法華文句記 2.10

2.10

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).'