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  1. Buddha Speaks the Elderly Woman Sutra (佛說老女人經)
  1. Buddha Speaks the Elderly Woman Sutra (佛說老女人經)
  2. Buddha Speaks the Elderly Woman Sutra (佛說老女人經)

Buddha Speaks the Elderly Woman Sutra (佛說老女人經)

About 佛說老女人經

Wu · Source text translated by 支謙

778 · about 3 min

The Sutra of the Old Woman Spoken by the Buddha is a Buddhist scripture translated during the Three Kingdoms period by the translator Zhi Qian of the state of Wu. Zhi Qian was a significant figure in the early Chinese translation of Buddhist texts, active in the 3rd century CE, renowned for the elegance of his language and the clarity of his doctrinal exposition. This sutra, through a dialogue between an old woman and the Buddha, expounds the teachings that all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature, the cycle of cause and effect, and the path of practice for liberation. It focuses on exploring the roots of human sufferings such as old age, sickness, and death, as well as the way to transcend them. As one of the early Buddhist scriptures introduced to China, it reflects the initial integration of Buddhist thought with indigenous Chinese culture during the Han and Wei periods, holding significant value for the study of the process of Buddhism's adaptation in China. Though brief, the sutra embodies the Mahayana Buddhist perspective of equality and the wisdom of prajñā, occupying a unique place within the system of Chinese Buddhist canonical literature.


佛說老女人經
吳月氏優婆塞支謙譯
聞如是:
一時,佛在墮舍羅,所止處名樂音。時有八百比丘、菩薩萬人俱。時有貧窮老女人來到佛所,以頭面著地,為佛作禮,白佛言:「願欲有所問。」
佛言:「善哉!當問。」
老女人言:「生從何所來,去至何所?老從何所來,去至何所?病從何所來,去至何所?死從何所來,去至何所?色、痛痒、思想、生死、識從何所來,去至何所?眼、耳、鼻、口、身、心從何所來,去至何所?地、水、火、風、空從何所來,去至何所?」
佛言:「善哉!問是大快。生無所從來,去亦無所至;老無所從來,去亦無所至;病無所從來,去亦無所至;死無所從來,去亦無所至;色、痛痒、思想、生死、識無所從來,去亦無所至;眼、耳、鼻、口、身、心無所從來,去亦無所至;地、水、火、風、空無所從來,去亦無所至。諸法皆如是,譬如兩木相揩,火出還燒木;木盡火便滅。」
佛問老女人:「是火從何所來,去至何所?」
老女人言:「因緣合便得火,因緣離散火便滅。」
佛言:「諸法亦如是,因緣合乃成,因緣離散即滅。法亦無所從來,去亦無所至。目見色即是意,意即是色,二者俱空,無所有成,滅亦如是。譬如鼓,不用一事成,有皮,有𣞙,有人持桴打鼓,鼓便有聲。是聲亦空,當來聲亦空,過去聲亦空。是聲亦不從皮,亦不從𣞙,亦不從桴、從人手出,合會諸物乃成鼓聲,聲從空盡空。萬物亦爾,本淨無所有,因作法,法亦無所有。譬如雲起,陰霧便雨,不從龍身出,亦不從龍心出,皆龍因緣所作乃致此雨。諸法亦無所從來,去亦無所至。譬如畫師先治壁板素,便和調諸彩,自在所作。是畫不從壁板素出,亦不從人手出,隨意所作,各各悉成。生死亦如是,各自隨所作行。譬禍生、泥犁、天上、人間亦爾。有餘是者不著,著便有。」
老女人聞之,大歡喜言:「蒙佛恩,得法眼。雖身羸老,今得開解。」
阿難政衣服,長跪,白佛言:「是老女人何以智慧乃爾?聞佛言即開解。」
佛告阿難:「是老女人者,是我前世發意學道時母也。」
阿難問佛言:「是母何以貧窮困苦乃爾?」
佛言:「往昔拘留秦佛時,我欲作沙門。是母慈愛,不肯聽我去。我憂愁,不食一日。因是故,五百世來生世間輒貧窮。今壽盡當生阿彌陀佛國,供養諸佛。却後六十八億劫當作佛,號波犍,其國名化華。作佛時,人所有被服、飲食如忉利天上。其國中人民皆壽一劫。」
佛說經已,老女人及阿難,諸菩薩、比丘僧,諸鬼神、龍、天、人、阿須倫,皆大歡喜,前為佛作禮而去。
佛說老女人經

CBETA Code: T0559

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