[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Epic, Poetry, Drama & Narrative](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit) › [Poetry (mahākāvya, lyric, messenger poems, stotra, Prakrit kāvya)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya) › [Court epics (sargabandha)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya) › [Historical, dynastic and hagiographic epics](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika) › [Buddhacarita](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita) › [佛所行讚](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema) › 5.6 # The Acts of the Buddha 5.6 佛所行讚 5.6 - **Language:** Classical Chinese ### [5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5.6) 尊者阿難陀，見地普大動， 心驚身毛竪，問佛何因緣？ 佛告阿難陀：「我住三月壽， 餘命行悉捨，是故地大動。」 阿難聞佛教，悲感淚交流， 猶如大力象，搖彼栴檀樹， 擾動理迫迮，香汁淚流下。 「親重大師尊，恩深未離欲， 惟此四事故，悲苦不自勝。 今我聞世尊，涅槃決定教， 舉體悉萎消，迷方失常音， 所聞法悉忘，荒悸亡天地。 怪哉救世主，滅度一何駃， 遭寒水垂死，遇火忽復滅。 於煩惱曠野，迷亂失其方， 忽遇善導師，未度忽復失。 如人涉長漠，熱渴久乏水， 忽遇清涼池，奔趣悉枯竭。 紺睫瞪睛目，明鑒於三世， 智慧照幽冥，昏冥一何速？ 猶如旱地苗，雲興仰希雨， 暴風雲速滅，望絕守空田。 無智大闇冥，群生悉迷方， 如來燃慧燈，忽滅莫由出。」 佛聞阿難說，酸訴情悲切， 軟語安慰言，為說真實法。 「若人知自性，不應處憂悲， 一切諸有為，悉皆磨滅法。 我已為汝說，合會性別離， 恩愛理不常，當捨悲戀心。 有為流動法，生滅不自在， 欲令長存者，終無有是處。 有為若常存，無有遷變者， 此則為解脫， 於何而更求？汝及餘眾生， 今於我何求？汝等所應得， 我以為說竟，何用我此身？ 妙法身長存，我住我寂靜， 所要唯在此。然我於眾生， 未曾有所惓。當修厭離想， 善住於自洲。當知自洲者， 專精勤方便，獨靜脩閑居， 不從於他信。當知法洲者， 決定明慧燈，能滅除癡闇， 觀察四境界。逮得於勝法， 離我離我所，骨竿皮肉塗， 血澆以筋纏。諦觀悉不淨， 云何樂此身？諸受從緣生， 猶如水上泡，生滅無常苦， 遠離於樂想。心識生住滅， 新新不暫停。思惟於寂滅， 常想永已乖。眾行因緣起， 聚散不常俱。愚癡生我想， 慧者無我所。於此四境界， 思惟正觀察，此則一乘道， 眾苦悉皆滅。若能住於此， 真實正觀者，佛身之存亡， 此法常無盡。」佛說此妙法， 安慰阿難時，諸離車聞之， 惶怖咸來集。悉捨俗威儀， 驅馳至佛所，禮畢一面坐， 欲問不能宣。佛已知其心， 逆為方便說：「我今觀察汝， 心有異常想，放捨俗緣務， 唯念法為情。汝今欲從我， 所聞所知者，於我存亡際， 慎莫生憂悲。無常有為性， 躁動變易法，不堅非利益， 無有久住相。古昔諸仙王， 婆私吒仙等，曼陀轉輪王， 其比亦眾多。如是諸先勝， 力如自在天，悉已久磨滅， 無一存於今。日月天帝釋， 其數亦甚眾，悉皆歸磨滅， 無有長存者。過去世諸佛， 數如恒邊沙，智慧照世間， 悉皆如燈滅。未來世諸佛， 將滅亦復然，我今豈獨異？ 當入於涅槃。彼有應度者， 今宜進前行，毘舍離快樂， 汝等且自安。世間無依怙， 三界不足歡，當止憂悲苦， 而生離欲心。」決斷長別已， 而遊於北方，靡靡涉長路， 如日傍西山。 爾時諸離車，悲吟逐路隨， 仰天而哀歎：「嗚呼何怪哉？ 形如真金山，眾相具莊嚴， 不久將崩壞？無常何無慈， 生死久虛渴，如來智慧母， 而今頓放捨，無救苦奈何？ 眾生久闇冥，假明慧以行， 如何智慧日，忽然而潛光？ 無智為迅流，漂浪諸眾生， 如何法橋梁，一旦忽然摧。 慈悲大醫王，無上智良藥， 療治眾生苦，如何忽遠逝？ 慈悲妙天幢，智慧以莊嚴， 金剛心絞絡，世間觀無厭， 祠祀嚴勝幢，云何一旦崩？ 眾生何薄福？輪迴生死流， 解脫門忽閉，長苦無出期。」 如來善安慰，割情而長辭。 制心忍悲戀，如萎迦尼花， 徘徊而遲遲，悵怏隨路行， 如人喪其親，葬畢長訣還。 > The venerable Ānanda, seeing the earth tremble everywhere, > Was startled in mind and his body's hair stood on end; he asked the Buddha what the cause might be. > The Buddha told Ānanda: "I shall abide in life for three months, > And have relinquished the remainder of my life-formation; therefore the earth shakes greatly." > Ānanda, hearing the Buddha's teaching, was overcome with grief, his tears streaming down, > Just like a mighty elephant shaking a sandalwood tree, > Agitating it with pressing distress so that its fragrant sap flows down like tears: > "He is close, revered, the Great Teacher and Lord; his kindness is deep, and I have not yet abandoned desire; > Only because of these four matters can I not bear my sorrowful pain. > Now that I hear the World-Honoured One's definitive instruction on entering nirvāṇa, > My entire body withers and collapses; I lose my bearings and my ordinary voice fails, > All the Dharma I have heard is forgotten, and in wild panic the heavens and earth vanish. > How monstrous! The Savior of the world—how swiftly he passes into extinction! > Like one who meets cold water and is near death, then encounters fire which suddenly goes out again; > In the wilderness of the defilements, bewildered and having lost his way, > He suddenly meets an excellent guide, yet before being led across, suddenly loses him again. > Like a man journeying through a vast desert, parched with heat and long deprived of water, > Who suddenly comes upon a cool, clear pond, but running toward it, finds it completely dried up. > Your eyes with dark-blue lashes and fixed pupils clearly illuminate the three periods of time; > Your wisdom shines upon the dark and hidden—how can that darkness fall so quickly? > Just like sprouts in an arid field, looking up with hope for rain as clouds arise, > Yet a sudden storm quickly dispels the clouds, leaving them in despair, guarding an empty field. > In the great darkness of ignorance, all living beings lose their way; > The Tathāgata lit the lamp of wisdom, yet suddenly it is extinguished, leaving no way to emerge." > The Buddha, hearing Ānanda's speech, so bitter in appeal and tragic in sentiment, > Spoke soothing words to comfort him, expounding the true Dharma: > "If one understands the nature of reality, one should not dwell in sorrow and grief; > All conditioned things are phenomena destined for destruction. > I have already told you that separation is the nature of every gathering; > Affectionate love is by principle impermanent; you should abandon your sorrowful longing. > Conditioned phenomena are flux and movement, rising and perishing without self-mastery; > To wish to make them endure long is utterly impossible. > If conditioned things were permanent and without alteration, > That itself would be liberation— > Where else would one seek it? What do you and the other living beings > Seek from me now? What you all ought to attain, > I have already finished explaining; what use is this body of mine? > The wondrous Dharma-body endures forever; I abide in my tranquility, > And what is essential lies solely in this. Yet toward living beings, > I have never grown weary. You should cultivate the thought of weariness and detachment, > And dwell well on your own island. Know that to be your own island > Is to be dedicated, diligent in skillful means, dwelling quietly alone in retirement, > Not following reliance upon another. Know that to take the Dharma as an island > Is to be a lamp of certain, bright wisdom that can dispel the darkness of delusion, > Contemplating the four domains. Attaining the supreme Dharma, > One is free from self and free from what belongs to self: a skeleton of bone daubed with skin and flesh, > Moistened with blood and bound with sinews. Looking closely, it is all impure; > How could one take delight in this body? Feelings all arise from conditions, > Like bubbles upon the water, impermanent and suffering in arising and ceasing, > Far removed from any thought of pleasure. The mind and consciousness arise, abide, and perish, > Renewing anew without pausing for an instant. When one contemplates cessation, > Any thought of permanence has long been broken. All formations arise from conditions, > Gathering and dispersing, never permanently together. The foolish give rise to the idea of a self; > The wise have nothing that belongs to a self. In these four domains, > Reflecting and contemplating correctly: this is the One-Vehicle path, > Where all sufferings are completely extinguished. If one can dwell in this, > With authentic, correct contemplation, whether the Buddha's body remains or perishes, > This Dharma is eternally inexhaustible." While the Buddha spoke this wondrous Dharma > To comfort Ānanda, the Licchavis heard of it, > And, filled with terror, all gathered together. Abandoning their worldly courtly manners, > They hastened to the Buddha's place; having paid homage, they sat to one side, > Wishing to ask, but unable to speak. The Buddha, already knowing their minds, > Forestalled them with skillful words: "Now observing you, > Your minds hold unusual thoughts: you have cast aside worldly concerns and duties, > With hearts only mindful of the Dharma. What you now wish from me > To hear and to know: regarding my remaining or perishing, > Take care not to give rise to grief and sorrow. The nature of impermanent, conditioned things > Consists of restless, mutable phenomena, unstable and without benefit, > Having no character of long endurance. The ancient ṛṣi-kings, > The ṛṣi Vasiṣṭha and others, the Cakravartin Māndhātṛ, > And their peers were very numerous. All such former superiors, > With power like Maheśvara, have long since perished, > Not one surviving to this day. The sun, the moon, and Śakra Devendra, > Very numerous as they are, all return to extinction; > There is none that endures permanently. The Buddhas of the past, > In number like the sands of the Ganges, whose wisdom illuminated the world, > Have all been extinguished like lamps. The Buddhas of the future > Will pass away in just the same manner; how could I alone be different? > I must enter into nirvāṇa. Since there are those there who should be delivered, > It is now fitting to proceed forward. Vaiśālī is pleasant and joyful; > You should remain at ease. The world offers no refuge, > And the three realms are not fit for delight; you should halt sorrow, grief, and pain, > And generate a mind free from desire." Having thus resolved upon long farewell, > He wandered toward the north, slowly proceeding along the long road, > Like the sun approaching the western hills. > At that time the Licchavis followed along the road, weeping and chanting, > Looking up to heaven and lamenting: "Alas, what an astonishing thing! > This form like a mountain of true gold, fully adorned with the marks, > Must before long crumble away? How uncompassionate is impermanence! > In birth and death, long parched with thirst, the Tathāgata was the mother of wisdom, > Yet now he suddenly abandons us; how can this suffering without a savior be borne? > Living beings have long been in darkness, relying on bright wisdom to proceed; > How can the sun of wisdom suddenly conceal its light? > Ignorance is a swift current, sweeping living beings away in its waves; > How can the bridge of the Dharma suddenly collapse in a single day? > The great Physician King of loving-kindness and compassion, with the supreme medicine of wisdom, > Cures the sufferings of living beings; how can he suddenly depart far away? > The wondrous heavenly banner of loving-kindness and compassion, adorned with wisdom, > Interwoven with a diamond-like heart, which the world never tires of viewing, > The lofty banner adorning the sacrificial rites—why does it suddenly fall in a single day? > How meager is the merit of living beings! Whirling in the current of birth and death, > The gate of liberation is suddenly shut, with long suffering and no time of escape!" > The Tathāgata comforted them well, severed emotional ties, and bade a long farewell. > Controlling their minds, they bore their sorrow and longing, like withered karṇikāra flowers; > Lingering and halting, sorrowful and despondent, they walked along the road, > Like people who have lost their parents and, the burial finished, return after their final parting. > — English (machine translation) (machine translation) - [Previous: 5.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5.5) - [Next: 5.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5.7) - [Up: 5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5) ## Translations (1) - [English (machine translation)](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema~en-mt.5.6) — English, machine translation --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.kavya.mahakavya.aitihasika.buddhacarita*zh-dharmaksema.5.6) · Pramāṇa