分別功德論 3.10

3.10

念身者，謂分別四大也。解了五陰一同之幻夢。何以知之念身得至涅槃耶？昔佛去世後百歲，時有阿育王，典主閻浮提，群臣夫人象馬各有八萬四千。時王巡行國界，見閻羅王有十八地獄，亦有臣吏僻問罪囚。王問左右曰：「此何等人？」答曰：「此死人王也，主分別善惡。」王曰：「死人王尚能作地獄治罪人。我是生人王，不能作地獄耶？」問諸群臣：「誰能造地獄？」諸臣對曰：「唯有極惡人能造地獄耳。」王勅諸臣訪覓惡人。臣即行覓，見有一人坐地織罽，旁有弓箭兼有釣魚鉤，復以毒飯食雀，並織罽並釣魚射鳥捕雀。臣還以狀白王，惡人如是。王曰：「此人極惡，必能辦地獄事。」王遣人喚曰：「王欲見汝。」惡人曰：「我是小人，無有識知。王用我為？」曰：「王正欲得汝治地獄事。」其人即歸。家有老母，語母曰：「王喚我。」母語兒曰：「王喚汝為？」兒曰：「王欲使我治地獄事。」母曰：「汝去，我云何活？」母即抱兒腳不放。兒意欲去，即拔刀斫母，殺而去至王所。王問曰：「母不放汝，何由得來？」曰：「殺母而來。」王曰：「真惡人也。必能辦地獄事。」即委此人作地獄城，設鑊湯劍樹。即拜此人為地獄王，與立臣佐，各有所典，如閻羅王。王約勅曰：「若有人入此城者，不問貴賤得便治罪。」王曰：「正使我入中者，亦莫聽出。」時有老比丘名曰善覺，常行乞食。至此城門外，見好華香，謂內有人，即便入城。但見治罪人，驚怖欲還出。時獄卒不聽出，欲將至鑊湯。道人求曰：「小寬我至日中。」又語頃，有男女二人坐犯婬，將來欲治罪，置碓臼中擣之，斯須變成為沫。道人見之，始念佛語：「人身如聚沫。誠哉斯言。」又頃復變為白色，復念人身如白灰聚，變易不一。如幻如化，諦計非真。即時意悟漏盡結解。獄卒復催入鑊湯，時比丘笑。獄卒瞋恚，使四人俠兩腋倒著鑊中。即時湯冷，比丘即化作千葉蓮華，於蓮華中結加趺坐。獄卒驚怪，白阿育王曰：「今獄中有奇怪事。願王暫屈臨視。」王曰：「我先有要，正使我入中，亦不聽出。我今那得入耶？」吏白王曰：「但入無苦。」王即隨入。見道人在蓮華上坐，問曰：「汝是何人也？」曰：「我是道人。」道人語王：「汝是癡人。」王曰：「何以名我為癡人也？」道人曰：「汝本作童子時，以一把土上佛，佛受呪願言：『汝後當王閻浮提作鐵輪王名阿育，一日之中當起八萬四千佛圖。』此獄是佛圖耶？」王意即悟，便前悔過，以善覺為師。於是罷獄興福，起八萬四千圖廟。以是言之，念身得涅槃，此其義也。

Mindfulness of the body means discerning the four great elements and understanding the five aggregates as being all the same, like an illusion or a dream. How is it known that mindfulness of the body allows one to reach nirvāṇa? Formerly, one hundred years after the Buddha had passed away, there was King Aśoka, who ruled Jambudvīpa, with eighty-four thousand ministers, consorts, elephants, and horses each. At that time, the king was touring his realm, and he saw that King Yama had eighteen hells, where there were also official ministers who interrogated and punished guilty prisoners. The king asked his attendants, “What kind of person is this?” They replied, “This is the king of the dead, who is in charge of discerning good and evil.” The king said, “Even the king of the dead can build hells to punish guilty people. Am I, a king of the living, unable to build a hell?” He asked his ministers, “Who can construct a hell?” The ministers replied, “Only an extremely wicked person could construct a hell.” The king ordered his ministers to search for an evil person. A minister then went in search and saw a man sitting on the ground weaving coarse woolen cloth. Beside him were a bow and arrows as well as a fishhook, and he was also feeding sparrows with poisoned rice, weaving cloth while fishing, shooting birds, and catching sparrows all at once. The minister returned and reported the situation to the king, saying that an evil person was indeed like this. The king said, “This person is extremely wicked; he will surely be able to manage the affairs of a hell.” The king sent someone to summon him, saying, “The king wishes to see you.” The evil man said, “I am a lowly person without knowledge. What would the king use me for?” The messenger said, “The king specifically wants you to manage the affairs of a hell.” The man then returned home. He had an elderly mother at home and told her, “The king has summoned me.” The mother said to her son, “Why has the king summoned you?” The son said, “The king wishes to make me manage the affairs of a hell.” The mother said, “If you leave, how will I survive?” The mother then embraced her son’s feet and would not let go. The son, determined to go, immediately drew a knife and slashed his mother, killing her before departing to the king’s place. The king asked, “Your mother would not let you go; how were you able to come?” He replied, “I killed my mother and came.” The king said, “Truly an evil person! He will surely be able to manage the affairs of a hell.” He then entrusted this person with constructing a hell city, installing cauldrons of boiling liquid and forests of sword-trees. He then appointed this person as the king of the hell, establishing officials and assistants for him, each with their own duties, just like King Yama. The king made a compact and ordered: “If anyone enters this city, regardless of whether they are noble or base, seize and punish them immediately.” The king also said, “Even if I myself should enter, do not allow me to leave either.” At that time, an old monk named Subodhaka was regularly begging for food. Coming outside the gate of this city, he saw fine flowers and incense, thought there were people inside, and immediately entered the city. He saw only people being punished, became terrified, and wished to turn back and leave. The hell wardens would not allow him to leave and wanted to take him to the boiling cauldron. The śramaṇa begged, “Grant me a brief reprieve until midday.” A moment later, a man and a woman who had committed sexual misconduct were brought in to be punished. They were placed in a mortar and pestle and pounded, and in an instant turned to foam. Seeing this, the śramaṇa initially recalled the Buddha’s words: “The human body is like a mass of foam. How true are these words!” A moment later, it turned white again, and he further reflected that the human body is like a heap of white ash, undergoing manifold transformations. It is like an illusion, like a phantom; when thoroughly examined, it is unreal. He was instantly enlightened, his outflows were exhausted, and his fetters were severed. The hell wardens again urged him into the boiling cauldron, at which the monk smiled. The hell wardens became furious and had four men grasp him under his arms and throw him upside down into the cauldron. Instantly the boiling liquid turned cold, and the monk transformed into a thousand-petaled lotus flower, sitting cross-legged within the lotus flower. The hell wardens were astonished and reported to King Aśoka, “Now there is a strange event in the hell. We request the king to deign to come and see.” The king said, “I previously had an agreement: even if I were to enter, I must not be allowed to leave. How could I enter now?” The official told the king, “Just enter; there will be no harm.” The king then followed him in. Seeing the śramaṇa sitting upon the lotus flower, he asked, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am a śramaṇa.” The śramaṇa said to the king, “You are a foolish man.” The king said, “Why do you call me a foolish man?” The śramaṇa said, “Originally, when you were a boy, you offered a handful of earth to the Buddha. The Buddha accepted it and gave a blessing, saying: ‘Later you shall rule over Jambudvīpa as an iron-wheel-turning king named Aśoka, and in a single day you shall erect eighty-four thousand stupas.’ Is this hell a stupa?” The king was instantly awakened, came forward to repent, and took Subodhaka as his master. Thereupon he dismantled the hell, cultivated merit, and erected eighty-four thousand stupas and shrines. Thus it is said that through mindfulness of the body one attains nirvāṇa; this is its meaning.