傳法正宗記 3.28

3.28

When Jingde heard this exposition, his mind was instantly opened wide. With ever greater diligence, he sighed in admiration and submission, and said: 'I am ashamed of my frailty and old age. Although I wish to leave home, how could I bear serving a master? Now this second son has always delighted in entering the Way; I wish to give him up so that he may serve and attend upon you. May the Venerable One graciously accept him.' The Mahāsattva told him: 'Formerly, the Tathāgata prophesied concerning this son, saying: "In the subsequent five hundred years, there will be a great bodhisattva named Rāhulata, who, on account of a tree-ear, will leave home and realize the Way."' He then asked his son, 'What is your name?' He replied, 'My name is Rāhulata.' The Mahāsattva said: 'This truly matches what the Buddha prophesied. Your leaving home now will certainly achieve the great fruition.' Soon afterward he shaved his head, assembled the holy saṃgha to confer the full precepts upon him, and [Rāhulata] then exclusively followed him on his travels of conversion. One day, the Mahāsattva again arrived at Pāṭaliputra. Suddenly hearing that non-Buddhists were plotting together to suppress the Buddhadharma, he personally carried a long banner and went to stand at their meeting place. A non-Buddhist promptly asked, 'Why do you not advance?' He answered, 'Why do you not step back?' The other said again, 'You seem like a base person.' He answered, 'You seem like a good person.' The other said again, 'What Dharma do you understand?' He answered, 'You do not understand anything at all.' The other said again, 'I desire to attain Buddhahood.' He answered, 'I clearly attain it.' The other said again, 'You ought not to attain it.' He answered, 'It has always been the case that I attain it; you truly do not attain it.' The other said again, 'Since you do not attain it, why do you say you attain it?' He answered, 'Because you have a self, you therefore do not attain it; because I have no self, I naturally attain it.' Thereupon the non-Buddhist fell silent in defeat, and said to his companions, 'This must be a great sage; we ought all to take refuge in him.' He then asked, 'What is your name?' The Mahāsattva said, 'My name is Kāṇadeva.' Because the non-Buddhists had long heard his name, they submitted in heart and repented their faults. As for those who were not transformed immediately, they later raised hundreds of thousands of difficult questions, but the Mahāsattva gave free rein to his unobstructed eloquence and refuted every one of them. Because of this, he broadly composed treatises, such as the Śata-śāstra and its kind. When these glorious accomplishments had reached fulfillment, he ultimately instructed Rāhulata and entrusted the Dharma-eye to him, speaking a gāthā which said: