釋迦譜 4.9

4.9

At that time, in the early morning, the World-Honoured One emitted various rays of light from his face and mouth, illuminating the trichiliocosm of the Buddha's world, extending to the sentient beings of the six destinies in the ten directions. Those who encountered this light had their sins, defilements, and afflictions completely eradicated. When these sentient beings saw and heard this, their hearts were filled with great sorrow and distress; they simultaneously raised their voices, wailing and weeping in grief. At that time, the great earth, all the mountains, and the great oceans all shook. Sentient beings then said to one another, 'We must hasten together to Kuśinagara to plead with the Tathāgata not to enter parinirvāṇa, but to remain in the world for an eon, or slightly less than an eon.' When the great disciples, the Venerable Mahākātyāyana and others, encountered the Buddha's light, their bodies trembled so that they could not support themselves, and they cried out loudly, giving rise to all kinds of bitter distress. Furthermore, there were eighty hundred thousand bhikṣus, all arhats like great dragon-kings; and sixty billion bhikṣuṇīs, who were also great arhats. At the early morning when the sun first rose, the hair on their bodies stood on end and blood seeped through their entire bodies like parāśa flowers; their eyes brimming with tears, they suffered great grief. Hurrying to the Buddha's place, they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him hundreds of thousands of times, and then withdrew to sit to one side. Furthermore, there were bodhisattva-mahāsattvas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, ranked in the ten stages, who, when the sun first rose and they encountered the Buddha's light, bled through their whole bodies, their eyes brimming with tears; hurrying to the Buddha's place, they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him hundreds of thousands of times, and then withdrew to sit to one side. Furthermore, there were upāsakas as numerous as the sands of two Ganges rivers; upāsikās as numerous as the sands of three Ganges rivers; Licchavis and others of Vaiśālī as numerous as the sands of four Ganges rivers; ministers and elders as numerous as the sands of five Ganges rivers; all the kings of Jambudvīpa; and the consorts of the kings as numerous as the sands of seven Ganges rivers—excepting only the consort of King Ajātaśatru—whose offerings were seven times greater than the previous ones. Furthermore, there were devanīs and other female deities as numerous as the sands of eight Ganges rivers; dragon-kings as numerous as the sands of nine Ganges rivers; kings of ghosts and spirits as numerous as the sands of ten Ganges rivers, whose offering implements were double those of the dragons. Furthermore, there were garuḍa-kings as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers; gandharva-kings as numerous as the sands of thirty Ganges rivers; kiṃnara-kings as numerous as the sands of forty Ganges rivers; mahoraga-kings as numerous as the sands of fifty Ganges rivers; asura-kings as numerous as the sands of sixty Ganges rivers; dānava-kings as numerous as the sands of seventy Ganges rivers; and rākṣasa-kings as numerous as the sands of eighty Ganges rivers, who no longer ate humans, and whose ugly forms were all made handsome through the Buddha's spiritual power. Furthermore, there were forest-spirit kings as numerous as the sands of ninety Ganges rivers; kings of spell-holders as numerous as the sands of a thousand Ganges rivers; sensual ghosts and apparitions as numerous as the sands of a hundred million Ganges rivers; heavenly maidens as numerous as the sands of ten billion Ganges rivers; earthly spirit-kings as numerous as the sands of a hundred billion Ganges rivers; devatā-kings and the Four Heavenly Kings as numerous as the sands of ten trillion Ganges rivers. Furthermore, there were wind-spirits of the four directions as numerous as the sands of ten trillion Ganges rivers, who blew upon the trees, scattering seasonal and unseasonal flowers between the twin trees; and cloud-and-rain-governing spirits as numerous as the sands of ten trillion Ganges rivers, who all thought, 'When the Tathāgata enters nirvāṇa and his body is cremated, I shall pour down rain to extinguish the fire in due time.' Furthermore, there were great fragrant elephant-kings as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers, who plucked wondrous lotus flowers and came to the Buddha's place; lion beast-kings as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers, carrying flowers and fruits to the Buddha's place; flying bird-kings as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers—wild ducks, wild geese, mandarin ducks, peacocks, kalaviṅkas, and jīvañjīvakas—bearing flowers and fruits and bowing their heads at the Buddha's feet; and water-buffalo-kings as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers, who went to the Buddha's place producing wondrous fragrant milk, which flowed and filled all the ditches and pits of Kuśinagara, fully endowed with exquisite colour, fragrance, and delicious taste. Spirits and ṛṣis throughout the four continents as numerous as the sands of twenty Ganges rivers carried fragrant flowers and sweet fruits, bowing their heads at the Buddha's feet. All the queen-bees of Jambudvīpa carried various flowers to the Buddha's place. Furthermore, all the mountain-spirits of Jambudvīpa and of intermediate spaces of immeasurable worlds, as well as the spirits of the four great oceans and of the rivers, who possessed great majestic virtue, presented offerings surpassing the previous ones twofold, scattering campaka flowers upon the Hiraṇyavatī River, bowing their heads at the Buddha's feet, and withdrawing to stand to one side. At that time, the sāla grove of Kuśinagara turned white like white swans, and naturally in the empty air there appeared halls and pavilions made of the seven jewels, exquisitely engraved and carved, with flowing springs, bathing ponds, and superior wondrous lotuses, resembling the Garden of Joy in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. These gods, humans, asuras, and others all saw the signs of the Tathāgata's parinirvāṇa and were deeply moved with grief. At that time, the offerings presented by the Four Heavenly Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa devas, up to the sixth heaven, each progressively surpassed the former. The Great Brahmā King and the other deities of the Brahmā realm emitted bodily light that pervaded the four continents, so that the light of the sun and moon and of the gods and humans of the desire realm no longer appeared. Holding precious banners and flags—the shortest of which hung from the Brahmā palace down to the sāla trees—they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet and said, 'We pray only that the Tathāgata will mercifully accept our final offering.' Knowing the time, the Tathāgata silently declined. At that time, the Asura King Vemacitra, together with an immeasurable retinue, having bodily brilliance surpassing that of Brahmā, held precious banners whose smaller canopies covered a thousand worlds, and brought superior wondrous sweet delicacies to the Buddha's place. The demon king Pāpīyān of the desire realm, together with his retinue of heavenly maidens and an asaṃkhyeya assembly, opened the gates of hell and gave pure water, declaring, 'You can do nothing today; you should only concentrate your thoughts on the Tathāgata, which will bring you peace throughout the long night.' At that time, the demon Pāpīyān completely removed all swords and blades and immeasurable bitter poisons in hell, pouring rain to extinguish the blazing fires. By the Buddha's spiritual power, he also caused his retinue to abandon their swords, blades, bows, crossbows, spears, lances, long hooks, war wheels, and lassoes; the offerings they held were twice as great as those made by all gods and humans, the smaller canopies covering a medium chiliocosm. Coming to the Buddha's place, they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet [and said], 'We pray only that the Tathāgata will mercifully accept our final offering.' Though they requested three times, he also declined. At that time, having failed to obtain his wish, the demon Pāpīyān withdrew to stand to one side with sorrow and distress in his heart. At that time, the King of Maheśvara, together with his immeasurable and boundless retinue and the heavenly hosts, presented offering implements that completely eclipsed those of Brahmā, Śakra, gods, humans, and the eight classes of beings; what Brahmā and Śakra had laid out was like a pile of black ink beside a white shell, no longer visible at all. Their smaller precious canopies could cover a trichiliocosm. Coming to the Buddha's place, they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet and circumambulated him countless times. At that time, in the eastern direction, separated from here by dust-mote-like worlds as numerous as countless asaṃkhyeyas of Ganges sands, there was a Buddha-land named Delightful Melodious Sound. The Buddha was named Gaganasama Tathāgata, fully endowed with the ten epithets. At that time, that Buddha told his foremost great disciple, 'You should now go westward to the Sahā world of Śākyamuni Tathāgata. That Buddha will soon enter parinirvāṇa. You should take the fragrant rice of this world and offer it to that Buddha. After eating it, the World-Honoured One will enter parinirvāṇa.' At that time, Bodhisattva Anantakāya received the Buddha's instruction, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and departed from that land. Immediately, the great earth of this trichiliocosm shook in six ways. Brahmā, Śakra, the Four Heavenly Kings, the demon king Pāpīyān, and Maheśvara, seeing this earthquake, had their bodily hairs stand on end, their throats and tongues dried up, and, trembling with fright, they each wished to scatter in all directions, seeing their own bodies devoid of brilliance. At that time, Mañjuśrī rose from his seat and addressed the great assembly, 'Do not be afraid. In the eastern direction, separated from here by dust-mote-like worlds as numerous as immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of Ganges sands, there is a Buddha named Gaganasama Tathāgata, fully endowed with the ten epithets. There is a bodhisattva named Anantakāya who, together with immeasurable bodhisattvas, wishes to come here to make offerings to the Tathāgata. Because of that bodhisattva's majestic virtue, your bodily lights have ceased to appear.' Then the great assembly all saw that Buddha from afar, as if viewing their own bodies in a bright mirror. They saw that from every single pore of Bodhisattva Anantakāya a great lotus flower emerged, each possessing seventy-eight thousand cities inlaid with the seven jewels. The sentient beings therein heard no other words, but only the sound of the unsurpassed Great Vehicle, writing, preserving, reciting, and chanting Mahāyāna sūtras. The entire great assembly was able to see Bodhisattva Anantakāya, whose body was immensely boundless and equal to empty space; except for the Buddhas, none could see the limits of his body. Then Bodhisattva Anantakāya bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, joined his palms, and said, 'World-Honoured One, we pray only that you mercifully accept our food.' Knowing the time, the Tathāgata silently declined. In the southern, western, and northern Buddha-worlds, there were likewise immeasurable Anantakāya bodhisattvas whose offerings were twice as grand as the previous ones. At that time, the auspicious and blessed ground of the sāla trees measured thirty-two yojanas in length and breadth, and the great assembly filled it with no vacant space between them. At that time, the seating places of the Anantakāya bodhisattvas of the four directions and their retinues were as small as the tip of an awl or the point of a needle. The great bodhisattvas from dust-mote-like worlds of the ten directions all assembled, excepting only the two assemblies of the Venerable Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda, and King Ajātaśatru and his retinue; even poisonous snakes whose gaze could kill humans, dung beetles, vipers, scorpions, and those of the sixteen evil occupations all assembled. The dānava spirits, asuras, and others all cast aside evil thoughts and gave rise to compassionate hearts, excepting only the icchantikas. At that time, through the Buddha's spiritual power, the trichiliocosm became soft and adorned with all kinds of jewels, resembling the Sukhāvatī world of Amitāyus Buddha in the west. At that time, the great assembly clearly saw the dust-mote-like Buddha-worlds of the ten directions, as if viewing their own bodies in a bright mirror. Then the five-coloured light emitted from the Tathāgata's face and mouth covered the great assembly, causing their bodily lights to no longer appear; having completed what it was to do, it returned and entered into his mouth. When the gods, humans, asuras, and others saw the Buddha's light return and enter into his mouth, they were all greatly terrified, the hair on their bodies standing on end, and they said, 'The Tathāgata's light has emerged and returned within; what was to be accomplished in the ten directions must now be complete, and this is the sign of his final nirvāṇa. Alas, how painful! Great suffering in the world!' They cried and wailed, unable to contain themselves. At that time, in the assembly, there was an upāsaka, the son of an artisan in the city of Kuśinagara, named Cunda. Together with fifteen of his peers, he rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, touched his right knee to the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, wept with sorrow, and bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, saying, 'We pray only that the World-Honoured One and the saṅgha of bhikṣus will mercifully accept our final offering. From now on, we have no master, no kin, no refuge, and no protection, being poor and famished; we wish to seek future food from the Tathāgata. We pray only that you will mercifully accept our meager offering and then enter nirvāṇa.' At that time, the World-Honoured One, with all-modes-knowing wisdom, said to Cunda, 'Excellent, excellent! I shall now eradicate your poverty for you, letting the rain of the unsurpassed Dharma fall upon the field of your body so that the sprouts of Dharma may grow, enabling you to fulfill the dāna-pāramitā.' Then the great assembly rejoiced and praised him with one voice, saying, 'Excellent, excellent! How rare, Cunda! The Buddha has accepted your final offering. Now, Cunda, you are truly a son of the Buddha.' The Buddha said to Cunda, 'Now is the right time for the offering you present to the Buddha and the great assembly; the Tathāgata is about to enter parinirvāṇa.' A second and a third time, he spoke likewise. When Cunda heard the Buddha's words, he wept aloud and said to the great assembly, 'We must all now throw our five limbs to the ground and plead with the Buddha with one voice not to enter parinirvāṇa.' The Buddha said to Cunda, 'Do not weep loudly and disturb your own mind. It is out of pity for you and all beings that I intend to enter nirvāṇa today. Why is that? Such is the Dharma of all Buddhas, and the same holds for all conditioned things. Quickly prepare your offering; it is not fitting to delay long.' Then the World-Honoured One emitted from his face and mouth rays of various colours—blue, yellow, red, white, pink, and purple—which illuminated Cunda's body. Having encountered it, Cunda and his retinue took various foods and delicacies and went quickly to the Buddha's place, overcome with grief, and spoke again to the Buddha, 'We pray only that the Tathāgata, taking pity on us, will remain in the world for an eon, or slightly less than an eon.' The Buddha told Cunda, 'If you wish me to dwell long in the world, you should quickly present this final, complete dāna-pāramitā.' Then all the bodhisattvas, devas, humans, and various beings exclaimed with one voice, 'Marvelous, Cunda, you have achieved great merit! We have no merit, and the offerings we prepared have come to naught.' At that time, the World-Honoured One, wishing to fulfill the hopes of all beings, manifested from every single pore of his body immeasurable Buddhas, each Buddha accompanied by an immeasurable saṅgha of bhikṣus, all showing themselves accepting their offerings, while Śākyamuni Tathāgata himself accepted the offering presented by Cunda. At that time, the cooked food of non-glutinous rice carried by Cunda amounted to full eight hu of Magadha measure, and through the Buddha's spiritual power, it completely satisfied the entire great assembly.