be, they approached to observe him. The Buddha bade them be seated and asked whence they had come. The brahmacārins answered, "We have resided on this mountain practicing the Way for a long time. This morning, a fire suddenly flared up and burned the mountain's trees, so in terror we ran out." The Buddha told the brahmacārins, "This is a fire of merit; it does not harm people. It intends to destroy the defilements of your knots of ignorance." The brahmacārin master and disciples looked at one another and said, "What practitioner of the Way is this? Among the ninety-six varieties, there has never been such a one." The master said, "I once heard that the prince of Śuddhodana, named Siddhārtha, took no pleasure in the sacred rank and went forth to seek buddhahood. Could this perhaps be he?" The disciples addressed their master, "We may ask the Buddha together whether the practices performed by us brahmacārins accord with the Dharma or not." Together, the master and disciples arose and addressed the Buddha: "The scriptures and methods of the brahmacārins are called the four unhindered [insights], astronomy, geography, the methods by which a king governs a state and leads the people, together with the methods that should be practiced in the ninety-six kinds of arts of the Way. Are these scriptures the Dharma of nirvāṇa or not? We pray the Buddha will explain and convert those who have not yet heard." The Buddha told the brahmacārins, "Listen well and reflect on it. From past lives over countless kalpas, I constantly practiced these scriptures, and I also attained the five supernatural knowledges, moving mountains and halting flowing streams; I underwent birth and death beyond count, yet I neither attained nirvāṇa nor ever heard of anyone attaining the Way. Practices like yours do not merit the name of a brahmacārin."

In days of old, in a certain mountain (called Sse-yau-chu-to) in the country of Saketa (Sse-ho-teh), there were resident some 500 Brahmans who pretended to have arrived at final release (Nirvāna), in consideration of their miraculous powers (irrdhi). Now at this time Buddha, having just arrived at complete enlightenment, and beginning to sound the drum of the law, and open the doors of immortality, was induced, on account of these Brahmachārins, to come into their neighbourhood, and sitting beneath a tree, to reveal the splendour of his person. After some conversation with them, he repeated these verses:

4.33

於是世尊以偈報曰：

Thereupon, the Bhagavat replied with verses: