經律異相 23.14

23.14

舍衛國東南海中有臺。上有華香樹木清淨。有婆羅門女五百人。奉事異道意甚精進不知有佛。時諸女自相謂曰。我等稟形生為女人。從少至老為三事所鑑不得自由。命又短促形如幻化當復死亡。不如共至香華臺上。採取香華精進持齋。降屈梵天當從求願。願生梵天長壽不死。又得自在無有鑑忌。離諸罪對無復憂患。即齎供具往至臺上。採取華香奉事梵天。一心持齋願屈尊神。佛見其心應可化度。即與大眾飛昇虛空。往至臺上坐於樹下。諸女喜謂。是梵天自相慶慰得我所願矣。時一天人語諸女言。此非梵天。是三界最尊。號名為佛。度人無量。諸女白佛言。我等多垢今為女人。求離鑑撿願生梵天。佛言。諸女善利乃發此願。世有二事其報明審。為善受福為惡受殃。世間之苦天上之樂。有為之煩無為之寂。誰能選擇求其真者。善哉諸女。乃有明志。於是世尊。即說偈言。

In the southeast sea of the kingdom of Śrāvastī there was a terrace, upon which were pure, fragrant flower trees. There were five hundred brāhmaṇa women who worshipped heterodox ways with great diligence, not knowing there was a Buddha. At that time the women said among themselves, "We have received physical form and been born as women. From youth to old age we are constrained by three things and cannot be free. Our lives are short, our forms like illusions, and we must again face death. It would be better for us to go together to the fragrant flower terrace, gather fragrant flowers, and diligently observe the fast, entreating the god Brahmā to descend, and make our vow to him: we vow to be born in the Brahma heaven, with long life and no death, and to attain independence without constraint or taboo, freed from all retribution for offenses and having no more sorrow or suffering." They took offerings, went to the terrace, gathered flowers and incense, and served Brahmā, observing the fast with single-mindedness, wishing for the descent of the honored spirit. The Buddha saw that their minds were ripe for conversion, and so together with the great assembly he flew up into empty space, arrived at the terrace, and sat beneath a tree. The women joyfully said, "This is Brahmā!" and congratulated one another, saying, "We have attained our wish!" At that time a deva said to the women, "This is not Brahmā. He is the most honored in the three realms, called the Buddha, who delivers boundless people." The women said to the Buddha, "We have many defilements and are now women; we seek to be free of constraint and wish to be born in the Brahma heaven." The Buddha said, "It is good and beneficial for you women to make this vow. In the world there are two things whose retributions are clear and distinct: doing good receives blessing, and doing evil receives calamity. The suffering of the world and the joy of heaven; the vexation of the conditioned and the serenity of the unconditioned—who can choose and seek the true one? Excellent, women, that you have a clear aspiration!" Thereupon the Bhagavat spoke in verse: