釋迦譜 1.452

1.452

爾時世尊答大梵王及釋提桓因等言。我亦欲為一切眾生。轉於法輪。但所得法。微妙甚深難解難知。諸眾生等不能信受。生誹謗心墮於地獄。我今為此故默然耳。時梵天王等乃至三請。爾時如來。至滿七日默然受之。梵天王等知佛受請。頭面禮足各還所住。賢愚經云。佛在摩竭國善勝道場。初始得佛念諸眾生。迷網邪倒難可教化。若我住世於事無益。不如遷逝無餘涅槃。爾時梵天知佛所念。即從天下前詣佛所。頭面禮足長跪合掌。勸請世尊轉于法輪。佛答梵天。眾生之類塵垢所蔽。樂著世樂無有慧心。若我住世唐勞其功。如吾所念唯滅為快。爾時梵天復更傾側。而白佛言世尊今日。法海已滿法幢已立。潤濟開導今正是時。又諸眾生應可度者。亦甚眾多。云何世尊欲入涅槃。使此萌類永失覆護。世尊先昔無數劫時。恒為眾生采集法樂。乃至一偈以身妻子而用募求。云何不念便欲孤棄。過去久遠於閻浮提。作大國王號脩樓婆。領此世界八萬四千諸小國邑。六萬山川。八十億聚落。王有二萬夫人。一萬大臣。時妙色王德力無比。覆育民物豐樂無極。王心念曰。如我今者。唯以財寶資給一切。無有道教而安立之。此是我咎何其苦哉。今當推求堅實法財。普令得服。即時宣令閻浮提內。誰能有法與我說者。恣其所得不敢違逆。募出周遍無有應者。時王憂愁酸切懇惻。毘沙門王見其如是。欲往試之轉自變身。化作夜叉色貌青黑。眼赤如血狗牙上出。頭髮悉竪火從口出。來詣宮門口自宣言。誰欲聞法我當為說。王聞是語喜不自勝。躬自出迎前為作禮。敷施高座請令就坐。即集群僚前後圍繞。欲得聽聞。爾時夜叉。復告王曰學法事難。云何直爾欲得聞知。王叉手曰。一切所須不敢有逆。夜叉報曰。若以大王可愛妻子。與我食者乃可與法。爾時大王以所愛夫人及兒中勝者。供養夜叉。夜叉得已。於高座上眾會之中。取而食之。爾時諸王百官群臣。見王如是。啼哭懊惱宛轉在地。勸請大王令捨此事。王為法故心堅不迴。時夜叉鬼食妻子盡。為說一偈。

At that time the World-Honoured One answered the Great Brahmā King, Śakra Devānām Indra, and the others, saying: "I too wish to turn the wheel of the Dharma for all sentient beings. But the Dharma I have attained is subtle, wondrous, exceedingly profound, difficult to understand, and difficult to know. Sentient beings would not be able to believe and accept it, and conceiving slanderous thoughts, they would fall into the hells. For this reason I am now silent." Then the Brahmā King and the others made their request even up to three times. Thereupon the Tathāgata, when the full seven days were completed, silently accepted it. The Brahmā King and the others, knowing that the Buddha had accepted their request, touched their heads to his feet in veneration and each returned to their abodes. The Sūtra of the Wise and the Foolish says: When the Buddha was at the Bodhimaṇḍa of Excellent Victory in the country of Magadha, having newly attained Buddhahood, he reflected that sentient beings were caught in nets of confusion and inverted views, and would be hard to instruct. "If I remain in the world, it will be of no benefit; it would be better to pass into the nirvāṇa without remainder." At that time Brahmā, knowing the Buddha's thoughts, descended from heaven, went before the Buddha, touched his head to the Buddha's feet, knelt upright with palms joined, and urged the World-Honoured One to turn the wheel of the Dharma. The Buddha answered Brahmā: "Sentient beings are veiled by dust and defilement; they crave and cling to worldly pleasures and have no mind of wisdom. If I remain in the world, my efforts will be in vain. As I see it, extinction alone is joyful." Thereupon Brahmā bowed down even more humbly and addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honoured One, today the ocean of the Dharma is full, and the banner of the Dharma is erected. To nourish, save, guide, and instruct—now is precisely the time! Furthermore, the sentient beings who are capable of being delivered are also exceedingly numerous. Why does the World-Honoured One wish to enter nirvāṇa, causing these living beings to lose their protection forever? In times past, throughout countless kalpas, the World-Honoured One constantly gathered the joy of the Dharma for sentient beings, seeking even a single verse by offering his body, wife, and children. Why do you not consider this, but instead wish to abandon them in solitude? In the distant past in Jambudvīpa, there was a great king named Śūrupā, who governed the eighty-four thousand small kingdoms and cities of this world, sixty thousand mountains and rivers, and eighty billion settlements. The king had twenty thousand consorts and ten thousand ministers. At that time King Śūrupā's virtuous power was peerless; he nurtured the people and living creatures, and their abundance and happiness were limitless. The king thought to himself: 'As I am now, I provide for all people only with wealth and treasures, but have no teachings of the Way to establish them. This is my fault; how lamentable! I must now seek the solid wealth of the Dharma and cause everyone everywhere to receive it.' He immediately proclaimed throughout Jambudvīpa: 'Whoever possesses the Dharma and can preach it to me may take whatever they wish; I will not oppose them.' He made this appeal everywhere, but no one responded. At that time the king was grieved and heart-broken. King Vaiśravaṇa, seeing him like this, wished to test him. He transformed his own body into a yakṣa, bluish-black in appearance, with eyes as red as blood, canine teeth projecting upward, his hair standing on end, and fire issuing from his mouth. Coming to the palace gates, he proclaimed aloud: 'Who wishes to hear the Dharma? I will explain it for them.' When the king heard these words, his joy was boundless. He personally went out to welcome him, stepped forward, and bowed in veneration. Spreading out a high seat, he invited him to sit upon it, and then assembled all his ministers to surround him from front and behind, wishing to hear it. Thereupon the yakṣa further told the king: 'The matter of learning the Dharma is difficult; how could you wish to hear and know it so easily?' The king clasped his hands and said: 'I will not dare refuse whatever you require.' The yakṣa replied: 'If you give me the Great King's beloved wife and child to eat, only then can I give you the Dharma.' Thereupon the Great King offered his beloved consort and the best among his sons to the yakṣa. Having received them, the yakṣa took them and ate them upon the high seat in the midst of the assembly. At that time the kings, hundreds of officials, and all the ministers, seeing the king do this, wept, wailed, and rolled on the ground, urging the Great King to abandon this course. For the sake of the Dharma, the king's resolve was firm and did not waver. When the yakṣa demon had finished eating the wife and child, he spoke a single verse: