釋迦譜 3.13.3

3.13.3

當於城外寬博之處。 與沙門捔。 舍衛國中十八億人。 時彼國法擊鼓會眾。 若擊銅鼓十二億人集。 若打銀鼓十四億人集。 若振金鼓一切皆集。 七日期滿。 至平博處椎擊金鼓。 一切都集。 六師徒眾有三億萬人。 是時人民悉為國王。 及其六師敷施高座。 爾時須達。 為舍利弗而施高座。 時舍利弗。 在一樹下寂然入定。 諸根寂默遊諸禪定。 通達無礙而作是念。 此會大眾習邪來久。 憍慢自高草芥群生。 當以何德而降伏之。 思惟是已當以三德。 即立誓言。 若我無數劫中。 慈孝父母。 敬尚沙門婆羅門者。 我初入會一切大眾當為我禮。 爾時六師見眾已集。 而舍利弗獨未來到。 便白王言瞿曇弟子。 自知無術偽求捔能。 眾會既集怖畏不來。 王告須達汝師弟子。 捔時已至宜來談論。 時須達至舍利弗所。 長跪白言。 大德。 大眾已集。 願來詣會。 時舍利弗從禪定起。 更整衣服。 以尼師壇著左肩上。 徐詳而步如師子王。 往詣大眾。 是時眾人見其形容法服有異。 及諸六師忽然起立。 如風靡草不覺為禮。 時舍利弗。 便昇須達所敷之座。 六師眾中有一弟子。 名勞度差。 善知幻術。 於大眾前呪作一樹。 自然長大蔭覆眾會。 枝葉欝茂花果各異。 眾人咸言。 此變乃是勞度差作。 時舍利弗。 便以神力作旋嵐風。 吹拔樹根倒著於地。 碎為微塵。 眾人皆言舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 又復呪作一池。 四面皆以七寶。 池水之中生種種花。 眾人咸言。 是勞度差之所作也。 時舍利弗。 化作一大六牙白象。 一一牙上有七蓮花。 一一花上有七玉女。 其象徐庠往詣池邊。 并含其水池即消滅。 眾人悉言。 舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 勞度差復作一山七寶莊嚴。 泉池樹木花果茂盛。 眾人咸言。 此是勞度差作。 時舍利弗。 即便化作金剛力士。 以金剛杵遙用指之。 山即破壞無有遺餘。 眾會皆言舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 復作一龍身有十頭。 於虛空中雨種種寶。 雷電振地驚動大眾。 眾人咸言。 此是勞度差作。 時舍利弗。 便化作一金翅鳥王。 擘裂噉之。 眾人皆言。 舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 復作一牛。 身體高大。 肥壯多力麁脚利角。 跑地大吼奔隊來前。 舍利弗。 化作師子分裂食之。 眾人言曰舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 復變其身作夜叉鬼。 形體長大頭上火然。 目赤如血爪牙長利。 口自出火驚躍奔赴。 時舍利弗。 自化身作毘沙門王。 夜叉恐怖即欲退走。 四面火起無有去處。 唯舍利弗邊涼冷無火。 即時屈伏。 五體投地求哀脫命。 辱心已生。 火即還滅。 眾咸唱言。 舍利弗勝。 勞度差不如。 時舍利弗身昇虛空。 現四威儀行住坐臥。 身上出水身下出火。 東沒西踊西沒東踊。 北沒南踊南沒北踊。 或現大身滿虛空中。 而復現小。 或分一身作百千萬億身。 還合為一。 於虛空中忽然在地。 履地如水履水如地。 現是變已還攝神足。 坐其本座。 時會大眾見其神力。 咸懷歡喜。 時舍利弗。 即為說法。 隨其本行宿福因緣。 各得道迹。 或得須陀洹斯陀含。 阿那含阿羅漢者。 六師徒眾三億弟子。 於舍利弗所。 出家學道。 捔技已訖。 四眾便罷各還所止。 長者須達共舍利弗。 往圖精舍。 須達手自捉繩一頭。 時舍利弗自捉一頭。 共經精舍。 時舍利弗欣然含笑。 須達問曰。 尊人何笑。 答言。 汝始於此經地。 六欲天中宮殿已成。 即借道眼須達。 悉見六欲天中嚴淨宮殿。 問舍利弗。 是六欲天何處最樂。 舍利弗言。 下三天中色欲深厚。 上二天中憍逸自恣。 第四天中少欲知足。 恒有一生補處菩薩。 來生其中法訓不絕。 須達言曰。 我正當生第四天中。 出言已竟餘宮悉滅。 唯第四天宮殿湛然。 復更徙繩。

"We should compete with the śramaṇa in a broad and spacious open place outside the city." There were eighteen hundred million people in the country of Śrāvastī. According to the law of that land at the time, drums were struck to assemble the populace: if a bronze drum was struck, twelve hundred million assembled; if a silver drum was beaten, fourteen hundred million assembled; and if a golden drum was sounded, everyone assembled without exception. When the seven-day period was fulfilled, they went to a flat and wide open space and struck the golden drum, whereupon everyone assembled. The followers of the six teachers numbered three hundred million. Then the people set out high seats for the king and the six teachers. At that time, Sudatta set out a high seat for Śāriputra. Śāriputra was then beneath a tree, serenely entering meditative concentration; with all his sense faculties tranquil, he roamed through the various concentrations and comprehended them without obstruction, thinking: "This great assembly has long practiced heterodoxy, arrogantly exalting themselves and looking upon living beings as mere grass. With what virtue should I subdue them?" Having reflected thus, [he decided] that he should use three virtues, and he immediately made a vow: "If throughout countless kalpas I have been kind and filial to my parents and have venerated śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, then when I first enter the assembly, the entire crowd shall bow down to me." At that time, the six teachers saw that the crowd had already assembled, yet Śāriputra alone had not arrived. They addressed the king, saying: "The disciple of Gautama knows himself to have no arts, so he falsely sought to compete in abilities. Now that the great assembly has gathered, he is terrified and will not come." The king said to Sudatta: "Your master's disciple—the time for the contest has arrived; he should come and debate." Sudatta then went to Śāriputra's place, knelt on both knees, and said: "Venerable One, the great assembly has already gathered; please come to the meeting." Śāriputra then arose from meditative concentration, adjusted his robes, placed his niṣīdana upon his left shoulder, and walked forward with measured, stately steps like a lion king, proceeding to the great assembly. At that time, when the people saw his extraordinary demeanor and Dharma robes, they and the six teachers suddenly stood up, and like grass bending before the wind, bowed down to him unawares. Śāriputra then ascended the seat set out by Sudatta. Among the disciples of the six teachers was one named Raudrākṣa, who was skilled in illusionist arts. Before the great assembly, he recited a spell to create a tree, which grew spontaneously to shade the gathered crowd, its branches and leaves luxuriant, with a variety of flowers and fruits. Everyone said: "This marvel was performed by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then used his spiritual powers to create a vairambhaka wind, which blew up the tree by its roots, threw it to the ground, and pulverized it into fine dust. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again, [Raudrākṣa] recited a spell to create a pool surrounded on all four sides by the seven precious substances, with various flowers growing in its waters. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a great six-tusked white elephant; on each tusk were seven lotus flowers, and on each flower were seven jade maidens. The elephant strode calmly to the side of the pool and took in all its water, whereupon the pool vanished. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Raudrākṣa again produced a mountain adorned with the seven precious substances, with springs, pools, trees, and luxuriant flowers and fruits. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a vajra-wielding warrior, who pointed at it from afar with his vajra pounder, and the mountain was shattered without anything left behind. The entire assembly said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] produced a dragon with ten heads, which rained various jewels from the empty sky, shaking the earth with thunder and lightning and alarming the great assembly. Everyone said: "This was made by Raudrākṣa." Śāriputra then manifested a garuḍa king, who tore it apart and devoured it. Everyone said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] produced a bull with a tall, massive body, plump, strong, and powerful, with thick legs and sharp horns; pawing the ground and roaring loudly, it charged forward. Śāriputra manifested a lion, which tore it apart and devoured it. The people said: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Again [Raudrākṣa] transformed his own body into a yakṣa demon, gigantic in size, with fire blazing atop its head, eyes red as blood, long and sharp claws and fangs, vomiting fire from its mouth, leaping in alarm and rushing forward. Śāriputra then transformed his own body into King Vaiśravaṇa. The yakṣa was terrified and wished to flee back, but fire arose on all four sides so that it had nowhere to go; only beside Śāriputra was it cool and devoid of fire. Immediately submissive, he threw all five limbs to the ground, begging for mercy to save his life. Once a sense of humbleness had arisen, the fire was extinguished. The crowd all cried out: "Śāriputra is victorious; Raudrākṣa is no match." Then Śāriputra ascended into the empty sky and manifested the four deportments—walking, standing, sitting, and reclining. Water emerged from the upper part of his body and fire from the lower part of his body. He vanished in the east and surged forth in the west, vanished in the west and surged forth in the east; vanished in the north and surged forth in the south, vanished in the south and surged forth in the north. Or he manifested a great body filling the empty sky, and then manifested a small one again; or he multiplied his single body into hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, millions of bodies, and then merged them back into one; from the empty sky he suddenly appeared on the ground; he walked on the ground as if on water, and walked on water as if on the ground. Having shown these marvels, he withdrew his miraculous powers and sat upon his original seat. When the great assembly saw his spiritual power, they were all filled with joy. Śāriputra then preached the Dharma to them. In accordance with their prior practices and past merits, each obtained the traces of the path: some attained [the fruit of] stream-enterer, once-returner, non-returner, or arhat. The three hundred million disciples of the six teachers went forth into the religious life under Śāriputra to study the path. The contest of arts having ended, the fourfold assembly dispersed, each returning to their quarters. The elder Sudatta went with Śāriputra to measure the ground for the monastery. Sudatta personally held one end of the measuring cord in his hand, and Śāriputra held the other end, measuring the monastery together. Śāriputra then beamed with a smile. Sudatta asked: "Venerable One, why do you smile?" He answered: "You have only just begun measuring the ground here, yet palaces in the six heavens of the realm of desire have already been formed." He then lent his spiritual vision to Sudatta, so that Sudatta saw all the adorned, pure palaces in the six heavens of the realm of desire. He asked Śāriputra: "Among these six heavens of the realm of desire, which place is the most blissful?" Śāriputra said: "In the lower three heavens, sensual desires are deep and heavy; in the upper two heavens, there is pride and self-indulgence. In the fourth heaven, desires are few and there is contentment; there is always a bodhisattva bound to one last birth who comes to be born there, and the teaching of the Dharma never ceases." Sudatta said: "I must be born precisely in the fourth heaven." As soon as he finished speaking, all the other palaces vanished, and only the palace of the fourth heaven remained serene and luminous. They then moved the measuring cord again.