釋迦譜 3.13.1

3.13.1

In Śrāvastī, King Prasenajit had a great minister named Sudatta. His household was immensely wealthy, with boundless treasures, and he delighted in giving alms to relieve the poor and indigent, as well as orphans and the elderly. People of that time gave him an epithet based on his deeds, naming him Anāthapiṇḍada. At that time the elder had seven sons. As each grew to adulthood, he took wives for them, one after another up to the sixth. His seventh son was exceptionally handsome and remarkably distinguished, and was favored with special love and affection. Wishing to take a wife for him, he desired to obtain a maiden of the utmost loveliness, handsome posture, and auspicious marks, and sought one for his son. He said to various brahmins: “Who has a fine maiden with complete physical marks? Go and seek her for my son.” The brahmins then searched for one. Wandering and begging from place to place, they arrived at Rājagṛha. In the city was a great minister named Homī, who possessed boundless wealth and reverently believed in the Three Jewels. A brahmin arrived at his house to beg. According to the custom of that land, when giving alms to others, it was required that a maiden hold the offerings to bestow them. The elder Homī had a daughter whose majestic poise was upright and whose appearance was exceedingly wondrous. She took food out to give to the brahmin. Seeing her, the brahmin rejoiced greatly in his heart: “The one I was searching for, today I have found her!” He asked the maiden: “Has anyone come to ask for your hand?” She answered: “Not yet.” He asked: “Maiden, is your father at home?” The maiden said: “He is.” The brahmin said: “Tell him to come out; I wish to see him and converse with him.” The maiden went inside and reported to her father: “Outside there is a guest who wishes to meet you.” The father went out. The brahmin inquired after his well-being, peace, and health, [and said]: “The king of Śrāvastī has a great minister named Sudatta, an assisting minister; do you know him?” He answered: “I have not seen him, but have only heard his name.” [The brahmin] said: “Do you know? That man is the foremost in wealth and nobility in that kingdom of Śrāvastī, just as you are the foremost in wealth and nobility here. Sudatta has a son who is handsome, extraordinarily wondrous, eminent, and possessed of many talents. He wishes to ask for your daughter’s hand; would this be acceptable?” He answered: “It is acceptable.” It happened that there was a merchant who wished to go to Śrāvastī. The brahmin wrote a letter and entrusted it to him to deliver to Sudatta, explaining the matter in full. Rejoicing, Sudatta went to the king to ask for leave to take a wife for his son. The king granted it. He loaded a great quantity of precious treasures and headed for Rājagṛha, succoring the poor and destitute along the way. Arriving at Rājagṛha, he went to Homī's house to seek the wife for his son. The elder Homī joyfully went out to welcome him, arranged bedding for him, and lodged him for the night in his house. The household bustled about preparing food and drink. Sudatta thought: “For what purpose is this elder preparing such a grand feast? Is he going to invite the king, crown prince, and ministers, or is he hosting a great gathering for elders, householders, marriages, and relatives?” He pondered the reason but could not fathom it. So he asked him: “This evening, elder, you are personally toiling and managing affairs, setting out provisions. Is it to invite the king, crown prince, and ministers?” He answered: “No.” “Do you wish to hold a gathering for a marriage or relatives?” He answered: “I am inviting the Buddha and the community of monks (bhikṣus).” When Sudatta heard the words “Buddha” and “Saṅgha,” his hair bristled with awe; as if having gained something, his heart was elated. He asked again: “What is meant by ‘Buddha’? Pray explain its meaning.” The elder answered: “Have you heard of the prince of Śuddhodana, whose name was Siddhārtha? On the day he was born, Heaven sent down thirty-two auspicious omens, and myriad gods stood guard. He immediately walked seven paces, raised his hand, and declared: ‘Above the heavens and beneath the heavens, I alone am supreme.’ His body was golden, adorned with the thirty-two marks and eighty secondary signs. He was destined to rule as a golden wheel-turning king over the four continents. Seeing the suffering of old age, sickness, and death, he took no pleasure in household life; he went forth from the household to cultivate the Way. After six years of ascetic practice, he attained all-knowledge, eradicated the defilements, and became a Buddha. He subdued eighteen hundred million of Māra's hosts, and was called the Capable and Benevolent One (Śākyamuni). Endowed with the ten powers, the fearlessnesses, the eighteen unshared dharmas, with radiant brilliance shining forth and a far-reaching vision of the three penetrations—therefore he is called ‘Buddha’.” Sudatta asked: “What is meant by ‘Saṅgha’?” Homī answered: “After the Buddha attained the Way, Brahmā exhorted and requested him to turn the wondrous wheel of the Dharma. He went to the Deer Park in Vārāṇasī and, for the five men led by Kauṇḍinya, turned the four noble truths. Their defilements were exhausted, their fetters undone, and they became śramaṇas, fully endowed with the six supernatural penetrations, thoroughly trained in the four applications of mindfulness, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold path. Up in the sky, eighty thousand devas attained stream-entry (srotāpanna), and boundless gods and humans gave rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed awakening. Next, he converted Uruvilvā-Kāśyapa and his brothers, a thousand men in all; their defilements exhausted and their minds liberated, they attained deliverance successively just as those five men had. Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana with their retinue of five hundred also attained arhatship. Persons such as these have mastery in supernatural powers and are able to serve as an excellent field of merit for sentient beings; therefore they are called ‘Saṅgha’.” Hearing such wondrous matters recounted, Sudatta leaped for joy and was moved to deep faith and reverence. Longing for dawn, he resolved to go see the Buddha. Due to his sincere devotion and spiritual resonance, he saw the earth brighten. Following the light, he immediately set off. The city gate of Rājagṛha opened at three times during the night: the first watch, the middle watch, and the last watch—these are the three times. Leaving the gate during the middle watch, he saw a shrine to a deva and immediately bowed to it, suddenly forgetting his mindfulness of the Buddha. His mind and sight became dark again, and he thought to himself: “Tonight is still dark. If I proceed, I might be harmed by evil spirits and ferocious beasts. I had better return into the city and wait until dawn to go.” A deceased close friend had been reborn in the realm of the Four Heavenly Kings; seeing that he was about to turn back, he descended and spoke to him: “Householder, do not turn back! (I was formerly your good spiritual friend, the brahmin Mi-jian. Because of hearing the Dharma, I attained rebirth in heaven and am now a gate-god of great power, which is why I advise you.) If you go to see the Buddha, you will obtain boundless benefit. Even if you were granted a hundred carts of precious treasures, it would not compare to taking a single step toward the World-Honoured One’s dwelling; the benefit obtained far surpasses that. Householder, do not turn back! Even if you were granted an entire continent of four quarters filled with precious treasures, it would not compare to lifting your foot to take a single step toward the World-Honoured One’s dwelling; the benefit obtained surpasses that by hundreds of thousands of myriad times.” Hearing the deva speak these words, Sudatta’s joy increased all the more, and he reverently remembered the World-Honoured One. The darkness immediately gave way to dawn. Following the road, he arrived at the dwelling of the World-Honoured One. At that time, the World-Honoured One, knowing that Sudatta had arrived, came outside and was walking in meditation. Then Sudatta saw the World-Honoured One from afar, radiant like a mountain of gold, his majestic appearance and signs solemn and luminous, surpassing ten-thousandfold what Homī had described. Beholding him, his heart was delighted, but not knowing the proper etiquette, he straightforwardly asked the World-Honoured One: “I wonder how Gautama fares in rising and resting?” The World-Honoured One immediately bade him take a seat. At that time, the Śuddhāvāsa devas saw from afar.