經律異相 6.12

6.12

Mahinda and the other monks, having received the four requisites of support during the three summer months from the king of the Lion Country (Siṃhala) named Devānaṃpiya Tissa, took leave of the king, saying, “Formerly, we attended upon our teacher in his very presence, serving, making offerings to, and revering him morning and evening. We have now been separated [from him] for a long time, and we now wish to return.” The king said, “Relying upon the Dharma masters, I was able to receive the refuges and precepts. Receiving the four requisites of support, what makes you unhappy? Previously you said the Buddha had already attained nirvāṇa; now you say you wish to return to pay your respects!” The monks said, “The Buddha has attained parinirvāṇa, but his śarīras still remain.” The king said, “Venerable Ones! If you wish me to build a stūpa, please measure out an auspicious site.” He then went to the novice Sumana and asked, “How can we obtain the Tathāgata’s śarīras?” The novice replied, “Merely cleanse and level the roads, burn incense, and scatter flowers. Let the king and his retinue together take the eight precepts and proceed to the Nāga Grove; they will arrive of themselves.” The king thereupon prepared everything. Sumana returned and informed his grandfather, fully reporting the above matter: “[The king] wishes to build a stūpa, and prays that you grant him śarīras.” Aśoka said, “You may go to the palace of the Trāyastriṃśa heaven and speak to Śakra. Śakra has two śarīras: one, the right tooth, is kept for Śakra to worship; the other, the right collarbone, he will certainly deliver to you to bring back.” He opened a casket, took out śarīras, and placed them in a bowl. The bowl was filled with white light resembling real pearls, and he handed it to the novice. The novice then went to Śakra’s palace to request the right collarbone. Śakra said, “Excellent!” He opened the casket and gave it to him. The novice presented the śarīras given by his grandfather to the king. The king thought, “I should carry the Tathāgata’s śarīras on the crown of my head.” Before his thought had finished, the elephant prostrated on the ground, a white parasol lowered of itself, and the casket went up onto the crown of his head. The king was filled with joy throughout his body, as if tasting amṛta. A fine, subtle rain fell, and the great earth shook. The king asked the Venerable One, “Where should it be placed now?” [Mahinda] replied, “Set it down upon the elephant’s head.” The elephant roared, making an offering to the śarīras. The devas, nāgas, ghosts, and spirits all rejoiced greatly. They then entered the city, where the people made offerings. They exited through the south gate and circumambulated [the grounds] to locate the stūpa [site]. The śarīras of the three past Buddhas had also been in the garden of this stūpa. They immediately cleared the thorns and briars and first raised the foundation of the stūpa so that it was level with the elephant’s head. [The king] addressed the Venerable One, saying, “What should the shape of the stūpa be like?” Mahinda replied, “Like a heap of harvested rice.” The king said, “Excellent!” He then raised a small stūpa, wishing to deposit the śarīras. The people of the entire country all gathered together. The śarīras rose from the elephant’s head into empty space to a height of seven tāla trees and displayed various supernormal transformations: the five colours—black and yellow—and sometimes gushing water, sometimes emitting fire. Thereupon they took the śarīras and enshrined them in the stūpa. Heaven and earth trembled. The great king’s principal queen, named Anulā, sought to leave the household under Mahinda. Mahinda said, “I am not permitted to ordain women. I have a younger sister named Saṅghamittā in the realm of Pāṭaliputra. The king may go to invite her, as well as the Bodhi Tree.” The king dispatched his nephew named Ariṭṭha. By his supernormal power, Mahinda caused [Ariṭṭha] to board a ship and arrive in a single day. He said to King Aśoka, “Mahinda sent me here to convey his intentions fully.” The king said, “Since parting from my son Mahinda and grandson Sumana, I have been consumed by grief and anxiety, unhappy in heart; day and night I am distressed, as if my hands and feet had been severed. Only occasionally seeing this nun brings relief to my heart. If she leaves too, I will certainly die.” He told the nun not to go. The nun said to the king, “The intention shown [in this request] is hard to refuse; a kṣatriya queen awaits me to leave the household.” The king consented. [Yet] the Bodhi Tree could not be split with knife or axe. Moggaliputta Tissa said, “When the Tathāgata was in the world, he had already given five commands: first, King Aśoka would take the Bodhi Tree to give to the Lion Country without using knife or axe, for its southern branch would sever itself and enter a golden vessel; second, it would ascend into the empty sky and abide riding the clouds; third, after seven days, it would descend of itself back into the golden vessel, luxuriant with spread leaves and bearing abundant fruit, its leaves black and yellow; fourth, when the Lion Country first desires to obtain my śarīras, it shall produce various supernormal transformations; fifth, whatever major marks it has, arriving in the Lion Country, will be just as when I was in the world.” Hearing this, the king rejoiced and thereupon made a vow, saying, “If it is permitted to take a branch, let the tree fully reveal all its branches on every side. If it is permitted to go to the Lion Country, may it fall of itself into the golden vessel, and let the [parent] tree be restored as before.” He then filled the golden vessel with fragrant mud. On the fifteenth day of the eighth month, at late afternoon, he drew with a brush across the curved part of the tree branch, making ten strokes in all. The first stroke produced roots, and the last stroke severed [the branch]. The roots were four inches long and further produced fine roots, which branched out in an interlocking lattice like a net. The main branch was ten cubits long, and there were also five branches, each four cubits long. Each of the five branches produced a single fruit, and there were also a thousand small branches. Seeing this supernormal transformation, the king’s heart rejoiced greatly. He shouted aloud toward the tree; the Saṅgha chanted “Sādhu”; the lesser kings and all their attendants, along with the entire great assembly, all shouted aloud. The earth spirits were astonished and also shouted aloud, their sound reaching up to empty space, echoing progressively up to the Brahmā heaven. From the place where the tree branch had severed from the trunk, a hundred roots emerged: ten roots went straight down to the bottom of the vessel and penetrated through it, while ninety fine roots grew encircling it. In this way, they grew continuously day and night. At that time, the earth shook in six ways; in the sky the devas played diverse instrumental music; the mountains and trees appeared as though dancing; the devas clapped their hands; the yakṣas smiled and made merry; the asura kings sang praises; the Brahmā king rejoiced; thunder and lightning clapped in the sky; four-footed creatures ran and cried out; and flocks of birds flew about emitting various sounds. The fruit of the Bodhi Tree emitted light of six colours, which illuminated everywhere, filling the sahā world and reaching up to the Brahmā heaven. Then the Bodhi Tree rose into empty space and stayed there for a full seven days. The assembly saw only light, not the vessel or tree. The king stepped down from his throne and made offerings to the Bodhi Tree. After seven days, the tree again emitted light, illuminating the sahā world up to the Brahmā heaven. As it gathered its light back, the sky became completely clear; spreading its leaves and bearing fruit, it descended from empty space back into the golden vessel. Seeing this, the king was delighted, and again offered the land of Jambudvīpa to the sapling Bodhi Tree for a full seven days. For seven days, the king bowed to the Bodhi Tree as the monarch of Jambudvīpa. On the fifteenth day of the ninth month, the assembly of monks held the poṣadha. From its original place of growth, the Bodhi Tree arrived east of the city of Pāṭaliputra, stopping beneath a sāla tree, its branches and foliage lush and flourishing. Seeing it, the king rejoiced and again bowed to it as the monarch of Jambudvīpa. He said to Saṅghamittā, “It is time to go.” She replied, “Excellent, Great King.” Thereupon [the king] assigned the eight classes of spirits to guard the Bodhi Tree: eight ministers, eight brāhmaṇas, eight householders, eight gopakas, eight taracchas, and eight kaliṅgas. The king provided eight golden urns and eight silver urns, carrying water on carts to water the Bodhi Tree. Having received the king’s instructions, they acted accordingly. The king and the great assembly circumambulated the Bodhi Tree, escorting it along the way. Devas, humans, yakṣas, gandharvas, and asuras made offerings day and night. Arriving at Tāmalitti, the king himself carried the Bodhi Tree, wading into the water neck-deep, and handed it onto the ship to Saṅghamittā. The king called out to Ariṭṭha, “Ariṭṭha! While the Bodhi Tree was in my country, I bowed to it three times as the king of Jambudvīpa. I myself bore the Bodhi Tree on my head, entered the water up to my neck, and sent it aboard the ship.” He commanded Ariṭṭha, “When the Bodhi Tree reaches that country, you must tell your king that he should personally enter the water up to his neck, welcome the Bodhi Tree, carry it on his head and shoulders, just as I made various offerings to it here.” Having given this command, the ship set sail. At that time, for an extent of one yojana in the ocean around where the ship was, there were no waves. The king thought to himself, “The Buddha’s Bodhi Tree is now departing from my country.” As he had this thought, his tears flowed and he choked with grief. After the ship had departed, the king looked into the distance and saw various flowers emerging from the sea water, following behind the ship to make offerings to it. Moreover, in empty space, various flowers were scattered and instrumental music was offered; the water spirits also offered various flowers and incense. Thus it reached progressively down to the palace of the Nāga King. The Nāga King came out, wishing to seize the Bodhi Tree. Thereupon, the nun Saṅghamittā transformed herself into the king of garuḍas. The Nāga King prostrated with his forehead to her feet and said, “I now wish to invite the Bodhi Tree and the Venerable One to return to my palace for seven days of offerings.” Thereupon, the Bodhi Tree and the great assembly all entered the nāga palace. The Nāga King offered his royal throne, bowed to the tree as king, and made offerings for seven days. When the seven days were over, the Nāga King himself escorted the Bodhi Tree to the landing of Jambukola. King Aśoka, looking from afar, could no longer see the Bodhi Tree; weeping, he returned. At that time, King Devānaṃpiya Tissa leveled and cleared the road from the city to the landing of Jambukola, making the ground as smooth as the palm of a hand. By her supernormal power, Saṅghamittā enabled the king inside the palace city to see the Bodhi Tree approaching from afar. The king went out to the landing of Jambukola, entered the water neck-deep, and the tree emitted light of six colours. Seeing this, the king rejoiced; he immediately carried it upon his head and brought it up onto the shore. There were elders of sixteen noble lineages in the country who joined the king in welcoming the Bodhi Tree. When the tree reached the shore, for three days they offered the island of Siṃhala to the Bodhi Tree. The sixteen noble lineages governed the affairs of the kingdom. When the three days ended, on the fourth day, they carried the Bodhi Tree and arrived in succession at the kingdom of Anurādhapura. The people of the entire country joyfully bowed down and made offerings. Past noon on the fourteenth day of the tenth month, the Bodhi Tree entered the center of the city through the north gate, and then exited through the south gate of the city. Five hundred bow-lengths away from the south gate of the city was a place where past Buddhas had also entered into samādhi: the Bodhi Tree of Kakusandha Buddha was named Mahāsaripā; the Bodhi Tree of Koṇāgamana Buddha was named Udumbara; and the Bodhi Tree of Kassapa Buddha was named Nigrodha. In the land of Gāmi, the novice Sumana had the foundation laid out, measuring the entire perimeter, arranging the gates and rooms, and ensuring that the dwelling place of the Bodhi Tree was square and orderly, set where the king’s gateway chambers were. At that time, the sixteen noble lineages all donned robes, encircled the ground of the king’s gateway chambers, and only then set down the tree. The tree rose into empty space to a height of eighty cubits, emitting light of six colours that illuminated the island of Siṃhala all around, reaching up to the Brahmā heaven. The assembly, seeing the tree’s transformations, rejoiced greatly in their hearts. Ten thousand people in the assembly simultaneously recollected the Buddha; one after another, they left the household and attained the way of an arhat. Before the sun’s rays had set, the tree was still in empty space. After sunset, the stars and comets all descended, and the great earth shook violently. At that time, Mahinda, together with Saṅghamittā, the king, and the people of the country, gathered beneath the Bodhi Tree. A single fruit on the northern branch ripened, fell from the branch, and was offered to Mahinda. Mahinda gave the seed to the king, telling him to plant it. The king received it in a golden vessel, heaped rich soil around it, and covered it with scented unguent. In a short moment, it produced eight saplings, each four cubits tall. Seeing this, the king was amazed and praised it, covered them with a white parasol, and bowed to the saplings as kings. The king took one sapling and planted it at the landing of Jambukola; he took another sapling and planted it in the brāhmaṇa village of Tivakka; he took another sapling and planted it at the gateway; he took another sapling and planted it in the stūpa garden; he took another sapling and planted it at the Maheśvara monastery; he took another sapling and planted it in the middle of Cetiya Mountain; he took another sapling and planted it in the village of Rohaṇa; and he took another sapling and planted it in the village of Candana. The remaining four fruits on the tree ripened and fell one after another, producing thirty-two saplings in all. All of them were taken and planted in the Yona Park. In this way, stūpas spread throughout the Lion Country. Because of the Bodhi Tree, the country was tranquil and free of disasters and suffering. At that time, Queen Anulā, together with a thousand women, went to Saṅghamittā to become nuns. After being ordained, they attained arhatship one after another. The king’s nephew Ariṭṭha, together with five hundred people, left the household and attained arhatship one after another. On another day, the king went with Mahinda to pay homage to the Bodhi Tree. When they reached the site of the Brazen Palace (Lohapāsāda), the people presented flowers to the king. The king offered the flowers to Master Mahinda in worship of the Brazen Palace; when the flowers fell to the ground, the earth shook. Seeing the earth shake, the king asked the Venerable One, “Why did this earth suddenly shake?” He replied, “Great King, in the future the Saṅgha will recite the precepts in this hall; therefore the earth displayed this auspicious sign.” Proceeding along in sequence, they reached a mango grove. Someone presented ripe mangoes, complete in fragrance and taste, to the king. The king offered them to Mahinda. Mahinda ate them, and handing the seed to the king, said, “You may plant this seed.” The king immediately planted it and sprinkled the ground with water, whereupon the earth shook. The king asked, “Why did the earth shake?” He replied, “Because in a future age the Saṅgha will assemble here, it displayed this auspicious sign.” The king then scattered flowers, paid homage, and departed. Arriving at the Cetiya site, someone presented campaka flowers to the king. The king offered them to Mahinda, and the earth shook. The king asked, “Why did the earth shake?” He replied, “Because in the future a great stūpa of the Buddha will be erected here, it displayed this auspicious sign.” The king said, “I shall erect the stūpa now.” Mahinda replied, “There is no need for the king to erect it. The king has many construction projects; in a future age, the king’s grandson named Duṭṭhagāmaṇī Abhaya will erect the great stūpa.” The king asked, “If he is my grandson, will I obtain that merit?” He replied, “You will not.” The king took a stone pillar twenty feet tall and carved an inscription on the stone pillar: “My descendant named Duṭṭhagāmaṇī Abhaya shall in the future erect a great stūpa here.” (Extracted from the third fascicle of the Samantapāsādikā).