分別功德論 3.3

3.3

Accomplished by the ten powers and four fearlessnesses. In the past, an elder took his slave to pay homage to a stūpa, saying: "Namo to the World-Honoured One of the Ten Powers." The slave, paying homage behind him, said: "Namo to the Tathāgata of the Eleven Powers." The elder said: "The Tathāgata has precisely ten powers; why do you say eleven powers?" The slave said: "What harm is there in eleven powers? Just do not say nine powers. Saying eleven powers adds one more power; what fault is there in that?" The master fell silent and returned. He asked the Dharma masters: "How many powers does the Tathāgata have?" They replied: "Sometimes it is three powers, sometimes ten powers, and sometimes countless." Speaking from this, they are not limited to ten. The elder then went forth to study the Way, and emancipated the slave to be the master of the household. To say four is not a deficiency; to say countless is not a superfluity; it responds to the time and accords with beings, having no fixed standard.