修行本起經卷下
Cultivation Sutra, Scroll Two
後漢西域三藏竺大力共康孟詳譯
Translators: Zhu Dali and Kang Mengxiang, Three Treasuries of the Western Regions, Later Han Dynasty
遊觀品第三
Chapter 3: The Celestial Journey
「於是王告太子：『當行遊觀。』太子念言：『久在深宮，思欲出遊，審得所願。』王勅國中，太子當出，嚴整道巷，灑掃燒香，懸繒幡蓋，務令鮮潔。太子導從，千乘萬騎，始出東城門，時首陀會天，名難提和羅，欲令太子速疾出家，救濟十方三毒火然，願雨法水，以滅毒火。難提和羅，化作老人，踞於道傍，頭白齒落，皮緩面皺，肉消脊軁，支節萎曲，眼淚鼻涕，涎出相屬，上氣肩息，身色黧黑，頭手肬掉，軀體戰懾，惡露自出，坐臥其上。太子問言：『此為何人？』天神寤僕，僕言：『老人。』『何等為老？』曰：『夫老者，年耆根熟，形變色衰，氣微力竭，食不消化，骨節欲離，坐起須人，目𰩑耳聾，便旋即忘，言輙悲哀，餘命無幾，故謂之老。』太子歎曰：『人生於世，有此老患，愚人貪愛，何可樂者？物生於春，秋冬悴枯，老至如電，身安足恃。』即說偈言：
Then the king told the prince, “You should go out and see the sights.” The prince thought, “I have been confined in the deep palace for so long, longing to go out. Now my wish is finally granted.” The king ordered the entire city to be tidied up for the prince's outing: the streets were swept, incense burned, banners, canopies, and flags hung—everything made fresh and clean. The prince's entourage of a thousand chariots and ten thousand horsemen set out from the eastern city gate. At that time, a god from the Heaven of Pure Abode named Nantihora, wishing to inspire the prince to quickly renounce the world and rescue all beings from the raging fires of greed, hatred, and ignorance, hoped to shower them with the water of the Dharma to extinguish these poisonous flames. This god transformed himself into an old man and sat by the roadside. His hair was white, his teeth had fallen out, his skin was loose and wrinkled, his flesh had wasted away, and his back was hunched. His limbs were withered and bent, tears and mucus mingled as they flowed from his eyes and nose. He gasped for breath, his body was blackened and discolored, his head and hands trembled uncontrollably. His entire frame shook with fear, and foul discharges leaked from him as he sat or lay down. The prince asked, “What is this person?” The god awakened the charioteer, who said, “An old man.” “What is ‘old’?” The charioteer replied, “An old person is someone whose years have advanced and whose faculties have matured. Their form changes and their complexion fades, their breath weakens and their strength is exhausted. Food does not digest well, their bones and joints seem about to come apart, and they need help to sit or stand. Their vision blurs, their hearing fails, they forget things immediately, their words are always mournful, and they have little life left. That is why we call it old.” The prince sighed and said, “Living in this world, one has this affliction of old age. The ignorant cling to it with attachment—how can there be any joy in it? Things sprout in spring, but wither in autumn and winter; old age comes like a flash of lightning. How can the body be relied upon?” Then he spoke this verse:
「『老則色衰， 病無光澤，
皮緩肌縮， 死命近促。
老則形變， 喻如故車，
法能除苦， 宜以力學。
命欲日夜盡， 及時可勤力，
世間諦非常， 莫惑墮冥中。
當學燃意燈， 自練求智慧，
離垢勿染污， 執燭觀道地。』
"In old age, beauty fades, Sickness strips away your glow. Skin sags, muscles shrink, And death's swift approach draws near.
In old age, the form transforms, Like an old, worn-out cart. The practice can remove all pain— So apply yourself with all your strength.
Life drains away day and night; While you still can, work with diligence. The world's truths are impermanent— Don't be fooled and fall into darkness.
Learn to light the lamp of awareness, Train yourself and seek wisdom. Stay free from stain, don't be polluted; Hold up the torch and see the path."
「於是太子，即迴車還，愍傷一切，有此太患，憂思不樂。王問其僕：『太子出遊，何故速還？』其僕答言：『道逢老人，傷念不樂。』還宮愁思，數年小差，復欲出遊。王勅國中，太子當出，禁諸臭穢，莫在道側。於是太子，駕乘出城南門。天化為病人，在于道側，身瘦腹大，軀體黃熟，咳嗽嘔𠸺，百節痛毒，九孔敗漏，不淨自沒，目不見色，耳不聞聲，呻吟呼吸，手足摸空，喚呼父母，悲戀妻子。太子問曰：『此為何等？』其僕答言：『病人也。』『何如為病？』答言：『人有四大，地、水、火、風，大有百一病，展轉相鑽，四百四病，同時俱作，此人必以極寒、極熱、極飢、極飽、極飲、極渴，將節失所，臥起無常，故致斯病。』太子嘆曰：『吾處富貴，極世所珍，飲食快口，放心自恣，婬於五欲，不能自覺，亦當有病，與彼何異。』即說偈言：
Then the Crown Prince turned his chariot around and returned to the palace. He felt deep compassion for all beings who suffered such a great misfortune, and his heart was filled with sorrow and unease. The king asked his attendants, "Why did the Crown Prince return so quickly from his outing?" The attendant replied, "On the road, he encountered an old man, and that sight saddened him, leaving him unhappy."
Back in the palace, the Crown Prince remained lost in melancholy thought. After a few years, when his distress had somewhat eased, he wished to venture out again. The king ordered the entire city, saying, "The Crown Prince will go out; clear the roads of all filth and unsightly things, and let nothing foul be near his path."
Thus, the Crown Prince mounted his chariot and went out through the southern city gate. By the power of heaven, a sick person appeared at the roadside—emaciated with a distended belly, skin yellow and withered, coughing and spitting, agony in every joint. Nine orifices leaked impurities, his body in constant decay. His eyes could not see shapes, his ears could not hear sounds. He moaned and gasped, grasping at the air with his hands, crying out for his parents, and longing with sadness for his wife and children.
The Crown Prince asked, "What is this being?" The attendant replied, "This is a sick person." "What does it mean to be sick?" The attendant answered, "A person consists of four elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. For each of these elements, there are one hundred and one possible disorders. When they interweave and attack one another, four hundred and four diseases arise all at once. This person must have suffered from extreme cold, extreme heat, extreme hunger, extreme fullness, extreme drink, or extreme thirst. He lost control of his rhythms and slept and rose without regularity, thus bringing such sickness upon himself."
The Crown Prince sighed and said, "Though I live in luxury and honor, surrounded by the world's finest treasures, enjoying delicious food to my heart's content, indulging in pleasure without restraint, and drowning in the five desires without self-awareness, I too will fall ill, no different from that person." He then spoke this verse:
Then the prince, turning his carriage around, Was moved with pity for all beings in pain, His melancholy mind knew no peace or cheer. The king asked his servant, "Why so soon returned?" The servant replied, "He saw an old man on the way, And his grieving heart can find no rest today."
Back in his palace, lost in sorrow for years, When briefly recovering, he went out again. The king commanded that all things foul be cleared, So nothing unclean where the prince would pass. Thus through the southern gate his chariot steered.
Then by heaven's grace a sick man lay at the road, His body thin and belly swollen vast, His sallow skin, his bones with agony, He coughed and vomited, his veins aghast. His senses failed him—eyes and ears both blind and deaf, He moaned and gasped, his grasping hands knew not Where mother, father, children were to find.
The prince then asked, "What wretched soul is this?" The servant answered, "Sir, a sick man it is." "What does that mean, to be so sick?" he said. The servant told: "A person's life is based On water, earth, wind, fire, each with its host Of ills—a hundred kinds from every side. Four hundred four diseases plague the frame, Brought on by heat and cold, by hungry, full, By too much drink, by thirst that can't be tamed, When life's rhythms all break down in the soul: No proper time for rest or waking hours, And so these countless sicknesses take their toll."
The prince then sighed and spoke: "I dwell in wealth, Surrounded by the world's most precious things, Feasting and enjoying all the senses, stealth Of my own folly makes me unaware That I too have a body like that one— Could sickness then not find me anywhere?" And the prince then spoke these verses one by one:
「『是身為脆哉， 常俱四大中，
九孔不淨漏， 有老有病患。
生天皆無常， 人間老病憂，
觀身如雨泡， 世間何可樂。』」
"This body is fragile, Always composed of the four elements, The nine orifices leak impurities, Accompanied by aging and illness.
Even birth in heaven is impermanent, On earth there is aging, sickness, and sorrow. Observe the body like a bubble in rain— What joy can there be in this world?"
「於是太子，迴車還宮，思念一切有此大患。王問其僕：『太子出遊，今者何如？』其僕答言：『逢見病人，於是不樂。』數年小差，復欲出遊。王勅國中，太子當出，平治臭處，無令近道。出西城門，天作死人，扶輿出城，室家隨車，啼哭呼天，奈何捨我，永為別離。太子問曰：『此為何等？』僕言：『死人。』『何如為死？』答言：『死者盡也，精神去矣。四大欲散，魂神不安，風去息絕，火滅身冷，風先火次，魂靈去矣。身體挺直，無所復知，旬日之間，肉壞血流，膖脹爛臭，無一可取。身中有蟲，蟲還食之，筋脉爛盡，骨節解散，髑髏異處，脊脇肩臂，髀脛足指，各自異處，飛鳥走獸，競來食之。天龍鬼神，帝王人民，貧富貴賤，無免此患。』太子長嘆，而說頌曰：
Then the crown prince turned his carriage back to the palace, pondering this great suffering that befalls all beings. The king asked his attendant, "The prince went out to tour; how is he now?" The attendant replied, "He encountered a sick person and has become unhappy." After a few years had passed, the prince wished to go out again. The king ordered that throughout the capital, wherever the prince would pass, all filth and foulness should be cleared away, with nothing permitted near the road.
He went out the western gate. Heaven conjured a dead person, carried in a bier out of the city. The household followed the cart, weeping and crying out to heaven, "Why have you abandoned me, parting from me forever?" The prince asked, "What is this?" The attendant said, "A dead person." "What is it to be dead or to die?" The attendant replied: "Death is the end. The spirit has departed. The four elements are about to scatter, and the soul is unsettled. The wind leaves and breathing stops; fire goes out and the body grows cold. The wind goes first, then the fire—the spirit has left. The body stiffens, no longer aware of anything. Within ten days, the flesh decays, blood flows, it swells, rots, and stinks—nothing about it is worth keeping. Worms emerge from the body and feed upon it. Sinews and veins rot away completely; the joints fall apart. The skull lies in one place; the spine, ribs, shoulders, arms, thighs, shins, and toes—each in a separate place. Flying birds and running beasts compete to feed on it. Neither gods, dragons, ghosts, spirits, emperors, kings, common people—whether rich or poor, noble or lowly—can escape this calamity."
The prince sighed deeply and spoke this verse:
「『觀見老病死， 太子心長歎，
人生無常在， 吾身亦當然。
是身為死物， 精神無形法，
假令死復生， 罪福不敗亡。
終始非一世， 從癡愛久長，
自此受苦樂， 身死神不喪。
非空非海中， 非入山石間，
無有地方所， 脫止不受死。』
"Seeing old age, sickness, and death, The crown prince let out a long sigh. Life in this world is impermanent and fleeting— This body of mine is no different.
This body is a thing of death; The spirit has no physical form. Even if one were to die and be reborn, One’s good and bad karma would never fade away.
Life and death are not confined to a single lifetime; They stem from ignorance and desire, enduring long. From these, we experience pain and pleasure: When the body dies, the spirit does not vanish.
It is not in the sky, nor in the ocean, Nor hidden within a mountain or a crevice— There is no place at all Where one can escape and avoid death."
「於是太子，迴車還宮，愍念眾生有老、病、死苦惱大患，憂思不食。王問其僕：『太子出遊，寧有樂乎？』即答王言：『逢見死人，遂致不樂。』數年小差，復欲遊觀，嚴駕出北城門。天復化作沙門，法服持鉢，行步安詳，目不離前。太子問曰：『此為何人？』其僕答曰：『沙門也！』『何等為沙門？』『蓋聞沙門之為道也，捨家妻子，捐棄愛欲，斷絕六情，守戒無為，得一心者，則萬邪滅矣。一心之道，謂之羅漢，羅漢者真人也。聲色不能污，榮位不能屈，難動如地，已免憂苦，存亡自在。』太子曰：『善哉！唯是為快。』即說偈言：
Then the prince turned the carriage back to the palace, filled with compassion for all beings afflicted by the great sufferings of old age, sickness, and death. He was so troubled that he stopped eating, lost in worry. The king asked his servant, "When the prince went out, did he find any pleasure?" The servant replied, "He saw a dead person, and that made him unhappy." A few years later, when the prince had somewhat recovered, he wished to go out again, so the carriage was prepared, and he went out through the northern city gate. The heavenly beings once again transformed into a monk, wearing a robe and holding a bowl, walking calmly with his eyes fixed ahead. The prince asked, "What kind of person is this?" His servant answered, "He is a monk." "What is a monk?" "I have heard that the way of a monk is this: he leaves his home, wife, and children, abandons desire and attachment, cuts off the six senses, keeps the precepts, and practices non-action. When the mind becomes one-pointed, all evil is destroyed. The path of one-pointed mind is called an Arhat. An Arhat is a true person. Sights and sounds cannot defile him, status and wealth cannot bend him. He is as unwavering as the earth, already free from suffering and sorrow, at ease whether in life or death." The prince said, "Excellent! This alone is true happiness." Then he spoke a verse:
「『痛哉有此苦， 生老病死患，
精神還入罪， 經歷諸勤苦。
今當滅諸苦， 生老病死除，
不復與愛會， 永令得滅度。』
"How painful this suffering is— The afflictions of birth, aging, sickness, and death. My mind returns to its sins, Enduring all kinds of hardship. Now I must extinguish all suffering, End birth, aging, sickness, and death. Never again will I meet with attachments, And forever attain liberation."
「於是太子，即迴車還，齋思不食。王問其僕：『太子又出，意豈樂乎？』僕言：『行見沙門，倍更憂思，不向飲食。』王聞大怒，舉手自擊，前勅修道，復令太子輙見不祥，罪應刑戮。即召群臣，各使建議，設何方術，當令太子不出學道。有一臣言：『宜令太子監農種殖，役其意思，使不念道。』便以農器犁牛千具，僕從大小相率上田，令監課之。太子坐閻浮樹下，見耕者墾壤出蟲，天復化令牛領興壞，蟲下淋落，烏隨啄吞。又作蝦蟇，追食曲蟺，蛇從穴出，吞食蝦蟇，孔雀飛下啄吞其蛇，有鷹飛來，搏取孔雀，鵰鷲復來，搏撮食之。菩薩見此眾生品類展轉相吞，慈心愍傷，即於樹下得第一禪。日光赫奕，樹為曲枝，隨蔭其軀。
「王念太子，常在宮中，未曾執苦，即問其僕：『太子何如？』對言：『今在閻浮樹下，一心禪定。』王曰：『吾令監作欲亂其思，然故禪定，在家何異？』王勅嚴駕便往迎之。遙見太子，樹枝曲蔭，神曜非常。不識下馬，為作禮時，即與俱還。未及城門，無數千人，華香奉迎，相師一切，稱壽無量。王問：『何故？』梵志答言：『明旦日出，七寶當至。』王大歡喜，必成聖王。