法苑珠林 30.23

30.23

如迦葉經云。爾時佛告摩訶迦葉。如來不久當般涅槃。迦葉白佛言。世尊。唯願世尊。住世一劫。若減一劫。守護正法。佛告迦葉。彼愚癡人假使千佛出世種種神通說法教化。彼愚癡人於彼惡欲不可令息。迦葉。當來末世後五百歲有諸眾生。具足善根其心清淨。能報佛恩守護我法。迦葉白佛言。世尊。我修少行智慧微淺。如持重擔我不能堪。唯有菩薩。堪能荷負如斯重擔。譬如有人年耆極老年百二十。身嬰重病不能起止。時有一人巨富饒財。齎持珍寶至病人所。而語之言。我有緣事當至他方。以寶相寄。為我守護。待我還時汝當歸我。彼老病人無有子息。唯獨一身。彼人去已未久之間困篤命終。所寄財物悉皆散失。彼人行還求索無所。世尊。聲聞之人亦復如是。智慧微淺修行甚少。又無伴侶。不能久住在於世間。若付正法不久散滅。佛讚迦葉。我已了知而故付汝。令彼癡人得聞此已生於悔心。爾時迦葉白佛言。世尊。我今更說第二譬喻。譬如有人身力盛壯無諸患苦。壽命無量百千萬歲。生大種姓具足財寶。善持淨戒。有大慈悲內懷歡喜。利益多人令得安樂。時有一人齎持寶物。來至其所而語之言。我有緣事當至他方。以寶相寄當好守護。若十年還。若二十年還。待我來時當見相還。其人得寶藏積守護。彼人行還即便歸之。世尊。菩薩摩訶薩亦復如是。若以法寶付諸菩薩。無量千億那由他劫終無失壞。利益無量無邊眾生不斷三寶。世尊。如是之事我不能持。唯有菩薩乃能堪受。世尊。此彌勒菩薩摩訶薩俱在此會。如來付之。於當來世後五百歲法欲滅時。如來所集之法。悉能守護流演廣說。何以故。此彌勒菩薩於當來世證得阿耨菩提。譬如國王第一太子。當為王事如法治世。彌勒菩薩亦復如是。治法王位守護正法。爾時佛讚迦葉。如汝所說。即申右手摩彌勒頂。作如是言。彌勒我付囑汝。當來末世後五百歲正法滅時。汝當守護三寶莫令斷絕。爾時如來摩彌勒頂時。於此三千大千世界六種震動。光明遍滿大千世界。爾時地天及虛空天。至阿迦膩吒天。悉皆合掌白彌勒菩薩摩訶薩言。如來以法付囑聖者。唯願聖者。為利一切諸天人故受此正法。爾時彌勒菩薩從座而起。偏袒右肩右膝著。地合掌恭敬白佛言。世尊。我為利益一切眾生。尚受無量億劫之苦。況復如來付我正法。而當不受。世尊。我爾時受持於當來世演說如來無量阿僧祇劫所集阿耨菩提法。彌勒菩薩說此語時。三千世界六種震動。

As the Kāśyapa Sūtra says: At that time the Buddha said to Mahākāśyapa, "Before long, the Tathāgata shall enter parinirvāṇa." Kāśyapa said to the Buddha, "World-Honoured One, we pray only that the World-Honoured One remain in the world for one kalpa, or slightly less than one kalpa, to guard and protect the saddharma." The Buddha told Kāśyapa, "Even if a thousand Buddhas were to appear in the world, with all kinds of supernormal powers, preaching the Dharma and transforming them, those foolish people could not be made to cease their evil desires. Kāśyapa, in the future degenerate age, during the final five hundred years, there will be sentient beings who are fully endowed with good roots and whose minds are pure, who can repay the Buddha's kindness and guard and protect my Dharma." Kāśyapa said to the Buddha, "World-Honoured One, I cultivate few practices and my wisdom is shallow and slight; like carrying a heavy burden, I cannot bear it. Only a bodhisattva is able to shoulder such a heavy burden. For example, suppose there were a person advanced in years, fully one hundred and twenty years old, afflicted with severe illness and unable to stand or walk. At that time there is a person of immense wealth and abundant treasures who takes precious jewels and comes to the sick person's place, saying to him, 'I have matters that require me to go to another land. I entrust these treasures to you to guard and protect for me. Wait until my return, and then you shall give them back to me.' That old sick person has no sons or daughters and is all alone. Not long after that person departs, the old man becomes critically ill and dies. The entrusted property is entirely scattered and lost. When that person returns from his journey, he seeks it in vain. World-Honoured One, the śrāvaka is also like this: his wisdom is shallow and slight, he cultivates very little, and moreover he has no companions; he cannot remain long in the world. If the saddharma were entrusted to him, before long it would be scattered and extinguished." The Buddha praised Kāśyapa: "I already knew this, and yet I entrusted it to you so that those foolish people, having heard this, might give rise to remorse." At that time Kāśyapa said to the Buddha, "World-Honoured One, I shall now speak a second parable. For example, suppose there is a man whose physical strength is flourishing and robust, without any afflictions or suffering. His lifespan is immeasurable, hundreds of thousands of millions of years. He is born of a great lineage and fully endowed with wealth and treasures. He maintains pure precepts well, possesses great loving-kindness and compassion, harbors joy within, and benefits many people, causing them to attain peace and happiness. At that time a person carrying precious objects comes to his place and says to him, 'I have matters that require me to go to another land. I entrust these treasures to you to guard and protect well. Whether I return in ten years or return in twenty years, wait until I come and then return them to me.' That man receives the treasures, stores them, and guards them. When that person returns from his journey, he immediately returns them to him. World-Honoured One, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is also like this. If one entrusts the Dharma jewel to the bodhisattvas, through immeasurable thousands of kotis of nayutas of kalpas it will never be lost or destroyed; it will benefit immeasurable and boundless sentient beings, not letting the Three Jewels be severed. World-Honoured One, such an affair I cannot sustain; only a bodhisattva is able to bear it. World-Honoured One, this Maitreya Bodhisattva-mahāsattva is right here in this assembly. Let the Tathāgata entrust it to him. In the future age, during the final five hundred years when the Dharma is about to be extinguished, he will be able to guard and protect, circulate, and extensively preach all the Dharma gathered by the Tathāgata. Why is this? Because this Maitreya Bodhisattva will realize anuttarā-saṃbodhi in a future age. For example, the foremost prince of a king will handle the affairs of state and govern the world according to the law. Maitreya Bodhisattva is also like this: he will govern the realm of the Dharma King and guard and protect the saddharma." At that time the Buddha praised Kāśyapa: "It is as you have said." He then extended his right hand, stroked Maitreya's head, and spoke these words: "Maitreya, I entrust this to you. In the future degenerate age, during the final five hundred years when the saddharma is being extinguished, you must guard and protect the Three Jewels and not let them be severed." At that time, when the Tathāgata stroked Maitreya's head, this trichiliocosm quaked in six ways, and radiance completely filled the great chiliocosm. At that time the earth devas, the sky devas, up to the Akaniṣṭha devas, all joined their palms and addressed Maitreya Bodhisattva-mahāsattva, saying, "The Tathāgata has entrusted the Dharma to the holy one. We pray only that the holy one, for the benefit of all devas and humans, receive this saddharma." At that time Maitreya Bodhisattva rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, joined his palms in reverent devotion, and addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honoured One, for the benefit of all sentient beings, I would even endure the suffering of immeasurable kotis of kalpas; how much more so when the Tathāgata entrusts to me the saddharma—how could I not receive it? World-Honoured One, I now receive and maintain it, and in a future age I shall preach the anuttarā-saṃbodhi Dharma gathered by the Tathāgata over immeasurable asaṃkhyeya kalpas." When Maitreya Bodhisattva spoke these words, the trichiliocosm quaked in six ways.