經律異相 16.40

16.40

佛在舍衛國。時須耶國有一貧人。賃剃兒頭須至麥熟輒顧一斛。道逢故人欲共飲酒。還求麥直遍求不得。便起毒意。願我壽終作大神龍。當陷此國。及其壽終遂作大龍。其國歷年風雨不時。佛念飢饉遣沙曷比丘往化彼龍。龍見比丘即興惡意。欲殺國人及沙曷身。沙曷化鉢覆蓋一國。龍便降雨謂國已沒。比丘以佛威神令龍見民安隱如故。龍復興恚。更下大雪。比丘鉢受以手掃之著於一處。乃入龍室。龍即便出。比丘復出。龍入比丘復入。如是不已龍極乃止。長跪問言。卿何等神。惱我如此。比丘言。吾是佛弟子。龍言。我欲自歸。便隨之去。沙曷比丘。便內此龍著於笥中。人乃見比丘取龍如是皆大歡喜。問言。道人是何等神降伏國患。告言。吾是佛弟子。人民問言。佛可見不。答言可見。須吾還時日向中。道過分衛。人或有與飯或與酒者。比丘受之樹下。醉臥。龍鉢袈裟各在一處。佛時微笑五色光出。阿難請問。佛以來答。復說四事。一者阿羅漢不入三昧不得知。二者不得便見神足。三者強勸人分衛。四者身中尚有蟲。阿羅漢以是四事不及佛。時有一菩薩欲向聲聞。見此事已心即堅固。佛遣目揵連往沙曷比丘所。勅攝龍來。為說宿命。龍心即解。便受五戒。奉行十善。得須陀洹。阿難問佛此事因緣。佛告阿難。阿羅漢者不復飢渴。因三事故見醉臥耳。一者佛欲開化菩薩意。二者不欲違布施家意。三者恐諸弟子未得道者飲酒多失。故現此事撿戒之耳。沙曷比丘雖復飲酒。不以為醉（出沙曷比丘功德經）。

The Buddha was residing in Śrāvastī. At that time, in the country of Xuye, there was a poor man whose wage for shaving children's heads was that when the wheat ripened he would regularly receive one hu. On the road, he met an old friend and wished to drink liquor together with him. He returned and sought his payment in wheat, but though he sought everywhere he could not get it. He then conceived a poisonous intention: 'I vow that when my life ends I shall become a great divine dragon and submerge this country.' When his life ended, he indeed became a great dragon. For years, the wind and rain in that country were unseasonal. The Buddha was mindful of the famine and dispatched the monk Śāha to go and transform that dragon. When the dragon saw the monk, he immediately aroused an evil intent, wishing to kill the people of the country as well as Śāha himself. Śāha transformed his alms bowl to cover the entire country. The dragon then sent down rain, thinking that the country was already submerged. By the Buddha's spiritual might, the monk caused the dragon to see that the people were peaceful and secure as before. The dragon again became furious and further sent down heavy snow. The monk caught it in his bowl and swept it with his hand, putting it in one place; he then entered the dragon's dwelling. The dragon immediately came out, and the monk came out as well. The dragon entered, and the monk entered as well. Continuing like this without stopping, only when the dragon was exhausted did he cease. Kneeling long, he asked, 'What kind of spirit are you, to torment me like this?' The monk said, 'I am a disciple of the Buddha.' The dragon said, 'I wish to take refuge.' He then followed along behind him. The monk Śāha then put this dragon inside a basket. When the people saw that the monk had captured the dragon in this way, they were all greatly delighted. They asked, 'What kind of spirit is the man of the Way to have subdued the country's scourge?' He told them, 'I am a disciple of the Buddha.' The people asked, 'Can the Buddha be seen?' He replied, 'He can be seen; wait until I return.' It was approaching midday, and passing along the road he went on his alms round. Some people gave him food, and some gave him liquor. The monk received it beneath a tree, and lay down drunk. The dragon, the bowl, and the kāṣāya were each in a different place. The Buddha then smiled, and five-colored light emerged. Ānanda asked about it, and the Buddha replied with the cause, further speaking of four matters: 'First, an arhat does not know without entering samādhi; second, he cannot immediately manifest spiritual powers at will; third, he forcefully encourages people to give alms; fourth, within his body there are still worms. It is in these four matters that an arhat is inferior to a Buddha.' At that time, there was a bodhisattva who was leaning toward the śrāvaka path; having seen this incident, his aspiration became steadfast. The Buddha dispatched Maudgalyāyana to go to the monk Śāha's place and commanded him to bring the dragon. He expounded on his past lives for him, and the dragon's mind was immediately awakened. He then received the five precepts, practiced the ten wholesome deeds, and attained srotāpanna. Ānanda asked the Buddha about the conditions of this matter. The Buddha told Ānanda, 'An arhat is no longer hungry or thirsty; he only manifested lying down drunk on account of three causes: first, the Buddha wished to inspire and transform the bodhisattva's intent; second, he did not wish to go against the intent of the donor; third, he feared that disciples who had not yet attained the Way would drink liquor and suffer many lapses, so he manifested this incident to restrain them by the precepts. Although the monk Śāha drank liquor, he was not truly intoxicated.' (Extracted from the Sūtra on the Merits of the Monk Śāha)