法苑珠林 58.34

58.34

Furthermore, the Sūtra of the Bodhisattva Uttaramati states: 'Formerly, in the time of the Buddha Krakucchanda, there was a monk named Vimala who dwelt in seclusion in a mountain cave in a border country. Not far from there were five immortals. A woman, caught in a heavy rain on the road, entered the monk's cave. When the rain cleared, she went outside. At that time, the five immortals saw her and each said, "The monk is engaged in illicit defilement." When Vimala heard this, he immediately sprang up into the air, four zhang and nine chi above the ground. Seeing him flying in the sky, the immortals each said, "According to the records of our classics, one who is tainted by the dust of desire cannot fly." Thereupon, with their five limbs touching the ground, they bowed down and confessed their erroneous slander. Had the monk not manifested supernatural transformations, those five immortals would have fallen into the great hells. That monk Vimala was none other than the present Bodhisattva Maitreya.'