佛說老母女六英經
Sutra Spoken by the Buddha on the Six Excellent Qualities of the Old Mother and Daughter
宋天竺三藏求那跋陀羅譯
Translated by the Indian Tripitaka Master Guṇabhadra of the Song Dynasty
佛為世尊，功德巍巍，愍念眾生，為之傷悲。時與弟子、大士相追，止處樂音，廣有所開。
The Buddha, honored as the World-Honored One, possesses majestic virtue and merit. With deep compassion, he feels sorrow for all beings. At that time, together with his disciples and great bodhisattvas, he traveled and taught. Wherever he stopped, his teachings resonated joyfully, broadly illuminating the truth.
有一母人，貧老傴僂，長跪問佛：「五陰、六衰會合我身，悉為是誰？來何所從？去何所歸？惟願世尊為我思惟！」
There was an elderly woman, poor and bent with age, who knelt before the Buddha and asked: "The five aggregates and the six faculties come together in my body. But who are they, really? Where do they come from? Where do they go when they leave? World-Honored One, I beg you to help me understand this."
佛言：「善哉！宜識其幾。諸法因緣，識之者希。譬如鑽火，兩木相揩。火不從鑽，亦不從燧。火出其間，赫赫甚輝，還燒其木，木盡消微。亦如搥鼓，其音哀摧。聲不從革，亦不從搥。諸法如是，因緣相推。亦如天雨，風雲、雷電合會作雨，不獨龍威。諸法如是，文亦如是。譬如畫師，調和彩色，因素加畫，無形不即，皆須緣合，非獨一力。」
The Buddha said: "Excellent. You should understand this principle. Dharma arises through causes and conditions, yet few recognize this truth.
It is like making fire by rubbing two sticks together. The fire does not come from the first stick, nor from the second. The flame springs up between them, burning bright and hot, then consumes the sticks until they are turned to ash.
It is like beating a drum, producing a deep mournful sound. The sound does not come from the drumhead, nor from the drumstick. It arises through their meeting.
All phenomena follow this same law—they arise through the interplay of causes and conditions, chasing one another in an endless chain.
It is like rain. It falls from the union of wind, clouds, thunder, and lightning. The rain does not come from the power of the dragon alone. Neither does any single cause create rain.
All phenomena arise in this way. This teaching also arises in this way.
Consider a painter who mixes colors and paints on a canvas. He can paint any form—all are possible—but only through the union of paint, canvas, and painter's skill. No single factor can do this alone."
母人聞經，歡喜傾側，即得法忍，身不疲極。
Upon hearing the sutra, the woman felt joyful and leaned forward with delight. She instantly attained the forbearance of the Dharma, and her body no longer felt weary or exhausted.
阿難啟陳：「此何母人？問佛諸法生死所從，心開意解，即得道真？」
Ananda then asked, "Who is this woman? She asked the Buddha about the origins of all dharmas, life and death, and her mind opened and heart understood—she has immediately attained the true Way."
佛語阿難：「聽我所言。前過去佛，名曰拘樓秦。爾時此母是我之親。我行學道，戀閉我身，憂思不食一日之間。緣此恩愛，五百世貧。今我得佛，萬福皆臻，眾生無量，清淨佛前。過六十億劫當得作佛，號薩婆，國名多華，劫名禮禪。時人衣食如忉利天，各壽一劫無有苦勤。」
The Buddha said to Ananda, "Listen to my words. In the distant past, there was a Buddha named Krakucchanda. At that time, this woman was my relative. When I was practicing the path of spiritual cultivation, she restrained me, worrying deeply and refusing to eat for a whole day. Because of this attachment and love, I lived in poverty for five hundred lifetimes. Now that I have attained Buddhahood, all kinds of blessings have come to me. Countless beings are pure in the presence of the Buddha. After sixty billion kalpas, she will become a Buddha, named Sarva. Her land will be called 'Many Flowers,' and the kalpa will be called 'Reverent Meditation.' At that time, people's food and clothing will be like those in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Each person will live for one kalpa, without any suffering or hardship."
爾時母人、天、龍、夜叉聞佛說法，皆大歡喜。八萬七千人皆得正真道意，禮佛而去。
佛說老母女六英經