經律異相 16.20

16.20

At that time there was an arhat named Upagupta who lived in the kingdom of Mathurā, at the Naṭabhaṭa Monastery on Mount Mahādadhi. Not far from the monastery, a tigress gave birth to cubs; unable to forage for food, she starved to death. By the power of compassion, Upagupta gave food to the tiger cubs. He had five hundred disciples, none of whom had yet attained the Way, who said, "Why do you give food to these baleful sentient beings?" He replied, "For the sake of the cause of their liberation." At that time, the tiger cubs' lifespans were short, and they were approaching death. Upagupta said to the cubs, "All conditioned things are impermanent; all phenomena are without self; nirvāṇa is quiescent. You should give rise to faith toward me, and give rise to revulsion and detachment toward the animal realm." At that time, the tiger cubs gave rise to faith and reverence toward Upagupta, and thereupon their lives ended. They were reborn among humans in the kingdom of Mathurā. When they reached seven years of age, Upagupta instructed and transformed them, causing them to go forth from the household life. Within seven years they attained the fruit of arhatship. By their supernormal powers they gathered various flowers, making offerings to Upagupta and circling around him. The five hundred disciples who had not yet attained the Way said, "These fellow students are all still young in years; how have they already attained supernormal powers and virtues?" Upagupta replied, "They were all the tiger cubs of before." Upagupta preached the Dharma, and the five hundred disciples felt deep shame; cutting off their afflictions, they attained the fruit of arhatship (from the tenth [sic, ninth] fascicle of the Sūtra of King Aśoka).