傳法正宗記 2.22

2.22

商那和修尊者。摩突羅國人也。亦曰舍那婆斯。姓毘舍多。其父號林勝。母號嬌奢耶。處胎凡六載始生。而身自有衣。隨體而長。梵曰商諾迦猶。此曰自然服者。始西域有瑞草。常產於勝地。遇得道聖人出世。其草則化為九枝以應之。及尊者之生而化草果然。初事雪山仙者。會其仙師從阿難求度。而尊者皆預其出家。尋成道為阿羅漢。至是其胎衣遂變為九條法服。先是如來行化甞至摩突羅國。見一茂林顧謂阿難曰。此林其地名優留茶。吾滅度後近百年。當有比丘商那和修。於此說法度人。阿難滅後。而尊者以其法遊化至是。欲圖居之。會有二火龍。偕占其地。遂暴作風雨以張其威。尊者乃入慈三昧以降之。因謂龍曰。佛昔記此。當為伽藍。汝宜見捨。龍以佛記故喜捨之。尊者遂以立精舍。而說法廣度人天。果符佛語。久之尊者念欲付法。因入三昧觀佛所記聖士為其後者必在何國。出定乃以神通獨之吒利國。訪其長者首陀善意之舍。善意相見禮已。乃問其所以來。尊者曰。我生子然故來命侶。善意曰。我嗜世樂不暇相從。俟有子當以奉法。尊者即稱善去之。其後善意果有子。一曰優波吉羅。二曰優波焰摩及育。其三者曰優波毱多尊者。知必法器。復詣善意而謂之曰。此第三子者優波毱多。適合佛記。當襲我傳法。汝宜捨之。善意以佛記故不敢見拒。於是毱多即從其出家。尊者因問之曰。汝年幾耶。曰我年十七。又曰。汝身十七。性十七耶。毱多乃曰。師髮已白。為髮白耶。而心白耶尊者曰。我但髮白。非心白也。毱多因曰。我年十七。性非十七耳。尊者益器異之。及其得戒成道。乃命之曰。昔如來以大法眼付囑大迦葉。迦葉入定而付我大師慶喜。以至於我。我今以授於汝。汝善傳之。勿使其絕。聽吾偈曰。

The Venerable Śāṇavāsa was a native of the country of Mathurā. He was also called Śanavāsin, of the Vaiśya caste. His father was called Linsheng ('Forest Triumph'), and his mother was called Jiao-she-ye (Kauśeyā). After remaining in the womb for six full years, he was finally born, and his body naturally bore a robe that grew along with his physique. In Sanskrit it is called śāṇaka-yuga, which here means 'natural garment'. Originally in the Western Regions there was an auspicious herb that always grew in superior places; when a holy person who had attained the Way appeared in the world, the herb transformed into nine branches in response to it. When the Venerable One was born, the herb transformed just as expected. At first he served the ṛṣis of the Snow Mountains. When his master among the ṛṣis sought deliverance from Ānanda, the Venerable One was among those who left the household. Soon he realized the Way and became an arhat. Thereupon his fetal robe transformed into a nine-strip Dharma robe. Before this, when the Tathāgata was traveling and converting, he once arrived in Mathurā. Seeing a luxuriant grove, he turned to Ānanda and said, 'The name of this grove's ground is Urumuṇḍa. Nearly one hundred years after my extinction, there will be a monk named Śāṇavāsa who will expound the Dharma and deliver people here.' After Ānanda entered extinction, the Venerable One, traveling and converting with his Dharma, arrived here and intended to reside there. Just then, two fire dragons jointly occupied the land, and suddenly brought about wind and rain to display their might. The Venerable One then entered the samādhi of loving-kindness to subdue them, and told the dragons, 'The Buddha prophesied of old that this would be a saṅghārāma; you should relinquish it.' Because of the Buddha's prophecy, the dragons joyfully relinquished it. The Venerable One thereupon established a monastery and expounded the Dharma, widely delivering humans and devas, fully fulfilling the Buddha's words. After a long time, the Venerable One wished to transmit the Dharma. He entered samādhi to observe in which country the holy person prophesied by the Buddha as his successor would reside. Emerging from samādhi, he used his supernatural powers to go alone to the country of Caṭi and visited the house of the elder Śūdra Shanyi. After Shanyi met him and made prostrations, he asked the reason for his coming. The Venerable One said, 'I was born solitary, so I have come to seek a companion.' Shanyi said, 'I indulge in worldly pleasures and have no leisure to accompany you. When I have a son, I shall dedicate him to the Dharma.' The Venerable One praised him and departed. Later, Shanyi indeed had sons: the first was called Upakīla, the second was called Upayama, and when he raised a third, it was called Upagupta. The Venerable One knew he was surely a vessel of the Dharma, and again went to Shanyi, telling him, 'This third son, Upagupta, fits the Buddha's prophecy and should inherit my transmission of the Dharma; you should renounce him [to the Order].' Because of the Buddha's prophecy, Shanyi dared not refuse him. Thereupon Gupta followed him and left the household. The Venerable One asked him, 'How old are you?' He replied, 'I am seventeen years old.' The Venerable One said again, 'Is your body seventeen, or is your nature seventeen?' Gupta then said, 'Master's hair is already white; is your hair white, or is your mind white?' The Venerable One said, 'Only my hair is white, not my mind.' Gupta then said, 'My body is seventeen, but my nature is not seventeen.' The Venerable One regarded him as an even rarer vessel. When he received the precepts and realized the Way, the Venerable One instructed him, saying, 'In the past, the Tathāgata entrusted the Eye of the Great Dharma to Mahākāśyapa. Kāśyapa entered samādhi and entrusted it to my master Ānanda, down to me. I now bestow it upon you. Transmit it well and do not let it be severed. Listen to my verse:'