經律異相 38.6

38.6

In the city of Vaiśālī, there was a woman named Āmrapālī. Hearing that the Buddha was traveling there, she was immeasurably joyful. Together with five hundred women, she went to the Buddha's place. Hearing the Buddha preach the Dharma, her mind was awakened. She invited the Buddha for a meal. At that time, there were also five hundred sons of elders in the city who likewise invited the Bhagavat. The Bhagavat said: 'I have already accepted Āmrapālī's invitation for tomorrow.' Then the sons of the elders said to Āmrapālī: 'The Buddha, the Most Venerable One, has come to convert our country. We ought to feed him first. You should suspend your offering for now.' The woman said: 'Do not use your power and nobility to oppress a weak woman. If you can grant me four wishes, I will yield to you: first, make my mind preserve goodness without wavering; second, make my life assured of staying without dying; third, make my wealth and goods without diminish; fourth, make the Buddha dwell permanently in this country.' The elders said: 'Splendid! Now you are able to understand impermanence. The wishes you desire are not things we can accomplish. We permit you to feed the Buddha first.' Among them, some youths were ashamed to be placed behind her and were stubbornly persistent. They then ordered the market officials to stop trading. Āmrapālī sent people to seek various goods, but they could obtain nothing. Yet in the storehouse, all kinds of provisions became spontaneously abundant; only firewood and charcoal were lacking. They poured oil over white felt to substitute for it. Furthermore, they barred the city gate so that no one could go out. When she was to report the invitation to the Buddha, she immediately sent a parrot to go and announce that the food was ready. The elders shot arrows at it, but by the Buddha's spiritual virtue, the arrows turned into flowers, and it was able to reach the Buddha's place. Flying and calling out, it announced to the Buddha, the Multitude of Blessings, and the Saṅgha. When [the Buddha's] feet stepped on the city gate, the heavens and earth trembled. The five hundred elders, Āmrapālī, and the women, seeing and hearing this, attained the Dharma-eye and received and upheld the five precepts (From the lower fascicle of the Sūtra of the Middle Origin).