諸經要集 10.159

10.159

As the "Chapter on the Mind and Thoughts" in the *Dharmapada* states: In the past, when the Buddha was in the world, there was a man of the Way who studied the Way beneath a tree beside a river. For twelve years, his greedy thoughts were not removed; with running mind and scattered intent, he only thought of the six desires—eyes on forms, ears on sounds, nose on fragrances, mouth on tastes, body on sensations, and mind on phenomena. His body was still while his mind roamed, never once finding rest. In twelve years he could not attain the Way. The Buddha, knowing he could be delivered, transformed into a śramaṇa and went to his location beneath the tree to lodge together. In a short while, under the bright moonlight, a turtle emerged from the river and came beneath the tree. There was also an otter walking hungrily in search of food; encountering the turtle, it wished to devour it. The turtle pulled in its head, tail, and four legs, hiding them within its shell, so that it could not be eaten. When the otter moved a little farther away, the turtle brought out its head and legs again and walked as before. The otter could do nothing to it, and so the turtle escaped. Thereupon the man of the Way asked the transformed śramaṇa: "This turtle possesses armor that protects its life, so that the otter could not gain an advantage over it." The transformed śramaṇa replied: "I reflect that worldly people are not equal to this turtle. Not knowing impermanence, they indulge their six passions; external māras gain the advantage, their physical form breaks down, their spirit departs, and their birth and death are without end. Transmigrating through the five destinies, they suffer hundreds of thousands of agonies—all created by the mind. One ought to exert oneself to seek the peace of extinction." Thereupon the transformed śramaṇa recited a gāthā, saying: