經律異相 4
English (machine translation) 4
- Language
- English
4.1
Compiled by the Liang dynasty śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others
4.2
1. Attaining the Way and the Lineage of Teachers
2. Taking Birth in the Royal Palace
3. Manifesting Traces and Attaining the Way
4. Ānanda Asking about Funeral Rites
5. Manifesting Parinirvāṇa
6. The Five Signs of Decay Appearing in Māyā
4.3
1. Attaining the Way and the Lineage of Teachers
4.4
In the distant past, during countless kalpas, when the Tathāgata was practicing the bodhisattva path, he was the king of a great country. After his parents passed away, he yielded the kingdom to his younger brother and went forth alone to seek the Way. Meeting a brāhmaṇa whose clan name was Gautama, he received instruction from him and consequently adopted the same clan name. He entered deep into the mountains to practice dhyāna contemplation and reflect on the Way. When he returned to the kingdom to beg for food, the people of the country did not recognize him and called him the Lesser Gautama. Outside the city walls, in a sugarcane grove, he established a monastery. Five hundred great thieves, having looted the royal treasury, fled past the garden. The next day, tracking their footprints, [the authorities] arrested the Bodhisattva. Piercing his body with a wooden stake, they stood him under a large tree, and his blood flowed onto the ground. The Greater Gautama flew there and asked, "What heinous crime did you commit to come to this?" An officer shot an arrow from a crossbow and killed him. The Greater Gautama wept, his tears moistening the coffin; taking the blood-soaked earth, he molded it into balls of clay, carried them back to the monastery, and placed them into two vessels on the left and right, saying: "If this man of the Way was utmost in sincerity, the heavenly gods shall cause the blood to transform into human beings." Ten months later, the vessel on the left became a boy, and the one on the right became a girl, with the clan name Gautama. The boy was named Sheyi. During the Bhadrakalpa, in the time of the Buddha Ratna, he was also called Śākya; this was he whose lifespan exceeded five million years. (Extracted from the Shier you jing)
When the Buddha was in the realm of Magadha, beneath the original auspicious tree at the auspicious bodhimanda, through the power of virtue he subdued Māra and delivered two merchants. He recalled: Dīpaṅkara Tathāgata conferred upon our Buddha his name, saying: "In a future age, after ninety-one kalpas, you shall become a Buddha, named Śākyamuni, complete with the ten epithets, just as I am now." From that time onward, I accumulated merit and piled up practice, cultivating without wearying the six perfections and the four immeasurables; my karmic rewards have been without omission, and my great vow has borne fruit. (Extracted from the upper fascicle of the Zhong benqi jing)
4.5
2. Manifesting Birth in the Royal Palace
4.6
The Bodhisattva of Ultimate Attainment resided in Tuṣita heaven. The gods deliberated together: "Into which clan should the Bodhisattva be caused to manifest his birth?" The god Zhongying asked, "Into which clan shall the one bound to one more birth descend in spirit?" He answered, "A clan that possesses sixty virtues is the one into which I shall descend (the text is extensive and is not recorded here). Only the Śākya clan has long planted the roots of virtue. The people of Kapilavastu, great and small, are in harmony and concord, and superiors and inferiors carry on from one another. The realm is wealthy, the people are joyful, and they thirst for the One Vehicle. Furthermore, King Śuddhodana's character and conduct are benevolent and worthy, and his queen, whose clan name is Gautama, is gentle, upright, loyal, and good, guarding body, speech, and mind. For five hundred lifetimes she has already been the Bodhisattva's mother." While the queen was resting in slumber, the Bodhisattva transformed himself and rode a white elephant crowned with the essence of the sun, entering into her womb. His body and mind were at ease and joyful, as if in deep dhyāna. She went beneath the aśoka tree and sent a messenger to inform the king. At that time, the aśoka grove displayed ten kinds of auspicious omens: first, it suddenly became vast; second, the earth and stones turned into diamond; third, jewelled trees stood in rows; fourth, it was adorned with aloeswood; fifth, it was filled with flower garlands; sixth, myriad treasures gushed forth; seventh, lotuses sprouted in the ponds; eighth, devas, dragons, and yakṣas stood with palms joined; ninth, heavenly maidens paid reverent homage; tenth, all Buddhas radiated light that universally illumined everywhere. The king was filled with great joy. The queen's body became light and soft, and she had no thoughts of the three poisons. Whenever those afflicted with illnesses were stroked by her hand, they were surely cured. When the ten months were complete and the time of delivery arrived, there were thirty-two auspicious omens: first, the trees of the rear garden bore fruit spontaneously; second, blue lotuses as large as chariot wheels emerged on dry land; third, withered trees blossomed; fourth, chariots of the seven jewels arrived; fifth, subterranean treasuries of gems welled up spontaneously; sixth, famed incense and fine flowers spread far and near; seventh, five hundred lions from the Snow Mountains lined up at the city gate; eighth, five hundred white elephants all stood before the palace; ninth, a fine rain shed fragrant moisture; tenth, foods and drinks of a hundred flavours were provided to the hungry and thirsty (the text is extensive and is not recorded here; it is the same as in the various Benqi texts). On the night of the eighth day of the fourth month, at the time the bright star appeared, the queen was enjoying the view in the garden and strolling beneath the limbī tree. The three-thousandfold world system shook in six ways. As the Pusya constellation set, the tree bent its branch. The mother grasped it. The devas scattered flowers. He was born from her right side, sixteen feet in height. Immediately he took seven steps, jewelled flowers receiving his feet. Raising his hand, he stood and said: "In heaven above and beneath the heavens, I alone am supreme. The three realms are all suffering; what is there to enjoy?" Śakra and Brahmā waited upon him; the Four Heavenly Kings received him onto a golden table; dragons rained down fragrant water to bathe him. Five hundred serving-maids each gave birth to strong men; the white mare gave birth to a foal; the yellow ewe gave birth to a lamb (the Ruiying benqi jing says the servant was named Chandaka and the horse was named Kaṇṭhaka; the various Benqi texts are largely the same with minor differences). After seven days his mother passed away and was born in Trāyastriṃśa heaven. The prince was an infant and needed to be cared for. At that time someone said, "Only Mahāprajāpatī is the prince's maternal aunt; pure and without a husband, she should be able to nurture and raise him." King Śuddhodana then went to Mahāprajāpatī to ask her to nurse him, and Mahāprajāpatī consented. A brahmacārin of the Snow Mountains named Asita, on seeing the prince, wept and lamented with streaming tears. The king asked him the reason, and he replied, "I look up in celebration to the great king for fathering this divine being. Yesterday heaven and earth shook violently precisely because of this. According to my method of physiognomy, the prince has the thirty-two marks: first, his body is golden-hued; second, on the crown of his head there is a fleshy protuberance; third, his hair is deep indigo-blue; fourth, between his eyebrows there is a white tuft of hair; fifth, the nape of his neck radiates sunlight; sixth, his eyelashes are deep indigo-blue; seventh, his upper and lower lids blink together; eighth, his mouth has forty teeth; ninth, his teeth are white and even; tenth, his cheeks are square; eleventh, his tongue is broad and long; twelfth, his palate is fully rounded; thirteenth, his chest is like that of a lion; fourteenth, his torso is square and upright; fifteenth, his arms are long; sixteenth, his fingers are long; seventeenth, his heels are full; eighteenth, his feet stand flat and even; nineteenth, his inner and outer joints are firmly locked; twentieth, the palms of his hands have webbed fingers; twenty-first, the soles of his hands have patterns of thousand-spoked wheels; twenty-second, the soles of his feet have patterns of thousand-spoked wheels; twenty-third, his private parts are concealed like a horse's; twenty-fourth, his calves are like those of an antelope; twenty-fifth, his bones are linked like hooks; twenty-sixth, his body hairs curl to the right; twenty-seventh, each pore has a single hair; twenty-eighth, his skin and hair are fine and soft; twenty-ninth, his body does not retain dust or water; thirtieth, on his chest there is a svastika (the Ruiying jing is identical but lacks two). One whose body possesses these marks, if he remains a householder, will become a wheel-turning sage king to whom the seven jewels arrive spontaneously; if he leaves the household life, he will become a self-awakened Buddha. I grieve that my years are already advanced and I shall not witness the rising of the Buddha; it is for this reason alone that I weep." The king rewarded him generously. He instructed Mahāprajāpatī to protect and attend to him with deep veneration (drawn from fascicle 2 of the Puyao jing and fascicle 1 of the Shijia pu). When the prince was seven years old, he rode in a sheep-cart, escorted and followed by the Śākya clan, and went to the writing master. The master was named Viśvāmitra. The prince asked, "Master, what scripts do you have to teach me?" He replied, "I have the Brāhmī and Kharoṣṭhī scripts to teach you." The prince said, "There are sixty-four kinds of different scripts; why only two?" The master said, "I wish to hear their names." The prince replied, "The Brāhmī script, Kharoṣṭhī script, protector-of-the-multitude script, swift-and-firm script, dragon-and-ghost script, gandharva script, asura-deer-wheel script, heavenly-intestine script, rotating-numbers script, contemplating-emptiness script (the text is extensive and is not recorded here). Which script do you wish to teach me?" The master was unable to comprehend and could only sing his praises. The prince explained the fundamentals and particulars to the boys and encouraged them to arouse the aspiration for awakening (the Ruiying jing states that two characters were missing from the script, so he questioned the master, and when the master could not answer, [the prince] instead inspired his mind). When the prince was seventeen years of age, the king sought to arrange a consort for him. After screening several thousands, he finally found the daughter of a king of a small state whose clan name was Gautama, Vasuvarta (in the language of Liang: Śākyavardhana); her name was Gopī. She was peerlessly dignified and pure as a lotus. Eight states vied to wed her, but he had not promised her to any. The king summoned and met him, [saying], "I now wish to arrange a betrothal for the prince with your daughter." Śākyavardhana was filled with grief and worry: if he did not agree, he would surely face military conquest; if he agreed to give her, he would incur the enmity of the eight states. The daughter said, "King Śuddhodana's realm is supreme in martial skills, feared by all states. Let the king proclaim within his realm: seven days hence, the prince will display his arts; let those who are capable assemble" (the Dīrghāgama says that she was the daughter of the Śākya Daṇḍapāṇi, who said that whoever possessed martial skills would take her as wife). Devadatta struck and killed an elephant; the prince threw it outside the city walls. In astronomy, geography, and eighty thousand diverse arts, none could match the prince. Devadatta engaged in hand-to-hand wrestling with the prince; being younger, the prince caught and threw him into the air three times without harming him. Then they competed in archery at drums. Devadatta hit the drum, but at forty li could not pierce through. When the prince drew bows, the bows all snapped and broke. He asked whether there was an exceptional bow fit for his use. The king said, "The bow used by my late grandfather is extraordinary and peerless; no one has been able to use it. It is kept in the heavenly temple." It was fetched and given to the prince; none of the Śākyas had been able to string it. The prince used it to shoot and struck a drum at a hundred li; the arrow sank into the earth, and a gushing spring welled forth spontaneously, reaching as far as the Iron Ring Mountains. The three-thousandfold world system shook in six ways. Gopī was then made the prince's principal consort, and following worldly custom he manifested the appearance of mutual amusement (the Ruiying jing says that the prince took a wife but for a long time did not engage in intercourse; he pointed one finger at the consort's abdomen, and later a son was born). He also took the daughter of the elder Yi-shi, named Yaśodharā, as his second consort. He also took the daughter of a Śākya elder, named Mṛgadāvā, as his third consort. As the prince was destined to become a flying emperor, [the king] erected palaces for the three seasons and installed sixty thousand palace maidens. Rāhula vanished and transformed down from heaven, manifesting his birth. Later, the prince went out through the eastern city gate. The king ordered the roads to be cleared and cleaned, so that nothing impure would remain. Through the prince's spiritual power, a deva transformed into an old man: his head was white, his teeth had fallen out, his eyes were dim, his ears were deaf, and he walked hunched over leaning on a cane. The prince, knowing full well, deliberately asked, "What kind of person is this?" The charioteer said, "This is called an old man." The prince said, "Human life flows away like a torrent, hard to attain again. It is not so for this person alone; the whole world is thus." Turning the chariot around, he returned to the palace, brooding and unhappy. Later, he went out through the southern city gate and encountered a sick person, with a swollen belly and emaciated body, lying beside the road. He asked the charioteer, who answered, "A sick man." The prince said, "All things are impermanent; having a body entails suffering. The same will surely apply to me." Thereupon he returned to the palace. Later, he went out through the western city gate and saw a dead man, with his family weeping bitterly. The charioteer said, "A dead man. When people live, there is death, just as after spring there is winter; beings are all subject to the same pattern." The prince said, "Death is indeed painful! The spirit is in great agony! I see that when one dies, the form decomposes and the body disintegrates, yet the spirit does not perish. I cannot again receive birth through death, wandering in the five destinies and wearing out my spirit." He turned the chariot around and returned. On another day, he went out through the northern city gate and saw a śramaṇa, his robes neat and orderly, holding a Dharma implement in his hand. The charioteer said, "This is called a bhikṣu. He has cast aside emotional desires, his mind rejoices in all beings, and he wishes to deliver those of the ten directions." The prince said, "Excellent! This is what I delight in. If I do not renounce the royal throne and leave the household life, it would not be fitting." That very night, in the quiet of the night, he entered the royal palace, and light shone far and near. His royal father was awakened and arose. The prince said to his father, "The devas urge and assist me; I must now leave the household life." His royal father wept bitterly: "What is your aspiration? When will you return?" The prince wished to obtain four boons: first, not to age; second, to be without illness; third, not to die; fourth, not to be separated. "If you, royal father, grant these four boons, I will not leave the household life." The king said, "From antiquity to the present, no one has ever attained these." His sorrow and grief deepened even more. He then ordered five hundred Śākya youths endowed with great courage and strength to guard the four gates overnight; the opening and closing of the city gates could be heard forty li away. Gopī was suspicious and did not leave his side. The prince reflected that the path is pure and not suited to living at home; one must reside in the mountain forests, investigating the subtle and practicing dhyāna. At that time he was twenty-nine years of age. After midnight on the seventh day of the fourth month, Gopī had five dreams and immediately woke up in alarm. The prince questioned her, and she answered, "I dreamt that Mount Sumeru collapsed, the bright moon fell to the earth, the jewel's radiance suddenly vanished, my hair fell out on its own, and someone snatched my parasol." The Bodhisattva, knowing the dreams were omens concerning his own person, said: "Mount Sumeru does not collapse; the bright moon continues to shine; the jewel's radiance does not vanish; hair does not fall out; the parasol remains intact. Just sleep peacefully; take care not to worry or be distressed." At night he looked upon the dancing girls: all their hundred joints were empty, like plantain trees; with nasal mucus and tears flowing, their musical instruments lay strewn about. He looked back at his wife and saw her physical form completely: brain, marrow, skull, heart, liver, intestines, and stomach; on the outside a leather bag, inside filled with foul filth, like something borrowed, to be returned before long and unable to endure. In the three realms there is no refuge; only the path can be relied upon. The gods of the kāmadhātu stood in the air. The god Fahang from afar addressed the prince: "The time has arrived! The Buddha-star has just appeared." He called Chandaka to rise and saddled Kaṇṭhaka. The Four Heavenly Kings, together with countless yakṣas and dragons, all clad in armour, arrived from the four directions and bowed their heads in homage. Fearing there might be obstacles or delays, the devas sent the god of slumber into the palace to induce deep sleep; men and women in the city all fell into deep slumber, and even peacocks and various birds lay resting in exhaustion. Chandaka wept bitterly; the gate-keys could not open the doors. The four deities held aloft the horse's hooves, leaping over the palace walls. Śakra led the way, radiating great pure light, and they proceeded to the foot of the Buddha tree (drawn from fascicle 3 and fascicle 4 of the Puyao jing).
4.7
3. Manifesting Traces and Attaining the Way
4.8
The next morning [the king] inquired after him, but none knew where he was. The king then followed his tracks and went forth to the royal fields, where from afar he saw the prince. A tree had bent its branches to cast its shade upon him. The king came to an awakening of surprise; unaware [of his dignity], he dismounted from his horse and bowed to him. The prince bowed and said, “I have only come here once; why should you trouble your chariot?” Longing for the prince, [the king] could not let go of what was in his heart. Returning, he summoned his ministers: “You dandle your sons and hold your grandsons, finding mutual amusement and comfort in each other. I have only one son, who has departed to dwell in the mountains. Take five of your sons and younger brothers to follow and attend upon him. If they return halfway, I shall exterminate your clans.”
The prince took off his jewelled garments and handed them to Chandaka, saying: “Return and inform my royal father, and also tell Gopā: ‘When I attain the Way I shall return; I will not forget this vow.’” Chandaka received the command, his tears falling like rain. The white horse knelt long, licking the bodhisattva's feet. When the king saw the returned belongings, he wept and threw himself to the ground. Gopā embraced the horse, saying: “The prince rode upon you; why have you suddenly returned alone?” Sweet fruits and fine springs were nowhere lacking.
The bodhisattva thought to himself: “I wish to become a śramaṇa and go to the mountains and waters.” A heavenly king knew his mind and descended holding a razor. The bodhisattva shaved his own head and beard. Śakra received the hair, and only the uṣṇīṣa remained; he became a great śramaṇa. Reaching the banks of the Nairañjanā river, he dwelt in quiet seclusion. He encountered a hunter wearing Dharma robes like a śramaṇa. The prince asked him, “What are these Dharma robes called?” He replied, “A kāṣāya. The deer think I practice the Way and, without fear in their hearts, come close to me. I kill them one after another to sustain myself.” The prince felt all the more compassion and asked to trade his own clothing with him. The hunter said, “Your Majesty was raised in a deep palace; your flesh is delicate and tender, unaccustomed to cold and hardship. I fear it would harm Your Majesty's body, and moreover, it is impure.” The prince said, “This is the emblem of the sages; there is no harm in trading it. I shall wash it myself.” When the devas offered food, he refused to accept it.
Moving forward, he arrived in Magadha. The people saw him and thought he was Śakra, the Brahmā King, or one of the gods. The prince knew what they were thinking and sat beneath a tree. King Bimbisāra then went out with his ministers to visit the practitioner of the Way. Seeing his radiant marks from afar, he asked, “What god are you? From what country have you come? What is your name?” The prince replied, “I come from east of the Fragrant Mountain and north of the Snow Mountain. The country is called Kapilavastu. My father’s name is Śuddhodana, and my mother’s name is Māyā.” Bimbisāra asked, “Could you be Siddhārtha?” He replied, “Indeed.” The king then bowed at his feet and said, “Your bodily marks are bright and clear; you ought to rule over the four directions as a wheel-turning sage emperor. The four seas look up to you with longing, hoping for the arrival of the divine jewels. Why abandon the heavenly throne to banish yourself to the mountain wilds?” He replied, “Being born entails death; there are four severe pains, namely birth, old age, sickness, and death, which cannot be escaped. The body is a vessel of suffering, with boundless anxiety and fear. If one abides in honor and favor, arrogance arises; greedily seeking gratification is a misery and affliction to the world. Because I loathe this, I have entered the mountains.”
Thereafter he practiced austerities for six years, eating only one sesame seed and one grain of rice a day, sitting cross-legged without swaying or leaning. Through wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, across the four seasons, he never changed, nor did he ever raise a hand to shield himself. People marvelled at him, stuffing grass and sticks into his ears and nose, yet he did not cast them away. His body was emaciated, only the golden color became more pronounced, and his radiance shone afar. When the six years were complete, he thought to himself: “Being emaciated like this, if I go to the tree of awakening, later generations will mock me, saying that one attains the Way through starvation. I would rather eat soft, tender food to restore my body, and only then attain awakening.”
At that time, the daughter of an elder, having married and given birth to a son, was overjoyed. She took a thousand cows and had them successively suckle one another's milk; using this pure milk, she made porridge, intending to offer a sacrifice to the tree god. She sent a maid to sweep and sprinkle the ground. Seeing the Buddha, the maid did not recognize him, and returned to tell her mistress: “Beneath the tree is a god, handsome and wonderful.” Hearing this, the woman rejoiced and wished to take the porridge away, but the porridge leaped out of the cauldron more than a zhang high and could not be retrieved. The woman wondered greatly at this. A deva in the sky said, “A great bodhisattva has already risen from his seat. You had a former vow that you should feed him first, after which he would attain right awakening.” Hearing the deva's words, the woman immediately took the milk porridge, filled a golden bowl with it, and went to the banks of the Nairañjanā river. By his supernormal powers, the bodhisattva entered the water to bathe. A deva of Tuṣita took a heavenly robe of kāṣāya and offered it to the bodhisattva, who took it and put it on, then stood by the banks of the Nairañjanā river. The elder's daughter offered the milk porridge, and the bodhisattva ate it, his strength gradually being replenished.
He proceeded toward the tree of awakening. On the left side of the road was a man named Svastika, who was reaping fresh green grass that was soft, smooth, and untangled. The bodhisattva said to Svastika, “I wish to have grass to sit upon.” The earth then shook greatly. The devas manifested eighty thousand lion seats beneath trees of awakening; each deva saw the bodhisattva sitting alone upon his own seat, while those of meager merit and virtue still saw him sitting upon the grass. The sentient beings of the three realms saw the bodhisattva sitting beneath the tree of awakening (the Chutai jing says he sat beneath a rose-apple tree for thirty-eight days, contemplating the tree and engaging in walking meditation), emitting a great light that eclipsed the palace of Māra.
Māra Pāpīyas lay sleeping and dreamt of thirty-two transformations: his palace turned dark and gloomy; he entered evil pathways; the pond water dried up; musical instruments broke; the heads of yakṣas and night-spirits all fell to the ground; and the devas abandoned him, refusing to obey his commands. Gathering his ministers, he recounted what he had seen in his dream, raised weapons of war, and summoned his thousand sons. Five hundred of his sons, led by Daoshi and others, had faith in and delighted in the bodhisattva; five hundred sons, led by Emui and others, followed Māra in creating chaos, wishing to subdue [the bodhisattva].
Māra had four daughters: the first was named Desire, the second Pleasing Others, the third Joyful Sight, and the fourth Seen and Followed. They went to the bodhisattva, making flirtatious remarks and enticing him with thirty-two kinds of allure, along with their lips, tongues, and delicate glances (the text is extensive and not recorded in full), saying: “We wish to serve at your side day and night.” He replied, “Though your forms are beautiful, your minds are not upright. Leather sacks filled with dung—what have you come here for? Begone, I have no use for you.” The three jade maidens transformed into old crones; unable to restore themselves, they returned to Māra's place (the Guanfo sanmei jing says the three jade maidens were named Qin, Yifan, and Jianguohuan).
Māra's venom became even more fierce. He summoned eighteen hundred million minions, who transformed into strange shapes: lions, bears, insect heads with human bodies, and serpent-vipers. They carried mountains, spat fire, produced thunder and lightning, and brandished spears and halberds. With a joyful mind, not a single hair of the bodhisattva moved; the demon troops could not approach. At that time, the bodhisattva slowly raised the white curl between his eyebrows and directed it toward the Avīci hell, allowing the sinners to see it. The white curl poured forth [light] as large as a chariot wheel, and the fires momentarily ceased. Remembering their past sinful deeds, their minds attained cool refreshment, and they chanted: “Homage to the Buddha!” Through this cause and condition, once their punishment was exhausted, they would be reborn among humans.
Seeing these signs, Māra was haggard and distressed, and retreated to his palace. The white curl went further, up to the sixth heaven, where in the white pores of the skin there were jewel lotus flowers, with the past seven Buddhas now seated upon the flowers. In this way, the white curl reached up to the formless realm, everywhere illuminating all things like a crystal mirror. Eighty-four thousand heavenly maidens looked upon Pāpīyas’s body, which appeared like chopped firewood; they only gazed upon the light of the bodhisattva’s mark of the white curl. Innumerable devas and devīs gave rise to the bodhi-mind. The Māra King returned to challenge the Buddha again. With the power of his wisdom, the Buddha stretched out his hand and pressed the earth; immediately the earth shook, and Māra and his retinue all tumbled and fell upside down. Having subdued the adversary Māra, he immediately attained right awakening (from fascicles five and six of the Puyao jing).
4.9
Together with several tens of millions of followers, he entered the city of Rājagṛha. Those who saw him from afar raised their hands in praise, some saying “Welcome!” or “Sun and Moon!”, some taking refuge, and others inquiring among themselves: “Is this a deva? Or is this Śakra?” The crowd followed him. King Bimbisāra was in an upper storey of his palace and asked his attendants, “What is the reason for this?” A minister said, “A son of the Śākyas has renounced his family and wanders outside; he might be plotting against the state. We should go and execute him.” The king said, “If this son were to succeed to the throne as a wheel-turning sage king, we would all be his ministers. If he has left home to practice the Way and become a Buddha, I wish to be his foremost disciple, so that when he first expounds the Dharma, I will be the first at his side.” The king loaded food and drink and went to the eastern mountain to wait upon him. He immediately came forward, bowed at his feet, and introduced himself: “I am Bimbisāra, the king of Magadha, who now stands before you.” The Buddha said, “I recognized you beforehand; what need is there for such homage?” The king then said, “I now present a meager offering to express my sincere mind; may you deign to accept it.” The Buddha silently accepted it. The king said, “When you attain the unsurpassed Way, I pray that you will deliver me first.” At that time, the disciples of Ārāḍa saw the Bhagavat from afar and said to their teacher, “Now there is a man, extraordinarily upright and distinctive, who has passed on toward our master's gate; he will certainly seek to become a disciple.” Ārāḍa then spoke a verse:
4.10
“I observe this gentleman who comes from afar;
His various marks are without defect.
He will naturally rule over the world;
He will never look to serve another as master.”
4.11
(From the Shenqian xue biqiu jing, and also from the lower fascicle of the Xiuxing ben jing).
4.12
5. Ānanda Inquires About the Method of Funeral
4.13
Ānanda asked about the funeral. The Buddha said: “The method of my funeral shall be like that of a wheel-turning sage king: first wash the body with scented water, wrap the body in cotton cloth, and next bind it with five hundred layers of fine white wool. Place it inside a golden coffin, and pour sesame oil over it. Then place the golden coffin inside an iron outer coffin, and encircle the outside of that with a sandalwood outer coffin. Pile up fragrant firewood thickly upon it, and cremate it (jhāpeti). When the wood is consumed and the fire extinguished, collect the śarīra and erect a stūpa at the crossroads, erecting a pillar and hanging banners, so that those who see it will feel longing and affection, bringing them great benefit.” The Buddha said, “There are four kinds of persons for whom stūpas should be erected: first, a Tathāgata; second, a pratyekabuddha; third, a śrāvaka; and fourth, a wheel-turning king. All should be worshipped with fragrant flowers, banners, parasols, and music.”
Between the twin trees, the Buddha arranged a couch, placing his head to the south and facing north. The reason for this is that the Buddha’s Dharma, in its dissemination, would long abide in the north. The Buddha folded his saṃghāṭī robe, lay on his right side like a lion king, with his feet resting one upon the other. Ānanda also asked: “In the realm of Jambudvīpa, how many kinds of funerals are there?” The Buddha said: “Innumerable. In this land of mine, there are water burials, fire burials, and burials in stūpas and tombs. The funeral customs of the people of the land of Cīnasthāna (Zhendan) use gold, silver, rare gems, and carved chariots, with flying celestials, musical performers, bells, and chants to please the deceased. The body is dressed in clothes and placed into inner and outer coffins with exquisite fragrance. Thousands and millions of people escort it to the mountain wilds to adorn the place; the people who see it are all filled with joy. When the kings on the borders of Cīnasthāna and the people they govern wish to conduct a funeral, they take the coffin and place it inside a stone chamber. On days of sickness, they open it to view the skeleton, washing it and seeking blessings so that the illness may be cured. There are also those who, upon dying, have no inner or outer coffin, but directly take the corpse and place it upon a high pavilion; in times of urgency and illness, they bring the corpse down and chant prayers to seek blessing and protection.” The Buddha said: “When those who learn in my Dharma wish to cultivate merit, they should be diligent and energetic, practicing the six pāramitās and upholding the ten wholesome deeds; thus they may be born in heaven and advance toward the unsurpassed Way.” (From the sixth fascicle of the Guanding jing and the first fascicle of the Dīrgha Āgama).
4.14
5. Manifesting Parinirvāṇa
4.15
The Buddha was in Kuśinagara, at the place where the Mallas were born, beside the Ajitavatī River, between the twin śāla trees, together with eighty billion hundred thousand great monks, who surrounded him before and behind. On the fifteenth day of the second month (the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva's Descent from Tuṣita Heaven says the eighth day of the third month), when his nirvāṇa was drawing near, using the Buddha's spiritual power he uttered a great voice that reached up to the Peak of Existence. According to their kinds, his voice universally proclaimed to all: “Today the Tathāgata, having pity on sentient beings, acts as their refuge. The Great Awakened World-Honoured One is about to enter nirvāṇa. If any sentient beings have doubts, they may now ask everything as their final questioning.” (The Dīrghāgama differs slightly; its text is voluminous and cannot be fully recorded.) In the early morning, the Buddha emitted various rays of light from his face, universally illuminating the great trichiliocosm and extending to the ten directions. Sentient beings in the six destinies who encountered this light had their sinful defilements and afflictions entirely eradicated. Sentient beings, seeing and hearing this, became greatly anguished in mind; all at once they raised their voices, crying out in grief and weeping bitterly, and the great earth, mountains, and seas all trembled. People at that time said to one another, “Let us hurry to the Buddha's place to entreat the Tathāgata not to enter parinirvāṇa, but to remain in the world for an eon!” Great disciples such as Kātyāyana, upon encountering the Buddha's light, trembled all over and could not contain themselves, wailing aloud and giving rise to all kinds of distress. Furthermore, there were eighty hundred thousand monks and sixty billion nuns, all of them arhats, whose bodily hair stood on end and blood appeared across their entire bodies, like palāśa flowers. There were also bodhisattvas numbering as many as one hundred million Ganges sands, whose stages were equal to the ten abodes; two Ganges sands of upāsakas; three Ganges sands of upāsikās; four Ganges sands of Licchavis; five Ganges sands of elders; six Ganges sands of kings; seven Ganges sands of royal consorts; eight Ganges sands of devīs and so forth, extending to the Buddhas and disciples of the ten directions. The great assemblies of the six destinies, seeing the signs of nirvāṇa, wept and wailed in grief, unable to control themselves. In the assembly there was also an artisan's son of Kuśinagara named Cunda, who, together with fifteen persons, paid homage to the Buddha and said, “We pray only that the World-Honoured One and the assembly of monks compassionately accept our final offering. From now on, we will have no master, no kin, no savior, and no protector; poor, destitute, and hungry, we wish to seek our future food from the Tathāgata. We pray only that you compassionately accept our modest offering, and thereafter enter nirvāṇa.” The Buddha said, “I shall now eradicate your poverty for you, raining the unexcelled rain of Dharma upon the field of your person, causing the sprout of Dharma to grow, and enabling you to fulfill the dāna-pāramitā.” The assembly at that time was filled with joy, praising him in unison, “How rare, Cunda! The Buddha has accepted your offering; you are a true son of the Buddha!” The Buddha said, “Cunda, now is indeed the time; the Tathāgata is just about to enter parinirvāṇa.” The second and third times were also like this. Cunda wept and wailed aloud, and again addressed the great assembly, “Let us now throw ourselves to the ground in full prostration, and together entreat the Buddha not to enter parinirvāṇa!” The Buddha told Cunda, “Do not weep so bitterly and disturb your own mind. Because I pity you and all beings, I wish to enter nirvāṇa today. Why is this? Such is the nature of all Buddhas, and conditioned things are also like this. Quickly prepare what you are offering; it is not fitting to delay for long.” The Buddha again emitted five-colored light from his face, illuminating Cunda's body. Carrying fine food, Cunda hurried to the Buddha's place, filled with sorrow and grief, still hoping that he would take pity and prolong his life for an eon. The Buddha said, “If you wish for me to abide long, you should present your final fulfillment of the dāna-pāramitā.” All the bodhisattvas, devas, humans, and various beings exclaimed in unison with one voice, “How wondrous, Cunda! You have achieved great merit! We lack virtue, and our prepared offerings are rendered in vain.” Wishing to fulfill the hopes of all beings, the World-Honoured One manifested from each single pore of his body countless Buddhas, each of whom had countless monk-saṃghas, all appearing to accept their offerings. Śākyamuni Tathāgata himself received that which was offered and prepared by Cunda. The cooked rice food brought by Cunda amounted to a full eight hu in Magadha, and through the Buddha's spiritual power it completely satisfied the entire great assembly. (The Dīrghāgama differs slightly; its text is voluminous and not recorded.) Manifesting illness, he lay on his right side like other sick people, and said to the Bodhisattva Kāśyapa, “These sentient beings do not understand the esoteric words of the Mahāyāna Vaipulya, and therefore say that the Tathāgata is genuinely sick. Now, between the twin śāla trees, I manifest reclining on a lion couch, wishing to enter nirvāṇa, causing all the disciple assemblies and the Mallas who have not yet attained the fruit of arhatship to give rise to great sorrow and suffering, and causing devas, humans, asuras, and others to make extensive offerings. Moreover, I cause people to wrap my body with a thousand lengths of cotton and place it in a coffin of the seven treasures (the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva's Descent from Tuṣita Heaven says that the Tathāgata personally ripped his three robes, took three strips from each, and spread them inside the golden coffin to line the bed under his body, with his two feet placed one upon the other, and with his hands handed over his bowl and staff to Ānanda), filling it with fragrant oil, piling up fragrant woods, and burning it with fire. Only two lengths cannot be burned: the innermost next to the body, and the outermost. For the sake of sentient beings, his relics are distributed into eight portions. All the śrāvaka disciples said, ‘The Tathāgata has entered nirvāṇa.’ You should know that the Tathāgata certainly does not enter nirvāṇa. Why? Because the Tathāgata is permanent and changeless. Having aspired to hear the true Dharma, you must abandon greed and lust, respect and uphold my teaching, and vigorously practice the path. This is the final bequest of the Buddha; you should together be circumspect with it. You monks, look upon the demeanor of the Buddha, for it is difficult to behold! Only after one hundred and forty million more years, until the coming of Maitreya Buddha, [will a Buddha appear].” As the Buddha approached nirvāṇa, the earth trembled greatly, and the devas and humans were all terrified. All the dark places, where the light of the sun and moon cannot reach, were bathed in great illumination, and beings were able to see one another. Devas scattered flowers and incense. When the Buddha passed into extinction, the kings of the six desire heavens, the spirit Kumbhīra, the Guhyapāda Malla, the Buddha's mother Māyā, and the spirits of the twin śāla grove each composed verses in praise. The monks were overwhelmed with grief, each sighing and sobbing, saying, “How swift is the Tathāgata's passing into extinction! The multitude of beings will long suffer decline; the eye of the world has been extinguished!” Aniruddha told the monks, “Cease, cease, do not grieve! Devas are above; they might reprove us.” The monks asked, “How many devas are above?” He answered, “They fill empty space—how could they be measured? They all pace back and forth in the sky, agitated, wailing, beating their breasts, leaping, and sighing, saying, ‘How swift is the Tathāgata's passing into extinction! The multitude of beings will long suffer decline; the eye of the world has been extinguished!’” (The Dīrghāgama is largely identical to the two-fascicle Nirvāṇa Sūtra; from the first fascicle of the Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra.) “Where is the monk Ānanda now?” Mañjuśrī said, “He is outside the śāla grove, twelve yojanas from here, harassed by sixty-four billion māras. These māra hordes all transformed their bodies into the likeness of the Tathāgata, preaching various dharmas and displaying various manifestations. Ānanda thought, ‘I have never seen such a thing before! Who has done this? Could it be Śākyamuni?’ He wished to utter these words, but his voice would not obey his will. Ānanda suffered great distress and was unable to come.” The Buddha preached a great dhāraṇī spell, which Mañjuśrī received. Going to Ānanda's place, he chanted it to the māras, and the māra kings and others all gave rise to the bodhicitta. Mañjuśrī then returned with Ānanda to the Buddha's place. (From the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva's Descent from Tuṣita Heaven.) The Mallas gathered various offerings, and after a whole day had passed, they placed the Buddha's relics upon a litter. The Malla youths tried to lift the litter, but none could bear its weight. Aniruddha said, “Stop for a moment. The devas wish to keep it for seven days, so that all the people may make offerings.” Three times the Tathāgata extended his golden arm from within the golden coffin and asked, “Has Ānanda arrived? Have the roads been leveled and swept, and incense burned? How is it, Ānanda, the Vaipulya Mahāyāna scriptures that I have delivered before and after—have you mastered them all or not?” Ānanda replied, “Only the Buddha knows.” The Buddha said, “It is so. The various sūtras are now concluded.” On the seventh day, the Malla youths held up the four corners to carry it: “You may hold banners and canopies, burn incense and scatter flowers, perform various kinds of music, escorting before and behind, walking with solemn composure, entering through the eastern gate of the city, traversing all the streets and alleys, exiting through the northern gate of the city, crossing the Hiraṇyavatī River, and arriving at the Makuṭabandhana Temple.” The Malla officials had finished piling up the fragrant wood, but when set on fire, it would not burn. Aniruddha said, “The devas' intention has extinguished the fire. Kāśyapa is returning from the kingdom of Pāvā with five hundred disciples, wishing to see the Buddha's body.” Kāśyapa met a Nirgrantha holding a māndārava flower in his hand, and asked, “Do you know whether my Master is still living?” He answered, “Seven days have passed since he entered extinction. I obtained this flower from there.” Kāśyapa was distressed; his five hundred disciples rolled on the ground and wailed bitterly, unable to contain themselves, sighing in sorrow and saying, “How swift is the Sugata's nirvāṇa!” At that time Upananda said, “Stop crying for a moment! Now that we are rid of that old Mahāśramaṇa, we may find release.” Kāśyapa urged the monks, “Quickly take up your robes and bowls, and go to the city of Kuśi!” When they reached the relics, he asked Ānanda, “May the relics of the World-Honoured One be seen?” He replied, “Wrapped in karpāsa cotton, wound in white fine cloth, placed inside a golden coffin, deposited within an iron outer coffin, and covered with fragrant firewood, it is about to be cremated; it cannot be seen.” Kāśyapa requested three times, and was answered as before. Approaching the fragrant pyre, the Buddha stepped through the double coffin and manifested both of his feet (the Fourfold Vinaya says that the coffins opened of themselves and revealed both feet). Beneath his feet, the wheel marks bore unusual colors; he immediately asked Ānanda about it, who replied, “Women are soft-hearted; earlier, when paying homage to the Buddha, their tears fell and they touched them with their hands.” Kāśyapa paid homage, and the great assembly bowed together, circumambulated the trees three times, and each composed verses. The fragrant pyre spontaneously caught fire everywhere without being lit. (The Dīrghāgama and the two-fascicle Nirvāṇa Sūtra are roughly identical; its text is voluminous and not recorded.) The fire burned extremely fiercely and was difficult to quench; the spirit of the śāla tree extinguished it with its power. (From the Nirvāṇa Sūtra, the Dīrghāgama, the two-fascicle Nirvāṇa Sūtra, and also from the Sūtra on the Bodhisattva's Descent from Tuṣita Heaven.)
4.16
Five: The Signs of the Five Decays of Queen Māyā
4.17
When the Buddha entered parinirvāṇa, Lady Māyā was in the heavens, where the five signs of decline appeared [on her body]: first, the flowers atop her head withered; second, sweat issued from under her armpits; third, the light at the nape of her neck went out; fourth, both her eyes blinked frequently; fifth, she took no delight in her original seat. She also had five dreams: first, Mount Sumeru collapsed and the waters of the four seas dried up; second, rākṣasas ran about gouging out people's eyes; third, the devas lost their jeweled crowns and their bodies lacked radiance; fourth, the jewel banner fell and the wish-fulfilling gem was lost; fifth, a lion bit her body, causing pain like being cut with knives. Having had these dreams, she immediately awoke in fright, [thinking,] "These are inauspicious. Formerly, while residing in the palace of King Śuddhodana, I had a rare dream during a daytime nap: I saw a devaputra with a body of golden hue, riding atop a king of white elephants, followed by various devaputras playing wondrous music. The essence of the blazing sun entered my right side, my body and mind felt peace and bliss, and I forthwith became pregnant. Prince Siddhārtha then illuminated the world. Now these five dreams are terrifying indeed; they must surely be signs of my son's nirvāṇa." At that time, after Aniruddha had finished encoffining the Buddha, he ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and informed Māyā in verse. Māyā lost consciousness for a long while; then, accompanied by her retinue, she descended to between the twin trees. Seeing the saṅghāṭī robe, the alms bowl, and the staff, she held them, wailed and wept bitterly, fainted, and upon reviving said, "My son brought blessings and salvation to gods and humans; now these items are deserted and masterless." By his spiritual power, the Buddha caused the coffin lids to open of themselves. The Buddha arose with palms joined, radiated a great light, and inquired after his mother, saying, "You have deigned to come down from afar. All conditioned phenomena are thus by nature; pray do not weep." Although Ānanda was restraining himself, he addressed the Buddha, "Sentient beings of future generations will surely ask me, 'What did the Buddha say when he was on the verge of extinction?' How should I answer them?" The Buddha told Ānanda, "You should answer: 'After the Buddha had already entered nirvāṇa, Lady Māyā descended. For the sake of unfilial beings in future generations, the Tathāgata emerged from the golden coffin, joined his palms to inquire after her, and spoke the verses of reverence above.' This sūtra is named *Sūtra on the Meeting of Mother and Son at the Buddha's Impending Nirvāṇa*; uphold it thus." (Drawn from the lower fascicle of the *Māyā-sūtra*.)
4.18
Diverse Phenomena from the Sūtras and Vinaya, Fascicle 4
Linked texts (1)
- 經律異相 — Classical Chinese