爾時，會中有優婆塞，是拘尸𨚗城工巧之子，名曰純陀，與其同類十五人俱。為令世間得善果故，捨身威儀，從座而起。偏袒右肩，右膝著地，合掌向佛，悲感流淚，頂禮佛足而白佛言：「唯願世尊及比丘僧哀受我等最後供養，為度無量諸眾生故。世尊！我等從今無主、無親、無救、無護、無歸、無趣，貧窮飢困，欲從如來求將來食。唯願哀受我等微供，然後涅槃。世尊！譬如剎利，若婆羅門、毘舍、首陀，以貧窮故，遠至他國役力農作。得好調牛，良田平正，無諸沙鹵、惡草、荒穢，唯悕天雨。言調牛者，喻身、口七；良田平正，喻於智慧；除去沙鹵、惡草、荒穢，喻除煩惱。世尊！我今身有調牛、良田、耘除眾穢，唯悕如來甘露法雨。貧四姓者，即我身是，貧於無上法之財寶。唯願哀愍，除斷我等貧窮困苦，拯及無量苦惱眾生。我今所供雖復微少，冀得充足如來大眾。我今無主、無親、無歸，願垂矜愍如羅睺羅。」

At that time, in the assembly, there was a lay disciple, a skilled craftsman’s son from the city of Kuśinagara, named Cunda. Together with fifteen companions of the same kind, he rose from his seat, setting aside his usual demeanor, for the sake of bringing wholesome fruits to the world. He bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms toward the Buddha, and with tears of sorrow streaming down, bowed at the Buddha’s feet and addressed him, saying:

"O World-Honored One, together with the community of monks, we humbly beseech you to accept our final offering, for the sake of liberating immeasurable beings. World-Honored One, from this day forth we shall be without a master, without kin, without refuge, without protection, without shelter, without direction—poor, hungry, and destitute. We seek from the Tathāgata the food of the future. We earnestly pray that you will compassionately accept our humble offering before entering parinirvāṇa.

World-Honored One, it is like when a kṣatriya, a brahmin, a vaiśya, or a śūdra, due to poverty, travels far to another land to labor in farming. He obtains a well-trained ox and a fertile, level field, free from sand, salt, weeds, and thorns—all he awaits is the rain from heaven. The well-trained ox represents the seven practices of body and speech; the fertile, level field represents wisdom; removing the sand, salt, weeds, and thorns represents eliminating afflictions.

World-Honored One, I now possess the trained ox, the fertile field, and have cleared away the weeds—all I await is the Tathāgata’s nectar-like rain of Dharma. I am like the poor man of the four castes, impoverished in the treasure of the supreme Dharma. I pray for your compassion to relieve our poverty and hardship, and to deliver immeasurable suffering beings. Though my offering today is meager, I hope it may suffice for the great assembly of the Tathāgata. I am now without master, without kin, without refuge—I pray for your pity, as you would have for Rāhula."

爾時，純陀即白佛言：「如佛所說二施果報無差別者，是義不然。何以故？先受施者，煩惱未盡，未得成就一切種智，亦未能令眾生具足檀波羅蜜；後受施者，煩惱已盡，已得成就一切種智，能令眾生普得具足檀波羅蜜。先受施者猶是眾生；後受施者是天中天。先受施者，是雜食身、煩惱之身、是後邊身、是無常身；後受施者，無煩惱身、金剛之身、法身、常身、無邊之身。云何而言二施果報等無差別？先受施者，未能具足檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜，唯得肉眼，未得佛眼乃至慧眼；後受施者，已得具足檀波羅蜜乃至般若波羅蜜，具足佛眼乃至慧眼。云何而言二施果報等無差別？世尊！先受施者，受已食之，入腹消化，得命、得色、得力、得安、得無礙辯；後受施者，不食、不消，無五事果。云何而言二施果報等無差別？」

At that time, Pure Faith spoke to the Buddha, saying: "If, as the Buddha says, the merit from these two offerings is equal, this cannot be so. Why? The one who received the offering earlier had not yet exhausted his afflictions, had not attained omniscience, and could not enable beings to perfect the perfection of giving. The one who receives the offering later has already exhausted his afflictions, has attained omniscience, and can enable all beings to perfectly fulfill the perfection of giving. The earlier recipient was still an ordinary being; the later recipient is the supreme one among gods and humans. The earlier recipient had a body sustained by food, a body bound by afflictions, a final body, an impermanent body. The later recipient has a body free from afflictions, a diamond-like body, a Dharma-body, an eternal body, a boundless body. How can you say the merit from these two offerings is equal? The earlier recipient had not yet perfected the perfection of giving, nor the perfection of wisdom; he possessed only the physical eye, not the Buddha-eye nor the eye of wisdom. The later recipient has already perfected the perfection of giving and the perfection of wisdom, and possesses the Buddha-eye and the eye of wisdom. How can you say the merit from these two offerings is equal? World-Honored One, the earlier recipient, after receiving the offering, consumed it, it was digested in his stomach, and he gained life, complexion, strength, comfort, and unimpeded eloquence. The later recipient does not eat, does not digest, and gains none of these five benefits. How can you say the merit from these two offerings is equal?"

爾時，大眾聞佛世尊普為大會哀受純陀最後供養，歡喜踊躍，同聲讚言：「善哉，善哉。希有，純陀！汝今立字，名不虛稱。言純陀者，名解妙義。汝今建立如是大義，是故依實從義立名，故名純陀。汝今現世得大名利，德願滿足。甚奇，純陀！生在人中，復得難得無上之利。善哉，純陀！如優曇花世間希有，佛出於世亦復甚難；值佛生信、聞法，復難；佛臨涅槃最後供養，能辦此事復難於是。南無純陀！南無純陀！汝今已具檀波羅蜜。猶如秋月十五日夜，清淨圓滿，無諸雲翳，一切眾生無不瞻仰。汝亦如是，而為我等之所瞻仰。佛已受汝最後供養，令汝具足檀波羅蜜。南無純陀！是故說汝如月盛滿，一切眾生無不瞻仰。南無純陀！雖受人身，心如佛心。汝今純陀真是佛子，如羅睺羅，等無有異。」

At that time, the great assembly, hearing that the Buddha, the World-Honored One, out of compassion for the entire gathering, had accepted Cunda's final offering, was filled with joy and leapt with delight. Together they exclaimed: "Excellent, excellent! Rare indeed, Cunda! The name you bear is not in vain. 'Cunda' means 'one who understands profound meaning.' You have now established such great significance; therefore, your name is fittingly derived from its meaning, and so you are called Cunda. In this present life, you have attained great renown and benefit, fulfilling your virtuous aspirations. How marvelous, Cunda! Born among humans, you have also obtained the rare and supreme benefit. Excellent, Cunda! Just as the udumbara flower is rare in the world, so too is the appearance of a Buddha in the world exceedingly rare; to encounter the Buddha, to give rise to faith, and to hear the Dharma is also rare; and to be able to make the final offering to the Buddha on the verge of Nirvana is even rarer than that. Homage to Cunda! Homage to Cunda! You have now perfected the perfection of giving. Like the autumn moon on the fifteenth night, pure and perfectly full, free from all clouds and haze, gazed upon by all beings—so too are you, gazed upon by us all. The Buddha has accepted your final offering, enabling you to fully accomplish the perfection of giving. Homage to Cunda! Therefore, it is said that you are like the moon at its fullest, beheld by all beings. Homage to Cunda! Though you bear a human form, your mind is like the Buddha's mind. You, Cunda, are truly a child of the Buddha, no different from Rahula."

「快哉！獲己利，善得於人身，

蠲除貪、恚等，永離三惡道。

快哉！獲己利，遇得金寶聚，

值遇調御師，不懼墮畜生。

佛如優曇花，值遇生信難；

遇已種善根，永滅餓鬼苦，

亦復能損減，阿修羅種類。

芥子投針鋒，佛出難於是。

我以具足檀，度人天生死。

佛不染世法，如蓮花處水，

善斷有頂種，永度生死流。

生世為人難、值佛世亦難，

猶如大海中，盲龜遇浮孔。

我今所奉食，願得無上報，

一切煩惱結，摧破無堅固。

我今於此處，不求天人身；

設使得之者，心亦不甘樂。

如來受我供，歡喜無有量，

猶如伊蘭花，出於栴檀香。

我身如伊蘭，如來受我供，

如出栴檀香，是故我歡喜。

我今得現報，最勝上妙處，

釋、梵、諸天等，悉來供養我。

一切諸世間，悉生大苦惱，

以知佛世尊，今欲入涅槃。

高聲唱是言：『世間無調御。』

不應捨眾生，應視如一子。

如來在僧中，演說無上法，

如須彌寶山，安處于大海；

佛智能善斷，我等無明闇，

猶如虛空中，雲起得清涼；

如來能善除，一切諸煩惱，

猶如日出時，除雲光普照。

是諸眾生等，戀慕增悲慟，

悉皆為生死，苦水之所漂。

以是故，世尊！應長眾生信，

為斷生死苦，久住於世間。」

How wonderful! I have gained my own benefit, Having obtained this precious human form, Cleansed of greed, anger, and the rest, Forever free from the three wretched realms.

How wonderful! I have gained my own benefit, Encountering a treasure of gold, Meeting the Tamer of Beings, With no fear of falling into animal rebirth.

The Buddha is like the Udumbara flower, Rare indeed to encounter and have faith; Having met him, I planted wholesome roots, Forever ending the suffering of hungry ghosts, And also diminishing the kind Of Asura beings.

A mustard seed landing on a needle's point Is easier than the Buddha's appearance. Through my perfect generosity, I cross beyond the births and deaths of gods and humans.

The Buddha is unstained by worldly ways, Like a lotus in water, Skillfully severing the seeds of existence's peak, Forever crossing the stream of birth and death.

To be born human in the world is difficult, To encounter a Buddha's time is also rare, Like a blind turtle in the vast ocean Meeting a floating log with a hole.

The offering I now present, I wish to gain the supreme reward: All the knots of afflictions, Shattered without resistance.

Here and now, I do not seek A heavenly or human body; Even if I obtained one, My heart would not find joy in it.

The Tathāgata accepts my offering, My joy is beyond measure, Like the foul-smelling Erā flower Yielding sandalwood fragrance.

My being is like the Erā flower, The Tathāgata accepts my offering, And from it arises sandalwood scent, Therefore I rejoice.

I now receive visible reward, The most sublime and wonderful state: Śakra, Brahmā, and all the gods Come to make offerings to me.

All beings in the world Are filled with great distress, Knowing the World-Honored One Now wishes to enter Nirvāṇa.

They cry out loudly, saying: "The world has lost its Tamer." Do not abandon sentient beings, But regard them as your only child.

The Tathāgata among the Sangha Expounds the supreme Dharma, Like Mount Sumeru, jewel of mountains, Set firm within the great sea.

The Buddha's wisdom skillfully severs Our darkness of ignorance, Like clouds in the empty sky Bringing cooling shade.

The Tathāgata skillfully removes All afflictions, Like the sun at dawn Dispelling clouds, its light shining everywhere.

All these beings, With longing and increasing sorrow, Are all adrift in the bitter waters Of birth and death.

Therefore, O World-Honored One! Increase the faith of beings, To cut off the suffering of birth and death, And dwell long in the world.

「一切諸世間，生者皆歸死，

壽命雖無量，要必有終盡。

夫盛必有衰、合會有別離、

壯年不久停、盛色病所侵、

命為死所吞，無有法常住。

諸王得自在，勢力無等雙，

一切皆遷滅；壽命亦如是。

眾苦輪無際，流轉無休息，

三界皆無常，諸有悉非樂，

有道本性相，一切皆空無。

可壞法流轉，常有憂患等、

恐怖、諸過惡、老、病、死、衰惱，

是諸無有邊，易壞怨所侵，

煩惱所纏裹，猶如蠶處繭。

何有智慧者，而當樂是處？

此身苦所集，一切皆不淨，

扼縛、癰瘡等，根本無義利；

上至諸天身，皆亦復如是。

諸欲皆無常，故我不貪著，

離欲善思惟，而證真實法。

究竟斷有者，今日當涅槃。

我度有彼岸，出過一切苦，

是故於今者，惟受上妙樂。」

All beings in this world, Those who are born must face death. Though a lifespan may seem endless, It must inevitably come to an end.

What flourishes must decline, What gathers must part. Youth does not last long, Vitality is assailed by sickness. Life is swallowed by death, There is nothing that endures forever.

Even kings who wield great power, With influence unmatched by any, All must pass away; So too does life.

The wheel of suffering knows no bounds, Turning endlessly without rest. The three realms are all impermanent, All states of existence bring no lasting joy. By their very nature, All things are empty and without substance.

The cycle of decay continues, Always accompanied by sorrow and worry, By fear, by all kinds of faults— Old age, sickness, death, and decline. These are boundless, Easily destroyed, assailed by adversaries, Wrapped in the bonds of afflictions, Like a silkworm trapped in its cocoon.

How could one who possesses wisdom Find delight in such a place?

This body is a gathering of suffering, All of it impure, A yoke, a festering sore— At its root, it holds no true benefit. Even the bodies of the gods above Are no different.

All desires are impermanent, Therefore I do not cling to them. Turning away from desire, contemplating wisely, I realize the true nature of reality.

Having completely severed all states of existence, Today I shall attain Nirvana. I have crossed to the far shore, Transcended all suffering. Therefore, from this day forth, I shall experience only the highest bliss.

「復次，文殊！為知而說、不知而說，而言：『如來同於諸行』？設使如來同諸行者，則不得言：『於三界中為天中天、自在法王。』譬如人王有大力士，其力當千，更無有能降伏之者，故稱此士一人當千。如是力士王所愛念，偏賜爵祿、封賞自然，所以得稱當千人者。是人未必力敵於千，但以種種伎藝所能能勝千故，故稱當千。如來亦爾，降煩惱魔、陰魔、天魔、死魔，是故，如來名三界尊。如彼力士一人當千，以是因緣成就具足種種無量真實功德，故稱如來、應、正遍知。文殊師利！汝今不應憶想分別，以如來法同於諸行。譬如巨富長者生子，相師占之有短壽相。父母聞已，知其不任紹繼家嗣，不復愛重，視之如草。夫短壽者，不為沙門、婆羅門等男女大小之所敬念。若使如來同諸行者，亦復不為一切世間人天眾生之所奉敬，如來所說不變不異真實之法亦無受者。是故，文殊！不應說言：『如來同於一切諸行。』

Furthermore, Manjushri, how can one claim that the Tathagata is the same as all conditioned phenomena, whether speaking from knowledge or ignorance? If the Tathagata were the same as all conditioned phenomena, then it could not be said that he is the Lord of Gods in the three realms, the sovereign King of the Dharma.

For example, a king may have a mighty warrior whose strength is said to rival a thousand men, and no one can subdue him. Thus, this warrior is called "the equal of a thousand." The king favors him, bestows titles, rewards him generously, and grants him natural privileges. He is called "the equal of a thousand" not necessarily because he can physically overcome a thousand men, but because his various skills and abilities surpass those of a thousand. Hence, he is given that title.

Similarly, the Tathagata subdues the demons of afflictions, the aggregates, death, and celestial beings. Therefore, the Tathagata is revered as the Lord of the three realms. Like the warrior who is called "the equal of a thousand," the Tathagata, through such causes and conditions, attains and fully possesses immeasurable true virtues. Thus, he is called the Tathagata, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One.

Manjushri, you should not conceive or discriminate, thinking that the Dharma of the Tathagata is the same as all conditioned phenomena. For instance, when a wealthy elder has a son, a fortune-teller predicts that the child will have a short lifespan. Upon hearing this, the parents know he cannot inherit and sustain the family lineage, so they no longer cherish him and regard him as worthless. A short-lived person is not respected or remembered by monastics, brahmins, or people of any age or gender.

If the Tathagata were the same as all conditioned phenomena, he would likewise not be revered or honored by all beings in the world, whether human or divine. The unchanging, unwavering true Dharma spoken by the Tathagata would also have no one to receive it. Therefore, Manjushri, you should not say that the Tathagata is the same as all conditioned phenomena.

「復次，文殊！譬如貧女，無有居家救護之者，加復病苦、飢渴所逼，遊行乞匃。止他客舍寄生一子，是客舍主驅逐令去。携抱是兒欲至他國，於其中路遇惡風雨，寒苦並至，多為蚊、虻、蜂螫、毒蟲之所唼食。經由恒河，抱兒而渡，其水漂疾而不放捨，於是母子遂共俱沒。如是女人慈念功德，命終之後生於梵天。文殊師利！若有善男子欲護正法，勿說：『如來同於諸行、不同諸行。』唯當自責：『我今愚癡、未有慧眼，如來正法不可思議。』是故，不應宣說：『如來定是有為、定是無為。』若正見者，應說：『如來定是無為。』何以故？能為眾生生善法故、生憐愍故。如彼貧女在於恒河為愛念子而捨身命。

Furthermore, Manjushri, consider the case of a poor woman. She had no home or protector, and was afflicted by illness, hunger, and thirst. Wandering as a beggar, she took shelter in a guesthouse and gave birth to a child there. The owner of the guesthouse drove her out. Carrying her child, she set out for another country. Along the way, she encountered fierce wind and rain, bitter cold, and was bitten by swarms of mosquitoes, horseflies, bees, and poisonous insects. Coming to the Ganges River, she held her child and tried to cross. The current was swift, but she would not let go. In the end, both mother and child drowned. Because of the merit of this woman's loving thoughts, after her death she was reborn in the Brahma Heaven.

Manjushri, if a virtuous man wishes to uphold the true Dharma, he should not say, "The Tathagata is the same as all conditioned phenomena," or "The Tathagata is different from all conditioned phenomena." He should only reflect on himself: "I am foolish and lack the eye of wisdom. The true Dharma of the Tathagata is inconceivable." Therefore, one should not declare, "The Tathagata is definitely conditioned," or "The Tathagata is definitely unconditioned." If one has right view, one should say, "The Tathagata is definitely unconditioned." Why? Because he gives rise to wholesome dharmas in beings and gives rise to compassion. Just as that poor woman, out of love for her child, gave up her life in the Ganges River.

純陀答言：「汝不應言：『如來悅可。』夫悅可者，則是倒想；若有倒想則是生死；有生死者，即有為法。是故，文殊！勿謂如來是有為也。若言如來是有為者，我與仁者俱行顛倒。文殊師利！如來無有愛念之想。夫愛念者，如彼乳牛愛念其子，雖復飢渴，行求水草若足、不足，忽然還歸。諸佛世尊無有是念，等視一切如羅睺羅，如是念者即是諸佛智慧境界。文殊師利！譬如國王調御駕駟，欲馳驢乘令及之者，無有是處。我與仁者亦復如是，欲盡如來微密深奧亦無是處。文殊師利！如金翅鳥，飛昇虛空無量由旬下觀大海，悉見水性——魚、鼈、黿、鼉、龜、龍之屬——及見己影，如於明鏡見諸色像，凡夫少智不能籌量如是所見。我與仁者亦復如是，不能籌量如來智慧。」

Chunda replied, "You should not say, 'The Tathagata is pleased.' To speak of being pleased is a deluded thought. Where there is deluded thought, there is birth and death. Where there is birth and death, there is conditioned existence. Therefore, Manjushri, do not say that the Tathagata is conditioned. If you say the Tathagata is conditioned, then both you and I are walking the path of delusion. Manjushri, the Tathagata has no thought of attachment. Attachment is like a cow’s affection for her calf—though hungry and thirsty, she goes out seeking water and grass, and whether she finds enough or not, she suddenly turns back. The Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, have no such thought. They regard all beings equally as Rahula. Such a thought is the realm of the Buddha’s wisdom. Manjushri, it is like a king who trains fine horses: if he tries to make a donkey keep pace with them, it is impossible. So it is with you and me—to fully comprehend the Tathagata’s profound and subtle depths is likewise impossible. Manjushri, it is like the garuda bird soaring through the sky for countless leagues, looking down upon the great ocean and seeing clearly all within the waters—fish, turtles, sea monsters, dragons, and the like—and seeing its own reflection as clearly as images in a bright mirror. Ordinary people, with their limited wisdom, cannot fathom what is seen in this way. So it is with you and me—we cannot fathom the wisdom of the Tathagata."