分別功德論 3.7

3.7

Mindfulness of devas refers to three kinds of devas: elevated devas, born devas, and pure devas (viśuddhideva). What are elevated devas? They refer to the wheel-turning sage kings, who are elevated by the multitude. The reason they are called devas is that because the sage kings have the ten wholesome actions to teach the world, causing people all to be born in heaven, being above ordinary humans they are therefore called devas. Some say: 'A sage king surpasses the Buddha. Why is this said? When a sage king governs the people of the world, none fall into the three wretched destinies; but when a Buddha appears in the world, the three wretched destinies are not severed. In this regard he is superior.' Or again, others say: 'The Buddha surpasses a sage king. The reason he is said to be superior is that a sage king teaches the world with the ten wholesome actions, not exceeding humans and devas; but when the Buddha appears to teach the world, one can attain nirvāṇa. In this regard he is superior.' What are born devas? From the Four Heavenly Kings up to the twenty-eight heavens, all who receive blessings are born devas. The reason they are called born devas is that revolving ceaselessly, they do not leave birth and death; hence they are called born devas. What are pure devas? They refer to the three persons: Buddhas, solitary awakened ones, and śrāvakas, who have all exhausted fetters and tendencies, transcended the three realms, and are pure and free of desire; hence they are called pure devas. The eight Śuddhāvāsa heavens surpass born and elevated [devas], but do not reach pure [devas], occupying the middle between them. They are what is admired in mindfulness of devas. There is also a principle by which one can attain nirvāṇa by relying on mindfulness of born and elevated [devas]. How so? In the city of Śrāvastī there was a lay believer and his wife who had no children or nephews. The two of them were vigorous, their minds mindful of the Three Jewels. Then the wife died early, and was immediately born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven as a goddess, beautiful beyond compare, with few equals in heaven. The woman thought to herself, 'Who is fit to be my husband?' Viewing the world with the divine eye, she saw that her former husband had left the household life to learn the path; advanced in age and of dull intellect, he was solely faithful, constantly taking the sweeping of stūpas and temples as his practice. Seeing his diligence, he should by rights be born in heaven and must become my husband again. At that time, sitting at night in a quiet room in contemplation, [the monk] suddenly saw a light; finding it extraordinary, he raised his head, looked up, and saw a goddess. He asked where she came from and why. The goddess answered, saying: 'I come from up in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Formerly I was your wife, and now I am a goddess. In heaven there is none fit to be my husband; observing your vigour, you should become my husband again, and therefore I have come to make my intention known.' Having spoken, she suddenly disappeared and returned to heaven. From then on, the old monk redoubled his vigour, and furthermore repaired and renovated old temples. Day and night without laxity, accumulating merits, his blessed virtue became ever more superior, so that he was due to be born in the fourth, the Tuṣita Heaven. The goddess again observed him with the divine eye and saw that he was due to be born in the fourth heaven. She came again and said to him: 'The vigour you have accumulated has already surpassed my realm; I can no longer have you as a husband.' Having spoken, she went back. The monk redoubled his vigour even more than before: by day he walked in meditation, and by night he sat in dhyāna; his mind became ever clearer as he contemplated the Four Noble Truths, and before long he attained arhatship. This is what is meant by attaining nirvāṇa through mindfulness of devas.