樂邦遺稿 1.17

1.17

《勝鬘經》說，舍衛國有波斯匿王末利夫人之女，號曰勝鬘，妻于阿踰闍國王。末利言：「我女聰明利根，若見佛者，必速解法。」即遣使與書。勝鬘得書，即說偈曰：「仰惟佛世尊，普為世間出。亦應垂哀愍，必令我得見。」纔說此偈，釋迦即於空中現。勝鬘又讚曰：「如來妙色身，世間無與等，無比不思議，是故今敬禮。如來色無盡，智慧亦復然，一切法常住，是故我歸依。」勝鬘說偈陳述本懷，佛即為授記別，號曰普光如來等。天竺小本四聖懺乃用此偈讚佛，自大智大願力下，乃懺主撰述也。

The Śrīmālādevī-siṃhanāda-sūtra says that in the state of Śrāvastī there was a daughter of King Prasenajit and Lady Mallikā named Śrīmālā, who was married to the king of the state of Ayodhyā. Mallikā said: "My daughter is intelligent and possesses sharp faculties; if she sees the Buddha, she will surely understand the Dharma swiftly." She immediately sent an envoy with a letter. Upon receiving the letter, Śrīmālā immediately spoke a verse: "Looking up in reflection to the Buddha, the World-Honoured One, / Who appeared universally for the sake of the world, / May you also deign to extend compassion / And surely allow me to behold you!" No sooner had she spoken this verse than Śākyamuni manifested in the sky. Śrīmālā praised him further, saying: "The Tathāgata's marvelous physical body / Is peerless in the world, / Incomparable and inconceivable; / Therefore, I now pay homage. / The Tathāgata's physical form is inexhaustible, / And his wisdom is likewise so; / All phenomena are eternally abiding, / Therefore, I take refuge." Śrīmālā spoke verses expressing her original wish, and the Buddha immediately bestowed a prophecy upon her, bestowing the name Tathāgata Universal Light, and so on. The Tianzhu Smaller Fourfold Holy Repentance uses this verse to praise the Buddha; from "Great wisdom, great power of vows" onward, it was composed by the Master of the Repentance.