經律異相 16.20

16.20

時有羅漢。名優波笈多。住摩偷羅國大醍醐山那哆婆哆寺。去寺不遠。有一虎生子。未能覓食飢餓命終。優波笈多。以慈悲力與虎子食。有五百弟子。並未得道曰。何故乃與難眾生食。答曰。為解脫因故。時諸虎子壽命短促。將欲近死。笈多語虎子言。一切行無常。一切法無我。涅槃寂靜。汝於我所當生信心。於畜生道應生厭離。時諸虎子於笈多所。心生信敬。即便命終。生於摩偷羅國人中。及至七歲。笈多教化令其出家。於七年中得羅漢果。以神通力採種種華。供養笈多圍繞其側。諸未得道五百弟子白言。此諸同學年並尚少。云何已得神通功德。笈多答曰。皆是先虎子。笈多說法。五百弟子深生慚愧。斷除煩惱得阿羅漢果（出阿育王經第九卷）。

At that time there was an arhat named Upagupta who lived in the kingdom of Mathurā, at the Naṭabhaṭa Monastery on Mount Mahādadhi. Not far from the monastery, a tigress gave birth to cubs; unable to forage for food, she starved to death. By the power of compassion, Upagupta gave food to the tiger cubs. He had five hundred disciples, none of whom had yet attained the Way, who said, "Why do you give food to these baleful sentient beings?" He replied, "For the sake of the cause of their liberation." At that time, the tiger cubs' lifespans were short, and they were approaching death. Upagupta said to the cubs, "All conditioned things are impermanent; all phenomena are without self; nirvāṇa is quiescent. You should give rise to faith toward me, and give rise to revulsion and detachment toward the animal realm." At that time, the tiger cubs gave rise to faith and reverence toward Upagupta, and thereupon their lives ended. They were reborn among humans in the kingdom of Mathurā. When they reached seven years of age, Upagupta instructed and transformed them, causing them to go forth from the household life. Within seven years they attained the fruit of arhatship. By their supernormal powers they gathered various flowers, making offerings to Upagupta and circling around him. The five hundred disciples who had not yet attained the Way said, "These fellow students are all still young in years; how have they already attained supernormal powers and virtues?" Upagupta replied, "They were all the tiger cubs of before." Upagupta preached the Dharma, and the five hundred disciples felt deep shame; cutting off their afflictions, they attained the fruit of arhatship (from the tenth [sic, ninth] fascicle of the Sūtra of King Aśoka).