傳法正宗記 5.8

5.8

The Venerable Prajñātāra was a native of eastern Tianzhu, belonging to the Brahmin caste. Having lost his parents at an early age, he lived alone and fended for himself, wandering through neighborhoods and villages. People of the time simply called him the 'Necklace Boy'. Whenever someone ordered him to do labor, he never refused the hard work and never discussed payment. Someone asked him, 'What is your surname?' He replied, 'I have the same surname as you.' Another asked, 'Why do you walk so fast?' He replied, 'Why do you walk so slow?' No one could fathom the reason for this. It happened that his king, Dṛḍha, along with Puṇyamitra, was returning by chariot to his old city. The Venerable [Prajñātāra] thereupon came out from the east and approached the front of his chariot, recounting their past conditions. At this point, the Venerable's traces became greatly evident. Mitra immediately took him to the royal palace. Later, he ordained him, assembled eminent monks, and administered the full precepts to him, whereupon the Venerable's body emitted an extraordinary radiance. Before long, Mitra indeed entrusted the Dharma-eye to him, allowing him to travel and teach freely. When the Venerable arrived in southern Tianzhu, the king of that realm, Sugandha, summoned him with reverence into the palace and made an offering of a precious jewel to him. Earlier, the king had three sons, each of whose aspirations lay in a different practice. The eldest was named Candraviśuddhitāra, who was fond of practicing the recollection-of-the-Buddha samādhi; the second was named Puṇyatāra, who was fond of cultivating meritorious deeds; the third was named Bodhitāra, who was fond of penetrating Buddhist principles and took world-transcendence as his mission. At this point, Sugandha ordered them all to come out and pay homage to the Venerable. Seeing that all three sons loved virtue, the Venerable wished to test the depth of their wisdom, so he presented the jewel offered by the king and had each discern it, asking: 'Is there anything in the world superior to this jewel?' The first, Candraviśuddhitāra, said, 'This precious jewel is supreme; nothing in the world surpasses it. Who could possess it except our royal family?' The second, Puṇyatāra, spoke likewise. The third, Bodhitāra, said, 'This jewel is a worldly treasure, insufficient to be considered supreme. Among all treasures, the Dharma-treasure is supreme. This is worldly light; among all lights, the light of wisdom is supreme. This is worldly brightness; among all brightnesses, the brightness of the mind is supreme. Moreover, the radiance of this jewel cannot illuminate itself; it requires the light of wisdom to discern it. Once it is clearly discerned, one knows it is a jewel; once one knows it is a jewel, one understands it to be a treasure. If one understands its treasure, the treasure does not treasure itself; if one discerns the jewel, the jewel does not jewel itself. That the jewel does not jewel itself means that one must rely on the jewel of wisdom to discern the worldly jewel; that the treasure does not treasure itself means that one must rely on the treasure of wisdom to understand the Dharma-treasure. Thus, when my master has the Way, his treasure becomes manifest; when sentient beings have the Way, the treasure of their minds is likewise so.' The Venerable praised his talent and eloquence, and asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is formless?' He replied, 'Among all things, non-arising is formless.' He asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is the highest?' He replied, 'Among all things, self-pride is the highest.' He asked again, 'Among all things, what thing is the greatest?' He replied, 'Among all things, the Dharma-nature is the greatest.' The Venerable rejoiced silently, recognizing him as a great Dharma vessel who would certainly become his heir. Later, when Bodhitāra's father fell critically ill, he would continually grasp at empty space with his hands, and even his attendants could not stop him. Bodhitāra therefore asked the Venerable, 'My father devoted himself to goodness and promoted merit; normally, no one's mind was like his. Now, stricken with illness, he is delirious and grasping at empty space with his hands. I fear this is not an auspicious end. Why is the retribution so contrary? I am very perplexed by this. If the Venerable can indeed explain it, I wish to leave household life under you.' The Venerable said, 'This is what corresponds to his karma. Yet all beings have karma, and even the sages of the three vehicles cannot avoid it; it is just that their karma is good or evil. The Buddha said that when a person has achieved the utmost virtue, upon his death, if his retribution is to be born in heaven, heavenly radiance will descend like pulled strands of patterned silk, wishing the dying one to grasp it, whereupon the spirit ascends with it. That its light shines forth in alternating five colors indicates that his destination is the heavenly realm. Now your father grasps at something with his hands; this too is retribution of rebirth in heaven. It is also a clear sign of his good deeds, not an inauspicious end. However, as he nears his end, heavenly music and extraordinary flowers will appear in response.' Soon it was as he had spoken. When the king died, the two sons wailed and lamented bitterly, but Bodhitāra sat upright and silent at the mourning hall, not rising all morning. His two elder brothers found it strange and asked the Venerable about it. The Venerable said, 'This boy has entered samādhi and is observing something. He will rise on his own in seven days; do not be alarmed.' When Bodhitāra emerged from samādhi, he said to his two brothers, 'I wished to see where our father went, but saw nothing else; I only saw a sun brightly illuminating heaven and earth.' After his father was buried, Bodhitāra indeed told his two elder brothers, requesting to leave household life under the Venerable. The Venerable, knowing that his conditions for the Way were mature and could not be hindered, took him as his disciple and conferred a Dharma name on him. After a long time, he entrusted the Dharma to him, saying: 'The great Dharma-eye treasury of the Tathāgata has been transmitted down to you now. Transmit it well, and do not let it be severed. Listen to my verse:'