大方便佛報恩經 7.3

7.3

“Furthermore, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva knows kindness and repays kindness, cultivating mahopāya to benefit sentient beings, adapting appropriately and manifesting boundlessly. Good sons! A Buddha appeared in the world named Fearless King Tathāgata, Arhat, Samyaksaṃbuddha, Vidyācaraṇasaṃpanna, Sugata, Lokavid, Anuttara, Puruṣadamyasārathi, Śāstā Devamanuṣyāṇām, Buddha, Bhagavat, appearing in the world to guide and receive those with the karmic conditions. Once those conditions were exhausted, his spirit passed into nirvāṇa. After his extinction, during the saddharma, there was a brāhmaṇa's son, clever and intelligent, who received and upheld the five precepts and protected the saddharma. The brāhmaṇa's son traveled elsewhere on business, journeying far to another state. Arriving midway, there were many perils from bandits, and five hundred people formed a caravan together. Advancing to a treacherous path, at a halting place where five hundred bandits constantly resided, [the bandits] surrounded them front and rear, intending to plunder the travel companions. At that time, the bandit chief secretly dispatched a man to inspect and watch the companions, preparing to launch [an attack] when the time was right. At that time, there was another man among the bandits who was previously a close friend of this brāhmaṇa's son; out of close friendship he came beforehand to tell him: ‘Good son! You should know that in the early night the bandits will launch [their attack]. At that time there will be chaos and tumult, and fearing you might be harmed, I have come to tell you. Secretly make an expedient means for yourself, depart far away, and do not let your companions know.’