[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [付法藏因緣傳](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058) › 5.4 # 付法藏因緣傳 5.4 付法藏因緣傳 5.4 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.4.1](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4.1) 說是偈已應時寶塔分散崩落。 王見驚怖而作是言。 我於今者福將欲盡失王位乎。 何故我適禮此寶塔而便頹毀。 有人語言。 王所禮者是外道塔。 以其威德微末尠少。 不堪受王福德人禮。 是故爾耳即發塔下得尼乾屍。 眾人歎曰。 奇哉大王德力深厚。 禮此邪塔。 令其毀壞。 王之功德比於梵天。 又罽昵吒曾於一時。 命剃鬚師教剃己鬚。 時剃鬚師在王前立而作是言。 我子端政智慧希有。 唯願大王垂哀矜愍以女妻之。 王大瞋恚而語之曰。 汝是賤人種姓卑劣。 云何我女妻汝子乎。 即便驅逐令至餘處。 而自默然不復敢語。 後更召來言還如前。 如是至三。 王思惟曰。 今此地下必有伏藏。 故令斯人敢為此語。 即便使人當下發掘。 尋便大獲種種寶藏。 王之智慧其事如是。 又罽昵吒在於一時訪問群臣。 諸國土中頗有智人可諮敬不。 當於爾時有一比丘名達摩蜜多。 智慧深遠功德具足。 善能通達三昧定相。 南天竺國有二比丘。 心意柔和深樂善法。 素聞尊者坐禪第一。 即共相將往詣其所。 於其住處有三重窟。 爾時二人至下窟中。 見一比丘著弊壞衣。 形貌醜陋端坐竈前為僧然火。 時二比丘問言。 長老達摩蜜多為在何處。 答言。 今在最上窟中。 汝等宜可急往見之。 爾時二人進至上窟。 見向比丘已於中坐。 時一比丘語其伴曰。 此老比丘云何乃似向所見者。 時伴比丘聰慧機悟。 即語之曰。 今此尊者尚能如是。 流布名聞。 豈不能至此處而坐。 即前為禮稽首問曰。 大德威名世間希有。 何故自屈為僧燃火。 達摩蜜多告比丘曰。 子今當聽。 我念生死受苦長遠。 若使頭手可得燃者。 吾當為僧而盡燃之。 況餘身分及以燃火。 何足為難。 吾念往昔。 五百世中常受狗身。 飢窮羸乏唯曾再飽。 乃於昔時值有一人。 飲酒既醉嘔吐委地。 我於爾時食而得足。 又昔曾有夫妻二人。 以器煮糜熟已出外。 我見無人至其家內。 入頭器中食糜得足。 後欲出頭了不能得。 於是夫妻從外還入。 見食其糜深生瞋恚。 即以利刀用剪吾首。 於五百世受斯狗身。 雖二飽滿而失身命。 以是思惟生死長久周遍五道受苦無量。 故吾今者不憚勤勞。 躬為眾僧而自燃火。 時二比丘聞是語已。 深觀生死無量過患。 應時逮得須陀洹道。 如是尊者達摩蜜多。 知見高遠名稱流布。 王諸群臣素聞其名。 咸共白言。 大王當知。 罽賓山中有一比丘。 名達摩蜜多。 才慧超倫福德深厚。 王宜往彼問訊供養。 時罽昵吒即便嚴駕。 前後圍遶往罽賓山。 離彼住處五百餘里。 王自念言。 若彼比丘福德淵廣。 乃能受吾恭敬禮拜。 設薄福人終不堪也。 達摩蜜多性好純素。 著弊壞衣顏容憔悴。 尊者弟子咸作是言。 罽膩吒王威名高遠。 屈駕來此禮覲大師。 宜自莊嚴著新淨服。 無令為彼之所輕賤。 達摩蜜多告弟子曰。 如來昔日無有教勅。 若見豪貴便自莊嚴。 且出家人麁弊是常。 既得其宜何所改易。 爾時彼王即便前進。 稽首恭敬問訊起居。 達摩蜜多知其心念。 即便咳唾使王承之。 爾時膩吒長跪合掌受唾而棄。 問言。 我今堪王供不。 王即摧伏倍生敬信。 尊者告曰。 王昔曾於勝道而來。 今可還從本路而去。 既聞是語受教歸國。 爾時群臣咸生嫌忿。 云何大王本訪勝人。 既得見之都不諮啟。 王告臣曰。 汝豈能知若斯事耶。 我於往昔積修福行。 今得為王才慧超世。 尊者令我還修本業。 已受訓誨更何問乎。 王於後時至膩吒塔。 前路見有五百乞人。 同聲求哀稱施如我。 王聞是已大施乞人。 金銀琉璃象馬田宅。 迴還造作種種施會。 拯恤貧乏存慰孤老。 正法治世仁育天下。 時有一臣名曰天法。 便作是念。 云何大王見斯乞人。 建立如是功德勝業。 即問王言。 > When he had spoken this verse, the jeweled stūpa immediately shattered and collapsed. The king was alarmed and terrified, and said, "Is my merit now about to be exhausted so that I will lose my royal throne? Why is it that as soon as I paid homage to this jeweled stūpa, it collapsed and was ruined?" Someone said to him, "What the King paid homage to was a stūpa of the non-Buddhists. Because its majestic virtue is negligible and slight, it could not bear the homage of a man of merit such as the King. That is the only reason." Thereupon they excavated beneath the stūpa and found the corpse of a Nirgrantha. The multitudes praised, saying, "Marvelous, Great King! Your power of virtue is profound and mighty. Paying homage to this false stūpa, you caused it to fall into ruins. The King's merit is comparable to that of Brahmā." Furthermore, on one occasion Kaniṣka commanded his barber to shave his beard. The barber stood before the king and said, "My son is handsome, upright, and possessed of rare wisdom. I only pray that the Great King will show compassion and pity, and give him \[one of your\] daughters in marriage." The king was exceedingly enraged and said to him, "You are a base man of lowly caste. How could my daughter be married to your son?" He then drove him away to another place, and the barber remained silent, not daring to speak again. Later, when summoned again, he spoke just as before. This happened three times. The king pondered, "Beneath the ground here there must be a buried treasure, which causes this man to dare to speak thus." He immediately ordered men to dig directly beneath where he stood, and soon they obtained a great store of various treasures. The king's wisdom was of such a nature. Furthermore, Kaniṣka on one occasion asked his ministers, "In the various lands, is there any wise man whom I might consult and revere?" At that time, there was a monk named Dharmamitra, whose wisdom was profound and whose merit was complete, and who was well able to comprehend the characteristics of samādhi. In South India there were two monks, gentle in mind and deeply delighting in good qualities. Having long heard that the Venerable was foremost in seated meditation, they set out together to go to his place. At his dwelling place there was a three-tiered cave. Then the two men arrived at the lower cave and saw a monk wearing tattered robes, of ugly appearance, sitting upright before the hearth lighting the fire for the Saṅgha. The two monks then asked, "Where is the Elder Dharmamitra?" He answered, "He is now in the topmost cave. You should go quickly to see him." The two men then proceeded to the upper cave and saw the previous monk already seated within it. One monk said to his companion, "How is it that this old monk resembles the one we just saw?" His companion, being quick-witted and discerning, immediately said to him, "If this Venerable can spread his renown so far, could he not arrive here and take his seat?" They then stepped forward, made obeisance, bowed their heads, and asked, "The Bhadanta's majestic renown is rare in the world. Why do you humble yourself to light the fire for the Saṅgha?" Dharmamitra told the monks, "Listen now, sons. When I reflect upon the long suffering undergone in birth-and-death, if it were possible to burn my head and hands, I would burn them completely for the sake of the Saṅgha. How much less would other parts of my body, or lighting a fire, be considered difficult? I recall that in the past, for five hundred lifetimes, I constantly took the body of a dog. Starving, impoverished, and emaciated, only twice did I eat to fullness. Once in the past, I met a man who, being drunk with wine, vomited onto the ground; at that time I ate of it and was satisfied. Another time in the past, there was a husband and wife who cooked porridge in a vessel, and when it was done they went outside. Seeing no one, I went into their house, put my head into the vessel, and ate my fill of porridge. Afterwards, when I wished to withdraw my head, I could not do so at all. Thereupon the husband and wife returned inside from outside, and seeing me eating their porridge, became deeply enraged; they immediately took a sharp knife and cut off my head. Having received this dog's body for five hundred lifetimes, though twice I was filled, I lost my life. Reflecting in this way that birth-and-death is long and wandering through the five destinies brings immeasurable suffering, I therefore do not shrink from toil now, and personally light the fire for the Saṅgha." When the two monks heard these words, they deeply contemplated the boundless faults of birth-and-death, and at that very moment attained the path of srotāpanna. Such was the Venerable Dharmamitra: his knowledge and vision were elevated and far-reaching, and his renown was widely spread. The king's ministers had long heard of his name, and together they addressed the king, "The Great King should know: in the mountains of Kaśmīra there is a monk named Dharmamitra. His talent and wisdom are matchless, and his merit is profound and abundant. The King ought to go there to inquire after him and make offerings." At that time Kaniṣka had his carriages prepared, and with retinues before and behind, he set out for the mountains of Kaśmīra. When he was more than five hundred li away from that dwelling place, the king thought to himself, "Only if that monk's merit is vast and deep can he receive my respectful salutations; if he is a man of meager merit, he will surely not be able to bear it." Dharmamitra by nature was fond of pure simplicity; he wore tattered robes and his appearance was haggard. The Venerable's disciples all said, "King Kaniṣka's majestic renown is elevated and far-reaching. He has humbled his carriage to come here and pay homage to the Great Master. You should adorn yourself and put on new, clean robes, lest you be slighted by him." Dharmamitra said to his disciples, "In former days, the Tathāgata gave no instruction that upon seeing the noble and wealthy, one should adorn oneself. Moreover, for a renunciant coarse and worn garments are ordinary. Having what is fitting, what is there to alter?" Then the king proceeded forward, bowed his head in reverence, and inquired after his health. Dharmamitra knew his thoughts; he immediately coughed and spat, causing the king to catch it. At that time Kaniṣka knelt on his knees, joined his palms, caught the spittle, and discarded it. \[Dharmamitra\] asked, "Am I now able to bear the King's offerings?" The king was thereupon subdued, and his reverence and faith doubled. The Venerable said to him, "The King formerly came by a superior path; you may now return by your original road." Having heard these words, the king accepted the instruction and returned to his country. At that time, his ministers were all displeased and resentful: "Why did the Great King originally visit a superior man, yet having met him, did not consult or question him at all?" The king said to his ministers, "How could you know such matters? In the past I accumulated and practiced meritorious deeds, and now I have become king, with talent and wisdom surpassing the world. The Venerable instructed me to cultivate my original practice; having already received his admonition, what more was there to ask?" Later, the king went to the Kaniṣka stūpa. On the road ahead, he saw five hundred beggars who with one voice pleaded for pity, saying, "Give alms to us!" When the king heard this, he gave vast alms to the beggars: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, elephants, horses, fields, and residences. Returning, he arranged various assemblies for almsgiving, relieving the poor and destitute, and consoling the orphaned and elderly. He governed the world with the True Dharma and nurtured all under heaven with benevolence. At that time there was a minister named Tianfa, who thought, "Why did the Great King, upon seeing these beggars, establish such superior deeds of merit?" He then asked the king: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [5.4.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4.2) 今王何緣見此乞人廣為斯福。 爾時大王告天法曰。 乞人於我有深利益。 以其身形及與語言欲見曉悟。 我昔為王不修福因。 是故今者飢寒窮困。 身體憔悴受諸苦惱。 王若不能乞匃貧乏。 未來之生必當如我飢寒羸劣。 彼乞人者其事若此。 吾悟斯事是以為福。 天法白言。 王今不但位勝天下。 智慧亦能總御萬國。 時安息王性甚頑暴。 將統四兵伐罽昵吒。 罽昵吒王亦即嚴誡。 兩陣交戰刀劍繼起。 罽昵吒王尋便獲勝。 殺安息人凡有九億。 問群臣曰。 今我此罪可得滅不。 諸臣答言。 大王殺戮凡九億人。 罪既深重云何可滅。 時罽昵吒尋置大鑊。 於七日中煮湯令沸。 洄湧騰波熾熱焰盛。 以一金環置斯湯內。 顧問群臣。 誰巧方便能得此環。 時有一臣來應王命。 便投冷水隨而取之。 手無傷爛尋獲金環。 王告臣曰。 我所為罪如彼沸湯。 悔必可滅猶冷水處。 吾所殺人雖有九億。 其罪重者唯二人半。 我當殺時有兩賢信。 臨被刑戮稱南無佛。 而我殺之斯罪深重。 其一人者。 口言南無未知是佛。 為富蘭那。 我復殺之。 故名半人。 爾時有一羅漢比丘。 見罽昵吒造斯惡業。 欲令彼王恐怖悔過。 即以神力示其地獄。 所謂斫刺劍輪解形。 悲叫哀號苦痛難忍。 王見是已極大惶怖。 心自念曰。 我甚愚癡造此罪業。 未來必受若斯之苦。 若吾先知如是惡報。 正使我身支節分解。 終不起心加害怨賊。 況於善人生一念惡。 爾時馬鳴即語王言。 王能至心聽我說法。 隨順吾教頂戴受持。 令王此罪不入地獄。 罽昵吒言。 善哉受教。 於是馬鳴廣為彼王說清淨法。 令其重罪漸得微薄。 復有一醫名曰遮勒。 善解方藥聰敏多聞。 利智辯才慈和仁愛。 罽昵吒王素聞其名每常推覓。 會遇遮勒自詣王宮。 王聞醫至即作是言。 我今善能調和身體。 右脇而臥節量飲食。 若斯之者何用醫為。 遮勒語言。 王能如此宜應出家。 夫為王者縱情極欲任放身口。 今王尚能斂攝防護。 何貪斯位久居世間。 王聞是已自知理屈。 即召令入共相慰問。 醫即語言。 大王若能信受吾教隨順不逆。 當令王身色力充足。 飲食消化終無病患。 王曰善哉。 敬承來教。 其後不久。 所愛夫人自覺有娠。 滿足十月生一男兒。 先已命終從胎倒出。 其母苦痛性命危惙。 從後展轉生輒如是。 爾時遮勒入手胎中。 解其兒衣然後乃出。 於是母人安隱全濟。 醫言大王。 自今勿復幸此婦人。 若近之者必當如本。 罽昵吒王婬欲火盛。 不自裁量更幸斯婦。 後續生子如前苦毒。 時遮勒醫始覺五欲過患根本。 便作是念。 罽昵吒王我躬教誨。 不受吾言致斯眾苦。 當知愛欲甚不可樂。 敗德喪身莫不由之。 壞好名聞污辱梵行。 凡夫迷惑不能捨離。 智者了之觀如怨賊。 我今宜應捨斯惡法。 隱居林藪坐閑念定。 於是辭王出家學道。 高才邈世淵明博達。 演宣記論遊化世間。 復有一臣名摩啅羅。 智慧超倫才藝希世。 白罽昵吒。 大王若能隨順臣教。 必當令王威伏四海。 一切宗仰八表歸德。 宜密臣言無令彰露。 王曰甚善當如卿言。 爾時大臣廣集勇將嚴四種兵。 所向皆伏如雹摧草。 三海人民咸來臣屬。 罽昵吒王所乘之馬。 於路遊行足自摧屈。 王語之言。 我征三海悉已歸化。 唯有北海未來降伏。 若得之者不復相乘。 吾事未辦如何便爾。 爾時群臣聞王此語。 咸共議曰。 罽昵吒王貪虐無道。 數出征伐勞役人民。 不知厭足欲王四海。 戍備邊遠親戚分離。 若斯之苦何時寧息。 宜可同心共屏除之。 然後我等乃當快樂。 因王病瘧以被鎮之。 人坐其上須臾氣絕。 由聽馬鳴說法緣故。 生大海中作千頭魚。 劍輪迴注斬截其首。 續復尋生次第更斬。 如是展轉乃至無量。 須臾之間頭滿大海。 > "For what reason does Your Majesty now, upon seeing this beggar, widely perform such acts of merit?" Then the great king told Tianfa: "The beggar has brought me great benefit. Through his physical form and words, he wished to make me realize and awaken. Formerly, when I was a king, I did not cultivate causes of merit. For this reason I am now hungry, cold, and destitute, my body emaciated, suffering all kinds of distress. If you, O King, cannot give alms to the poor and needy, in a future life you will surely be hungry, cold, and frail just like me. The beggar's matter was like this. Realizing this matter, I have therefore performed merit." Tianfa said: "Your Majesty not only surpasses the world in status today; your wisdom is also able to govern the myriad realms." At that time, the King of Parthia was stubborn and ferocious by nature. Leading the fourfold army, he set out to attack Kaniṣka. King Kaniṣka also immediately ordered his forces. The two battle lines clashed, and blades and swords continually arose. King Kaniṣka soon achieved victory, slaying nine hundred million Parthians in all. He asked his ministers, saying: "Can this sin of mine be expiated or not?" The ministers replied: "Your Majesty has slaughtered nine hundred million people in all. Since the sin is so grave, how could it be expiated?" Then Kaniṣka immediately had a great cauldron set up, and boiled water in it for seven days until it was boiling hot, surging and bubbling with blazing heat. He placed a golden ring inside this hot water, turned to ask his ministers: "Who has the skillful means to obtain this ring?" Then a minister stepped forward in response to the king's order, poured in cold water, and accordingly took it out. His hands were neither burnt nor injured, and he quickly retrieved the golden ring. The king told the ministers: "The sins I have committed are like that boiling water; with repentance, they can surely be eliminated, just as with the cold water. Although I have slain nine hundred million people, those with grave guilt amount to only two and a half persons. When I was killing, there were two faithful and virtuous persons who, about to be executed, chanted 'Namo Buddhāya'. Yet I killed them; this sin is grave. As for the other person, his mouth uttered 'Namo', but it is unknown whether he meant the Buddha or Pūraṇa. I also killed him; therefore he is called half a person." At that time there was an arhat monk who, seeing Kaniṣka create such evil karma, wished to make the king fearful so that he would repent of his misdeeds. He then used his supernatural powers to manifest hell to him, showing the hacking and piercing, the wheel of swords dismembering bodies, and the wailing and lamenting with pain too difficult to bear. Having seen this, the king was exceedingly terrified, and thought to himself: "I was exceedingly foolish to create such sinful karma! In the future I will surely suffer such torment. Had I known beforehand of such evil retribution, even if the limbs and joints of my own body were hacked to pieces, I would never give rise to a mind to harm enemy bandits, much less harbor a single evil thought toward good people." At that time, Aśvaghoṣa said to the king: "If Your Majesty can single-mindedly listen to me expound the Dharma, follow my teachings, and uphold them atop your head, I will cause this sin of yours not to lead into hell." Kaniṣka said: "Excellent! I receive your teaching." Thereupon Aśvaghoṣa expounded the pure Dharma extensively for the king, causing his heavy sins gradually to become slight and thin. There was also a physician named Caraka, who was well versed in medical recipes and herbs, clever and erudite, endowed with sharp intellect and eloquence, and kindly, gentle, and benevolent. King Kaniṣka had long heard of his name and constantly sought him out. It so happened that Caraka came to the royal palace on his own. When the king heard that the physician had arrived, he said: "I am now well able to harmonize my body: I lie down on my right side and moderate my food and drink. For someone like this, what need is there for a physician?" Caraka said: "If Your Majesty can do this, it would be fitting for you to go forth into the homeless life. As for kings, they indulge their desires and passions, giving free rein to body and mouth. Now that Your Majesty is even able to restrain and protect yourself, why crave this throne and dwell long in the world?" Hearing this, the king realized his reasoning was defeated. He immediately summoned him to enter and exchanged pleasantries with him. The physician then said: "If the Great King can faithfully accept my teachings, following them without contradiction, I will cause Your Majesty's physical form and strength to be abundant, food and drink to digest, and you will never suffer from illnesses." The king said: "Excellent! I respectfully receive your instructions." Not long after that, the beloved queen realized she was pregnant. After ten months had been completed, she gave birth to a boy. The child had already died beforehand and came out feet first from the womb. The mother was in severe pain, her life hanging by a thread. Subsequent births consistently happened like this. At that time, Caraka reached his hand into the womb, unfastened the infant's swaddling, and then drew him out. Thereupon the mother was safe and preserved. The physician said: "Great King, from now on, do not visit this woman again. If you approach her, it will surely be as before." King Kaniṣka's fire of lust was raging; unable to restrain himself, he visited this woman again. Later, when she subsequently gave birth to a child, the bitter misery was as before. At that time the physician Caraka first realized that the five desires are the root of faults and perils. He thought: "I personally instructed King Kaniṣka, yet he did not accept my words, thereby incurring these numerous sufferings. One should know that lustful desire brings no joy at all; ruin of virtue and loss of life are always due to it. It destroys good reputation and defiles pure conduct (brahmacarya). Ordinary worldly people, deluded and confused, cannot abandon it; the wise understand it and view it like an enemy bandit. I should now abandon this evil phenomenon, retire into the forests, and dwell in seclusion to practice mindfulness and meditation." Thereupon he took leave of the king, went forth to study the Way, with lofty talent transcending the world and profound clarity, expounding treatises and commentaries as he traveled and transformed the world. There was also a minister named Māṭhara, whose wisdom was peerless and whose talents and skills were rare in the world. He said to Kaniṣka: "If the Great King can comply with your servant's instructions, I will surely cause Your Majesty's majesty to subdue the four seas, all to revere you, and the eight directions to submit to your virtue. You should keep your servant's words secret and not let them be revealed." The king said: "Very well, it shall be as you say." At that time, the great minister assembled valiant generals in great numbers and arrayed the four types of troops; wherever they turned, all surrendered like grass crushed by hail. The peoples of the three seas all came to submit as vassals. The horse ridden by King Kaniṣka collapsed and buckled its legs while traveling on the road. The king said to it: "I have conquered the three seas, and all have submitted; only the northern sea has not yet surrendered. If I obtain it, I will not ride you again. My task is not yet accomplished, so how can you act like this?" When the ministers heard the king's words, they all conferred together, saying: "King Kaniṣka is greedy, tyrannical, and unprincipled. Frequently marching out on campaigns, he toils the people; not knowing contentment, he wishes to rule over the four seas. Guarding distant frontiers causes kin to be separated. When will such suffering ever cease? We should unite in mind to eliminate him together; only then will we find happiness." Taking advantage of the king suffering from malaria, they smothered him with a blanket, and people sat atop it; in an instant, his breath was cut off. Because of the cause of having listened to Aśvaghoṣa expound the Dharma, he was reborn in the great ocean as a thousand-headed fish. A wheel of swords circled and severed his heads, which immediately grew back only to be severed again in succession; thus turning again and again without measure, in an instant filling the great ocean with heads. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [5.4.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4.3) 時有羅漢為僧維那。 王即白言。 今此劍輪聞犍椎音即便停止。 於其中間苦痛小息。 唯願大德垂哀矜愍。 若鳴犍椎延令長久。 羅漢愍念為長打之。 過七日已受苦便畢。 而此寺上因彼王故。 次第相傳長打犍椎。 至於今日猶故如本。 如是馬鳴以大行願演甘露味。 為罽昵吒王興大饒益。 其所度脫無量億人。 所應作已便捨命行。 集其舍利起塔供養。 馬鳴菩薩臨欲捨命。 告一比丘名曰比羅。 長老當知。 佛法純淨能除煩惱垢。 汝宜於後流布供養。 比羅答言。 善哉受教。 從是已後廣宣正法。 微妙功德而自莊嚴。 巧說言辭智慧淵遠。 外道邪論無不摧伏。 於南天竺興大饒益。 造無我論足一百偈。 此論至處莫不摧靡。 譬如金剛所擬斯壞。 臨當滅時便以法藏付一大士。 名曰龍樹。 然後捨命。 龍樹於後廣為眾生流布勝眼。 以妙功德用自莊嚴。 天聰奇悟事不再問。 建立法幢降伏異道。 如是功德不可稱說。 今當隨順顯其因緣。 託生初在南天竺國出梵志種大豪貴家。 始生之時在於樹下。 由龍成道因號龍樹。 少小聰哲才學超世。 本童子時處在襁抱聞諸梵志誦四韋陀。 其典淵博有四萬偈。 偈各滿足三十二字。 皆即照了達其句味。 弱冠馳名擅步諸國。 天文地理星緯圖讖。 及餘道術無不綜練。 有友三人天姿奇秀。 相與議曰。 天下理義開悟神明。 開發幽旨增長智慧。 若斯之事吾等悉達。 更以何方而自娛樂。 復作是言。 世間唯有追求好色。 縱情極欲最是一生上妙快樂。 然梵志道勢非自在。 不為奇策斯樂難辦。 宜可共求隱身之藥。 事若得果此願必就。 咸曰善哉。 斯言為快。 即至術家求隱身法。 術師念曰。 此四梵志才智高遠。 生大憍慢草芥群生。 今以術故屈辱就我。 然此人輩研窮博達。 所不知者唯此賤法。 若授其方則永見棄。 且與彼藥使不知之。 藥盡必來師諮可久。 即便各授青藥一丸。 而告之曰。 汝持此藥以水磨之用塗眼瞼。 形當自隱。 尋受師教各磨此藥。 龍樹聞香即便識之。 分數多少錙銖無失。 還向其師具陳斯事。 此藥滿足有七十種。 名字兩數皆如其方。 師聞驚愕問其所由。 龍樹答言。 大師當知。 一切諸藥自有氣分。 因此知之何足為怪。 師聞其言歎未曾有。 即作是念。 若此人者聞之猶難。 況我親遇而惜斯術。 即以其法具授四人。 四人依方和合此藥自翳其身。 遊行自在即共相將入王後宮。 宮中美人皆被侵掠。 百餘日後懷妊者眾。 尋往白王庶免罪咎。 王聞是已心甚不悅。 此何不祥為怪乃爾。 召諸智臣共謀斯事。 時有一臣即白王言。 凡此之事應有二種。 一是鬼魅。 二是方術。 可以細土置諸門中。 令人守衛斷往來者。 若是方術。 其跡自現。 設是鬼魅。 入必無跡。 人可兵除。 鬼當呪滅。 王用其計備法為之。 見四人跡從門而入。 時防衛者驟以聞王。 王將勇士凡數百人。 揮刀空中斬三人首。 近王七尺刀所不至。 龍樹斂身依王而立。 於是始悟欲為苦本。 敗德危身污辱梵行。 即自誓曰。 我若得脫免斯厄難。 當詣沙門受出家法。 既出入山至一佛塔。 捨離欲愛出家為道。 於九十日誦閻浮提所有經論皆悉通達。 更求異典都無得處。 遂向雪山見一比丘。 以摩訶衍而授與之。 讀誦愛樂恭敬供養。 雖達實義未獲道證。 辯才無盡善能言論。 外道異學沙門義士。 咸皆摧伏請為師範。 即便自謂一切智人。 心生憍慢甚大貢高。 便欲往從瞿曇門入。 爾時門神告龍樹曰。 今汝智慧猶如蚊虻。 比於如來非言能辯。 無異螢火齊輝日月。 以須彌山等葶藶子。 我觀仁者非一切智。 云何欲從此門而入。 聞是語已赧然有愧。 時有弟子白龍樹言。 師恒自謂一切智人今來屈辱為佛弟子。 弟子之法諮承於師。 > At that time there was an arhat serving as the monastery’s karmadāna. The king said to him, “Now, whenever this wheel of swords hears the sound of the gaṇḍī, it stops at once, and in the meantime my suffering abates a little. I only pray that the venerable one, showing pity and compassion, will prolong the striking of the gaṇḍī whenever it is sounded.” The arhat, feeling pity, struck it for a prolonged time for him. When seven days had passed, his suffering was at an end. Because of that king, the monks of this monastery passed down the practice of striking the gaṇḍī for a long duration, and down to the present day it remains just as it originally was. In this way Aśvaghoṣa expounded the flavor of the nectar of Dharma with great practices and vows, bringing great benefit to King Kaniṣka. Having delivered countless hundreds of millions of people and completed what he had to do, he relinquished his life-faculty. His relics were collected, and a stupa was erected to make offerings to them. When the Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa was about to relinquish his life, he told a monk named Kapimala, “Āyusmat, you should know: the Buddha-Dharma is pure and able to remove the defilements of affliction. You must later disseminate and revere it.” Kapimala replied, “Excellent; I receive your instruction.” From then on, he widely proclaimed the true Dharma, adorning himself with subtle and wondrous merits. Skillful in his speech and deep in wisdom, there were no non-Buddhist heterodox treatises that he did not defeat. In South India he brought great benefit, composing the Treatise on Non-Self (Anātman-śāstra) in a full one hundred verses. Wherever this treatise reached, all were swept away in defeat, just as whatever a diamond strikes is shattered. When Kapimala was about to enter extinction, he entrusted the Dharma-treasury to a great being named Nāgārjuna, and only then relinquished his life. Later, Nāgārjuna widely spread the supreme eye for the sake of sentient beings, adorning himself with marvelous merits. Possessing heavenly intelligence and extraordinary comprehension, he never needed to ask twice about any matter. Erecting the Dharma banner, he subjugated heterodox paths; his merits such as these cannot be fully praised. Now I shall faithfully set forth the circumstances of his life. He was first born in South India into a great, noble, and wealthy family of the brāhmaṇa caste. At the time of his birth, he was beneath an arjuna tree; and because he attained the path through a nāga, he was named Nāgārjuna. From his youth he was intelligent and wise, his talent and learning surpassing the world. When he was still a child in swaddling clothes, he heard the brāhmaṇas reciting the four Vedas; these scriptures were profound and vast, consisting of forty thousand verses, each verse fully having thirty-two syllables, and he immediately illuminated and penetrated their phrases and meanings. Upon coming of age, his fame spread, and he traveled freely through various countries. In astronomy, geography, the constellations and prognostic charts, as well as the other arts and sciences, there was nothing he had not thoroughly mastered. He had three friends, all of extraordinary natural talent. They conferred with one another, saying, “The principles and meanings of the world that awaken the spirit, reveal the hidden purports, and increase wisdom—matters such as these we have completely mastered. By what other means shall we now amuse ourselves?” They said further, “In this world, pursuing beautiful women and giving free rein to extreme desires is the most supreme, marvelous pleasure of a lifetime. However, the position of a brāhmaṇa does not afford unchecked power; without some extraordinary stratagem, this pleasure will be difficult to attain. We should together seek an invisibility elixir; if that succeeds, this wish will surely be fulfilled.” All said, “Excellent! These words bring joy.” Thereupon they went to an occult master to seek the art of invisibility. The master thought to himself, “These four brāhmaṇas have lofty talents and deep wisdom, and they are extremely arrogant, treating all sentient beings like weeds. Now, solely on account of this art, they humble themselves to come to me. Yet these people investigate everything exhaustively and broadly; the only thing they do not know is this lowly art. If I teach them the formula, they will cast me aside forever. I will just give them the medicine without letting them know \[the recipe\]; when the medicine is exhausted, they will surely come back, and their discipleship will last a long time.” He then gave each of them a blue pill and said to them, “Take this pill, grind it with water, and smear it on your eyelids; your forms will naturally be concealed.” Having received the master's instruction, each ground the medicine. When Nāgārjuna smelled its fragrance, he immediately recognized it, without mistaking a single ounce or grain of the proportions and quantities. He returned to the master and explained the matter in full: “This medicine consists of a full seventy ingredients, and their names and amounts are all in accordance with the formula.” Hearing this, the master was astonished and asked how he knew it. Nāgārjuna answered, “Great master, you should know that all medicines naturally have their distinct odors; through them I knew it—why should it be considered strange?” When the master heard his words, he marveled at what he had never seen before and thought, “Even to hear of a person like this is rare, how much more so when I have met him in person—how could I begrudge this art?” He then transmitted the complete method to the four men. Following the formula, the four men compounded the medicine and concealed their bodies. Roaming about at will, they went together into the king's inner palace, where all the beautiful palace women were violated. After more than a hundred days, many of them were pregnant. They soon went to report it to the king in the hope of avoiding punishment. When the king heard this, he was deeply displeased: “What kind of inauspicious omen is this, that such a bizarre thing should happen?” He summoned all his wise ministers to deliberate on the matter. At that time, a minister said to the king, “This kind of occurrence can only be of two types: first, ghosts and spirits; second, occult arts. Fine soil can be scattered in the doorways, and guards can be posted to cut off those passing to and fro. If it is an occult art, their footprints will naturally appear; if it is ghosts and spirits, they will leave no footprints when entering. Human beings can be removed with weapons, while ghosts should be destroyed by mantras.” The king employed his plan and made full preparations according to the method. They saw four sets of footprints entering through the gate. The guards immediately reported it to the king. The king led several hundred brave warriors, who swung their swords in the air and severed the heads of three men. Within seven feet of the king, the swords did not strike; Nāgārjuna drew in his body and stood leaning close to the king. Thereupon he first realized that desire is the root of suffering, ruining virtue, endangering the body, and defiling pure conduct. He then vowed to himself, “If I can escape and avoid this disaster, I will surely go to a śramaṇa and receive the rules for leaving the household.” Having escaped, he entered the mountains, went to a Buddhist stupa, abandoned desire and affection, and left the household to follow the path. Within ninety days, he recited and fully mastered all the sūtras and treatises in Jambudvīpa. Seeking other scriptures further, he could find none anywhere. He then went toward the Snow Mountains and met a monk, who transmitted the Mahāyāna to him. He read, recited, delighted in, revered, and made offerings to it. Although he penetrated the true meaning, he had not yet obtained realization of the path. With endless eloquence, he was skilled in debate; non-Buddhists of heterodox learning, śramaṇas, and doctrinal masters were all subjugated by him and begged to take him as their teacher. He then thought of himself as an omniscient person, conceiving extreme arrogance and becoming exceedingly boastful. He then wanted to enter through Gautama's gate. At that time, the gate deity told Nāgārjuna, “Now your wisdom is like a mosquito or gnat; compared to the Tathāgata, it cannot be expressed in words. It is no different from a firefly matching its light with the sun and moon, or equating Mount Sumeru with a mustard seed. As I see it, worthy sir, you are not omniscient. Why do you wish to enter through this gate?” Hearing these words, he felt flushed with shame. At that time, a disciple said to Nāgārjuna, “Master, you always called yourself an omniscient person, yet now you humble yourself to become a disciple of the Buddha. The way of a disciple is to receive instruction from his teacher.” > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ### [5.4.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4.4) 諮承不足非一切智。 於時龍樹辭窮情屈。 心自念言。 世界法中津塗無量。 佛經雖妙句義未盡。 我今宜可更敷演之開悟後學饒益眾生。 作是念已便欲為之立師教誡更造衣服。 令附佛法而少不同欲除眾情示不受學。 選擇良日便欲成建獨處靜室水精房中。 大龍菩薩愍其若此。 即以神力接入大海。 至其宮殿開七寶函。 以諸方等深奧經典。 無量妙法授與龍樹。 九十日中通解甚多。 其心深入體得實利。 龍知心念而問之曰。 汝今看經為遍未耶龍樹答言。 汝經無量不可得盡。 我所讀者足滿十倍過閻浮提。 龍王語言。 忉利天上釋提桓因所有經典。 倍過此宮百千萬倍。 諸處此比不可稱數。 爾時龍樹既得諸經。 豁然通達善解一相。 深入無生二忍具足。 龍知悟道還送出宮。 時南天竺王甚邪見。 承事外道毀謗正法。 龍樹菩薩為化彼故。 躬持赤幡在王前行。 經歷七年。 王始怪問。 汝是何人在吾前行。 答曰。 我是一切智人。 王聞是已甚大驚愕而問之言。 一切智人甚為希有。 汝自言是何以取驗。 龍樹答曰王欲知者宜當見問。 既說之後乃可證知。 王聞是語便作是念。 我為智主大論議師。 問之能屈未足為奇。 脫不如彼所損甚多。 默然無言亦復非理。 如是思惟良久不決。 事既窮迫俛仰問之。 諸天今者為何所作。 答言大王。 天今正與阿修羅戰。 王既聞已譬如人噎。 既不得吐又不得出。 設非其言無以為證。 欲納彼說事又難明。 龍樹復言。 此非虛論。 王且待之須臾當驗。 語訖空中刀劍飛下。 長戟短兵相繼而落。 王復語言。 干戈矛矟雖為戰器。 何必是天阿修羅也。 龍樹答曰。 雖若虛言當驗以實。 作是語已修羅耳鼻從空而下。 王始驚悟稽首為禮。 恭敬尊重受其道化。 爾時殿。 上萬婆羅門。 見其神德歎未曾有。 剃除鬚髮而就出家。 時諸外道聞是事已悉來雲集含怒懷嫉求競言辯。 於是龍樹以大智慧方便言辭。 與諸外道廣共論議。 其愚短者。 一言便屈。 小有聰慧。 極至二日。 辭理俱盡。 皆悉摧伏。 剃除鬚髮。 就其出家。 如是所度無量邪道。 王家常送十車衣鉢。 終竟一月皆悉都盡。 如是展轉。 乃至無數。 廣開分別摩訶衍義。 造優波提舍十有萬偈。 莊嚴佛道。 大慈方便如是等論。 各五千偈。 令摩訶衍光宣於世。 造無畏論滿十萬偈。 中論出於無畏部中。 凡五百偈。 其所敷演義味深邃。 摧伏一切外道勝幢。 時天竺國有婆羅門。 邪見熾盛善知呪術。 欲以己能競名龍樹。 白彼王言。 唯願大王。 垂哀聽我與此沙門諍捔道力。 若彼勝我我當屬之。 我若勝彼當見屬我。 王言大德。 汝甚愚癡。 此菩薩者。 明同日月智齊眾聖。 汝今庸劣豈可為比。 欲以藕絲懸須彌山。 牛跡之水等量大海。 我今觀仁亦復如是。 幸自思惟無虧高德。 婆羅門言。 王為智人一切瞻仰。 猶如日月莫不觀察。 吾言虛實宜以理驗。 大王云何逆見陵蔑。 爾時彼王見其至意。 嚴駕往請龍樹菩薩。 清旦俱集正德殿上。 時婆羅門即以呪力。 化作大池廣長清淨。 池中出生千葉蓮華。 自坐其上語龍樹曰。 汝處於地類同畜生。 我居花上智慧清淨。 寧敢與吾抗言議論。 爾時龍樹復以呪力化為白象。 象有六牙金銀校絡。 徐行詣池趣其花座。 以鼻絞拔高舉擲地。 時婆羅門傷背委困。 即便摧伏歸命龍樹。 我甚頑嚚犯逆大師。 唯願愍哀聽吾悔過。 龍樹慈矜度令出家。 是時有一小乘法師。 見其高明常懷忿嫉。 龍樹菩薩所作已辦將去此土。 問法師言。 汝今樂我久住世不。 答曰仁者。 實不願也。 即入閑室經日不現。 弟子咸怪破戶看之。 遂見其師蟬蛻而去。 天竺諸國並為立廟。 種種供養敬事如佛。 > 'What I consulted and received is insufficient, and he is not omniscient.' At that time, Nāgārjuna was reduced to silence, his reasoning exhausted, and he reflected: 'Among worldly teachings, paths are measureless. Though the Buddhist scriptures are marvelous, their verbal meanings are not exhaustive. I should now further expound them to awaken later students and benefit sentient beings.' Having thought this, he wished to establish a master's precepts and create different robes for them, making them adhere to the Buddha's Dharma yet slightly different, wishing to remove the people's feelings \[of doubt\] and show that he did not receive tuition \[from others\]. Choosing an auspicious day, he was about to establish them, dwelling alone in a quiet chamber of crystal. The great Nāga Bodhisattva took pity on his doing so, and immediately used his supernatural powers to bring him into the great ocean. Arriving at his palace, he opened boxes of the seven jewels, and gave Nāgārjuna deep and profound sūtras of all the Vaipulya teachings and measureless wondrous Dharmas. Within ninety days he thoroughly understood a great deal, his mind penetrating deeply and grasping true benefit. The nāga, knowing his thoughts, asked him: 'Have you now read the sūtras completely?' Nāgārjuna replied: 'Your sūtras are measureless and cannot be exhausted. What I have read is already fully ten times more than all in Jambudvīpa.' The nāga king said: 'The scriptures possessed by Śakra Devānām Indra in the Trāyastriṃśa heaven exceed those in this palace by hundreds of thousands of millions of times. Those in other places are similarly innumerable.' At that time, having received the sūtras, Nāgārjuna clearly comprehended them, skillfully understood the single mark, deeply penetrated the non-arising, and was fully endowed with the two forbearances. Knowing that he had awakened to the Way, the nāga escorted him back out of the palace. At that time, the king of South India held strong false views, serving heterodox ways and slandering the true Dharma. In order to transform him, Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva personally held a red banner and walked before the king. Seven years passed, and only then did the king wonder and ask: 'Who are you, walking before me?' He replied: 'I am an omniscient person.' Hearing this, the king was greatly astonished and asked him: 'An omniscient person is extremely rare. You claim to be one yourself; by what may this be verified?' Nāgārjuna replied: 'If the King wishes to know, he should ask me; after I have spoken, you may then verify it.' Hearing these words, the king thought: 'I am a master of wisdom and a great disputant. If I ask and can confound him, it will not be extraordinary; but if I am not his match, the loss will be very great. Yet remaining silent without a word is also not proper.' Having deliberated like this for a long time without resolving it, hard-pressed by circumstance, he reluctantly looked up and asked him: 'What are the devas doing now?' He replied: 'Great King, the devas are now battling with the asuras.' Having heard this, the king was like a choking man who can neither spit it out nor swallow it down: if he did not believe his words, he had no proof; if he wished to accept his statement, the matter was difficult to clarify. Nāgārjuna further said: 'This is not empty talk. Let the King wait a moment, and it shall immediately be verified.' When he finished speaking, swords and blades flew down from the sky; long halberds and short weapons fell one after another. The king said again: 'Shields, spears, pikes, and lances, though they are weapons of war, why must they belong to the devas and asuras?' Nāgārjuna replied: 'Though it seems an empty claim, it shall be verified in truth.' Having spoken these words, the ears and noses of asuras fell from the sky. The king was then startled into awakening, bowed his head in veneration, and respectfully revered and received his conversion. At that time, ten thousand brāhmaṇas in the palace, seeing his spiritual power and virtue, praised it as unprecedented, shaved off their hair and beards, and went forth into homelessness. When the heterodox teachers heard of this, they all gathered like clouds, harboring anger and jealousy, seeking to compete in debate. Thereupon Nāgārjuna, with great wisdom and skillful words, engaged in extensive debate with the heterodox teachers. Those of dull wit were confounded with a single word; those with a little intelligence lasted at most two days, their words and logic both exhausted, and all were subdued. Shaving off their hair and beards, they followed him into homelessness. In this way, countless followers of false ways were delivered. The king's house constantly sent ten carts of robes and bowls, which were entirely used up within a month. In this manner it went on, even to an innumerable degree. He broadly explained and distinguished the meaning of Mahāyāna, composing upadeśas of one hundred thousand verses, treatises such as Adorning the Buddha Way and Great Compassion and Expedient Means of five thousand verses each, causing Mahāyāna to be gloriously proclaimed in the world. He composed the Treatise of Fearlessness in full one hundred thousand verses; the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā was produced from within the Fearlessness section, consisting of five hundred verses in all. Its exposition of meanings and flavor was profound and deep, subduing the victory banners of all heterodox paths. At that time, in India there was a brāhmaṇa whose false views were raging and who was skilled in incantations. Wishing to compete in fame with Nāgārjuna through his own ability, he said to the king: 'May the Great King graciously permit me to contest spiritual power with this śramaṇa. If he defeats me, I shall submit to him; if I defeat him, he shall submit to me.' The king said: 'Venerable one, you are very foolish. This Bodhisattva's brilliance equals the sun and moon, and his wisdom matches all the sages. Now, base as you are, how could you compare to him? Wishing to suspend Mount Sumeru with a lotus thread, or measure the great ocean against water in a cow's hoofprint—I see you, good sir, as just like that. Fortunately reconsider it for yourself, and do not impair high virtue.' The brāhmaṇa said: 'The King is a wise man whom all look up to, just as none fail to observe the sun and moon. Whether my words are true or false should be tested by reason. Why does the Great King preemptively humiliate me?' Then the king, seeing his earnest intention, prepared his carriage and went to invite Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva. At dawn they all gathered in the Hall of Upright Virtue. Then the brāhmaṇa, using the power of his incantations, conjured a large pond, broad, long, and pure, in which grew a thousand-petaled lotus blossom. Sitting upon it himself, he said to Nāgārjuna: 'You dwell on the ground like a beast; I reside upon the flower, pure in wisdom. How dare you raise words to debate with me?' At that time, Nāgārjuna also used the power of incantations to transform into a white elephant. The elephant had six tusks, adorned with gold and silver. Walking slowly, it approached the pond, went to his flower seat, entwined and uprooted it with its trunk, raised it high, and dashed it to the ground. Then the brāhmaṇa, his back injured and thoroughly exhausted, was immediately subdued and took refuge in Nāgārjuna: 'I was very obstinate and stupid to oppose the Great Master. I only pray you take pity and allow me to repent.' Nāgārjuna compassionately accepted him and ordained him. At that time, there was a Hīnayāna Dharma master who, seeing his eminence and brilliance, always harbored anger and jealousy. Nāgārjuna Bodhisattva, having completed what had to be done, was about to depart from this land. He asked the Dharma master: 'Do you now wish me to remain long in the world or not?' He answered: 'Good sir, in truth I do not.' Thereupon \[Nāgārjuna\] entered a quiet room and did not appear for a day. His disciples all wondered at it, broke down the door, and looked in; they then saw that their master had shed his mortal frame like a cicada and departed. The countries of India all erected shrines for him, offering various kinds of worship and revering him like a Buddha. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058~en-mt.5.4.1) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2058.5.4) · Pramāṇa