釋迦譜 1.501

1.501

At that time, King Bimbisāra and the great assembly, hearing Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa recite this verse, rejoiced greatly in their hearts and gave rise to deep reverence and faith in the Tathāgata. They knew with certainty that the Tathāgata had attained sarvākārajñatā, and truly recognized that Kāśyapa was the Buddha's disciple. At that time, the gods in the air rained down various heavenly flowers and played wondrous celestial music, proclaiming with one voice: "Excellent! Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa has spoken this verse splendidly!" At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing that the minds of the great assembly had become settled and free of doubt, and observing that their faculties were mature, expounded the Dharma for them: "Great King, you should know that this body of the five aggregates takes consciousness as its foundation. Dependent on consciousness, the mental faculty arises; dependent on the mental faculty, form arises; and this phenomenon of form arises and ceases without abiding. Great King, if one can contemplate in this manner, one can thoroughly understand impermanence in the body. Contemplating the body in this way without grasping at the bodily characteristics, one is able to be free from self and from what belongs to a self. If one can contemplate form as free from self and what belongs to a self, one understands that the arising of form is the arising of suffering, and that the cessation of form is the cessation of suffering. If someone can practice this contemplation, it is called liberation; if someone cannot practice this contemplation, it is called bondage. Phenomena are originally devoid of a self and what belongs to a self; through inverted thoughts, one falsely presumes the existence of a self and what belongs to a self, where no real entity exists. If one can sever these inverted, deluded thoughts, that is liberation." At that time, King Bimbisāra thought to himself: "If asserting that sentient beings have a self is called bondage, and all sentient beings are devoid of a self, since there is no self, who experiences future retribution?" At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing his thought, said to him: "All that sentient beings do—good and evil—and the retribution they experience, are not created by a self, nor are they experienced by a self. Yet now one sees the creation of good and evil and the experience of karmic retribution. Great King, listen attentively; I will explain it for you. Great King, it is solely through the conjunction of the sense faculties, sense objects, and consciousness that defilement arises toward objects, and entangled thoughts multiply. Because of this, one wanders through birth and death, fully undergoing suffering retribution. If one is undefiled toward objects and calms one's entangled thoughts, one attains liberation. It is solely through the causal conditions of these three things—faculties, objects, and consciousness—that good and evil arise together, and retribution is experienced; there is no separate self. For example, when drilling for fire, fire is produced dependent on the hands turning the fire-drill. Yet the nature of that fire does not arise from the hands, nor does it emerge from the drill, nor is it separate from the hands and the drill. The faculties, objects, and consciousness are also like this." Then King Bimbisāra thought again to himself: "If good and evil and the experience of retribution exist because of the combination of faculties, objects, and consciousness, then this combination would be permanent and should never be broken. If it is not permanently combined, then it would be annihilated." At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing the king's thought, answered him: "These faculties, objects, and consciousness are neither permanent nor annihilated. Why? Because they combine, there is no annihilation; because they separate, there is no permanence. For example, dependent on earth and water and caused by a seed, sprouts and leaves arise. Since the seed perishes, it cannot be called permanent; since sprouts and leaves arise, it cannot be called annihilated. Being free from annihilation and permanence, it is called the Middle Way. The causal conditions of the three things are also like this." At that time, King Bimbisāra, having heard this Dharma, experienced an opening of mind and comprehension. In the midst of all phenomena, he left behind dust and defilement, attaining the purity of the Dharma-eye. Eighty thousand nayutas of brahmins, ministers, and common people also, in the midst of all phenomena, left behind dust and defilement, attaining the purity of the Dharma-eye. Ninety-six myriad nayutas of gods and humans also, in the midst of all phenomena, left behind dust and defilement, attaining the purity of the Dharma-eye. Then King Bimbisāra rose from his seat, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha: "How magnificent, World-Honoured One! You were able to renounce the station of a wheel-turning sage king, go forth from home, study the path, and attain sarvākārajñatā. Formerly I was foolish, wishing to detain the World-Honoured One to govern a small kingdom. Now, beholding your compassionate countenance and hearing the correct Dharma, I feel ashamed and regret my former fault. May the World-Honoured One, out of great compassion, accept my confession. In former days, I addressed the World-Honoured One, saying: 'When you attain the path, may you deliver me first.' Today I have finally received the fulfillment of my past vow; indebted to the World-Honoured One's grace, I have set foot upon the path. From this day forward, I will make offerings to the World-Honoured One and the bhikṣu-saṅgha, ensuring that the four requisites will never be lacking. I only pray that the World-Honoured One will dwell in the Bamboo Grove, so that the country of Magadha may obtain lasting peace throughout the long night." The Buddha answered: "Excellent, Great King! You are able to renounce three unstable things to seek three stable retributions. Your wish shall be fulfilled." When King Bimbisāra knew that the Buddha had accepted the invitation to stay in the Bamboo Grove, he bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, took his leave, and departed. The Puyong jing says: The ministers congratulated the king: "None of the former kings ever saw a Buddha; only you, the king, have seen one now. This is because your past merit and blessings are vast." The king rejoiced all the more, and also congratulated his ministers: "Noble sirs, you have met this Holy Honoured One!" The king returned to his palace and commanded his queen, the court ladies, great and small, and the officials and commoners of the realm to observe the three months of fasting and the six days of purification each year, keeping the precepts, giving alms, and gaining wide learning. Just as the king returned to the palace, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, leading eighty thousand gods, scattered flowers over the Buddha, took refuge, bowed, and departed, saying: "Namo Buddhāya." Soon all of them were delivered, attaining the purity of the Dharma-eye.