佛說般舟三昧經
Buddha Speaks the Pratyutpanna Samadhi Sutra
後漢月支三藏支婁迦讖譯
問事品第一
Chapter 1: Inquiring
聞如是：
This is what I heard:
一時佛在羅閱祇加隣竹園中，與大菩薩，比丘、比丘尼、優婆塞、優婆夷，及諸天、龍、阿須輪、諸夜叉、迦樓羅、甄陀羅、摩睺勒等，無央數眾，一切都在大會坐。是時颰陀和菩薩，從坐起整衣服，長跪叉手白佛：「願欲有所問，聽者今當問。」
Once, the Buddha was staying in a bamboo grove near Rājagṛha, together with a vast assembly of great bodhisattvas, monks, nuns, laymen, laywomen, and countless beings including gods, dragons, asuras, yakshas, garudas, gandharvas, and mahoragas. All had gathered there. At that time, the bodhisattva Bhadrapāla rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, knelt down with palms together, and said to the Buddha: "I wish to ask a question. If you permit, I will now ask."
佛言：「善哉！恣汝所問，今當為汝說之。」
The Buddha replied, "Well spoken. Ask whatever you wish, and I shall explain it for you now."
颰陀和問佛言：「菩薩當行何等法得智慧，如巨海攬萬流？云何行，博達眾智所聞悉解而不疑？云何行，自識宿命所從來生？云何行，得長壽？云何行，常在大姓家生，父母、兄弟、宗親、知識無不愛敬？云何行，得端正顏好美艶？云何得高才與眾絕異，智慧通達無所不包？云何行，功立相滿自致成佛威神無量，成佛境界莊嚴國土？云何行，降魔怨？云何行，而得自在所願不違？云何行，得入總持門？云何行，得神足遍至諸佛土？云何行，得勇猛如師子無所畏，一切魔不能動？云何行，得佛聖性，諸經法悉受持，皆了知而不忘？云何行，得自足離諛諂，不著三處？云何行，得無罣礙，持薩云若教不失佛意？云何行，得人信？云何行，得八種聲入萬億音？云何行，得具足相好？云何行，得徹聽？云何行，得道眼覩未然？云何行，得十力正真慧？云何行，心一等念十方諸佛悉現在前？云何行，知四事之本無？云何行，便於此間見十方無數佛土，其中人民、天、龍、鬼、神及蠕動之類，善惡歸趣皆了知？所問如是，當云何行？願佛說之，釋一切疑。」
Bhadrapāla asked the Buddha: “How should a bodhisattva practice to attain wisdom, as vast as the great ocean gathering ten thousand rivers? How should they practice to reach broad understanding, hearing all knowledge and comprehending it without doubt? How should they practice to know their own past lives and their origins? How should they practice to gain long life? How should they practice to always be born into a prominent family, loved and respected by parents, siblings, relatives, and friends? How should they practice to achieve a beautiful and radiant appearance? How should they attain supreme talent, standing out from all others, with wisdom that penetrates everything and encompasses all? How should they practice to complete merit, perfect marks, attain Buddhahood with infinite majesty, and adorn a pure land as a Buddha’s realm? How should they practice to overcome demons and enemies? How should they practice to gain freedom, with all wishes fulfilled without obstruction? How should they practice to enter the gateway of total retention? How should they practice to gain psychic powers, traveling everywhere to all Buddha lands? How should they practice to be as courageous as a lion, fearless and unmoved by any demon? How should they practice to realize the Buddha-nature, fully receiving and understanding all teachings without forgetting? How should they practice to be self-sufficient, free from flattery, and unattached to three realms? How should they practice to be unobstructed, holding the teachings of all-knowing wisdom without straying from the Buddha’s intent? How should they practice to gain people’s faith? How should they practice to produce eight kinds of voices, reaching millions of sounds? How should they practice to perfect all marks of excellence? How should they practice to attain perfect hearing? How should they practice to gain the Dharma eye, seeing things yet to come? How should they practice to achieve the ten powers and true wisdom? How should they practice to bring all Buddhas of the ten directions to mind, appearing before them? How should they practice to understand the fundamental emptiness of food, clothing, shelter, and medicine? How should they practice to see, right here, countless Buddha lands in the ten directions, and fully know the good and evil destinations of people, gods, dragons, spirits, and all living beings, from the small and wriggling? These are my questions—how should one practice? I pray the Buddha will speak and resolve all doubts.”
佛告颰陀和：「善哉！汝所問多所過度，不可復計。汝所以能作是問者，汝乃前世過去佛時，所作功德，供養諸佛，樂於經法，守禁戒行清淨所致；常行乞食不就請，多成就諸菩薩合會，教語令棄眾惡，視一切悉平等所致；常有大慈大悲所致。汝功德不可復計。」
The Buddha addressed Bhadrapāla, "Excellent! Your questions have greatly surpassed ordinary understanding; their value cannot be measured. The reason you are able to ask such questions is due to the merits you accumulated in the time of past Buddhas—making offerings to many Buddhas, delighting in the Dharma, and maintaining pure discipline. You practiced by begging for alms without accepting invitations, gathered many Bodhisattvas together, taught them to abandon all wrongdoing, and regarded all beings with equal mind. Because of your great loving-kindness and great compassion, your merits are immeasurable."
佛告颰陀和：「有三昧名十方諸佛悉在前立，能行是法，汝之所問悉可得也。」
颰陀和白佛：「願為說之。今佛說者，多所過度安隱十方，為諸菩薩現大明相。」
Bhadra addressed the Buddha, saying, "Please expound it for us. If the Buddha speaks now, it will bring immense benefit and peace to all beings in the ten directions, revealing the great radiant wisdom to all bodhisattvas."
佛告颰陀和：「有三昧名定意，菩薩常當守習持，不得復隨餘法，功德中最第一。」
The Buddha told Bhadrapāla: "There is a samadhi called Fixed Mind. Bodhisattvas should always uphold, practice, and maintain it, and no longer follow other methods. This is the foremost among meritorious qualities."