法華傳記 1.7

1.7

若依文殊師利般涅槃經。佛滅度後四百五十年。文殊師利猶在世間。依智度論云。諸大乘經。是文殊結集。若依集法傳。有三種阿難。阿難此云歡喜。持聲聞藏。阿難跋陀此云歡喜賢。持獨覺藏。阿難迦羅此云歡喜海。阿難昇高眾生三疑。一疑佛大悲從涅槃起既說妙法。二疑更有佛他方來住此說法。三疑彼阿難轉身成佛為眾說法。今顯如是所說之法。我昔侍佛。二十五年親所曾聞。非佛既起他方佛至轉身成佛。為除此疑故。諸經初皆言我聞。真諦三藏云。微細律明。阿難昇高集法藏時。身如諸佛。具諸相好。下座之時。還復本形。良由權行具足三德。共傳大小。此經則是阿難海所結。若佛話經。文殊在座先唱題目。阿難昇高復述而集。智度論據之而言文殊結集諸大乘經。具結集已。即書文心葉。收寶葉窟。天人龍神王臣大眾。競興供養。佛去世後。賢聖隨隱。如大象去子隨去。九十五道紛亂起。十八異師專崇小典。摩訶衍經多分隱沒。於世不行。此經結集已後。隱藏不行。西方相傳。大雪山中有寶塔。收法華梵夾。具如真諦三藏云。西域傳記說。佛圓寂後五百年末。有一比丘。深解大乘。獲得無生。遍求深經。往至雪山。開寶塔戶。披閱梵夾。於中而住守護受持。六百年初。南天國中有一梵士種。洞達四韋陀五明大義十八異經。名馳五天獨步諸國。名曰龍樹。捨邪歸正。出家具戒。九十日中議誦三藏既求深法無有得處。遂入雪山塔中。比丘以此經梵本授與龍樹。受誦愛樂。頗知實義。周遊諸國廣求餘經。於閻浮提遍求。不能具得。獨在靜室。水精房中思惟此事。大海龍王見而愍之。接八大海。於宮殿中發七寶函。以華嚴法華諸摩訶衍雲經太雲華手般舟諸方等深奧經無量妙法授之。龍樹受誦九十日。其心深入體得實利。龍王知其心問曰。讀經未不。答曰。汝諸函中經多無量。經劫不可盡。我所讀去。已十倍閻浮提經。龍王言。如我宮中所有經典。諸處此比不可數知。各各塵數不妨不礙。不可思議。龍樹言。願得深經。將還閻浮提大弘佛教摧伏外道。龍王言。我宮有華嚴不思議解脫經三本。上本有十三世界微塵數頌四天下微塵數品。中本有四十九萬八千八百偈一千二百品。下本有十萬頌三十品。法華平等大會經。有十世界微塵數偈不可說品。自餘經典甚太廣博。龍樹言。我見妙典不可思議。將如何傳。龍王言。不可思議解脫經上中二本。至非閻浮提之人力所受持。不可傳之。法華深經略本。在閻浮提。廣本並祕在我宮中。即授下本華嚴並諸經一箱。龍樹既得一箱。深入無生。龍樹逆出於南天竺。大弘佛教。摧伏外道。廣摩訶衍。作三部大論千部別論。大論中多引華嚴法華等。釋幽微旨（云云）。若准此傳記。既有大本。並祕在龍宮。隱而不傳。西域志云。昔于闐王宮有法華梵本。六千五百偈。東南二千餘里。有國名遮𤘽槃國。彼王累世敬重大乘。諸國名僧入其境者。皆試其解。若小乘學則遣不留。大乘人請綺供養。王宮亦有華嚴大集摩訶般若法華大涅槃等五部大經。並十萬偈。王躬受持。親執戶籥。轉讀則開。香華供養。又東南二十餘里。有山甚嶮難。峯上有石窟。口狡內寬。其內華嚴大集方等寶積楞伽方廣舍利弗陀羅尼華聚陀羅尼都薩羅摩訶般若大雲法華。凡一十二部。皆十萬偈。國法相傳防護守掌。又云。罽賓國王宮有法華經。六千偈（云云）。今推在世興時。當於此土周穆四十五年乙丑。至于五十二年壬申。說訖入涅槃。圓寂後一千餘年。都不修不行。一千二百三十年前。魏廢帝正元甲戌歲。始傳五千偈。安置交州館。西晉姚秦齎持來至此。如傳譯辨。當知依機有生熟。隱顯時異。若依法住記。佛薄伽梵般涅槃時。以無上法。付囑十六大阿羅漢并眷屬。並令其護持。使不滅沒。十六阿羅漢。護持正法饒益有情。此州人壽極長至於十歲。佛法暫滅沒。後人壽漸增至四萬歲位。阿羅漢俱來人中。顯說正法。乃至六萬歲時。無上正法流行世間。熾盛無息。至七萬歲時。無上正法永滅沒。然此經流通。多被末法。文中處處云末法及後五百歲時。若值遇時。忘寢與飡。莫空過時矣。

According to the Mañjuśrīparinirvāṇa-sūtra, four hundred and fifty years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, Mañjuśrī was still in the world. According to the Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa, the various Mahāyāna sūtras were compiled by Mañjuśrī. According to the Account of the Compilation of the Dharma, there are three Ānandas: Ānanda, which here translates as 'Joy', who upheld the Śrāvaka Piṭaka; Ānandabhadra, which here translates as 'Joyous Sage', who upheld the Pratyekabuddha Piṭaka; and Ānandasāgara, which here translates as 'Ocean of Joy'. When Ānanda ascended the high seat, the assembly gave rise to three doubts: first, they doubted that the Buddha, out of great compassion, had arisen from nirvāṇa to preach the sublime Dharma; second, they doubted that another Buddha had arrived from another world and dwelt here to preach the Dharma; third, they doubted that Ānanda had transformed his body and become a Buddha to preach the Dharma for the assembly. Now, to show that the Dharma thus spoken was what I personally heard in the past when attending the Buddha for twenty-five years—not that the Buddha had arisen, nor that a Buddha from another realm had arrived, nor that [Ānanda] had transformed his body into a Buddha—all sūtras begin by stating 'Thus have I heard' in order to dispel these doubts. Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha said: 'The Vinayasūtra clarifies that when Ānanda ascended the high seat to compile the Dharma treasure, his body was like that of the Buddhas, endowed with all the marks and signs; when he stepped down from the seat, he returned to his original form. This was truly because his provisional practice was replete with the three virtues, transmitting together both the Great and Small [Vehicles]. This sūtra was indeed compiled by Ānandasāgara.' If according to the Fohua jing, Mañjuśrī was in the assembly and first proclaimed the title, and Ānanda ascended the high seat to reiterate and compile it. The Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa relies on this to say that Mañjuśrī compiled the various Mahāyāna sūtras. Having fully completed the compilation, they then wrote it upon leaf-fibres and stored it in the cave of precious leaves. Devas, humans, nāgas, spirits, kings, ministers, and the great assembly vied to make offerings. After the Buddha departed the world, the worthy and holy sequentially withdrew into concealment, like elephant calves following the departure of the great elephant. The ninety-five non-Buddhist paths arose in confusion, and the eighteen heterodox teachers exclusively revered the Lesser Canon, so that the Mahāyāna sūtras were for the most part concealed and lost, no longer circulating in the world. After this sūtra was compiled, it was kept hidden and did not circulate. According to Western tradition, there is a precious stūpa in the Great Snow Mountains that houses Sanskrit pothis of the Lotus Sūtra. As Tripiṭaka Master Paramārtha fully stated, the records of the Western Regions recount: 'At the end of the five hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, there was a monk who deeply understood the Mahāyāna, attained the unproduced [dharma-kṣānti], and sought profound sūtras everywhere. He went to the Snow Mountains, opened the door of the precious stūpa, opened and read the Sanskrit pothis, and remained within to guard, receive, and uphold them. At the beginning of the six hundredth year, in South India, there was a man of brāhmaṇa stock who thoroughly understood the four Vedas, the great meanings of the five sciences, and the eighteen heterodox treatises; his fame galloped through the five Indias and he strode uniquely through all kingdoms, named Nāgārjuna. Renouncing the heterodox and taking refuge in the correct, he went forth from household life and received the complete precepts. In ninety days he debated and recited the Tripiṭaka, but seeking the profound Dharma he found nowhere to attain it. Thereupon he entered the stūpa in the Snow Mountains. The monk conferred the Sanskrit manuscript of this sūtra upon Nāgārjuna, who received, recited, delighted in, and quite understood its true meaning. He traveled through the various kingdoms seeking other sūtras widely, but searching everywhere in Jambudvīpa, he could not obtain them fully. While dwelling alone in a quiet room, within a chamber of crystal, reflecting upon this matter, the Great Ocean Dragon King saw him, took pity on him, and welcomed him into the eight great oceans. In his palace, opening seven-jeweled cases, he conferred upon him immeasurable sublime Dharma: the Avataṃsaka, Lotus, and various Mahāyāna cloud sūtras, the Mahāmegha, Hastikakṣya, Pratyutpanna, and various profound and esoteric Vaipulya sūtras. Nāgārjuna received and recited them for ninety days; his mind penetrated deeply and he personally realized the true benefit. The Dragon King, knowing his thoughts, asked: 'Have you finished reading the sūtras?' He answered: 'The sūtras in your cases are immeasurably many; they cannot be exhausted across kalpas. What I have read is already ten times the sūtras in Jambudvīpa.' The Dragon King said: 'Compared with the scriptures in my palace, those in other places are incalculable; each is as numerous as dust motes, unimpeded and unhindered, inconceivable.' Nāgārjuna said: 'I wish to obtain the profound sūtras and take them back to Jambudvīpa to greatly propagate the Buddha's teachings and subdue the non-Buddhists.' The Dragon King said: 'My palace has three versions of the Avataṃsaka Inconceivable Liberation Sūtra: the upper version contains verses as numerous as the dust motes of thirteen worlds and chapters as numerous as the dust motes of the four continents; the middle version contains four hundred and ninety-eight thousand eight hundred verses and one thousand two hundred chapters; the lower version contains one hundred thousand verses and thirty chapters. The Lotus Sūtra on the Great Assembly of Universal Equality contains verses as numerous as the dust motes of ten worlds and unspeakable chapters. The remaining scriptures are exceedingly vast.' Nāgārjuna said: 'I have seen that these sublime scriptures are inconceivable. How shall they be transmitted?' The Dragon King said: 'The upper and middle versions of the Inconceivable Liberation Sūtra are by no means within the human capacity of Jambudvīpa to receive and uphold; they cannot be transmitted. The abridged version of the profound Lotus Sūtra is in Jambudvīpa, while the expanded versions are entirely kept secret in my palace.' He then conferred upon him the lower version of the Avataṃsaka along with a case of various sūtras. Having obtained the single case, Nāgārjuna deeply entered into the unproduced [dharma-kṣānti]. Nāgārjuna emerged back in South India, greatly propagated the Buddha's teachings, subdued the non-Buddhists, expanded the Mahāyāna, and composed three great treatises and a thousand separate treatises. In the great treatises, he extensively cited the Avataṃsaka, Lotus, and so forth, explaining their profound and subtle purports (and so on).' According to these records, since there were expanded versions, they were entirely kept secret in the dragon palace, hidden and not transmitted. The Western Regions Gazetteer states: 'Anciently, in the royal palace of Khotan, there was a Sanskrit text of the Lotus Sūtra consisting of six thousand five hundred verses. Over two thousand li to the southeast, there was a kingdom named Cokkuka. Its kings through successive generations revered the Mahāyāna. When eminent monks from various kingdoms entered its borders, they were all tested on their understanding: if they studied the Hīnayāna, they were dismissed and not permitted to stay; if they were Mahāyāna practitioners, they were invited and given splendid offerings. The royal palace also possessed five great scriptures: the Avataṃsaka, Mahāsaṃnipāta, Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Lotus, and Mahāparinirvāṇa, all of one hundred thousand verses. The king personally received and upheld them, holding the key to the doors with his own hands; when he would turn and read them, he opened them, making offerings of incense and flowers. Further, over twenty li to the southeast, there was an exceedingly rugged mountain. On the summit was a rock cave, narrow at the entrance and spacious within. Inside were the Avataṃsaka, Mahāsaṃnipāta, Vaipulya, Ratnakūṭa, Laṅkāvatāra, Fangguang, Śāriputradhāraṇī, Huaju dhāraṇī, Dousaluo, Mahāprajñāpāramitā, Mahāmegha, and Lotus—altogether twelve works, all of one hundred thousand verses. By state law, they were successively guarded and kept. It is also said: In the royal palace of the kingdom of Jibin, there was a Lotus Sūtra of six thousand verses (and so on).' Now calculating the time of its arising in the world: it corresponds in this land to the forty-fifth year of King Mu of Zhou, the yichou year, continuing until the fifty-second year, renshen, when [the Buddha] entered nirvāṇa after preaching it. For more than one thousand years after the parinirvāṇa, it was not cultivated or practiced at all. One thousand two hundred and thirty years later, in the Zhengyuan jiaxu year of the deposed emperor of the Wei, five thousand verses were first transmitted and placed in the Jiaozhou lodge. During the Western Jin and Yao Qin, they were brought and arrived here, as clarified in the transmission and translation records. One should know that depending on whether capacities are immature or ripe, the times of concealment and manifestation differ. According to the Record on the Abiding of the Dharma, when the Buddha, the Bhagavān, entered parinirvāṇa, he entrusted the unsurpassed Dharma to the sixteen great arhats and their retinues, commanding them to protect and uphold it so that it would not perish. The sixteen arhats protect and uphold the correct Dharma to benefit sentient beings. When the human lifespan in this continent declines to a minimum of ten years, the Buddha-Dharma will temporarily perish. Later, when the human lifespan gradually increases to the stage of forty thousand years, the arhats will together come among humans to openly preach the correct Dharma; up until the time of sixty thousand years, the unsurpassed correct Dharma will circulate in the world, flourishing without pause; at the time of seventy thousand years, the unsurpassed correct Dharma will permanently perish. However, the propagation of this sūtra mostly addresses the age of the final Dharma; the text repeatedly mentions the 'final Dharma' and the 'later five hundred years'. If one encounters it, one should forget sleep and food, and never let the time pass in vain.