[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [大唐西域記](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087) › 9.54 # 大唐西域記 9.54 大唐西域記 9.54 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [9.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9.54) 因陀羅勢羅窶訶山東峯伽藍前有窣堵波，謂亘（許贈反）娑（唐言雁）。昔此伽藍習翫小乘，小乘漸教也，故開三淨之食，而此伽藍遵而不墜。其後三淨求不時獲。有比丘經行，忽見群雁飛翔，戲言曰：「今日眾僧中食不充，摩訶薩埵宜知是時。」言聲未絕，一雁退飛，當其僧前，投身自殞。比丘見已，具白眾僧，聞者悲感，咸相謂曰：「如來設法，導誘隨機；我等守愚，遵行漸教。大乘者，正理也，宜改先執，務從聖旨。此雁垂誡，誠為明導，宜旌厚德，傳記終古。」於是建窣堵波，式昭遺烈，以彼死雁瘞其下焉。 > Then Buddha explained the matters. The traces of these figures still exist. Persons now try to imitate by comparison these ancient holy figures (figure forms). Those who enter the cave to worship are seized with a sort of religious trepidation. On the top of the mountain ridge are traces where the four former Buddhas sat and walked, still remaining. On the top of the eastern peak is a sanghārāma; the common account is this : when the priests who dwell here look across in the middle of the night at the western peak, where the stone chamber is, they see before the image of Buddha lamps and torches constantly burning. Before the sanghārāma on the eastern peak of the Indraśailaguhā mountain is a stūpa, which is called Hansa (Keng-sha). Formerly the priests of this sanghārāma studied the doctrine of the Little Vehicle, that is, the Little Vehicle of the "gradual doctrine." They allowed therefore the use of the three pure articles of food, and they followed this rule without fail. Now afterwards, when it was not time to seek for the three pure articles of food, there was a Bhikshu who was walking up and down ; suddenly he saw a flock of wild geese flying over him in the air. Then he said in a jocose way, "To-day the congregation of priests has not food sufficient, Mahasattvas ! now is your opportunity." No sooner had he finished, than a goose, stopping its flight, fell down before the priest and died. > — Samuel Beal 1884, Si-yu-ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World > The Bhikshu having seen this, told it to the priests, who, hearing it, were affected with pity, and said one to the other, "Tathāgata framed his law as a guide and encouragement (suitable to) the powers (springs) of each person; now we, following 'the gradual doctrine,' are using a foolish guide. The Great Vehicle is the true doctrine. We ought to change our former practice, and follow more closely the sacred directions. This goose falling down is, in truth, a true lesson for us, and we ought to make known its virtue by handing down the story to other ages, the most distant." On this they built a stûpa to hand down to future ages the action they had witnessed, and they buried the dead goose beneath it. Going 150 or 160 li to the north-east of the Indrasila-guha mountain, we come to the Kapôtika (pigeon) convent. There are about 200 priests, who study the principles of the Sarvâstivâda school of Buddhism. > — Samuel Beal 1884, Si-yu-ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World - [Previous: 9.53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9.53) - [Next: 9.55](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9.55) - [Up: 9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9) ## Translations (1) - [Si-yu-ki: Buddhist Records of the Western World](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087~en-beal.9.1.57) — Samuel Beal 1884, English --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9.54](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2087.9.54) · Pramāṇa