法苑珠林 28.7

28.7

As stated in the Dafangdeng daji nianfo sanmei jing, Mahāmaudgalyāyana answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that once in the past, I took this trichiliocosm and put it entirely into my mouth. At that time, the sentient beings did not have even a single thought of alarm or any notion of coming and going. I also recall that once in the past, before the World-Honoured One, I roared the lion's roar [saying that] I could place Mount Sumeru inside my mouth and remain like this for an entire kalpa or less than a kalpa as normal. I also recall that in the past I went to the east and stayed in the third chiliocosm, where there was a great city named Jewel Gate. There were sixty billion thousand households therein, and in every single one of them I manifested my body, expounded the Dharma for them, and established them in the true Dharma." At that time, Śāriputra answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that in the past I took a kāṣāya and cast it upon the ground. At that time, Mahāmaudgalyāyana, whose majestic spiritual power as the foremost senior monk was such, could not pick it up, nor could he even lift it off the ground, not to mention hold it in his hand. Ānanda, I also recall that once in the past, before the World-Honoured One, I roared the lion's roar. At that time, various non-Buddhists wished to contest with me. I concealed my body and expounded the Dharma. Except for the World-Honoured One, the omniscient and all-seeing, and the greatly powerful bodhisattvas, when all other śrāvaka disciples and even the non-Buddhists asked where I dwelt when my body was concealed, none could ever know my body's location." At that time, Mahākāśyapa answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that once, before the World-Honoured One, I roared the lion's roar [saying that] with a single blow from my mouth I could shatter and scatter Mount Sumeru and all the mountains belonging to this trichiliocosm, until not even the size of a fine dust mote remained; and as for any sentient beings dwelling on those mountains, I would cause them to suffer no harm, nor would they be aware of it, and all such mountains would be completely destroyed. Also, at another time, with a single blow of my mouth, I caused all the waters of the great oceans, rivers, and ponds in this chiliocosm, even an immeasurable billion thousand nayuta hundred thousand reservoirs of water, to dry up completely, while those sentient beings were neither conscious nor aware of it. At another time, before the great assembly, I roared the lion's roar [saying that] with a single blow of my mouth I could cause a great fire to blaze fiercely throughout the trichiliocosm, just like the conflagration at the end of a kalpa, yet ultimately I would not cause harm to a single sentient being, and in the end they would not even be aware of it." At that time, Maitreya, Mañjuśrī, and other great bodhisattvas, hearing Mahākāśyapa roar the lion's roar, magically created heaps of flowers like Mount Sumeru and scattered them over Kāśyapa twice and thrice; they also magically created a great canopy of the seven jewels that remained in empty space, covering the crown of Mahākāśyapa's head and covering the entire great assembly of śrāvakas. At that time, Pūrṇa answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that in the past, when there were sentient beings who ought to be converted through supernormal powers, I took the trichiliocosm for them and rubbed it with my hand to reveal it to them. At that time, not a single sentient being had any thought of fear, nor was any aware of it; only those sentient beings who were to be converted saw my hand rubbing this world. Furthermore, I can take the trichiliocosm and turn it around with my hand without considering it difficult. Furthermore, before the World-Honoured One, with a single finger joint, I can take all the reservoirs of water in this trichiliocosm and cause them all to enter between my finger joints, without a single sentient being having any thought of diminution. Moreover, at another time during the first watch of the night, with the pure divine eye I observed the doubts and perplexities of all the immeasurable sentient beings in this great chiliocosm, and without emerging from this samādhi, I dispelled all their doubts, causing each of those sentient beings to think: 'I have received the venerable one who stands alone before me expounding it for me.' In accordance with their capacities they obtained benefit without any obstruction." At that time, Rāhula answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that in the past, I placed all the mountains of this trichiliocosm into a single hair-pore; my body remained as before, and the sentient beings were no different. Moreover, at another time, I took all the reservoirs of water of the oceans, rivers, and ponds in this great chiliocosm and made them all enter my hair-pore; my body suffered no harm, the sentient beings were not harmed, and all the reservoirs of water were each as before. Moreover, at another time, entering dhyāna here, I immediately reached a Buddha-realm in the northeast; the Buddha's name was Insuperable. Having manifested my body and paid homage, I immediately returned to this realm, sought out sandalwood incense, and brought it back to make offerings to the Buddha; the fragrance permeated everywhere, creating immeasurable various transformations." At that time, Subhūti answered Ānanda, saying: "I recall that once, entering samādhi, I placed this great chiliocosm, vast as it is, on the tip of a single hair, spinning it back and forth like a potter's wheel. At that time, not a single sentient being had a fearful mind, nor were they aware of where they were. Moreover, in the past before the Tathāgata, I roared the lion's roar and addressed the World-Honoured One, saying: 'With a slight breath from my mouth, I can blow away and destroy such a great chiliocosm as this, without the sentient beings therein feeling alarm or fear, or having any thought of coming and going.' Furthermore, before the Buddha, I can place all the sentient beings of the great chiliocosm upon the tip of a single finger joint, carry them up to the Highest Heaven of Form, and bring them back to their original place, causing those sentient beings to have no thought of going or returning. Moreover, I recall that once, sitting peacefully in samādhi, I saw the immeasurable and boundless hundreds of thousands of worlds of the Buddhas of the ten directions, each with sixty thousand Buddhas. Those whom I had never seen before, I now saw and knew all of them. From this concentrated mind, I further manifested supernormal powers: going to the summit of Mount Sumeru beside Śakra, Lord of the Gods, I gathered a handful of powdered sandalwood incense and went to those immeasurable worlds to make offerings to those many Tathāgatas. The sentient beings of those realms all clearly saw me dwelling in this Jambudvīpa making offerings and serving them."