諸經要集 16.35

16.35

爾時佛告諸比丘言。汝諸比丘。欲知彼時入水龜者。我身是也。華鬘師者。魔波旬是。其於爾時。欲誑惑於我。而不能著。今復欲誑。何由可得。又佛告諸比丘言。我念往昔於大海中。有一大虬。其虬有婦身正懷妊。忽然思欲獼猴心食。以是因緣。其身羸瘦痿黃。宛轉戰慄不安。時彼特虬。見婦身體。如是羸瘦無有顏色。見已問言。賢善仁者。汝何所患。欲思何食。我不聞汝從我索食。何故如是。時其㹀虬默然不報。其夫復問。汝今何故不向我道。婦報夫言。汝若能與我。隨心所願。我當說之。若不能者。我何假說。夫復答言。汝但說看若可得理。我當方便會覓令得。婦即語言。我今意思獼猴心食。汝能得不。夫即報言。汝所須者。此事甚難。所以者何。我居大海。猴在山樹。何由可得。婦言奈何。若不得是物此胎必墮。我身不久恐取命終。是時其夫。復語婦言。賢善仁者。汝且容忍。我今求去。若成此事。深不可言。則我與汝。並皆慶快。爾時彼虬。即從海出至於岸上。去岸不遠。有一大樹。名優曇婆羅（隋言水願）時彼樹上有一大獼猴。在於樹頭取果子食。是時彼虬。既見獼猴在樹上坐食於樹子。見已漸到於樹下。到已即便共相慰喻。以美語言。問訊獼猴。善哉善哉。婆私師吒。在此樹上作於何事。不甚辛勤受苦惱耶。求食易得無疲倦不。獼猴報言。如是仁者。我今不大受於苦惱。虬復重更語獼猴言。汝在此處。何所食噉。獼猴報言。我在優曇婆羅樹上食噉其子。是時虬復語獼猴言。我今見汝。甚大歡喜。遍滿身體。不能自勝。我欲將汝作於善友。共相愛敬汝取我語。何須住此。又復此樹子少無多。云何乃能此處願樂。汝可下來隨逐於我。我當將汝渡海。彼岸別有大林。種種諸樹華果豐饒。獼猴問言。我云何得至彼處。海水深廣。甚難越。渡云何堪渡。是時彼虬。報獼猴言。我背負汝。將渡彼岸。汝今但當從樹下來騎我背上。爾時獼猴心無定故。狹劣愚癡。心生歡喜。從樹而下。上虬背上欲隨虬去。其虬內心生如是念。善哉善哉。我願已成。即欲相將至自居處。及獼猴俱沒於水。猴問虬言。善友何故忽沒於水。虬即報言。我婦懷妊。彼如是思。欲食汝心。以是因緣我將汝來。爾時獼猴。作如是念。嗚呼我今甚不吉利。自取磨滅。作何方便。而得免此急速厄難不失身命。復如是念。我須誑虬。作是念已。而語虬言。仁者善友。我心留在優曇婆羅樹上。寄著不持將行。仁於當時。云何不依實語。我知爾須我心。我於當時即將相隨。善友還迴放我。取心得已還來。爾時彼虬。聞獼猴語已。二俱還出。獼猴見虬欲出水岸。是時獼猴。努力奮迅。捷疾跳躑。出大筋力。從虬背上跳下。上彼優曇大樹之上。其虬在下。少時停待。見猴淹遲不下。而語之言。親密善友。汝速下來。共汝相隨至於我家。獼猴默然不肯下樹。虬見獼猴經久不下。而說偈言。

At that time, the Buddha said to the bhikṣus: 'Monks, if you wish to know who the tortoise that entered the water back then was, it was myself. The garland-maker was Māra Pāpīyān. Even at that time he wished to deceive and confuse me, but he could not catch me; how then could he succeed now in seeking to deceive me again?' The Buddha further told the bhikṣus: 'I recall that in the past, in the great ocean, there was a great water-dragon (kūrma / alligator-like dragon). The dragon had a wife who was pregnant. Suddenly she conceived a craving to eat the heart of a monkey. For this reason her body grew emaciated and jaundiced, and she tossed and turned, trembling and restless. At that time, the male dragon, seeing his wife's body so emaciated and colourless, asked her after seeing this: "Virtuous and noble one, what ails you? What food do you crave? I have not heard you asking me for food; why are you like this?" At that time, the female dragon was silent and gave no answer. Her husband asked again: "Why do you not speak to me now?" The wife replied to the husband: "If you can grant my wish according to my heart's desire, I will speak. If you cannot, why should I speak in vain?" The husband answered again: "Just tell me and see; if it is reasonably obtainable, I will use skill-in-means to seek it and ensure you get it." The wife then said: "I now crave to eat the heart of a monkey. Can you obtain it or not?" The husband then replied: "What you require is an exceedingly difficult matter. Why is that? I live in the great ocean, while monkeys dwell in mountain trees; how could it be obtained?" The wife said: "What can be done? If I do not obtain this thing, the foetus will surely miscarry, and before long I fear my life will come to an end." At that time, her husband spoke to his wife again: "Virtuous and noble one, be patient for a while; I am now going to seek it. If this matter succeeds, its joy will be beyond words, and both you and I shall be joyful." Then the dragon emerged from the sea and went onto the shore. Not far from the shore was a great tree called udumbara (in the language of the Sui, "water-vow"). At that time, on the tree, there was a great monkey at the top of the tree picking fruit and eating it. Then the dragon, having seen the monkey sitting in the tree eating the fruit of the tree, gradually approached beneath the tree. Having arrived, he immediately consoled him with pleasant words, and inquired after the monkey: "Well done, well done! Vāsiṣṭha, what are you doing in this tree? Are you not working hard and suffering distress? Is seeking food easy to come by, and are you free of fatigue?" The monkey replied: "Indeed, noble one, I am not suffering great distress at present." The dragon spoke to the monkey once more: "Staying in this place, what do you eat?" The monkey replied: "I am in the udumbara tree eating its fruit." At that time, the dragon spoke to the monkey again: "Seeing you now brings me such great joy, filling my whole body so that I cannot contain myself. I wish to make you my good friend, and we shall mutually love and respect each other. Take my advice: why must you stay here? Moreover, the fruits on this tree are few, not plentiful; how can you delight in this place? You should come down and follow me; I will carry you across the sea. On the other shore there is another great forest, abundant in flowers and fruits of many kinds of trees." The monkey asked: "How can I reach that place? The seawater is deep and vast, exceedingly difficult to cross; how could I manage to cross it?" At that time, the dragon replied to the monkey: "I will carry you on my back and take you across to the other shore. Now you need only come down from the tree and ride upon my back." At that time, because the monkey's mind was inconstant, petty, and foolish, his heart was delighted. He descended from the tree, mounted the dragon's back, and was about to go with the dragon. The dragon gave rise to this thought within his mind: "Excellent, excellent! My wish is fulfilled." He then intended to take him to his own dwelling place, and together with the monkey he sank beneath the water. The monkey asked the dragon: "Good friend, why have you suddenly submerged into the water?" The dragon then replied: "My wife is pregnant; she conceived such a longing to eat your heart. For this reason I have brought you along." At that time, the monkey had this thought: "Alas, how extremely ill-fated I am now, bringing about my own destruction! By what expedient means can I escape this imminent disaster and not lose my life?" He thought again: "I must deceive the dragon." Having had this thought, he spoke to the dragon: "Noble and good friend! My heart was left behind on the udumbara tree; I deposited it there and did not bring it along. Why did you not speak the truth at that time, noble one? Had I known that you needed my heart, I would have brought it with me then. Good friend, turn back and release me; after I take the heart and get it, I will return." At that time, the dragon, having heard the monkey's words, both of them emerged together. The monkey saw that the dragon was about to come out onto the shore of the water. At that moment, the monkey exerted all his might, vigorously and swiftly leaping and bounding with great muscular strength down from the dragon's back, and went up onto that great udumbara tree. The dragon remained below and waited for a short while. Seeing the monkey lingering and not coming down, he spoke to him: "Close and good friend, come down quickly! Go with me to my home." The monkey remained silent and refused to descend the tree. Seeing that the monkey had not come down for a long time, the dragon spoke a verse:'