經律異相 12.16

12.16

The elder Xufu had a daughter named Longshi, who was fourteen years of age. At that time, she was in the bathhouse, bathing, smearing herself with incense, and putting on fine clothes. The Buddha and his retinue emitted light from the curl of hair between his eyebrows, illuminating the interior of the sevenfold gates and causing the halls and rooms all to be brightly lit. The girl saw a light that surpassed the sun and moon, and knew in her heart that this was extraordinary. She then ran up to the top of the seven-storey tower, and facing east, saw the Buddha standing outside the gate. Greatly rejoiced, the girl thought to herself: 'Now I am able to give alms to the Buddha and the assembly of disciples, giving rise to the aspiration to practice the vows of a bodhisattva, so that I may later attain the Way like the Buddha.' Seeing the girl generate this great aspiration, Māra was displeased; he immediately descended and transformed into the girl's father, saying to Longshi: 'What you contemplate is extremely burdensome, and the Buddha-Way is difficult to attain. Fortunately, there is a Buddha in the present world; it would be better to seek [the stage of] an arhat. Moreover, both are liberation from the world and nirvāṇa, without difference.' Longshi replied: 'It is not as father says. The Buddha's wisdom is vast and saves people limitlessly, while an arhat's wisdom is as minute as a single speck of dust. What noble person would take joy in what is minor?' Māra spoke again: 'I have never heard of a woman becoming a wheel-turning king, let alone becoming a Buddha! It is better to seek [the stage of] an arhat and enter nirvāṇa early.' Longshi retorted: 'I too have heard that a woman cannot become a wheel-turning king and cannot become a Buddha. I shall make energetic progress and transform this female body into a male body. Indeed, I have heard that whoever in the world practices the bodhisattva Dharma without slackening for billions of kalpas will later become a Buddha.' Seeing that the girl's intention would not change, Māra became even more distressed and bitter, and further offered an urgent instruction, saying: 'If one practices the bodhisattva conduct, one is not covetous of the world and does not begrudge one's life. Now, if you are diligent and able to cast yourself down from the tower to the ground, you may later become a Buddha.' Longshi thought in her heart: 'Now I see the Buddha and crave the bodhisattva Way. My father has taught me to make energetic progress, and that through this body I can attain Buddhahood. Why should I begrudge this frail and brittle life?' She immediately stood by the railing, pressed her palms together toward the Buddha, and said: 'I take refuge in the God among gods. With omniscience, know what I seek: I pray to abandon my physical body and life without relinquishing the bodhisattva [vow], offering my body to the Buddha, wishing it to be like scattered flowers.' She then threw herself down from the tower. Before she reached the ground, she transformed into a man. The Buddha smiled, and five-coloured light issued from his mouth, illuminated one buddha-realm, circled the Buddha's body three times, and entered through the crown of his head. [The Buddha said:] 'Do you see this girl cast herself into the air and transform into a man? In past lives, this girl had already served ten thousand Buddhas, and in the future she will make offerings to future Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges. Reaching seven hundred and sixty million kalpas, she will become a Buddha named Supreme Name (Mingshang). His lifespan will be one kalpa. After his parinirvāṇa, the scriptural teachings will flourish, coming to an end only after half a kalpa.' Thereupon, Longshi stood before the Buddha and addressed her parents, saying: 'I pray you will release me to become a śramaṇa.' Her parents immediately consented. The relatives within and without all gave rise to the aspiration for unsurpassed enlightenment. (Extracted from the Sūtra of the Girl Longshi)