釋迦譜 2.8

2.8

舍夷國王名曰淨飯。治以正法化德仁義。常行慈心時被重病。身中四大同時俱作。殘害其體肢節欲解。喘息不定如駛水流。輔相宣令。國中明醫。皆悉來會。種種療治無能愈者。時王煩惱轉側不停。如少水魚。夫人婇女見王如是。益更愁惱。時白飯王。斛飯王。大稱王等。及諸群臣。同發聲言。今王喪崩永失覆護。國將虛弱王身戰動。脣口乾燥語聲斷絕。眩冒淚下。時諸王等長跪叉手。同共白言。大王素性不好作惡。經彈指頃種德無厭。護養人民莫不得安。名聞十方。大王今日何故愁惱。時淨飯王語聲輒出。告諸王曰。我命雖斷不以為苦。但恨不見我子悉達。又恨不見次子難陀。以除貪婬世間諸欲。復恨不見。斛飯王子阿難陀者。持佛法藏一言不失。又恨不見孫子羅云。年雖幼稚神足純備。戒行無缺。吾設得見是諸子等。我病雖篤未離生死。不以為苦。諸在王邊聞如是語。莫不啼泣淚下如雨。時白飯王言。我聞世尊。在王舍城耆闍崛山中。去此懸遠五十由旬。王今轉羸設遣使者。道路懸邈遲晚無益。唯願大王莫大愁悒懸念諸子。時淨飯王聞是語已。垂淚而言答白飯王。我子等輩雖復遼遠。意望不斷。所以者何。我子成佛以大慈悲。恒以神通。天眼徹視。天耳徹聽。救接眾生。應可度者。如有百千萬億眾為水所溺。以慈愍心。為作船栰而度脫之。終不勞疲。若我今日望見世尊。亦復如是。所以然者。世尊晝夜常以三昧。恒以天眼觀於眾生。應受化者以慈愍心。如母念子。爾時世尊在靈鷲山。天耳遙聞迦維羅衛大城之中。父王悒遲及諸王言。即以天眼。遙見父王病臥著床。羸困憔悴命欲向終。知父渴仰欲見諸子。爾時世尊告難陀曰。父王淨飯勝世間王。是我曹父。今得重病。我曹應往。及命存在得與相見。令王願滿。難陀受教長跪作禮。唯然世尊。淨飯王者是我曹父。能生聖子利益世間。今宜往詣報育養恩。阿難合掌前白佛言。淨飯王者。是我伯父。聽我出家為佛弟子。是故欲往。羅云復前而白佛言。世尊雖是我父棄國求道。我蒙祖王育養成就。而得出家。是故欲往奉覲祖王。佛言善哉。宜知是時。令王願滿。於時世尊。即以神足猶如雁王。踴身虛空忽然而現。在維羅衛放大光明。國中人民遙見佛來。皆共舉聲涕淚而言。設大王崩。舍夷國名必斷滅矣。城中人民向佛啼哭。白世尊言。大王如是命斷不久。唯願如來宜可時往。及共相見國中人民。宛轉自撲哽咽啼哭。中有自絕纓絡者。中有取塵土而自坌者。佛見是已諫國中人。無常離別古今有是。汝等諸人當思念之。生死為苦唯道是真。於是世尊。即以十力四無所畏十八不共諸佛之法。放大光明。更復重以三十二相八十種好。放大光明。以從無量阿僧祇劫所作功德。放大光明。其光照耀內外通達。周遍國界光照王身。患得安息。王遂怪言。是何光耶。為日月之光明耶。諸天光乎。光觸我身如天栴檀。令我身中患苦得息。脫是我子悉達來也。先見光明是其常瑞。時大稱王從外入宮。白大王言。世尊已來。將諸弟子阿難羅云等。乘空來至。王宜歡喜。捨愁毒心。王聞佛來敬意踊躍。不覺起坐。須臾之頃。佛便入宮王見佛到。遙舉兩手接足而言。唯願如來手觸我身。令我得安為病所困。如押麻油痛不可忍。我命將斷寧可還返。我今最後得見世尊。痛恨即除。佛知父王病重羸瘦。色變難識告難陀言。觀王本時形體巍巍。顏色端正名聲遠聞。今得重病乃不可識。端正形容勇健之名。今何所在。時淨飯王一心合掌。讚嘆世尊。佛言。唯願父王莫復愁悒。所以然者。道德純備無有缺減。佛出金色臂。掌如蓮花以手著父王額上。王是清淨戒行之人。心垢已離今應歡喜。不宜憂惱。當諦思念諸經法義。於不牢固。得堅固志以種善根。是故大王宜當歡喜。命雖欲終自可寬意。時大稱王以恭敬心白淨飯王言。佛是王子。神力具足無與等者。次子難陀亦是王子。已度生死諸欲之海。四道無礙。斛飯王子阿難陀者已服法味。佛所說法猶若淵海。一句不忘悉總持之。王孫羅云道德純備。逮諸禪定成四道果。是四子等已壞魔網。時淨飯王聞是語已。歡喜踊躍不能自勝。即以自手捉於佛手。著其心上。王於臥處。合掌心禮世尊足下。時佛手掌故在王心上。無常對至命盡氣絕。忽就後世。於是諸釋號叫啼哭。舉身自撲兩手拍地。解髻亂髮同發聲言。永失覆蓋王中尊王。今已崩背國失威神。時諸釋子。以眾香汁洗浴王身。纏以劫貝帛㲲。及諸繒綿。而以棺斂於師子座。七寶莊校。真珠羅網垂繞其傍。舉棺置於師子座上。散花燒香。佛共難陀在喪頭前。肅恭而立。阿難羅云。住在喪足。難陀長跪白佛。父王養我。願聽難陀擔父王棺。阿難合掌前白佛言。唯願聽我擔伯父棺。羅云復白佛言。唯願聽我擔祖王棺。爾時世尊念當來世人凶暴不報父母育養之恩。為是當來不孝眾生。設化法故如來躬欲擔於父王之棺。即時三千大千世界。六種震動。一切眾生𡽠峨踊沒。如水上船。爾時欲界一切諸天。與無數百千眷屬俱來赴喪。北方天王毘沙門王。將諸夜叉鬼神之等。億百千眾俱來赴喪。東方天王惟提賴咤。將諸妓樂鬼神之等。億百千眾俱來赴喪。南方天王毘樓勒叉。將鳩槃荼鬼神之等。億百千眾俱來赴喪。西方天王毘留婆叉。將諸龍神億百千眾。俱來赴喪。皆共發哀舉聲啼哭。時四天王竊共思議。瞻望佛為當來世諸不孝父母者故。以大慈悲。親自身擔父王棺。時四天王俱共長跪。同時發聲俱白佛言。我等是佛弟子。從佛聞法成須陀洹。以是之故。我曹宜擔父王之棺。佛聽四天王擔父王棺。四天王各自變身如人形像。以手擎棺擔著肩上。舉國人民一切大小莫不啼泣。爾時佛威光益顯。猶萬日並現。如來躬自手執香爐。在前行出詣墓所。靈鷲山上有千阿羅漢。以神足力乘虛來至。稽首佛足復白佛言。唯願佛勅使作何事。時佛便告諸羅漢。汝等疾往大海渚上。取牛頭栴檀種種香木。即受教勅如彈指頃。各到大海共取香薪。屈伸臂頃便已來到。佛與大眾共積香薪。舉棺置上以火焚之。一切大眾見火盛然。皆向佛前。宛轉自撲益更悲哭。有得道者皆自慶幸。未獲道者心戰惶怖。毛衣為竪。佛告四眾曰。世間無常苦空非身。無有堅固如幻如化。如熱時炎如水中月。命不久居。汝等諸人。但見此火便以為熱。諸欲之火極復過此。是故汝等當自勸勉。求離生死乃得大安。時火焚燒大王身已。爾時諸王。各各皆持五百瓶乳。以用滅火。火滅之後競共收骨盛置金函。即於其上便共起塔。懸繒幡蓋供養塔廟。時諸大眾。同時發聲俱白佛言。大淨飯王今已命終。神生何所。唯願世尊。分別解說。於時佛告眾會曰。父王淨飯。是清淨人生淨居天。

The king of the Śākya country was named Śuddhodana. He governed with correct Dharma, transforming [his subjects] with virtue, benevolence, and righteousness, and constantly practiced a mind of loving-kindness. At that time he fell gravely ill: the four great elements within his body flared up at the same time, ravaging his physical form; his joints were on the verge of coming apart, and his panting breath was uneven, rushing like a torrential current. The ministers issued an order that all the skilled physicians in the country should assemble, but despite various treatments, none could cure him. At that time, the king tossed and turned in agony without ceasing, like a fish in shallow water. When the queen and court ladies saw the king like this, their grief and distress deepened still further. Then King Śuklodana, King Droṇodana, King Amṛtodana, and the various ministers all cried out in unison: "Now the king is collapsing toward death, and we shall forever lose his protection. The kingdom will become weak and depleted." The king's body trembled, his lips and mouth dried up, his voice ceased, he was dizzy and faint, and his tears fell. Then the kings and ministers knelt long with hands clasped, and together addressed him, saying: "Great King, by nature you have never taken pleasure in doing evil; within the span of a finger-snap, you never wearied of planting virtue. You sheltered and nurtured the people, and not one failed to find peace; your renown was heard throughout the ten directions. Great King, why are you so sorrowful today?" Then King Śuddhodana managed to utter a sound, and addressed the kings, saying: "Though my life is coming to an end, I do not consider that suffering. I only regret that I do not see my son Siddhārtha; I also regret that I do not see my second son Nanda, who has eliminated lust and worldly desires; I further regret that I do not see Prince Ānanda, son of Droṇodana, who preserves the treasury of the Buddha's Dharma without losing a single word; and I also regret that I do not see my grandson Rāhula, who, though young in years, is fully endowed with miraculous powers and flawless in his observance of the precepts. If I could but see these sons and heirs, then though my illness is grave and I have not yet escaped saṃsāra, I would not consider it suffering." When those beside the king heard these words, there was none who did not weep, their tears falling like rain. Then King Śuklodana said: "I have heard that the World-Honoured One is at Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain in Rājagṛha, fifty yojanas distant from here. The king is now growing ever weaker; even if we were to dispatch messengers, the road is far and remote, and the delay would render it useless. We pray only that the Great King will not be overwhelmed by sorrow and yearn from afar for his sons." When King Śuddhodana heard this speech, he shed tears and replied to King Śuklodana: "Though my sons and heirs are far away, my hope and longing never cease. Why is that? My son has become a Buddha. With great loving-kindness and compassion, through divine supernormal powers, his divine eye sees completely through, and his divine ear hears completely through, to rescue and deliver sentient beings who are ready to be saved. Just as when hundreds of thousands of koṭis of beings are drowning in water, one who with a compassionate mind constructs a boat or raft to carry them across to deliverance never grows weary or exhausted—so it is with my hope to see the World-Honoured One today. Why is this so? Day and night the World-Honoured One constantly abides in samādhi, ever observing sentient beings with the divine eye; toward those who should receive conversion, he has a mind of compassion, just like a mother thinking of her child." At that time, the World-Honoured One was on Vulture Peak. With his divine ear he heard from afar, within the great city of Kapilavastu, his royal father's sorrowful yearning and the words of the various kings. Immediately, with his divine eye, he saw from afar his royal father lying ill in bed, emaciated, exhausted, haggard, and his life about to end; and he knew that his father thirsted and longed to see his sons. At that time, the World-Honoured One told Nanda: "Our royal father Śuddhodana is superior to worldly kings; he is our father. Now he has contracted a grave illness; we ought to go. While his life still remains, we can meet with him and fulfill the king's wish." Nanda received the instruction, knelt long, paid homage, and said: "Indeed, World-Honoured One. King Śuddhodana is our father; he was able to give birth to a holy son who brings benefit to the world. Now we ought to go to repay his kindness of rearing and nurturing us." Ānanda joined his palms, stepped forward, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "King Śuddhodana is my uncle; he permitted me to leave the household to become a disciple of the Buddha. Therefore I wish to go." Rāhula also stepped forward and addressed the Buddha, saying: "Although the World-Honoured One is my father, you renounced the kingdom to seek the Way. It was through my grandfather the king's care and nurture that I grew to maturity and was able to leave the household. Therefore I wish to go to pay my respects to my grandfather the king." The Buddha said: "Excellent! You should know that this is the time to fulfill the king's wish." At that time, the World-Honoured One, through his supernormal power, soared into the sky like the king of geese and suddenly appeared, releasing a great radiance over Kapilavastu. When the people of the country saw the Buddha arriving from afar, they all raised their voices and wept, saying: "If the Great King passes away, the name of the Śākya country will surely be extinguished!" The people in the city wept toward the Buddha and addressed the World-Honoured One, saying: "The Great King's life will not last long in this state. We pray only that the Tathāgata will go quickly to meet with him!" The people of the country rolled on the ground, throwing themselves down, sobbing and weeping; some tore off their necklaces, while others took dust and dirt to smear themselves. When the Buddha saw this, he admonished the people of the country: "Impermanence and separation have existed from ancient times until now. You all should reflect upon this: saṃsāra is suffering; only the Way is true." Thereupon the World-Honoured One, by virtue of the ten powers, the four fearlessnesses, and the eighteen unshared dharmas of the Buddhas, emitted a great radiance. He further emitted a great radiance by virtue of the thirty-two marks and eighty minor signs, and emitted a great radiance by virtue of the merits performed over immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas. That light shone brightly, penetrating within and without, pervading the borders of the kingdom; the light illuminated the king's body, and his suffering found relief and peace. The king was astonished and said: "What light is this? Is it the light of the sun or the moon? Or is it the light of the devas? As this light touches my body, it is like heavenly sandalwood, causing the pain and suffering in my body to cease. Could it be that my son Siddhārtha has come? Beholding light beforehand is his usual auspicious sign." Then King Amṛtodana entered the palace from outside and addressed the Great King, saying: "The World-Honoured One has already arrived! Leading his disciples Ānanda, Rāhula, and others, he has travelled through the air to come here. The king should rejoice and cast off his sorrowful and bitter heart." When the king heard that the Buddha had come, his reverence leaped with joy, and without realizing it he sat up. In an instant, the Buddha entered the palace. When the king saw the Buddha arrive, he raised both hands from afar to receive his feet, and said: "I pray only that the Tathāgata will touch my body with his hand, so that I may find peace. I am afflicted by illness; like the pressing of sesame oil, the pain is unbearable. My life is about to end; can it ever return? Now that I have seen the World-Honoured One for the last time, my painful sorrow is instantly removed." The Buddha knew that his royal father was gravely ill, emaciated, and so altered in appearance as to be hard to recognize. He said to Nanda: "Observe the king's form in earlier times: how majestic his physical body was, how handsome his appearance, how far his renown was heard! Now that he has contracted a grave illness, he is hardly recognizable. Where now are that handsome appearance and that reputation for valor?" Then King Śuddhodana, with single-minded devotion, joined his palms and praised the World-Honoured One. The Buddha said: "I pray only that my royal father will no longer grieve or be distressed. Why is that? Your virtue and practice of the Way are fully complete, without flaw or deficiency." The Buddha extended his golden arm, with a palm like a lotus flower, and placed his hand upon his royal father's forehead: "The king is a person of pure moral conduct, whose mental defilements are already removed. Now you should rejoice, and ought not to sorrow or be distressed. You should carefully contemplate the meanings of the teachings in the sūtras. In that which is unstable, you have attained a steadfast resolve by planting roots of goodness. Therefore, Great King, you should rejoice; though your life is about to end, you can set your mind at ease." Then King Amṛtodana, with a reverent mind, addressed King Śuddhodana, saying: "The Buddha is your prince, whose supernormal powers are complete and without equal. Your second son Nanda is also your prince, who has already crossed the ocean of saṃsāra and desires, and is unimpeded in the four paths. Prince Ānanda, son of Droṇodana, has tasted the flavor of the Dharma; the Dharma taught by the Buddha is like a deep ocean, and he retains all of it without forgetting a single phrase. Your royal grandson Rāhula is fully endowed with virtue and the Way, has attained the dhyāna concentrations, and realized the fruits of the four paths. These four sons and heirs have already destroyed the net of Māra." When King Śuddhodana heard these words, he leaped for joy and could not contain himself. He took the Buddha's hand in his own hands and placed it upon his heart. From his couch, the king joined his palms and paid mental homage at the World-Honoured One's feet. While the Buddha's palm remained upon the king's heart, impermanence confronted him: his life ended, his breath ceased, and he suddenly passed on to the afterlife. Thereupon the Śākyas wailed and wept, throwing their bodies down and beating the ground with both hands. Loosening their topknots and disheveling their hair, they cried out together: "We have forever lost our shelter! The most supreme king among kings has now passed away, and the kingdom has lost its majesty and power!" Then the Śākya youths bathed the king's body with various scented waters, wrapped it in cotton cloth and various silks and brocades, and placed it in a coffin upon a lion throne. It was adorned with the seven jewels, with pearl nets hanging around its sides. They raised the coffin and placed it upon the lion throne, scattering flowers and burning incense. The Buddha and Nanda stood respectfully before the head of the bier; Ānanda and Rāhula stood at the feet of the bier. Nanda knelt long and addressed the Buddha: "Our royal father reared me. I pray that you will permit Nanda to carry our royal father's coffin." Ānanda joined his palms, stepped forward, and addressed the Buddha: "I pray only that you will permit me to carry my uncle's coffin." Rāhula also addressed the Buddha, saying: "I pray only that you will permit me to carry my royal grandfather's coffin." At that time, the World-Honoured One considered that people of future ages would be fierce and violent, failing to repay the kindness of their parents' rearing and nurture; for the sake of these unfilial sentient beings of the future, in order to set forth a model of teaching, the Tathāgata wished to carry his royal father's coffin in person. Instantly, the trichiliocosm shook in six ways, and all sentient beings rose and sank in tumult, like a boat on water. At that time, all the devas of the desire realm, together with countless hundreds of thousands of retinues, arrived to attend the funeral. Vaiśravaṇa, Heavenly King of the North, leading hundreds of thousands of koṭis of yakṣas, spirits, and ghosts, arrived to attend the funeral. Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Heavenly King of the East, leading hundreds of thousands of koṭis of gandharvas, spirits, and ghosts, arrived to attend the funeral. Virūḍhaka, Heavenly King of the South, leading hundreds of thousands of koṭis of kumbhāṇḍas, spirits, and ghosts, arrived to attend the funeral. Virūpākṣa, Heavenly King of the West, leading hundreds of thousands of koṭis of nāgas and spirits, arrived to attend the funeral. All raised lamentations and cried aloud. Then the Four Heavenly Kings secretly deliberated among themselves, observing that for the sake of those in future ages who are unfilial to their parents, the Buddha with great loving-kindness and compassion wished to carry his royal father's coffin with his own body. Then the Four Heavenly Kings all knelt long together, and speaking in unison, addressed the Buddha: "We are disciples of the Buddha, having heard the Dharma from the Buddha and attained srotāpanna. For this reason, we ought to carry the coffin of the royal father." The Buddha permitted the Four Heavenly Kings to carry his royal father's coffin. The Four Heavenly Kings each transformed their bodies into human forms, lifted the coffin with their hands, and placed it upon their shoulders. Among all the people of the country, great and small, there was none who did not weep. At that time, the Buddha's majestic radiance became even more manifest, like ten thousand suns appearing together. The Tathāgata, holding an incense burner in his own hand, walked in front leading the way to the cemetery. On Vulture Peak there were a thousand arhats who, by the power of supernormal feats, arrived through the sky, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, and addressed the Buddha, saying: "We pray only that the Buddha command us: what task shall we perform?" Then the Buddha instructed the arhats: "Go quickly to the islands of the great ocean and fetch ox-head sandalwood and various scented woods." Having received the instruction, within the span of a finger-snap they each reached the ocean, gathered the fragrant firewood, and in the time it takes to bend and extend an arm, they returned. The Buddha and the great assembly stacked the fragrant firewood together, raised the coffin onto it, and set it ablaze with fire. When the entire great assembly saw the fire blazing fiercely, they all faced the Buddha, rolling on the ground and throwing themselves down, weeping with even greater sorrow. Those who had attained the Way congratulated themselves on their fortune, while those who had not yet obtained the Way felt their hearts tremble with dread, their body hair standing on end. The Buddha addressed the fourfold assembly, saying: "The world is impermanent, suffering, empty, and non-self; nothing is durable, being like an illusion, like a phantom, like a mirage in the heat, like the moon in water. Life does not endure for long. You people only see this fire and think it is hot, but the fire of various desires is vastly hotter than this! Therefore you should encourage yourselves to seek escape from saṃsāra; only then will you attain great peace." When the fire had consumed the Great King's body, the various kings each took five hundred vessels of milk to extinguish the fire. After the fire was extinguished, they competed to collect the bones and placed them in a golden casket. Directly upon that spot they built a stūpa together, hanging silk banners and canopies to make offerings to the stūpa-shrine. Then the great assembly spoke in unison, addressing the Buddha: "The great King Śuddhodana's life has now ended; in what realm has his consciousness been reborn? We pray only that the World-Honoured One will explain and expound this." At that time, the Buddha told the assembly: "My royal father Śuddhodana was a pure person; he has been reborn in the Śuddhāvāsa Heaven."