無量壽經連義述文贊 1.35

1.35

經曰「以佛遊步佛吼而吼」者，述云：第二、因請起說。有二：初、身口略化；後、身口廣利。初又有三：初文請警物也。佛遊者，即身業化，現佛威儀遊化物故。如來所作已辦、無德不備，五眼清淨，觀諸世間堪受法者，即念羅摩子三垢微薄聞法得證，以佛眼觀命終七日，有天亦曰死經七日。後觀外道阿羅邏仙死經三日，空中天言死亦三日。後作是念：「五跋陀羅根性已熟，若聞開悟。」以佛眼觀，在鹿野苑中。從菩提樹向迦毘羅國波羅奈城，振動大千。伽耶城傍有一外道名阿字婆，問佛所師及以所往，如來備答。即北遊經伽耶城，城中有龍名曰善見，明日設齋。如來受訖，往盧醯多婆蘇都村，次至多羅聚落，次經婆羅村。如是遊歷，皆受長者居士飲食。次第而行至恒河邊，河水瀑集平流彌岸，飛騰虛空達于彼岸，至波羅奈城。於晨朝時，著衣持鉢入城乞食，請鹿園中。五跋陀羅遙見世尊，共相謂言不須承事，唯憍陳如不同眾心。佛近，五人皆違本要，無不起迎，皆言：「善來！長老請坐。」世尊坐已，語五人言：「我備種智，不得稱呼為長老也。」五跋陀羅請為沙門，佛言：「善來。」便成沙門，鬚髮長短如剃經七日，威儀整肅如百臈比丘。世尊入池澡浴已訖，思過去佛坐於何座而轉法輪。忽有千寶座從池涌出，即起恭遶初三高座，至第四座結跏趺座。時五跋陀羅坐於佛前，佛放大光照大千界召人天眾，地神神力令此道場縱廣正等七百由旬，欲色諸天將八萬四千寶師子座置道場中，各請世尊哀坐我座轉正法輪。十方無量拘胝菩薩、十方三千世界釋梵護世諸天，皆至佛所請轉法輪，愍眾生故，雨大法雨、建大法幢、吹大法螺、擊大法鼓。時有菩薩名曰轉法，持眾寶輪備有千輪，莊嚴綺麗放千光明，過去諸佛皆有此輪，然後轉法奉上如來。如來於初夜默然而過。於中夜分安慰大眾，喚五跋陀羅言：「出家之人有二種障：一、心著欲境而不能離。二、不正思惟自苦其身。而求出離，當捨此二邊。」今聖教是佛吼，故云佛吼。吼即違彼經先稱德號略說中道故。今即略申二障，總說中道，故云佛吼。吼亦轉也。

Regarding the passage in the sūtra, "Moving with the strides of a Buddha, they roared with the roar of a Buddha": The Commentary states: This is the second [part], giving voice to the teaching in response to the entreaty. It has two [parts]: first, teaching briefly through body and speech; later, broadly benefiting through body and speech. The first also has three [parts]: the first text is the request that alerts beings. "Moving like a Buddha" refers to teaching through bodily karma, manifesting the deportment of a Buddha to travel and transform beings. The Tathāgata's work was already completed, with no virtue lacking; with his five eyes purified, he surveyed the worldly realms for those capable of receiving the Dharma. He thought of Rāmaputra, whose three defilements were slight and thin, and who upon hearing the Dharma would attain realization. Observing with his Buddha-eye, [he saw] that his life had ended seven days prior; a deva also said that seven days had passed since his death. He next observed the non-Buddhist sage Ārāḍa, who had been dead for three days; a deva in the sky also said that three days had passed since his death. He next thought: "The faculties of the five bhadravargīya [monks] have already matured; if they hear, they will awaken." Observing with his Buddha-eye, [he saw] they were in the Deer Park. Traveling from the bodhi tree toward the city of Vārāṇasī in the country of Kapilavastu, he shook the great trichiliocosm. Beside the city of Gayā, there was a non-Buddhist named Ājīvika, who asked the Buddha who his teacher was and where he was going; the Tathāgata fully answered him. Then he traveled north through the city of Gayā, in which there was a nāga named Sudarśana who offered a meal the following day. Having received it, the Tathāgata went to the village of Rohitavastu, next to the hamlet of Tāla, and next passed through the village of Bāla. Traveling in this manner, he received food from elders and householders along the way. Walking in sequence, he reached the banks of the Ganges. The river's waters were surging in a torrential flood brimming to its banks; he soared into the sky, reached the other bank, and arrived at the city of Vārāṇasī. In the morning, wearing his robe and holding his bowl, he entered the city to beg for food and was invited to the Deer Park. When the five bhadravargīyas saw the World-Honored One from afar, they said to one another that they should not wait upon him; only Kauṇḍinya did not share the group's mind. As the Buddha drew near, all five violated their original pact, none failing to rise and welcome him, all saying: "Welcome! Venerable Sir, please sit." Once the World-Honored One sat down, he addressed the five men: "I am fully endowed with the knowledge of all aspects; you must not address me as 'Venerable Sir.'" The five bhadravargīyas requested to become śramaṇas. The Buddha said, "Come!" and they immediately became śramaṇas, with their beards and hair at a length as if shaved seven days earlier, their dignified deportment solemn as if they were monks of a hundred rainy seasons. The World-Honored One entered a pool and finished bathing, then contemplated upon what seat past Buddhas had sat when turning the wheel of the Dharma. Suddenly, a thousand jeweled seats welled up from the pool. He arose, reverently circumambulated the first three high seats, and sat cross-legged upon the fourth seat. At that time, the five bhadravargīyas sat before the Buddha. The Buddha emitted a great light illuminating the great trichiliocosm and summoning the multitudes of humans and devas. Through the supernatural power of the earth spirit, this bodhimaṇḍa was made exactly seven hundred yojanas in length and breadth. The devas of the desire and form realms brought eighty-four thousand jeweled lion seats and placed them in the bodhimaṇḍa, each begging the World-Honored One: "Pity us, sit upon my seat, and turn the wheel of the true Dharma!" Innumerable koṭis of bodhisattvas from the ten directions, as well as the Śakras, Brahmās, and world-protecting devas of the three-thousandfold worlds in the ten directions, all came to where the Buddha was and entreated him to turn the wheel of the Dharma, for the sake of pitying sentient beings, raining down the great Dharma rain, raising the great Dharma banner, blowing the great Dharma conch, and beating the great Dharma drum. At that time, there was a bodhisattva named Dharmacakra, holding an array of jeweled wheels fully endowed with a thousand spokes, adorned and magnificent, emitting a thousand rays of light. All past Buddhas had this wheel, and only then did they turn the Dharma; he offered it to the Tathāgata. The Tathāgata passed the first watch of the night in silence. In the middle watch of the night, he comforted the great assembly, called the five bhadravargīyas, and said: "Those who have left household life have two kinds of hindrances: first, the mind attaches to sense objects of desire and cannot detach; second, improper contemplation brings suffering upon one's own body. Seeking liberation, one must abandon these two extremes." Now, the sacred teaching is the roar of the Buddha, hence it says "roared with the roar of a Buddha." The roar counters those sūtras that first extol the titles of virtue, by briefly explaining the Middle Way. Here, by briefly stating the two hindrances and summarily explaining the Middle Way, it is called the "roar of the Buddha." A roar is also a turning.