經律異相 14.41

14.41

The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "There is a great country eight thousand [li] away from here, located on the borderlands. They do not see the Three Honoured Ones and practice erroneous views. The king and his ministers and people serve five hundred brahmacārins, all of whom have attained the five supernormal powers, able to move mountains, halt flowing streams, and manifest transformed and divided bodies. In that country there is a great mountain blocking the paths of the people, and the whole country suffers from it. The king spoke to the brahmacārins, and the brahmacārins then sat around the mountain. Each focusing his mind, through the power of their meditation on the Path, the mountain rose up and was about to move. The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: "Go to that country, manifest supernormal transformations of the Path, deliver for a long time the brahmacārins as well as the king and people of the country, and cause them to stay far from the three miserable destinies and dwell forever in the halls of blessing." Maudgalyāyana emitted light that eclipsed the sun and moon, and hung suspended in empty space directly above the peak of the mountain; because of this, the mountain remained motionless. The brahmacārins said in astonishment: "This mountain had already risen; who is suppressing it? The sun has no radiant light; there must be a reason for this." Among them was a discerning one who observed the disciples [to see] who was defiled and preventing the mountain from moving. Looking up, he saw a śramaṇa above the mountain. The brahmacārins all said: "This is precisely the doing of Gautama's disciple." The brahmacārins called out: "The king ordered us to eliminate the affliction for the people. Why are you suppressing it?" Maudgalyāyana replied: "I am merely suspended in space; who is suppressing your mountain?" Three times the brahmacārins exhausted their power of the Path desiring to move the mountain, and three times the mountain descended, until it became flat ground. The brahmacārins looked at each other and said: "One who possesses clear comprehension and deep virtue in the Path is our master." They all straightened their garments, bowed their heads in homage, and said respectfully: "We wish to become your disciples; show us the utmost spirit." Maudgalyāyana said: "It is good that you wish to leave darkness and approach light. I have an honoured master, named the Unsurpassed, Truly Enlightened One, Deva among Devas, the Omniscient One. You should all go to where the Buddha is." The brahmacārins asked: "Does the Buddha's transformation through the Path surpass our master's?" Maudgalyāyana replied: "The Buddha's virtue is like Mount Sumeru; we are like mustard seeds. Follow after me." They arrived before the Buddha and fully explained their situation, being purified internally and externally: "We only pray that the Bhagavat cleanse our subtle defilements and cause us to attain true purity." Seeing the Buddha, the brahmacārins' minds opened and their understanding unfolded, and they all became śramaṇas (taken from the Zhixin jing spoken by the Buddha).