觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 1.52

1.52

贊曰：第四、智慧內德眾也。梵云設利弗呾羅。設利，此云春鸎，亦云鶖鳥。弗呾羅云子。今訛略故，云舍利弗。母未懷子前言詞訥鈍，每共弟摩訶俱絺羅論議，常不如弟。懷子以去，辨捷難酬、捔論恒勝。以母多辨，號曰春鸎，春鸎即今百舌鳥也。是彼所生，故復稱子，亦云鶖子也。尊者，大婆羅門種，其父高才博識、深鑒精微，凡厥典籍莫不究習。其妻感夢，具告夫曰：「吾昨宵寐夢，感異人身被鎧甲、手執金剛，摧破諸山，退立一山之下。不知何所表？」夫曰：「夢甚善。汝當生男，達學貫世，摧諸論師破其宗致。唯不如一人，為作弟子。」果而有娠，母忽聰明，高論劇談、言無屈滯。尊者年始八歲，名擅四方。其性淳質、其心慈悲，朽壞結縛，成就智慧。與沒特伽羅子少而為相友，深厭塵俗未有所歸，於是與沒特伽羅子於珊闍耶外道所正修習焉。乃相謂曰：「斯非究竟之理，未能窮苦際也。各求明導，先甞甘露必同其味。」時大阿羅漢馬勝執持應器入城乞食，舍利子見其威儀閑雅，即而問曰：「汝師是誰？」曰：「釋種太子，厭世出家，成於正覺。是我師也。」舍利子曰：「所說何法？可得聞乎？」曰：「我初受教，未達深義。」舍利子曰：「願說所聞。」馬勝乃隨宜演說，舍利弗聞已即證初果，遂與其徒一百人，亦云二百五十人，往詣佛所。世尊遙見，指告眾曰：「我弟子中智慧第一，彼來者是。」至已頂禮，願從佛法。世尊告曰：「善來苾芻。」聞是語時，戒品具足。過半月後，復聞佛為長爪梵志說法，聞餘論而咸悟，遂證阿羅漢果。後阿難承佛告滅期，展轉相語，各懷悲感。舍利子深增戀仰，不忍見佛入般涅槃，遂請世尊先入寂滅。世尊告曰：「宜知是時。」告謝門人，亦至本生里。侍者沙彌遍告城邑，未生怨王及彼國人莫不風馳，皆悉雲會。舍利子廣為說法，聞已而去。於後夜分正意繫心入滅盡定，起已而寂滅焉。

The eulogy states: Fourth is the assembly of inner virtue of wisdom. In Sanskrit, it is Śāriputra. 'Śāri' is translated here as 'spring oriole', and also as 'heron' (qiū). 'Putra' means 'son'. Because of the current corrupted abbreviation, it is called 'Śāriputra'. Before the mother conceived the child, her speech was halting and clumsy; whenever she debated with her younger brother Mahākauṣṭhila, she was constantly inferior to her brother. After conceiving the child, her eloquence was swift and hard to match, and in debates she was always victorious. Because the mother was so eloquent, she was called 'Spring Oriole'—the spring oriole being the modern mockingbird. Because he was born of her, he is again called 'son', also called 'Son of the Heron'. The Venerable One was of great Brahmin caste. His father was of elevated talent and broad knowledge, possessing profound discernment of subtle intricacies; among all classical texts, there were none he had not thoroughly mastered. His wife had an evocative dream and fully reported it to her husband, saying: 'Last night in my sleep, I had a dream in which I felt a strange person wearing armor and holding a vajra in his hand, who broke through various mountains and then retreated to stand beneath a single mountain. I do not know what this signifies?' The husband said: 'The dream is very auspicious. You will give birth to a boy whose thorough learning will penetrate the world, who will crush all debaters and dismantle their tenets. He will be inferior to only one person, and will become his disciple.' When she indeed became pregnant, the mother suddenly became intelligent, engaging in lofty debates and fierce discussions without any hesitation in speech. When the Venerable One reached eight years of age, his fame spread in the four directions. His nature was pure and honest, his mind was compassionate; he broke apart bondages and perfected wisdom. He and the son of Maudgalyāyana were companions from youth; deeply weary of worldly dust, they had not yet found where to take refuge. Thereupon, he and the son of Maudgalyāyana engaged in correct cultivation under the non-Buddhist Sañjaya. Then they said to each other: 'This is not the ultimate principle; it cannot exhaust the bounds of suffering. Let us each seek an enlightened guide; whoever first tastes the ambrosia must surely share its flavor.' At that time, the great arhat Aśvajit, holding his alms-bowl, entered the city to beg for food. Śāriputra saw his elegant and leisurely deportment, approached him, and asked: 'Who is your master?' He replied: 'The prince of the Śākya clan, who, weary of the world, left home and attained complete enlightenment. He is my master.' Śāriputra said: 'What Dharma does he teach? May I hear it?' He replied: 'I have just recently received instruction and have not yet penetrated the profound meaning.' Śāriputra said: 'Please speak what you have heard.' Aśvajit thereupon expounded according to what was appropriate. Upon hearing it, Śāriputra immediately realized the first fruit, and thereupon, together with his disciples—one hundred people, also said to be two hundred and fifty people—went to the Buddha's place. The World-Honoured One saw them from afar, pointed, and told the assembly: 'The one who comes is foremost in wisdom among my disciples.' Having arrived, he paid homage and wished to follow the Buddha's Dharma. The World-Honoured One told him: 'Welcome, bhikṣu!' When he heard these words, his moral precepts were fully complete. Half a month later, he again heard the Buddha preach the Dharma for the Long-Nailed Wanderer (Dīrghanakha); hearing the rest of the discourse, he attained complete awakening and realized the fruit of an arhat. Later, when Ānanda received the Buddha's announcement of the time of his parinirvāṇa, they passed the word to one another, each harboring feelings of sorrow. Śāriputra felt even deeper longing and veneration, and, unable to bear seeing the Buddha enter parinirvāṇa, he asked the World-Honoured One to allow him to enter extinguishment first. The World-Honoured One told him: 'You should know that it is time.' He bade farewell to his disciples and also went to his native village. A novice attendant announced it throughout the cities and towns; King Ajātaśatru and the people of that country rushed like the wind, all gathering like clouds. Śāriputra expounded the Dharma extensively for them, and having heard it, they departed. In the final watch of the night, with his mind focused and restrained, he entered the concentration of cessation; emerging from it, he passed into extinguishment.