金剛般若疏 1.24.4

1.24.4

Śāriputra said: ‘In the past, at the time of Vipaśyin Buddha, you also built a vihāra for that Buddha on this ground, and these ants were born here; down to the present day, over ninety-one kalpas, they have received this same body without attaining liberation. Saṃsāra is long and distant; only merit is essential, and one cannot fail to be diligent.’ Therefore Śāriputra felt sorrow, and the elder felt pity. The elder built the vihāra, using exquisite sandalwood for fragrant clay in separate chambers, housing one thousand two hundred people across one hundred twenty locations. Having struck the gaṇḍī and set up the arrangements, he wished to go invite the Buddha. He further thought: ‘Above is the king of the country, who should be informed. If I do not report to him, there might be resentment.’ He went to report to King Prasenajit: ‘I have built a vihāra for the Buddha; may the Great King send an envoy to invite the Buddha.’ Hearing this, the king sent an envoy to Rājagṛha to invite the Buddha and the saṅgha, praying that they would visit and grace Śrāvastī. At that time, surrounded before and behind by the fourfold assembly, the World-Honoured One emitted light and shook the earth, arriving at Śrāvastī. As he approached the city wall, the entire great assembly, holding various offerings, went out to welcome and await the World-Honoured One. Having arrived, he emitted a great light and pressed down with his toes, shaking the entire trichiliocosm; musical instruments played without being struck, and all the deaf, blind, and crippled were healed. All the people rejoiced upon seeing the Buddha, and 1.8 billion people gathered at the Buddha’s place. At that time, the World-Honoured One expounded the medicine of the Dharma according to their ailments, and each attained the fruits of the path.’ Such were the circumstances of Sudatta’s construction of the vihāra. Regarding ‘Jeta’, Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha says: ‘In foreign lands it should be Kumāra-Jeta, which means Prince Kumāra. It is also said that Jeta means “victorious in battle”. In the past, bandits wished to conquer Śrāvastī, but King Prasenajit repelled and defeated the bandits. A palace attendant reported: “A prince has been born.” Thus he was named after this, hence the name Victorious in Battle.’ ‘Sudatta’ means ‘Good Giver’. His parents had no child and prayed to the spirits; they obtained a son in a dream, hence the name Good Giver. In that land, it had once not rained for twelve years, yet Sudatta was immensely wealthy and provided relief to the impoverished and destitute; therefore he was called the Elder Anāthapiṇḍada. Now as for ‘Jetavana Anāthapiṇḍadārāma’, this mentions both lord and minister, two names general and specific. Jeta is the lord’s name, and Anāthapiṇḍada is the minister’s designation; the trees are the specific location, and the park is the general place. Furthermore, Jeta’s trees are the gate area, hence explained first; the park is the vihāra, hence mentioned second. Furthermore, Jeta is the original name, and Anāthapiṇḍada is the later name. Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha says: ‘Sudatta had already built a vihāra on this ground for the past fourth Buddha, Krakucchanda. At that time, this ground was forty li wide, and the lifespan of the Buddha and humans was forty thousand years. Sudatta was then named Elder Viśākha, and he paved the ground with gold plates and covered them with precious robes to make offerings to the Buddha. At the time of the fifth Buddha, Kanakamuni, the lifespan of humans and the Buddha was thirty thousand years. At that time Sudatta was named Elder Mahāgṛhapati, and he paved the ground with silver, filling it with young dairy cows as an offering. At that time, the ground was thirty li wide. Under the sixth Buddha, Kāśyapa, the lifespan of the Buddha and humans was thirty thousand years; Sudatta was then named Elder Mahāvaṃśa, and he paved the ground with seven treasures, twenty li wide, to make offerings. Under the seventh, Śākya[muni] Buddha, the lifespan of the Buddha and humans is a hundred years, and the ground is ten li wide, paved with gold to make offerings here. When Maitreya appears in the world, the ground will again be forty li wide, paved with seven treasures to make offerings. The lifespan of the Buddha and humans will be eighty thousand years, and Sudatta will then be named King Śaṅkha. King Śaṅkha means Conch King, as his color will be as white as a conch. He will go forth from household life and become an arhat. Furthermore, one must know that this place is the site of prajñā, the resultant support of prajñā, just like Maitreya’s tower and like the fragrant city of Dharmodgata.’