經律異相 17.16

17.16

昔有一國。名多摩羅。去城七里有精舍。五百沙門常處其中。讚經行道。有一長老比丘。名摩訶盧。為人闇塞。五百道人傳共教之。數年之中不得一偈。眾共輕之。不將會同常守精舍。勅令掃除。後日國王請諸道人。入宮供養。摩訶盧比丘自念言。我生世間闇塞如此。不知一偈人所薄賤。用是活為。即持繩至後園中大樹下。欲自絞死。佛以道眼遙見如是。化作樹神半身人現。而呵之曰。咄比丘。何為作此。摩訶盧即具陳辛苦。化神呵曰。勿得作是。且聽我言。往迦葉佛時。卿作三藏沙門。有五百弟子。自以多智輕慢眾人。悋惜經義初不訓誨。是以世世所生諸根闇鈍。但當自責何為自賤。於是世尊即現光像為說妙偈。時摩訶盧稽首佛足。思惟偈義即入定意。尋在佛前得羅漢道。自識宿命無數世事。三藏眾經即貫在心。佛語摩訶盧。著衣持鉢就王宮食。在五百道人上坐。此諸道人是卿先世五百弟子。還為說法令得道迹。并使國王明信罪福。即便受教。入王宮裏。坐於上坐。眾人心恚怪其所以。各護王意不敢呼遣。念其愚冥不曉達嚫。心為之疲。王便下食手自斟酌。摩訶盧即為達嚫。音如雷震清辭雨下。坐上道人驚怖自悔。皆得羅漢。為王說法莫不解悟。群臣百官。皆得須陀洹（出法句經譬喻第一卷）。

Anciently, there was a kingdom called Tāmralipti. Seven li from the city there was a vihāra where five hundred śramaṇas constantly resided, praising the scriptures and practicing the Path. There was a senior bhikṣu named Mahālū who was naturally obtuse. The five hundred religious men taught him in turn, but over several years he could not master a single verse. The assembly disdained him together, did not take him to gatherings, and always kept him guarding the vihāra, ordering him to sweep it. Later, the king invited all the monks into the palace for offerings. The bhikṣu Mahālū thought to himself: 'I was born into the world so obtuse as this; not knowing a single verse, I am despised by people. What is the use of living like this?' Taking a rope, he went into the back garden under a great tree, intending to hang himself. With his divine eye, the Buddha saw this from afar; he transformed himself into a tree spirit, appearing with half a human body, and rebuked him: 'Hey, bhikṣu! Why do you do this?' Mahālū then recounted his hardships in full. The transformed spirit rebuked him: 'Do not do this; just listen to my words! Formerly, in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, you were a Tripiṭaka śramaṇa with five hundred disciples. Believing yourself to have great wisdom, you treated others with contempt and arrogance; begrudging the meaning of the scriptures, you never gave instruction. For this reason, in life after life, your faculties have been dull and dark. You should only blame yourself; why demean yourself?' Thereupon the World-Honoured One revealed his radiant form and spoke a wondrous verse for him. Mahālū bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, contemplated the meaning of the verse, and entered a state of concentration. Promptly, before the Buddha, he attained the path of an arhat. He recognized his own past lives through countless generations, and all the scriptures of the Tripiṭaka were threaded in his mind. The Buddha said to Mahālū: 'Don your robes, hold your bowl, and go to the king's palace to eat, sitting at the head of the five hundred monks. These monks were your five hundred disciples in a past life; expound the Dharma to them so they may attain the traces of the Path, and also cause the king to clearly believe in wrongdoing and merit.' He then received the instruction, entered the royal palace, and sat in the foremost seat. The monks were resentful and wondered why, but respecting the king's wishes, none dared summon and dismiss him. Thinking him ignorant and unable to bestow the dāna-dakṣiṇā, their minds were weary of him. When the king had the food served and personally poured and portioned it, Mahālū immediately gave the dāna-dakṣiṇā, his voice resounding like thunder and clear words pouring down like rain. The monks on their seats were alarmed, repented, and all attained arhatship. When he preached the Dharma for the king, there was no one who did not understand; all the ministers and officials attained srotāpanna. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the *Avadāna of the Dharmapada*)