法苑珠林 79.13

79.13

月光童子經。亦名佛說申日經云。時有長者。名曰申日。取外道六師語欲請佛僧。令長者中門外鑿作五丈六尺深坑。以炭火過半。細鐵為椽。土薄覆上。設眾飲食。以毒著中。火坑不禁。毒飯足害。以此圖之。何憂不死。如教作之。外道皆喜。於是申日便詣佛所。殷勤請佛及諸聖眾。是時世尊。愍其狂愚。欲濟脫之。默然受請。申日內喜。果如其計。須彌之毒。大千剎火。刀劍鋒刃。不能動佛一毛之力。今以火坑毒飯欲毀於佛。譬如蚊虻欲動太山蠅蠓之翅欲障日月。徒自毀壞不如早悔。爾時長者罪蓋所覆心不開解。世尊心念。今受長者申日之請。不與常同。廣現威神震動十方。百千聖眾兼諸龍神。空飛地行。不可算計。一時到家為作利益。佛以神德即變火坑。成七寶池。八味具足。飲飯天甘。食者充悅。六師惶悑各以逃竄。長者歸伏稽首于地。嗚于佛足長跪自陳。今以覺寤從佛得度。諸來會者皆樂法音。得福獲度不可稱計。

The Candraprabha-kumāra-sūtra, also called the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on Śrīgupta, states: At that time, there was an elder named Śrīgupta. Taking the counsel of the six non-Buddhist masters, he wished to invite the Buddha and the Saṃgha. [The masters] had the elder dig a pit fifty-six feet deep outside the inner gate, filled more than halfway with charcoal fire, with fine iron rods for beams, and lightly covered with earth on top. They arranged various food and drink, placing poison in their midst, [saying], 'If the fire pit fails to stop him, the poisoned food will be enough to kill him. Plotting it thus, why worry that he will not die?' Acting according to their instructions, the non-Buddhists were all delighted. Thereupon Śrīgupta went to the Buddha's abode and earnestly invited the Buddha and the holy congregation. At that time, the World-Honoured One, pitying his madness and folly, and wishing to deliver him, accepted the invitation in silence. Śrīgupta was inwardly glad: indeed, it was as planned. [Yet even] the poison of Mount Sumeru, the fire of a great trichiliocosm, and the sharp blades of swords could not stir a single hair of the Buddha. Now, wishing to destroy the Buddha with a fire pit and poisoned food was like mosquitoes and gnats wishing to shake Mount Tai, or the wings of flies and midges wishing to block out the sun and moon. Such vain self-destruction would be better replaced by early repentance. At that time, the elder was veiled by the hindrance of transgression, and his mind was not opened to understanding. The World-Honoured One thought to himself: 'Now accepting the invitation of elder Śrīgupta is not like ordinary times. I shall widely display majestic spiritual power to shake the ten directions.' Hundreds of thousands of the holy congregation, together with nāgas and spirits, flying in the air and walking on earth in incalculable numbers, arrived at the house at once to bring benefit. Through his spiritual virtue, the Buddha transformed the fire pit into a pond of the seven jewels, endowed with the eight flavors. The drink and food became heavenly ambrosia, and those who ate were sated and delighted. The six masters were terrified and each fled in hiding. The elder submitted, prostrating his head to the ground, kissed the Buddha's feet, knelt upright, and confessed of his own accord: 'Now I have awakened and obtained deliverance from the Buddha.' All who came to the assembly rejoiced in the sound of the Dharma, and those who obtained merit and deliverance were beyond measure.