聲聞眾品第三
Chapter Three: Śrāvakas
「復次舍利弗！彼不動如來於說法時，能善調伏無量眾生，皆令現證阿羅漢果，安住靜慮八解脫者其數甚多。舍利弗！彼不動如來、應、正等覺有無量無數諸聲聞眾，我不見若算師算師弟子有能算數彼聲聞眾爾許，頻婆羅、殑伽羅、波頭摩、阿羅吒、若干阿頻婆、阿部多，舍利弗！如此算數無有能知彼聲聞眾定其數量若干名者。舍利弗！如我此剎諸善男子獲預流果、斯陀含果、阿那含果則無其數，於彼剎中證阿羅漢亦復如是。舍利弗！譬如懈怠預流果入七返受生，為其說法方獲勝果，我說名為七返生人。舍利弗！若有於不動如來初說法時獲預流果，第二說法證斯陀含，第三說法證阿那含，第四說法證阿羅漢者，此諸人等非一坐定得盡諸漏，名懶惰人。舍利弗！彼佛剎中得預流者，於此現身而得漏盡，非如此界經七返生。斯陀含者即於現生能盡苦際，匪如此界經一往來名斯陀含。阿那含者彼於現身成阿羅漢，非如此界往上地生不還來此名阿那含。舍利弗！不動如來於彼剎中說諸聲聞行位差別，乃至安立如是聖果。若善男子善女人能了此法，不住諸識及於學地，而身歿亡住無學地方取滅度。舍利弗！無學地者是阿羅漢地假名建立，言無學者是阿羅漢假名建立。舍利弗！彼不動如來諸聲聞眾，清淨具足安住堅固。舍利子！此是不動如來諸聲聞眾假名建立，所謂大阿羅漢，諸漏已盡所作已辦，棄捨重擔逮得己利，盡諸有結正教解脫。是諸羅漢多住靜慮八解脫中。舍利弗！彼不動如來有如是等諸聲聞眾，具足功德之所莊嚴。
"Furthermore, Śāriputra! When Tathāgata Akṣobhya teaches the Dharma, he skillfully tames countless beings, enabling them all to realize the fruit of arhatship in this life, and there are many who abide in meditation and the eight liberations. Śāriputra! That Tathāgata Akṣobhya, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One has an immeasurable, countless assembly of śrāvakas - I do not see any mathematician or mathematician's disciple who could calculate their number using measures like vimbara, gaṅgara, padma, araṭa, or however many avimba or abuta. Śāriputra! No such calculations can determine the exact number of that śrāvaka assembly.
Śāriputra! Just as in my buddha-field there are countless good men who attain the fruits of stream-entry, once-returning, and non-returning, so too in that field are those who attain arhatship. Śāriputra! Just as a lazy stream-enterer takes seven rebirths before attaining the supreme fruit through hearing the Dharma - these I call seven-times-born people. Śāriputra! If there are those who attain stream-entry at Tathāgata Akṣobhya's first teaching, once-returning at the second, non-returning at the third, and arhatship at the fourth - these people who do not exhaust all defilements in one sitting are called lazy ones.
Śāriputra! In that buddha-field, stream-enterers exhaust their defilements in this very life, not like in this realm where they take seven rebirths. Once-returners reach the end of suffering in this very life, not like in this realm where they return once more. Non-returners become arhats in this very life, not like in this realm where they are reborn in higher realms and do not return here. Śāriputra! Tathāgata Akṣobhya explains these distinctions in the śrāvaka path in that field, establishing such noble fruits. When good men and women understand this teaching, not dwelling in consciousness or the stage of learning, they pass away and dwell in the stage of no-more-learning before attaining final nirvāṇa.
Śāriputra! The stage of no-more-learning is conventionally established as the arhat stage, and the term 'no-more-learning' is conventionally established as 'arhat.' Śāriputra! The śrāvaka assembly of Tathāgata Akṣobhya is pure, complete, and firmly established. Śāriputra! This is the conventional designation of Tathāgata Akṣobhya's śrāvaka assembly - namely, the great arhats who have exhausted all defilements, completed what needed to be done, laid down their heavy burdens, attained their own benefit, ended all bonds of existence, and are liberated through right understanding. These arhats mostly dwell in meditation and the eight liberations. Śāriputra! Such is Tathāgata Akṣobhya's śrāvaka assembly, adorned with complete merits.
「復次舍利弗！彼佛剎中以金、銀、琉璃三寶為階，從閻浮提至忉利天。舍利弗，三十三天若欲樂見不動如來禮拜供養，彼諸天眾從寶階下至於佛所。時彼諸天見閻浮提人富盛具足，便生愛樂，作如是言：『我等諸天有天福報，彼閻浮提人有人福報。我今所見殊勝之福與我無異，然閻浮提復有勝福過於天者，謂不動如來演說正法。』是故天眾常樂人間。舍利弗！閻浮提人若昇天者了無愛樂。何以故？不動如來在於人間，常演正法饒益我等，然我之福報不異諸天。是故三十三天所不能及。舍利弗！彼界人天以佛神力互得相見，譬如此界閻浮提人見諸星月，舍利弗！彼諸人眾仰觀上界諸天宮殿亦復如是。舍利弗！此亦是不動如來本修菩薩行時願力成就。舍利弗！彼佛說法之聲普遍三千大千世界，聽法四眾間無空缺。舍利弗！彼聲聞眾唯希法食，無餘食想。於聽法時一心寂靜，若坐若立身心無倦。舍利弗！不動如來住虛空中為眾說法，彼聲聞眾若得神通及不得者，以佛威力皆住虛空，以三威儀而聽法要。何等為三？謂行、住、坐。是聲聞輩若欲涅槃，結加趺坐而便滅度，爾時大地為之震動。既滅度已，一切天人皆來供養。或有阿羅漢將欲滅度，身中出火而自闍維；或有自然化滅無遺舍利；或有於滅度時遊行空中如五色雲，須臾消散滅無遺迹；或住虛空如降時雨至地消盡。舍利弗！此亦不動如來、應、正等覺本修菩薩行時作如是願：『若我得證無上菩提，諸聲聞眾以三威儀而取滅度。』
"Furthermore, Śāriputra! In that buddha-field there are stairs made of three precious substances - gold, silver, and lapis lazuli - reaching from Jambudvīpa to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Śāriputra, when the devas of the Thirty-Three wish to see Tathāgata Akṣobhya and make offerings, they descend these jeweled stairs to where the Buddha is. When these devas see the people of Jambudvīpa in their complete prosperity, they become delighted and say: 'We devas have heavenly rewards, and the people of Jambudvīpa have human rewards. The excellent rewards we see now are no different from ours, yet Jambudvīpa has superior rewards surpassing the heavens, namely that Tathāgata Akṣobhya teaches the true Dharma.' Therefore, the devas always delight in the human realm.
Śāriputra! When people of Jambudvīpa ascend to heaven, they feel no delight. Why? Because Tathāgata Akṣobhya is in the human realm, constantly teaching the Dharma for our benefit, yet our rewards are no different from the devas. Therefore, even the Heaven of the Thirty-Three cannot compare. Śāriputra! Through the Buddha's spiritual power, the humans and devas of that realm can see each other, just as people of Jambudvīpa in this realm see the stars and moon. Śāriputra! Those people can likewise look up and see the celestial palaces in the higher realms. Śāriputra! This too is the fulfillment of Tathāgata Akṣobhya's vows made while practicing the bodhisattva path.
Śāriputra! The sound of that Buddha's teaching pervades the three thousand great thousand world-system, with no gaps among the four assemblies listening to the Dharma. Śāriputra! That śrāvaka assembly desires only the food of Dharma, with no thought of other food. When listening to the Dharma, they are single-minded and peaceful, neither sitting nor standing do their bodies or minds grow weary. Śāriputra! When Tathāgata Akṣobhya dwells in space teaching the Dharma, through the Buddha's power all the śrāvakas, whether they have attained supernatural powers or not, also dwell in space, listening to the essential teachings in three dignified postures. What are the three? Walking, standing, and sitting.
When these śrāvakas wish to enter nirvāṇa, they sit in the lotus posture and pass away, at which time the earth shakes. After their passing, all devas and humans come to make offerings. Some arhats about to pass away emit fire from their bodies and cremate themselves; some naturally dissolve leaving no relics; some at the time of passing travel through space like five-colored clouds, disappearing without a trace in an instant; some remain in space like falling rain until they reach the ground and dissolve. Śāriputra! This too was from a vow made by Tathāgata Akṣobhya, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One while practicing the bodhisattva path: 'When I attain supreme bodhi, may my śrāvaka assembly attain final nirvāṇa in these three dignified postures.'
「復次舍利弗！彼佛國中諸聲聞眾多獲四無所畏，得四神足者復多於此。舍利弗！彼剎土中諸聲聞眾，成就如是具足功德。」
"Furthermore, Śāriputra! In that buddha land many in the śrāvaka assembly have attained the four fearlessnesses, and even more have attained the four supernatural powers. Śāriputra! The śrāvaka assembly in that buddha-field has accomplished such complete merits."
時舍利弗白佛言：「世尊！彼不動如來、應、正等覺諸聲聞眾，功德熾盛廣大成就。」
Then Śāriputra said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One! The śrāvaka assembly of Tathāgata Akṣobhya, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One has accomplished vast and abundant merits."