[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [妙法蓮華經文句](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718) › 2.37 # 妙法蓮華經文句 2.37 妙法蓮華經文句 2.37 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.37) 「阿難」，此云歡喜，或無染，淨飯王冀太子為金輪霸其宗社，忽棄國捐王，憂惱殆絕，魔來誑之：「汝子已死。」王哭云：「阿夷語既虛，瑞相亦無驗。」復有天來云：「汝子成佛。」王疑未決，須臾信報：「昨夜天地大動，太子成佛。」王大歡喜，白飯王奏云：「生兒。」舉國欣欣，因名歡喜，是為父母作字。阿難端正，人見皆悅，佛使著覆肩衣。有一女人將兒詣井，見阿難目視不眴，不覺以綆繫其兒頸。《中阿含》云：「四眾若聞阿難所說，若多若少無不歡喜，欲發問時先為謦咳，大眾皆歡喜。四眾若觀其默，行住坐臥，指撝處分，進止動轉皆歡喜。」阿難四月八日佛成道日生，侍佛得二十五年，推此佛年五十五，阿難年二十五。佛時求侍，五百請為如前說，眾勸阿難，阿難順從，五百皆歡喜。目連騰阿難三願，佛言：「預知譏嫌，求不受故衣食，欲自利益求出入無時。」佛印而許。佛言：「阿難勝過去侍，過去侍聞說乃解，今佛未發言，阿難已解如來意，須是、不須是皆悉能知。」故以法付阿難，如來歡喜。四天王各奉佛鉢，佛累而按之合成一鉢，四緣宛然而此鉢大重，阿難歡喜，荷持無倦。《中阿含》第七云：「阿難侍佛二十五年，所聞八十千揵度皆誦不遺，不重問一句。」念力歡喜。阿難隨佛入天人龍宮，見天人龍女，心無染著，雖未盡殘思而能不染，一切天人龍神無不歡喜。佛滅度後在師子床，迦葉大眾讚曰：「面如淨滿月，眼若青蓮華，佛法大海水，流入阿難心。」自誓坐入涅槃，住恐離車有怨，進恐闍王有怨。於恒河中，入風奮迅三昧，分身為四分：一與天，一與龍，一毘舍離，一阿闍世。阿育王禮阿難塔，奉千萬兩金，偈歎白：「能攝持法身，法燈故法住，念盛佛智海，故設上供養，念持多所聞，口出微妙語，世尊所讚歎，天人之所愛。」《增一》云：「知時明物，所至無疑，所憶不忘，多聞廣達，堪任奉持，阿難第一。」 > “Ānanda” translates here as “Joy,” or “Unstained.” King Śuddhodana had hoped that the crown prince would become a golden-wheel-turning king and dominate his dynastic realm, but when he suddenly abandoned the state and gave up the kingship, the king was overwhelmed with sorrow almost to the point of extinction. Māra came to deceive him: “Your son is already dead.” The king wept, saying: “Asita's words were false, and the auspicious signs had no verification.” Then another deity came and said: “Your son has become a Buddha.” While the king was still undecided in doubt, in a moment a message brought news: “Last night heaven and earth shook violently; the crown prince has become a Buddha.” The king rejoiced greatly. King Śuklodana presented a memorial: “A son has been born.” The entire kingdom was joyful, and so he was named Joy (Ānanda); this was the name given by his parents. Ānanda was handsome, and all who saw him were delighted; the Buddha had him wear robes covering his shoulders. A woman carrying her child went to a well; seeing Ānanda, she gazed without blinking and, without realizing it, tied the rope around her child's neck. The \*Madhyama-āgama\* says: “When the fourfold assembly hears what Ānanda expounds, whether much or little, none fails to rejoice. When he is about to ask a question, he first clears his throat, and the great assembly all rejoices. When the fourfold assembly observes his silence, his walking, standing, sitting, lying down, pointing and directing, advancing, stopping, moving, and turning, all rejoice.” Ānanda was born on the eighth day of the fourth month, the day of the Buddha's attainment of the Way. He served the Buddha for twenty-five years; deducing from this, when the Buddha was fifty-five, Ānanda was twenty-five. When the Buddha sought an attendant, the five hundred requested to serve as explained before. The assembly urged Ānanda, Ānanda complied, and all five hundred rejoiced. Maudgalyāyana relayed Ānanda's three vows; the Buddha said: ‘Anticipating criticism, he asks not to accept old robes or food; wishing to benefit himself, he asks to come and go at any time.’ The Buddha endorsed and granted them. The Buddha said: ‘Ānanda surpasses past attendants; past attendants understood only after hearing it spoken, but now, before the Buddha has even uttered a word, Ānanda has already understood the Tathāgata's intention, fully knowing what is needed and what is not.’ Therefore the Dharma was entrusted to Ānanda, and the Tathāgata rejoiced. The Four Heavenly Kings each offered a bowl to the Buddha; the Buddha stacked and pressed them into a single bowl, the four rims distinct, yet this bowl was extremely heavy; Ānanda rejoiced, carrying it without weariness. The seventh fascicle of the \*Madhyama-āgama\* says: ‘Ānanda served the Buddha for twenty-five years; he recited the eighty thousand skandhas he had heard without leaving out anything, never asking a single line twice.’ This was rejoicing through the power of mindfulness. Ānanda followed the Buddha into the palaces of devas, humans, and nāgas; seeing celestial maidens and nāga maidens, his mind was unstained; though he had not yet exhausted the residual defilements, he remained unstained, and all devas, humans, and nāga spirits rejoiced without exception. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, seated on the lion throne, Kaśyapa and the great assembly praised him, saying: ‘His face is like the pure full moon, / his eyes like blue lotuses; / the great ocean-water of the Buddha's Dharma / has flowed into Ānanda's heart.’ Making a vow himself, he entered nirvāṇa while sitting; remaining, he feared the Licchavis would harbor resentment; advancing, he feared King Ajātaśatru would harbor resentment. In the middle of the Ganges, he entered the wind-swift samādhi and divided his body into four portions: one for the heavens, one for the nāgas, one for Vaiśālī, and one for Ajātaśatru. King Aśoka paid homage to Ānanda's stūpa and offered ten million liang of gold, praising him in verse: ‘Able to uphold the Dharma body, / because of the lamp of Dharma, the Dharma abides. / Mindfulness holds the ocean of the Buddha's wisdom, / therefore we make the supreme offering. / Mindfully retaining the much that was heard, / his mouth uttered subtle words. / Praised by the World-Honoured One, / beloved of devas and humans.’ The \*Ekottarika-āgama\* says: ‘Knowing the right time and understanding things, going everywhere without doubt, never forgetting what is remembered, having heard much and reached broad understanding, capable of upholding \[the teaching\]—Ānanda is foremost.’” > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.36](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.36) - [Next: 2.38](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.38) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718~en-mt.2.37) — English, machine translation ## Linked texts (2) - [大智度論](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.prajnaparamita.pancavimsatisahasrika!mahaprajnaparamitopadesa*zh-kumarajiva.3.359) — Classical Chinese - [釋迦譜](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2040.1.205) — 僧祐, Classical Chinese --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.37](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1718.2.37) · Pramāṇa