景德傳燈錄 2.46

2.46

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:'