法苑珠林 53.53

53.53

僧祇律云。佛告諸比丘。過去世時有城名波羅柰。國名伽尸。於空閑處有五百獼猴游行林中。到一尼俱律樹下。樹下有井。井中有月影現。時獼猴主見是月影語諸伴言。月今日死落在井中。當共出之。莫令世間長夜闇冥。共作議言。云何能出。時獼猴主言。我知出法。我捉樹枝。汝捉我尾。展轉相連乃可出之。時諸獼猴即如主語。展轉相捉。小未至水。連獼猴重樹弱枝折。一切獼猴墮井水中。爾時樹神便說偈言。

The *Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya* states: The Buddha told the bhikṣus: In a past age, there was a city named Vārāṇasī in the country of Kāśi. In an open and quiet place, five hundred monkeys roamed in the forest and came beneath a nyagrodha tree. Under the tree there was a well, in which the reflection of the moon appeared. Then the leader of the monkeys saw this reflection of the moon and said to his companions: "Today the moon has died and fallen into the well! We must take it out together, lest the world be left in long night and darkness." They discussed together, saying: "How can we take it out?" Then the leader of the monkeys said: "I know the way to take it out. I will hold the tree branch, and you will hold my tail, linking together one by one, and only then can we take it out." Then the monkeys acted according to the leader's words, grasping one another in sequence. When they were still a little way from reaching the water, the monkeys linked together were heavy, the tree branch was weak and snapped, and all the monkeys fell into the water of the well. At that time, the tree spirit spoke a verse: