法苑珠林 57.60

57.60

又起世經云。佛告諸比丘。往昔諸天與阿脩羅起大鬪戰。爾時帝釋告其所領三十三天言。諸仁者。汝等諸天。若與脩羅共為戰鬪。宜好莊嚴善持器仗。若諸天勝脩羅不如。汝等可共生捉毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王。以五繫縛之。將到善法堂前諸天會處三十三天聞帝釋命。依教奉行爾時毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王。亦復告諸脩羅言。若諸天不如。即當生捉帝釋天王以五繫縛之。將詣諸阿脩羅七頭。會處立置我前。諸脩羅眾亦受教行。當於彼時帝釋得勝。即便生捉阿脩羅王。以五繫縛之。將詣善法堂前諸天集處。向帝釋立。爾時毘摩質多羅王若作是念。願諸脩羅各自安善。我今不用諸阿脩羅。我當在此與天一處同受娛樂。甚適我意。興此念時即見自身五縛悉解。五欲功德皆現其前。或作是念。我今不用三十三天。願諸天等各自安善。我願還歸阿脩羅宮。起此念時其身五繫即還縛之。五欲功德忽即散滅。阿脩羅王有如是等微細結縛。諸魔結縛復細於此。所以者何。諸比丘。邪思惟時即被結縛。正憶念時即便解脫。爾時毘摩質多羅阿脩羅王。未戰已前作如是念。我有如是威神德力。日月宮殿及三十三天。雖在我上運轉周行。我力能取以為耳璫。處處遊行不為妨礙。爾時羅睺羅阿脩羅王。自服種種嚴身器仗。與鞞摩質多羅王踊躍幻化。諸小王眷屬前後圍繞。從阿脩羅城道從而出。欲共忉利諸天興大戰鬪。爾時難陀憂波難陀二大龍王從其宮出。各各以身繞須彌山。周迴七匝一時動之。動已復動。以尾打海。令一段水上於虛空在須彌頂上。是時帝釋告諸天言。汝等見此大地如是動不。空中靉靆猶如雲雨。又似重霧。我今定知諸阿脩羅欲與天鬪。於是海內諸龍各嚴器仗而出。復往告六欲諸天。各嚴器仗乘空而來。須夜摩天王與無量百千萬數諸天子。下至須彌山頂上在東面。竪純青難降伏幡依峰而立。爾時兜率陀天王與無量百千萬眾。一時雲集須彌山頂。在其南面竪純黃色難降伏幡依峰而立。

Furthermore, the Qishi jing states: The Buddha told the monks, "In the past, the devas and the asuras engaged in a great battle. At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, addressed the devas of the Thirty-three under his command, saying, 'Noble ones, when you devas fight with the asuras, you should adorn yourselves well and hold your weapons properly. If the devas are victorious and the asuras are defeated, you may together capture Vemacitrin, the asura king, alive, bind him with five bonds, and bring him to the meeting place of the devas before the Sudharma Hall.' The devas of the Thirty-three heard Śakra's command and acted in accordance with the instruction. At that time, Vemacitrin, the asura king, also told the asuras, 'If the devas are defeated, you must capture King Śakra alive, bind him with five bonds, and bring him before me to the meeting place of the seven-headed asuras.' The hosts of asuras also received the instruction and acted upon it. At that time Śakra gained victory, and thereupon captured the asura king alive, bound him with five bonds, and brought him before the Sudharma Hall to the gathering place of the devas, standing him before Śakra. At that time, if King Vemacitrin thought, 'May the asuras each be safe and well; I have no need for the asuras now; I shall stay here in one place with the devas to share their pleasures; this suits my mind well'—the moment he gave rise to this thought, he saw that the five bonds on his body were all released, and the meritorious qualities of the five desires all appeared before him. If he thought, 'I have no need for the devas of the Thirty-three now; may the devas each be safe and well; I wish to return to the asura palace'—the moment he gave rise to this thought, the five bonds on his body bound him once more, and the meritorious qualities of the five desires suddenly vanished. Such are the subtle bonds of the asura king; the bonds of the Māras are even more subtle than this. Why is that? Monks, when one gives rise to wrong reflection, one is immediately bound; when one maintains right mindfulness, one is immediately liberated. At that time, before the battle, Vemacitrin, the asura king, thought, 'I possess such majestic divine power that although the sun and moon palaces and the devas of the Thirty-three revolve and circle above me, my strength is able to take them as ear-pendants and roam about everywhere without hindrance.' At that time Rāhula, the asura king, put on various personal armaments, and together with King Vemacitrin leaped about and displayed illusions. Surrounded before and behind by the retinues of lesser kings, they marched out along the road from the asura city, intending to wage a great battle with the Trāyastriṃśa devas. At that time Nanda and Upananda, the two great nāga kings, came forth from their palace, and each wound his body around Mount Sumeru, circling it seven times, and shook it all at once. Shaking it again and again, they struck the ocean with their tails, causing a mass of water to rise into empty space above the summit of Mount Sumeru. At that time Śakra addressed the devas, saying, 'Do you see this great earth moving like this, and in the sky a dark gathering like cloud and rain, also resembling heavy mist? I now know for certain that the asuras wish to fight with the devas.' Thereupon the nāgas within the sea each donned their armor and weapons and came forth. They also went to inform the devas of the six desire realms, who each donned their armor and weapons and came riding through the air. The king of the Suyāma devas, together with countless hundreds of thousands of devaputras, descended to the eastern face of the summit of Mount Sumeru, and erected a banner of pure blue, difficult to overcome, leaning against the peak. At that time the king of the Tuṣita devas, together with countless hundreds of thousands, gathered like clouds all at once at the summit of Mount Sumeru, and on its southern face erected a banner of pure yellow, difficult to overcome, leaning against the peak.