[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [宗鏡錄](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016) › 99.41 # 宗鏡錄 99.41 宗鏡錄 99.41 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [99.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99.41) 提婆傳云。提婆菩薩。博識淵覽。才辯絕倫。誕名天竺。為諸國所推。所愧以為所不盡者。唯以人不信用其言為憂。其國中有大天。神驗。黃金像之。坐身二丈。號曰大自在天。人有求願。能令現世如意。提婆詣廟求入拜見。主廟者言。天像至神。人有見者。既不敢正視。又令人退後失守百日。汝但詣門求願。何須見耶。提婆言。若神必能如汝所說。乃從令我見之。若不如是。豈是吾之所欲見耶。時人奇其志氣。伏其明正。隨入廟者。數千萬人。提婆既入。天像挺動其眼。怒目視之。提婆問。天神則神矣。何其小也。當以精靈感人。智德伏物。而假黃金以目。多動玻𰢎以熒惑。非所望也。即便登梯。鑿出其眼。時諸觀者。咸有疑意。大自在天。何為一。小婆羅門所困。將無名過其實。理屈其詞耶。提婆曉眾人言。神明遠大。故以近事試我。我得其心。故登金聚。出玻𰢎。令汝等知神不假質。精不託形。吾既不慢。神亦不辱也。言已而出。即以其夜求諸供備。明日清旦。敬祠天神。提婆先名既重。加以智參。神契。其所發言。聲之所及。無不響應。一夜之中。供具精饌。有物必備。大自在天。貫一肉形。數高四丈。左眼枯沒。而來在坐。歷觀供饌。歎未曾有。嘉其德力。能有所致。而告之言。汝得我心。人得我形。汝以心供。人以質饋。知而敬我者。汝畏而誣我者人。汝所供饌。盡善盡美矣。唯無我之所須。能以見與。真上施也。提婆言。神鑒我心。惟命是從。神言。我所乏者左眼。能與我者。便可出之。提婆言。敬如天命。即以左手。出眼與之。天神力故。出而隨生。索之不已。從旦終朝。出眼數萬。天神讚曰。善哉摩納。真上施也。欲求何願。必如汝意。提婆言。我稟明於心。不假外也。唯恨悠悠童蒙。不知信受我言。神賜我願。必當令我言不虛設。唯此為請。他無所須。神言。必如所難。於是而退。詣寺。受出家法。剃髮法服。周遊揚化。於天竺大國之都。四衢道中。敷高座。作三論言。一切諸聖中。佛聖最第一。一切諸法中。佛法正第一。一切救世眾。佛僧為第一。八方諸論士。有能壞此語者。我當斬首以謝其屈。所以者何。立理不明。是為愚癡。愚癡之頭。非我所須。斬以謝屈。甚不惜也。八方論士。既聞此言。亦各來集。而立誓言。我等不如。亦當斬首。愚癡之頭。亦所不惜。提婆言。我所修法。仁活萬物。要不如者。當剃汝鬚髮。以為弟子。不斬首也。立此要已。各撰名理。建無方論。而與酬酢。智淺情近者。一言便屈。智深情遠者。極至二日。則辭理俱匱。即皆下髮。如是日日。王家送衣鉢。終竟三月。度十餘萬人。釋曰。稟明於心。不假外者。審如斯語。何往不從。故能德動明神。鑿大自在天之眼。化諧人意。度十萬外道之心。可謂救世良醫。度人妙術。不得斯旨。悲願何成。自利利他。理窮於此。 > The Biography of Deva states: 'The Bodhisattva Deva was widely learned, deeply read, and unmatched in talent and eloquence. His fame resounded through India, and he was esteemed by all kingdoms. The only thing he felt ashamed of and worried over was that people did not believe in or accept his words. In that kingdom there was a great deva of wondrous efficacy, modeled in yellow gold, twenty feet in seated height, called Maheśvara. When people made supplications, he could grant their wishes in the present life. Deva went to the temple seeking to enter and pay homage. The temple keeper said: "The image of the god is supremely divine. If anyone sees it, not only do they not dare look straight at it, but it also causes them to lose their wits for a hundred days after retreating. You should just approach the gate and make your request; why must you see it?" Deva said: "If the god can truly be as you say, then let me see him. If he is not like that, how could he be one I wish to see?" The people of the time marveled at his spirit and submitted to his clear rectitude. Those who followed him into the temple numbered tens of thousands. Once Deva entered, the image of the god rolled its eyes and glared at him with fury. Deva asked: "The heavenly god is indeed divine, but why is he so petty? One should move people with spiritual essence and subdue beings with wisdom and virtue; yet you borrow gold for eyes and frequently roll glass to bewilder them—this is not what is expected." He immediately climbed a ladder and gouged out its eyes. At that time, all the onlookers felt doubt: "Why was Maheśvara cornered by a single petty brāhmaṇa? Could it be that his fame exceeds the reality and his reasoning has failed his words?" Deva explained to the multitude: "The spirit is far-reaching and great; therefore he tested me with immediate matters. I grasped his mind, and so climbed the heap of gold and removed the glass, to let you all know that the spirit does not depend on physical matter, and essence does not rely on form. I was not disrespectful, nor was the god humiliated." Having spoken, he left. That very night he sought various offerings, and early the next morning he respectfully sacrificed to the heavenly god. Deva's prior reputation was already weight, and added to this was his wisdom engaging in spiritual resonance; wherever his words reached, all responded like an echo. In a single night, the offerings and fine viands—whatever was required—were completely provided. Maheśvara assumed a physical body, some forty feet in height, with his left eye withered and sunken, and came to sit there. Looking over the offerings and viands, he sighed at what was unprecedented, commended Deva's virtuous power in being able to bring this about, and told him: "You have grasped my mind; others have grasped my form. You offer with mind; others present with matter. The one who knows and respects me is you; those who fear and deceive me are others. The offerings and viands you have presented are entirely good and beautiful. Yet there is only one thing I need; if you can give it to me, that would be true supreme giving." Deva said: "The god examines my mind; I obey your command alone." The god said: "What I lack is a left eye; if you can give it to me, you may gouge it out." Deva said: "I respectfully follow the heavenly command." He immediately used his left hand to gouge out his eye and give it to him. By the divine power of the heavenly god, as soon as it was gouged out, another grew in its place. The god demanded it incessantly, and from dawn until morning's end, Deva gouged out tens of thousands of eyes. The heavenly god praised him, saying: "Excellent, young brāhmaṇa! This is true supreme giving. What wish do you seek? It shall surely be as you desire." Deva said: "I receive illumination in the mind; I do not rely on the external. I only regret that the foolish and ignorant common folk do not know to believe and accept my words. If the god grants my wish, surely make my words not be spoken in vain. I make only this request; I need nothing else." The god said: "It shall surely be as you have requested." Thereupon Deva withdrew. He went to a monastery, received the precepts for going forth, shaved his hair, donned the Dharma robes, and traveled about propagating the transformation. In the capital of a great Indian kingdom, at a crossroads, he arranged a high seat and made three propositions, saying: "Among all sages, the Buddha-sage is foremost. Among all dharmas, the Buddha-Dharma is the most correct and foremost. Among all assemblies that rescue the world, the Buddha-saṃgha is foremost. If there is any disputant from the eight directions who can refute these words, I will cut off my head to apologize for my defeat. Why is that? Establishing a principle that is not clear is ignorance; a head of ignorance is not something I need, and cutting it off to apologize for defeat is not to be regretted in the least." Having heard these words, disputants from the eight directions also gathered and made a vow, saying: "If we are unequal to you, we too will cut off our heads; a head of ignorance is also not to be regretted." Deva said: "The Dharma I practice is benevolent toward all beings. If you are unequal, you need only shave your hair and beard to become my disciples; your heads will not be cut off." Having established this agreement, they each composed prestigious doctrines and set up comprehensive arguments to debate with him. Those whose wisdom was shallow and inclinations superficial were defeated in a single word; those whose wisdom was deep and inclinations far-reaching ran out of words and reasoning at most by the second day. Thereupon they all shaved their hair. In this way, day after day, the royal house sent robes and bowls, and by the end of three months, he had delivered over one hundred thousand people.' Explanation: 'Receiving illumination in the mind, not relying on the external'—if one truly acts according to these words, where can one go and not succeed? Thus his virtue could move the luminous spirit, gouge out the eye of Maheśvara, harmonize with people's minds in conversion, and deliver the minds of a hundred thousand non-Buddhists. He can truly be called an excellent physician who rescues the world, possessing wondrous arts for delivering people. If one does not attain this purport, how could compassionate vows be accomplished? Benefiting oneself and benefiting others—the principle is exhausted in this. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 99.40](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99.40) - [Next: 99.42](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99.42) - [Up: 99](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016~en-mt.99.41) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99.41](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2016.99.41) · Pramāṇa