法苑珠林 11.22

11.22

問何故名仙人論處。答若作是說。諸佛定於此處轉法輪者。彼說。佛是最勝仙人。皆於此處初轉法輪。故名仙人論處。若作是說。諸佛非定於此轉法輪者。彼說。應言仙人住處。謂佛出世時。有佛大仙及聖弟子仙眾所住。佛不出世時。有獨覺仙所住。若無獨覺時有世俗五通仙住。以此處常有諸仙已住今住當住故。名仙人住處。有說。應言仙人墮處。昔有五百仙人。飛行空中。至此遇退因緣一時墮落。問何故名施鹿林。答常有諸鹿游止此林。故名鹿林。昔有國王。名梵達多。以此林施與群鹿。故名施鹿林。如羯蘭鐸迦長者。於王舍城竹林園中。穿一池以施羯蘭鐸迦鳥。令其游戲。因名施羯蘭鐸迦池。此亦如是。故名施鹿林（舊翻名迦蘭陀鳥善見論其形如鵲）。

Question: Why is it called the Place of the Ṛṣis' Discourse? Answer: If one states that the Buddhas invariably turn the wheel of the Dharma in this place, they say: The Buddha is the supreme ṛṣi, and all [Buddhas] first turn the wheel of the Dharma here; hence it is called the Place of the Ṛṣis' Discourse. If one states that the Buddhas do not invariably turn the wheel of the Dharma here, they say: It should be called the Dwelling Place of the Ṛṣis. That is to say, when a Buddha appears in the world, it is the dwelling place of the Buddha, the Great Ṛṣi, and the community of holy disciple ṛṣis; when a Buddha does not appear in the world, it is the dwelling place of pratyekabuddha ṛṣis; when there are no pratyekabuddhas, it is inhabited by worldly ṛṣis possessing the five supernormal knowledges. Because ṛṣis have always dwelt, dwell now, and will dwell here, it is called the Dwelling Place of the Ṛṣis. Some say it should be called the Place Where the Ṛṣis Fell: in the past, five hundred ṛṣis were flying through the air, and upon reaching this place, they encountered the causes and conditions of regression, and all fell at once. Question: Why is it called the Deer-Bestowed Forest? Answer: Because herds of deer constantly roamed and stayed in this forest, it was called the Deer Forest. Formerly, a king named Brahmadatta gave this forest to a herd of deer; hence it is called the Deer-Bestowed Forest. Just as the elder Kalandaka excavated a pond in the Bamboo Grove at Rājagṛha to give to the kalandaka birds so that they might disport themselves, which was accordingly named the Kalandaka-Bestowed Pond; this is also like that, and hence it is called the Deer-Bestowed Forest (the old translation named it the kalanda bird; the Samantapāsādikā says its shape is like a magpie).