大阿羅漢難提蜜多羅所說法住記

Thus have I heard. About eight hundred years after the Buddha's Parinirvāṇa, in the capital of King Jayasena in the country of Siṃhala, there lived an Arhat named Nandimitra (called Khánh Hữu in Chinese). He was fully endowed with the three knowledges, the eight liberations, and the six supernatural powers, and his vows and conduct were gentle and harmonious.

At the same time, his merit, meditative absorption, and wisdom were all fully perfected; moreover, he possessed great majestic spiritual power, and his renown resounded far and wide. By the power of his vows, conduct, and wisdom, he knew the workings of the minds of all sentient beings in this land. He further accorded with sentient beings and performed all manner of beneficial deeds; and once the conditions for his teaching and transforming were complete, he would enter Nirvāṇa.

He assembled the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs and spoke of the wondrous merits that he himself had realized, of the beneficial and joyful deeds he had done for sentient beings, as well as of the surpassing endeavors he had accomplished. He then said to the great assembly at that time: "From now on I shall do nothing further; there is only the Nirvāṇa Without Remainder to which I shall return. You, virtuous ones, should know that if there is anything you doubt, then ask." Thereupon, when the great assembly heard these words, they raised their voices and wept and wailed, unable to restrain themselves, and one and all rolled upon the ground.

Someone said: "The Buddha entered Nirvāṇa long ago, and His noble disciples have likewise passed into quiescence accordingly. For a long while the world has been without a Buddha; now there is only the Venerable One, who is the eye of gods and humans. How could you wish to forsake us?

We beg you to bend your heart in compassion for us and tarry a while longer." The Venerable Khánh Hữu consoled the great assembly, saying: "Weep and wail no more! You virtuous ones should know that whatever is a dharma in the world—if it has arising, it must have cessation. The Buddhas, the Tathāgatas, having subdued the four Māras and being sovereign over their life-spans, still, in accordance with the world, manifest entering Nirvāṇa.

How much more so myself now—how could I possibly live forever? To comply with the entreaty of you virtuous ones would also be of no benefit. You virtuous ones should embody this intention and give rise to grief and sorrow no longer!

If only there is anything you doubt, then quickly ask." Although the bhikṣus complied with what he taught, they still sighed and lamented and wept for a long while before asking: "We do not know how long the True Dharma of the Buddha Śākyamuni will abide." Thereupon the Venerable One replied: "Listen carefully, sirs! Of old the Tathāgata expounded the Sūtra on the Abiding of the Dharma. Now I shall, for your sakes, speak of it in brief:

"When the Buddha was about to enter Nirvāṇa, He entrusted the supreme teaching to the sixteen Great Arhats and their retinues, causing them to receive and uphold it, so that the teaching should not perish. He instructed His kinsfolk and the donors that they should sow and cultivate the field of merit, so that they might obtain great meritorious recompense." At that time, when the great assembly had heard this, their grief and sorrow were somewhat assuaged. The great assembly further said: "As for the sixteen Arhats of whom you speak, we do not know what the names of those venerable ones are."

The Venerable Khánh Hữu replied:

1. The Venerable Piṇḍola-Bhāradvāja

2. The Venerable Kanakavatsa

3. The Venerable Kanaka-Bharadvāja.

4. The Venerable Subinda

5. The Venerable Nakula

6. The Venerable Bhadra.

7. The Venerable Kālika.

8. The Venerable Vajraputra

9. The Venerable Jīvaka.

10. The Venerable Panthaka.

11. The Venerable Rāhula.

12. The Venerable Nāgasena.

13. The Venerable Aṅgaja.

14. The Venerable Vanavāsin.

15. The Venerable Ajita.

16. The Venerable Cūḍapanthaka.

These sixteen Great Arhats are all fully endowed with the three knowledges, the six supernatural powers, the eight liberations, and immeasurable merit. They have departed from all the defilements within the three realms, recite and uphold the Three Piṭakas of the holy teaching, are thoroughly versed in all the outer texts, and reverently practice in accordance with the Buddha's instructions. By the force of their supernatural powers they prolong their own life-spans of their own accord, so that for as long as the True Dharma of the World-Honored One yet endures, those venerable ones constantly attend upon and protect it, and cause the donors who sow and cultivate the true field of merit to obtain great meritorious recompense.

Thereupon, the bhikṣus and bhikṣuṇīs again said: "We do not know where those sixteen venerable ones for the most part abide, to protect the True Dharma and bring benefit to sentient beings." The Venerable Khánh Hữu replied: "The first venerable one, together with one thousand Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Western Continent of Aparagodānīya.

"The second venerable one, together with five hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the north of the country of Kaśmīra.

"The third venerable one, together with six hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Eastern Continent of Pūrvavideha.

"The fourth venerable one, together with seven hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Northern Continent of Uttarakuru.

"The fifth venerable one, together with eight hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Southern Continent of Jambudvīpa.

"The sixth venerable one, together with nine hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Continent of Tāmradvīpa.

"The seventh venerable one, together with a thousand Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Continent of Siṃhala.

"The eighth venerable one, together with one thousand one hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Continent of Prajñā.

"The ninth venerable one, together with nine hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides within the Fragrant-Intoxicating Mountain (Gandhamādana).

"The tenth venerable one, together with three thousand one hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three (Trāyastriṃśa).

"The eleventh venerable one, together with one thousand one hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides in the Continent of Priyaṅgu.

"The twelfth venerable one, together with one thousand two hundred Arhats, for the most part abides on Mount Pāṇḍava.

"The thirteenth venerable one, together with one thousand three hundred Arhats, for the most part abides within the Broad-Flanked Mountain.

"The fourteenth venerable one, together with one thousand four hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides within the Mountain That Can Be Dwelt In.

"The fifteenth venerable one, together with one thousand five hundred Arhats as his retinue, for the most part abides on the Vulture Peak (Gṛdhrakūṭa).

"The sixteenth venerable one, together with one thousand six hundred Arhats, for the most part abides within the Mountain That Holds the Axle.

"Now, you virtuous ones! If in this world all the kings, ministers, great officials, elders, and lay devotees—if any man or woman, with earnest devotion gives rise to a pure heart and convenes an assembly to make offerings to the Saṃgha of the four directions; suppose that every five years they convene a Pañcavārṣika Assembly Without Hindrance, or upon the consecration of a temple, an image, a sūtra, and the like, convene an assembly to make offerings; or invite the Saṃgha to a dwelling-place and convene an assembly to make offerings;

or, at a temple, a place of walking meditation, and the like, spread out the sitting-mats and present robes, medicines, food, and drink as offerings to the Saṃgha—then at that time the sixteen Great Arhats and their retinues, according to each place, divide and go thither, manifesting the various forms of noble ones, now concealed, now revealed, and, together with the multitude of ordinary beings, secretly receive the offerings, so that the donors may thereby obtain surpassing meritorious recompense.

"These sixteen Great Arhats protect the True Dharma and bring benefit to sentient beings, until the time when the life-span of human beings in the Southern Continent of Jambudvīpa is reduced to a mere ten years and very short, when warfare and weapons arise and people hack and slay one another—only then does the Buddha-Dharma perish. After the kalpa of warfare and weapons, the life-span of human beings gradually increases up to one hundred years; the people of this continent, wearied of the suffering of the slaughter of warfare and weapons before, therefore delight in cultivating the wholesome dharmas.

At that time, these sixteen Great Arhats, together with their retinues, again enter among humankind and proclaim the supreme True Dharma to deliver immeasurable sentient beings, causing them to go forth into the homeless life and to perform wholesome deeds beneficial to sentient beings. In this way, until the time when the life-span of human beings in this continent reaches sixty thousand years, the supreme True Dharma flourishes brilliantly without ceasing.

Thereafter, when the life-span of human beings reaches seventy thousand years, the supreme True Dharma is entirely extinguished.

"At that time, the sixteen Great Arhats, together with their retinues, come and assemble in this continent, and, wielding the force of their supernatural powers, use the seven kinds of jewels to build a stūpa, lofty, broad, adorned, and beautiful, and then reverently enshrine the relics of the Buddha Śākyamuni within it. Thereupon, the sixteen Great Arhats, together with their retinues, together reverently circumambulate the stūpa, and, presenting all manner of incense and flowers as offerings, sing its praises, circumambulate it a hundred thousand times, gaze up in reverence, and, when they have made obeisance, all rise up into the void, and, facing the stūpa, declare: 'Homage to the World-Honored One, Śākyamuni Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Enlightened!

We received the instruction to protect the True Dharma and, together with gods and humans, to perform all manner of beneficial deeds. Now the Dharma-treasury has perished, and our conditions too are exhausted; we beg to take our leave so as to attain final extinction.' Having spoken these words, the sixteen Great Arhats then all entered the Nirvāṇa Without Remainder. First, by the power of their vows and meditative absorption, they raised up fire and burned their bodies, just as a lamp goes out, so that not even their bones remained.

"Thereupon, the stūpa sank down into the earth as far as its rim of the pure-gold wheel, and only then came to rest. The True Dharma of the World-Honored One Śākyamuni endured there throughout the three-thousand great-thousandfold world-system, and only then was entirely extinguished. From that time, within this Buddha-land there appeared at one and the same time seventy thousand koṭis of Pratyekabuddhas; and when the life-span of human beings was about eighty thousand years, the Pratyekabuddhas all entered extinction.

"Thereafter, the Buddha Maitreya appeared in the world. At that time, everywhere throughout Jambudvīpa was adorned and pure, without any thorns and brambles, ravines and caverns, mounds and hillocks; the land was all level, smooth, and glossy; there was sand of pure gold covering the surface of the ground; everywhere there were clear ponds, lush groves and woods, fragrant flowers, rare grasses, and all manner of jewels combined together, growing ever more beautiful and truly worthy of delight.

Everyone possessed a mind of loving-kindness and cultivated the ten wholesome courses of action; therefore their life-spans were long-enduring, fully abundant and well-provided, and they were always at peace and ease. The men and women were beautiful and graceful; the cities, towns, hamlets, and villages were so close that a cock could fly between them; the farms and rice-fields yielded bountiful harvests, so that the sowing of a single grain became seven grains, naturally forming grains without need for plowing or harrowing.

"Now, you virtuous ones! At that time, the land was adorned, and the meritorious recompense enjoyed by sentient beings could not be fully described. As the Sūtra on Maitreya's Attaining Buddhahood says: After the Buddha Maitreya attains right enlightenment, He opens forth three assemblies and expounds the Dharma for the multitude of Śrāvakas, causing them to escape from birth-and-death and to realize Nirvāṇa.

+ In the first assembly there were nine hundred sixteen koṭis of Śrāvakas.

+ In the second assembly there were nine hundred fourteen koṭis of Śrāvakas.

+ In the third assembly there were nine hundred twelve koṭis of Śrāvakas.

"The kings, the great officials, the elders, the male and female lay devotees—all the donors who now, within the True Dharma of the Buddha Śākyamuni, are able to perform the work of the Buddha, themselves sow and cultivate roots of goodness or teach others to sow and cultivate them. That is to say, taking the seven jewels—gold, silver, pearls, jade, fragrant wood, brass, copper, iron, wood, lacquer-work—or using silk to embroider and to paint, they make images of the Buddha and stūpas, whether large or small, even as small as the burning of a finger-joint; or, using incense and flowers and all manner of wondrous offerings, whether many or few, they present them as offerings.

By the power of this, such a person, when Maitreya attains right enlightenment, obtains a human body and, within the Buddha's first assembly, with pure and luminous faith, leaves the household life and goes forth, shaves off beard and hair, dons the Dharma-robe, and enters into the ranks of the noble assembly.

"Within the treasury of the Mahāyāna teaching there is the profound and wondrous nature of emptiness, corresponding to the various Mahāyāna sūtra-texts, such as the Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra, the Sūtra of the Wondrous Dharma Puṇḍarīka, the Sūtra of Golden Light, the Sūtra of the Vajra-Hand Treasury, the Sūtra of the Śūraṅgama Samādhi, the Sūtra of the Illusory-Simile Samādhi, the Sūtra of the Great Spiritual-Transformation Samādhi, the Sūtra of the Samādhi That Gathers All Merits, the Sūtra of the Samādhi of Returning the Tathāgata's Seal of Wisdom, the Sūtra of the Samādhi Possessing All Majestic Radiance, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Terrace, the Sūtra of the Samādhi That Gathers All Bodhisattvas, the Sūtra of the Buddhas' Embracing and Receiving, the Sūtra of the Collected Inquiries,

the Sūtra of King Brahmā's Inquiry, the Sūtra of Sumati's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Valiant One's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the One Able to Fulfill's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Sea Dragon-King's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Heat-Free Dragon-King's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Dragon-King Banner-Bearer's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Palm's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Crest's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Voice of Empty Space's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Roar of Empty Space's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Net of Illusion's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Maiden's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Wondrous Maiden's Inquiry, the Sūtra of Good Arm's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Lion's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Fierce Tree's Inquiry, the Sūtra of the Golden-Light Maiden's Inquiry,

the Sūtra Expounding Inexhaustible Wisdom, the Sūtra Expounding the Undefiled Renown, the Sūtra of King Ajātaśatru, the Sūtra of Indra's Reality, the Sūtra of Nārāyaṇa, the Sūtra of the Buddha's Flower Adornment (Avataṃsaka), the Sūtra of the Lotus-Hand, the Sūtra of the Ten Buddhas' Names, the Sūtra of the Immeasurable-Light Assembly, the Sūtra of the Sukhāvatī Assembly, the Sūtra of the Collected Pure Flowers, the Sūtra of the Great Collection (Mahāsaṃnipāta), the Sūtra of Entering All Paths, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Banner, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Heap, the Sūtra of the Jeweled Casket, the Sūtra of Painting in Colors, the Sūtra of the Lofty-Crested King, and such Mahāyāna sūtras as these, amounting to a hundred koṭis of divisions.

There are also other treasuries, such as: the Treasury of the Mahāyāna Vinaya, and the Treasury of the Abhidharma. All these categories of texts belong to the Bodhisattva Piṭaka. There are also the three Piṭakas of the Śrāvakas, namely the Sūtra Piṭaka, the Vinaya Piṭaka, and the Abhidharma Piṭaka.

There are the five collections of the Āgamas: the Dīrgha Āgama, the Madhyama Āgama, the Ekottara Āgama, the Saṃyukta Āgama, and the Kṣudraka Āgama."