辯正論 1.25

1.25

通人對曰。趙書云。晉軍出臨淮泗。人情危懼莫知所之。石虎瞋曰。吾之奉佛供僧而更致外寇。佛無神也。澄明旦早入虎以事問澄。澄因對曰。王過去世為大商主。至罽賓寺常供大眾。會中有六千羅漢。吾此微軀亦豫斯會。時得道人謂吾曰。此主人命盡當更受雞身。後霸晉地今得為王。豈非福耶。壃場軍寇國之常耳。何為怨謗三寶夜興毒念乎。虎乃悟而媿焉。仁王經云。佛告波斯匿王。一切國土安立萬姓。快樂皆由般若波羅蜜。是故付囑諸國王。不付囑四部眾。何以故。無王力故。此閻浮提有十六大國。五百中國。十千小國。其國土中有七種難。一切國王為是難故。講讀般若七難即滅。七福即生。萬姓安樂。帝王歡喜。云何為七難。一者日月失度時節反逆。或赤日出黑日出。二三四五日出。或日蝕無光。或日輪一重二三四五重輪現。當變怪時讀誦此經。二者二十八宿失度。金星彗星輪星鬼星。火星水星刀星風星。南斗北斗五鎮大星。一切國主星三公星百官星。如是星等各各變現。亦讀此經。三者大火燒國萬姓燒盡。或鬼火龍火天火山火。人火木火賊火變怪。亦讀此經。四者大水漂沒百姓。時節反逆冬雨夏雪。冬時雷電霹靂。六月雨氷霜雹。雨赤水黑水青水。雨土山石雨沙礫石。江河逆流浮山流石。如是變時。亦讀此經。五者大風吹殺萬姓。國土山河樹木一時滅沒。非時大風黑風赤風青風天風地風火風。如是變時。亦讀此經。六者地國土亢陽炎火洞然萬草亢旱五穀不登土地赫然萬姓滅盡。如是變時。亦讀此經。七者四方賊來侵國內外賊起火賊水賊風賊鬼賊。百姓荒亂刀兵劫起。如是怪時。亦讀此經。是名七難。禳七難法。當作九色幡長九丈。九色華高二丈。千枝燈高五丈。九玉巾作七寶案七寶高座。置經案上。於七寶帳中其國王等燒香散華。日日供養如事父母如事帝釋云云。若未來世國王護持三寶者。我使五大力菩薩往護其國。一名金剛吼菩薩。手持千寶相輪。二名龍王吼菩薩。手持金輪燈。三名無畏十力吼菩薩。手持金剛杵。四名雷電吼菩薩。手持千寶羅網。五名無量力吼菩薩。手持五千劍輪。并五千大神王等。往護彼國作大利益。當立其形像而供養之云云。夫水積浮船風積運鳥。護國土者須憑五力（天龍鬼神人為五力也）匪唯世策獨恃六軍五力。必幽顯同心。故獲安隱。六軍或表裏殊計。便致危亡。所以降伏修羅。遠因般若。招延豐樂。近寄寶冥。但能依王論正論以字民（出金光明仁王等經）奉日藏月藏而寧國。務興七善增長三氣。則有五千大將各振劍輪。四大夜叉俱領神眾。敬順佛語守護人王（大集經月藏分云。佛以震旦國土付囑毘首羯磨天子。迦毘羅夜叉大將。須摩那龍王。雙目大天女等。各將眷屬主領神兵共護震旦。所有鬪諍怨讐。忿競言訟。兩陣交戰。飢饉疾病。非時風雨。氷寒毒熱。悉令休息。令我法眼得久住故。紹三寶種不斷絕故。三種精氣得增長故云云。王者用心則無不果也）星辰流景而正行。日月重光以合度。陰陽和而無變。雨水浹以應時。有感斯通無靈不契。至如業稱過現福說重輕。但非定報皆可攘也。終不徒然。枉為功德。

The Master of Penetrating Knowledge replied: The *Book of Zhao* states that when the Jin army approached the Huai and Si rivers, the people were terrified and knew not where to turn. Shi Hu said angrily: "I have venerated the Buddha and made offerings to the Saṅgha, yet this has instead brought foreign invaders. The Buddha has no divine power!" Next morning at dawn, when Deng entered early, Hu questioned Deng about this matter. Deng then replied: "In a past life, Great King, you were a great merchant leader. You went to a monastery in Kaśmīra and constantly made offerings to the great assembly. Present in that assembly were six thousand arhats; this humble person also took part in that gathering. At that time, a man who had attained the Dao said to me: 'When this patron's life ends, he will take rebirth as a rooster. Afterward he will hold hegemony over the Jin territory and now become king.' Is this not merit? Military raids along borders are the norm for states. Why complain and slander the Three Jewels, giving rise to venomous thoughts at night?" Hu then understood and felt ashamed. The *Humane Kings Sūtra* states: The Buddha told King Prasenajit: "The peace and stability of all realms and the myriad people, their happiness and joy, all stem from the Perfection of Wisdom. Therefore I entrust it to the kings of nations, not to the fourfold assembly. Why so? Because they lack royal power. In this Jambudvīpa there are sixteen great kingdoms, five hundred middle kingdoms, and ten thousand small kingdoms. In these realms there are seven kinds of disasters. For the sake of these disasters, when all the kings of states explain and recite the Prajñā, the seven disasters are instantly extinguished, the seven blessings instantly arise, the myriad people are peaceful and happy, and the emperors and kings rejoice. What are the seven disasters? First, the sun and moon lose their courses and the seasons are reversed: either a red sun or a black sun rises; two, three, four, or five suns rise; or the sun is eclipsed and loses light; or halos around the sun appear in one, two, three, four, or five rings. When such anomalies occur, one should recite this sūtra. Second, the twenty-eight lunar lodges lose their courses: Venus, comets, wheel-stars, demon-stars, fire-stars, water-stars, sword-stars, wind-stars, the Southern Dipper, Northern Dipper, the great stars of the five directions, the stars of all rulers of nations, the stars of the Three Excellencies, and the stars of the hundred officials—when such stars undergo transformations and anomalies, one should also recite this sūtra. Third, great fires burn the realm and burn the myriad people to ashes: ghost fires, dragon fires, heavenly fires, mountain fires, human fires, wood fires, or robber fires appear as anomalies; one should also recite this sūtra. Fourth, great floods wash away and drown the people; the seasons are reversed, with rain in winter and snow in summer, thunder and lightning in winter, ice, frost, and hail in the sixth month; rain of red water, black water, and blue-green water; rain of earth, mountain stones, and sand, gravel, and boulders; rivers flow backward, and floating mountains and boulders drift. When such anomalies occur, one should also recite this sūtra. Fifth, great winds blow and kill the myriad people, and the realm, mountains, rivers, and trees are all destroyed at once: unseasonal great winds, black winds, red winds, blue-green winds, heavenly winds, earthly winds, and fire winds. When such anomalies occur, one should also recite this sūtra. Sixth, excessive drought and blazing fire scorch the realm, the myriad grasses wither in drought, the five grains do not mature, the earth blazes, and the myriad people perish. When such anomalies occur, one should also recite this sūtra. Seventh, enemies from the four quarters invade the realm; inner and outer rebels rise up, with fire-rebels, water-rebels, wind-rebels, and ghost-rebels; the people are plunged into chaos, and kalpas of weapons and warfare arise. When such anomalies occur, one should also recite this sūtra. These are called the seven disasters. As for the method to ward off the seven disasters: one should make nine-colored banners nine chang long, nine-colored flowers two chang high, lamps with a thousand branches five chang high, and nine jade cloths, making a seven-jeweled table and seven-jeweled high seat. Place the sūtra upon the table, and within a seven-jeweled canopy, the king and others burn incense and scatter flowers, making offerings day after day as if serving their parents or serving Śakra," and so forth. "If kings in future ages protect and maintain the Three Jewels, I will send five great powerful bodhisattvas to go and protect their realms: the first is named Bodhisattva Diamond Roar, holding a thousand-jeweled marked wheel in hand; the second is named Bodhisattva Dragon King Roar, holding a golden-wheel lamp; the third is named Bodhisattva Fearless Ten-Powers Roar, holding a vajra pestle; the fourth is named Bodhisattva Lightning Roar, holding a thousand-jeweled net; the fifth is named Bodhisattva Immeasurable Power Roar, holding five thousand sword-wheels, together with five thousand great spirit kings, to protect that realm and bring great benefit. One should erect their images and make offerings to them," and so forth. Now, accumulated water floats a boat, and accumulated wind carries a bird. To protect a realm one must rely on the five powers (heavenly beings, dragons, ghosts, spirits, and humans constitute the five powers); it is not merely worldly strategy alone relying on the six armies. When the five powers and those of the unseen and visible worlds unite in mind, one achieves safety and peace. If the six armies are divided by conflicting plots inside and out, disaster and ruin immediately ensue. Therefore, subduing the asuras remotely relies on the Prajñā; attracting abundance and joy depends closely on the precious unseen realm. As long as one can nurture the people according to the royal treatises and correct treatises (from the *Suvarṇaprabhāsa*, the *Humane Kings*, and other sūtras) and venerate the Sun and Moon Garbha [Sūtras] to pacify the state, striving to promote the seven virtues and increase the three vital forces, then there will be five thousand great generals each brandishing sword-wheels, and four great yakṣas leading hosts of spirits, respectfully obeying the Buddha's words to protect the king of men. (The "Candra-garbha Section" of the *Mahāsaṃnipāta Sūtra* says: "The Buddha entrusted the realm of Cīnasthāna to the god Viśvakarman, the great yakṣa general Kapila, the dragon king Sumana, the great goddess Dvimukhī, and others, each leading their retinue to command divine troops and together protect Cīnasthāna. All disputes and grudges, quarrels and lawsuits, clashes between two battle lines, famines and epidemics, unseasonal wind and rain, freezing cold and noxious heat, are all brought to cessation, so that my Dharma eye may long abide, the lineage of the Three Jewels may continue without interruption, and the three kinds of essence and vital force may increase," and so forth. When a ruler applies his mind, nothing fails to be realized.) The stars and constellations will shine and proceed properly, the sun and moon double their brightness in accord with their measures, yin and yang will harmonize without anomalies, and rain will soak the earth in due season. Where there is sincerity, there is response; no spirit fails to accord. As for karma, it is spoken of as past and present, and merit as heavy and light; only those retributions that are not predetermined can all be averted. In the end it is never in vain, nor is it merit generated for nothing.