法苑珠林 25.15

25.15

第八論云。所以稱優波離持律第一者。是五百釋子𩮜髮師不輕不重泯然除盡。佛命善來即成沙門。佛即受戒得阿羅漢。次受五百釋子戒。優波離為上座。諸釋子言。此我家僕何緣禮之。佛言。不爾。法無貴賤先達為兄。俛仰不已制意為禮。即時天地大動。諸天於上讚曰。善哉善哉。今日諸釋降伏貢高。此意難勝故地為動。當五百釋子為道時。亦有九萬九千人出家為道。優波離自從佛受戒已來未曾犯如毫釐。故稱持律第一。又祇園精舍北有一比丘。得病經六年不差。波離往問。何所患苦欲何所須。曰我有所須以違佛教。故不可說。曰但說無苦。曰我唯思酒五升病便除愈優波離曰。且住。我為汝問佛。還即問佛。有比丘病須酒為藥。不審可得飲不。世尊曰。我所制法除病苦者。優波離即還索酒與病比丘。病即除愈。重與說法得羅漢道。佛讚波離。汝問此事。使病比丘得蒙除差。又使得道。若不得度後墮三塗無有出期。乃為將來比丘能設禁法。使知輕重得濟危厄。汝真持律。以律付汝。勿令漏失。不可示以沙彌白衣。復稱第一也。

The eighth treatise states: Why Upāli is called foremost in upholding the Vinaya: He was the barber for the five hundred Śākyan youths; shaving neither too lightly nor too heavily, he completely removed [their hair]. The Buddha bade him 'Come, well-come!' and he immediately became a śramaṇa. The Buddha at once conferred the precepts upon him, and he attained arhatship. Next, the five hundred Śākyan youths received the precepts, and Upāli was made the senior seat. The Śākyan youths said, 'This was our family servant; on what grounds should we bow to him?' The Buddha said, 'It is not so. In the Dharma there is no noble or base; the first to arrive is the elder brother.' Bowing repeatedly, they subdued their thoughts and paid homage. At that moment the earth shook greatly, and the gods above praised, saying, 'Excellent, excellent! Today the Śākyas have subdued their arrogance. This resolve is difficult to master; hence the earth shook.' When the five hundred Śākyan youths entered the Way, there were also ninety-nine thousand people who left home to follow the Way. Ever since Upāli received the precepts from the Buddha, he never transgressed even in the slightest measure. Therefore he is called foremost in upholding the Vinaya. Furthermore, north of the Jetavana monastery, there was a monk who had been sick for six years without recovering. Upāli went to ask him, 'What ailment troubles you, and what do you need?' He said, 'What I need violates the Buddha's teachings, so it cannot be said.' [Upāli] said, 'Just speak, there is no harm.' He said, 'I only long for five sheng of wine, and my illness will be cured.' Upāli said, 'Stay a moment; I will ask the Buddha for you.' Returning, he at once asked the Buddha, 'There is a monk whose illness requires wine as medicine; I wonder whether he may drink it or not?' The World-Honoured One said, 'The rules I institute are meant to remove the suffering of illness.' Upāli thereupon returned, obtained wine, and gave it to the sick monk. The illness was immediately cured. He expounded the Dharma to him again, and [the monk] attained the path of an arhat. The Buddha praised Upāli, 'By asking about this matter, you allowed the sick monk to receive a cure and also enabled him to attain the Way. If he had not been liberated, he would later have fallen into the three wretched destinies with no time of emergence. You are able to establish prohibitive rules for monks of the future, enabling them to know what is light and heavy and saving them from peril. You truly uphold the Vinaya. I entrust the Vinaya to you; do not let it be lost or forgotten. It must not be displayed to śrāmaṇeras or white-robed laymen.' Thus he is again called foremost.