Dhammapada 10.7.p2

10.7.p2

Ekasmiñhi samaye titthiyā sannipatitvā mantesuṃ – ‘‘jānāthāvuso, ‘kena kāraṇena samaṇassa gotamassa lābhasakkāro mahā hutvā nibbatto’ti. Mayaṃ na jānāma, tumhe pana jānāthāti. Āma, jānāma, mahāmoggallānaṃ nāma ekaṃ nissāya uppanno. So hi devalokaṃ gantvā devatāhi katakammaṃ pucchitvā āgantvā manussānaṃ katheti ‘idaṃ nāma katvā evarūpaṃ sampattiṃ labhantī’ti. Niraye nibbattānampi kammaṃ pucchitvā āgantvā manussānaṃ katheti ‘idaṃ nāma katvā evarūpaṃ dukkhaṃ anubhavantī’ti. Manussā tassa kathaṃ sutvā mahantaṃ lābhasakkāraṃ abhiharanti, sace taṃ māretuṃ sakkhissāma, so lābhasakkāro amhākaṃ nibbattissatī’’ti. Te ‘‘attheko upāyo’’ti sabbe ekacchandā hutvā ‘‘yaṃkiñci katvā taṃ mārāpessāmā’’ti attano upaṭṭhāke samādapetvā kahāpaṇasahassaṃ labhitvā purisaghātakammaṃ katvā carante core pakkosāpetvā ‘‘mahāmoggallānatthero nāma kāḷasilāyaṃ vasati, tattha gantvā taṃ mārethā’’ti tesaṃ kahāpaṇe adaṃsu. Corā dhanalobhena sampaṭicchitvā ‘‘theraṃ māressāmā’’ti gantvā tassa vasanaṭṭhānaṃ parivāresuṃ. Thero tehi parikkhittabhāvaṃ ñatvā kuñcikacchiddena nikkhamitvā pakkāmi. Te corā taṃ divasaṃ theraṃ adisvā punekadivasaṃ gantvā parikkhipiṃsu. Thero ñatvā kaṇṇikāmaṇḍalaṃ bhinditvā ākāsaṃ pakkhandi. Evaṃ te paṭhamamāsepi majjhimamāsepi theraṃ gahetuṃ nāsakkhiṃsu. Pacchimamāse pana sampatte thero attanā katakammassa ākaḍḍhanabhāvaṃ ñatvā na apagacchi. Corā gantvā theraṃ gahetvā taṇḍulakaṇamattānissa aṭṭhīni karontā bhindiṃsu. Atha naṃ ‘‘mato’’ti saññāya ekasmiṃ gumbapiṭṭhe khipitvā pakkamiṃsu.

For once upon a time the heretics met together and said to each other, “Brethren, do you know the reason why the gifts and offerings to the monk Gotama have waxed great?” “No, we do not know; but do you know?” “Indeed we do know; it has all come about through one Moggallāna the Great. For Moggallāna the Great goes to heaven and asks the deities what deeds of merit they performed; and then he comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men receive such and such glory.’ Then he goes to Hell and asks also those who have been reborn in Hell what they did; and comes back to earth and says to men, ‘By doing this and that men experience such and such suffering.’ Men listen to what he says, and bring rich gifts and offerings. Now if we succeed in killing him, all these rich gifts and offerings will fall to us.”

“That is a way indeed!” exclaimed all the heretics. So all the heretics with one accord formed the resolution, “We will kill him by hook or by crook.” Accordingly they roused their own supporters, procured a thousand pieces of money, and formed a plot to kill Moggallāna the Great. Summoning some wandering thieves, they gave them the thousand pieces of money and said to them, “Elder Moggallāna the Great lives at Black Rock. Go there and kill him.” The money attracted the thieves and they immediately agreed to do as they were asked. “Yes, indeed,” said the thieves; “we will kill the Elder.” So they went and surrounded the Elder’s place of abode.

The Elder, knowing that his place of abode was surrounded, slipped out through the keyhole and escaped. The thieves, not seeing the Elder that day, came back on the following day, and again surrounded the Elder’s place of abode. But the Elder knew, and so he broke through the circular peak of the house and soared away into the air. Thus did the thieves attempt both in the first month and in the second

month to catch the Elder, but without success. But when the third month came, the Elder felt the compelling force of the evil deed he had himself committed in a previous state of existence, and made no attempt to get away.

At last the thieves succeeded in catching the Elder. When they had so done, they tore him limb from limb, and pounded his bones until they were as small as grains of rice. Then thinking to themselves, “He is dead,” they tossed his bones behind a certain clump of bushes and went their way. The Elder thought to himself, “I will pay my respects to the Teacher before I pass into Nibbāna.” Accordingly he swathed himself with meditation as with a cloth, made himself rigid, and soaring through the air, he proceeded to the Teacher, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and said to him, “Reverend Sir, I am about to pass into Nibbāna.” “You are about to pass into Nibbāna, Moggallāna?” “Yes, Reverend Sir.” “To what region of the earth are you going?” “To Black Rock, Reverend Sir.” “Well then, Moggallāna, preach the Law to me before you go, for hereafter I shall have no such disciple as you to look upon.” “That will I do, Reverend Sir,” replied Moggallāna. So first paying obeisance to the Teacher, he rose into the air, performed all manner of miracles just as did the Elder Sāriputta on the day when he passed into Nibbāna, preached the Law, paid obeisance to the Teacher, and then went to Black Rock forest and passed into Nibbāna.