釋迦譜 2.22

2.22

At that time the father king went to the Buddha's place. Seeing that the bodies of Kaśyapa's thousand men were extremely unsightly, he was constantly displeased in his heart: 'Although these bhikṣus have refined minds, their countenances show nothing of it. I should encourage those of the royal clan who delight in non-action to become śramaṇas, choosing those who are handsome.' He immediately ordered the clan to assemble in the palace on the following day, and having received the command, they arrived at once. The king announced to the clan: 'Asita's physiognomy stated that if the Buddha had not gone forth from the household, he would have become a holy king, ruling over all under heaven in the four quarters, and his attendants on left and right would all have been handsome. Now his disciples as a group have no pleasing appearance. I wish to engage those endowed with the Path and sufficient in deportment to fill up the number of the Saṅgha and add brilliance to the World-Honoured One.' They all said: 'Very well,' and heard the order with joy, begging leave to withdraw and make strict preparations, setting out only after seven days. Tiaoda (Devadatta) then told his companions: 'We are sons and younger brothers of kings. Now, abandoning worldly glory to go forth from the household and dwell in the Path, we must arrange our clothing and ornaments with the utmost worldly excellence; our elephants, horses, and carriages shall be worth ten thousand pieces of gold.' On the day of their splendid departure, onlookers filled the roads. Devadatta's cap and headband fell of themselves to the ground, and the elephant that Kokālika rode spread its four legs on the ground and cried like a bird. The physiognomist divined: 'The rest will all attain the Path; one person will be unpropitious.' Together they went to the Buddha's place to seek to become śramaṇas. The stubborn were subdued, and none did not joyfully accept it. Tiaoda is also named Devadatta; in the language of Qi it means 'Heaven's Heat' (tianre), because when he was born the minds of humans and devas were suddenly startled and heated, hence he was named accordingly. The Ekottarikāgama says: Devadatta said to the Buddha, 'I wish to be permitted into the order of the Path.' The Buddha said, 'You should remain at home, sharing alms and giving in charity. Being a śramaṇa is truly not easy.' Devadatta spoke again a second and a third time, and again the Buddha told him that he was not suited to go forth from the household. Devadatta then conceived an evil thought: 'This śramaṇa harbors jealousy in his heart. I should now shave my own head and cultivate the pure life well. What need have I for this śramaṇa?' Later, Devadatta committed the five inexpiable offenses. Harboring an evil mind, he was about to arrive at the Tathāgata's place; just as he set his foot on the earth, a great fire rose from within the ground and circled Devadatta. As his body was burned by the fire, he gave rise to a repentant mind and called out, 'Namo Buddhāya.' Yet before he could finish, just having managed to say 'Namo,' he plunged into hell. Ānanda wept with sorrow and said, 'For how long will Devadatta remain in hell?' The Buddha said, 'He will pass one great eon. When his life ends, he will be born among the Four Heavenly Kings, and sequentially up to the Heaven of Controlling Others' Emanations. Passing sixty eons without falling into the three bad destinations, he will in his final rebirth become a pratyekabuddha named Namo, on account of having called out "Namo" at the end of his life.' At that time Mahāmaudgalyāyana said, 'I wish to go into the Avīci Hell to see Devadatta, to console and congratulate him.' The Buddha said, 'The sinners of Avīci do not understand human sounds.' Maudgalyāyana said to the Buddha, 'I understand the sixty-four sounds, and with these sounds I shall go and speak to that man.' In the time it takes to bend or extend an arm, Maudgalyāyana reached the sky above the Avīci Hell and called out, 'Devadatta!' The hell warden said, 'Here there are also Devadattas from the times of Krakucchanda Buddha and Kāśyapa Buddha. Which one do you call now?' Maudgalyāyana said, 'I call the Devadatta who is the son of Śākyamuni Buddha's paternal uncle.' The hell warden burned and scorched his body to make him conscious, saying, 'Look up into the sky!' He saw Mahāmaudgalyāyana sitting on a jeweled lotus flower, and said to Maudgalyāyana, 'Why has the Venerable One deigned to come here?' Maudgalyāyana said, 'The Tathāgata has prophesied of you that because you wished to harm the World-Honoured One, you entered Avīci, but finally you will become a pratyekabuddha named Namo.' Having heard this, Devadatta rejoiced and said, 'Today I lie on my right side in the Avīci Hell; even passing through an eon I shall never grow weary.' Maudgalyāyana further asked, 'Has your suffering and pain increased or decreased?' Devadatta replied, 'Hot iron wheels crush my body to pieces, iron pestles grind my form, black violent elephants trample my body, and a fiery mountain comes to press down upon my face. My former kāṣāya has turned into a sheet of copper that burns intensely. Now through you I bow my head to the feet of the World-Honoured One, and also bow to the Venerable Ānanda.' Maudgalyāyana then withdrew his supernatural power and returned to the World-Honoured One's place. The Dazhidulun states that Devadatta's disciple Kokālika slandered Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana, and when his life ended, he fell into the Lotus Hell; this was Quheli (Kokālika). Sengyou collates and investigates the course of Devadatta's lives: he was repeatedly a close relative yet constantly bore enmity. Was this not to manifest good and evil, and mysteriously reflect the esoteric teachings? Therefore the sūtra says: 'If it is said that Devadatta committed inexpiable offenses and fell into Avīci, there is no such thing.' This is indeed the realm of the Buddhas, which cannot be fathomed by the two vehicles.