佛祖歷代通載 3.38

3.38

（十三　癸巳）　二祖阿難。王舍城人也。姓剎利帝。父斛飯王。實佛之從弟也。梵語阿難陀。此云慶喜。亦云歡喜。如來成道夜生。因為之名。多聞博達智慧無礙。世尊以為總持第一。甞所讚歎。加以夙世有大功德。受持法藏如水傳器。佛乃命為侍者。後阿闍世王白言。仁者。如來迦葉尊勝二師皆已涅槃。而我多故悉不能覩。仁者。般涅槃時願垂告別。阿難許之。後自念言。我身危脆猶如聚沫。況復衰老豈能長久。又念。阿闍世王與吾有約。乃詣王宮告之曰。吾欲入涅槃。故來辭耳。門者曰。王寢不可以聞。阿難曰。俟王覺時當為我說。時王夢中見一寶蓋七寶嚴飾。千萬億眾圍繞瞻仰。俄而風雨暴至吹折其柄。珍寶瓔珞悉墜於地。心甚驚異。既寤門者具白上事。王聞語已失聲號慟哀感天地。即至毘舍離城。見阿難在恒河中流跏趺而坐。王乃作禮而說偈言。稽首三界尊。棄我而至此。暫憑悲願力。且莫般涅槃。時毘舍離王亦在河側。復說偈言。尊者一何速。而歸寂滅場。頭住須臾間。而受於供養。爾時阿難見二國王咸來勸請。乃說偈言。二王善嚴住。勿為苦悲戀。涅槃當我淨。而無諸有故。阿難復念。我若偏向一國而般涅槃。諸國爭競。無有是處。應以平等度諸有情。遂於恒河中流將入寂滅。是時山河大地六種震動。雪山中五百仙人覩茲瑞應飛空而至。禮阿難足胡跪白言。我於長老當證佛法。願垂大慈度脫我等。阿難默然受請。即變殑伽河。悉為金地。為其仙眾說諸大法。阿難復念。先所度脫弟子應當來集。須臾五百羅漢從空而下。為諸仙人出家受具。其仙眾中有二羅漢。一名商那和修。二名末田底迦。阿難知是法器乃告之曰。昔如來以大法眼傳大迦葉。迦葉入定而傳於我。我今將滅。用傳於汝。汝受吾教。當聽偈言。本來傳有法傳了言無法。各各須自悟。悟了無無法。阿難傳法眼藏竟。踊身虛空作十八變。入風奮迅三昧。分身四分。一分奉忉利天。一分奉娑竭羅龍宮。一分奉毘舍離王。一分奉阿闍世王。各建寶塔而供養之。乃厲王十年癸巳歲也。

(13. Guisi) The Second Patriarch, Ānanda, was a native of Rājagṛha. His clan was the Kṣatriya; his father was King Droṇodana, who was an uncle of the Buddha. In Sanskrit, he is called Ānanda, which here is translated as 'Joyous Celebration' or 'Rejoicing'. Because he was born on the night the Tathāgata achieved awakening, he was named after the occasion. With his vast learning, broad comprehension, and unobstructed wisdom, the Bhagavān considered him foremost in retaining the teachings, often praising him. Moreover, as he had accumulated great merit in past lives, he received and held the storehouse of the Dharma just like water poured from one vessel to another, so the Buddha appointed him as his attendant. Later, King Ajātaśatru said to him: 'O virtuous one! The two revered teachers—the Tathāgata and Kāśyapa—have both entered nirvāṇa, and because of my many obligations, I was not able to witness either. When you, virtuous one, enter parinirvāṇa, I pray that you will deign to bid me farewell.' Ānanda gave his consent. Later, he reflected: 'My body is fragile and impermanent, just like a mass of foam; how much more so in old age—how could it last long?' He also recalled: 'King Ajātaśatru has an agreement with me.' He then went to the royal palace and announced: 'I intend to enter nirvāṇa, and have come solely to take my leave.' The gatekeeper said: 'The king is asleep and must not be disturbed.' Ānanda said: 'When the king awakes, inform him on my behalf.' At that time, the king saw in a dream a jeweled canopy adorned with the seven treasures, around which thousands of myriads of beings gathered in reverence. Suddenly, a violent wind and rainstorm broke its handle, and the precious gems and necklaces all crashed to the ground. In great shock and dismay, he awoke, and the gatekeeper reported the incident in full. When the king heard these words, he cried aloud and wept bitterly, his lamentations moving heaven and earth. He immediately went to the city of Vaiśālī, where he saw Ānanda seated cross-legged in the middle of the Gaṅgā River. The king bowed and recited a verse, saying: 'I bow my head to the Honored One of the three realms, / Who has abandoned me to come here. / Rely for a moment on the power of your compassionate vows, / And do not enter parinirvāṇa just yet.' At that time, the King of Vaiśālī was also at the riverbank, and he too recited a verse, saying: 'Why has the Venerable One so hastily / Returned to the ground of complete cessation? / Pray pause for a brief moment, / And accept our offerings.' Then Ānanda, seeing that the kings of both kingdoms had come to entreat him, spoke a verse, saying: 'May the two kings abide in serene goodness; / Do not harbor sorrowful longing. / Nirvāṇa is pure for me, / For within it, existence is no more.' Ānanda then reflected: 'If I favor one kingdom and enter parinirvāṇa there, the various kingdoms will fight and quarrel; this would not be right. I should deliver sentient beings with impartiality.' He then prepared to enter complete cessation in the middle of the Gaṅgā River. At that moment, the mountains, rivers, and great earth shook in six ways. Five hundred ṛṣis in the Snowy Mountains, witnessing this auspicious sign, flew through the air to arrive there. Bowing at Ānanda's feet, they knelt and said: 'Through the Elder, we ought to realize the Buddha-Dharma. We pray you extend great compassion and liberate us.' Ānanda silently accepted their plea. He immediately transformed the Gaṅgā River completely into golden ground, and preached the great Dharma to the assembly of ṛṣis. Ānanda further reflected: 'The disciples previously liberated by me ought to assemble here.' In an instant, five hundred arhats descended from the sky to confer the monastic going-forth and full ordination upon the ṛṣis. Among the assembly of ṛṣis were two arhats: the first named Śāṇavāsa, and the second named Madhyāntika. Knowing they were vessels of the Dharma, Ānanda told them: 'In the past, the Tathāgata transmitted the great eye of the Dharma to Mahākāśyapa. Kāśyapa entered meditative absorption and transmitted it to me. Now that I am about to pass away, I transmit it to you. Having received my teaching, listen to this verse: Originally there was a Dharma transmitted; / Having transmitted it, it is said there is no Dharma. / Each must awaken on his own; / Once awakened, there is no lack of Dharma.' Having finished transmitting the treasury of the Dharma-eye, Ānanda leaped into the sky and displayed the eighteen transformations. Entering the Wind-Vigorous Samādhi, he divided his body into four parts: one part was offered to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, one to the palace of the Nāga King Sāgara, one to the King of Vaiśālī, and one to King Ajātaśatru. Each built a jeweled stupa to make offerings to it. This was the tenth year of King Li, the guisi year.