大唐西域記 5.8

5.8

時戒日王將還曲女城設法會也，從數十萬眾，在殑伽河南岸。拘摩羅王從數萬之眾，居北岸。分河中流，水陸並進。二王導引，四兵嚴衛，或泛舟，或乘象，擊鼓鳴螺，拊弦奏管。經九十日，至曲女城，在殑伽河西大花林中。是時諸國二十餘王，先奉告命，各與其國髦俊沙門及婆羅門、群官、兵士，來集大會。王先於河西建大伽藍；伽藍東起寶臺，高百餘尺，中有金佛像，量等王身；臺南起寶壇，為浴佛像之處；從此東北十四五里，別築行宮。是時，仲春月也。從初一日，以珍味饌諸沙門、婆羅門，至二十一日。自行宮屬伽藍，夾道為閣，窮諸瑩飾，樂人不移，雅聲遞奏。王於行宮出一金像，虛中隱起，高餘三尺，載以大象，張以寶幰。戒日王為帝釋之服，執寶蓋以左侍，拘摩羅王作梵王之儀，執白拂而右侍。各五百象軍，被鎧周衛，佛像前後各百大象，樂人以乘，鼓奏音樂。戒日王以真珠雜寶及金銀諸花，隨步四散，供養三寶。先就寶壇，香水浴像，王躬負荷，送上西臺，以諸珍寶、憍奢耶衣數十百千，而為供養。是時唯有沙門二十餘人預從，諸國王為侍衛。饌食已訖，集諸異學，商確微言，抑揚至理。日將曛暮，迴駕行宮。如是日送金像，導從如初，以至散日。其大臺忽然火起，伽藍門樓煙焰方熾。王曰：「罄捨國珍，奉為先王，建此伽藍，式昭勝業，寡德無祐，有斯災異，咎徵若此，何用生為！」乃焚香禮請而自誓曰：「幸以宿善，王諸印度，願我福力，禳滅火災，若無所感，從此喪命！」尋即奮身，跳履門閫，若有撲滅，火盡煙消。諸王覩異，重增祇懼。已而顏色不動，辭語如故，問諸王曰：「忽此災變，焚燼成功，心之所懷，意將何謂？」諸王俯伏悲泣，對曰：「成功勝迹，冀傳來葉，一旦灰燼，何可為懷？況諸外道，快心相賀！」王曰：「以此觀之，如來所說誠也。外道異學守執常見，唯我大師無常是誨。然我檀捨已周，心願諧遂，屬斯變滅，重知如來誠諦之說，斯為大善，無可深悲。」

Śīlāditya was about to return to his capital, and on arriving at the kingdom of Prayāga, at the confluence of the two rivers, he, according to his custom for thirty years past, wishing to distribute in charity the wealth of his kingdom and to establish great assemblies for the distribution of his accumulated treasures, went to the south of the river Gaṅgā. He sent to all the kingdoms of the five Indies to announce that whatever religious persons, Brāhmans, poor and destitute, fatherless and childless, wished to share in the distribution of his wealth, should come to the kingdom of Prayāga. Śīlāditya, having prepared the place of distribution, repaired thither, followed by several hundreds of thousands of people, and took his seat on the southern bank of the river Gaṅgā. attended by several tens of thousands, took his place on the northern bank, and thus, divided by the stream of the river, they advanced on land and water. The two kings led the way with their gorgeous staff of soldiers (of the four kinds); some also were in boats; some were on elephants, sounding drums and blowing horns, playing on flutes and harps. After ninety days they arrived at the city of Kanyakubja, (and rested) on the western shore of the Ganges river, in the middle of a flowery copse. Then the kings of the twenty countries who had received instruction from Siladitya-raja assembled with the Sramanas and Brahmans, the most distinguished of their country, with magistrates and soldiers.

The king in advance had constructed on the west side of the river a great sangharama, and on the east of this a precious tower about 100 feet in height; in the middle he had placed a golden statue of Buddha, of the same height as the king himself. On the south of the tower he placed a precious altar, in the place for washing the image of Buddha. From this north-east 14 or 15 li he erected another rest-house. It was now the second month of spring-time; from the first day of the month he had presented exquisite food to the Sramanas and Brahmans till the 21st day; all along, from the temporary palace to the sangharama, there were highly decorated pavilions, and places where musicians were stationed, who raised the sounds of their various instruments. The king, on leaving the resting-hall (palace of travel), made them bring forth on a gorgeously caparisoned great elephant a golden statue of Buddha about three feet high, and raised aloft. On the left went the king, Siladitya, dressed as Sakra, holding a precious canopy, whilst Kumara-raja, dressed as Brahma-raja, holding a white chamara, went on the right. Each of them had as an escort 500 war-elephants clad in armour; in front and behind the statue of Buddha went 100 great elephants, carrying musicians, who sounded their drums and raised their music. The king, as he went, scattered on every side pearls and various precious substances, with gold and silver flowers, in honour of the three precious objects of worship.

Having first washed the image in scented water at the altar, the king then himself bore it on his shoulder to the western tower, where he offered to it tens, hundreds, and thousands of silken garments decorated with precious gems. At this time there were but about twenty Sramanas following in the procession, the kings of the various countries forming the escort. After the feast they assembled the different men of learning, who discussed in elegant language on the most abstruse subjects. At evening-tide the king retired to his palace of travel. Thus he carried the golden statue as before, till at length on the day of separation a great fire suddenly broke out in the tower, and the pavilion over the was also in flames. Then the king exclaimed, "I have exhausted the wealth of my country in charity, and following the example of former kings built this sangharama, and I have aimed to distinguish myself by superior deeds, but my poor attempts (feeble qualities) have found no return! In the presence of such calamities as these, what use of further life?" Then with incense-burning he prayed, and with this vow said, "Thanks to my previous merit, I have come to reign over all India; let the force of my religious conduct destroy this fire; or if not, let me die." Then he rushed towards the threshold of the gate, when, as if by a single blow, the fire was extinguished and the smoke disappeared.

The kings beholding this were filled with fear, but he with unaltered countenance, and with unchanged accents, addressed the princes thus: "The fire has consumed this narrow building, and the statue of the Buddha was in danger, but the power of the Tathagata has saved it." The princes, prostrate at his feet, with tears, replied, "The work which marked the crowning act of your perfected merit, and which we hoped would be handed down to future ages, has in a moment (a dawn) been reduced to ashes. How can we bear to think of it? But how much more when the heretics are rejoicing thereat, and interchanging their congratulations!" The king answered, "By this, at least, we see the truth of what Buddha said; the heretics and others insist on the permanency of things, but our great teacher's doctrine is that all things are impermanent. As for me, my work of charity was finished, according to my purpose; and this destructive calamity (change) does but strengthen my knowledge of the truth of Tathagata's doctrine. This is a great happiness (good fortune), and not a subject for lamentation."