釋摩訶衍論 1.27

1.27

爾時馬鳴說此偈已，覩佛眼睛徐自命終。二者變化功德契經中作如是說：爾時世尊告馬鳴言：「我滅度後三百餘歲，汝當承我加力，以種種方便法利益安樂末代眾生。若我不加力，汝當不能自。」三者摩訶摩耶契經中作如是說：如來滅後六百歲已，九十六種諸外道等邪見競興，毀滅佛法。有一比丘名曰馬鳴，善說法要，降伏一切諸外道輩。四者常德三昧契經中作如是說：佛滅度後八百歲中，有一智人名曰馬鳴，或外道眾或佛家眾，破諸外道建立佛法。五者摩尼清淨契經中作如是說：佛涅盤後一百餘歲，馬鳴大士出現於世，守護正法安立佛幢。六者勝頂王契經中作如是說：如來成道第十七日，有一外道名曰迦羅諾鳩尸摩，變化其身作大龍王，出現八萬六千頭八萬六千舌，一時發起八萬六千相違難問問於如來，如來即作三重答說通彼切難。於是龍王又作十重問問於如來，如來即作百重答說通彼切難。如是問答已，佛告龍王言：「善哉善哉！馬鳴沙門。為護法城故，以破壞相建立佛法。耐也耐也，常如是修、常如是行，勿小遊行，普遍遊行。」於是龍王以其本形捨畜生相，無上尊前頂禮和南，歡喜之貌向佛世尊而說頌言：

At that time, having spoken this verse, Aśvaghoṣa gazed into the Buddha's eyes and slowly died of his own accord. Second, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Merits of Transformation: At that time, the World-Honoured One told Aśvaghoṣa: “More than three hundred years after my parinirvāṇa, you shall receive my sustaining power, and by various skillful means bring benefit and peace to the sentient beings of the final age. If I did not confer sustaining power, you would not be able to do so on your own.” Third, it is stated thus in the Mahāmāyā Sūtra: Six hundred years after the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa, the wrong views of the ninety-six kinds of non-Buddhists will contend and flourish, destroying the Buddha's Dharma. There will be a monk named Aśvaghoṣa who will skillfully expound the essentials of the Dharma and subdue all the non-Buddhists. Fourth, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Samādhi of Constant Virtue: Within eight hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, there will be a wise person named Aśvaghoṣa, among either the non-Buddhists or the Buddhists, who will refute the non-Buddhists and establish the Buddha's Dharma. Fifth, it is stated thus in the Mani Purity Sūtra: More than one hundred years after the Buddha's nirvāṇa, the Great Being Aśvaghoṣa will appear in the world, guard and protect the true Dharma, and erect the Buddha banner. Sixth, it is stated thus in the Sūtra of the Supreme Crown King: On the seventeenth day after the Tathāgata attained awakening, there was a non-Buddhist named Kāraṇakusuma who transformed his body into a great dragon king, manifesting eighty-six thousand heads and eighty-six thousand tongues, simultaneously raising eighty-six thousand contradictory and challenging questions to ask the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata then provided a threefold reply to resolve those acute difficulties. Thereupon the dragon king further raised tenfold questions to ask the Tathāgata, and the Tathāgata then provided a hundredfold reply to resolve those acute difficulties. After they had thus questioned and answered, the Buddha said to the dragon king: “Excellent, excellent, Śramaṇa Aśvaghoṣa! To protect the citadel of the Dharma, you establish the Buddha's Dharma through the appearance of destruction. Endure it, endure it! Always cultivate thus, always practice thus; do not wander in a limited way, wander everywhere.” Thereupon the dragon king resumed his original form, relinquishing his animal appearance, bowed his head in veneration before the Unsurpassed Honoured One, and with a joyful countenance addressed the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, in verse: