法苑珠林 55.8

55.8

爾時世尊告諸神足比丘大目連大迦葉阿那律乃至均頭沙彌等。汝等以神足先往至彼城中。諸比丘對曰。如是世尊。是時眾僧使人。名曰乾荼。明旦躬負大釜飛在空中。往至彼城。繞城三匝詣長者家。是時均頭沙彌化作五百華樹。色若干種皆悉敷茂。是時般特化作五百頭牛。衣毛皆青。在牛上坐往詣彼城。爾時羅雲復化作五百孔雀。色若干種。在上坐往詣彼城。是時迦匹那化作五百金翅鳥。極為勇猛。在上坐往詣彼城。爾時優毘迦葉化作五百龍。皆有七頭在上坐往詣彼城。是時須菩提化作琉璃山。入中跏坐往詣彼城。爾時大迦旃延復化作五百鶴。色皆純白。往詣彼城。是時離越化作五百虎。在上坐往詣彼城。是時阿那律化作五百師子。極為勇猛。在上坐往詣彼城。是時大迦葉化作五百匹馬。皆朱尾。金銀交飾。在上坐往詣彼城。是時目連化作五百白象。皆有六牙。七處平整。金銀交飾。在上坐往詣彼城。如是現神變。皆繞城三匝往長者家。是時世尊以知時到。在虛空中去地七仞。阿若拘隣在右。舍利弗在左。阿難在後而手執拂。千二百弟子前後圍繞。如來在中。及餘諸天帝釋諸王。皆現神變悉在空中。作唱伎樂數千萬種。雨眾天華散如來上。舍衛城內人民皆見如來在空去地七仞。皆懷歡喜不能自勝。是時滿財長者遙見如來相好。猶如金聚放大光明。以偈問須摩提女。須摩提女復以偈報之。天人梵志皆自歸命。是時六千梵志見如此神變。各相謂言。我等可離此國更適他土。猶如禽獸各奔所趣。是諸梵志聞如來響。各各馳走不得自寧。由如來有大威力故不自安。是時世尊還捨神足入城。以足蹈門閾上。是時天地大動諸神散華。詣長者家就座而坐。世尊漸與長者及八萬四千人民。說戒施生天之論。訶欲不淨出家為要。各於座上諸塵垢盡得法眼淨。皆自歸三寶受持五戒。此須摩提女及八萬四千人。皆由久遠迦葉佛所四事供養。一施。二愛敬。三利人。四等利。不墮貧家。當來之世亦當復值如此之尊使我莫轉女身得法眼淨。是時城中人民聞哀愍王女作此誓願。人皆隨喜此願。爾時哀愍王者。今須達長者是。爾時王女者今須摩提女是。爾時國土人民之類者今八萬四千人是。由彼誓願故今值我身聞法得道。

At that time, the World-Honoured One addressed the bhikṣus endowed with supernatural powers—Mahāmaudgalyāyana, Mahākāśyapa, Aniruddha, and down to the śrāmaṇera Cunda: “Go forth first to that city using your supernatural powers.” The bhikṣus replied, “Yes, World-Honoured One.” At that time, a servant of the saṃgha named Kaṇṭhaka, carrying a large cauldron on his back the next morning, flew through the air and went to that city, circumambulated it three times, and proceeded to the elder's house. At that time, the śrāmaṇera Cunda transformed himself into five hundred flowering trees of various colours, all in luxuriant bloom. At that time, Panthaka transformed himself into five hundred oxen, all with blue hair, and rode seated upon an ox to that city. At that time, Rāhula transformed himself into five hundred peacocks of various colours, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Kapphiṇa transformed himself into five hundred garuḍas, exceedingly ferocious, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa transformed himself into five hundred nāgas, all with seven heads, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Subhūti transformed himself into a mountain of vaiḍūrya, sat cross-legged within it, and went to that city. At that time, Mahākātyāyana transformed himself into five hundred cranes, all purely white, and went to that city. At that time, Revata transformed himself into five hundred tigers, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Aniruddha transformed himself into five hundred lions, exceedingly ferocious, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Mahākāśyapa transformed himself into five hundred horses, all with vermilion tails and adorned with gold and silver, and rode seated upon one to that city. At that time, Maudgalyāyana transformed himself into five hundred white elephants, all with six tusks and seven well-proportioned limbs, adorned with gold and silver, and rode seated upon one to that city. Manifesting such divine transformations, they all circumambulated the city three times and proceeded to the elder's house. At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing that the time had arrived, was seven fathoms above the ground in the open air, with Ājñāta-Kauṇḍinya on the right, Śāriputra on the left, and Ānanda behind holding a fly-whisk. Surrounded before and behind by one thousand two hundred disciples, the Tathāgata was in their midst. The other devas, Śakra, and the various kings all manifested supernatural transformations and were all in the open air, performing tens of millions of kinds of music and singing, and raining down various heavenly flowers scattered over the Tathāgata. The people within the city of Śrāvastī all saw the Tathāgata in the air, seven fathoms above the ground, and were filled with joy beyond measure. At that time, the elder Pūrṇadhana gazed from afar upon the Tathāgata's marks and signs, like a mass of gold radiating great light. He questioned the maiden Sumagadhā in verse, and the maiden Sumagadhā replied to him in verse. The devas, humans, and brahmacārins all took refuge. At that time, seeing such supernatural transformations, six thousand brahmacārins said to one another, “Let us leave this country and go to another land,” like birds and beasts fleeing in all directions to where they might go. Hearing the Tathāgata's voice, these brahmacārins ran about, unable to calm themselves, unsettled by the Tathāgata's great power. At that time, the World-Honoured One withdrew his supernatural powers and entered the city, stepping on the threshold of the gate. At that moment, heaven and earth shook violently, and the deities scattered flowers. He went to the elder's house and took his seat. The World-Honoured One gradually expounded to the elder and eighty-four thousand people the discourse on morality, giving, and rebirth in heaven, rebuking desire as impure and praising renunciation as essential. There on their seats, their defilements exhausted, they obtained the purity of the Dharma-eye, took refuge in the Three Jewels, and received the five precepts. This maiden Sumagadhā and the eighty-four thousand people all, long ago under Kāśyapa Buddha, offered the four kinds of provisions: first, giving; second, affection and reverence; third, benefiting others; and fourth, equal benefit. [Praying,] “May we never fall into a poor household, and in a future age may we also encounter such an Honoured One, never change into a female body, and obtain the purity of the Dharma-eye.” At that time, the people of the city, hearing the daughter of King Aimīn make this vow, all rejoiced in this vow. King Aimīn at that time was none other than the present elder Sudatta; the king's daughter at that time was none other than the present maiden Sumagadhā; and the people of that kingdom were none other than the present eighty-four thousand people. Because of those vows, they now encountered my person, heard the Dharma, and attained the Way.