法苑珠林 82.37

82.37

The *Mahālaṃkāra-śāstra* also states: There were bhikṣus traveling in the wilderness who were robbed by bandits and stripped of their robes. At that time, this band of bandits feared that the bhikṣus would go and report them to the settlements, and wanted to kill them all. One of the bandits had previously gone forth [as a monk]; he said to his companions, "Why should we kill them all now? The rule of bhikṣus forbids injuring grass. If we now bind the bhikṣus with grass, because they fear injuring it, they will never be able to run in all four directions to report us." The bandits then bound them with grass and left them behind. The bhikṣus, having been bound with grass, feared violating the prohibitive precepts and dared not pull to break it. With no clothes on their bodies, they were scorched by the sun and bitten and harassed by mosquitoes, horseflies, flies, and fleas. Bound from dawn until dusk, it turned to sunset and pitch darkness. Night-roaming birds and beasts dashed back and forth, which was terrifying. An elder bhikṣu spoke to the youths, admonishing them with a verse, saying: