經律異相 41.21

41.21

In the past there was a dragon king named Bhadra. By nature he was cruel and violent, frequently bringing about winds, rain, thunderbolts, and hailstorms to kill people; birds, beasts, and wriggling insects died in countless numbers. Ten thousand venerable arhats deliberated together: "If one kills a single person, one falls into hell for a kalpa and the retribution for that sin is still not ended. Now this dragon harms living beings incalculably over time. It is feared that converting him will become ever more difficult. We should go together to admonish and stop him." At that time, the Buddha knew of this and praised them, saying, "Excellent!" Then the ten thousand arhats set out together. The dragon unleashed wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and thunderbolts. Terrified, the ten thousand fell prostrate, yielded, and returned. At that time, the Buddha was on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. Together with ten thousand bodhisattvas and ten thousand arhats, he went to the dragon's dwelling. The dragon then grew enraged and unleashed a fierce storm, pouring rain, thunder, hail, and thunderbolts. Each hailstone he cast was like a wall forty zhang square; when hitting the earth, they penetrated four chi into the ground. He intended thereby to harm the Buddha and the saṃgha of bodhisattvas. At that time, seeing the dragon's calamities, the arhats were terrified and came forward to stay close to the Buddha. The dragon saw for himself that the hailstones transformed into jeweled canopies. He thought to himself again: "I shall coil my body tightly to a size of forty zhang, and cast myself down upon the Buddha and the saṃgha." He immediately threw himself down, but was unable to strike anything. Raising his head and opening his eyes to look closely, he saw the Buddha, and suspected that he must be an exquisitely noble, supreme spiritual being. Thereupon, the small dragons all threw themselves down without moving. At that time the dragon king's life ended, and he was reborn above as a god. The other small dragons also all lost their lives simultaneously and became sons of gods. They all descended and stood beside the Buddha. The Buddha told Ānanda, "Do you know from where these gods were born?" Ānanda replied, "I do not." The Buddha said, "A moment ago, those dragons aroused evil intentions, threw themselves upon the ground, but then gave rise to a single wholesome thought, recognizing the Buddha as the Most Venerable One. When their lives ended, they became gods; these are they." Hearing the Buddha's words, the [dragon king] god and the other sons of gods all gave rise to the anuttarasamyaksaṃbodhi-citta. The Buddha said, "In the past, the dragon king Bhadra and Śākyamuni Buddha were both brāhmaṇas together. Bhadra had ten thousand disciples at that time, who abandoned their teacher to serve Śākyamuni. Bhadra harbored resentment and became a dragon. Once the Buddha's virtue was accomplished, he extensively delivered all beings. The ten thousand disciples all attained arhatship. Because the dragon harbored toxic malice, he wished to harm them. Although the ten thousand had completed the four stages of the path, they were still subjected to his humiliation. Had they been bodhisattvas, the dragon would not have dared." (From the lower fascicle of the Old Sūtra of Diverse Parables.)