經律異相 18.64

18.64

When the Buddha was in the world, there was a man of the Way practicing the Way under a tree beside a river. Unable to eliminate greedy thoughts, his mind ran wild and his thoughts were scattered, thinking only of the six desires. Though his body was still, his mind roamed, never finding peace. In twelve years, he was unable to attain the Way. Knowing he was ready for deliverance, the Buddha transformed himself into a śramaṇa and went to his location, lodging with him under the tree. After a short while, the moon shone brightly. A turtle came out of the river and arrived beneath the tree. An otter, hungry and roaming in search of food, encountered the turtle and wished to eat it. The turtle drew in its head, tail, and four legs, concealing them inside its shell, so that [the otter] could not eat it. When the otter moved slightly away, it stuck out its head and feet again and walked along as before, and thus managed to escape. At that time, the transformed śramaṇa said to the monk: "I reflect that the people of the world are not equal to this turtle. It has armor to protect its life, so that the otter could find no vantage over it. The people of the world lack wisdom and give free rein to the six passions; the heavenly Māra gains a vantage over them, destroying their forms, ruining their spirits, and dragging them away. Birth and death have no beginning, as they cycle through the five destinies with hundreds of thousands of sufferings." He then spoke a verse to admonish and encourage him. Hearing the verse, the monk severed his greed and put an end to cravings, attaining the path of an arhat. Knowing that the transformed śramaṇa was the Buddha, the Bhagavat, he reverently adjusted his robes and bowed his head to the Buddha's feet. (Extracted from the Dharmapada Avadāna, fascicle 2).