大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 50.7

50.7

疏「如香城粉骨、雪嶺忘軀」者，下句即《涅槃》，上句即《大般若》。《大般若》文廣，今依《大品》二十七略引。經云「佛告須菩提：『菩薩摩訶薩求般若者，當如薩陀波崙，此云常啼，欲求般若不惜身命。聞空中聲：「汝但東行，莫憚勞苦，即當得聞。」菩薩聞已作是念言：「令我東行，何時何處當聞般若？」即住立啼泣，經于七日。空中有佛，即語之言：「從此東行五百由旬，有城名眾香，彼有菩薩名曇無竭，此云法尚，日中三時宣說般若波羅蜜。」心念欲往，即得無量三昧法門。諸佛慰喻，忽然不現。欲見法尚，自念貧無以何供養，遂欲賣身。中路有城，以魔蔽故，並無人聞賣身之聲，唯有城中長者女聞。帝釋化為婆羅門云：「不要於人，唯要人血髓，用祀天神。」菩薩遂刺左臂出血、割右髀肉，復當破骨出髓。時長者女樓上遙見，下問其故。答云：「我欲供養法尚求聞般若。」女遂止之，許供所須，與共同往。帝釋即時復天身云：「我相試耳。欲求何願？」答云：「與我無上菩提。」帝釋言：「是佛境界，非我所能。更何所求？」答云：「乞令其身如故。」帝釋許之，平復如故。』」釋曰：此即粉骨。言香城者，彼眾香城七重。欲往彼故，又至彼城刺血灑地故。言雪嶺忘軀者，即《涅槃》第十四〈聖行品〉明。世尊昔在雪山修行，為求菩提。帝釋化為羅剎，去其不遠，遂說半偈云「諸行無常，是生滅法。」菩薩忽聞，攬髮舉視，遂見羅剎。初疑其人若聞此偈，不合受此可畏之身。又思：或於過去佛所曾聞。尋往問言：「汝於何處得是過去離怖畏者所說半偈？何處得此半如意珠？」羅剎言曰：「我饑讇言。」菩薩請言：「汝所說者義味不盡，為我說終。我當終身為汝弟子，供給所須。」又言：「我今饑苦，終不能說。」菩薩問言：「汝須何食？」羅剎答言：「我所飲者，唯人熱血。我所食者，唯人暖肉。我飛行處處而不能得。」菩薩請言：「但為我說。我聞偈已，以身奉施。」羅剎又言：「誰當信汝？」菩薩答言：「釋提桓因、大梵天王、得他心者諸佛菩薩以為證明。」次脫衣服以敷高座，羅剎坐已，為說餘半偈云「生滅滅已，寂滅為樂。」羅剎又言：「偈已說竟，當施我身。」菩薩是時深思此義，若石若壁、若樹若道書寫此偈，後昇樹投身而下。未至於地，虛空之中發種種聲稱歎菩薩，上至阿迦尼吒。天釋復本身，接之安置平地，稱讚：「善哉！真是菩薩，必成正覺，願見濟度。」禮足而去。因此乃超彌勒菩薩十二劫在先成佛。言「其類非一」者，如《菩薩本緣經》說。虔闍那梨王愛樂正法，廣召賢達，有婆羅門應召而至，令王剜身千燈。經停七日，廣集眷屬，遂剜千燈，燈如錢大，添滿油竟請說偈法。婆羅門說偈言：「常者皆盡，高者亦墮，合會有離，生必有死。」聞竟然燈，又發願言：「願成菩提，然大法燈，光明照於一切。」帝釋問云：「得無悔耶？」答言：「不悔。若不虛者，平復如故。」言畢平復。《賢愚經》第一亦有此緣，名虔闍婆梨，又有釘身千道。《涅槃》二十七亦有賣身重法之緣，恐繁不引。八十經中，普賢菩薩自說求法因緣，第三地中亦說求法內外無悋。

Regarding the commentary's words "Like crushing bones at the Fragrant City, and abandoning the body on the Snow Mountains": the latter clause is from the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra, and the former clause is from the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra. The text of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra is vast; here it is briefly cited following the twenty-seventh [fascicle] of the Pañcaviṃśatisāhasrikā Prajñāpāramitā. The sūtra says: "The Buddha told Subhūti: 'A bodhisattva mahāsattva who seeks prajñā should be like Sadāprarudita (here translated as Changti, 'Ever Weeping'), who in seeking prajñā did not spare his physical life. Hearing a voice in the sky saying, "Just travel east and do not fear toil and hardship; you will surely hear it," the bodhisattva, having heard this, had this thought: "I am told to travel east, but when and where will I hear prajñā?" He then stood weeping for seven days. A buddha appeared in the sky and spoke to him: "Five hundred yojanas east of here, there is a city named Gandhavatī (Fragrant City). There is a bodhisattva there named Dharmodgata (here translated as Fashang), who expounds the Prajñāpāramitā three times a day." With his mind wishing to go, he immediately attained immeasurable samādhi gateways. The buddhas consoled him and then suddenly disappeared. Wishing to see Dharmodgata, he reflected that he was destitute and had nothing with which to make an offering, so he resolved to sell his own body. Midway, there was a city, but because the māras obscured them, no one heard his cries offering his body for sale; only the daughter of an elder in the city heard him. Śakra transformed himself into a brahmin and said: "I do not need a person; I only need human blood and marrow to sacrifice to the heavenly deity." The bodhisattva thereupon pierced his left arm to draw blood, sliced the flesh of his right thigh, and was further about to break his bones to extract marrow. At that time, the elder's daughter saw him from afar atop a tower, came down, and asked the reason. He answered: "I wish to make an offering to Dharmodgata and seek to hear prajñā." The maiden then stopped him, promised to provide all that was needed, and went along with him. Śakra immediately restored his divine form and said: "I was only testing you. What wish do you seek?" He answered: "Grant me anuttarabodhi." Śakra said: "That is the realm of the buddhas, not within my power. What else do you seek?" He answered: "I ask that my body be restored as before." Śakra granted it, and he was completely healed as before.'" / Commentary: This is "crushing bones." As for "Fragrant City," that Gandhavatī City had seven tiers of walls. It is mentioned because he wished to go there, and also because upon arriving at that city, he sprinkled the ground with his own blood. As for "abandoning the body on the Snow Mountains," this is explained in the fourteenth chapter, the 'Chapter on Noble Practice,' of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra. In the past, the World-Honoured One was practicing in the Himalayas seeking bodhi. Śakra transformed himself into a rākṣasa, came not far away, and uttered half a verse: "All conditioned phenomena are impermanent; / This is the dharma of arising and ceasing." The bodhisattva, hearing this suddenly, drew up his hair and looked up, whereupon he saw the rākṣasa. At first, he wondered how a person who could hear such a verse could have taken on such a terrifying form. Then he thought: perhaps he heard it in the presence of a past buddha. He went to ask him at once: "Where did you obtain this half-verse spoken by the one free from fear in the past? Where did you obtain this half cintāmaṇi?" The rākṣasa said: "Out of hunger I spoke reckless words." The bodhisattva pleaded: "The flavor of the meaning of what you spoke is incomplete; please finish it for me. I will be your disciple for the rest of my life, supplying what you need." He said again: "I am now suffering from hunger; I can never speak it." The bodhisattva asked: "What food do you require?" The rākṣasa answered: "What I drink is only hot human blood; what I eat is only warm human flesh. I have flown everywhere without obtaining any." The bodhisattva pleaded: "Just speak it for me. Once I have heard the verse, I will offer my body to you." The rākṣasa said again: "Who will believe you?" The bodhisattva answered: "Śakra Devendra, Mahābrahmā, and the buddhas and bodhisattvas who possess cognition of others' minds shall bear witness." Then he took off his clothes to spread them as a high seat. Once the rākṣasa sat, he spoke the remaining half-verse for him: "Arising and ceasing having been extinguished, / Quiescent extinction is bliss." The rākṣasa said again: "The verse has been spoken; now offer me your body." At that time, the bodhisattva contemplated this meaning deeply, inscribed this verse upon rocks, walls, trees, and paths, and then climbed a tree and threw himself down. Before he reached the ground, various voices resounded throughout space praising the bodhisattva, reaching up to Akaniṣṭha. Śakra restored his original form, caught him, placed him on level ground, and praised him: "Well done! Truly you are a bodhisattva, destined to attain true awakening; may you see to my deliverance!" He bowed at his feet and departed. Because of this, [the Buddha] surpassed Bodhisattva Maitreya by twelve kalpas and attained Buddhahood first. / As for "there are many such instances," it is as told in the Bodhisattvāvadāna-sūtra: King Kāñcanasāra loved the true Dharma and summoned sages and worthy ones far and wide. A brahmin answered the summons, arrived, and demanded that the king hollow out a thousand oil lamps from his own flesh. After waiting seven days and assembling all his kin, he gouged out a thousand lamps, each the size of a coin, filled them with oil, and requested the exposition of the verse of Dharma. The brahmin spoke the verse: / "All that is permanent comes to an end; / All that is high must fall; / Where there is meeting there must be parting; / Where there is birth there must be death." / Having heard this, he lit the lamps and made this vow: "May I attain bodhi and kindle the great lamp of Dharma, its bright light illuminating all!" Śakra asked: "Do you have no regrets?" He answered: "No regrets. If this is not false, let me be restored as before." When he finished speaking, he was completely healed. Fascicle 1 of the Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish also contains this story, naming him King Kāñcanaprabhā, where he also had a thousand nails driven into his body. Fascicle 27 of the Mahāparinirvāṇa-sūtra also contains the story of selling one's body out of devotion to the Dharma, but for fear of prolixity it is not cited. In the eighty-fascicle sūtra, Bodhisattva Samantabhadra himself speaks of the causal conditions of seeking the Dharma, and in the third ground it is also said that in seeking the Dharma, one is without stinginess regarding internal and external [possessions].