The Translation

[F.125.a]

1.1Homage to all buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.1敬禮一切佛陀和菩薩！

1.2Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was in the Realm of the Thirty-Three Gods, seated on the throne of Indra. With him were great hearers such as the venerable Aśvajit; bodhisattva mahāsattvas such as noble Maitreya, noble Avalokiteśvara, and Vajrapāṇi, who were adorned with immeasurable precious qualities; as well as various gods such as the great Brahmā, who is the lord of the Sahā world, Nārāyaṇa, the great Īśvara, Śakra, who is the chief of the gods, and Pañcaśikha, who is the king of the gandharvas.

1.2我是這樣聽說的。當時世尊在三十三天中，坐在因陀羅的寶座上。與他在一起的有偉大的聲聞弟子，例如尊者馬勝；還有菩薩摩訶薩，例如尊貴的彌勒菩薩、尊貴的觀自在菩薩和金剛手菩薩，他們以無量的殊勝品質所莊嚴；以及各種天眾，例如偉大的梵天，他是娑婆世界的主宰，那羅延天、偉大的大自在天、釋迦天主，他是天眾的首領，以及五樂音，他是乾闥婆的國王。

1.3On that occasion, the bodhisattva mahāsattva Avalokiteśvara rose from his seat and, having draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the peak of Mount Meru. His palms together, he then bowed toward the Blessed One and addressed to him these words:

1.3此時，菩薩摩訶薩觀自在菩薩從座而起，偏袒右肩，右膝跪於須彌山頂。合掌向世尊作禮，而白言：

1.4“Blessed One, these gods all really wish to build a stūpa. Now that they are present in this entourage, please teach them the Dharma in such a way so that their merit of Brahmā [F.125.b] will increase, and the merit of the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen will increase much more than that of all types of beings in the world of gods, māras, and Brahmā, including renunciants and brahmins.”

1.4「世尊，這些天神都真心希望興建塔。既然他們現在聚集在這裡，請為他們宣說法教，使得他們的梵福能夠增長，而且僧、尼、男居士和女居士的功德會比世間所有神、魔、梵天以及出家人和婆羅門等眾生的功德增長更多。」

1.5At this, the Blessed One spoke the verses of dependent arising:

1.5於此，世尊宣說了緣起的偈頌：

ye dharmā hetuprabhavā hetuṃ teṣāṃ tathāgato hy avadat

諸法從因生，如來說是因，諸法因緣滅，大沙門如是說。

teṣāṃ ca yo nirodha evaṃvādī mahāśramaṇaḥ

「以及那些現象的滅盡，如是宣說的偉大沙門。」

“All phenomena that arise from causes,

「一切由因而生起的現象，

The Tathāgata has taught their cause,

如來已經說明了它們的因。

And that which is their cessation;

以及那導致它們止息的因。

Thus has proclaimed the Great Renunciant.

大沙門如是宣說。

1.6“Avalokiteśvara, it is like this. This dependent arising is the dharmakāya of all the tathāgatas. A person who sees dependent arising sees the Tathāgata. Avalokiteśvara, if a faithful son or daughter of a noble family, who has built in an uninhabited place a stūpa‍—even one no bigger than a gooseberry fruit, with a central pillar the size of a needle and a parasol the size of a flower of the bakula tree‍—inserts into it this verse of dependent arising which is the dharmadhātu, he or she will generate the merit of Brahmā. When such persons pass on from here and die, they will be reborn in the world of Brahmā. When they pass on from there and die, they will be reborn with fortunes equaling those of the gods of the Pure Abodes.”

1.6「觀自在菩薩，情況就是這樣。這個緣起就是一切如來的法身。看到緣起的人就看到了如來。觀自在菩薩，如果一個善男子或善女人，在荒無人煙的地方造了一座塔——即使只有檀度果那麼大，中柱只有針尖那麼細，傘蓋只有婆枳羅樹花朵那麼大——把這個作為法界的緣起偈頌放入塔中，他或她就會生起梵福的功德。這樣的人從這裡去世後，會在梵天世界中重生。他們從那裡去世後，會在淨居天天神具有同樣幸運的地方重生。」

1.7After the Blessed One had thus spoken, the hearers, bodhisattvas, the whole assembly, and the universe of gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas rejoiced and praised his words.

1.7世尊這樣說完之後，聲聞弟子、菩薩、整個大眾，以及天、人、阿修羅、乾闥婆的宇宙世界都歡喜踊躍，稱讚他的言詞。

1.8This concludes the Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra on Dependent Arising.

1.8（結尾）