經律異相 17.14

17.14

Anciently, when the Buddha was in the country of Śrāvastī, his disciple Godhika regressed from the fruit of arhatship six times. When he reached the seventh time, he felt he had realized it in his person, but fearing he would regress again, he sought a sharp sword and took his own life. At that time, Māra Pāpīyān searched for the bhikṣu's consciousness to see where he had been reborn, but could not discover it. He immediately went to ask the Buddha. The World-Honoured One told him: 'The bhikṣu Godhika has already attained extinction. His consciousness resides in the void and has become one with the void.' When the wicked Māra heard this, a poisonous distress arose in his heart; he threw himself entirely into a blue lotus pond to bathe. The pond's water boiled up, and all the aquatic creatures perished. Because of this event, all the bhikṣus practiced diligently and vigorously, fearing they too might regress. (Extracted from the *Sūtra on the Bhikṣu Godhika*)