法苑珠林 12.55

12.55

佛聖師子王　阿難是佛子
師子座處坐　觀眾無有佛
如是大德眾　無佛說威神
如夜無月時　虛空不明淨
諸大智人說　汝佛子當演
何處佛初說　今汝當布施

"The Buddha was the holy lion king; / Ānanda is the Buddha's son. / Sitting in the lion's seat, / One gazes upon the assembly, but there is no Buddha. / In such an assembly of great virtue, / Without the Buddha's majestic spiritual power to preach, / It is like a night without the moon, / When empty space is neither bright nor clear. / As spoken by the person of great wisdom, / You, son of the Buddha, must now expound: / Where did the Buddha first preach? / Now you must bestow [the Dharma]!"