[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [分別功德論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507) › 5.8 # 分別功德論 5.8 分別功德論 5.8 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5.8) 所以稱尸婆羅比丘福德第一者，尸婆羅初生時，手把無價摩尼珠出，墮地便言：「世間頗有金銀七寶可持布施不？我今欲大布施。」作是言已，父母諸家皆大驚懼，棄捨而走，或呼是羅剎鬼、或謂天神：「夫小兒生，要須日月滿足乃當言。今墮地便言，是大可怪。」母情不然，復還看之，語母曰：「莫懼。我非鬼。我正是母兒耳。」其父月光曰：「今當抱兒至尼揵子所問其吉凶。」即與婦抱兒至尼揵所，以狀白師。師曰：「此兒無福，後當致禍。」長者曰：「兒手中有摩尼珠，何以言無福耶？」尼揵曰：「至年八歲時，汝家財寶盡當在此兒手中消滅𣩠，由是皆當餓死。」長者懼怖深惟疑惑，聞世有大沙門，「儻能知吉凶，當往至其所問此可否。」即往世尊所。中路復念：「大沙門是王者種，生長深宮又不學問；婆羅門等少小博學，尚不能知吉凶，沙門豈得能知耶？」即欲還家。天於虛空告長者曰：「但當前進。何以復還耶？如來大聖無所不達，往必決疑。是非速往。」即前至佛所，禮拜問訊訖，便啟白：「如向所說，不審吉凶？」佛告長者：「吉無不利。乃生此福德之子。此兒年二十當出為道，常有五百童子共俱，當得羅漢還度父母。」長者聞佛所說，歡喜踊躍不能自勝，即還歸家。辦具餚膳，請佛至舍：「願世尊賜小兒字。」佛告長者：「正欲為字為天，人所不解。正欲字為賢聖，凡夫所不解。迦葉佛時名鬼為尸婆羅，今正當字為尸婆羅。尸婆羅者，開通鬼神言語音聲。是故字尸婆羅。」阿難臨般涅槃時，度二弟子：一名摩禪提、二名摩呻提利。摩呻提利者地王也，若不作道人者，當王此閻浮提及三天下，故名摩呻提利。阿難教此弟子：「汝至師子渚國興顯佛法。」彼國人與羅剎通，要須文字然後交接。市易六十種書，書中有鬼書名阿浮、人書音名阿羅。摩呻承教至彼顯揚佛法，自是教迹今日現存。尸婆羅開通鬼神，其亦如是，故名尸婆羅。所以稱尸婆羅福德者，生時兩手中自然把摩尼珠出。乃昔毘婆尸如來時，此比丘為賈客入海採寶，經過五難乃至寶所，得一寶珠還持上佛，願所生處獲報自然。以是因緣生即奇異，價二十億。初生之時自然寶珠著耳而生。父集賈人訪其價直，眾賈銓曰：「直二十億。」尸婆羅手珠無有限量，故曰無價計。其寶所潤乃及七世，七世之中無所渴乏，故稱福德第一也。至年二十出家學道，至世尊所，佛命善來，即成沙門。思惟四諦，便得羅漢。時有五百童子亦出家為道，常侍從尸婆羅。尸婆羅供給此五百人衣食，所在適處供養無乏，所周旋處輒悉供養。至羅悅祇城南有大深山，山中饒諸毒虫虎狼羅剎，即自心念：「欲於山中避隱一時。」時天帝釋以知所念，即於山中作五百房及僧伽藍，種種供養復經一時。夏坐已訖，心念：「違遠以久，當還禮覲。」天時大熱，念欲得涼。天帝知之即降雲雨；少思漿飲，即降甘露。所欲念者應意即至，故曰福德第一也。尸婆羅有叔父，事外道梵志，為人素慳不好布施。時有親友勸令作後世資，即請梵志數千，施百千兩金。尸婆羅念：「叔慳貪生不造福，設復施慧不值良田，我不度者永為棄捐。」便往其家持鉢乞食。叔曰：「卿來何晚？我昨日大施。昨日來者可得僧竭支。」曰：「我自有竭支，亦不須之。」「卿來何為？」曰：「我欲乞食。」時叔不與，便現身於虛空中作十八變，身出水火。長者心念：「此必瞋恚。儻燒我家？」即呼使下來與座。坐曰：「我欲得食。」即與臭穢惡食。即便受之，呪願而食。食入鉢中，福德所感變成甘露。有天於上歎曰：「善哉長者！乃作是大施也、福德之施也，無能過者。」長者心念：「我先施梵志百千兩金而無歎我者，今施此少惡食乃歎為善。將無妄語耶？」天復告曰：「所施雖少，福田良美，故曰大施也。」長者復念：「天必真實，重來告我。」即以百千兩金與尸婆羅。尸婆羅曰：「我比丘法不應取金。」尋往詣佛問其所以。答曰：「可取，隨意轉施。」即受此金施諸同學，為叔父說法即得道迹。能變臭惡成為甘露，故稱福德第一也。從生至涅槃未曾有乏，般涅槃時身上雨種種甘饍飲食。所以得爾，己身足，復欲潤及眾生故也。以是故復稱為第一也。 > As for why the monk Sīvali is said to be foremost in merit: when Sīvali was first born, he emerged holding a priceless maṇi jewel in his hands. Falling to the ground, he immediately spoke: "Is there any gold, silver, or seven treasures in the world that can be used for giving? I now wish to make a great offering." After he had spoken these words, his parents and the entire household were all greatly frightened; they abandoned him and ran away. Some called him a rākṣasa demon, while others thought him a heavenly spirit, saying: "When a child is born, it must complete the months and days before it can speak. Now he speaks the moment he drops to the ground; this is extraordinarily uncanny." His mother, feeling otherwise in her heart, returned to look at him. He said to his mother: "Do not be afraid. I am no demon. I am simply your son, Mother." His father, Candrakānta, said: "We should now carry the child to the Nirgrantha to inquire about his good or ill fortune." Thereupon he and his wife carried the child to the Nirgrantha and reported the situation to the master. The master said: "This child has no merit and will later bring about calamity." The elder asked: "The child has a maṇi jewel in his hand; why do you say he has no merit?" The Nirgrantha replied: "When he reaches the age of eight, all your household wealth and treasures will be utterly exhausted and consumed in this child's hands; because of this, you will all starve to death." The elder, terrified and profoundly doubtful, heard that there was a great śramaṇa in the world, \[and thought:\] "Perhaps he knows good and ill fortune; I should go to him and ask whether this is true or not." He immediately set out for the World-Honoured One's place. Midway he thought again: "The great śramaṇa belongs to the royal caste, born and raised in the deep palace, and has not studied scholarship. The brāhmaṇas and others, who have been widely learned from youth, are still unable to know good and ill fortune; how could a śramaṇa know?" He was about to return home, when a deity spoke to the elder from mid-air: "You must only advance. Why turn back? The Tathāgata, the Great Sage, penetrates all things; if you go, he will certainly resolve your doubts. Go quickly without hesitation!" He then went forward to the Buddha's place, made obeisance, and after greeting him, reported: "As just stated, I do not know whether this bodes good or ill?" The Buddha told the elder: "It is auspicious, with nothing disadvantageous, to have borne a son of such merit. When this child reaches the age of twenty, he will leave home to practice the Path, always accompanied by five hundred boys. He will attain arhatship and return to deliver his parents." Hearing what the Buddha said, the elder leaped with joy and could not contain himself, returning home at once. He prepared savory delicacies and invited the Buddha to his house: "May the World-Honoured One grant a name to the young child." The Buddha told the elder: "If I were to name him 'Heaven', people would not understand. If I were to name him 'Sage', ordinary people would not understand. In the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, spirits were called sīvali; now he should properly be named Sīvali. 'Sīvali' means one who understands and communicates the speech and voices of ghosts and spirits. Therefore he is named Sīvali." When Ānanda was approaching parinirvāṇa, he delivered two disciples: the first was named Majjhantika, and the second was named Mahinda. Mahinda was an earthly king; had he not become a śramaṇa, he would have ruled this Jambudvīpa and the other three continents, hence he was named Mahinda. Ānanda instructed this disciple: "Go to the country of the Lion Island (Siṃhala) to propagate and illuminate the Buddha's Dharma." The people of that country had intercourse with rākṣasas and required written scripts before they could communicate and trade. Among the sixty kinds of scripts, there was a ghost script called Abhu and a human phonetic script called Ara. Mahinda, receiving the instruction, went there and propagated the Buddha's Dharma, and the traces of his teaching exist down to this day. Sīvali's communication with ghosts and spirits was also like this; hence he was named Sīvali. As for why Sīvali's merit is praised: when he was born, he emerged naturally holding a maṇi jewel in both hands. Formerly, in the time of Vipaśyin Tathāgata, this monk was a merchant who went out to sea to gather jewels. Passing through five perils, he reached the place of gems, obtained a precious pearl, returned, and offered it to the Buddha, making a vow that wherever he was born he would spontaneously receive recompense. By this cause and condition, his birth was extraordinary: \[another child born with him had a pearl\] valued at twenty koṭis, which was spontaneously born attached to his ear at the time of birth; the father assembled merchants to inquire into its value, and the merchants evaluated it, saying: "It is worth twenty koṭis." But Sīvali's hand-held jewel was limitless; hence it was called priceless. The nourishment provided by his jewel extended to seven generations, and through seven generations they suffered no want or lack; therefore he is called foremost in merit. At the age of twenty, he left home to study the Path. When he came to the World-Honoured One, the Buddha said, "Come, monk!" and he immediately became a śramaṇa. Contemplating the four noble truths, he attained arhatship. At that time, five hundred boys also left home to practice the Path and constantly attended upon Sīvali. Sīvali supplied these five hundred people with robes and food; wherever they went, offerings were never lacking, and wherever they wandered, they were always provided for. South of the city of Rājagṛha, there was a great, deep mountain, in which were many poisonous insects, tigers, wolves, and rākṣasas. He thought to himself: "I wish to dwell in seclusion in this mountain for a season." Śakra Devānām Indra, knowing his thought, immediately created five hundred rooms and a saṅghārāma in the mountain, providing various offerings for another season. When the summer retreat was completed, he thought: "I have been away for a long time; I should return to pay homage." The weather was extremely hot, and he thought of having coolness; Śakra, knowing this, immediately brought down clouds and rain. When he felt a slight desire for drinks, nectar fell at once. Whatever he wished for arrived in response to his thought; therefore he is said to be foremost in merit. Sīvali had a paternal uncle who served heterodox brahmacārins, who was by nature stingy and disliked giving. At that time, friends and relatives advised him to accumulate provisions for future lives, whereupon he invited several thousand brahmacārins and gave them a hundred thousand ounces of gold. Sīvali thought: "My uncle is stingy and greedy, creating no merit in this life. Even if he practices giving, he does not meet a fertile field. If I do not deliver him, he will be abandoned forever." He then went to his house holding his bowl to beg for food. The uncle said: "Why have you come so late? Yesterday I made a great giving. Had you come yesterday, you could have received a saṃkakṣikā." \[Sīvali\] said: "I have my own saṃkakṣikā and do not need one." "Why have you come, then?" He said: "I wish to beg for food." At that time, his uncle would not give, whereupon \[Sīvali\] manifested his body in mid-air and displayed eighteen transformations, his body emitting water and fire. The elder thought: "He must be angry. What if he burns down my house?" He immediately called him down and offered him a seat. Sitting down, \[Sīvali\] said: "I wish to have food." \[The uncle\] then gave him foul and wretched food. He received it at once, recited an auspicious prayer, and ate it. As the food entered the bowl, moved by his merit, it transformed into nectar. A deity above praised him, saying: "Excellent, elder! You have indeed made a great giving, a giving of merit that none can surpass." The elder thought: "Previously I gave a hundred thousand ounces of gold to the brahmacārins, and no one praised me. Now, for giving this little bit of wretched food, I am praised as having done well. Could this be a lie?" The deity spoke to him again: "Although what was given was small, the field of merit is excellent; therefore it is called a great giving." The elder thought again: "The deity must be speaking the truth, since he has told me a second time." He immediately gave a hundred thousand ounces of gold to Sīvali. Sīvali said: "According to the monastic rules, I ought not to accept gold." He promptly went to the Buddha to ask about the matter. The Buddha answered: "You may take it, and redistribute it as a gift as you wish." He then accepted the gold and gave it to his fellow students. He expounded the Dharma to his uncle, who thereupon attained the stage of entering the stream. Being able to transform foul and wretched food into nectar, he is called foremost in merit. From his birth until nirvāṇa, he was never in want; and when he entered parinirvāṇa, various sweet dishes, food, and drink rained down upon his body. Why was it like this? Because having sufficient for himself, he further wished to bestow moisture upon sentient beings. For this reason too, he is called foremost. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5.7) - [Next: 5.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5.9) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507~en-mt.5.8) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1507.5.8) · Pramāṇa