Praising the Merits of Engendering the Mind of Awakening and Pursuing the Sacred Dharma
讚頌菩提心功德及追求聖法
3.1Present in the gathering was a certain Dṛḍhamatikumārabhūta, who now rose from his seat, draped his shawl over one shoulder, and knelt on his right knee. Joining his palms, he bowed toward the Blessed One and said, “Blessed One, with this gateway of the Dharma I have discovered something very precious. Blessed One, I shall henceforth practice this gateway of the Dharma in order to accomplish the Dharma. How so? From today on, Blessed One, I shall don a suitable armor to pursue and accomplish these Dharma teachings. In the future, in times to come, I shall never let my diligence wane until I have listened to the Dharma treasure of the Thus-Gone One’s domain.”
3.1集會中有一位堅慧童子，他從座位上起身，將披巾搭在一肩，跪在右膝上。合掌向世尊禮拜，說道：「世尊，透過這個法門，我已經發現了非常珍貴的東西。世尊，我從今以後將修習這個法門來成就法教。為什麼呢？世尊，從今天開始，我將穿上適當的盔甲來追求並成就這些法教。在未來，在時光流轉中，我將永不懈怠，直到我聽聞完如來之域的法寶為止。」
3.2“Dṛḍhamati,” replied the Thus-Gone One, “this is excellent. It is excellent that throughout innumerable millions of eons you will continue to exert yourself in the pursuit of the practice of my great wisdom. Well done, Dṛḍhamati. Now, Dṛḍhamati, imagine that all at once, in one moment, in one instant, all beings in this trichiliocosm without exception—whether they are those with form, or those who are formless, and whether they are those with perception, or those without perception, [F.43.a] or those with neither perception nor non-perception—were to attain a human body. Then imagine that a man appears who provides all those beings with enjoyable things. He is able to lift them up and hold them by his hand for an eon or more, faithfully providing them with whatever forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures they might wish for. Meanwhile, he uses his other hand to collect all the feces and urine of all those beings, depositing it all in a different universe. And why does he do that? Because he does not want any of them to experience any unpleasant odor. Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? Does that man render proper service to all those beings, providing them with desirable things?”
3.2「堅慧，」如來說道，「這很好。你在無數百萬劫中繼續努力追求我的大智慧之修行，這是很好的。做得好啊堅慧。現在堅慧，你想像一下，在同一時刻，在一個剎那間，這個三千大千世界中所有的眾生無一例外，無論他們是有色的眾生，還是無色的眾生，也無論他們是有想的眾生，還是無想的眾生，或者是既非有想也非無想的眾生，都同時獲得了人身。那麼想像有一個人出現了，他給所有這些眾生提供令人愉悅的事物。他能夠舉起他們，用他的手握著他們一劫或更久，忠誠地為他們提供所有他們可能希望的色、聲、香、味、觸。與此同時，他用另一隻手收集所有這些眾生的所有糞便和尿液，將其沉積在另一個世界裡。他為什麼要這樣做呢？因為他不希望他們中任何人經歷任何令人不快的氣味。堅慧，你認為呢？那個人是否對所有那些眾生提供了恰當的服侍，為他們提供了令人滿意的事物？」
3.3“Indeed, Blessed One,” replied Dṛḍhamati, “he serves them with an extremely vast amount of enjoyable things.”
3.3「確實如此，世尊，」堅慧童子回答道，「他以極其廣大的令人愉悅之物來服侍他們。」
3.4“Dṛḍhamati,” continued the Blessed One, “that man serves each of those beings, providing them with pleasant things.
3.4「堅慧，」世尊繼續說，「那個人侍奉這些眾生中的每一位，為他們提供令人愉悅的東西。」
3.5“Now think of a noble son or daughter who, regardless of whether the Thus-Gone One is present or has passed beyond suffering, develops the mind of unexcelled and perfect awakening for the sake of all beings. This person wishes to hear the teachings of the Bodhisattva Collection. He or she is intent on accomplishing the wisdom of the buddhas, the great wisdom, thus eliminating desire, anger, and delusion. So that all beings may go beyond birth, aging, sickness, death, lamentation, suffering, mental pain, [F.43.b] and disturbance, this person pledges to teach the Dharma to sentient beings. When thus involved in the process of maturing a bodhisattva’s roots of virtue, that person may search for the Dharma and find just one single verse. Dṛḍhamati, as that person provides delightful service to sentient beings, he or she creates merit that is much larger than the former person’s merit. The former merit would not even match one hundredth, or one thousandth of that. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice. [B4]
3.5「現在想像一位善男子或善女人，無論如來是否示現在世或已入涅槃，都為了利益一切眾生而發起無上正等覺的心意。這個人希望聽聞菩薩藏的教法。他或她致力於成就諸佛的智慧、大智慧，因此消除貪、瞋、癡。為了讓一切眾生超越生、老、病、死、憂、苦、苦痛和擾亂，這個人發誓要為眾生宣說法。當這個人就這樣致力於成熟菩薩善根的過程中，他或她可能會尋求法教，而僅僅找到一個偈頌。堅慧啊，當這個人為眾生提供喜悅的服侍時，他或她所創造的功德比前面那個人的功德要大得多。前面的功德甚至達不到百分之一，或千分之一。實際上，沒有任何數字、分數、計算、比喻或比較足以說明。」
3.6“Dṛḍhamati, the Thus-Gone One is clearly aware of the different ways in which bodhisattva great beings provide delightful service to sentient beings. But who can trust this, Dṛḍhamati, apart from my hearers who have seen the truths, or the bodhisattva great beings with their superior intent?
3.6「堅慧，如來清楚地了知菩薩大士以各種不同的方式為眾生提供喜樂服務。但堅慧，除了已見真諦的我的聲聞弟子，或具有殊勝意樂的菩薩大士，誰能相信這一點呢？」
3.7“Dṛḍhamati, bodhisattva great beings feel, ‘We shall be the support of those who have no support, the savior of those who have no savior, the refuge of those who have no refuge, the protector of those who have no protector. We shall accomplish the wisdom of the buddhas, the great wisdom, and lead sentient beings beyond all limits and numbers to the undefiled qualities.’ Such is the armor that they wear.
3.7「堅慧，菩薩大士如是思維：『我等當作無依眾生之依，無救眾生之救，無皈依眾生之皈依，無保護眾生之保護。我等當成就諸佛智慧，大智慧，令眾生超越一切邊際與數量，得無漏功德。』此乃彼等所著之鎧甲。」
3.8“It may then be that in the morning they must provide sentient beings with a heap of jewels as large as Mount Meru, and it may be that they have to do the same at noon, [F.44.a] and in the afternoon, or throughout the day and night. However, beings may still not be satisfied and the gifts may thus become a circumstance for their depravation. In that case bodhisattvas will think, ‘We shall pursue the Dharma whereby sentient beings will consider the entire trichiliocosm filled with precious substances to be like a glob of spit.’ Needless then to mention what their perception of vile substances will be like.
3.8「因此，菩薩可能在早晨要為眾生提供大如須彌山的寶堆，中午也要如此提供，下午亦然，或整日整夜持續提供。然而眾生仍然可能不滿足，這些布施反而成為他們墮落的因緣。在這種情況下，菩薩會想到：『我們應當追求這樣的法，使得眾生將充滿三千大千世界的所有珍寶視為如同唾沫一般。』那麼，就更不用說他們對於污穢物質的看法將會如何了。」
3.9“Wise bodhisattva great beings will think, ‘This heap of jewels is the root of desire, anger, and delusion; the root of the sufferings of hell, animals, and hungry spirits; and the root of numerous karmic manifestations.’ Starting out in this way, they attain the mind of transcendence of suffering and have no concern for any heap of jewels. In fact, wise beings do not consider heaps of jewels to be just that. Instead, they see them as heaps of beings in hell, because they understand that anyone who develops attachment to such things will fall into misery.
3.9「智慧的菩薩大士會這樣想：『這堆寶物是貪、瞋、癡的根源，是地獄、畜生、餓鬼苦難的根源，也是眾多業相的根源。』從這樣的認識開始，他們證得了超越苦的心念，對任何寶堆都不再執著。實際上，智慧的有情不會只把寶堆看作寶堆，反而把它們視為地獄眾生的堆積，因為他們明白任何人一旦對這些東西生起執著，就會陷入苦難之中。」
3.10“Now, Dṛḍhamati, let us no longer consider just all the beings within a single trichiliocosm. Imagine instead the following. Think of all the universes that extend toward the east, as abundant as the grains of sand in the river Ganges. And then think of all the universes that in the same way extend in each of the ten directions. Within all these universes are beings with bodies, beings without bodies, beings who are involved in perception, beings who are not involved in perception, and beings neither involved [F.44.b] nor not involved in perception. Think of all that we in this way call ‘the realms of sentient beings.’ Then imagine that, all at once, each one gains a human body. Imagine also that a man appears who always immediately provides them with whatever they might wish for in terms of enjoyable forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures. For an eon or more, that man takes care of all these beings, carrying them on his shoulders and head. Whatever they wish him to do, he does. And, with one hand he sweeps away all these beings’ excrement and urine, disposing of it all in a different universe. Well, Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? Does that man render proper service to those beings, providing them with numerous desirable things?”
3.10「現在，堅慧，我們不再只是考慮單一三千大千世界中的所有眾生。請想像以下情景：想像所有朝向東方延伸的世界，其數量如恆河中的沙粒般眾多。然後想像所有世界同樣以此方式延伸到十方各個方向。在這所有世界中，有有身的眾生，有無身的眾生，有涉及想的眾生，有不涉及想的眾生，還有既不涉及也不不涉及想的眾生。想像我們以這種方式所稱的『眾生界域』中的一切。接著想像，一下子間，其中每一個眾生都獲得了人身。再想像出現了一個人，他總是立刻提供他們所希望得到的任何享樂之物，包括色、聲、香、味、觸。整整一劫或更長的時間，這個人照顧所有這些眾生，用肩膀和頭頂承載著他們。無論他們希望他做什麼，他就做什麼。而且，他用一隻手掃去所有這些眾生的排泄物和尿液，把它們全都處理到另一個世界去。堅慧，你認為呢？那個人是否為這些眾生提供了適當的服侍，給予他們許多令人嚮往的東西？」
“Indeed, Blessed One, he serves them with a vast amount of enjoyable things.” replied Dṛḍhamati.
「世尊，這位善男子確實用非常豐富的樂受之物來侍奉他們。」堅慧回答說。
3.11“Dṛḍhamati,” continued the Blessed One, “pay attention and understand what I say. That man serves all those beings, providing them with pleasant things. But think now of a noble son or daughter who wishes to provide all beings with refuge, and so sets his or her mind on unexcelled and perfect awakening. This person wishes to listen to the teachings of the Bodhisattva Collection, the teachings whereby bodhisattvas’ roots of virtue ripen into unexcelled and perfect awakening, and may therefore diligently pursue the Dharma of the bodhisattvas. If, Dṛḍhamati, that person takes even just a single step toward the pursuit and diligent practice of the bodhisattva Dharma, then the ensuing roots of virtue [F.45.a] will not wear out or come to an end before the attainment of unexcelled and perfect awakening. And why? Dṛḍhamati, the former person’s way of providing delightful service cannot match even one hundredth, or a thousandth, one hundred thousandth, or a millionth part of what is rendered by the latter. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice. And why? Because, Dṛḍhamati, all of the former type of service is based on substance, and hence is limited and imperfect.
3.11「堅慧，你要諦聽，理解我所說的話。那個人為眾生提供服侍，給予他們快樂的事物。但你現在想想，有一位善男子或善女人，他或她希望為一切眾生提供皈依，因此將心安住在無上正等覺上。這個人希望聽聞菩薩藏的教法，這些教法是菩薩們的善根成熟為無上正等覺的教法，因此可以精進地修行菩薩的法。堅慧啊，如果那個人即使只是邁出一步來追求和精進修習菩薩法，那麼隨之而生的善根將不會衰退或終止，直到證得無上正等覺。為什麼呢？堅慧啊，前面那個人提供令人愉悅服侍的方式，甚至連後者所做的百分之一、千分之一、十萬分之一或百萬分之一都比不上。事實上，沒有任何數字、分數、計算、比喻或類比足以說明。為什麼呢？因為堅慧啊，前一種服侍完全是基於物質的，因此是有限和不完美的。」
3.12“Dṛḍhamati, diligent pursuit of the Dharma causes an increase in discipline, absorption, and insight. It ripens the qualities of buddhahood. It ripens inconceivable skillful means and purifies buddha realms. Hence, the Thus-Gone One has taught that unexcelled and perfect awakening depends on abundant learning.
3.12「堅慧，精進修學法教，能夠增長戒、定、慧。它能使佛果的功德成熟，使不可思議的方便成熟，並使佛剎得到清淨。因此，如來教導說，無上正等覺依靠廣泛的學習而得以成就。
3.13“Dṛḍhamati, imagine that this trichiliocosm is full of thus-gone ones—as full as a grove of reeds, a paddy field, a sesame field, or a bamboo grove. Imagine then that someone spends his or her entire life paying respect to, honoring, venerating, and worshiping all those thus-gone ones, worthy ones, perfect buddhas, offering them garments, foods, bedding, mattresses, medicines, and other material things. Moreover, if any one of those thus-gone ones passes completely beyond suffering that person will construct a memorial for them [F.45.b] that measures a league in circumference, is made of the seven precious substances, is sheltered below parasols, is adorned with altars, shines for an eon with the blazing light of oil lamps, and is adorned with beautiful offerings. Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? Will such a noble son or daughter engender abundant merit?”
3.13「堅慧，試想這三千大千世界充滿了如來—如同蘆葦林、稻田、芝麻田或竹林一樣密集。再想像有人用整個人生來禮敬、尊敬、供養這些如來、應供、正等覺佛，向他們獻上衣服、食物、臥具、墊子、藥物和其他物質之物。而且，如果這些如來中的任何一位完全入滅，那個人就會為他們建造一座紀念塔，周長一由旬，由七寶所成，下有傘蓋庇護，上有祭壇莊嚴，閃耀著油燈的光芒照亮一個劫，並用美好的供養來裝飾。堅慧，你認為如何？這樣的善男子或善女人會產生豐富的功德嗎？」
“Blessed One, that person will produce merit beyond number and measure,” replied Dṛḍhamati.
「世尊，那個人會產生無量無邊的功德，」堅慧回答道。
3.14“Dṛḍhamati,” said the Blessed One, “try to imagine and understand this. That person indeed accumulates such merit. However, a noble son or daughter may develop the mind set on unexcelled and perfect awakening, and so diligently seek to listen to, teach, read, and master the sūtra teachings of the Bodhisattva Collection, the teachings that ripen the factors of awakening. In this regard, Dṛḍhamati, the heaps of merit that are acquired by the former person cannot match even one hundredth, or a thousandth, a hundred thousandth, or a billionth part of the mass of merit that is achieved by this latter person. In fact, no number, fraction, enumeration, analogy, or comparison would suffice.
3.14「堅慧，」世尊說，「你試著想像並理解這一點。那個人確實積累了這樣的功德。然而，善男子或善女人可能發起了心，志向於無上正等覺，並且勤奮地尋求聽聞、教導、讀誦和掌握菩薩藏的經教，那些成熟覺支的教法。關於這一點，堅慧，前面那個人所獲得的功德堆積，甚至無法比及後面這個人所成就的功德之量的百分之一、千分之一、十萬分之一，或十億分之一。實際上，沒有任何數字、分數、計算、比喻或比較足以說明。」
3.15“Therefore, Dṛḍhamati, if you intend to don your armor for the sake of listening to, recollecting, reading, and mastering such sūtras in the future, during the final five hundred years, then, Dṛḍhamati, I shall not state any measure regarding the amount of merit that you will obtain. I shall mention neither limits nor an end to it.
3.15「因此，堅慧，如果你打算為了在未來、在末法五百年期間聆聽、憶念、讀誦和掌握這樣的經而披上盔甲，那麼堅慧，我將不會說明你所獲得的功德的數量。我既不會提及它的限量，也不會提及它的終點。」
3.16“Dṛḍhamati, if you wish to hear an analogy for the amount of merit that is obtained by developing the awakened mind, or if you wish to gain just a sense of what it is like, then let me ask you whether you have heard of the thus-gone ones’ supernatural powers, and if you are capable of believing in them.”
3.16「堅慧，如果你想聽聞關於發菩提心所獲功德量的比喻，或者你想對它有所了解，那麼我問你，你是否聽聞過如來的神通，以及你是否能夠相信它們？」
“Blessed One,” replied Dṛḍhamati, [F.46.a] “I can accept the powers of the Blessed One.”
「世尊，」堅慧回答：「我能接受世尊的神通力。」
3.17“Dṛḍhamati,” asked the Blessed One, “what do you think? Is the trichiliocosm large?”
3.17「堅慧，你認為怎樣？三千大千世界是很大嗎？」世尊問道。
“Blessed One, yes it is,” replied Dṛḍhamati.
「世尊，是的，」堅慧回答說。
3.18“Dṛḍhamati,” asked the Blessed One, “what do you think? What if the trichiliocosm were full of sesame seeds, and each of those sesame seeds itself became a container the size of a trichiliocosm, all filled up with sand? Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? Would all that amount to a large pile of sand?”
3.18「堅慧，你認為怎樣？假如三千大千世界裡充滿了芝麻，每一粒芝麻本身都變成一個三千大千世界那麼大的容器，全都裝滿了沙子？堅慧，你認為怎樣？這樣堆積的沙子會是一個很大的沙堆嗎？」
“Yes, Blessed One,” replied Dṛḍhamati, “it would.”
「是的，世尊，」堅慧回答道，「確實如此。」
3.19“Dṛḍhamati,” continued the Blessed One, “what then if a man appeared who would grab handfuls of this sand and toss it in the four directions, and if, whenever he did so, a wind would catch each individual grain of sand and carry it into its own distinct universe? Dṛḍhamati, what do you think? How many worlds would there be in the east, and how many would there be in the other directions?”
3.19「堅慧，」世尊繼續說道，「那麼如果有一個人出現，他會一把把地抓起這些沙粒，向四個方向拋去，而且每當他這樣做時，一股風就會吹動每一粒沙子，把它帶到自己獨特的世界中去？堅慧，你認為呢？在東方會有多少個世界，在其他方向又會有多少個世界呢？」
3.20“Blessed One, this would be beyond measure,” replied Dṛḍhamati. “Well-Gone One, it would be beyond measure.”
3.20堅慧回答說：「世尊，這是無法衡量的。善逝，這是無法衡量的。」
3.21“Dṛḍhamati, try to imagine. Dṛḍhamati, try to understand,” continued the Blessed One. “Dṛḍhamati, in the case of the thus-gone ones, the worthy ones, the perfect buddhas, their conduct, path, transcendent discipline, transcendent miraculous abilities, and transcendent insight are all beyond measure. Dṛḍhamati, if he so wishes, a thus-gone one [F.46.b] may traverse all those universes in a single step, and yet neither will his conduct be rushed, nor will he have displayed the full extent of his transcendent, supernatural powers. Within the time of a finger-snap and with just one single step a thus-gone one can walk across all those universes—one universe for each grain of sand. He can do so in the east, as well as in all the rest of the ten directions, and he can do so for a day, a fortnight, a month, a year, a hundred years, a thousand years, or a hundred thousand years. He can walk throughout each direction for a hundred billion years. Well, Dṛḍhamati, would you say that the worlds that can thus be crossed by a thus-gone one are many?”
3.21「堅慧，你要試著想像。堅慧，你要試著理解，」世尊繼續說道。「堅慧，就如來、應供、正等覺而言，他們的行為、道路、超越之戒、超越之神力和超越之慧都是無法衡量的。堅慧，如果如來願意，他可以在一步之內遍歷所有那些世界，但他的行為既不會倉促，也不會展現出他超越之神通的全部範圍。在彈指之間，用僅僅一步，如來就能走遍所有那些世界——每一粒沙子對應一個世界。他可以在東方這樣做，也可以在其他所有十方這樣做，並且他可以這樣進行一天、兩週、一個月、一年、一百年、一千年或十萬年。他可以在每個方向走上一百億年。那麼，堅慧，你說如來這樣能夠跨越的世界是很多的嗎？」
“Yes, Blessed One, they are many,” replied Dṛḍhamati.
「是的，世尊，它們確實很多，」堅慧回答道。
3.22“Dṛḍhamati,” continued the Blessed One, “if such merit had form it could not even be contained within all those universes. It would be even larger. Dṛḍhamati, the thus-gone ones, the worthy ones, the perfect buddhas know all these heaps of merit completely. Such merits are beyond measure, innumerable, limitless, ineffable, and beyond count, and yet the thus-gone one knows them completely. Dṛḍhamati, I am not aware of any number of syllables, or any number of letters, or any number of digits that can convey the knowledge of such heaps of merit. In the end there would be nothing but innumerable numbers, numbers beyond measure.”
3.22「堅慧，」世尊繼續說，「如果這樣的功德有形色，它甚至無法被容納在所有那些世界之中。它會更加廣大。堅慧，如來、應供、正等覺佛完全了知所有這些功德的堆積。這樣的功德是無法衡量的、無數的、無限的、不可言說的，超越計算的，但是如來完全了知它們。堅慧，我不知道有任何數量的音節、或任何數量的文字、或任何數量的數字能夠表達這樣的功德堆積的知識。最終只會是無數的數字，超越衡量的數字。」
3.23This concludes the third chapter. [F.47.a]
3.23（結尾）