[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Taishō Tripiṭaka (Chinese Buddhist canon)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho) › [法苑珠林](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122) › 53.8 # 法苑珠林 53.8 法苑珠林 53.8 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [53.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53.8) 馬鳴菩薩傳云。佛去世後三百餘年（摩耶經六百年）出自東天竺桑岐多國。婆羅門種也。弱狀奇譽。以文談見稱。天竺俗法論師文士。皆執勝相以表其德。馬鳴用其俗法。以利刀貫杖銘云。天下智士其有能以一理見屈一文見勝者。當以此刀自刎其首。常執此刀周遊諸國。文論之士莫能抗之者。是時韻陀山中有一羅漢。名富樓那。外道名理無不綰達。於是馬鳴詣而候焉。見其端坐林下。志氣眇然若不可測。神色謙退似而可屈。遂與言沙門說之。敢有所明。要必屈汝。我若不勝便刎頸相謝。沙門默然。容無負色。亦無勝顏。扣之數四曾無應情。馬鳴退自思惟。我負矣。彼勝矣。彼安無言故無可屈。吾以言之。雖知言者可屈。自吾未免於言。真可愧耳。退謝其屈便欲刎首。沙門止之。汝以自刎謝我。當隨我意鬀。汝周羅為我弟子。即以理伏。落髮投簪受具足戒。坐則文宣佛法。游則闡揚道化。作莊嚴佛法諸論百有萬言。大行天竺。舉世推宗。以為造作之式。雖復西河之亂孔父。身子之疑聖師。篾以過也。其後龍樹染翰之初著論之始。未嘗不稽首馬鳴作自歸之偈。謙譏憑其冥照以自寤焉。今天竺諸王勢士。皆為之立廟宗之若佛。評有之曰。 > The Biography of Bodhisattva Aśvaghoṣa says: Over three hundred years after the Buddha's parinirvāṇa (the Māyā-sūtra says six hundred years), he arose from the country of Sāketa in Eastern India, belonging to the brahmin caste. From his youth he was renowned for his extraordinary talent, acclaimed for his literary skill and eloquence. By the secular customs of India, debate masters and literati all carried tokens of superiority to display their virtue. Aśvaghoṣa followed this secular custom: he affixed a sharp knife to a staff and inscribed upon it: "If there is any wise scholar under heaven who can refute me with a single principle, or surpass me with a single piece of writing, I shall cut off my head with this knife." Carrying this knife, he routinely travelled through the various kingdoms, and among scholars of literature and debate, none could withstand him. At that time, in Mount Vindhya, there was an arhat named Pūrṇa, who was thoroughly versed in the principles and doctrines of non-Buddhist traditions. Thereupon Aśvaghoṣa went to call upon him. He saw him sitting upright beneath the trees, his intent and presence remote and unfathomable, his expression unassuming and seemingly yielding. He then said to him: "Śramaṇa, speak! If you dare to explain anything, I will certainly defeat you. If I do not win, I shall cut my throat by way of apology." The śramaṇa remained silent, showing neither a look of defeat nor an air of victory. Questioned several times, he never showed any reaction. Aśvaghoṣa withdrew and reflected: "I have lost, and he has won. He abides in silence, and therefore has nothing that can be refuted. I have relied on words; though I know that those who speak can be refuted, I myself have not escaped speech. Truly I should be ashamed." Stepping back to acknowledge his defeat, he was about to cut his throat. The śramaṇa stopped him: "If you are to apologize to me by slitting your throat, you should rather follow my wish: shave your topknot and become my disciple." He thus yielded to reason, shaved his hair, cast off his hairpin, and received the full ordination. In seat, he set forth the Buddha's Dharma in writing; travelling, he propagated transformation along the Path. He composed various treatises adorning the Buddha's Dharma amounting to over a million words. They circulated widely across India, and the whole world revered and followed him, taking them as models of composition. Even when \[Zixia at\] the Western River caused confusion concerning Confucius, or Śāriputra doubted the Holy Teacher, nothing could surpass this. Later, when Nāgārjuna first took up the brush to compose treatises, he never failed to bow his head to Aśvaghoṣa and compose verses of refuge, humbly seeking reliance upon his hidden illumination to achieve self-awakening. Today, the kings and men of influence throughout India all erect shrines for him and revere him like a Buddha. The appraisal states: > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 53.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53.7) - [Next: 53.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53.9) - [Up: 53](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122~en-mt.53.8) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.taisho.2122.53.8) · Pramāṇa