佛說觀佛三昧海經 8.9

8.9

“The Buddha told Mahākāśyapa: ‘Go to the house of the great elder Sudatta and say to the dānapati: “After seven days, the Buddha will go to the debate grounds to transform the courtesans.”’ Having heard this, Sudatta leaped for joy and prepared various offerings: he fashioned seven-jeweled lotuses eleven fathoms high and set them at the Buddha’s seat, hung silk canopies, and sprinkled the ground with scented water. When that day arrived, the king struck the golden drum and commanded all the debating masters throughout the kingdom to go to the debate grounds. The elder Sudatta invited the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen all to assemble so that he might offer them provisions. When the time arrived the next day, the king and the multitude went to the debate grounds. The elder Rulüda sent caṇḍālas to summon the courtesans, and the elder Sudatta likewise announced that the time had arrived. At that time, the Tathāgata instructed the one thousand two hundred and fifty monks: ‘Monks! Each of you, according to your meditative concentration, manifest great supernormal powers.’ The senior elder Kauṇḍinya, together with four monks, transformed [themselves] into a cave as large as Gandhamādana, with hundreds of thousands of lotuses; atop each lotus were five monks seated cross-legged, their bodies emitting golden light that turned their forms golden, stately and lovable just like Maitreya. Furthermore, there were transformed beings performing eighteen miraculous feats, and within each transformation were eighteen monks displaying eighteen miraculous supernormal powers that were wonderful to behold: some entered samādhi, some engaged in walking meditation, their radiance swirling about like a golden mountain bringing forth jeweled blossoms; the monks remained within the cave with body and mind undistracted, flew to the debate grounds, and took their seats in the high places. Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa leaped into the air and transformed into six dragons whose coiled bodies entwined to form a monk’s seat; seated upon it, he performed the eighteen miraculous feats and flew to the debate grounds. The two brothers Gayā[-Kāśyapa] and Nadī[-Kāśyapa] leaped into the air and transformed into a great stone cave, entered the fire-radiance samādhi, performed the eighteen miraculous feats, and flew to the debate grounds. The venerable Mahākāśyapa, wearing a patchwork robe of a thousand scraps, held his alms bowl in his hands, preserved his deportment, and paced through empty space; with every step he took, he transformed a jeweled tree, and beneath each tree was a transformed Kāśyapa walking in the grove, performing the eighteen miraculous feats, and he too arrived at the debate grounds. Greatly wise Śāriputra leaped into the air and performed the eighteen miraculous feats: from his upper body issued the blazing radiance of a thousand suns that did not obstruct one another, and from his lower body issued a thousand moons, round and lovely like the full autumn moon; having performed the eighteen miraculous feats, he flew to the debate grounds. Mahāmaudgalyāyana leaped into the air and transformed into eighty-four thousand lion thrones, each lion with closed eyes lying prone on the ground, white as a snow mountain; Mahāmaudgalyāyana sat on their backs, performed the eighteen miraculous feats, and flew to the debate grounds. The venerable Upāli leaped into the air, spread his niṣīdana in the midst of empty space, sat cross-legged, and entered the samādhi of loving-kindness, golden light flowing forth from all his pores; having performed the eighteen miraculous feats, he flew to the debate grounds. Mahākātyāyana leaped into the air and transformed into fifteen Maheśvaras, each god mounted on a bull king, with blossoms growing upon their heads; Mahākātyāyana sat upon this flower-seat, performed the eighteen miraculous feats, and flew to the debate grounds. Subhūti leaped into the air, remained invisible in darkness with only his voice to be heard, and spoke these verses: