釋迦譜 3.13.3

3.13.3

"We should compete with the śramaṇa in a broad and spacious open place outside the city." There were eighteen hundred million people in the country of Śrāvastī. According to the law of that land at the time, drums were struck to assemble the populace: if a bronze drum was struck, twelve hundred million assembled; if a silver drum was beaten, fourteen hundred million assembled; and if a golden drum was sounded, everyone assembled without exception. When the seven-day period was fulfilled, they went to a flat and wide open space and struck the golden drum, whereupon everyone assembled. The followers of the six teachers numbered three hundred million. Then the people set out high seats for the king and the six teachers. At that time, Sudatta set out a high seat for Śāriputra. Śāriputra was then beneath a tree, serenely entering meditative concentration; with all his sense faculties tranquil, he roamed through the various concentrations and comprehended them without obstruction, thinking: "This great assembly has long practiced heterodoxy, arrogantly exalting themselves and looking upon living beings as mere grass. With what virtue should I subdue them?" Having reflected thus, [he decided] that he should use three virtues, and he immediately made a vow: "If throughout countless kalpas I have been kind and filial to my parents and have venerated śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, then when I first enter the assembly, the entire crowd shall bow down to me." At that time, the six teachers saw that the crowd had already assembled, yet Śāriputra alone had not arrived. They addressed the king, saying: "The disciple of Gautama knows himself to have no arts, so he falsely sought to compete in abilities. Now that the great assembly has gathered, he is terrified and will not come." The king said to Sudatta: "Your master's disciple—the time for the contest has arrived; he should come and debate." Sudatta then went to Śāriputra's place, knelt on both knees, and said: "Venerable One, the great assembly has already gathered; please come to the meeting." Śāriputra then arose from meditative concentration, adjusted his robes, placed his niṣīdana upon his left shoulder, and walked forward with measured, stately steps like a lion king, proceeding to the great assembly. At that time, when the people saw his extraordinary demeanor and Dharma robes, they and the six teachers suddenly stood up, and like grass bending before the wind, bowed down to him unawares. Śāriputra then ascended the seat set out by Sudatta. Among the disciples of the six teachers was one named Raudrākṣa, who was skilled in illusionist arts. Before the great assembly, he recited a spell to create a tree, which grew spontaneously to shade the gathered crowd, its branches and leaves luxuriant, with a variety of flowers and fruits. Everyone said: "This marvel was performed by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then used his spiritual powers to create a vairambhaka wind, which blew up the tree by its roots, threw it to the ground, and pulverized it into fine dust. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again, [Raudrākṣa] recited a spell to create a pool surrounded on all four sides by the seven precious substances, with various flowers growing in its waters. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a great six-tusked white elephant; on each tusk were seven lotus flowers, and on each flower were seven jade maidens. The elephant strode calmly to the side of the pool and took in all its water, whereupon the pool vanished. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Raudrākṣa again produced a mountain adorned with the seven precious substances, with springs, pools, trees, and luxuriant flowers and fruits. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a vajra-wielding warrior, who pointed at it from afar with his vajra pounder, and the mountain was shattered without anything left behind. The entire assembly said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] produced a dragon with ten heads, which rained various jewels from the empty sky, shaking the earth with thunder and lightning and alarming the great assembly. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a garuḍa king, who tore it apart and devoured it. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] produced a bull with a tall, massive body, plump, strong, and powerful, with thick legs and sharp horns; pawing the ground and roaring loudly, it charged forward. Śāriputra manifested a lion, which tore it apart and devoured it. The people said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] transformed his own body into a yakṣa demon, gigantic in size, with fire blazing atop its head, eyes red as blood, long and sharp claws and fangs, vomiting fire from its mouth, leaping in alarm and rushing forward. Śāriputra then transformed his own body into King Vaiśravaṇa. The yakṣa was terrified and wished to flee back, but fire arose on all four sides so that it had nowhere to go; only beside Śāriputra was it cool and devoid of fire. Immediately submissive, he threw all five limbs to the ground, begging for mercy to save his life. Once a sense of humbleness had arisen, the fire was extinguished. The crowd all cried out: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Then Śāriputra ascended into the empty sky and manifested the four deportments—walking, standing, sitting, and reclining. Water emerged from the upper part of his body and fire from the lower part of his body. He vanished in the east and surged forth in the west, vanished in the west and surged forth in the east; vanished in the north and surged forth in the south, vanished in the south and surged forth in the north. Or he manifested a great body filling the empty sky, and then manifested a small one again; or he multiplied his single body into hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of bodies, and then merged them back into one; from the empty sky he suddenly appeared on the ground; he walked on the ground as if on water, and walked on water as if on the ground. Having shown these marvels, he withdrew his miraculous powers and sat upon his original seat. When the great assembly saw his spiritual power, they were all filled with joy. Śāriputra then preached the Dharma to them. In accordance with their prior practices and past merits, each obtained the traces of the path: some attained [the fruit of] stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, or arhat. The three hundred million disciples of the six teachers went forth into the religious life under Śāriputra to study the path. The contest of arts having ended, the fourfold assembly dispersed, each returning to their quarters. The elder Sudatta went with Śāriputra to measure the ground for the monastery. Sudatta personally held one end of the measuring cord in his hand, and Śāriputra held the other end, measuring the monastery together. Śāriputra then beamed with a smile. Sudatta asked: "Venerable One, why do you smile?" He answered: "You have only just begun measuring the ground here, yet palaces in the six heavens of the realm of desire have already been formed." He then lent his spiritual vision to Sudatta, so that Sudatta saw all the adorned, pure palaces in the six heavens of the realm of desire. He asked Śāriputra: "Among these six heavens of the realm of desire, which place is the most blissful?" Śāriputra said: "In the lower three heavens, sensual desires are deep and heavy; in the upper two heavens, there is pride and self-indulgence. In the fourth heaven, desires are few and there is contentment; there is always a bodhisattva bound to one last birth who comes to be born there, and the teaching of the Dharma never ceases." Sudatta said: "I must be born precisely in the fourth heaven." As soon as he finished speaking, all the other palaces vanished, and only the palace of the fourth heaven remained serene and luminous. They then moved the measuring cord again.