觀彌勒上生兜率天經贊 1.7

1.7

Second, concerning the origin of the Maitreya's disposition: According to the correct Sanskrit text, it should be Maitreya, which translates here as 'Benevolence' (ci). The ancient [renderings] Midihe or Mile are both phonological errors. According to the sixteenth fascicle of the *Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish*, he 'was born in the village of Kapali in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, into the family of the chief minister,' which is what the *Sūtra on Ascent to Birth* refers to as 'the family of the great brahmin Bāvarī in the village of Kapali.' At his birth, he already possessed the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs; his body was purple-gold in colour, and his appearance was exceedingly noble. The chief minister rejoiced and summoned a physiognomist to examine him. Once the physiognomist saw him, he repeatedly praised his excellence. Intending to give him a name, he then inquired about the signs at the time of his birth. The father answered him, saying: 'His mother was by disposition irritable, but since conceiving this child, she has been benevolent and compassionate toward those who suffer distress.' The physiognomist divined: 'This, then, is the child's aspiration.' For this reason, he bestowed the name Maitreya. If this name is analyzed, it should be Maitreyī. 'Maitreyī' is a feminine form. Because the mother's nature was benevolent, he was named Maitreya ('the Benevolent One'). His parents loved and esteemed him, and his renown was heard far and wide. King Brahmadatta felt distressed and fearful in his heart, dreading that [the boy] might usurp his kingdom; he waited until he had not yet grown up, intending to subdue him. The palace attendants, having learned of this, secretly informed the parents, who privately sent him to his maternal uncle to avoid the peril and pursue his studies. The uncle was named Bāvarī; leading five hundred disciples, he was studying the Path in another region. Uncle, nephew, master, and disciples were exceptionally intelligent; within a few years, they had mastered the scriptures. Later, hearing that a Buddha had appeared in the world, the uncle sent Maitreya and others, sixteen people in all, to go to the Buddha's place and ask four questions: first, asking about the marks; second, asking about his age; third, asking about his disciples; fourth, asking about his clan. When Maitreya had finished asking, the Tathāgata answered them completely, and Maitreya was filled with joy. The Buddha then further transformed the other fifteen people, so that they attained purity of the Dharma-eye; they all rose from their seats and together requested to renounce the household life. The Buddha said, 'Welcome,' whereupon their robes were adorned and their hair fell away; when he expounded [the teaching] further with skillful means, they all attained the fruit of arhatship. Only Maitreya did not enter their ranks. Later, he accompanied the World-Honoured One to travel through the kingdom of Kapilavastu. Mahāprajāpatī personally spun and wove a golden-cloth kaṣāya robe, holding it with concentrated mind to present it [to the Buddha]. The World-Honoured One would not accept it, instructing her to offer it to the Saṅgha. When it went in sequence through the Saṅgha, no one dared to take it; when it reached Maitreya's place, he at once accepted it. Clad in the golden cloth, he accompanied the Buddha on his teaching tour; his body was purple-gold and his robe was woven with golden splendour, the inner and outer matching each other. As he made his rounds begging for food, carrying his bowl through the streets and lanes, onlookers never tired of gazing upon him; yet although all revered and rejoiced in him, no one gave him food. There was a pearl-piercer who took him back to make an offering to him; the wife came and scolded him angrily, saying: 'You have lost the profit of piercing pearls.' Maitreya obtained a pearl, brought it back, and showed it to the assembly, expounding extensively on the blessed retribution arising from past offerings. Taking the occasion of Aniruddha, the Buddha recounted past events, and thereupon predicted the future deeds of Maitreya. Because Maitreya will later become a Buddha, he is still called Maitreya. Ānanda asked the Buddha about the origin of the name Maitreya. The Buddha said: 'Long ago in this Jambudvīpa, there was a great king named Dharmaruci, which translates as 'Love of Dharma.' At that time there was a Buddha named Puṣya. There was a bhikṣu who entered the loving-kindness samādhi; his physical form was tranquil and radiated bright light. The king asked: 'What concentration has this monk entered to achieve this?' The Buddha said: 'He has entered the concentration of loving-kindness.' The king's joy doubled, and he said: 'How majestic is this concentration of loving-kindness! I shall practice it, unbroken life after life.' The former King Dharmaruci was this very Maitreya. Having generated the aspiration then, he was ever called Maitreya; through prolonged practice it became his nature, and the Buddha called him Maitreya.' Furthermore, the *Sūtra on the Loving-Kindness of the All-Knowing Luminous Ṛṣi* states: The Buddha was residing in the realm of Magadha, at the bodhimaṇḍa of complete extinction, in the monastery of the Īśvara Temple in the village of the daughter of Megha. At that time, the Buddha was walking mindfully in the forest with twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus. Maitreya Bodhisattva, endowed with golden marks and radiating silver-coloured light, adorned with yellow gold like a mountain of white silver, came to the Buddha's place. Five hundred ascetics with matted hair and others saw Maitreya from afar, threw themselves to the ground in veneration, and addressed the Buddha, inquiring: 'Maitreya's radiance is equal even to that of a Buddha; before which Buddha did he first generate the thought of awakening?' The Buddha said: 'Ascetics! In the distant past, immeasurable and boundless asaṃkhyeya kalpas ago, there was a world named Utpalapuṣpasaṃkusumita, and a Buddha named Maitreya, who constantly taught and transformed all beings with the four immeasurable states of loving-kindness. The sūtra was named *The Light of Loving-Kindness Samādhi and Ocean-Cloud of Great Compassion*; those who heard it would surely transcend the transgressions of ten billion kalpas and attain Buddhahood without doubt. At that time, there was a great brahmin named Sarvajñaprabha, accomplished in the sixty-four arts, of great wisdom and broad understanding. When he heard that Buddha expound that sūtra, he immediately raised difficult objections; unable to refute it, he then gave rise to faithful confidence and made a vow, saying: 'I vow to uphold that sūtra, and I will surely attain Buddhahood with the name Maitreya.' He at once renounced his home, entered a mountain valley, kept his hair long, and practiced brahma-conduct; for a full eight thousand years he begged for food and recited the sūtra. At that time, a star appeared, portending the king's lustful ruin. Comets swept across the sky, floods flowed incessantly, and [the hermit] could not obtain food by begging, remaining empty-handed for seven days. At that time, there were five hundred white hares in the forest. There were a mother hare and her son; seeing the ṛṣi without food, [the mother] said: 'The ṛṣi has not eaten for many days for the sake of the Dharma; the mountain of the Dharma is about to crumble, and the ocean of the Dharma is about to dry up. Now, for the sake of the Dharma, I should not spare my life.' She then said to the other hares: 'All conditioned things are impermanent. Sentient beings cherish their bodies, never yet having surrendered body and life for the sake of the Dharma. Now, I wish to serve as a great bridge for living beings, making an offering to this Dharma-master so that the Dharma may long endure.' Thereupon she uttered a verse, saying: