勝鬘寶窟 1.28

1.28

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.