法苑珠林 82.60

82.60

如菩薩藏經云。夫忿恚者。速能損害百千大劫所集善根。若能善根為瞋害已。復當經於百千大劫方始勤苦修行聖道。若如是者。阿耨菩提極難可得。是故我當被忍辱鎧。以堅固力摧忿恚軍。舍利子。我今為汝廣說其事。我念過去。為大仙人。名修行處。時有惡魔。化作五百健罵丈夫。常尋逐我興諸惡罵。晝夜去來行住坐臥僧坊靜室聚落俗家。若在街衖。若空閑處。隨我坐立。是諸化魔以麁惡言毀罵訶責。滿五百年未曾休廢。舍利子。我自憶昔五百歲中為諸魔羅之所訶毀。未曾於彼起微恨心。常興慈救而用觀察。

As the Bodhisattvapiṭaka Sūtra says: 'Wrath and anger can swiftly destroy the roots of goodness accumulated over hundreds of thousands of mahākalpas. If one's roots of goodness have been destroyed by anger, one must pass through hundreds of thousands of mahākalpas before again beginning to practice the noble path with diligence and hardship. If it is so, anuttarasambodhi is extremely difficult to attain. For this reason, I must put on the armour of forbearance and crush the army of anger with steadfast strength. Śāriputra, I now explain this matter broadly for you: I recall that in the past, when I was a great ṛṣi named Practice Abode, at that time an evil Māra transformed into five hundred strong-cursing men, who constantly pursued me and raised all kinds of evil revilements, day and night, coming and going, walking, standing, sitting, lying down, in monasteries, quiet rooms, villages, and secular homes, whether in streets and lanes or in quiet, empty places, following my sitting and standing. These transformed Māras reviled, cursed, and scolded me with coarse and harsh words for a full five hundred years without ever resting. Śāriputra, I myself recall that during those five hundred years of being scolded and slandered by those Māras, I never gave rise to the slightest resentful thought toward them; I constantly aroused compassionate rescue and observed them with it.'