法苑珠林 25.7

25.7

第一如拘隣比丘。初化受法善來之首故稱第一。如憍梵鉢提比丘。善護譏嫌藏身天上故稱第一。故功德論云。牛脚比丘以二事不得居世間。何者此比丘脚似牛甲。食飽則呞。以是二事不得居世。若外道見謂諸沙門食無時節生誹謗心。是以佛遣上天在善法講堂坐禪。善覺比丘常為眾僧作使至天上。佛涅槃後迦葉鳴椎大集眾僧。命阿那律遍觀世間。誰不來者。阿那律即觀世界盡來。唯有憍梵比丘今在天上。即遣善覺命召使來。善覺到三十三天。見在善法講堂入滅盡定。彈指覺之曰。世尊涅槃已十四日。迦葉集眾。遣我相命可下世間至眾集所。憍梵答曰。世間已空我寧忍還。欲取涅槃。即以衣鉢付於善覺。還歸眾僧。便取涅槃。以是因緣。善護其身安處天上。故稱第一也。

First, the bhikṣu Kauṇḍinya: being the foremost of those originally converted who received the Dharma with 'Ehi bhikṣu' ('Come!'), he is called the foremost. As for the bhikṣu Gavāmpati: skillfully guarding against criticism and suspicion, he hid his body in the heavens, and is therefore called the foremost. Hence, the Gongde Lun states: The bhikṣu with cow feet could not reside in the world on account of two matters. What are they? This bhikṣu's feet were like cattle hooves, and when satiated with food, he would ruminate. On account of these two matters he could not reside in the world. If outsiders saw him, they would say that śramaṇas eat without regular times, giving rise to slanderous thoughts. Therefore, the Buddha sent him up to heaven to practice dhyāna in the Sudharmā Lecture Hall. The bhikṣu Subuddhi regularly acted as an envoy for the Saṃgha, traveling to heaven. After the Buddha's parinirvāṇa, Kāśyapa struck the bell, gathering the vast saṃgha. He commanded Aniruddha to survey the world universally to see who had not arrived. Aniruddha then surveyed the worlds and found everyone had arrived, except the bhikṣu Gavāmpati, who was currently in heaven. He then dispatched Subuddhi to summon him. Reaching the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, Subuddhi saw him entering the cessation attainment in the Sudharmā Lecture Hall. Snapping his fingers to awaken him, he said: 'The World-Honoured One entered nirvāṇa fourteen days ago. Kāśyapa has assembled the saṃgha, and sent me to summon you to descend to the world to attend the gathering.' Gavāmpati replied: 'The world is now empty, how could I bear to return? I wish to enter nirvāṇa.' He then handed his robes and bowl to Subuddhi to bring back to the saṃgha, and thereupon entered nirvāṇa. Because of these reasons, he skillfully guarded his body and dwelt peacefully in the heavens; hence he is called foremost.