大寶積經 第三十一

Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra #31

T11n 310_098

恒河上優婆夷會

Gaṅgottara Upāsikā Section

(’The Laywoman Gaṅgottara’)

Also called the Gaṅgottaraparipr̥cchā (’The Questions of Gaṅgottara’)

大唐三藏法師 菩提流志 奉　詔譯

Translated from the Chinese version of Tang Dynasty Tripiṭaka Dharma Master Bodhiruci

如是我聞：

Thus have I heard:

一時佛在舍衛國祇樹給孤獨園。時舍衛城有優婆夷名恒河上，從其住處來詣佛所，頂禮佛足退坐一面。

Once, the Buddha was in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapindika’s Park. At that time there was an upāsikā named Gaṅgottara in the city of Śrāvastī who came from her dwelling to see the Buddha. She bowed with her head to the Buddha’s feet, withdrew and sat to one side.

爾時世尊問恒河上：「汝從何來？」

At that time the World-Honored One asked Gaṅgottara, “Where did you come from?”

彼優婆夷即白佛言：「世尊！若問化人汝從何來？如是問者當云何答？」

That upāsikā then replied to the Buddha saying, “World-Honored One! If one were to ask a magically produced being, ‘Where did you come from?’ How should a question such as this be answered?”

世尊告言：「夫化人者無有往來亦無生滅，云何當說有所從來？」

The World-Honored One replied saying, “A magically produced being neither comes nor goes, is neither born nor perishes; how can one speak of a place from which they come?”

又問：「諸法豈不皆如化耶？」

She further asked, "Is it not true that all things (dharmas) are like illusory magic?"

佛言：「如是如是，如汝所說。」

The Buddha replied, “So it is, so it is. It is just as you say.”

恒河上言：「若一切法皆如化者，云何問言汝從何來？」

Gaṅgottara replied, “If all things are illusory like magic, why did you ask me, ‘Where did you come from?”

世尊告曰：「是幻化人不往惡趣、不生天上、不證涅槃。恒河上！汝亦爾耶？」

The World-Honored One said, “A magically produced being does not go to the miserable planes of existence, nor are they reborn in the heavens above, and they do not realize nirvāṇa. Gaṅgottara! Is this so of you as well?"

白言：「我若見身異於幻化，乃可說言往善惡趣、證於涅槃。我不見身異於幻化，云何說言往諸惡趣乃至涅槃？

[She] replied saying, “As I see it, if my own body were different from a magically produced one, then I could speak of going to the good and miserable planes of existence, or of realizing nirvāṇa. I see no difference, though, between my body and a magically produced one, so how can I speak of going to the good or miserable planes, or of attaining nirvāṇa?”

「復次世尊！如涅槃性畢竟不復生善惡趣及般涅槃，我觀己身亦復如是。」

“Furthermore, World Honored One! As the nature of Nirvāṇa is such that it is not reborn in the good or miserable planes, nor in parinirvāṇa, I have observed that the body is also like this.”

佛言：「汝豈不趣涅槃界耶？」

The Buddha asked, “Are you not bound for the realm of nirvāṇa?"

恒河上言：「如以此問問無生者，應云何答？」

Gaṅgottara asked in return, “If this question were asked of one who had never come into being, how should it be answered?"

佛言：「無生者即涅槃也。」

The Buddha replied, “That which has never come into being is nirvāṇa.”

恒河上言：「諸法豈不皆同涅槃？」

Gaṅgottara asked in return, “Are not all dharmas identical to nirvāṇa?”

佛言：「如是如是。」

The Buddha replied, “So it is, so it is.”

「世尊！若一切法同涅槃者，云何問言汝豈不趣涅槃界耶？

“World-Honored One! If all dharmas are identical to nirvāṇa, why did you ask me about being bound for nirvāṇa?”

「復次世尊！譬如化人謂化人曰：『汝豈不趣涅槃界耶？』彼於是問當云何答？」

Furthermore, World-Honored One! Just like a magically produced person asking another magically produced person, 'Are you bound for the realm of nirvāṇa?’ How should that question be answered?”

世尊告言：「此所問者無有攀緣。」

The World-Honored One replied, “The asking of this question is baseless.”

恒河上言：「如來豈以有所攀緣而致斯問？」

Gaṅgottara replied, “Does the Thus Come One pose a question based on what is baseless?”

世尊告言：「然我所問亦無攀緣。但為此會有善男子及善女人應可成熟，故發斯問。何以故？如來於彼諸法，名字猶不可得，何有諸法及彼能趣般涅槃者？」

The World-Honored One replied, “It is not that what I asked was baseless, however, there are good men and good women in this assembly who can be brought to maturity. For this reason I asked this question. Why? The Thus Come One knows that even the names of all things are inapprehensible. How could there be actual things or even those able to enter parinirvāṇa?"

恒河上言：「若如是者，云何為菩提故積集善根？」

Gaṅgottara replied, “If so, why all the accumulation of good roots toward [the attainment of] bodhi?"

「若諸菩薩及彼善根皆不可得，積集之時即無心故，非積集時亦復如是。」

[The Buddha replied,]“If neither bodhisattvas nor good roots can be apprehended, then when there is accumulation there is ‘no mind’ and when there is not accumulation there is also ‘no mind.’

恒河上言：「所說無心，欲明何義？」

Gaṅgottara replied, “What do you mean by ‘no mind’, pray tell?”

世尊告曰：「此法非思惟之所能知，亦非思惟之所能得。何以故？此中心尚不可得，何況心所生法。以心不可得，是即說名不思議處。此不思議處，無得無證、非染非淨。何以故？如來常說一切諸法猶如虛空無罣礙故。」

The World-Honored One said, “This is not something that can be known by discriminative thought nor is it something discriminative thought can apprehend. Why? This mind from within that cannot be apprehended, how could such a mind give rise to anything? By the mind which is inapprehensible, this is what is called the base of the inconceivable. This base of the inconceivable cannot be grasped or realized; it is neither defiled nor pure. How so? As the Thus Come One always explains, each and every dharma is like empty space for being unimpeded."

恒河上言：「若一切法如虛空者，云何世尊說有諸色受想行識，及於界、處、十二因緣、有漏無漏、是染是淨、生死涅槃？」

Gaṅgottara asked, “If all things are like empty space, why does the World-Honored One speak of form, sensation, perception, conditioning, and consciousness; the realms and bases and the twelve links of dependent origination; outflows and being without outflows, defilement and purity, saṃsāra and nirvāṇa?”

佛告恒河上：「譬如說我雖有言說，而實無有我相可得。我說諸色，實亦無有色相可得，乃至涅槃亦復如是。又如陽焰無水可得，我說諸色乃至涅槃亦復如是。恒河上！於我法中修梵行者，見一切法皆無所得，乃可說名真修梵行。增上慢者說有所得，是則不名住真梵行。我說如是增上慢人，聞此深法生大驚疑，不能解脫生老病死憂悲苦惱。恒河上！若我滅後，有能宣說如是甚深斷流轉法，有愚癡輩由惡見故，於是法師生瞋害心，以是因緣墮諸地獄。」

The Buddha told Gaṅgottara, “Just as when I speak of a 'self', for example, although I express the concept by a word, actually, there is no characteristic of a 'self' that could be apprehended. I speak of form, but in reality there is no characteristic of form that could be apprehended, and so it is with the other [dharmas], up to nirvāṇa. Just as water cannot be found in mirages, form and the other dharmas I speak of up to nirvāṇa are also like this. Gaṅgottara! Those who cultivate brahmacarya in accordance with my Dharma, who see that all dharmas are inapprehensible, can be called true cultivators of brahmacarya. The arrogant say that they have apprehended something, and this is not called abiding in brahmacarya. I say, such arrogant people will be terrified and doubtful when they hear this profound Dharma, and they will be unable to liberate themselves from birth, old age, sickness, death, worry, sorrow, suffering and distress. Gaṅgottara! After my nirvāṇa without remainder, there will be some people able to spread this Dharma that can stop the rounds of saṃsāra (斷流轉法). However, some fools, because of their evil views, will hate those Dharma Masters, and will contrive to harm them. Such fools will fall to the hells for that."

恒河上言：「如佛所說斷流轉法，以何義故名為斷流轉？」

Gaṅgottara asked, “You speak of 'this Dharma that can stop the rounds of saṃsāra.' What do you mean by 'stop the rounds of saṃsāra'?"

世尊告言：「斷流轉者所謂實際不思議界，此法不可穿鑿沮壞，是故說名斷流轉法。」

The World-Honored One replied, “To stop the rounds of saṃsāra is to [penetrate] reality, the realm of the inconceivable. Such a Dharma cannot be damaged or destroyed. For this reason it is called the Dharma that can stop the rounds of saṃsāra."

爾時世尊凞怡微笑，從其面門放種種光，青黃赤白紅頗梨色，其光普照無量國界，上至梵世還從如來頂上而入。

Thereupon the World-Honored One smiled graciously and emitted from his forehead blue, yellow, red, white, and crystalline lights. The lights illuminated immeasurable lands, reaching as high as the Brahma Heaven, then returned and entered the top of the Thus Come One’s head.

爾時尊者阿難見是事已，心自念言：「如來、應、正等覺非無因緣而現微笑。」作是念已，即從座起，偏袒右肩右膝著地，合掌向佛而作是言：「以何因緣現此微笑？」

Then the venerable Ānanda saw these things and thought to himself, "The Thus Come One, Worthy One, the Supremely Enlightened One, does not smile without a reason." He rose from his seat, uncovered his right shoulder, knelt on his right knee, and joined his palms toward the Buddha, inquiring, "What are the causes and conditions for the appearance of this smile?"

佛言：「我念往昔，有千如來亦於此處說如是法。彼諸眾會各各亦有恒河上優婆夷而為上首，彼優婆夷及諸大眾聞是法已皆悉出家，於無餘涅槃而得滅度。」

The Buddha replied, "I call that, in the past, a thousand Thus Come Ones also taught this Dharma here, and each of those assemblies was also led by a Gaṅgottara upāsikā. After hearing this Dharma preached, that upāsikā and all the assembly left the household life. [In time,] they entered nirvāṇa without remainder."

阿難白佛言：「當何名此經？我等云何受持？」

Ānanda addressed the Buddha saying, “What name should be given to this sutra and how should we accept and uphold it?"

佛言：「此經名為『離垢清淨』，以是名字汝當受持。」

The Buddha said, “This sutra is known as ‘Vaimalyaviśuddha’ (’Stainless Purity’) and you should accept and uphold it by that name."

說此經時，七百比丘眾、四百比丘尼眾諸漏永盡心得解脫。

When this sutra was spoken, seven hundred bhikṣus and four hundred bhikṣuṇīs were liberated from their outflows forever and their minds were set free.

爾時欲界諸天子化作種種天諸妙花而散佛上，作如是言：「此優婆夷甚為希有，能與如來共相詶對，得無所畏。是人已曾無量佛所，親近供養種諸善根。」

At that time, all the gods of the Realm of Desire magically produced various kinds of wonderful celestial flowers and scattered them upon the Buddha, saying "This upāsikā is most rare, able to converse fearlessly with the Thus Come One on equal terms. She must have served and made offerings to countless Buddhas, and planted good roots of every kind in their presence.”

佛說是經已，恒河上優婆夷，及諸天、人、阿修羅、乾闥婆等，聞佛所說，皆大歡喜，信受奉行。

After the Buddha had finished speaking this sutra, Gaṅgottara upāsikā, and all the devas, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and so forth were jubilant over the Buddha's teaching. They accepted it with faith and began to follow it with veneration.