經律異相 14.51

14.51

人問目連。是多浮池水從何處來。目連答言。此水從阿耨達池中來。諸比丘言。阿耨達池其水甜美有八功德。此水沸熱醎苦。何有此事。目連。汝空言過人法故。作妄語應滅擯驅出。以事問佛。佛語比丘。汝等莫說目連過罪。何以故。阿耨達龍住處去此極遠。是水本有八功德甜美。逕歷五百小地獄。過是故醎熱。汝等若問目連是水何故醎熱。目連能隨相答。又一時大旱無雨。目連入定見。却後七日天當大雨。滿諸溝坑。城邑聚落悉聞此言皆大歡喜。國中人民皆捨眾務覆屏蓋藏。數到七日。諸比丘語目連。汝言七日天當大雨滿諸溝坑。今風尚無何況雨耶。汝空言過人法故妄語欲滅擯驅出。佛聞是事。語諸比丘。目連見前不見後。如來見前亦見後。七日有大雨下。有羅睺阿修羅王。以手接去置大海中。目連隨心想說。是故無罪（出十誦律第四卷）。

A person asked Maudgalyāyana: "From where does the water of this Daofu Pool come?" Maudgalyāyana answered: "This water comes from Lake Anavatapta." The monks said: "The water of Lake Anavatapta is sweet and possesses the eight virtues, whereas this water is boiling hot, salty, and bitter. How could this be? Maudgalyāyana, you falsely claimed superhuman states, and because you spoke falsely, you should be expelled and driven out." They questioned the Buddha about this matter. The Buddha told the monks: "Do not speak of Maudgalyāyana's offense. Why? The dwelling of the nāga Anavatapta is extremely distant from here. This water originally possessed the eight virtues and was sweet, but passing through five hundred small hells, it became salty and hot on account of this. If you had asked Maudgalyāyana why this water is salty and hot, Maudgalyāyana would have answered according to the characteristics." Again, at one time there was a great drought without rain. Maudgalyāyana entered samādhi and saw that after seven days the heavens would send down a great rain, filling all the ditches and pits. The cities, towns, and villages all heard these words and greatly rejoiced. The people throughout the country put aside all their affairs and covered, sheltered, and stored away their goods. When it came to the seventh day, the monks said to Maudgalyāyana: "You said that in seven days the heavens would send down a great rain filling all the ditches and pits. Now there is not even any wind, let alone rain! Because you falsely claimed superhuman states, you lied, and we wish to expel and drive you out." When the Buddha heard of this matter, he told the monks: "Maudgalyāyana sees what is before, but not what is behind. The Tathāgata sees what is before, and also sees what is behind. On the seventh day, a great rain indeed fell, but Rāhu, the asura king, caught it with his hand and placed it in the great ocean. Maudgalyāyana spoke in accordance with his thought, and therefore he is without fault" (taken from the fourth fascicle of the Shisong lü).