太子瑞應本起經 2.23

2.23

「迦葉曰：『有何勅使？』佛言：『欲報一事，儻不瞋恚，煩借火室，一宿之間。』曰：『不愛也。中有毒龍，恐相害耳。』佛言：『無苦。龍不害我。』重借至三。迦葉言：『然，大道人德高，能居中者大善。』佛即澡洗前入火室，持草布地，適坐須臾，毒龍瞋恚，身中出烟；佛亦現神，身中出烟。龍大忿怒，身皆火出；佛亦現神，身出火光。龍火佛光，於是俱盛，石室盡燃，其炎烟出，如失火狀。迦葉夜起，相視星宿，見火室洞然，噫噫言：『咄！是大沙門端正，可惜不隨我語，竟為毒火所害。』佛知其意，於其室內，以道神力，滅龍恚毒，降伏龍身，化置鉢中。迦葉惶遽，令五百弟子人，持一瓶水，就擲滅火；而一瓶者，更成一火，師徒益怖，皆言：『咄咄！殺是大沙門。』明旦佛持鉢盛龍而出，迦葉驚喜問：『大道人乃尚活耶？器中何等？』佛答言：『然，吾自活耳。是鉢中者，可言毒龍，眾人所畏，不敢入室者也。今者降之，已受戒矣。』迦葉自以得道，謂佛非真，顧語弟子：『是大沙門極神，雖爾未及於道，不如我得羅漢也！』

"Kāśyapa said: ‘What instruction or mission brings you here?’ The Buddha said: ‘I wish to announce a request; if you will not be angered, I trouble you to lend me your fire chamber for a single night.’ [Kāśyapa] said: ‘I do not begrudge it, but inside there is a venomous dragon, and I fear it will harm you.’ The Buddha said: ‘There is no trouble. The dragon will not harm me.’ He repeated the request up to three times. Kāśyapa said: ‘Very well. The Great Man of the Way is of lofty virtue; if you can dwell inside, that will be very good.’ The Buddha then bathed and went forward into the fire chamber, spreading grass upon the ground. Just after he sat down for a moment, the venomous dragon grew furious and emitted smoke from its body; the Buddha also displayed spiritual power, emitting smoke from his body. The dragon became enraged, and fire burst forth from its whole body; the Buddha also displayed spiritual power, his body emitting blazing light. The dragon's fire and the Buddha's light were then both blazing intensely; the stone chamber was completely on fire, its flames and smoke pouring out as if a conflagration had broken out. Kāśyapa arose at night to observe the stars, and seeing the fire chamber ablaze, sighed in distress, saying: ‘Alas! This śramaṇa is handsome and dignified, what a pity he did not follow my words, and ended up being harmed by the venomous fire!’ The Buddha, knowing his thoughts, used his spiritual power of the Way within the chamber to extinguish the dragon's venomous fury, subdued the dragon's body, transformed it, and placed it inside his alms bowl. In panic and haste, Kāśyapa ordered his five hundred disciples, each holding a pitcher of water, to run and throw it to extinguish the fire; but each pitcher only turned into another fire. Master and disciples became even more terrified, all saying: ‘Alas, alas! This great śramaṇa has been killed!’ The next morning, the Buddha walked out holding the bowl containing the dragon. Kāśyapa, surprised and delighted, asked: ‘Is the Great Man of the Way still alive? What is inside that vessel?’ The Buddha answered: ‘Indeed, I have survived on my own. What is inside this bowl can be called the venomous dragon that everyone feared and dared not enter the chamber for. Now I have subdued it, and it has already received the precepts.’ Kāśyapa, considering himself to have attained the Way, thought the Buddha was not genuine, and turned to say to his disciples: ‘This great śramaṇa is extremely miraculous; even so, he has not yet attained the Way, and is not equal to my attainment of arhatship!’