經律異相 21.6

21.6

調達與阿闍世王。共議毀佛及諸弟子。王勅國人不得奉佛。時舍利弗等。及波和提比丘尼等。各將弟子去到他國。唯佛與五百羅漢。住崛山中。調達至王所言。佛諸弟子今已迸散。尚有五百弟子在佛左右。願王明日請佛入城。吾當飲五百大象。使醉令蹋殺之。吾當作佛教化世間。王聞歡喜。即往請佛。佛知其謀。答言。大善。王退而去。還報調達。明日食時。佛與羅漢共入城門。醉象鳴鼻而前。唐突牆壁。樹木折敗一城戰慄。五百羅漢飛在空中。獨有尊者阿難在邊。醉象齊頭徑前趣佛。佛舉五指為五師子。同聲俱吼。震動天地。醉象伏地不敢舉頭。醉解垂淚悔過。王及臣民莫不敬肅。世尊徐前至王殿上。與諸羅漢食訖呪願。王白佛言。稟性不明。信彼讒言。興造逆惡。願垂大慈。恕我迷愚。佛告阿闍世及諸大眾。世有八事。興長誹謗。皆由名譽以致大罪。何等為八。利衰毀譽稱譏苦樂。自古至今尠不為惑。佛即說偈（文多不載）佛曰。昔有國王。喜食雁肉。常遣獵師。張網捕雁。日送一雁。以供王食。時有雁王。將五百雁飛下求食。雁王墮網為獵師所得。餘雁驚飛徘徊不去。時有一雁連翻追隨。不避弓矢悲鳴吐血。晝夜不息。獵師見之。感憐其義。即放雁王令相隨去。群雁得王歡喜迴繞。爾時獵師。具以聞王。王感其義。斷不捕雁。時雁王者。我身是也。一雁者阿難是也。五百群雁。今五百羅漢是也。食雁國王者。今大王是也。時獵師者。今調達是前世已來。恒欲害我。我以大慈之力。因而得濟。不念怨惡。自致得佛。王及群臣。莫不歡喜（出法句經第四卷）。

Devadatta conspired with King Ajātaśatru to harm the Buddha and his disciples. The king decreed to the people of the country that none should revere the Buddha. Thereupon Śāriputra and others, as well as Mahāprajāpatī Bhikṣuṇī and others, each took their disciples and departed for other countries. Only the Buddha, together with five hundred arhats, remained residing upon Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Devadatta went to the king's place and said, "The Buddha's disciples have now scattered, yet there are still five hundred disciples at the Buddha's side. May the king invite the Buddha into the city tomorrow. I shall give intoxicating drink to five hundred great elephants, make them drunk, and let them trample them to death. Then I shall become the Buddha and transform the world!" When the king heard this, he was delighted and immediately went to invite the Buddha. Knowing his plot, the Buddha replied, "Very good." The king withdrew and departed, returning to report to Devadatta. The next day at mealtime, the Buddha and the arhats entered the city gate together. The intoxicated elephants snorted through their trunks and charged forward, crashing into walls and breaking down trees, so that the entire city trembled with terror. The five hundred arhats flew into the sky; only the Venerable Ānanda remained at his side. The drunken elephants charged straight toward the Buddha with their heads aligned. The Buddha raised his five fingers, which turned into five lions roaring in unison, shaking heaven and earth. The intoxicated elephants fell prostrate to the ground, not daring to lift their heads. Their drunkenness dispelled, their tears fell, and they repented of their misdeed. The king, his ministers, and the common people were all filled with awe and reverence. The Bhagavat advanced slowly onto the king's palace hall, and after finishing the meal with the arhats, pronounced verses of blessing. The king addressed the Buddha, saying: "My nature is benighted; I believed those slanderous words and brought about this rebellious evil. May you bestow your great compassion and forgive my delusion and folly!" The Buddha told Ajātaśatru and the great assembly: "There are eight conditions in the world that give rise to slanders, all stemming from repute and leading to grave offenses. What are the eight? Gain and decline, disgrace and fame, praise and blame, suffering and pleasure. From antiquity to the present, few are not deluded by them." The Buddha then spoke verses (omitted due to their length). The Buddha said: "In the past, there was a king who liked to eat goose meat. He constantly sent a hunter to spread nets to catch geese, delivering one goose each day to supply the king's food. At that time, there was a king of geese who led five hundred geese flying down in search of food. The king of geese fell into the net and was captured by the hunter. The other geese flew up in alarm and hovered about, refusing to leave. At that time, one goose repeatedly circled and pursued him, heedless of bows and arrows, crying mournfully and spitting blood, ceasing neither day nor night. The hunter saw this, was moved to pity by its loyalty, and immediately released the goose king, allowing them to follow each other away. The flock of geese, having regained their king, circled him joyfully. Then the hunter reported the full matter to the king. The king was moved by its loyalty and resolved never to catch geese again. The goose king of that time was my own person. The single goose was Ānanda. The flock of five hundred geese are now the five hundred arhats. The king who ate goose meat is now the Great King. The hunter of that time is now Devadatta. Since past lives, he has constantly sought to harm me; by the power of great compassion, I was delivered because of it. Without harboring resentment or evil, I naturally attained Buddhahood." The king and all his ministers were overjoyed. (Extracted from the Faju jing, fascicle 4)