景德傳燈錄 2.46

2.46

第二十七祖般若多羅者。東印度人也。既得法已。行化至南印度。彼王名香至。崇奉佛乘尊重供養度越倫等。又施無價寶珠。時王有三子。其季開士也。尊者欲試其所得。乃以所施珠問三王子曰。此珠圓明有能及此否。第一子目淨多羅。第二子功德多羅。皆曰。此珠七寶中尊固無踰也。非尊者道力孰能受之。第三子菩提多羅曰。此是世寶未足為上。於諸寶中法寶為上。此是世光未足為上。於諸光中智光為上。此是世明未足為上。於諸明中心明為上。此珠光明不能自照。要假智光光辯於此。既辯此已即知是珠。既知是珠即明其寶。若明其寶寶不自寶。若辯其珠珠不自珠。珠不自珠者。要假智珠而辯世珠。寶不自寶者。要假智寶以明法寶。然則師有其道其寶即現。眾生有道心寶亦然。尊者歎其辯慧。乃復問曰。於諸物中何物無相。曰。於諸物中不起無相。又問。於諸物中何物最高。曰於諸物中人我最高。又問。於諸物中何物最大。曰於諸物中法性最大。尊者知是法嗣。以時尚未至且默而混之。及香至王厭世眾皆號絕。唯第三子菩提多羅。於柩前入定。經七日而出。乃求出家。既受具戒。尊者告曰。如來以正法眼付大迦葉。如是展轉乃至於我。我今囑汝。聽吾偈曰。

The twenty-seventh patriarch, Prajñātāra, was a person from Eastern India. Having attained the Dharma, he traveled teaching and converting until he reached Southern India. The king there was named Sugandha, who revered the Buddha vehicle and paid him honors and offerings far surpassing his peers, and further presented him with an invaluable precious jewel. At that time, the king had three sons, the youngest of whom was an enlightened being. The Venerable One, wishing to test his attainment, asked the three princes concerning the jewel presented to him, saying: 'This jewel is round and bright; can anything equal this?' The first son, Netratāra, and the second son, Guṇatāra, both said: 'This jewel is the most revered among the seven treasures and indeed none surpasses it. Who, without the power of the Venerable One's Path, could receive it?' The third son, Bodhitāra, said: 'This is a worldly jewel, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all jewels, the Dharma-jewel is supreme. This is a worldly light, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is a worldly brightness, not yet sufficient to be supreme; among all brightnesses, the brightness of the mind is supreme. The radiance of this jewel cannot illuminate itself; it must depend on the light of wisdom to discern this. Once this has been discerned, one then knows it is a jewel; once one knows it is a jewel, one then comprehends it as a treasure. If one comprehends it as a treasure, the treasure does not take itself to be a treasure; if one discerns it as a jewel, the jewel does not take itself to be a jewel. That a jewel does not take itself to be a jewel means that one must depend on the jewel of wisdom to discern a worldly jewel; that a treasure does not take itself to be a treasure means that one must depend on the treasure of wisdom to comprehend the Dharma-treasure. Thus, when the Master possesses its Path, this treasure then appears; when sentient beings possess the Path, the mind-treasure is also like this.' The Venerable One praised his discerning wisdom and further asked him, saying: 'Among all things, what thing is markless?' He said: 'Among all things, non-arising is markless.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what thing is the highest?' He said: 'Among all things, the self of man is the highest.' He asked again: 'Among all things, what thing is the greatest?' He said: 'Among all things, the Dharma-nature is the greatest.' The Venerable One knew he was a Dharma heir, but because the time had not yet come, he remained silent and kept him hidden among the crowd. When King Sugandha departed the world, the multitude all wailed in despair. Only the third son, Bodhitāra, entered samādhi before the coffin, emerging after seven days. He then sought to leave the household life. After receiving the full precepts, the Venerable One told him, saying: 'The Tathāgata entrusted the correct Dharma eye to Mahākāśyapa, and it has been transmitted successively down to me. I now entrust it to you. Listen to my verse:'