分別功德論 5.16

5.16

所以稱般咃比丘能隱形不現者，般咃者，道也。有雙生兒棄之於路，有人收取養長令大。各出家為道，無人與作字，即字為道生，胡言般咃也。時摩竭國數天雷暴雨，五穀不登。王名頻頭𠻬羅，是阿闍世王祖，募四遠曰：「有能却暴雨者，大與財寶。」時有婆羅門名曰梵志，善知呪術，來應募曰：「我能却雨。」王即聽，使現術止雨。時陰陽和調五穀大熟，梵志白王索止雨功報。王雖口許，竟不報惠。諸臣人民見王不與，各復許之。梵志家儉，每從索之，其於不與遍索不得。梵志大恚，誓作毒龍，滅人苗稼：「若有種五穀者，苗稼成好，大震雹殺，使根莖不立，何況有葉耶。」誓已命終，即生龍中，號名無葉。時摩竭國人民種作苗稼適生，龍即雹殺。如是經數年，人民飢困死亡者眾。佛愍傷之，欲化此龍，即將密迹、阿難、般咃至俱持國，詣龍所止。時龍見佛來惡心生，曰：「今當放雹殺此沙門。」即雨山石，佛右迴視密迹，密迹知佛意，即以金剛杵擬之墮大石山，塞其龍淵。龍大瞋怒，眼中火出。佛右迴視般咃比丘，般咃比丘即知佛意欲使降龍。般咃即以神足隱形，以水滅龍眼火。龍復於耳鼻口出火，亦以水滅此。比丘復以神力，於龍眼耳鼻口中反覆出入而龍不見，隱形在內現手於外。龍覩此變，即便心伏。佛復與三人等於前往反經行，石上有四人跡，而三人現。龍即問佛：「一人所在？」答曰：「是汝師跡。」又曰：「師名為誰？今何不現？」答曰：「名曰般咃。」佛欲使遠現，即知佛意，百步現形。龍遙見之，歡喜為禮，佛即授之八關齋法。自是以往風雨和調，五穀豐熟人民安寧。以是因緣，知般咃隱形第一也。

As for why the monk Pantha is praised for being able to conceal his form and make himself invisible: Pantha means 'road'. There were twin sons abandoned on a road, whom someone took in and raised to adulthood. Each left the household for the path, but having no one to give them names, they were named Daosheng ('Road-Born'), which in the barbarian tongue is Pantha. At that time in the kingdom of Magadha, violent thunderstorms and rains occurred frequently, and the five grains did not ripen. The king was named Bindusāra, who was the grandfather of King Ajātaśatru. He made an appeal to the four quarters, saying: "Whosoever is able to repel the violent rain, I shall bestow upon him great wealth and treasure." At that time there was a brāhmaṇa named Brahmacārin, who was skilled in incantations. He came to answer the appeal, saying, "I can repel the rain." The king then granted him permission and had him manifest his art to stop the rain. At that time yin and yang were harmonised, and the five grains ripened abundantly. The brahmacārin addressed the king, requesting his reward for stopping the rain. Although the king assented verbally, in the end he did not bestow the recompense. The ministers and the people, seeing that the king did not give it, each likewise made promises to him. The brahmacārin's family was impoverished, and he repeatedly sought it from them, yet they did not give it, and though he asked everywhere, he received nothing. The brahmacārin was greatly enraged, and vowed to become a poisonous nāga to destroy human crops: "Whenever people plant the five grains and the crops are growing well, I shall strike with great hailstorms to kill them, so that neither root nor stem can stand, how much less any leaves!" Having made this vow, his life came to an end, and he was immediately reborn among the nāgas, named Apolaka ('Leafless'). Whenever the people of Magadha planted crops and they had just sprouted, the nāga struck them down with hail. This continued for several years, and the people starved, with many dying. The Buddha took pity on them, and wishing to convert this nāga, he took Guhyaka, Ānanda, and Pantha to the kingdom of Gautama to approach the nāga's dwelling. When the nāga saw the Buddha coming, an evil thought arose, and he said, "Now I shall release hail to kill this śramaṇa." He then rained down mountain boulders. The Buddha looked to his right at Guhyaka. Guhyaka understood the Buddha's intent, and at once aimed his vajra club at the great rocky mountain, causing it to fall and block the nāga's abyss. The nāga was furious, and fire issued from his eyes. The Buddha looked to his right at the monk Pantha. The monk Pantha at once understood the Buddha's intent to have him subdue the nāga. Pantha immediately used his ṛddhi to conceal his form, and with water extinguished the fire in the nāga's eyes. The nāga then emitted fire from his ears, nose, and mouth, and [Pantha] extinguished this too with water. The monk further used his supernatural powers to pass in and out repeatedly through the nāga's eyes, ears, nose, and mouth while remaining unseen by the nāga, concealing his form within while manifesting his hands without. Seeing these transformations, the nāga's heart was immediately subdued. The Buddha then walked back and forth in meditation with the three persons ahead. On the rocks there were footprints of four persons, yet only three persons were visible. The nāga then asked the Buddha, "Where is the one person?" He answered, "These are the footprints of your teacher." The nāga said again, "What is the teacher's name? Why does he not appear now?" He answered, "His name is Pantha." The Buddha wished for him to appear at a distance, and [Pantha], knowing the Buddha's intent, manifested his form a hundred paces away. Seeing him from afar, the nāga rejoiced and paid homage. The Buddha then conferred upon him the eight precept observances. From that time forth, wind and rain were harmonised, the five grains were bountiful and ripe, and the people were at peace. By these causes and conditions, it is known that Pantha is the foremost in concealing his form.