勝鬘寶窟 1.28

1.28

祇樹給孤獨園者，此第二別處。就文為二：一者祇樹、二給孤獨園。祇謂祇陀。三藏云：「外國云鳩摩羅陀，此云童真太子。又言祇陀者，此翻戰勝。昔有賊欲破舍衛，舍衛國主與賊交戰，遂使勝賊。因戰勝日仍生太子，故字為戰勝。」太子捨此樹處，為佛起立門樓，故云祇樹也。給孤獨園者，有長者名須達多。有人言：須謂須陀洹，其人得須陀洹果，故以為名。今謂不爾，未見佛時已名須達也。須達是外國語，此名善與。彼家父母乞子，禱祠神祇，遂生此子。以善神授與，故名善與。彼土曾十二年不雨，其人巨富，拔濟孤獨，從德立名，稱給孤獨也。以黃金布地，市得此園，名給孤獨園。又給孤獨，敘其下愍；以金市園，標其上敬。又給孤獨，敘其能濟悲田；市園造寺，敘其能供敬田。又給孤獨，敘其未見佛時修善；市園，明其見佛已後殖福。必是大權，故有斯盛德。問：國為通處、園為別處，而前通後別；樹為別處、園為通處，何故前別後通？答：祇陀為君、須達為臣，是君臣次第，不就通別前後也。又祇樹是門處故前明，園是精舍故後舉。又祇陀是本稱，給孤是末名。問：何因造立精舍？答：餘經廣說須達長者有七男兒，六已婚竟。為第七兒婚，往王舍城，因得見佛，遂獲初果，仍請佛還舍衛。佛命身子與其俱還，以黃金滿八十頃市得此園。此園在舍衛城南，去城一千步。三藏云：「須達為過去第四鳩留村馱佛，已於此地起精舍。爾時此地廣四十里，佛及人壽四萬歲，須達爾時名毘沙長者，以黃金版布地，寶衣覆之，供養佛也。」第五拘那含牟尼佛，人及佛壽三萬歲，爾時須達名太家主長者，以銀布地，滿中乳牛牛子以為供養，爾時地廣三十里。第六迦葉佛壽及人壽二萬歲，須達爾時名大悉長者，以七寶布地，地廣二十里為供養。第七釋迦佛及人壽百歲，地廣十里，以金布地用為供養。彌勒佛出世，地還廣四十里，以七寶布地為供養。佛及人壽八萬歲，須達爾時名儴伽王，儴伽此云螺，其色白如螺，出家得成羅漢。問：餘經皆有第六同聞，今何故闕耶？答：一云佛說經時在於宮內，無聲聞菩薩，唯下有婇女、上有諸天。不足為證。古注云：良以勝鬘淵悟超絕、獨感至聖，不參凡學也。又如來現證，傳天帝，阿難是末，故不列也。後付囑經時，囑經時囑為？唯有阿難及以帝釋。亦不足為證。故無同聞眾也。二解云亦有同聞，即此經文云「如來光明普照大眾，及天人修羅」，而不列者，為略故也。又此經本有四卷，今存略有一卷。

Regarding "Jeta's Grove and Anāthapiṇḍada's Park": this is the second, specific place. Dividing the text, there are two parts: first, Jeta's Grove; second, Anāthapiṇḍada's Park. "Jeta" refers to Prince Jeta. The Tripiṭaka master says: "In foreign languages it is called Kumāralāta, which here means the Youthful Crown Prince. It is also said that 'Jeta' is translated here as 'Victorious in Battle'. Formerly, bandits sought to sack Śrāvastī; the king of Śrāvastī engaged in battle with the bandits and succeeded in conquering them. Because the crown prince was born on that very day of victory in battle, he was named Victorious in Battle." The prince renounced the ground beneath these trees and erected a gate-tower for the Buddha; hence it is called Jeta's Grove. Regarding Anāthapiṇḍada's Park: there was an elder named Sudatta. Some people say: "'Su' refers to srotāpanna; because he attained the fruit of a srotāpanna, it was taken as his name." Now I say this is not so: before seeing the Buddha, he was already named Sudatta. Sudatta is a foreign word, translated here as "Well-Given." His parents prayed and offered sacrifices to the gods seeking a child, and then gave birth to this boy. Because he was bestowed by a good deity, he was named "Well-Given." In that land, it once did not rain for twelve years; the man was enormously wealthy and rescued the destitute and lonely (anātha). Establishing his name from this virtue, he was called "Anāthapiṇḍada" (Giver to the Destitute). By covering the ground with yellow gold, he purchased this park, naming it Anāthapiṇḍada's Park. Furthermore, "Anāthapiṇḍada" recounts his compassion toward those below; purchasing the park with gold marks his reverence for those above. Moreover, "Anāthapiṇḍada" recounts his ability to relieve the field of compassion; purchasing the park to build a monastery recounts his ability to provide for the field of reverence. Moreover, "Anāthapiṇḍada" recounts his cultivation of goodness before seeing the Buddha; purchasing the park clarifies his planting of merit after seeing the Buddha. He was certainly one of great provisional manifestation, and therefore possessed such abundant virtues. Question: The country is the general place and the park is the specific place, so the general precedes the specific; yet the grove is a specific place and the park is a general place—why does the specific precede the general here? Answer: Jeta was the lord and Sudatta was the minister; this follows the order of lord and minister, and does not concern the sequence of general and specific. Furthermore, Jeta's trees formed the gate area and are therefore explained first, while the park was the monastery itself and is therefore mentioned after. Moreover, Jeta was his original name, while "Anāthapiṇḍada" was a subsequent designation. Question: Why did he build the monastery? Answer: Other sūtras explain at length that Elder Sudatta had seven sons, six of whom were already married. In arranging the marriage of his seventh son, he traveled to Rājagṛha, where he had the opportunity to see the Buddha and immediately attained the first fruit. He then invited the Buddha to return to Śrāvastī. The Buddha commanded Śāriputra to return with him, and by covering eighty qing [of land] with gold, he purchased this park. This park is south of the city of Śrāvastī, one thousand paces from the city. The Tripiṭaka master says: "For Krakucchanda Buddha, the fourth Buddha of the past, Sudatta had already erected a monastery on this land. At that time, this land was forty li wide; the lifespan of the Buddha and humans was forty thousand years; Sudatta was then named Elder Viśā, and he covered the ground with slabs of yellow gold and draped them with precious garments to make offerings to the Buddha." Under the fifth Buddha, Kanakamuni, the lifespan of humans and the Buddha was thirty thousand years; Sudatta was then named Elder Dajiazhu, and he covered the ground with silver and filled it with dairy cows and calves to make offerings; at that time the land was thirty li wide. Under the sixth Buddha, Kāśyapa, the lifespan of the Buddha and humans was twenty thousand years; Sudatta was then named Elder Daxī, and he covered the ground with the seven treasures across an area twenty li wide to make offerings. Under the seventh Buddha, Śākyamuni, the lifespan of humans is one hundred years, the land was ten li wide, and he covered the ground with gold to make offerings. When Maitreya Buddha appears in the world, the land will again be forty li wide, covered with the seven treasures to make offerings; the lifespan of the Buddha and humans will be eighty thousand years; Sudatta will then be named King Śaṅkha—'Śaṅkha' here meaning 'conch', for his color will be as white as a conch—and he will go forth from household life and attain the state of an arhat. Question: Other sūtras all have the sixth [criterion], the assembly of fellow hearers; why is it missing here? Answer: One explanation says that when the Buddha spoke the sūtra he was inside the palace; there were no śrāvakas or bodhisattvas, only court ladies below and devas above. These are insufficient to serve as witnesses. An old commentary states: "Truly it is because Queen Śrīmālā's profound awakening was transcendent, and she alone moved the Supreme Sage, unmingled with ordinary practitioners." Furthermore, the Tathāgata personally bore witness and transmitted it to the Lord of the Devas; Ānanda was later, so he is not listed. Later, when entrusting the sūtra, to whom was the entrustment made? There were only Ānanda and Śakra. These are also insufficient to constitute the regular assembly. Hence there is no assembly of fellow hearers. A second explanation says that there was indeed an assembly of fellow hearers, as this sūtra text itself says, "The Tathāgata's light shone universally upon the great assembly, as well as devas, humans, and asuras"; that they are not listed is merely for brevity. Furthermore, this sūtra originally had four rolls, but the extant version is an abridgement in one roll.