普曜經試藝品第十
Chapter 10: Trial of Skills
「爾時有大臣名曰炎光，釋中大臣也，計校算術最為第一，所度無極，王立此人：『汝且觀之，何所太子為最勝耶？』於時菩薩觀察諸釋及國王子，有數百人，一一擲戲不及菩薩。菩薩報曰：『汝等且待，我當擲之。』時一王子來共擲戲，亦不能及；至五百人皆不能逮。時諸會者舉聲歎曰：『若稱一辭至未曾有，況無數藝，所言殊特言辭談論不可究竟。』炎光大臣雖能計校，言談算術亦不能及。其迦維越樹木藥草，眾水渧數一一可知，摴蒲六博天文地理，八方異術天崩地動，一切諸術不比菩薩。前知無窮却覩無極，六通三達誰能載乎？
At that time, there was a minister named Yanguang, a minister of the Shakya clan, foremost in calculation and arithmetic, with boundless skill. The king appointed him, saying: "Go and observe—which prince is the most excellent?" Then the Bodhisattva observed the various Shakyas and the princes of the kingdom. Several hundred of them each tried their hand at games, but none could match the Bodhisattva. The Bodhisattva said to them: "Wait a moment—let me take my turn." Then one prince came forward to compete with him in a game, but could not match him either. Up to five hundred princes, none could surpass him. Then all those assembled raised their voices in praise, saying: "Even a single word from him is unprecedented—how much more his countless skills! His speech is extraordinary, and his words and discussions are inexhaustible." Though Minister Yanguang could calculate and reckon, in speech and arithmetic he too could not match him. The trees, plants, and herbs of Kapilavastu, the number of every drop of water—all could be known one by one. But in games of dice, the six arts, astronomy and geography, the eight esoteric skills of distant regions, celestial movements and earthly quakes—in all these arts, none could compare to the Bodhisattva. He knows the past without limit and sees the future without end. With the six superknowledges and the three insights, who could ever surpass him?
「諸天人民虛空天神舉聲歎曰：『三界眾生心中所念，諸可思想善惡禍福，道俗眾事發意之頃，悉知本末無一懫礙，歌舞伎樂無事不博；以忍辱慈道力仁和，從百千劫所作輕便，獨遊三世猶如日光周旋四域，菩薩如是心無疑網。』虛空之中諸天復歎：『是大丈夫無極至聖，汝等雖見在家所為；且聽我言，發意之頃，往來十方無數億國，皆來供養，亦復奉禮十方導師；雖現往來亦無周旋，汝等意謂神足何爾？誰能覩知是無等倫獨行隻步？以是之故，咸皆奉敬菩薩最勝。』諸釋報言：『能解是者，色欲皆淨一切本無。』於是菩薩一意悉見覩其本末。
The gods in the heavens, the celestial beings, and the heavenly spirits raised their voices in praise, saying: "The thoughts that arise in the minds of all living beings in the three realms—every idea, good or bad, fortunate or unfortunate, all matters of the spiritual and the worldly—are known in full, from beginning to end, in the blink of an eye, without any obstacle. There is no art of song, dance, or entertainment that is not fully mastered. Through the power of Patience, kindness, and harmony, refined over countless eons, the Bodhisattva moves freely through past, present, and future, like sunlight circling the four directions. The Bodhisattva's mind is free of doubt and entanglements."
Then the gods in the sky praised again: "This great being is the supreme holy one. Though you see him acting in the world, listen to what we say: In an instant, he travels to countless billions of lands in the ten directions, where all come to make offerings and pay respects to the guides of those realms. Yet even as he travels, he does not truly move. What do you think of such miraculous power? Who can fully perceive this incomparable one, walking alone? For this reason, all beings honor and revere the Bodhisattva as the most supreme."
The gods of the Heavenly Realm replied: "Those who can understand this see that desire and all things are pure, and that everything is originally Empty." At that moment, the Bodhisattva, with a unified mind, saw and understood all things from their beginning to their end.
「時諸釋族種姓悉共集會，欲試手搏。調達在世常自貢高，自謂為可不肯折伏，常與菩薩共諍威力，一切來者覩之超異，右繞稽首歸禮大聖。調達及難陀故欲手搏，於時菩薩安隱詳序，愍念之故舉調達身，在於空中三反挑旋，菩薩大慈無所傷害，徐著地上使身不痛。『卿等貢高不捨自大，咸皆來集，一時與我共行手搏，諸有伎藝悉來集會。』菩薩勢力適以手觸自然墮地，時諸天人無數億千及虛空神，宣揚洪音讚言：『善哉！菩薩超絕無能及者。』雨諸天華，異口同音而重讚曰：『假使十方一切眾生皆為力士，一時伏之，何況斯等。菩薩忍辱如須彌山，過於鐵圍無能動者，若以手持十方諸山，須臾碎之如塵如灰，何況凡夫；今顯此力不足為奇，是為俗力，未為道力最上第一。降伏諸魔及與官屬，必當逮成無上正真之道，為最正覺，顯是功德菩薩最勝。』執杖釋種，見於菩薩大德無量，擲象手搏當世少雙。
At that time, all the Śākya clansmen gathered together, intending to test their strength in wrestling. Devadatta, always proud and self-important in the world, considered himself unmatched and refused to yield. He constantly vied with the Bodhisattva in displays of power. All who came, seeing the Bodhisattva's extraordinary excellence, circumambulated him to the right, bowed, and paid homage to the Great Sage. Devadatta and Nanda still wished to wrestle. Then the Bodhisattva, calm and composed, out of compassion, lifted Devadatta's body into the air, spun him around three times, and, with great kindness and without any harm, gently set him down on the ground so that he felt no pain.
"You all cling to pride and refuse to let go of your arrogance. You have all gathered here to wrestle with me at once. Let all who possess skills come forth."
With but a mere touch of the Bodhisattva's power, they naturally fell to the ground. At that moment, countless billions of devas and celestial beings, along with spirits of the sky, proclaimed in mighty voices: "Excellent! The Bodhisattva is supreme, none can equal him." They rained heavenly flowers and, with one voice, praised him again: "If all beings in the ten directions were mighty warriors, he could subdue them all at once—how much more so these here. The Bodhisattva's patience is like Mount Sumeru, surpassing the Iron Ring Mountains, immovable by any force. If he were to take all the mountains of the ten directions in his hands, he could crush them to dust and ashes in an instant—how much more so ordinary beings. Now, displaying this strength is nothing remarkable; this is merely worldly power, not the supreme power of the Path. He will subdue all māras and their hosts, and will surely attain the supreme, right, and true enlightenment, becoming the most perfect Buddha. This merit he displays makes the Bodhisattva most excellent."
The Śākya clan holding staffs, seeing the Bodhisattva's boundless great virtue, his throwing of the elephant and his wrestling prowess, knew he was unmatched in the world.
「爾時國王及諸釋種，更欲試射。時調達竪四十里准，難陀准六十里，菩薩百里。時調達射中四十里鼓，不能得過；難陀六十里，亦不得越；執杖釋種亦四十里，皆不能過；於時持弓授於菩薩，菩薩張弓，弓即折破。菩薩又問：『於是城中寧有異弓任吾用不？』王即言：『有。』問：『在何所？』王曰：『昔吾祖父名曰師子，所執用弓奇異無雙，身沒之後無能用者，著於天祠。』時菩薩言：『便可持來。』持來授之，執杖釋種一切諸釋無能張者；以授菩薩，菩薩在坐以手捺張，抨弓之聲悉聞城內，百千國人虛空天子，舉聲嗟歎而說頌曰：
At that time, the king and the Śākyas wished to test their archery skills once more. Devadatta set up a target forty li away, Nanda set one at sixty li, and the Bodhisattva's target was placed at a hundred li. Devadatta shot and struck the drum at forty li, but his arrow could not go beyond it. Nanda struck the drum at sixty li but also could not surpass it. The Śākya holding the staff also shot at forty li and could not go beyond it either. Then the bow was handed to the Bodhisattva. As the Bodhisattva drew the bow, it broke in two. The Bodhisattva then asked, "Is there any other bow in this city that I might use?" The king replied, "There is." The Bodhisattva asked, "Where is it?" The king said, "In the past, my grandfather, whose name was Siṃha, possessed a remarkable and incomparable bow. After his passing, no one has been able to draw it, and it is kept in the temple." The Bodhisattva then said, "Bring it here." When it was brought and handed over, none of the Śākyas, including the one holding the staff, could draw it. It was then given to the Bodhisattva, who, while still seated, pressed down on it with his hand and drew it. The sound of the bowstring resounded throughout the city. Hundreds of thousands of people and celestial beings in the sky all raised their voices in praise and recited this verse:
「『不起于座上， 即時張此弓；
如是具諸願， 必逮成天尊。』
"As soon as he remains seated, he draws this bow; with all his vows thus fulfilled, he will surely attain the heavenly throne."
「爾時菩薩執弓注箭，即時放撥，中百里鼓而穿壞之；箭沒地中踊泉自出，箭便過去中鐵圍山，三千大千剎土六反震動，一切諸釋怪未曾有。虛空諸天咸嗟歎言：『至未曾有，如是妙術清淨至真，諸菩薩中最為殊特。』於斯執杖釋種以女俱夷送詣白淨王宮，為菩薩妃；隨世習俗現相娛樂，婇女八萬四千，俱夷為尊。時妃俱夷無增減心，臥常覺寤初不睡眠，在於燕室寂寞思惟：『將無捨我耶？』婇女侍衛恒圍繞之。」於是頌曰：
Then the Bodhisattva took up his bow, nocked an arrow, and released it at once. It struck the drum a hundred leagues away and pierced it through. The arrow then plunged into the earth, and a spring of water gushed forth on its own. The arrow continued onward, striking the iron mountain that encircles the world, and the entire universe of a thousand million worlds shook six times. All the Śākyas marveled at what had never been seen before. The gods in the sky all exclaimed in praise: "How extraordinary! Such skill, pure and true, marks him as the most exceptional among all Bodhisattvas."
At that time, the Śākya elder holding a staff presented the maiden Gopī to the court of King Śuddhodana, to become the Bodhisattva's wife. Following worldly customs, he displayed the appearance of enjoyment, with eighty-four thousand palace ladies in attendance, Gopī being the foremost. Yet the lady Gopī remained unmoved by increase or decrease in her heart. When she lay down to rest, she stayed awake, never sleeping, and in her quiet chamber she pondered in solitude: "Will he not abandon me?" Her attendants and guards always surrounded her.
Then this verse was spoken:
「數千人侍身， 思惟尊在不；
以威德至誠， 處中猶在火。
常思護諸根， 其意不樂餘；
如日震光明， 不用無數問。
Thousands attended to him, wondering if the Master was still there; Through his power and sincerity, he remained amidst the fire. Always mindful, guarding his senses, his mind took no delight in other things; Like the sun blazing with light, he had no need for countless questions.
「菩薩在宮婇女之間，開化訓導八萬四千女，發無上正真道意，逮不退轉。爾時兜術有天子，名曰應出家，於無上正真道意而不退轉，三萬二千天眷屬圍繞，往詣菩薩所止宮殿，住虛空中，因說偈言：
「『人師子見生， 沒來忍名聞；
隨俗在中宮， 在世多教化。
訓無數天人， 雖在於世俗；
今日正是時， 應當出家去。
眾縛未得解， 不貪人見道；
當究所應度， 為盲冥現路。
俗慕妻子財， 榮祿諸所有；
見尊學習之， 必當放出家。
棄四域七寶， 娛樂尊豪位；
以見出家業， 遊行師子座。
即知行安隱， 不樂諸愛欲；
生來以大久， 得道為天人。
稽首為歸命， 猶如山河水；
當出家為佳， 常興殊勝行。
金色雖妙好， 端政最第一；
興光應捨國， 宜益諸天人。
不以樂五欲， 可致於差特；
聖慧能充滿， 度世賢聖業。
尊意所慕樂， 白淨王宮中；
澍捨如蓮華， 思惟當棄去。
塵勞當熾盛， 應離諍於獄；
仁威為無上， 速立解脫道。
仁了慧界久， 覩眾生疾患；
以法為醫藥， 建立泥洹安。
為消盲冥路， 縛癡種邪網；
疾化諸天人， 施智慧道目。
顯示無央數， 天龍須倫神；
已得成佛道， 還聞無上法。
以濟禽獸王， 其光照宮殿；
降伏往稽首， 及令四天王。
普為惟歸伏， 當欲奉四鉢；
成佛得所願， 梵天行寂然。
觀慈大愍哀， 勸助人中尊；
喜護於一切， 轉無上法輪。
已得至佛道， 坐於佛樹下；
觀察極名稱， 當覩覺成道。
及餘諸菩薩， 宮中見造議；
為眾普告首， 為眾最後安。
已宣柔軟音， 念定光受決；
至誠無虛妄， 暢最勝音響。』」