釋氏稽古略 2.134

2.134

二十七祖般若多羅尊者　東印度人也。得法已行化至南印度。王名香至。崇奉佛乘。迎祖尊重供養。施以寶珠。王有三子。曰月淨多羅。曰功德多羅。曰菩提多羅。祖以施珠問三王子。此珠圓明有能及否。第一第二王子同曰。此珠七寶中尊固無踰也。第三王子菩提多羅曰。此是世寶未足為上。於諸寶中法寶為上。此是世光未足為上。於諸光中智光為上。此是世明未足為上。於諸明中心明為上。此珠光明不能自照。要假智光光辯於此。既辯此已即知是珠。既知是珠即知其寶。若明其寶寶不自寶。若辯其珠珠不自珠。珠不自珠者要假智珠。而辯世珠寶不自寶者。要假智寶以明法寶。然則師有其道其寶即現眾生有之。心寶亦然。祖歎其辯慧。乃復問曰。於諸物中何物無相。曰於諸物中不起無相。又問於諸物中何物最高。曰於諸物中人我最高。又問於諸物中何物最大。曰於諸物中法性最大。適香至父王厭世。眾皆號絕。維菩提多羅於柩前入定七日而出。遂求出家。既受具戒。祖告之曰。如來以正法眼付大迦葉。如是展轉乃至於我。戒今囑汝。聽吾偈曰。心地生諸種。因事復生理。果滿菩提圓。華開世界起。祖付法已。即於座上起立。舒左右手各放光明二十七道。三色晃耀踊入虛空高七多羅樹。化火自焚。空中舍利如雨。取以建塔。當此宋孝武帝之世也（正宗記）。尊者甞因東印度國王請齋。王問曰。諸人盡轉經。師何不轉經。尊者曰。貧道出息不隨眾緣。入息不居蘊界。常轉如是經百千萬億卷。不但一卷兩卷。

The Twenty-Seventh Patriarch, the Venerable Prajñātāra: A native of Eastern India. After receiving the Dharma, he traveled to propagate it, arriving in Southern India. The king was named Sugandha; he revered the Buddha Vehicle, welcomed the Patriarch with deep respect and offerings, and presented him with a precious gem. The king had three sons: Candradhara, Puṇyadhara, and Bodhidhara. The Patriarch used the donated gem to ask the three princes: 'This gem is perfectly round and luminous; can anything equal it?' The first and second princes both said: 'This gem is the most exalted among the seven treasures; truly nothing can surpass it.' The third prince, Bodhidhara, said: 'This is a worldly treasure, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all treasures, the Dharma treasure is supreme. This is a worldly light, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is a worldly clarity, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all clarities, the clarity of mind is supreme. The radiance of this gem cannot illuminate itself; it must rely on the light of wisdom to discern it. Having discerned it, one then knows it is a gem; knowing it is a gem, one then knows its preciousness. If one clarifies its preciousness, the preciousness does not make itself precious; if one discerns its being a gem, the gem does not make itself a gem. That the gem does not make itself a gem requires the gem of wisdom to discern the worldly gem; that the treasure does not make itself a treasure requires the treasure of wisdom to clarify the Dharma treasure. Thus, when the Master possesses the Way, its treasure becomes apparent; when sentient beings possess it, the treasure of the mind is likewise so.' The Patriarch praised his eloquence and wisdom, and then asked again: 'Among all things, what is formless?' He replied: 'Among all things, non-arising is formless.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what is the highest?' He replied: 'Among all things, self-pride is the highest.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what is the greatest?' He replied: 'Among all things, the Dharma-nature is the greatest.' Just then, the royal father Sugandha departed this world, and the multitude wailed in despair. Only Bodhidhara sat in meditation before the coffin for seven days before emerging. He then sought to renounce household life. After he received the full precepts, the Patriarch said to him: 'The Tathāgata entrusted the Eye of the True Dharma to Mahākāśyapa; thus it was transmitted successively until reaching me. The precepts are now entrusted to you. Listen to my verse: / The mind-ground produces various seeds; / Following events, principle arises again. / When fruits are complete, Bodhi is perfected; / As flowers blossom, worlds arise.' Having transmitted the Dharma, the Patriarch stood up from his seat, extended his left and right hands, and each emitted twenty-seven rays of light radiating in three colors. He leapt into the air to the height of seven tala trees, manifested fire, and cremated himself. Relics fell like rain from the sky, which were collected to build a stupa. This took place during the era of Emperor Xiaowu of the Song (Zhengzong ji). The Venerable One was once invited to a vegetarian meal by the king of Eastern India. The king asked: 'Everyone is reciting the scriptures; why does the Master not recite the scriptures?' The Venerable One said: 'My outgoing breath does not follow myriad conditions; my incoming breath does not abide in the aggregates or realms. I constantly recite hundreds, thousands, myriads, and kotis of scrolls of such a scripture, not merely one or two scrolls.'