經律異相 5.12

5.12

In the city of Śrāvastī there were twenty men who were mortal enemies with another twenty men. At that time, the forty men each wished to harm the others and were watching for an opportunity. Supported by the Buddha's spiritual power, they soon went to the Buddha's presence. As the Buddha was transforming the forty men, an iron spear (or called a khadira thorn) was spontaneously to come forth and enter the big toe of the Buddha's right foot. Before his words were finished, the spear appeared before the Buddha. Maudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha: 'Let me now pull out the iron spear and place it in another world.' The Buddha said: 'Even if one wished to pull out the iron spear through the power of vigorous exertion, the great trichiliocosm would shake violently, yet one could not shake the spear by as much as a hair's breadth.' When the Buddha went to the Brahmā heaven, the spear immediately followed him; when he returned to Śrāvastī, the spear was likewise before him. The Tathāgata took the spear and stepped on it with his foot. Maudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha: 'What crime did the Tathāgata commit to incur the calamity of this spear?' The Buddha said: 'In the past, among five hundred merchants, one harbored evil intent, and I killed him. This is the lingering retribution of that deed.' Hearing this, the forty men said to one another: 'Even the King of the Dharma is subject to this; how much more so ourselves—shall we not suffer retribution for our crimes?' Repenting their transgressions and confessing, they attained impartial wisdom. (From the lower fascicle of the Huisheng pusa jing.)