般舟三昧經卷上(一名十方現在佛悉在前立定經)
Banzhou Samadhi Sutra, Volume One(Also titled: Sutra of the Concentration in Which All Buddhas of the Ten Directions Stand Before One)
後漢月氏三藏支婁迦讖譯
Later Han Dynasty Translation by the Yuezhi Tripiṭaka Master Lokakṣema
問事品第一
Chapter 1: Questions
佛在羅閱祇摩訶桓迦憐，摩訶比丘僧五百人，皆得阿羅漢，獨阿難未。
The Buddha was at Rajagriha, in the Mahavana Kalandaka Grove, together with a great assembly of five hundred monks, all of whom had attained Arhatship—only Ananda had not.
爾時，有菩薩名颰陀和，與五百菩薩俱——皆持五戒——晡時至佛所前，以頭面著佛足，却坐一面。并與五百沙門俱至佛所，前為佛作禮，却坐一面。
At that time, there was a bodhisattva named Bhadrapāla, who was accompanied by five hundred bodhisattvas—all of whom upheld the Five Precepts—and together they came before the Buddha in the late afternoon. They bowed their heads to the Buddha's feet and then withdrew to sit to one side. Along with five hundred monks, they also came before the Buddha, paid their respects, and then withdrew to sit to one side.
時佛放威神，諸比丘所在遠方無不來者。即時十萬比丘俱相隨來會佛所，前為佛作禮，却坐一面。
At that time, the Buddha radiated his majestic spiritual power, and all the monks who were far away came without exception. Instantly, a hundred thousand monks came together to gather where the Buddha was. They approached, paid homage to the Buddha, and then sat down to one side.
佛復放威神，摩訶波和提比丘尼與三萬比丘尼俱相隨至佛所，前為佛作禮，却坐一面。
The Buddha again emitted his majestic spiritual power. Mahaprajapati Bhikkhuni, together with thirty thousand bhikkhunis, came following one another to where the Buddha was. They bowed before the Buddha and then sat down to one side.
佛復放威神，羅憐那竭菩薩從舍衛墮梨大國出、橋曰兜菩薩從占波大國出、那羅達菩薩從波羅斯大國出、須深菩薩從加羅衛大國出、摩訶須薩和菩薩與阿難邠坻迦羅越俱從舍衛大國出、因坻達菩薩從鳩睒彌大國出、和輪調菩薩從沙祇大國出，一一菩薩各與二萬八千人俱來到佛所，前為佛作禮，皆却坐一面。
The Buddha again emitted his majestic spiritual power. The bodhisattva Luolian Najie emerged from the great country of Shravasti and Dali; the bodhisattva Qiaoyuedou emerged from the great country of Campa; the bodhisattva Naluoda emerged from the great country of Varanasi; the bodhisattva Xushen emerged from the great country of Kapilavastu; the bodhisattva Mahasusahava, together with Ananda and the householder Anathapindika, emerged from the great country of Shravasti; the bodhisattva Yinqida emerged from the great country of Kaushambi; and the bodhisattva Heluntiao emerged from the great country of Saketa. Each bodhisattva came to where the Buddha was, accompanied by twenty-eight thousand people. They approached, paid homage to the Buddha, and then withdrew to sit to one side.
羅閱祇王阿闍世與十萬人俱來到佛所，前為佛作禮，却坐一面。
King Ajatashatru of Rajagriha came to where the Buddha was, together with a hundred thousand people. They bowed before the Buddha and then sat down to one side.
四天王、釋提桓因、梵三鉢摩夷亘天、阿迦膩吒天，各各與若干億億百千天子俱來到佛所，前為佛作禮，却住一面。
The Four Heavenly Kings, Shakra Devanam Indra, the Brahma Sanpakpamayi gods, and the gods of the Akanishtha heaven, each accompanied by many hundreds of thousands of billions of celestial beings, came together to the place where the Buddha was. They bowed respectfully before the Buddha and then stood to one side.
難頭和難龍王、沙竭龍王、摩難斯龍王、阿耨達龍王，各各與若干龍王億億百千萬俱來到佛所，前為佛作禮，却住一面。
The Nantouhe Dragon King, the Nanlong Dragon King, the Shajie Dragon King, the Monansi Dragon King—each of them, together with countless dragon kings numbering in the billions of hundreds of thousands of millions, all came to the place where the Buddha was. They approached, paid homage to the Buddha, and then withdrew to stand to one side.
四面阿須倫王各與若干阿羞倫民億億百千萬俱來到佛所，前為佛作禮，却住一面。
The four Asura kings, each accompanied by countless hundreds of thousands of millions of billions of asuras, all came to where the Buddha was. They bowed before the Buddha and then stood to one side.
時諸比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，諸天、諸龍、諸阿羞倫民、諸閱叉鬼神、諸迦樓羅鬼神、諸甄多羅鬼神、諸摩睺勒鬼神、諸人非人無央數都不可計。
At that time, the monks, nuns, laymen, and laywomen, along with countless and immeasurable numbers of devas, dragons, asuras, yaksha spirits and ghosts, garuda spirits and ghosts, gandharva spirits and ghosts, mahoraga spirits and ghosts, and humans and non-humans.
颰陀和菩薩從坐起，正衣服，叉手長跪白佛言：「願欲有所問，既問者為有所因故。天中天！聽我言者，今當問佛。」
Bhadrapala Bodhisattva rose from his seat, arranged his robes, joined his palms, and knelt with his hands clasped before the Buddha, saying: "I wish to ask something. Since I am about to ask, it is because there is a reason for it. O Lord of the Devas and Humans, if you permit me to speak, I shall now question the Buddha."
佛告颰陀和菩薩：「所因故者便問，佛當為若說之。」
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "Ask whatever you wish, and I will explain it to you."
颰陀和菩薩問佛言：「菩薩當作何等三昧？所得智慧如大海、如須彌山，所聞者不疑，終不失人中之將，自致成佛終不還、終不生愚癡之處。豫知去來之事，未曾離佛時，若於夢中亦不離佛。端政姝好，於眾中顏色無比。少小常在尊貴大姓家生，若其父母、兄弟、宗親、知識無不敬愛者。高才廣博，所議作者與眾絕異，自守節度，常內慚色終不自大，常有慈哀。智慮通達於智中明，無有與等者。威神無比，精進難及，入諸經中，多入諸經中，諸經中無不解。安樂，入禪、入定，入空、無想、無所著，於是三事中不恐，多為人說經，便隨護之。在所欲生何所，自恣無異。本功德力、所信力，多所至到處。其筋力強，無不欲愛力、無不有根力，明於所向力、明於所念力、明於所視力、明於所信力、明於所願力。在所問如大海，無有減盡時，如月盛滿時悉遍照，無有不感明者，如日初出時、如炬火在所照，無所罣礙。不著心如虛空無所止、如金剛鑽無所不入、安如須彌山不可動、如門閫正住堅。心軟如鵠毛，無有麁爽；身無所慕樂，於山川如野獸。
Bhadrapāla Bodhisattva asked the Buddha: "What kind of samādhi should a bodhisattva practice? So that the wisdom attained is like the great ocean, like Mount Sumeru; so that whatever is heard is received without doubt; so that one never loses one's place as a leader among people; so that one reaches Buddhahood by oneself and never turns back; so that one is never born in a place of foolishness; so that one knows beforehand the affairs of the past and future; so that one is never apart from the Buddha — even in dreams, never apart from the Buddha; so that one is upright and beautiful, unmatched in appearance among the assembly; so that one is always born, from youth on, into honored and noble great families, and none of one's parents, brothers, relatives, or friends fail to respect and love one; so that one is highly talented and widely learned, and whatever one discusses or does is utterly distinct from the crowd; so that one keeps oneself restrained and disciplined, always inwardly modest, never arrogant, always compassionate; so that one's understanding is penetrating, bright within wisdom, with none to equal one; so that one's awesome spiritual power is unmatched, one's diligence beyond compare; so that one enters all the scriptures — enters many scriptures — and within the scriptures nothing is not understood; so that one is peaceful and joyful, entering meditation, entering samādhi, entering Emptiness, signlessness, and non-attachment, and among these three is unafraid; so that one teaches the scriptures widely for others and accordingly protects them; so that wherever one wishes to be born, one is freely at ease without obstruction; by the power of one's original merit and the power of one's faith, one reaches many places; so that one's bodily strength is mighty, and there is no power of love one lacks, no root-power one lacks; so that one is clear about the power of one's direction, clear about the power of one's thoughts, clear about the power of one's sight, clear about the power of one's faith, clear about the power of one's vows. So that in whatever one is asked, one is like the great ocean, never diminishing; like the full moon, illuminating everywhere, none who perceive it fail to be moved; like the rising sun, like a torch — wherever it shines, nothing is obstructed; so that one's mind is unattached like space, resting nowhere; like a diamond drill, penetrating everywhere; steady like Mount Sumeru, unmovable; firmly established like a threshold; so that one's mind is soft as swan's down, without any coarseness; so that one's body craves nothing, and one is like a wild beast among mountains and rivers."
「常自守，不與人從事。若沙門道人多所教授皆護視，若有輕嬈者終無瞋恚心，一切諸魔不能動。解於諸經，入諸慧中。學諸佛法，無有能為作師者；威力聖意，無有能動搖者。深入之行常隨無所行、常柔軟，於經中常悲，承事於諸佛無有厭。所行種種功德悉逮及，所行常至、所信常政，無有能亂者；所行常淨潔，臨事能決，無有難。清淨於智，慧悉明，得所樂行，盡於五蓋，智慧所行稍稍追成佛之境界。
They always guard themselves and do not engage in dealings with others. If śramaṇas and practitioners of the Path offer much teaching, they protect and look after them all. If someone treats them lightly or offensively, they never harbor anger or ill will, and all Māras cannot shake them. They understand the scriptures and enter into the midst of all wisdom. They study all the Buddha-Dharmas, and there is no one who can serve as their teacher. With majestic power and sage-like intent, there is no one who can move them. Their profound practice always follows the path of non-abiding and is always gentle and soft. Amid the scriptures they are always compassionate, and they serve all the Buddhas without weariness. All the various merits of their practice they fully attain; their practice always reaches its aim, and their faith is always upright—no one can confuse them. Their conduct is always pure and clean; when facing matters they can decide, encountering no difficulty. They are pure in wisdom, their insight fully clear, and they attain the practice they delight in. Having exhausted the five hindrances, the domain of wisdom progressively catches up to and accomplishes the realm of the Buddha.
「莊嚴諸國土，於戒中清淨，却羅漢、辟支佛心，所作為者皆究竟。所作功德常在上首，教授人民亦然。於菩薩中所教授無有厭，當所作者度無有極，一切餘道無有能及者。未嘗離佛、不見佛，常念諸佛如父母無異。稍稍得諸佛威神，悉得諸經。明眼所視無所罣礙，諸佛悉在前立。
They adorn all Buddha-lands and are pure in the Precepts; they turn away from the minds of Arhats and Pratyekabuddhas, and whatever they do is brought to completion. The Merit they create always stands foremost, and their teaching of people is likewise. In what they teach among Bodhisattvas they never grow weary; the work to be done is without limit, and no other Path whatsoever can equal theirs. They are never apart from the Buddhas—never without seeing the Buddha—and they always keep the Buddhas in mind, no different from remembering one's own father and mother. Gradually they gain the awesome spiritual power of the Buddhas and come to fully understand all the sutras. Whatever their clear eyes behold meets no obstruction, and all the Buddhas stand before them.
「譬如幻師自在所化，作諸法，不豫計念，便成法，亦無所從來、亦無所從去。如化作，念過去、當來、今現在如夢中，所有分身悉遍至諸佛剎。如日照水中影悉遍見，所念悉得如嚮，亦不來、亦不去。生、死如影之分，便所想識如空，於法中無想，莫不歸仰者。一切平等無有異，於經中悉知。心不可計，一切諸剎心不著，無所適念；出於諸佛剎，無所復罣礙。悉入諸陀憐尼門，於諸經中聞一知萬，諸佛所說經悉能受持。
Like a magician who effortlessly creates things — forming various phenomena without prior deliberation, yet they still come into being. They neither come from anywhere nor go anywhere. Just like an illusion, thoughts of the past, future, and present are like those in a dream. All emanations extend everywhere throughout all Buddha-lands. Like the sun's reflection appearing everywhere in water, whatever is contemplated is obtained like an echo — neither coming nor going. Birth and death are like the division of a shadow. Whatever is conceived and perceived is like Emptiness. In the Dharma, there is no conceptualization, and none who do not take refuge. All is equal without distinction, fully known within the scriptures. The mind cannot be measured; the minds of all lands are unattached, with nowhere to direct thought. Transcending all Buddha-lands, there are no further hindrances. Entering all dhāraṇī gateways, hearing one thing in the scriptures, one understands ten thousand. All scriptures spoken by the Buddhas can be fully received and upheld.
「侍諸佛悉得諸佛力、悉得佛威神，勇猛無所難，行步如猛師子無所畏。於諸國土無不用言者，所聞者未曾有忘時，一切諸佛之議等無有異。悉了知本，無經不恐，欲得諸經便自知說，如諸佛終無厭。為世間人之師，無不依附者，其行方幅無有諂偽；諸剎照明朗，不著於三處，所行無所罣礙。於眾輩中無所適、於本際法中無所慕，持薩芸若教人入佛道中，未曾恐怖、無有畏懼時。悉曉知佛諸經所有卷，所在眾會中無不蒙福者。見佛極大慈歡喜，所學諸佛經通利，於大眾中無所畏、於大眾中無有能過者，名聲極遠。破壞諸疑難無不解，於經中極尊、於師子座上坐自在，如諸佛法教，悉曉知佛萬種語、悉入萬億音。愛重諸佛經，常念在左右側，未曾離於諸佛慈。於佛經中樂行、常隨佛出入、常在善知識邊，無有厭極時。
Serving all the Buddhas, they fully gain the power of the Buddhas and fully gain the Buddha's majestic spiritual power. They are brave and fearless, meeting no difficulties, walking like a fierce lion with nothing to fear. In every land there is no one who does not speak of them; whatever they hear, they never forget. The teachings of all the Buddhas are equal and without difference. They fully understand the root, and there is no scripture that frightens them. Whatever scriptures they wish to know, they understand and can speak of on their own, never growing weary, just as the Buddhas never grow weary. They are teachers of the people of the world, and there is no one who does not rely upon them. Their conduct is upright and without flattery or deceit; the lands they illuminate shine brightly. They do not cling to the three places, and wherever they go there is no obstruction. Among the assemblies they have no partiality; in the Dharma of the ultimate reality they have no craving. Holding the all-encompassing wisdom, they lead people to enter the Buddha's path, and they are never terrified or fearful. They fully understand all the volumes of the Buddha's scriptures, and in whatever assembly they are in, there is no one who does not receive blessings. Seeing the Buddha's great compassion, they rejoice. The scriptures of the Buddhas they have learned are mastered, so in the great assemblies they are without fear, and in the great assemblies there is no one who can surpass them; their fame spreads far and wide. They destroy all doubts and difficulties, leaving none unresolved. They are supremely honored among the scriptures, and they sit at ease on the lion's throne. In accordance with the Buddha's Dharma teachings, they fully understand the Buddhas' ten thousand kinds of speech and fully enter into a trillion sounds. They cherish the Buddhas' scriptures, always keeping them in mind at their left and right, never departing from the Buddhas' compassion. They delight in practicing the Buddha's scriptures, always following the Buddha in coming and going, always near good spiritual friends, and they never reach a point of weariness.
「於十方諸佛剎無所適止，悉逮得願行；度脫十方萬民，智慧珍寶悉逮得經藏。
They do not settle anywhere in the Buddha-fields of the ten directions, and so they fully attain the fulfillment of their vows. They liberate the countless beings of the ten directions, and as for the treasure of wisdom, they fully attain the scriptural store.
「身如虛空無有想，教人求菩薩道，使佛種不斷。行菩薩道未曾離摩訶衍，逮得摩訶僧那僧涅極曠大道，疾逮得一切智。諸佛皆稱譽，近佛十力地，一切所想悉入中、一切所計悉了知、世間之變悉曉知，成敗之事、生者、滅者悉曉知。入經海寶開第一之藏悉布施、悉於諸剎行願亦不在中止，極大變化如佛所樂行。心一反念，佛悉在前立，一切適不復願、適無所生處；十方不可計佛剎悉見，聞諸佛所說經；一一佛比丘僧悉見。是時，不持仙道、羅漢、辟支佛眼視，不於是間終生彼間佛剎爾乃見，便於是間坐悉見諸佛、悉聞諸佛所說經、悉皆受。譬如我今於佛前面見佛菩薩，如是未曾離佛、未曾不聞經。」
Those whose bodies are like empty space, free of conceptual thought—they teach people to seek the Bodhisattva path, so that the Buddha-seed is not cut off. Practicing the Bodhisattva path, never departing from the Great Vehicle, they attain the great, immensely vast path of the Bodhisattva vow and commitment, and swiftly attain all-knowledge. All Buddhas praise them; they draw near to the ground of the Buddha's ten powers. All that is conceived is fully entered into, all that is calculated is fully understood, the transformations of the world are fully known—matters of success and failure, of those who arise and those who cease, are all fully known. Entering the ocean of scripture and its treasures, they open the foremost treasury and give it all away in generosity; in every Buddha-field they practice their vows, and their resolve does not falter. Their great transformations accord with what the Buddha delights in. With a single turn of thought, the Buddha stands before them; at once they no longer form any aspirations, at once there is no place of rebirth for them. Incalculable Buddha-fields in the ten directions are all seen, and they hear the scriptures spoken by all Buddhas; each and every Buddha together with his assembly of monks is seen. At that time, they do not see by means of the eye of a sage of the immortal path, an Arhat, or a Pratyekabuddha; they do not see after passing away from here and being born in that Buddha-field—rather, seated right here, they see all the Buddhas, hear all the scriptures spoken by the Buddhas, and receive them all. Just as I now, face to face before the Buddha, see the Buddha and the Bodhisattvas—in this same way, they never depart from the Buddha, never fail to hear the scriptures.
佛告颰陀和菩薩：「善哉善哉！所問者多所度脫、多所安隱，於世間人民不可復計，天上、天下悉安之。今若能問佛如是，若乃前世過去佛時所聞地行作功德所致，供養若干佛以所致，樂於經中所致，作道行、守禁戒所致。自守法，行清白不煩濁，輒以乞匃自食。多成就諸菩薩合會，教語諸菩薩。用是故極大慈哀，一切人民皆於等心，隨時欲見佛即見佛。所願極廣大甚深之行，常念佛智慧，悉持經戒、悉具足佛種聖心如金剛、悉知世間人民心所念、悉在諸佛前。」
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapāla: "Excellent, excellent! What you have asked will bring liberation to many, bring peace and security to many. The people in the world cannot be counted — throughout the heavens and the earth, all will be at peace. That you are now able to ask the Buddha such a question — this comes from what you heard in former lives when past Buddhas appeared, from the merit of your practice on the ground; from having made offerings to countless Buddhas; from delighting in what is taught in the scriptures; from practicing the Path and observing the precepts. You have kept the rules yourself, lived purely without defilement, and simply ate whatever you received by begging. You have brought many bodhisattvas together in assembly and instructed them. For this reason, with the greatest compassion, you regard all people with an equal mind, and whenever you wish to see the Buddha, you see the Buddha. Your vows are vast and your practice profoundly deep; you constantly recollect the Buddha's wisdom, fully uphold the scriptures and precepts, fully possess the Buddha-seed and a sage's mind like diamond, fully know what the people of the world think in their hearts, and are fully present before all Buddhas."
佛告颰陀和菩薩：「若功德以不可復計。」
The Buddha said to Bhadrapala Bodhisattva: "If one's merit cannot be measured or calculated."
佛言：「今現在佛悉在前立三昧，其有行是三昧，若所問者悉可得。」
The Buddha said: "When the buddhas of the present are all standing before one in samadhi, whoever practices this samadhi can obtain whatever they seek."
颰陀和菩薩白佛言：「願佛哀說之。今佛說者，多所過度、多所安隱，願佛為諸菩薩現大明。」
Bhadrapala Bodhisattva said to the Buddha: "May the Buddha compassionately explain this. What the Buddha now teaches will bring great deliverance and great peace. May the Buddha reveal the great light for the sake of all bodhisattvas."
佛告颰陀和菩薩：「一法行，常當習持、常當守，不復隨餘法，諸功德中最第一。何等為第一法行？是三昧名現在佛悉在前立三昧。」
The Buddha said to Bodhisattva Bhadrapala: "There is one practice that you should always cultivate, always maintain, and never follow after any other practice. Among all merits, it is the foremost. What is this foremost practice? It is the samadhi called 'the samadhi in which all the present Buddhas stand before one.'"