經律異相 39.27

39.27

佛在羅閱祇。宣說正法。諸尼揵等心皆愁惱。梨夷山有五百仙人。尼揵遣使云。此間有佛。自謂得道神變第一。皆不及我等而自高大。願大師等。自屈見佐。論道至要毀滅其道。遂令諸師功名益顯。答言大善。我等且遣四人往難瞿曇。尼揵宣令國內。却後七日當有四佛入國度人。及至其日。四人現視神變。從空中來各從城一面入。眾人覩見謂為真佛。尼揵遣使白佛。可來講道。佛言。食時當往。尼揵喜曰。瞿曇恐不如。詐不前來。眾皆謂然。佛令空中火起。從西面來。四人南飛火復南來。四面熱氣四人惶懅。頓臥在地。佛現在涼處。即時尋涼來至佛前。佛為說法。皆作沙門得應真道。佛入城。城中人言。旦有四佛在虛空中。佛言。即指左右。此四羅漢是也（出十卷譬喻經第五卷）。

When the Buddha was in Rājagṛha proclaiming the true Dharma, all the Nirgranthas became distressed in mind. On Mount Riyi there were five hundred ṛṣis. The Nirgranthas sent an envoy saying: "Here there is a Buddha who claims to have attained the Way and to be foremost in supernormal transformations; none of us can equal him, and he exalts himself. We pray that you great masters will condescend to assist us, debating the essentials of the Way to demolish his path, so that the fame and merits of the masters may become all the more manifest." They replied: "Very well. We will first dispatch four persons to go challenge Gautama." The Nirgranthas proclaimed throughout the realm: "Seven days from now, four Buddhas will enter the country to deliver people." When that day arrived, the four persons displayed supernormal transformations, coming through the air and entering each from one side of the city. The multitudes saw them and took them to be real Buddhas. The Nirgranthas sent an envoy to inform the Buddha: "You may come to debate the Way." The Buddha said: "I will go at mealtime." The Nirgranthas rejoiced, saying: "Gautama fears he is inferior, so he deceitfully does not come forward." The crowd all thought this true. The Buddha caused fire to arise in the sky, coming from the west. When the four flew south, the fire came south as well. Surrounded by burning heat on all four sides, the four were terrified and collapsed to the ground. The Buddha appeared in a cool place, and they immediately sought the coolness, coming before the Buddha. The Buddha expounded the Dharma for them; they all became śramaṇas and attained arhatship. The Buddha entered the city. The people of the city said: "This morning there were four Buddhas in the sky." Pointing to those at his side, the Buddha said: "It was these four arhats." (Taken from the fifth fascicle of the Ten-Fascicle Avadāna Sūtra).