法苑珠林 78.25

78.25

又伐毒樹經云。昔舍衛國有官園生一毒樹。人游樹下皆悉頭痛欲裂。或患腰疼。伐已還生。樹中之妙。眾人見喜不知諱者。皆來遭死。有智語之當盡其根。適欲掘根復恐定死。進更思惟。出家學道亦復如是。佛說偈言。

Furthermore, the Fadu shu jing says: In the past, in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, a poisonous tree grew in the royal garden. Anyone who wandered under the tree suffered a headache as if it would split, or suffered from back pain. When cut down, it grew back again. It was the most splendid among trees; those who saw it rejoiced and, unaware of the danger, all encountered death. A wise person told them, 'You must pull it out by its roots.' Just as they were about to dig up the roots, they feared certain death. Upon further reflection, leaving home to study the Path is just like this. The Buddha spoke a verse, saying: