[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) › [法華文句記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719) › 2.10 # 法華文句記 2.10 法華文句記 2.10 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2.10) 釋目連中「吉占」等者，父名吉占，其父初生時，相者占之言吉，因以為名。「目伽略兮度」五字，並是西音，故論第十釋如來語密中，引目連尋聲，彼佛告云：目伽路子度何故來此？目連乃答言等。乃是彼佛稱此五字而命目連，即是二土音輕重耳。文中「路」字者誤作「略」字，「子」字誤作「兮」字。「同名者多」者，如《中含》三十五云：「有算數目連，善知算法」。彼經佛在舍衛鹿母堂，算數目連中後仿佯至佛所問訊，却坐白佛：願有所問，佛言：恣汝所問。乃至云，我以算法存命，歸佛出家存本俗業故云也。瞿墨善知法相。目連不一，故別標大。見貴與取重，文語從異，其義一也，皆以德行重之耳。舍利弗才高而智明，目揵連族豪而神爽，爽亦明也。藝謂六藝，略如《釋籤》，然西方智藝有殊此土，以有得禪者故，故四韋陀所攝甚廣。此中因緣亦具四悉：初是世界，「釋論」去為人，「外道」下對治，「涅槃」下第一義。「左面弟子」者，所以以身子、目連為轉法輪左右弟子者，通因定生即定慧一雙，以此二法為一切法之根本，亦是福慧一雙；悲多現通，亦是悲智一雙，成破法輪準此可知。「簸峨」者，傾側貌也。有作「𧿽𨁟」、有作「𧿽𨁟」，並不見所出，準《文選．江海賦》云：「陽侯砐硪以岸起」，砐字（五合切）今作簸者，扇動意耳。「難陀」等者，《增一》二十八云：「佛在給孤獨園，帝釋白佛：如來在世應行五事，母在三十三天須行說法。佛默然受（云云）。於是便往（云云）。龍嗔放火大風，閻浮提洞然，阿難白佛：云何有此大煙火耶？佛具答。迦葉、那律等各起白佛，欲降此龍，佛皆言：此龍力暴難可化度，卿可安坐。目連白佛，佛亦止之。又問：汝云何降？答言：先以極大身恐怯，次以極小身鑽齧，然後以常身降之。佛言：善哉！汝能堪任。佛復誡言：固心勿亂，恐為所嬈。目連禮佛足至山上，現十四頭，繞山十四匝。龍見恐怖，自相謂言：我今試降為勝我不？二龍即以尾擲大海水，不至忉利；目連以尾擲水，水至梵宮，并灑二龍。二龍知劣，極大嗔恚，雷電霹靂放大火焰。目連自念：夫龍鬪者皆以煙火霹靂，設我亦爾，閻浮叨利悉皆被害。乃化為小形（云云）。二龍伏退，念言：四生龍中無出家者，此龍威力乃爾，身毛皆竪。尊者知龍心伏，乃復常身於龍眼𥇒上行，二龍於是始知非龍。歎曰：甚奇！甚奇！白目連曰：何為相惱？何所誡耶？目連曰：汝昨有念云：此禿沙門恒飛我上耶？龍曰：如是。目連曰：須彌山者是諸天路，非汝居處。龍曰：願恕其過，從今已去願為弟子。目連曰：汝莫歸我；歸我所歸。龍曰：我歸如來。目連將二龍至舍衛。目連曰：世尊今為無量大眾說法，莫作汝形。龍曰：如是。乃作端正人，佛為說法，為優婆塞。時波斯匿王來問煙火事（云云）。佛具答（云云）。王見二龍不起，二龍嗔，復念：國中人民於我無惡（云云）。二龍便於匿王宮上現大霹靂等，尊者變為優曇華；龍嗔復雨大山，復變為餅食；龍倍嗔而雨刀劍，復變為好衣；龍更嗔，復變為七寶。匿王不知，便云：閻浮有德不過於我，宮內常有如是等物，當作輪王乎？龍又自念：何無勢力一至如斯？念已始復知是目連之力，見已便去。王得七寶飯等不敢自受，將至佛所以事白佛。佛令供養目連，王得目連力。王問：何故爾耶？佛具答。王方知（云云）。」 > Regarding 'auspicious divination' and so forth in the explanation of Maudgalyāyana: His father was named Auspicious Divination. When his father was first born, a physiognomist divined him and said it was auspicious; hence this was taken as his name. The five characters 'Mù-qié-lüè-xī-dù' are entirely Western sounds. Therefore, the tenth fascicle of the Treatise, in explaining the secrets of the Tathāgata's speech, cites Maudgalyāyana pursuing the sound, where that Buddha addressed him, saying, 'Maudgalyāyanaputra, why have you come here?' Maudgalyāyana then replied, and so forth. That Buddha indeed uttered these five characters to address Maudgalyāyana; it is merely a difference in lightness or heaviness of pronunciation between the two lands. In the text, the character 'lù' (路) was mistaken for 'lüè' (略), and 'zǐ' (子) was mistaken for 'xī' (兮). Regarding 'many share the same name': as the Madhyama Āgama, fascicle thirty-five, says, 'There was Maudgalyāyana the Calculator, who was skilled in the methods of calculation.' In that sūtra, when the Buddha was at the Hall of the Mother of Mṛgāra in Śrāvastī, Maudgalyāyana the Calculator strolled over to the Buddha's place in the afternoon to pay his respects, sat back, and said to the Buddha, 'I wish to ask a question.' The Buddha said, 'Ask as you please.' It goes on to say, 'I preserve my life through the methods of calculation; having taken refuge in the Buddha and gone forth, I maintain my original secular occupation'—hence it is said. Gomat was skilled in the characteristics of dharmas. Because there was more than one Maudgalyāyana, 'Great' is separately designated. 'Being held in honor' and 'being regarded with esteem'—the wording of the text differs, but the meaning is identical; both regard them with esteem on account of their virtuous conduct. Śāriputra was of superior talent and clear wisdom; Maudgalyāyana was of noble lineage and crisp spirit—'crisp' also meaning clear. 'Arts' refers to the six arts, briefly as in the Expository Notes; however, the wisdom and arts of the Western regions differ from this land, because there are those who attain dhyāna, and therefore what is subsumed by the four Vedas is extremely vast. The causes and conditions here also possess the four siddhāntas: the first is mundane; from 'Explanatory Treatise' onward is for the individual; from 'Non-Buddhists' onward is antidotal; from 'Nirvāṇa' onward is the primary meaning. Regarding the 'disciple on the left side': the reason why Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana are made the left and right disciples for turning the wheel of Dharma is that penetrating \[wisdom\] arises from absorption, which is the pair of absorption and wisdom. Taking these two dharmas as the root of all dharmas, it is also the pair of merit and wisdom. Compassion often manifests supernormal powers, so it is also the pair of compassion and wisdom; the accomplishment and refutation of the wheel of Dharma can be understood accordingly. 'Bò-é' (簸峨) means an appearance of leaning and tilting. Some write it as 𧿽𨁟 and some as 𧿽𨁟; their sources are not found. According to the 'Rhapsody on the Rivers and Seas' in the Literary Selection, it says: 'Yanghou towered and surged (砐硪) as if rising on the shore.' The character 砐 (pronounced gé) is now written as bò (簸), merely carrying the sense of fanning and stirring. Regarding 'Nanda' and so forth: the Ekottarika Āgama, fascicle twenty-eight, says, 'When the Buddha was in Anāthapiṇḍada's Park, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, addressed the Buddha, saying: "While the Tathāgata is in the world, he should perform five tasks. His mother is in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, and he must go to expound the Dharma." The Buddha silently consented (and so on). Thereupon he went (and so on). The dragons grew angry and unleashed fire and great wind; Jambudvīpa was ablaze. Ānanda said to the Buddha, "Why is there such great smoke and fire?" The Buddha answered in full. Kāśyapa, Aniruddha, and others each arose and addressed the Buddha, wishing to subdue these dragons. The Buddha told them all, "The strength of these dragons is violent and difficult to convert; you may sit peacefully." Maudgalyāyana addressed the Buddha, and the Buddha also stopped him. The Buddha then asked, "How will you subdue them?" He answered, "First, I will terrify them with an extremely large body; next, I will bore into and gnaw them with an extremely small body; thereafter, I will subdue them with my ordinary body." The Buddha said, "Excellent! You are capable of this task." The Buddha further admonished him, "Steadfast your mind and do not be perturbed, lest you be troubled by them." Maudgalyāyana prostrated at the Buddha's feet and went to the mountaintop, manifesting fourteen heads and coiling around the mountain fourteen times. Seeing this, the dragons were terrified and said to each other, "Let us now test his surrender to see if he surpasses us." The two dragons then flung the waters of the great sea with their tails, but they did not reach Trāyastriṃśa; Maudgalyāyana flung the waters with his tail, and the waters reached the Brahmā palace and also sprinkled the two dragons. Knowing their inferiority, the two dragons became enraged, unleashing thunder, lightning, and great blazes of fire. Maudgalyāyana thought to himself, "Whenever dragons fight, they always use smoke, fire, and thunder. If I do likewise, both Jambudvīpa and Trāyastriṃśa will be harmed." He then transformed into a small form (and so on). The two dragons yielded and retreated, thinking, "Among dragons of the four modes of birth, none have gone forth; yet this dragon has such majestic power!" Their hair stood on end. Knowing that the dragons' hearts were subdued, the Venerable One resumed his ordinary body and walked upon the dragons' eyelashes. Only then did the two dragons realize he was not a dragon. They exclaimed, "How extraordinary! How extraordinary!" They said to Maudgalyāyana, "Why did you trouble us? What is your admonition?" Maudgalyāyana said, "Yesterday, did you think, 'Does this bald śramaṇa constantly fly above me?'" The dragons said, "It is so." Maudgalyāyana said, "Mount Sumeru is the path of the devas, not your dwelling place." The dragons said, "We beg you to forgive our transgression; from now on we wish to be your disciples." Maudgalyāyana said, "Do not take refuge in me; take refuge in what I take refuge in." The dragons said, "We take refuge in the Tathāgata." Maudgalyāyana led the two dragons to Śrāvastī. Maudgalyāyana said, "The World-Honoured One is now expounding the Dharma for an immeasurable great assembly; do not assume your dragon forms." The dragons said, "It shall be so." They then transformed into handsome humans; the Buddha expounded the Dharma for them, and they became upāsakas. At that time King Prasenajit came to ask about the smoke and fire (and so on). The Buddha answered in full (and so on). When the king saw the two dragons, he did not rise; the two dragons grew angry and thought again, "The people in this kingdom harbor no malice toward us (and so on)." The two dragons then manifested great thunderbolts and so forth above King Prasenajit's palace; the Venerable One transformed them into udumbara flowers. The dragons grew angry again and rained down great mountains; he transformed them again into cakes and food. The dragons became twice as angry and rained down knives and swords; he transformed them again into fine garments. The dragons grew even angrier; he transformed them again into the seven jewels. King Prasenajit did not know this and said, "There is no one in Jambudvīpa with greater virtue than me; since my palace constantly has such objects, am I to become a wheel-turning king?" The dragons thought to themselves again, "How could we be so powerless to such an extent?" Having thought this, they only then realized it was Maudgalyāyana's power, and having seen it, they departed. Having received the seven jewels, rice, and so forth, the king did not dare accept them himself, and brought them to the Buddha's place to report the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha told him to make offerings to Maudgalyāyana; the king had obtained Maudgalyāyana's power. The king asked, "Why is this so?" The Buddha answered in full. Only then did the king understand (and so on).' > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 2.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2.9) - [Next: 2.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2.11) - [Up: 2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719~en-mt.2.10) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.1719.2.10) · Pramāṇa