傳法正宗記 2.4

2.4

摩訶迦葉尊者。摩竭陀國人也。姓婆羅門。其父號飲澤。母號香志。始生姿質美茂。其體金色。而照曜甚遠。相者曰。是子夙德清勝。法當出家。父母憂之。乃相與謀曰。必美婦可縻其心。稍長苦為擇娶。而尊者辭。不得已乃紿之曰。非得女金色如我。不可為偶。父母乃以婆羅門計鑄金人。輦行其國。因觀者求之。果得金色女如迦葉者。遂以室之。先是毘婆尸佛滅後。眾以其舍利建塔。塔之像其面。金色缺壞。是時迦葉方為鍛金師。會有貧女。持一金錢。求治為簿。欲往補之。迦葉聞且樂為補已因相與願。世世為無姻夫妻。以是報九十一劫體皆金色。後生梵天。天之壽盡乃出此婆羅門富家。及是夫婦而其體復然。故初名迦葉波。此曰飲光。蓋取其金色之義也（記內翻梵語義類通華言者如此。迦葉波之類多有。或國本前錄已傳。不敢輒以梵學較之也）然皆清淨。雖偶未甞有男女意。終亦懇求出家。其父母從之。即為沙門。入山以杜多行自修。會空中有告者。曰佛已出。世請往師。之尊者即趨於竹林精舍。致禮勤敬。如來乃分座命之坐。而大眾皆驚。謂其何以與此。如來知之。乃說其夙緣以斷群疑。尋為之說法。而尊者即座成道。然其積修勝德。而智慧高遠。故如來甞曰。我今所有大慈大悲四禪三昧無量功德以自莊嚴。而迦葉比丘亦復如是。一朝乃以正法付之。囑其相傳。無令斷絕。復授金縷袈裟。命之轉付彌勒。及如來般大涅槃。而尊者方在耆闍崛山。是時地震光明照曜。即以天眼知之乃謂眾曰。佛涅槃矣嗟乎。正法眼滅世間空虛。與其徒即趨于拘尸那城。既至乎雙樹之間。而如來既化已內於金棺。尊者大慟。遂感如來足出於棺以慰其哀慕。尋致栴檀白㲲。以資其闍維。既而尊者謂。金剛舍利宜與人天為其福田。吾等比丘當務結集以惠來世為其大明。即以神通自昇須彌之頂。而說偈曰。如來弟子且莫涅槃。得神通者當赴結集。遂擊金鍾。其偈因鍾聲而普聞。故五百應真（或云一千）皆會於畢鉢羅巖。唯阿難以漏未盡。不得即預。宿戶外終夕思之。及曉乃得正證。遂以之叩戶相告。尊者曰。若然汝可以神通自戶鑰中入。阿難如其言而至。是時僉議。三藏者宜何為先。尊者曰。乃宜先修多羅。因謂諸聖曰。此阿難比丘。總持第一。而常侍如來。其所聞法如水傳器。無有遺餘。宜命以集修多羅藏。次命優波離以集毘尼藏。復命阿難集阿毘曇達磨藏（他部或云命迦旃延）已而尊者即入願智三昧。觀其所集。果無謬者。然尊者處世方四十五年。終以結集既畢。而說法度人亦無量矣。念自衰老。宜入定於雞足山以待彌勒。故命阿難曰。昔如來將般涅槃。預以正法眼付囑于我。我將隱矣。此復付汝。汝善傳持。無使斷絕。乃說偈曰。

The Venerable Mahākāśyapa was a native of Magadha and belonged to the brāhmaṇa caste. His father was named Yinze, and his mother was named Xiangzhi. When he was born, his appearance was exceptionally handsome, and his body was golden in color, casting a radiance to a great distance. A physiognomist said, 'This boy's past virtue is pure and preeminent; according to the Dharma, he ought to leave the household life.' His parents were worried and plotted together, saying, 'Only a beautiful wife can tie down his heart.' When he grew slightly older, they earnestly sought a match for him, but the Venerable One declined. Pressed without alternative, he deceived them, saying, 'Unless you obtain a maiden whose body is golden like mine, she cannot be my partner.' His parents then employed a brāhmaṇa's scheme: they cast a golden statue of a woman and had it carried around the kingdom in a carriage, seeking one among the onlookers. As it turned out, they indeed found a golden maiden like Kāśyapa, and thereupon took her as his wife.

Previously, after the parinirvāṇa of Vipaśyin Buddha, the assembly built a stūpa with his relics. On the image of that stūpa, the golden color on the face was chipped and damaged. At that time, Kāśyapa happened to be a goldsmith. There was a poor woman holding a single gold coin who asked to have it beaten into leaf, wishing to repair it. When Kāśyapa heard this, he was delighted to repair it for her; they thereupon made a mutual vow to be husband and wife without sexual desire life after life. By virtue of this reward, for ninety-one kalpas their bodies were always golden. Later, they were reborn in the Brahma heaven. When their lifespans in that heaven ended, he was born into this wealthy brāhmaṇa family, and when they became husband and wife here, their bodies were still like this. Thus he was originally named Kāśyapa, which means 'Drinker of Light,' taken from the meaning of his golden color. (Translations in this record where the meaning of the Sanskrit term corresponds to the Chinese words are like this. There are many instances like Kāśyapa; or they have already been transmitted in our country's earlier catalogues, so I do not venture to check them lightly against Sanskrit philology.)

Yet both were pure; though wedded, they never had the intention of man and woman. In the end, he also earnestly requested to leave the household life. His parents consented, and he thereupon became a śramaṇa, entering the mountains to cultivate himself through dhūta practices. By chance, a voice in midair announced to him, saying, 'The Buddha has already appeared in the world; please go and take him as master.' The Venerable One at once hurried to the Bamboo Grove Monastery (Veṇuvana) and paid homage with earnest reverence. The Tathāgata then shared his seat and bade him sit, at which the great assembly was astonished, wondering why he was granted this. The Tathāgata knew this, so he explained their past karmic connections to resolve the assembly's doubts. Soon after, he preached the Dharma to him, and the Venerable One attained the Way right on his seat.

Because he had accumulated superior virtues and his wisdom was lofty and far-reaching, the Tathāgata once said, 'With all the great kindness, great compassion, four dhyānas, samādhis, and immeasurable merits that I now possess to adorn myself, the monk Kāśyapa is likewise adorned.' One morning, the Buddha entrusted the True Dharma to him, enjoining him to transmit it from one to another and not let it be severed; he also conferred the golden-threaded kāṣāya robe upon him, bidding him pass it on to Maitreya.

When the Tathāgata entered Mahāparinirvāṇa, the Venerable One happened to be on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa. At that time the earth quaked and light shone forth; knowing it immediately through the divine eye, he said to the assembly, 'Alas, the Buddha has entered nirvāṇa! The eye of the True Dharma is extinguished; the world is empty and void.' Together with his disciples, he hastened to the city of Kuśinagara. When he reached the twin sāla trees, the Tathāgata had already manifested passing and had been placed in a golden coffin. The Venerable One wept bitterly, whereupon his sincerity moved the Tathāgata's feet to emerge from the coffin to console his sorrowful longing. Soon after, he brought sandalwood and white cotton fabric to aid in the cremation.

Afterward, the Venerable One said, 'The adamantine relics should be given to gods and humans as their field of merit. We monks ought to devote ourselves to compiling [the teachings] so as to benefit future generations and serve as their great light.' Thereupon, by spiritual powers he ascended to the summit of Mount Sumeru and recited a verse:
'Let the disciples of the Tathāgata not yet enter nirvāṇa;
Those who have attained spiritual powers should go to the compilation.'
He then struck a golden bell. The verse was heard everywhere by means of the bell's sound, so five hundred arhats (some say one thousand) all gathered at Pippala Cave. Only Ānanda, because his defilements were not yet exhausted, was not permitted to participate immediately. He stayed outside the door, contemplating all night; at dawn he attained true realization. He then knocked on the door to inform them. The Venerable One said, 'If that is so, you may enter through the keyhole by your spiritual powers.' Ānanda arrived as he had said.

At that time they discussed among themselves: 'Which of the three Piṭakas should come first?' The Venerable One said, 'The sūtras should come first.' He then addressed the noble ones, saying, 'This monk Ānanda is foremost in retention and constantly attended upon the Tathāgata. The Dharma he heard was like water poured from one vessel to another without anything left behind. He should be instructed to compile the Sūtrapiṭaka.' Next he instructed Upāli to compile the Vinayapiṭaka, and again instructed Ānanda to compile the Abhidharmapiṭaka (other traditions say he instructed Katyāyana). Afterward, the Venerable One entered the samādhi of knowledge based on vows to examine what was compiled, and indeed there were no errors.

However, the Venerable One had lived in the world for only forty-five years [after ordination]. In the end, since the compilation was completed and his preaching of the Dharma to deliver people was immeasurable, he reflected that he was growing frail and old, and that it was fitting to enter meditative absorption on Mount Kukkuṭapāda to await Maitreya. Therefore he instructed Ānanda, saying, 'Formerly, when the Tathāgata was about to enter parinirvāṇa, he entrusted the eye of the True Dharma to me in advance. I am about to withdraw; I now entrust it to you again. Transmit and maintain it well; do not let it be severed.' He then recited a verse: