經律異相 18.40

18.40

In the kingdom of Mathurā, there was a man who went forth under Upagupta. He was constantly fond of sleeping. Sometimes when [Upagupta] preached the Dharma, he would fall asleep and not hear it; when taught to meditate beneath a tree, he would also fall asleep. Upagupta used his supernatural powers to manifest a deep pit a thousand cubits deep on all four sides of him. When the monk awoke from his sleep, he was at once frightened and terrified. Upagupta then manifested a path to allow him to walk along it. The monk followed the path out and went to Upagupta's presence. Upagupta told him to go back again. The monk answered, saying, 'There is a deep pit there.' Upagupta said, 'This deep pit is small; the deep pit of birth and death is great—namely, birth, old age, sickness, death, sorrow, grief, pain, and anguish. If a person does not know the Four Noble Truths, they will fall into it.' Hearing this, the monk returned to the foot of the tree and sat cross-legged. In his mind he constantly reflected on the fear of falling into the deep pit, and he slept no more. Because of his dread, he reflected and made vigorous efforts, eliminated all afflictions, and attained the fruit of an arhat. (Extracted from the ninth fascicle of the *Aśokarāja-sūtra*.)