阿惟越致遮經譏謗品第十七
爾時，阿難白佛言：「其聞是經而不信樂、呰毀誹謗，罪何所趣？」
At that time, Ānanda said to the Buddha: "Those who hear this sutra but do not have faithful joy, disparaging and slandering it—where does their sin lead?"
佛告阿難：「汝且默然，用是問為？」
The Buddha told Ānanda: "You should remain silent. What is the use in asking this?"
阿難白佛：「願佛說之。若不信者，聞誹謗罪，或能自改。」
Ānanda said to the Buddha: "I wish the Buddha would explain it. If those who don't believe hear about the sin of slander, they might reform themselves."
佛言：「得五逆罪，又復如害三千大千世界人命，其罪云何？」
The Buddha said: "They commit the five heinous sins, and also like killing all beings in the three thousand great thousand-fold world system—how great would that sin be?"
阿難言：「甚多甚多。天中天！凶殃無量。」
Ānanda said: "Extremely great, extremely great, Lord of Devas! The calamity is immeasurable."
佛言：「誹謗法者，罪至於此。若復有人破壞、損毀恒邊沙等佛之塔寺，佛泥洹後火燒寺舍，罪寧多不？」
The Buddha said: "Those who slander the Dharma have sins reaching this extent. If someone destroys and damages pagodas and monasteries of Buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, burning monastery buildings after the Buddha's nirvana—would the sin be great?"
答曰：「甚多甚多。天中天！是輩之人不當見聞。」
He answered: "Extremely great, extremely great, Lord of Devas! Such people should not be seen or heard."
佛言：「阿難！當為其人現說此罪。若復有人毀亂滅盡過去、當來、現在佛法，其罪如何？」
The Buddha said: "Ānanda! You should explain this sin to such people. If someone destroys and completely eliminates the Buddha-dharma of past, future, and present—how great would that sin be?"
阿難言：「其罪甚深，不可稱計。」
Ānanda said: "The sin is extremely deep, incalculable."
佛言：「謗是經者，其殃如斯。」
The Buddha said: "Those who slander this sutra have calamities like this."
「若止餘人使不學者，罪當奈何。」
"If one stops others from studying it, what would the sin be?"
佛言：「假使三千大千世界眾生修行十善，又發無上正真道意。若有一人盡挑其眼，彼罪何如？」
The Buddha said: "If all beings in the three thousand great thousand-fold world system practiced the ten good deeds and aroused unsurpassed true path-mind, and someone gouged out all their eyes—how great would that sin be?"
阿難言：「其罪甚多甚多。天中天！無央數劫中常當生盲，又泥犁火燒之難竟。」
Ānanda said: "The sin is extremely great, extremely great, Lord of Devas! For countless kalpas they would constantly be born blind, and hell fires would burn them endlessly."
佛語阿難：「我故語汝慇懃囑累。假使有人誹謗、禁止一人不得為此法，罪踰於彼。」
The Buddha said to Ānanda: "I therefore speak to you with earnest entrustment. If someone slanders and forbids even one person from practicing this Dharma, their sin exceeds that."
阿難又問：「若復有人發求大道，狐疑是經亦不誹謗，罪何所趣？」
Ānanda further asked: "If someone seeks the great path but doubts this sutra without slandering it—where does their sin lead?"
佛言：「其人發意前後狐疑若干之數，常當違遠諸佛世尊；隨其疑數，又從疑數更若干劫乖闊道教。」
The Buddha said: "That person's doubts from arousing intention onward, however many in number, will constantly keep them distant from all Buddhas and World-Honored Ones; according to the number of their doubts, for that many more kalpas they will be separated from the path's teaching."
阿難白佛：「若不信喜、禁止眾人令不學之，其人受殃身大小、如受罪多少？」
Ānanda said to the Buddha: "If one doesn't believe joyfully and forbids many people from studying it—how large would that person's body be when receiving calamity, and how much sin would they bear?"
佛言：「且止，阿難！用是問為？」
The Buddha said: "Stop, Ānanda! What’s the use in asking this?"
[難白佛：「願世尊演說。此四輩中或有爾者，及當來世邊地之土諸大國人聞是經法多有疑者，當令信解不復誹謗。」
Ānanda said to the Buddha: "I wish the World-Honored One would explain. Among these four assemblies there may be such people, and in future ages in border lands, people of great countries hearing this sutra teaching will have many doubts—this should cause them to have faithful understanding and no longer slander."
佛言：「其人身當長一萬姟，周遍勤苦毒痛，不可計之。」
The Buddha said: "That person's body will be ten thousand koṭis long, suffering thorough intense poisonous pain, incalculable."
阿難問佛言：「其舌大小？」
Ānanda asked the Buddha: "How large would their tongue be?"
佛言：「其舌廣長各四萬里，駕犁耕舌五百億載，各五百億歲當吞銷銅，其火焰赫，及雨身上燒炙缹煮。所以者何？此不護舌之所致也。」
The Buddha said: "Their tongue would be forty thousand li wide and long. Plowing the tongue with ox-plows for fifty billion years, for fifty billion years they would swallow molten copper, its flames blazing, raining on their body, burning, roasting, and boiling them. Why is this so? This is caused by not protecting the tongue."
於是四輩諸來眾會衣毛皆竪，淚出而懼，顛倒躄地，同時舉聲求哀悔過：「當為是善男子、善女人請救其罪，乃當毒痛若干之惱，其身長大，苦不可言。」
Then the four assemblies in the gathering all had their hair standing on end, tears flowing in fear, falling prostrate to the ground, simultaneously crying out for compassion and repentance: "We should plead for the rescue of these good men and women from their sins—they will suffer such poisonous pain and afflictions, their bodies so large, suffering indescribable."
復有餘人其淚流面前，白佛言：「不能自察今世、後世，心起狐疑。今現佛前及違十方諸佛世尊經籍之教，陰蓋所覆不自見過。今悉自歸佛前，首罪不敢覆藏，惟佛原之。譬如愚騃無知之人，乖其理政，自覩罪咎。惟佛大哀，願見原赦。」
There were others with tears streaming down their faces who came forward and said to the Buddha: "Unable to examine ourselves in this life and the next, minds giving rise to doubts. Now before the Buddha and violating the scriptural teachings of Buddhas and World-Honored Ones in the ten directions, covered by hindrances, not seeing our faults. Now we all take refuge before the Buddha, confessing sins without daring to hide them, only hoping the Buddha will forgive us. Like ignorant, unknowing people who violate proper governance, seeing our own sins and faults. Only through the Buddha's great compassion, may we be seen and forgiven."
佛告四輩：「善哉，善哉。族姓子、族姓女疑於是法，觀己過罪，悔彼殃釁，猶日除冥。」
The Buddha told the four assemblies: "Excellent, excellent. Sons and daughters of good families who doubt this Dharma, observing their own faults and sins, repenting those calamities and transgressions—like the sun removing darkness."
爾時，阿難前白佛言：「今此眾會志懷狐疑，亦當復獲如此罪耶？」
At that time, Ānanda came forward and said to the Buddha: "Will this assembly harboring doubts also receive such sins?"
佛言：「阿難！雖懷狐疑，今復悔過，是輩之罪，猶當輕微。」
The Buddha said: "Ānanda! Though harboring doubts, now repenting their faults, these people's sins will still be light."
阿難又問：「願佛說之。」
Ānanda further asked: "I wish the Buddha would explain."
佛言：「臨壽終時，遭地獄痛。一一毛孔，當更無數，不可計患，猶是餘息。所以者何？在於佛前捨疑悔過，加及十方無數諸佛哀施恩德。是故，阿難！善男子、善女人當自察之，得身如此，遭無量痛。聞是經卷歡喜，不當狐疑。其不欲捨佛法聖眾、去來今佛聖法之教，當信是經，持諷誦讀。」
The Buddha said: "At the time of death, they will encounter hell's pain. In each pore, they will experience countless, incalculable sufferings—this is still the remainder. Why is this so? Because before the Buddha they abandoned doubt and repented their faults, and received the compassionate grace of countless Buddhas in the ten directions. Therefore, Ānanda! Good men and women should examine themselves—obtaining such bodies, encountering immeasurable pain. Hearing this sutra scroll with joy, they should not doubt. If they don't wish to abandon the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, or the holy Dharma teachings of past, future, and present Buddhas, they should have faith in this sutra, holding, reciting, and reading it."