經律異相 3.20

3.20

Sudatta addressed the Buddha, saying, “The people in the city of Śrāvastī mostly believe in false views. Out of the Tathāgata’s great compassion, I pray only that you graciously condescend to come to the city of Śrāvastī.” The Buddha said, “There is no monastery there; how could I go?” Sudatta said, “Your disciple will manage the construction; I pray you grant permission.” The Bhagavat remained silent. [Sudatta said,] “I pray you dispatch Śāriputra to instruct and measure the layout.” [The Buddha] then ordered them to go together. They surveyed everywhere, but there was no pleasing place; only Prince Jeta’s park had ground that was level and even, its trees lush and verdant, and its distance neither too far nor too near. Sudatta reported this to the prince. The prince laughed and said, “I intend to use it for amusement.” [Sudatta] earnestly besought him repeatedly. The prince said, “If you can cover the ground with yellow gold so that no space is left empty between, I will give it to you.” Sudatta said, “Agreed; I shall strictly comply with that price.” Prince Jeta said, “I was only joking.” Sudatta said, “A prince ought not speak falsely.” They then went to litigation. At that time, a deity from the Śuddhāvāsa heaven transformed into a man and descended to arbitrate, saying, “The law of princes does not allow false speech. Since the price was already agreed upon, you should not regret it midway.” He thereupon adjudicated that it be given to him. [Sudatta] then sent men and elephants bearing gold out [to the park]. Within the eighty qing of land, it was about to be filled in an instant, with only a small area of ground remaining (the Saṃyuktāgama says five hundred paces). Sudatta pondered which treasury had enough gold. Jeta asked, “Do you think it too expensive and wish to stop?” He answered, “No.” Jeta thought to himself, “The Buddha must possess great virtue to make this man hold treasure so lightly in this manner.” He then instructed and told Sudatta, “The ground of the park belongs to you; the grove of trees belongs to me. I will offer it to the Buddha myself.” (A sūtra says: “I myself shall build a gatehouse for the Buddha, constantly letting the Tathāgata walk back and forth through it.”) Work was then begun. When the six masters heard of this, they went and addressed the king, “The elder Sudatta has bought Jeta’s park, wishing to erect a monastery for Gautama. Permit our followers to compete in magical arts with them. If the śramaṇa wins, then permit the erection; if he is inferior, it may not be erected.” The king summoned Sudatta and questioned him, saying, “Now these six masters say: ‘You bought the park wishing to erect a monastery for Gautama; we ask to compete in arts with the śramaṇa’s disciples. If they win, permit the monastery to be built; if they are inferior, it may not be erected.’” Sudatta returned home wearing soiled clothes, sorrowful and unhappy. The next day, when the time arrived, Śāriputra put on his robe, took his bowl, and went to Sudatta’s house. He then asked him, “Why are you unhappy?” Sudatta answered fully, “These six masters have been renouncers for a long time; their devotion is seasoned and no one can equal the arts they have learned. May I now know whether your arts can compete with them?” Śāriputra said, “Even if these six masters’ followers filled Jambudvīpa, as numerous as a bamboo grove, they could not move a single hair on my foot. Whatever they wish to compete in, let them do as they please.” Sudatta rejoiced, changed into fresh clothes, bathed in perfumed water, and so on. He went at once to inform the king, “I have asked him; let them do as they please.” The king told the six masters, “I now permit you to compete in arts with the śramaṇa.” The six masters proclaimed to the people of the country, “Seven days from now, we will compete in arts with the śramaṇa outside the city.” In the country of Śrāvastī there were 1.8 billion people. According to the law of that country at the time, drums were struck to assemble the multitude: if the bronze drum was struck, eight hundred million gathered; if the silver drum was beaten, 1.4 billion gathered; if the gold drum was sounded, everyone gathered. When the seven-day period was complete, they went to a flat and broad place and struck the gold drum; everyone gathered completely. The followers of the six masters numbered three hundred million. At that time, the people arranged high seats for the king and his six masters. Then Sudatta arranged a high seat for Śāriputra. At that time, Śāriputra sat under a tree and entered various samādhis. He then thought, “The great assembly here has practiced false views for a long time, arrogant and conceited, treating all living beings as mere straw. With what virtue should I subdue them?” Having reflected thus, he made a vow: “If I have shown filial affection to my parents and revered śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas over countless kalpas, then when I first enter the assembly, the entire multitude will pay homage to me.” Seeing that the assembly had already gathered while Śāriputra alone had not yet arrived, the six masters addressed the king, “Gautama’s disciple knows that he lacks arts; now that the assembly has gathered, he is frightened and will not come.” The king told Sudatta, “The time for the competition has arrived; the Buddha’s disciple should come to debate.” Then Sudatta went to Śāriputra’s place, knelt on both knees, and said, “O Virtuous One, the great assembly has gathered; please come to the meeting.” Then Śāriputra arose from samādhi, adjusted his robes, placed his niṣīdāna on his left shoulder, and walked with slow, dignified steps like a lion king toward the great assembly. At that time, the multitude and the six masters suddenly stood up like grass bending before the wind, paying homage unconsciously. Then Śāriputra ascended the seat arranged by Sudatta. Among the disciples of the six masters was one named Raudrākṣa, who was skilled in illusionist arts. Before the great assembly, he chanted a spell and created a tree. It naturally grew broad, overshadowing the assembly, with dense branches and foliage, and diverse flowers and fruits. Everyone said, “This transformation was made by Raudrākṣa.” Then Śāriputra, using supernatural power, produced a vairambha wind, which blew up the tree’s roots, threw it to the ground, and pulverized it into fine dust. Everyone said that Śāriputra was victorious. [Raudrākṣa] again chanted a spell to create a pond, all four sides of which were adorned with the seven treasures, and various flowers grew in the pond’s water. Śāriputra again magically created a great six-tusked white elephant; on each tusk were seven lotus flowers, and on each flower were seven jade maidens. The elephant walked slowly to the edge of the pond and drank up all its water, so that the pond vanished immediately. [Raudrākṣa] again created a mountain adorned with the seven treasures, with numerous ponds, trees, flowers, and fruits flourishing luxuriantly. Śāriputra again magically created a vajra-wielding warrior, who pointed at it from afar with a vajra club; the mountain was instantly destroyed without anything remaining. [Raudrākṣa] again created a dragon with ten heads, which rained down various treasures in the sky, with thunder and lightning shaking the earth, startling the great assembly. Śāriputra again magically created a garuḍa king, who tore it apart and devoured it. [Raudrākṣa] again created an ox, tall, large, fat, sturdy, and powerful, with thick legs and sharp horns, pawing the earth, bellowing loudly, and charging forward furiously. Śāriputra again magically created a lion, who ripped it apart and ate it. [Raudrākṣa] again transformed his body into a yakṣa demon, towering in form, with fire burning atop its head, eyes red like blood, four long and sharp tusks, and fire bursting from its mouth and eyes, leaping and bounding forth. At that time, Śāriputra transformed his own body into King Vaiśravaṇa. The yakṣa was terrified and wanted to retreat, but fire arose on all four sides, leaving him no way out; only beside Śāriputra was it cool and devoid of fire. He immediately submitted, casting his five limbs to the ground and begging for mercy to spare his life; once the sense of humiliation arose in his mind, the fire went out. Everyone cried out, “Śāriputra is victorious! Raudrākṣa is inferior!” Then Śāriputra ascended into the air, manifested the four postures, and performed the eighteen transformations. Having performed these transformations, he withdrew his supernatural power and sat upon his original seat. Seeing his supernatural power, the assembly at that time all rejoiced. Then Śāriputra expounded the Dharma for them; following their meritorious practices, each attained the fruits of the path. The three hundred million disciples of the six masters renounced the household life and studied the path under Śāriputra. The elder Sudatta went with Śāriputra to mark out the monastery, holding the end of a measuring cord in his hand. Then Śāriputra smiled joyfully. Sudatta asked, “Virtuous One, why are you smiling?” He answered, “You have only just begun to prepare the ground here, yet your palaces in the six heavens of the desire realm are already accomplished.” He then lent him the eye of the path, and Sudatta saw them all. He asked Śāriputra, “Among these six heavens of the desire realm, which place is the most delightful?” Śāriputra said, “In the fourth heaven, desires are few and they know contentment; there is always a bodhisattva in his final lifetime who comes to be born there, and the teaching of the Dharma never ceases.” Sudatta said, “I shall be born precisely in the fourth heaven.” As soon as he uttered these words, the other palaces vanished. He grasped the cord again. Then Śāriputra had a sad and sorrowful expression. [Sudatta] immediately asked the Venerable One, “Why do you look sorrowful?” He answered, “Do you see these ants on the ground? Under the past Buddha Vipaśyin, you also built a monastery for that Bhagavat on this ground, yet these ants were already born here. Even up to the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, it was likewise. For ninety-one kalpas they have received the same kind of body.” They erected the monastery, making cells for the Buddha, using fine sandalwood as scented plaster. There were one thousand two hundred separate living quarters. In all, ghaṇṭās were struck separately in one hundred and twenty places. When it was finished, he addressed the king, “I pray only that the Great King dispatch an envoy to invite the Buddha.” The king immediately dispatched an envoy to Rājagṛha to invite the Buddha and the saṅgha: “We pray only that the Bhagavat graciously come to Śrāvastī.” Surrounded before and behind by the fourfold assembly, emitting a great light and shaking heaven and earth, the Buddha arrived in the country of Śrāvastī. Wherever there were inns along the way, he stayed in them, delivering boundless numbers of people along the road. Gradually approaching the outskirts of Śrāvastī, all gathered in a great crowd holding various offerings to welcome the Bhagavat. When the Bhagavat arrived in the country, he emitted a great light that illuminated the trichiliocosm. He pressed his toe to the ground, and the earth shook. The musical instruments in the city sounded on their own without being beaten. The blind saw, the deaf heard, the mute spoke, the hunchbacked straightened, and the paralyzed and crippled all became whole. All the people, men and women, young and old, witnessed these auspicious omens, leaped with joy, and came to the Buddha’s place. All 1.8 billion people gathered together. At that time, the Bhagavat prescribed medicine according to the illness, expounding the wondrous Dharma for them, and each attained the fruits of the path. (From the tenth fascicle of the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish; the Saṃyuktāgama, Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, Madhyama-itivṛttaka, and various vinayas are mostly similar.)