法苑珠林 76.31

76.31

如四分律云。佛告諸比丘。汝等當聽。古昔有兩惡獸為伴。一名善牙師子。二名善膊虎。晝夜伺捕眾鹿。時有一野干逐彼二獸後。食其殘肉以自全命。時彼野干竊自生念。我今不能久與相逐。當以何方便鬪亂彼二獸令不復相隨。時野干即往善牙師子所。如是語善牙。善膊虎有如是語言。我生處勝。種姓勝。形色勝汝。力勢勝汝。何以故。我日日得好美食。善牙師子逐我後。食我殘肉。以自全命。即說偈言。

As the Dharmaguptaka-vinaya says: The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: You should listen. In ancient times there were two ferocious beasts who were companions. One was a lion named Good Tooth, and the second was a tiger named Good Shoulder. Day and night they stalked and captured deer. At that time there was a jackal that followed behind the two beasts, eating their leftover meat to preserve its own life. Then the jackal secretly thought to itself: 'I cannot follow them for long. By what expedient means can I cause the two beasts to quarrel and turn against each other so that they no longer follow one another?' The jackal then went to where the lion Good Tooth was, and spoke thus to Good Tooth: 'The tiger Good Shoulder has made these remarks: “My birthplace is superior, my lineage is superior, my form and color are superior to yours, and my strength is superior to yours. Why? Daily I obtain fine, delicious meat, while the lion Good Tooth follows behind me, eating my leftover meat to preserve his own life.”' Then he spoke a verse: