經律異相 40.4

40.4

過去定光眾祐出現。鉢摩大國。與四部之眾不可稱計。皆來供養給其所須。時有梵志。名耶若達。在雪山側。看諸祕讖天文地理靡不貫綜。書疏文字亦悉了知。耶若達梵志有弟子。名曰雷雲。聰明博見靡事不通。恒為耶若達所見愛敬不去須臾。雷雲梵志念言。我今應學者悉皆已備。宜報師恩。然復貧弊。宜當往詣國界求所須者。師念。我之所愛。設吾死者尚不能別。何況今日欲捨吾去。作五百言與之令誦。未經幾日悉皆流利。是時耶若達婆羅門。告五百弟子曰。此雷雲梵志伎術悉通。即以立名。名曰超術。超術梵志復經數日。又白師曰。所學已知。然書籍所載諸有學術過者當報師恩。師曰。汝知是知。超術作禮而去。爾時鉢摩大國。去城不遠有眾梵志。並集一家欲共大祠。并欲論議。有八萬四千梵志共集。第一上座諷誦書疏莫不能知。以五百兩金及金杖金澡罐各一牧牛千頭。用奉上師。與第一上座先試其術。過者便與。超術梵志自念。我今何故家家乞求。不如詣彼大眾共捔伎術。超術往。眾多梵志遙各喚曰。善哉祠主今獲大利。乃使梵天躬自下降。時八萬四千諸梵志等。各起共迎。異口同音而作是語。善來大梵神天。超術梵志曰。吾非梵天。止止諸賢。汝等豈不聞。雪山北有大梵志眾師。名耶若達。我其弟子。名曰超術。便向上座曰。設知伎術者向吾說之。爾時彼眾第一上座。即誦三藏伎術無有漏失。時超術語上座曰。一句五百言。今可說之。上座曰。我不解也。超術便誦三藏及一句五百言大人之相。爾時八萬四千梵志。歎未曾有甚奇甚特。我初不聞大人之相。今尊宜在上座。超術移坐上座便在第一。時彼眾上座極懷瞋恚。發此誓願。今此人奪我坐處。此人所生之處所欲作事。我恒當壞敗其功。時彼施主即依法施上座。告主人曰。我今還以金錢銀錢以相施。吾但各取五百枚。以金罐用供養女人。及牛千頭還施主人。吾不習欲亦不積財。已便往詣鉢摩大國。其王名曰光明。於城東門見五百梵志耆年宿德。時彼國王請定光如來日曝火炙。即以五百金錢各與一文及比丘眾。衣食供養掃灑令淨。勿使作倡有土沙穢惡。懸繒幡蓋香汁塗地。伎樂不可稱計。見一女人。名曰善味。持七莖華以瓶取水。即問此女。吾欲買華。女言。持用上佛。即以銀錢五百請五莖華。女貪銀錢與五莖華。行數十步女自念言。此人形貌端正不惜銀錢。追呼男子問用何為。答曰上佛。女曰。請二莖華并以上佛。願我後生常為夫妻。超術曰。菩薩無所愛惜。設為我妻必壞我心。梵志女曰。我終不相壞。正使持我施與。終必忍行。定光佛曰。菩薩所行無所愛惜。梵志偈答。

In the past, the World's Benefactor Dīpaṃkara appeared in the great kingdom of Paduma. The fourfold assembly, beyond reckoning, all came to make offerings and provide for his needs. At that time, there was a brahmacārin named Yajñadatta by the flank of the Snowy Mountains. He examined all the esoteric prophecies, astronomy, and geography, comprehending them entirely, and fully understood books, records, and scripts. The brahmacārin Yajñadatta had a disciple named Leiyun, who was intelligent and widely learned, with nothing he did not master. He was constantly cherished and respected by Yajñadatta, never leaving his side for a moment. The brahmacārin Leiyun thought to himself: "Everything I ought to study is now complete. I ought to repay my master's kindness, but I am poor and destitute. I should go to the frontiers of the kingdom to seek what is needed." The master thought: "He is my beloved; even if I were to die, I could not bear to part with him, how much less today when he wishes to leave me!" He composed five hundred sayings and gave them to him to recite; within a few days, he was completely fluent. At that time, the brāhmaṇa Yajñadatta said to his five hundred disciples: "This brahmacārin Leiyun has mastered all arts and skills." He thereupon gave him a name, calling him Chaoshu. After several more days, the brahmacārin Chaoshu again addressed his master: "I have understood what was to be studied. However, the books record that anyone whose learning and skills surpass others ought to repay their master's kindness." The master said: "Your knowing this is true knowledge." Chaoshu bowed and departed. At that time, in the great kingdom of Paduma, not far from the city, a crowd of brahmacārins gathered at one house, intending to hold a great sacrificial feast and engage in debate. Eighty-four thousand brahmacārins assembled together. The foremost senior seat recited and chanted texts and commentaries, with nothing he did not know. Five hundred ounces of gold, a golden staff, a golden water pitcher, and one thousand head of cattle were to be offered to the master: they were first to test skills against the foremost senior seat, and whoever surpassed him would be given them. The brahmacārin Chaoshu thought to himself: "Why should I beg from house to house now? It would be better to go to that great assembly and compete in arts and skills with them." Chaoshu went. Many brahmacārins called out to him from afar: "Splendid! Today the sacrificial host has obtained great benefit, causing the god Brahmā himself to descend in person!" Then the eighty-four thousand brahmacārins all rose together to welcome him, saying in unison: "Welcome, Great Brahmā, divine lord!" The brahmacārin Chaoshu said: "I am not the god Brahmā. Cease, cease, worthy ones! Have you not heard that north of the Snowy Mountains there is a great teacher of the brahmacārin assembly named Yajñadatta? I am his disciple, named Chaoshu." He then said to the senior seat: "If you know arts and skills, explain them to me." At that time, the foremost senior seat of that assembly immediately recited the skills of the Tripiṭaka without any omission. Then Chaoshu said to the senior seat: "A single verse of five hundred sayings—recite it now." The senior seat said: "I do not understand it." Chaoshu then recited the Tripiṭaka and the single verse of five hundred sayings on the marks of a great person. At that time, the eighty-four thousand brahmacārins praised it as unprecedented: "Truly extraordinary, truly marvelous! We had never heard of the marks of a great person before. Now the venerable one should sit in the senior seat." Chaoshu moved to take the senior seat and sat in the foremost position. At that time, the former senior seat harbored extreme wrath and made this vow: "Now this person has usurped my seat. Wherever this person is reborn and whatever he wishes to do, I will constantly ruin and destroy his achievements!" Then that donor presented offerings to the senior seat according to the rule. Chaoshu said to the host: "I now return the gold and silver coins to give to you; I will only take five hundred of each. With the golden pitcher I shall make an offering to a woman, and the one thousand head of cattle I return as a gift to the host. I do not practice desire, nor do I accumulate wealth." Having said this, he went to the great kingdom of Paduma. Its king was named Guāngmíng. At the city's eastern gate, Chaoshu saw five hundred elder brahmacārins of venerable virtue. At that time, the king of that realm had invited Dīpaṃkara Tathāgata to the scorching sun and fiery heat; he then gave one coin from the five hundred gold coins to each of them and to the assembly of monks, providing clothing and food, and had the ground swept clean so that performers would not cause dust, sand, or filth. Silken banners and canopies were suspended, the ground was smeared with scented liquid, and instrumental music was beyond measure. He saw a woman named Śrīmatī carrying seven stalks of flowers and drawing water with a pitcher. He immediately asked the woman: "I wish to buy flowers." The woman said: "I am holding them to offer to the Buddha." He then offered five hundred silver coins to ask for five stalks of flowers. Coveting the silver coins, the woman gave him five stalks of flowers. After walking several tens of paces, the woman thought to herself: "This man is handsome in appearance and does not begrudge silver coins." She ran after the man, calling out to ask what he would use them for. He replied: "To offer to the Buddha." The woman said: "Please take these two stalks of flowers and offer them together to the Buddha. I vow that in future births we will always be husband and wife." Chaoshu said: "A bodhisattva begrudges nothing. If you become my wife, you will surely ruin my intent." The brahmacārin woman said: "I will never ruin you. Even if you take me and give me away, I will endure it to the end." Dīpaṃkara Buddha said: "What a bodhisattva practices is without begrudging anything." The brahmacārin replied in verse: