法苑珠林 11.39

11.39

As the Yinguo jing says: On the seventh day of the fourth month, the World-Honoured One subdued the māras. At that time the setting sun paused its light and the bright moon shone through; flowers and fruits in the groves and gardens blossomed without waiting for spring. The Zhidu lun says: At that time the heavenly demon led a host of one hundred and eighty thousand heavenly demons, all coming to trouble the Buddha. The Buddha illuminated them with a faint light from between his brows, and they all fell down. Also, the Guan Fo sanmei jing says: The demon king was furious and wished to charge straight forward. The demon's son admonished him, saying: 'Father and king, do not innocently invite sores and boils upon yourself. The Bodhisattva's practice is pure and unshakeable as the earth; how could he be destroyed?' Also, the Za baozang jing says: In the past, beneath the tree, the evil Māra Pāpīyas led a host of eighty kotis wishing to destroy the Buddha. He said to the Buddha: 'You are all alone; how can you sit here? Hurry and get up and leave! If you do not get up, I will seize your feet and throw you beyond the sea!' The Buddha said: 'I observe that no one in the world can throw me. In a past life, at a single temple, you observed the eight precepts for a single day and offered a bowl of food to a pratyekabuddha; therefore you were born in the six heavens as a great demon king. But over three asaṃkhyeya kalpas, I have made offerings to śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas beyond count.' Māra said: 'What you say about my keeping the precepts for one day and giving food to a pratyekabuddha in the past is indeed true; I know it myself, and you also know it of me. But who can bear witness to what you yourself say?' The Buddha pointed his finger at the earth and said: 'This earth bears witness to me.' When he spoke these words, the entire great earth shook in six ways. The earth deity emerged from the vajra-stratum, joined her palms, and said to the Buddha: 'I bear witness! Since this earth has existed, I have always been within it. What the World-Honoured One says is true and not false.' The Buddha said to Pāpīyas: 'If you can first move this water pitcher, then you might be able to throw me beyond the sea.' At that time, Pāpīyas and his eighty kotis could not move it. The demon king's army fell headlong of themselves, broken and scattered like stars.