大唐西域記 8.9

8.9

地獄南不遠有窣堵波，基址傾陷，唯餘覆鉢之勢，寶為廁飾，石作欄檻，即八萬四千之一也。無憂王以人功建於宮焉，中有如來舍利一斗，靈鑒間起，神光時燭。無憂王廢獄之後，遇近護大阿羅漢，方便善誘，隨機導化。王謂羅漢曰：「幸以宿福，位據人尊，慨茲障累，不遭佛化。今者如來遺身舍利，欲重修建諸窣堵波。」羅漢曰：「大王以福德力，役使百靈，以弘誓心匡護三寶，是所願也，今其時矣。」因為廣說獻土之因，如來懸記興建之功。無憂王聞以慶悅，召集鬼神而令之曰：「法王導利，含靈有慶，我資宿善，尊極人中。如來遺身重修供養，今爾鬼神勠力同心！境極贍部，戶滿拘胝，以佛舍利起窣堵波。心發於我，功成於汝。勝福之利，非欲獨有。宜各營搆，待後告命。」鬼神受旨，在所興功，功既成已，咸來請命。無憂王既開八國所建諸窣堵波，分其舍利，付鬼神已，謂羅漢曰：「我心所欲，諸處同時藏下舍利。心雖此冀，事未從欲。」羅漢曰：「王命神鬼至所期日，日有隱蔽，其狀如手，此時也，宜下舍利。」王承此旨，宣告鬼神。逮乎期日，無憂王觀候光景，日正中時，羅漢以神通力，申手蔽日，營建之所咸皆瞻仰，同於此時功績咸畢。

After King Asôka had destroyed the hell, he met Upagupta, a great Arhat, who, by the use of (proper) means, allured him in a right way according as the opportunity (or, springs of action, i.e., his power or capacity to believe) led, and converted him. The king addressed the Arhat and said, "Thanks to my acquired merit in former births, I have got (by promise) my kingly authority, but in consequence of my faults I did not, by meeting Buddha, obtain conversion. Now, then, I desire in all the greater degree to honour the bequeathed remains of his body by building stûpas." The Arhat said, "My earnest desire is that the great king by his merits may be able to employ the invisible powers (the spirits) as agents in fulfilling his vow to protect the three precious ones." And then, because of the opportune occasion, he entered largely on the narrative of his offering the ball of earth, and on that account of Buddha's prediction, as the origin of his desire to build.

The king having heard this, was overpowered, and he summoned the spirits to assemble, and commanded them, saying, "By the gracious disposal and spiritual efficacy of the guiding power of the King of the Law I have become, as the result of my good actions in former states of life, the highest amongst them. [I wish now] with especial care to prepare a means of paying religious worship to the bequeathed body of Tathagata. Do you, then, spirits and genii, by your combined strength and agreement of purpose, raise stūpas for the relics of Buddha throughout the whole of Jambudvīpa, to the very last house of all (i.e., to the extremity of the land). The mind (or purpose) is mine, the merit of completing it shall be yours. The advantage to be derived from this excellent act of religion I wish not to be confined to one person only; let each of you, then, raise a building in readiness (for completion), and then come and receive my further commands."

Having received these instructions, the genii commenced their meritorious work in the several quarters where they were; and having finished the task (so far), they came together to ask for further directions. Aśōkarāja (Wu-yau-wang) having opened the stūpas of the eight countries where they were built, divided the relics, and having delivered them to the genii, he addressed the Arhat and said, "My desire is that the relics should be deposited in every place at the same moment exactly: although ardently desirous of this, my mind has not yet been able to perfect a plan for accomplishing it." The Arhat addressed the king and said, "Command the genii to go each to his appointed place and regard the sun. When the sun becomes obscured and its shape as if a hand covered it, then is the time: drop the relics into the stūpas." The king having received these instructions, gave orders accordingly to the genii to expect the appointed day. Meantime the king, Aśōka, watching the sun's disc, waited for the sign; then at noon (of the day) the Arhat, by his spiritual power, stretched forth his hand and concealed the sun. At the places where the stūpas had been built for completion, all (the genii) observing this event, at the same moment concluded the meritorious undertaking.

The king said, "The decree was indeed established, and cannot be altered. But when the law was made, were you excepted? You have long destroyed life. I will put an end to it." Then ordering the attendants, they seized the lictor and cast him into a boiling caldron. After his death the king departed, and levelled the walls, filled up the ditches, and put an end to the infliction of such horrible punishments. To the south of the earth-prison (the hell), and not far off, is a stûpa. Its foundation walls are sunk, and it is in a leaning, ruinous condition. There remains, however, the crowning jewel of the cupola. This is made of carved stone, and has a surrounding balustrade. This was the first (or, one) of the 84,000 (stûpas). Asôka-râja erected it by the power (merit) of man in the middle of his royal precinct (or palace). It contains a ching (measure) of relics of Tathâgata. Spiritual indications constantly manifest themselves, and a divine light is shed round it from time to time.