傳法正宗記 3.48

3.48

Gayāśata was a native of the country of Mātī. His surname was Uddalaka. His father was named Tiangai, and his mother was named Fangcheng. When Fangcheng first became pregnant, she dreamed of a person holding a jeweled mirror and facing her, saying, 'I have come.' When she awoke, she felt her body was more refreshed than usual. Thereupon an extraordinary fragrance filled her chamber, and auspicious lights appeared several times. In just seven days, she gave birth to the Great Being. His body was sparkling and pure like clear lapis lazuli. At twelve years of age, he was always clean without bathing. He always remained in leisure and stillness; whenever he spoke with others, his words were invariably lofty and superior. His family originally lived on Mount Baoluoja, and when the Great Being was born, purple clouds formed a canopy over it. At first, when Saṅghanandi came to his home to seek him out, the Great Being took him as his teacher and soon received the transmission of the Dharma. He then traveled to convert [beings] in the country of the Yuezhi. Prior to this, there was a brāhmaṇa in that country named Kumāralata. In his household there was a dog that ate and rested exclusively beneath the eaves of his house; even when drenching rains soaked the ground, it never left for a moment. It went on like this for ten years, and although he tried hard to drive it away, it would not go. Lata was suspicious and astonished, and wished to have this resolved. At that time Lata was just thirty years old, high-spirited and vigorous; paying no heed to karmic retribution, he only took pleasure in hearing and following the non-Buddhist doctrine of nature. Soon he asked the brāhmaṇa master whom he followed, 'Why is this dog like this?' The brāhmaṇa said, 'The dog's own heart likes it, that is why; it is not due to causes and conditions.' Lata said further, 'At night I once dreamed of a golden sun whose brilliance shone brightly across heaven and earth, while the brāhmaṇa master and I were in a dark room. The sun's light suddenly came to illuminate it, and my body became like lapis lazuli. Slowly, countless ants swarmed all over and devoured it, whereas the master's body was clean and devoid of anything. Whence did this arise? I hope master will explain it.' The brāhmaṇa also explained it through nature, but none of it proved true. His doubts remaining unresolved, Lata thereupon said, 'This does not satisfy me! Saying everything is nature—how does that differ from speaking of dreams within a dream? If I can meet another wise person who can explain this, I vow to take him as my teacher.' He immediately broke off with the brāhmaṇa and returned. At that moment, the Great Being suddenly saw an extraordinary vapor arise. Seated, he said to his assembly, 'What we see now is the vapor of the Mahāyāna.' He further explained it, saying, 'When the vapor is like a golden ring, the matter will surely be complete; when the vapor is like a jade earring, a bodhisattva is nearby. Now the vapor resembles an earring; beneath it there must surely be a sage. Furthermore, the Buddha also predicted: "Five hundred years after my extinction, a bodhisattva shall appear in the country of the Yuezhi; after that, another Great Being shall appear here in India to succeed the lineage as the twentieth patriarch." Today's auspicious sign must surely correspond to this.' Soon he led the assembly to the location of the vapor. A short while after arriving, there was indeed a brāhmaṇa, looking about thirty years old, who came to ask an attendant, 'What person is this master?' The attendant said, 'This is a disciple of the Buddha.' The brāhmaṇa immediately went back and shut his door. The Great Being said, 'The vapor just now was verified at this house.' He then knocked on the door. From inside came the reply, 'There is no one in this house.' The Great Being said, 'Who is answering that there is no one?' Kumāralata, finding the words outside extraordinary and suspecting he must be a wise man, thought to seek a resolution to the previous matters, and so opened the door to receive him. He deferred to the Great Being to sit on the host's couch and set out abundant offerings. He then asked him about the matter of the dog, saying, 'If what the wise one says resolves my doubts, I will serve you as my teacher.' The Great Being said, 'If what I say is verified, will you truly act in accordance with your words?' He replied, 'I will not speak falsely.' The Great Being then explained it to him, saying, 'This dog is your father. Because of a slight karma, he fell into the realm of animals. Formerly, your father stored a thousand ingots of yellow gold in a vessel and secretly buried it beneath the eaves. When he died, you happened not to be present, so he had no way to entrust it to you. Now he remains attached to it for this reason. If you retrieve it, this dog will surely leave.' Lata ordered laborers to dig it up, and indeed found the gold. The dog immediately departed. Lata believed him, and thus came to admire the Buddha's Dharma. He then recounted his past dream to him. The Great Being also explained it for him, saying, 'The sun you dreamed of is the Buddha-sun. Its illuminating heaven and earth means the salvation of the two assemblies. The two people in a dark room means that your minds were not yet clear. The sunlight illuminating your body means departing the house of ignorance. Your body being like lapis lazuli means the purity of your state. His body having nothing on it means benefiting only his own person and being unable to cross others over. The ants devouring your body means that spiritual friends will converge and partake of your Dharma-flavor.' Lata, having both matters resolved, felt his mind greatly opened and clear, and admired and submitted even more. He thereupon took him as teacher and left home, bearing tasks exclusively to serve him. Because his spiritual power had long been replete, though he ranked him among his disciples, the Great Being uniquely regarded him as an extraordinary vessel; therefore he instructed the holy assembly to administer the full precepts to him, desiring him to quickly realize the fruit. Later, he indeed instructed him, saying, 'Formerly the Tathāgata entrusted the great Dharma-eye to Kāśyapa, down to myself; I now transmit it to you. Receive my teaching and listen to this verse:'