中天竺舍衛國祇洹寺圖經 1.41

1.41

西門之西自分六院。南初東第一院，名他名他方三乘學人八聖道之院。東西二門，堂房林池，眾具備足。有鐘一口，可容二十石，形如此土晉州出者，身有八楞，下有一百二十角，角有一百二十寶珠。鐘形三分，下分黃金作口，紺瑠璃隱起；中分白銀頗梨隱起；上分瑪瑙天金雜作。鼻上金作象形二頭，又作三十三天形。其天居象頭上，天形五尺，以綠頗梨作戴銀天冠，天人手中各執白拂。至時象便鳴喚，諸人眾舉拂作舞，唱《八聖道》曲，歌詞釋提桓因作之。曲即八萬四千曲，詞亦有八萬四千詞。一曲治眾生煩惱病。三十三天唱此歌曲及舞一邊，然後舉拂唱奏《菩薩六度》歌詞竟，鐘即自鳴，聲聞中千世。聲中所說：「菩薩行八聖道，斷煩惱，一一智數行八聖道。」菩薩聞鐘皆起位地。王舍城及舍衛城有八千童子菩薩，年八歲，日別三時，來此院中聽佛說法。說法之時，鐘聲變為天琴，清如無比。諸修八正聞此聲，聽佛說法自開解。此鐘拘樓秦佛時，兜率天王所造。彼佛滅後，須彌山神收入金剛窟中。釋迦佛出世時，至祇洹供養。至夏三月安居之時，二十八天天諸童子有八百億，各奏天樂，從天而下，至此院中，聽佛說法。每年不絕，至今諸天猶至，故奏天伎樂。佛臨涅槃，告天童子曰：「我度女人，損我正法五百年，我滅度後，惡比丘尼不行八敬，速滅我法。汝當來此常奏天樂，令我正法久住於世。」諸天童子聞皆涕泣，不自勝持，咸曰：「不敢命。如何當來有惡比丘尼致令囑累？我等年年至此供養，不欲令法因此滅故。」

West of the western gate, it is divided into six courtyards. The first courtyard at the south on the eastern side is called the Courtyard of the Noble Eightfold Path for Śaikṣas of the Three Vehicles from Other Lands. It has east and west gates, and its halls, chambers, groves, and ponds are fully equipped with all implements. There is a bell capable of holding twenty dan, shaped like those produced in Jinzhou in this land; its body has eight facets, and below there are one hundred and twenty corners, each corner bearing one hundred and twenty precious gems. The shape of the bell is in three sections: the lower section is of yellow gold forming the mouth, with deep blue lapis lazuli in relief; the middle section has white silver with crystal in relief; the upper section is made of a mixture of agate and celestial gold. On the loop, gold is fashioned into the shape of a two-headed elephant, and also into the shapes of the Thirty-three Devas. These devas reside on the elephant's head; their forms are five feet tall, wearing silver celestial crowns made of green crystal, and each deva holds a white whisk in hand. When the time arrives, the elephant trumpets and calls, and the assembly of figures raise their whisks and dance, singing the song of the 'Noble Eightfold Path', the lyrics of which were composed by Śakra Devānām Indra. The melodies comprise eighty-four thousand melodies, and the lyrics also comprise eighty-four thousand lyrics. Each melody cures the afflictive illness of sentient beings. After the Thirty-three Devas sing these songs and dance on one side, they then raise their whisks and sing and perform the lyrics of the 'Bodhisattva Six Perfections'; when finished, the bell spontaneously rings, its sound heard throughout a middle chiliocosm. Expounded in its sound is: 'The bodhisattva practices the Noble Eightfold Path, cuts off afflictions, and with each and every knowledge factor practices the Noble Eightfold Path.' Bodhisattvas hearing the bell all advance in their stages. In Rājagṛha and Śrāvastī there were eight thousand child-bodhisattvas, eight years of age, who came to this courtyard three times a day to hear the Buddha expound the Dharma. When the Dharma was expounded, the sound of the bell transformed into a celestial zither, peerlessly pure. Those cultivating the eightfold correctness heard this sound, and listening to the Buddha's preaching, they opened up to understanding of their own accord. This bell was made by the king of the Tuṣita Heaven during the time of Krakucchanda Buddha. After that Buddha's parinirvāṇa, the Sumeru mountain spirit gathered it into the Diamond Cave. When Śākyamuni Buddha appeared in the world, it arrived at Jetavana to make offerings. When the three months of the summer retreat arrive, eight hundred billion celestial youths from the twenty-eight heavens, each playing celestial music, descend from heaven to this courtyard to listen to the Buddha expound the Dharma. Year after year without interruption, down to the present day the devas still arrive, playing celestial music and dance. When the Buddha was approaching parinirvāṇa, he addressed the celestial youths, saying: 'Because I ordained women, my True Dharma has been diminished by five hundred years. After my parinirvāṇa, evil bhikṣuṇīs will fail to observe the eight gurudharmas and quickly destroy my Dharma. You should constantly come here and play celestial music, causing my True Dharma to dwell long in the world.' Hearing this, the celestial youths all wept, unable to contain themselves, and all said: 'We would not dare disobey your command. How could evil bhikṣuṇīs in the future cause you such concern? We shall come here year after year to make offerings, not wishing the Dharma to be destroyed on their account.'