付法藏因緣傳 3.6

3.6

After Upagupta had spoken this verse, his mindful reverence toward the Buddha became so intense that he inadvertently bowed down before him. Māra said, "Noble one, why do you do this?" He replied, "Pāpīyas, I know that the World-Honored One passed into extinction long ago. Seeing this form was as if beholding the Buddha; joy arose within me, and for that reason alone I bowed." Māra then resumed his original form and returned to the heavens. On the fourth day, Māra came down again and proclaimed aloud to all: "Noble ones, all of you who wish to attain wealth and happiness, to be born among humans or gods, or who seek the supreme tranquility of nirvāṇa, having not seen the Tathāgata teach the Dharma with great compassion, should all go to Upagupta's place to listen to and receive the wondrous Dharma and practice it with a sincere heart." At that time, men and women, old and young, in the city of Mathurā, hearing that the venerable one had subdued the evil Māra, gathered like clouds in their hundreds, thousands, and myriads. Upagupta mounted the lion seat and preached various Dharmas according to their capacities. Hundreds of thousands of sentient beings attained the path of the srotāpanna, and eighteen thousand people became arhats. From then on, those he transformed were immeasurable, and he brought great benefit to King Aśoka. That king's merits were profound, far-reaching, and extraordinary; he attained indestructible faith in the Three Jewels, and through good conditions obtained these supreme fruits. Formerly, when the Buddha was staying in the Kalandaka forest, the time came and he led the monks into the city to beg for food. Along the way, he saw two boys, one named Jaya and the other named Vijaya. They were playing with earth to build cities, houses, and granaries, and also named [the dirt] rice, millet, hemp, and wheat, collecting it together and placing it inside the granaries. The Tathāgata's light shone upon them all, turning everything into a golden hue, utterly clear and pure. Filled with joy, Jaya took what he called "roasted grain flour" to offer to the Tathāgata. His body being small and low, he could not reach; Vijaya knelt down to let him step on him to make the offering. Thereupon the World-Honored One smiled. At that time, Ānanda immediately addressed the Buddha, saying, "For what reason does the Tathāgata display this smile?" The Buddha told Ānanda, "Do you see these two boys?" "Yes, indeed, I have seen them." "One hundred years after my death, this boy will become a cakravartin of the fourth rank, ruling the world with the true Dharma at Pāṭaliputra. He will distribute my śarīra far and wide, building eighty-four thousand jeweled stūpas." [The Buddha] then handed this earth to Ānanda to plaster the south wall of the chamber, which was just enough to cover it completely. One hundred years later, he indeed became king. Cruel and tyrannical, he killed many, and constructed a prison city named "Pleasing on the Outside." He appointed an evil man named Giri and set up large cauldrons with boiling liquid, iron pellets, knives, and swords, fully equipping it with various such things, and executed all who entered from outside. The son of an elder had left household life for the Path; while wandering on his alms round, he entered the Pleasing Prison and immediately wished to leave. Giri stopped him, whereupon he cried aloud with great wailing. The jailer asked, "Why do you act like this?" The monk replied, "I do not fear death, but care only for good benefit. I have just recently left household life and have not yet realized the flavor of the Path. A human body is hard to obtain, and the Buddha's Dharma is hard to encounter. Now that I have met it, to die in vain—it is reflecting on this that makes me weep with great sorrow." Giri answered, "The king previously ordered that whoever enters this prison shall never be allowed to leave." The monk said further, "I must now surely die; I only wish for a stay of seven days, after which I will submit to execution." At that time the jailer granted it to him. A palace maid of King Aśoka had flirted with another man; the king, in great fury, committed them to the prison for punishment, and immediately had them crushed to dust with an iron pestle, their bones and flesh scattered like a mass of foam. Having observed this, the monk felt deep revulsion and sighed, "How true! The words spoken by the Great Compassionate One are truly genuine! He said that form is impermanent, like a bubble or a flame, not firm, quickly decaying, and very difficult to preserve for long. Previously, this woman's countenance was blooming and delightful, but now if one seeks it again, where is it to be found? Human life is empty and false, impossible to guard. Noble and lowly, poor and rich, foolish and wise are different, but though their lives differ, they all equally meet this death. Just as the sources of a hundred rivers are each distinct, yet there is not a single stream that does not flow into the great ocean, so too are human beings, all heading toward the place of death. Long or short according to their karma, they receive lives of varied lengths, but before long they inevitably return to extinction. This body is foul-smelling, filthy, and repulsive; covered by a thin skin, one falsely gives rise to thoughts of love, failing to see the various faults and evils within. How strange that birth and death should be the delight of infants and fools, and not that upon which the minds of the wise and noble roam and dwell!" Contemplating thus from night until dawn, he severed the fetters and attained the fruit of srotāpanna; practicing with further diligence, he attained the path of an arhat. When the seven days were fulfilled, Giri said to him, "Your time has now arrived; you may submit to execution." The monk replied, "My night has passed, my sun has risen; what was to be done has been accomplished. Do as you wish with your punishment." Giri in anger put him into a cauldron to boil him, but the blazing, intense heat turned cool and refreshing. Surprised at this, he went to the cauldron to look, and saw a thousand-petaled lotus flower growing inside the cauldron, with that monk sitting cross-legged upon it. Giri immediately went to inform the king. The king came with his retinue to view it. Thereupon the monk leaped into the air and performed the eighteen miraculous transformations. Seeing this, the king marveled at what had never been before, saying, "We all equally possess human form; how can there be such a difference in wondrous majesty and virtue? I do not yet understand; please explain it to me." At that time, wishing to transform the king, the monk spoke these words: "I have severed all fetters and am liberated from the three realms of existence, free from all agitation, tranquil and at peace. Great King, you should know: the Buddha prophesied of you that one hundred years later you would rule the city of Pāṭaliputra, distribute his śarīra, and widely build jeweled stūpas. Why do you now instead commit such evil, harming sentient beings without a heart of compassion? The King ought now to fulfill the Buddha's intention and bestow the joy of fearlessness upon sentient beings." Having heard this, the king deeply reproached himself, took refuge in the Three Jewels, and gave rise to reverent faith. He collected the Tathāgata's meritorious śarīra and built eighty-four thousand jeweled stūpas. Having completed the stūpas, he went to Kukkuṭārāma monastery, joined his palms, and asked the elder Yaśas, "Is there anyone in this Jambudvīpa who has received a prophecy like mine?" Yaśas answered, "The Buddha prophesied that the venerable Upagupta would bring about great benefit one hundred years after [his extinction]." The king asked again, "Has that pure person appeared in the world yet?" He answered, "Great King, he was born into the world long ago, has attained the path of an arhat, and is surrounded by people as he preaches the Dharma on Mount Urumuṇḍa." The king immediately prepared his chariot, wishing to go and pay homage to him, and promptly sent a messenger to say, "Great Sage, King Aśoka wishes to come and pay his respects." The venerable one thought, "This place is narrow and cramped, unable to hold many people. I should now go there in person." He then made preparations and set out toward Pāṭaliputra. Hearing this, the king rejoiced, swept and cleaned the lanes and roads, burned incense, scattered flowers, and played various music. He promptly went out with his ministers to welcome the venerable one. Upon seeing him, he cast his five limbs to the ground, gazed upon him with complete devotion, not taking his eyes off him for an instant, and said, "Great Sage, that I have become king with sovereign pleasure is not equal to beholding you once today." With his heart full of great joy, he spoke a verse, saying: