付法藏因緣傳 6.4

6.4

大德應當好諦觀察。如上所言是何等物。爾時羅漢即入三昧。深諦思惟不能解了。便以神力分身飛往兜率陀天至彌勒所。具宣上事請決所疑。爾時彌勒告彼羅漢。世以埿團置於輪上。埏埴成瓦。如是瓦者。豈同諸聖至後世乎。時彼羅漢即便開解。還閻浮提宣說斯事。僧伽難提語言。大德。此必當是彌勒菩薩為汝宣說然後解耳。如是智慧神力變化。濟諸群生不可限量。所應作已將欲捨身。至一樹下指攀樹枝。尋便捨壽猶依此樹。諸羅漢等欲移其尸。置平坦處積薪耶旬。如須彌山不可傾動。盡其神力亦無異相。即便復以諸大白象併力俛之。不能移動如芥子處。尋積香木就下闍毘。其火熾盛焚燒身盡。樹更蓊欝都無凋毀。時眾咸見歎未曾有。收取舍利起塔供養。僧伽難提捨身已後。有羅漢名僧伽耶舍。次受付囑流布法眼。廣化眾生拯諸苦惱。有大智慧言辭清辯昔雖出家未證道迹。遊大海邊見一宮殿。七寶莊嚴光明殊勝。僧伽耶舍見時已到。即往彼宮說偈乞食。

"The bhadanta should observe carefully: what kind of thing is that which was spoken of above?" Then the arhat entered samādhi and contemplated deeply, but could not understand it. Then, by his supernatural power, he divided his body and flew to the Tuṣita heaven, to the dwelling of Maitreya, and proclaimed the matter in full, requesting a resolution to his doubt. Then Maitreya told that arhat: "In the world, a lump of mud is placed upon a wheel, moulded and fired to make earthenware. Does such earthenware, like the holy ones, reach future lives?" Then that arhat immediately attained understanding, returned to Jambudvīpa, and proclaimed this matter. Saṅghanandi said to him: "Bhadanta, this must have been expounded to you by the Bodhisattva Maitreya before you could understand it." Such was his wisdom, supernatural powers, and transformations; his saving of living beings was immeasurable. Having finished what was to be done, when he was about to relinquish his body, he went beneath a tree, took hold of a branch with his fingers, and immediately gave up his lifespan, remaining leaning on this tree. The arhats wished to move his corpse to place it in a level spot and heap firewood to cremate it, but like Mount Sumeru it could not be moved, and even exhausting their supernatural powers produced no change. Thereupon, again, they combined the strength of great white elephants to push it, but could not move it even by the space of a mustard seed. They then heaped fragrant wood and cremated him underneath it. The fire blazed fiercely and burned his body completely, yet the tree became even more lush and suffered no withering or damage at all. The assembly of that time all saw this and sighed that such had never occurred before. They collected his śarīra and erected a stūpa to make offerings. After Saṅghanandi relinquished his body, there was an arhat named Saṅghayaśas, who next received the entrustment to spread the Dharma-eye, extensively transforming living beings and rescuing them from all suffering and distress. He had great wisdom, and his words were clear and eloquent. Formerly, though he had gone forth, he had not yet realized stream-entry. Traveling by the great sea, he saw a palace adorned with the seven jewels, exceedingly bright and splendid. Saṅghayaśas, seeing that the time had arrived, went to that palace and spoke a verse to beg for food: