大方廣佛華嚴經隨疏演義鈔 50.7

50.7

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].