分別功德論 1.9

1.9

如來所說四不可思議。何謂四？眾生不可思議、世界不可思議、龍不可思議、佛不可思議。所以世界不可思議，昔滿願子與梵志共論。梵志自云：「我曾至池水上思惟，見有四種兵眾來入蓮華孔中。即自驚怪，不知我眼華、為實有是？向人說之，人皆不信。遂至佛所云所見如是。佛語：『此是實事，非為虛妄。阿須輪興四種兵與諸天鬪，阿須輪不如，退入此蓮華孔中自隱。』」此非思度所及，故曰世界不可思議。世界或云梵天所造、或云六天所造。梵志又云：「梵天誰造？」或云梵天有父、或云自造。言有父者，父即蓮華也。有云蓮華者何從出？曰憂陀延齊中出也。憂陀延從何出？曰從散嵯王出。又曰散嵯王出何姓？曰剎帝利種也。又曰梵天是婆羅門種，今言由剎帝利出？是何言歟？又曰劫燒時粗可得別。何以言之？曰劫燒時從地際已上，至十五天，蕩然焦盡。如似可知。然復有十六已上三十三天在，此間雖燒，他世界在。以此言之，復不可知。是為世界不可思議。

The Tathāgata spoke of the four incomprehensibles. What are the four? Living beings are incomprehensible; the world is incomprehensible; nāgas are incomprehensible; the Buddha is incomprehensible. As for why the world is incomprehensible: formerly, Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra engaged in debate with a brahmacārin. The brahmacārin said of himself: "I once went to a pond to meditate, and saw a fourfold army come and enter inside the hollow of a lotus stem. I was immediately astonished, not knowing whether my eyes were playing tricks on me or if this really existed. When I spoke of it to others, no one believed me. I then went to the Buddha's place and described what I saw in this manner. The Buddha said: 'This is a real occurrence, not a falsehood. The asuras raised a fourfold army to fight with the devas; the asuras were defeated and retreated into the hollow of this lotus stem to conceal themselves.'" This is beyond the reach of thinking and deliberation; hence it is said that the world is incomprehensible. Regarding the world, some say it was created by Brahmā, and some say it was created by the six heavens. The brahmacārin further asked: "Who created Brahmā?" Some say Brahmā has a father, and some say he created himself. Those who say he has a father say his father is the lotus. Some say: whence did the lotus emerge? They say: it emerged from Udayana's navel. Whence did Udayana emerge? They say: he emerged from King Sañjaya. Again they ask: what caste was King Sañjaya born from? They say: the kṣatriya lineage. Again they say: Brahmā is of the brāhmaṇa lineage; now you say he arose from a kṣatriya? What sort of talk is this? Furthermore, it is said that at the time of kalpa destruction by fire, distinctions can roughly be made. Why is this said? They say: at the time of kalpa destruction by fire, from the level of the earth up to the fifteenth heaven, all is swept away and scorched clean. It seems as though it could be known. Yet there still exist the sixteenth heaven and above, up to the thirty-three heavens; although this place is burned, other worlds remain. Stated in this way, it is again unknowable. This is why the world is incomprehensible.