妙法蓮華經文句 1.147

1.147

"Mahākātyāyana" is translated here as "Literary Ornament", and also as "Shoulder-Vehicle". Some say this character is an error and it should be "Fan-Cord"; also "Fine-Shouldered"; also named Kola. "Kola" is translated here as "Superior Reflection". These are all names derived from his clan. The Ekottarika-āgama says: "Foremost in skillfully analyzing meanings and widely expounding the teachings of the Way is Kātyāyana." As the Dīrgha-āgama says: "There was a non-Buddhist who clung to the view of annihilation, maintaining that there is no other world. In all, there were ten rounds of questions and answers. The non-Buddhist said: 'There is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Are the sun and moon of today celestial or human? Belonging to this world or another world? If there were no other world, there would be no tomorrow.' Again he asked: 'I see that people who die do not return; how can it be said that they suffer torment? Therefore I know there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Like a criminal placed under arrest, would he be able to return home or not?' Again he asked: 'If they are born in heaven, why do they not return? Therefore I know there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Like a person who falls into a privy and manages to get out, would he be willing to enter the privy again? Furthermore, one day in heaven is equal to a hundred years here. When born there for three to five days, one has no leisure to think of returning; and even if someone were to return, you would already have perished—how could you know of it?' Again he asked: 'I have boiled a criminal in a cauldron with a tight lid over it, watching him, and did not see a spirit emerge. Therefore I know there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'When you sleep in the daytime and someone is by your side, do they see your spirit leave or not?' Again he asked: 'I have flayed a dead man's skin, sliced his flesh, and crushed his bones, searching for a spirit and finding none. Therefore I know there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Like a child splitting firewood into tiny pieces in search of fire, could he find any or not?' Again he asked: 'When I weigh a dead man, he is heavier; if the spirit had departed, he should be lighter. If no spirit departed, then there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Just as when fire combines with iron, the iron is light, and when the iron loses the fire, it is heavy; when a human is alive and has a spirit, he is light, and when he dies and loses the spirit, he is heavy.' Again he asked: 'I have seen a dying person tossing and turning, yet searching for a spirit I could not find it. Therefore I know there is no other world.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Like a person turning over a conch shell searching for the sound, could he find the sound?' Again he asked: 'Although you refute this in various ways, I have clung to this for a very long time and cannot abandon it.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Like a person gathering wild grains: first seeing hemp, he takes the hemp; next he discards the hemp and takes hemp bark; next he discards the hemp bark and takes thread; next he discards the thread and takes cloth; next he discards the cloth and takes silk; next he discards the silk and takes silver; next he discards the silver and takes gold. Discarding the inferior and taking the superior, why can you not abandon it?' Again he asked: 'Not only do I say so, but everyone else says so too; why do you say I am wrong?' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'Two merchants encountered a ghost. The ghost took human form and said: "The road ahead has abundant grain and ample grass; why carry these burdens?" One merchant discarded his, and on the road ahead the men and oxen all starved, and were ultimately devoured by the ghost. The other merchant said: "If we obtain new grain and grass, we can discard the old grain and grass." Neither the men nor the oxen were eaten by the ghost. The false assertions of people are like the ghost's deceptive words. You do not accept my words, which is like discarding the old grain and grass; now that you have obtained the new, why not discard the old?' Again he asked: 'I cannot abandon it; if you urge me to, I will become angry.' [Kātyāyana] answered: 'You are like a pig farmer who found dung on the road and carried it back on his head. On the road he met with rain, and the sludge ran down, dirtying his head. When a bystander told him to discard it, he instead became angry at him, saying: "Because you do not raise pigs, you tell me to discard it!" and got angry with the one who advised him.' In this way, analyzing and refuting round by round and expounding various meanings at length, the non-Buddhist was subdued and praised him, saying: 'When the Venerable One spoke previously of the sun and moon, I had already understood; wishing to hear your wise eloquence, I raised objections round by round. Excellent! A wonderful explanation!'" Kātyāyana's skill in debating principles was just like this.