分別功德論 1.9

1.9

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.