The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus
五百比丘的授記
8.1Brother Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, having heard directly from the Bhagavān about this wisdom insight into skillful methods, about the teachings with implied meaning, and having heard the prophecies made to the great śrāvakas, and having heard of the connections with the past, and having heard of the preeminence of the Bhagavān, was astonished and amazed, without worldly concerns, and filled with delight and joy. Then with great delight and joy and great reverence for the Dharma, he rose from his seat, bowed down to the feet of the Bhagavān, [F.75.b] and thought, “Bhagavān, it is wonderful! Sugata, it is wonderful! The tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly enlightened buddhas accomplish that which is extremely difficult—they teach the Dharma to beings according to the different concerns of the world, through many wisdom insights into skillful methods, and they liberate beings attached to this and that. Bhagavān, what are we able to do? The Tathāgata is the one who knows our aspirations and our past.”
8.1富樓那彌多羅尼子比丘從薄伽梵親自聽聞了關於方便的智慧眼、隱含義的教法，聽聞了對諸大聲聞的授記，聽聞了與過去世的因緣，聽聞了薄伽梵的殊勝之處，感到驚奇和驚歎，沒有世俗的掛礙，充滿喜悅和快樂。於是他懷著極大的喜悅、快樂和對法的深深恭敬，從座位上起身，五體投地禮敬薄伽梵的雙足，心想：「薄伽梵啊，這太奇妙了！善逝啊，這太奇妙了！如來、阿羅漢、正等正覺佛成就了極其困難的事業——他們根據世間眾生的不同關切，透過眾多方便的智慧眼為眾生說法，解脫眾生對這個和那個的執著。薄伽梵啊，我們能做什麼呢？如來才是真正了知我們的願望和我們過去世的那一位。」
8.2He bowed down to the Bhagavān’s feet and then sat to one side and with his hands placed together in homage gazed unblinking upon the Bhagavān.
8.2他向薄伽梵的足前頂禮，然後坐在一旁，雙手合掌禮敬，目不轉睛地凝視著薄伽梵。
Then the Bhagavān, seeing the thoughts in the mind of Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra, said to the complete saṅgha of bhikṣus, “Bhikṣus, look upon my śrāvaka Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra. He is the best teacher among those who teach the Dharma within my saṅgha of bhikṣus, and he is praised for having many true qualities. He is dedicated to holding the Dharma in many ways within my teaching. He tirelessly teaches the Dharma, bringing joy to the four assemblies, encouraging them, and inspiring them. He is able to teach the Dharma. He is able to aid those who maintain celibacy.
薄伽梵看出富樓那彌多羅尼子心中的想法，就對完整的比丘僧伽說道：「比丘眾，你們看我的聲聞弟子富樓那彌多羅尼子。他是在我的比丘僧伽中教授法的最好導師，他因具有許多真實的功德而受到讚頌。他以多種方式致力於在我的教法中護持法。他不知疲倦地教授法，為四眾帶來喜樂，鼓勵他們，啟發他們。他能夠教授法。他能夠幫助那些修持梵行的人。」
“Bhikṣus, other than the Tathāgata, there is no one who can match Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra in meaning or in words.
「比丘眾，除了如來之外，沒有人在意義或言辭上能與富樓那彌多羅尼子相比。
8.3“Bhikṣus, what do you think? If you think that he has been a holder solely of my Dharma, bhikṣus, you should not regard him in that way. Why is that? Bhikṣus, I remember that in the past, in a time gone by, he was a holder of the Dharma of nine hundred and ninety million buddhas. Just as he is now the supreme teacher of my Dharma, [F.76.a] so he was for all of them. For all of them he was someone who had realized emptiness. For all of them he was someone who had attained discernment. For all of them he was someone who had realized the higher knowledge of a bodhisattva. He was someone who taught the Dharma with complete certainty. He was someone who taught the Dharma free of doubt. He was someone who taught the Dharma in its purity. In the teaching of those buddha bhagavāns he practiced the conduct of celibacy throughout his life, and everywhere he was known as a śrāvaka. By this method, he benefited innumerable, countless hundred thousand quintillions of beings. He ripened innumerable, countless beings for the highest, complete enlightenment. At all times he has served beings through the activity of a buddha. At all times he has been purifying his own buddha realm, and has been dedicated to ripening beings.
8.3「比丘眾，你們認為如何？如果你們認為他僅僅是我法的持有者，比丘眾，你們不應該這樣看待他。為什麼呢？比丘眾，我回想起過去的時代，他曾經是九百九十萬尊佛的法的持有者。正如他現在是我法的最高導師一樣，他對所有那些佛也是如此。對所有那些佛，他都是證悟了空性的人。對所有那些佛，他都是已經獲得了明的人。對所有那些佛，他都是證悟了菩薩無畏的人。他是以完全的確定教導法的人。他是無疑地教導法的人。他是以純淨的方式教導法的人。在那些佛薄伽梵的教法中，他終身實踐了梵行的行，到處都以聲聞的名義而聞名。通過這種方法，他使數不盡、不可計數的千兆眾生受益。他使數不盡、不可計數的眾生為無上正等正覺而成熟。他始終通過佛的活動服侍眾生。他始終在淨化自己的佛國，並一直致力於使眾生成熟。」
8.4“Bhikṣus, he has been the primary teacher of the Dharma for the seven tathāgatas, the first of whom was Vipaśyin and of whom I am the seventh.
8.4「比丘眾，他曾是七位如來的主要傳法導師，其中首位是毘婆尸佛，我是第七位。
“Bhikṣus, in the future in this fortunate eon, this Pūrṇa Maitrāyaṇīputra will be the principal teacher of the Dharma within the teachings of the thousand buddhas less four, and he will be a holder of their teaching. In the same way, in the future he will hold the entire Dharma of innumerable, countless buddha bhagavāns. He will benefit innumerable, countless beings. He will ripen innumerable, countless beings for the highest, complete enlightenment. He will be someone who is continuously dedicated. He will be dedicated to purifying his own buddha realm and ripening beings. He will in this way perfect his bodhisattva conduct [F.76.b] and after innumerable, countless eons he will attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood. He will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Dharmaprabhāsa. He will appear in this very buddha realm.
「比丘們，未來在這個賢劫中，富樓那彌多羅尼子將成為九百九十六尊佛教法中的主要導師，並將持守他們的教法。同樣地，未來他將持守無數、不可計數的佛薄伽梵的整個法門。他將利益無數、不可計數的眾生。他將使無數、不可計數的眾生成熟，趣向於無上正等正覺。他將是一個不斷精進者。他將致力於淨化自己的佛國並成熟眾生。他將以此方式圓滿他的菩薩行，經過無數、不可計數的劫後，他將證得無上正等正覺的佛道。他將作為如來、阿羅漢、正等覺、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士調御丈夫、天人師、佛、薄伽梵出現在世間，名號為法光。他將出現在這個佛國中。」
8.5“Bhikṣus, at that time this buddha realm will be like billion-world world realms as numerous as the grains of sand in the Ganges River combined into one buddha realm. The ground will be made of the seven precious materials. It will be as level as the palm of a hand. There will be no mountains. It will be filled with kūṭāgāras made of the seven precious materials. The airborne palaces of the devas will be close so that the devas can see the humans, and the humans can see the devas.
8.5「比丘眾，那時這個佛國將會像恆河沙數一樣多的十億世界合併成一個佛國。地面將由七寶組成。地面平坦如手掌。沒有山嶺。到處都是由七寶建造的樓閣。天眾的空中宮殿靠得很近，使得天眾能看到人類，人類也能看到天眾。
8.6“Bhikṣus, at that time, in this buddha realm, there will be no lower existences and there will be no women. All the beings there will be born miraculously. They will practice celibacy with their immaterial bodies. They will emit their own light. They will have miraculous powers. They will fly through the air. They will have diligence. They will have mindfulness. They will have wisdom. They will have golden bodies adorned by the thirty-two signs of a great being.
8.6「比丘眾，到那個時候，在這個佛國裡，沒有惡道，也沒有女人。所有的眾生都是化生的。他們用無形的身體修行梵行。他們自身發光。他們具有神通。他們能在空中飛行。他們具有精進。他們具有念。他們具有智慧。他們有金色的身體，裝飾著三十二相。
8.7“Bhikṣus, at that time, in this buddha realm, those beings will have two kinds of food. What will they be? They will be the food of joy in the Dharma and the food of joy in meditation. He will have innumerable, countless hundred thousand quintillions of bodhisattvas. All of them will have attained the higher knowledges, have the realization of the discernments, and be skilled in instructing beings. His śrāvakas will be beyond number and they will all have great miraculous abilities, great power, the eight liberations, and dhyāna. That buddha realm will have limitless qualities of this kind. The eon will be named Ratnāvabhāsa. The world will be named Suviśuddhā. [F.77.a] At that time, the lifespan will be innumerable, countess eons. When the bhagavān, the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha Dharmaprabhāsa has passed into nirvāṇa his Dharma will remain for a long time. That world will be filled with stūpas made of precious materials.
8.7「比丘們，那時在這個佛國中，那些眾生將有兩種食物。會是什麼呢？就是對法的歡喜食和對禪定的歡喜食。他將有無量無數百千兆的菩薩們。他們全部都已獲得神通，實現了智慧的明悟，並且善於教導眾生。他的聲聞眾眾多無數，他們都具有大的神力、大的力、八解脫和禪定。那個佛國將具有這樣無限的功德特質。那個劫將被名為寶光劫。那個世界將被名為妙淨世界。那時，壽命將是無量無數的劫。當薄伽梵、如來、阿羅漢、正遍知佛法光佛進入涅槃後，他的法將存留很久。那個世界將充滿由珍貴材料製成的塔廟。」
“Bhikṣus, in that way the buddha realm of that bhagavān will have inconceivable qualities.”
比丘眾，那位薄伽梵的佛國就是這樣具有不可思議功德。
8.8That is what the Bhagavān said. The Sugata having spoken these words, the Teacher then pronounced these verses:
8.8薄伽梵說完了這些話。善逝說完這些言詞後，導師隨即誦出了這些偈頌：
8.28Then the twelve hundred who had mastered themselves thought, “The Bhagavān has given prophecies to those great śrāvakas, and it would be marvelous and wonderful if the Tathāgata were to give a prophecy to each one of us also.”
8.28於是那一千二百位自我克制的人心想：「薄伽梵已經給了那些偉大的聲聞授記，如果如來也能給我們每一個人授記，那真是奇妙不已啊。」
8.29The Bhagavān knew the thoughts that were in the minds of those great śrāvakas and said to Brother Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, I shall next give prophecies to these twelve hundred who have mastered themselves and are in my presence.
8.29薄伽梵知道那些偉大的聲聞眾心中的想法，對摩訶迦葉說：「迦葉，我現在要對這一千二百位自我克制的人給予授記，他們都在我的面前。
8.30“Kāśyapa, the great śrāvaka bhikṣu Kauṇḍinya, after sixty-two hundred thousand quintillion buddhas, and even further beyond that, will appear in the world as the tathāgata, the arhat, the perfectly enlightened buddha, the one with perfect wisdom and conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the unsurpassable guide who tames beings, the teacher of gods and humans, the buddha, the bhagavān named Samantaprabhāsa.
8.30「迦葉，大聲聞比丘憍陳如，在六十二百千萬億諸佛之後，乃至更加遠遠超越於此，將在世界中出現，成為如來、阿羅漢、正等覺、明行足、善逝、世間解、無上士調御丈夫、天人師、佛、薄伽梵，名號為普光。
8.31“Kāśyapa, there will be five hundred tathāgatas who have that same name. Five hundred great śrāvakas will be next after Kauṇḍinya to attain the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood and all of them will have the name Samantaprabhāsa. They are Gayākāśyapa, Nadīkāśyapa, Uruvilvākāśyapa, Kāla, Kālodāyin, Aniruddha, Revata, Kapphiṇa, Bakkula, Cunda, [F.78.b] Svāgata, and the rest of the five hundred who have gained mastery over themselves.”
8.31「迦葉，將會有五百位如來具有同樣的名號。五百位大聲聞將在憍陳如之後，證得無上正等正覺的圓滿佛果，他們全部都將被命名為普光。他們是伽耶迦葉、那提迦葉、烏盧毘羅迦葉、迦羅山、迦羅提雲、阿那律、羅睺羅、迦毘羅、婆瑟波羅、周陀、善來，以及其餘五百位已經證得自我掌控的人。」
8.32Then the Bhagavān recited these verses:
8.32然後薄伽梵誦出這些偈頌：
8.45Then those five hundred arhats, on hearing the prophecy of their attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment of perfect buddhahood, felt contented, delighted, elated, and joyful. With happiness and gladness they approached the Bhagavān, bowed their heads to his feet, and said to him, “Bhagavān, we confess this offence of ours: we have been always continuously thinking, ‘This is our nirvāṇa,’ or, ‘We have attained nirvāṇa.’ Bhagavān, we lacked understanding, lacked skill, and lacked knowledge. Why is that? We thought, ‘There is the attainment of buddhahood through the wisdom of the tathāgatas, but we are satisfied with a limited wisdom.’
8.45那五百位阿羅漢聽到獲得無上正等正覺、圓滿佛果的授記後，心裡感到滿足、喜悅、歡欣和快樂。他們懷著幸福和歡樂的心情走近薄伽梵，向他的雙足頂禮，並對他說：「薄伽梵，我們承認自己的這個過失：我們一直不斷地認為『這就是我們的涅槃』，或者『我們已經證得涅槃』。薄伽梵，我們缺乏理解，缺乏善巧，也缺乏智慧。這是為什麼呢？我們以為『透過如來眾的智慧可以證得佛道，但我們卻滿足於有限的智慧』。
8.46“As an analogy, imagine if there were a man who went to a friend’s home, and became drunk or fell asleep. Then the friend sews a priceless jewel into the hem of his clothing, saying, ‘This is a precious jewel!’ The man then rises from his seat and leaves. He goes to another country and there he runs into misfortune. He undergoes great difficulties and hardship in his search for food and clothing. When he finds just a little food he is delighted and overjoyed. [F.79.b]
8.46「比方說，有一個人去朋友家，喝醉了或睡著了。朋友就把一顆無價的寶珠縫在他衣服的衣角裡，說『這是一顆珍貴的寶珠！』那個人然後從座位上起來離開了。他去了另一個國家，在那裡遭遇了不幸。他在尋求食物和衣服的過程中經歷了很大的困難和艱辛。當他找到一點食物時，他就感到高興和欣喜。」
8.47“Bhagavān, then that man’s old friend who had sewn the priceless jewel in the hem of that man’s clothing sees him, and says to him, ‘Oh, my friend! Why are you undergoing this hardship seeking for food and clothing? I sewed a precious jewel, a priceless jewel that could fulfill all your desires, into the hem of your clothes so that you could live happily. My friend, I have given you that precious jewel. My friend, I have sewn that precious jewel in the hem of your clothing. My friend, you have not looked for it at all, wondering, “When was it sewn in? Who sewed it in? Why did he sew it in?” Oh my friend, you are a fool that you have accepted to undergo such hardship in searching for food and clothing! My friend, take this precious jewel and go to the big city, and in the big city with that jewel obtain all the wealth that you want!’
8.47「薄伽梵，那位老朋友看到這個人，就對他說：『哎呀，我的朋友！你為什麼要這樣辛苦地尋求食物和衣服呢？我曾經把一顆寶珠——一顆能夠滿足你所有貪欲的無價之寶——縫在你衣服的衣邊裡，好讓你能夠幸福地生活。我的朋友，我把那顆寶珠給了你。我的朋友，我把那顆寶珠縫在了你衣服的衣邊裡。我的朋友，你根本沒有去尋找過，也沒想過「這顆寶珠是什麼時候縫進去的？是誰縫的？他為什麼要縫它？」哎呀，我的朋友，你真是太愚蠢了，竟然甘願承受這樣的辛苦去尋求食物和衣服！我的朋友，你拿著這顆寶珠去大城市吧，在那個大城市裡，用這顆寶珠去換取你想要的所有財富吧！』」
8.48“Bhagavān, it is likewise that the Tathāgata has previously taught the practice of bodhisattva conduct and the aspiration for omniscience, but we did not know it, we did not understand it.
8.48「薄伽梵，如來從前教導菩薩行和發願求一切智，我們不知道，我們不明白。」
8.49“Bhagavān, therefore our thoughts were of nirvāṇa, the level of the arhat. Bhagavān, we have lived in great hardship. Bhagavān, we have been content to seek limited wisdom. Because we have never ceased from our prayers for omniscient wisdom, Bhagavān, the Tathāgata has made us understand, saying, ‘You bhikṣus, do not think that this is nirvāṇa! Bhikṣus, there are the roots of merit in your beings that I have ripened in the past. It was through my skillful method that through my teaching and speaking of the Dharma you came to think, “This is nirvāṇa!” ’
8.49「薄伽梵，因此我們的想法一直是涅槃，是阿羅漢的境界。薄伽梵，我們一直活在極大的困苦之中。薄伽梵，我們滿足於尋求有限的智慧。因為我們從未停止對一切智的祈禱，薄伽梵，如來使我們理解，說：『比丘們，你們不要認為這就是涅槃！比丘們，你們的身心中有善根，我在過去就已經使其成熟。正是通過我的方便，通過我對法的教導和宣說，你們才會認為「這就是涅槃」！』」
“In that way the Bhagavān has made us understand, and today has given us the prophecy of our attainment of the highest, complete enlightenment.” [F.80.a]
「薄伽梵就是用這樣的方式讓我們領悟，而今天給我們授記，預言我們將來會證得無上正等正覺。」
8.50At that time, Ājñātakauṇḍinya and the five hundred who had gained mastery over themselves recited these verses:
8.50爾時，阿若憍陳如及五百得自在者，誦此偈頌：
8.62This concludes “The Prophecy to the Five Hundred Bhikṣus,” the eighth chapter of the Dharma teaching of “The White Lotus of the Good Dharma.”
8.62（結尾）