[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) › [經律異相](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121) › 17.8 # 經律異相 17.8 經律異相 17.8 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [17.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17.8) 有天護商主。往陸求那國。常樂布施。於佛生信。欲先入海。若安隱還。我當於佛法中作五年大會。天人國內無不聞知。時有一阿羅漢比丘尼。同往彼國。思惟觀察。知天護得安隱還作五年大會。請一萬八千比丘。皆阿羅漢。學人倍多。凡夫無數。即見上座名阿娑陀。乃是凡夫甚能精進。入僧伽藍從次作禮。謂上座曰。大德甚不端嚴。上座心自思惟。云何以我為不端嚴。即自觀身見鬚髮長。即喚年少剃除鬚髮。比丘尼由言不端嚴。上座更喚年少浣染衣服。尼復至僧伽藍。故言不端嚴。上座瞋曰。我已剃鬚髮及浣染衣竟。云何謂我不端嚴耶。比丘尼言。佛法以得四果為莊嚴。大德聞商主天護作師子吼五年大會不。答言聞。大德是凡夫為第一上座。在羅漢眾中先受供養。是莊嚴不。大德方悟啼泣懊惱。比丘尼言。何故啼泣。答言。姊妹。我今已老無可堪任。比丘尼言。如來法可見無有於時節。大德可往那哆婆哆寺。就優波笈多比丘。此比丘佛之所記。我弟子中教化第一。時長老比丘至。優波笈多出而迎之語言。大德。洗足消息。答言。我未洗足。欲見優波笈多。時優波笈多弟子曰。大德。此即是優波笈多。來迎大德。即大歡喜便自洗足。優波笈多即教化之。為覓檀越。洗浴飲食種種供養。語維那言。今有得二解脫比丘入坐禪處。乃至一萬八千阿羅漢悉入禪處。是時比丘入第一禪坐處坐。時優波笈多入火光三昧。如是一萬八千阿羅漢。悉入火光三昧。比丘見之心生歡喜。優波笈多教化說法。比丘精進思惟得阿羅漢果。還其本國。阿羅漢比丘尼。往僧伽藍禮拜說言。今日大德莊嚴。答曰。姊妹力也。及五年大會。天護問上座。世尊種種說法。上座所說而無有異。上座答言。於過去世九十一劫。我等為商主入海採寶。誓取滿舶。還閻浮提。時遇大風吹舶墮沙海。我等為毘婆尸佛。聚沙為塔以珍寶物而供養之。時有諸天示我道路言。剋後七日有大水來。當泛汝舶入閻浮提。及至七日。果如天言。以此沙塔因緣。經九十一劫不墮惡道。今得阿羅漢果。汝今能供養。爾許多人於三寶所。我說呪願生死苦無窮。汝今可出家。天護奉旨即為沙門。得阿羅漢道（出阿育王經第九卷）。 > There was a merchant leader named Devagupta who was traveling to the kingdom of Roruka. He always took delight in giving and had conceived faith in the Buddha. Wishing first to set out to sea, \[he vowed:\] 'If I return safely, I will hold a great five-year assembly in the Buddha's Dharma.' None among the gods and humans in that land failed to hear of it. At that time an arhat bhikṣuṇī traveled together with him to that land; she reflected and observed, and knew that Devagupta would return safely and hold a great five-year assembly, inviting eighteen thousand bhikṣus who were all arhats, twice as many trainees (śaikṣas), and countless ordinary persons. She saw that the elder (sthavira), named Asāḍha, was in fact an ordinary person, though exceedingly energetic. Entering the saṅghārāma, she made obeisance in order and said to the elder: 'Venerable Sir, you are very unadorned.' The elder thought to himself: 'Why does she consider me unadorned?' Looking at his body, he saw his beard and hair were long, so he summoned a youth to shave off his beard and hair. The bhikṣuṇī still said he was unadorned. The elder again summoned the youth to wash and dye his robes. The nun returned to the saṅghārāma and still said he was unadorned. The elder became angry and said: 'I have already shaved my beard and hair and washed and dyed my robes. Why do you say I am unadorned?' The bhikṣuṇī said: 'In the Buddha's Dharma, the adornment is the attainment of the four fruits. Venerable Sir, did you hear the merchant leader Devagupta make the lion's roar regarding the great five-year assembly?' He answered: 'I heard it.' 'Venerable Sir, you are an ordinary person, yet as the chief elder you receive offerings first among the assembly of arhats. Is this adornment?' Only then did the elder realize it; he wept and was full of sorrow. The bhikṣuṇī said: 'Why are you weeping?' He answered: 'Sister, I am already old and capable of nothing.' The bhikṣuṇī said: 'The Tathāgata's Dharma is visible \[here and now\] and has no fixed seasons. You may go to the Naṭabaṭa monastery to the bhikṣu Upagupta. This bhikṣu was prophesied by the Buddha: “Among my disciples, he is foremost in converting \[others\].”' When the elder bhikṣu arrived, Upagupta came out to greet him, saying: 'Venerable Sir, wash your feet and rest.' He answered: 'I have not washed my feet; I wish to see Upagupta.' Upagupta's disciple said: 'Venerable Sir, this is Upagupta, who has come to welcome you.' Greatly rejoiced, he washed his feet. Upagupta then taught and transformed him, found donors for him, and provided baths, food, and various offerings. He spoke to the karmadāna, saying: 'Now a bhikṣu who has attained the two liberations is entering the meditation place,' up to: 'eighteen thousand arhats all enter the meditation place.' At that time the bhikṣu entered the seat of the first meditation and sat. Upagupta entered the fire-light samādhi. In this way, all eighteen thousand arhats entered the fire-light samādhi. When the bhikṣu saw this, joy arose in his heart. Upagupta instructed him and explained the Dharma; the bhikṣu vigorously contemplated and attained the fruit of arhatship. He returned to his home country. The arhat bhikṣuṇī went to the saṅghārāma, bowed, and said: 'Today, the Venerable Sir is adorned.' He answered: 'It was by your power, Sister.' When the five-year assembly arrived, Devagupta asked the elder: 'The World-Honoured One expounded the Dharma in various ways; is what you teach no different?' The elder replied: 'In the past, ninety-one kalpas ago, we were merchants who entered the sea to gather jewels, vowing to fill our ship and return to Jambudvīpa. Then we met a great storm that blew our ship onto a sea of sand. For Vipaśyin Buddha, we piled up sand to make a stūpa and made offerings to it with precious gems. At that time the devas showed me the path, saying: “In seven days a great flood will come, which will float your ship back into Jambudvīpa.” When the seventh day arrived, it was indeed as the devas said. By this cause of the sand stūpa, for ninety-one kalpas I have not fallen into the evil destinies, and now I have attained the fruit of arhatship. Now you are able to make offerings to so many people at the place of the Three Jewels. I utter vows: the suffering of birth and death is endless; you may now leave the household life.' Devagupta received his instruction, immediately became a śramaṇa, and attained the path of an arhat. (Extracted from the ninth fascicle of the \*Aśokarāja-sūtra\*) > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 17.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17.7) - [Next: 17.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17.9) - [Up: 17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121~en-mt.17.8) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2121.17.8) · Pramāṇa