經律異相 38.20

38.20

佛在舍衛國。時有長者女。名曰善信。年始十五。為人慈孝。智慧博達。少小常有大願。不樂世俗之事。坐自思念。萬物無常當歸於死。年壽萬歲亦皆當死。天地當壞敗何況人身。念我當受如是咎責。苦痛難言。死後魂神當入惡道。酷毒懃苦獨當受之。本從何出。忽有瞋恚恐怖愁憂。或時歡喜。有此無常之事。不見來時。去至何所。是輩往來無休無息。念我父母諸家兄弟中外五種親屬。不知罪福貪欲無厭。我年三五以許他男。諸家兄弟飯食酒肉受取匹帛。念我身當往受患難。拘質縛結不可得離。當如之何。為此生老不如及我。今日清淨當發上願。求覓安隱長樂宮殿可以自娛。不宜踊濁沒於三塗。不覩光明長與苦俱。便正一心自誓。持我身命自歸。有神有靈知我心誠。爾時天神現於虛空。語善信言若當自歸西方安隱清淨法國。且當先向十方禮拜。慈心敬意念必達也。已便不現。爾時善信踊躍歡喜。便自澡洗燒香散華向十方禮叉手。自思念。一切人即有天神於空中言。汝當正心向於西方。說此一頌。以是讚歎阿彌陀佛。善信即向西方。如神所勅。天地大動。諸有困厄皆得解脫。疾病即除毒痛安隱愁憂歡喜。盲聾得差瘖瘂能言。不善皆善不信皆信。人非人等各得所願。善信燒香散花而說頌言。正心閉目數息思惟身中之事。帝釋化作端正男子。年十八九。手把黃金住善信前。以頌調之。善信正心以正頌答。訶男女過。帝釋踴躍叉手勞之。欲何求索。普世無雙功德洋洋不可稱量。願相告語。於是善信聞釋讚歎。信心歡喜地為大動。即為說偈。願奉佛法。釋大歡喜。便爾化滅。善信燒香自歸諸佛。佛與大眾俱即飛行到善信家。父母兄弟見佛飛空。莫不歡喜。善信前禮繞佛百匝。佛便微笑無數光出。語以戒法。繞身百匝還從頂入。即授二十四戒。佛言。是為我優婆夷高行三八二十四戒。善信歡喜而得七住。便於佛前化身為男。父母兄弟皆受五戒（出善信磨祝經卷上）。

When the Buddha was in the state of Śrāvastī, there was the daughter of an elder named Shanxin. She was just fifteen years old, by nature compassionate and filial, broad and penetrating in wisdom. From childhood she always harboured great vows and took no delight in worldly matters. Sitting, she pondered to herself: 'All things are impermanent and must end in death. Even a lifespan of ten thousand years must likewise end in death. Heaven and earth are destined to decay and collapse; how much more so the human body? I reflect that I must undergo such blames and reprimands, with suffering beyond words. After death, my spirit must enter the evil realms, and I alone must endure cruel torments and bitter hardship. From what did it originally arise? Suddenly there is anger, terror, grief, and sorrow, or at times joy. These impermanent things—one does not see whence they come or whither they go. Such things come and go without rest or cease. I consider my parents, brothers in the household, and the five kinds of relatives internal and external; they know nothing of guilt or merit, and their greed and desire are insatiable. At fifteen I have been promised to another man, and my brothers have eaten food, wine, and meat, and accepted bolts of silk. I reflect that my body must go to receive affliction and disaster, bound and tied fast, unable to break free. What should be done? Rather than living this life of old age, it is better that, while I am pure today, I make a supreme vow to seek and find a peaceful and constantly joyful palace where I may delight myself. It is not fitting to plunge into defilement and drown in the three destinies, never beholding the light and forever joined with suffering.' Thereupon she unified her mind and made a vow herself: 'Taking my body and life, I take refuge. May there be spirits and deities who know the sincerity of my heart.' At that time, a celestial deity appeared in the sky and said to Shanxin: 'If you are to take refuge in the peaceful and pure Dharma-realm of the West, you should first make obeisance toward the ten directions; with a compassionate mind and reverent intent, your mindfulness will surely reach it.' Having spoken, the deity disappeared. Shanxin then leapt for joy; she bathed, burned incense, scattered flowers, bowed toward the ten directions with joined palms, and thought of all people. Thereupon a celestial deity said in the sky: 'You should direct your mind toward the West, recite this single verse, and thereby praise Amitābha Buddha.' Shanxin then faced the West, following what the deity had instructed. The earth shook greatly; all who were in distress were liberated; diseases were removed, painful afflictions became peaceful, and sorrows turned into joy; the blind and deaf were cured, the mute could speak; the unwholesome all became wholesome, the faithless all had faith; humans and non-humans each attained what they wished. Shanxin burned incense, scattered flowers, and recited the verse. She focused her mind, closed her eyes, counted her breaths, and contemplated the internal matters of her body. Śakra transformed himself into a handsome man, eighteen or nineteen years of age, holding yellow gold in his hand. Standing before Shanxin, he teased her with a verse. Shanxin, with a focused mind, answered with a righteous verse, rebuking the faults of men and women. Śakra leapt up, clasped his hands, and consoled her: 'What do you seek? In the entire world, you are peerless; your merit is vast and immeasurable. Please tell me.' Thereupon Shanxin, hearing Śakra's praise, had faithful and joyful thoughts, and the earth shook greatly; she then spoke a gāthā, vowing to uphold the Buddha's Dharma. Śakra was greatly delighted, and then vanished. Shanxin burned incense and took refuge in the Buddhas. The Buddha and the great assembly immediately flew through the air to Shanxin's home. Her parents and brothers, seeing the Buddha flying through the air, were all delighted. Shanxin went forward, paid homage, and circumambulated the Buddha a hundred times. The Buddha smiled and emitted countless rays of light, instructed her in the precepts and Dharma, circumambulated her body a hundred times, and returned into the crown of his head; he immediately conferred the twenty-four precepts upon her. The Buddha said: 'These are the lofty practices of my upāsikā: the three eights, twenty-four precepts.' Shanxin rejoiced and attained the seventh dwelling. She then transformed her body into a man before the Buddha, and her parents and brothers all received the five precepts. (From the Shanxin mozhu jing, fascicle 1.)