釋迦譜 2.14

2.14

王園精舍。大愛道比丘尼。即佛姨母也。將欲滅度曰。吾不忍見世無如來無所著正真道最正覺。及諸應真滅度。吾當先息靈還于本無矣。佛一切智具照其心。即告阿難。大愛道念曰。吾不忍見世尊。并諸應真泥洹。欲先滅度。阿難聞教即稽首言。今聞尊命四體萎墮。心塞智索。不識四方之名。佛告阿難。汝謂大愛道滅度。將戒定慧解脫度知見種。四意止。乃至八品道行去耶。對曰不也。但惟佛生七日太后薨慈母至有弘恩在佛所耳。世尊嘆曰。如汝所言。慈母於吾實有乳哺重恩。此惠難報吾已報之。我亦有難算之恩在母所也。由我開示歸命三寶。苦習盡道眼明。朗盡諸有結獲無所著。若人能悟愚者之惑。令入真正苦習盡道者恩過須彌。是故阿難。吾有重恩於大愛道為無量也。於時大愛道與除饉女五百人（除饉女。即比丘尼也。康會注法鏡經云。凡夫貪染六塵。猶餓夫飯不知厭足。聖人斷貪。除六情饉飢。故號出家為除饉）俱到佛所。皆頭面著佛足禮退。叉手立白佛言。不忍覩佛及諸應真滅度。欲先泥洹佛默可之。大愛道以手摩佛足曰。此晚覩如來最正覺。自今不復覩矣。五百除饉陳辭如上。佛可之。為說身患滅度之安。諸除饉女莫不歡喜。繞佛三匝稽首而去。還于精舍布五百座皆各就座。大愛道現神足德。於自座沒從東方來。在虛空中作十八變。八方上下亦復如是。放大光明以照諸冥。上耀諸天。五百除饉變化俱然。同時泥洹。

At the monastic park of the royal grove, the bhikṣuṇī Mahāprajāpatī, who was the Buddha's maternal aunt, was about to enter parinirvāṇa, and said: "I cannot bear to see a world without the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, and the arhats having entered parinirvāṇa. I shall first rest my spirit and return to original non-being." The Buddha's omniscient knowledge completely illumined her mind, and He said to Ānanda: "Mahāprajāpatī thinks, 'I cannot bear to see the World-Honoured One and the arhats entering nirvāṇa; I wish to pass away first.'" When Ānanda heard this instruction, he bowed his head and said: "Hearing the Honored One's words now, my four limbs go limp, my mind is blocked and my intellect depleted; I cannot tell the names of the four directions." The Buddha told Ānanda: "Do you think that when Mahāprajāpatī passes away, she will take away the seeds of morality, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, the four stations of mindfulness, or even the eightfold path?" He replied: "No. But I only reflect that seven days after the Buddha was born, the queen mother died, and this compassionate mother bestowed immense kindness upon the Buddha." The World-Honoured One sighed and said: "As you have said, my compassionate mother indeed has great kindness toward me for nursing and feeding me. This kindness is difficult to repay, but I have already repaid it. I also have an incalculable kindness toward my mother. Because of my instruction, she took refuge in the Three Jewels; her vision regarding the path of the cessation of suffering and its origin became clear, completely exhausting all bonds of existence and attaining non-attachment. If one can awaken the delusion of an ignorant person and cause them to enter the true path of the cessation of suffering and its origin, that kindness surpasses Sumeru. Therefore, Ānanda, my great kindness to Mahāprajāpatī is boundless." At that time, Mahāprajāpatī and five hundred nuns (nuns are bhikṣuṇīs; Kang Senghui's commentary on the Fajing jing says: "Ordinary worldlings are greedily defiled by the six sense objects, like a starving man eating without knowing satiety. Sages cut off greed and dispel the famine of the six sense faculties; therefore leaving home is called dispelling famine") went together to the Buddha's place. All bowed their heads and faces to the Buddha's feet, stepped back, stood with folded hands, and said to the Buddha: "We cannot bear to see the Buddha and the arhats entering parinirvāṇa; we wish to enter nirvāṇa first." The Buddha silently consented. Mahāprajāpatī stroked the Buddha's feet with her hands, saying: "This is the last time I behold the Tathāgata, the Perfectly Enlightened One; from now on, I will behold Him no more." The five hundred nuns presented their petitions as above; the Buddha consented, and explained to them the afflictions of the body and the peace of parinirvāṇa. All the nuns rejoiced, circumambulated the Buddha three times, bowed their heads, and departed. Returning to the vihāra, they arranged five hundred seats and each sat down. Mahāprajāpatī displayed the power of supernormal abilities: she disappeared from her seat, came from the eastern direction, and performed eighteen transformations in the open air; and so it was in the eight directions, above and below. She emitted great radiance to illuminate all darkness and shine upward upon all the devas. The transformations of the five hundred nuns were likewise; they entered nirvāṇa at the same time.