景德傳燈錄 2.6

2.6

長者聞偈彌加歎伏。且曰。弟子衰老不能事師。願捨次子隨師出家。尊者曰。昔如來記此子。當第二五百年為大教主。今之相遇蓋符宿因。即與剃髮執侍。至巴連弗城。聞諸外道欲障佛法計之既久。尊者乃執長旛入彼眾中。彼問尊者曰。汝何不前。尊者曰。汝何不後。又曰。汝似賤人。尊者曰汝似良人。又曰。汝解何法。尊者曰。汝百不解。又曰。我欲得佛。尊者曰。我酌然得佛。又曰。汝不合得。尊者曰。元道我得汝實不得。又曰。汝既不得云何言得。尊者曰。汝有我故所以不得。我無我我故自當得。彼詞既屈。乃問師曰。汝名何等。尊者曰。我名迦那提婆。彼既夙聞師名。乃悔過致謝。時眾中猶互興問難。尊者析以無礙之辯。由是歸伏。乃告上足羅睺羅多而付法眼。偈曰。

Hearing the verse, the elder admired and submitted even more, and said, "Your disciple is decrepit and old, unable to serve the master. I wish to give up my second son to follow the master and leave the household." The Venerable said, "Formerly, the Tathāgata prophesied that this boy would become a great religious leader during the second five hundred years. Our meeting today accords with past causes." He then shaved his head and took him as an attendant. They arrived at the city of Pāṭaliputra. Hearing that various outsiders had long plotted to obstruct the Buddha Dharma, the Venerable held a long banner and walked into their assembly. They asked the Venerable, "Why do you not advance?" The Venerable said, "Why do you not retreat?" They said again, "You resemble a base person." The Venerable said, "You resemble a fine person." They said again, "What dharma do you understand?" The Venerable said, "You understand nothing whatsoever." They said again, "I wish to attain Buddhahood." The Venerable said, "I certainly attain Buddhahood." They said again, "You ought not attain it." The Venerable said, "You say originally that I attain it; you truly do not attain it." They said again, "Since you do not attain it, why do you speak of attaining it?" The Venerable said, "Because you have a self, therefore you do not attain it. Because I am without self and 'mine', I naturally ought to attain it." Their words having been defeated, they asked the master, "What is your name?" The Venerable said, "My name is Kāṇadeva." Since they had long heard of the master's name, they repented of their transgressions and expressed their apologies. At that time, members of the assembly still raised questions and challenges with one another. The Venerable resolved them with unhindered eloquence, and through this they submitted. He then addressed his senior disciple Rāhulata and entrusted the Dharma eye to him, with a verse saying: