法苑珠林 38.89

38.89

佛告阿難。我初成道時從河洗浴訖。我苦行六年手足爪甲不剪。皆長七寸許。時大梵天王見我爪甲長。手執七寶刀剪我手足爪甲。我將付父王令善護持。王既崩後轉付典藏臣。汝可往至彼道。我須爪甲。阿難依命取來至世尊所。佛開函取爪甲。普示大眾。我之手足二十爪甲。猶如赤銅色。佛告大眾。汝等天人龍神等可將我爪甲當細熟視。恐未來世中諸魔及外道。別將相似物換我真甲。汝若疑非者。當以金剛鎚碪以甲置鐵碪上以鎚打擊。無片損者。乃真我甲。若以火燒鍊變為金色。出五色光上照有頂。見此相者是我真爪甲也。

The Buddha told Ānanda: 'When I first attained enlightenment and finished bathing from the river, after my six years of austerities my fingernails and toenails had not been cut, and were all about seven inches long. At that time, King Mahābrahmā saw that my nails were long, and holding a seven-jeweled knife in his hand, he trimmed my fingernails and toenails. I handed them over to my father the king to maintain them well. After the king passed away, they were transferred to the storekeeper official. You may go to that place and say that I need the nails.' Ānanda obeyed the command, took them, and came to the World-Honoured One's place. The Buddha opened the casket, took out the nails, and showed them all to the great assembly: 'My twenty fingernails and toenails are like the color of red copper.' The Buddha addressed the great assembly: 'You devas, humans, nāgas, spirits, and others should take my nails and examine them closely, fearing that in future ages maras and non-Buddhists might exchange my true nails for similar objects. If you suspect they are not authentic, you should place the nails upon an iron anvil with a vajra hammer and strike them with the hammer: if they suffer not the slightest damage, then they are truly my nails. If they are smelted in fire and turn into a golden color, emitting five-colored light that shines upward to the Peak of Existence—one who sees such signs knows they are my true nails.'