分別功德論 4.13

4.13

目連所以稱神足第一者，世尊亦說有證。昔日三災流行，人民大飢。目連心念：「此地下故有曩日地肥在中。今人民大飢，意欲反此地，取下地肥以供民命。」念已白佛：「今欲以四神足，反地取下地肥以濟民命。不審可爾以不？」佛言：「止止。目連！汝神足雖能反此無難，那中眾生可以一手執蟲、一手反地？」佛言：「不可。所以然者，後世比丘多無神足。設後有飢時，國王臣民命沙門反地。若不能者，謂非沙門。」以是神足證，故稱目連為第一。

The reason why Maudgalyāyana is declared foremost in ṛddhi is that the World-Honoured One also spoke of a proof. In former times, when the three calamities were rampant, the people suffered great famine. Maudgalyāyana thought: 'Beneath this earth there still remains the earth essence of former days. Now the people are starving terribly; I wish to overturn this earth and take the lower earth essence to sustain the people's lives.' Having thought this, he addressed the Buddha: 'I now wish to use the four bases of ṛddhi to overturn the earth and take the lower earth essence to relieve the people's lives. I wonder whether this may be done or not?' The Buddha said: 'Stop, stop, Maudgalyāyana! Although your ṛddhi can overturn this without difficulty, what of the sentient beings therein? Could one hold the worms with one hand and overturn the earth with the other?' The Buddha said: 'It cannot be done. Why is that? In future times, monks will mostly lack ṛddhi. If there were famine in the future, kings, ministers, and commoners would order the śramaṇas to overturn the earth; if they could not do so, they would say they were not śramaṇas.' Based on this proof of ṛddhi, Maudgalyāyana is declared foremost.