地藏菩薩本願經卷上
The Sutra of the Original Vows of Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva, Volume One
唐于闐國三藏沙門實叉難陀譯
Translated by Śikṣānanda, a Tripitaka Master of the Western Regions of the Tang Dynasty.
忉利天宮神通品第一
Chapter 1: The Divine Powers at the Trayastrimsa Heaven
如是我聞：
This is what I heard:
一時，佛在忉利天，為母說法。爾時，十方無量世界，不可說不可說一切諸佛，及大菩薩摩訶薩，皆來集會。讚歎釋迦牟尼佛，能於五濁惡世，現不可思議大智慧神通之力，調伏剛彊眾生，知苦樂法，各遣侍者，問訊世尊。是時，如來含笑，放百千萬億大光明雲——所謂大圓滿光明雲、大慈悲光明雲、大智慧光明雲、大般若光明雲、大三昧光明雲、大吉祥光明雲、大福德光明雲、大功德光明雲、大歸依光明雲、大讚歎光明雲。放如是等不可說光明雲已，又出種種微妙之音——所謂檀波羅蜜音、尸波羅蜜音、羼提波羅蜜音、毘離耶波羅蜜音、禪波羅蜜音、般若波羅蜜音、慈悲音、喜捨音、解脫音、無漏音、智慧音、大智慧音、師子吼音、大師子吼音、雲雷音、大雲雷音。
At that time, the Buddha was in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, expounding the Dharma for the sake of his mother. Then, from the ten directions, immeasurable, unspeakable, indescribable worlds, all Buddhas and great Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas assembled. They praised Śākyamuni Buddha, who in the five turbid evil world could manifest inconceivable great wisdom and spiritual powers, taming stubborn beings and enabling them to know the dharma of suffering and happiness. Each sent their attendants to inquire after the World-Honored One.
At that moment, the Tathāgata smiled and emitted hundreds of thousands of millions of great beams of light-clouds—namely, the great perfect light-cloud, the great compassion light-cloud, the great wisdom light-cloud, the great prajñā light-cloud, the great samādhi light-cloud, the great auspicious light-cloud, the great merit light-cloud, the great virtue light-cloud, the great refuge light-cloud, and the great praise light-cloud. After emitting such unspeakable light-clouds, he also produced various subtle sounds—namely, the sound of dāna-pāramitā, the sound of śīla-pāramitā, the sound of kṣānti-pāramitā, the sound of vīrya-pāramitā, the sound of dhyāna-pāramitā, the sound of prajñā-pāramitā, the sound of compassion, the sound of joy and equanimity, the sound of liberation, the sound of non-outflow, the sound of wisdom, the sound of great wisdom, the sound of the lion’s roar, the sound of the great lion’s roar, the sound of cloud and thunder, and the sound of great cloud and thunder.
出如是等不可說不可說音已，娑婆世界及他方國土，有無量億天龍鬼神，亦集到忉利天宮。所謂四天王天、忉利天、須焰摩天、兜率陀天、化樂天、他化自在天、梵眾天、梵輔天、大梵天、少光天、無量光天、光音天、少淨天、無量淨天、遍淨天、福生天、福愛天、廣果天、無想天、無煩天、無熱天、善見天、善現天、色究竟天、摩醯首羅天，乃至非想非非想處天，一切天眾、龍眾、鬼神等眾，悉來集會。
After manifesting such immeasurable and indescribable sounds, from this Sahā World and from other lands and realms, countless hundreds of millions of heavenly dragons and spirits also gathered at the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven Palace. These included the Four Heavenly Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Suyāma Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the Brahma-pāriṣadya Heaven, the Brahma-purohita Heaven, the Mahābrahma Heaven, the Parīttābha Heaven, the Apramāṇābha Heaven, the Ābhāsvara Heaven, the Parīttaśubha Heaven, the Apramāṇaśubha Heaven, the Śubhakṛtsna Heaven, the Puṇyaprasava Heaven, the Anabhraka Heaven, the Bṛhatphala Heaven, the Asañjñisattva Heaven, the Avṛha Heaven, the Atapa Heaven, the Sudṛśa Heaven, the Sudarśana Heaven, the Akaniṣṭha Heaven, and the Maheśvara Heaven, up to the Heaven of Neither Perception nor Non-Perception. All the assemblies of heavenly beings, dragons, spirits, and others entirely came together.
復有他方國土，及娑婆世界海神、江神、河神、樹神、山神、地神、川澤神、苗稼神、晝神、夜神、空神、天神、飲食神、草木神，如是等神，皆來集會。
Furthermore, there were deities from other lands and from this Sahā world: deities of the oceans, rivers, streams, trees, mountains, earth, marshes, crops, day, night, space, heavens, food and drink, grasses and trees—deities such as these all gathered to assemble.
復有他方國土，及娑婆世界諸大鬼王——所謂惡目鬼王、噉血鬼王、噉精氣鬼王、噉胎卵鬼王、行病鬼王、攝毒鬼王、慈心鬼王、福利鬼王、大愛敬鬼王，如是等鬼王，皆來集會。
Moreover, there were great ghost kings from other lands and from this Saha World, such as the Fierce-Eyed Ghost King, the Blood-Drinking Ghost King, the Vital-Essence-Devouring Ghost King, the Embryo-and-Egg-Consuming Ghost King, the Epidemic-Spreading Ghost King, the Poison-Harnessing Ghost King, the Compassionate Heart Ghost King, the Welfare-Bestowing Ghost King, and the Great Loving Devotion Ghost King. All such ghost kings gathered together.
爾時，釋迦牟尼佛告文殊師利法王子菩薩摩訶薩：「汝觀是一切諸佛菩薩，及天龍鬼神，此世界，他世界，此國土，他國土，如是今來集會，到忉利天者，汝知數不？」
At that time, Śākyamuni Buddha addressed Mañjuśrī, the Dharma Prince Bodhisattva Mahāsattva: "O Mañjuśrī, behold all these buddhas, bodhisattvas, along with devas, nāgas, yakṣas, and spirits, from this world and other worlds, from this land and other lands—all now assembled and come to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. Do you know their number?"
文殊師利白佛言：「世尊！若以我神力，千劫測度，不能得知。」
Mañjuśrī addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One, even if I were to employ my spiritual power to measure and fathom it for a thousand kalpas, I would be unable to comprehend it.”
佛告文殊師利：「吾以佛眼觀故，猶不盡數。此皆是地藏菩薩久遠劫來，已度、當度、未度，已成就、當成就、未成就。」
The Buddha said to Manjushri, "Even with the Buddha's own vision, I cannot fully count them all. These are beings whom the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha has, over countless ages past, already liberated, is in the process of liberating, or will yet liberate; those he has already brought to fulfillment, is bringing to fulfillment, or will yet bring to fulfillment."
文殊師利白佛言：「世尊！我已過去久修善根，證無礙智，聞佛所言，即當信受。小果聲聞、天龍八部，及未來世諸眾生等，雖聞如來誠實之語，必懷疑惑，設使頂受，未免興謗。唯願世尊，廣說地藏菩薩摩訶薩因地作何行、立何願，而能成就不思議事？」
Manjushri addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One, I have cultivated wholesome roots for a long time in the past and have attained unobstructed wisdom. Upon hearing the Buddha’s words, I accept them with faith. However, those of lesser attainment—the voice-hearers, the eightfold assembly of dragons and deities, and sentient beings of future ages—though they hear the Tathagata’s truthful words, will surely harbor doubts. Even if they accept them on the surface, they may still give rise to slander. I only pray that the World-Honored One would expound broadly: What practices did the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ksitigarbha undertake in his causal stage? What vows did he make, that he could accomplish such inconceivable deeds?"
佛告文殊師利：「譬如三千大千世界，所有草木叢林，稻麻竹葦，山石微塵，一物一數，作一恒河，一恒河沙，一沙一界。一界之內，一塵一劫，一劫之內，所積塵數，盡充為劫。地藏菩薩證十地果位已來，千倍多於上喻。何況地藏菩薩在聲聞、辟支佛地。文殊師利！此菩薩威神誓願，不可思議。若未來世，有善男子、善女人，聞是菩薩名字，或讚歎，或瞻禮，或稱名，或供養，乃至彩畫、刻鏤、塑漆形像，是人當得百返生於三十三天，永不墮惡道。
The Buddha said to Manjushri, "Consider all the plants, forests, rice, hemp, bamboo, reeds, mountains, rocks, and fine dust particles in a great trichiliocosm. Take each individual thing and count it as one Ganges River. Then take each grain of sand in one such Ganges River and count each grain as one world. Within each such world, take each speck of dust and count it as one kalpa. Within each such kalpa, take all the accumulated dust specks and fill them all up as kalpas. The length of time since Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha attained the fruit of the Ten Grounds is a thousand times longer than this analogy. How much more so the time he spent in the stages of Sravaka and Pratyekabuddha! Manjushri, the majestic spiritual power and vows of this Bodhisattva are inconceivable. If in future ages, there are good men or good women who hear this Bodhisattva's name, or praise him, or gaze upon and pay homage to him, or invoke his name, or make offerings to him, or even paint his image, carve it, engrave it, or mold and lacquer his form, these people will be reborn one hundred times in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and will never fall into the evil paths."
「文殊師利！是地藏菩薩摩訶薩，於過去久遠不可說不可說劫前，身為大長者子。時世有佛，號曰師子奮迅具足萬行如來。時長者子，見佛相好，千福莊嚴，因問彼佛：『作何行願，而得此相？』時師子奮迅具足萬行如來告長者子：『欲證此身，當須久遠度脫一切受苦眾生。』
Manjushri, in the distant, immeasurable past, countless eons ago, the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Ksitigarbha was born as the son of a great elder. At that time, there was a Buddha in the world named Lion’s Roar of Complete Ten Thousand Practices Thus Come One.
The elder’s son, upon seeing the Buddha’s magnificent form adorned with a thousand blessings, asked that Buddha, “What vows and practices did you undertake to attain such a majestic appearance?”
Lion’s Roar of Complete Ten Thousand Practices Thus Come One then told the elder’s son, “To realize such a form, you must, for a vast and long time, liberate all beings who are suffering.”
「文殊師利！時長者子，因發願言：『我今盡未來際不可計劫，為是罪苦六道眾生，廣設方便，盡令解脫，而我自身，方成佛道。』以是於彼佛前，立斯大願，于今百千萬億那由他不可說劫，尚為菩薩。
Manjushri, at that time, the youth made this vow: 'From now on, for countless, immeasurable eons into the future, I shall devise vast and skillful means for all sentient beings suffering in the six realms of existence, enabling every one of them to attain liberation. Only then will I myself achieve Buddhahood.' Because he made this great vow before that Buddha, even now, after hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of inexpressible eons, he still remains a bodhisattva.
「又於過去，不可思議阿僧祇劫，時世有佛，號曰覺華定自在王如來。彼佛壽命，四百千萬億阿僧祇劫。像法之中，有一婆羅門女，宿福深厚，眾所欽敬；行住坐臥，諸天衛護。其母信邪，常輕三寶。是時聖女，廣說方便，勸誘其母，令生正見。而此女母，未全生信，不久命終，魂神墮在無間地獄。時婆羅門女，知母在世不信因果，計當隨業，必生惡趣。遂賣家宅，廣求香華，及諸供具，於先佛塔寺，大興供養。見覺華定自在王如來，其形像在一寺中，塑畫威容，端嚴畢備。時婆羅門女，瞻禮尊容，倍生敬仰。私自念言：『佛名大覺，具一切智，若在世時，我母死後，儻來問佛，必知處所。』時婆羅門女，垂泣良久，瞻戀如來。忽聞空中聲曰：『泣者聖女！勿至悲哀，我今示汝母之去處。』婆羅門女合掌向空，而白空曰：『是何神德，寬我憂慮。我自失母已來，晝夜憶戀，無處可問知母生界。』時空中有聲，再報女曰：『我是汝所瞻禮者，過去覺華定自在王如來。見汝憶母，倍於常情眾生之分，故來告示。』婆羅門女聞此聲已，舉身自撲，支節皆損。左右扶侍，良久方穌，而白空曰：『願佛慈愍，速說我母生界。我今身心，將死不久。』時覺華定自在王如來告聖女曰：『汝供養畢，但早返舍。端坐思惟吾之名號，即當知母所生去處。』
Furthermore, in the past, an inconceivable, immeasurable number of eons ago, there appeared in the world a Buddha named King of Self-Mastery Through the Samadhi of the Flower of Enlightenment. That Buddha’s lifespan lasted for four hundred thousand billion immeasurable eons.
During the period of the Semblance Dharma, there was a Brahmin woman of profound accumulated merit, respected by all. In all her actions—walking, standing, sitting, or lying down—she was protected by heavenly beings. Her mother, however, held wrong views and often disparaged the Three Jewels. At that time, this noble woman extensively employed skillful means, urging and guiding her mother to give rise to correct views. Yet, her mother did not develop complete faith, and before long, her life ended, her spirit falling into the Avici Hell.
Knowing that her mother, while alive, did not believe in cause and effect, the Brahmin woman reckoned that according to her karma, she was certainly destined for an evil realm. She then sold her family home and broadly sought incense, flowers, and various offerings to make extensive offerings at the stupas and temples of past Buddhas.
She saw an image of King of Self-Mastery Through the Samadhi of the Flower of Enlightenment in one temple. Its majestic form, sculpted and painted, was complete in every dignified detail. As the Brahmin woman gazed upon and paid respects to the honored form, her reverence grew even greater. Privately she thought, "The Buddha is called the Greatly Enlightened One, possessing all wisdom. If he were in the world now, after my mother’s death, were I to come and ask the Buddha, he would surely know her whereabouts."
The Brahmin woman wept for a long time, gazing longingly at the Tathagata. Suddenly, she heard a voice from the sky saying, "O weeping noble woman, do not grieve so deeply. I will now show you your mother’s whereabouts."
The Brahmin woman placed her palms together toward the sky and addressed it, saying, "What spirit of virtue is this, relieving my anxiety? Since I lost my mother, I have thought of her day and night, with nowhere to ask and know the realm of her rebirth."
Then the voice from the sky spoke to the woman again, saying, "I am the one you have been gazing upon and paying respects to—the past Buddha, King of Self-Mastery Through the Samadhi of the Flower of Enlightenment. Seeing your remembrance of your mother far exceeds the ordinary affection of sentient beings, I have come to tell you."
Hearing this voice, the Brahmin woman threw herself to the ground with such force that all her limbs and joints were injured. Those attending her helped her up, and only after a long time did she revive. She then addressed the sky, saying, "May the Buddha, in his compassion, quickly tell me the realm of my mother’s rebirth. My body and mind are now near death."
Then King of Self-Mastery Through the Samadhi of the Flower of Enlightenment told the noble woman, "After you finish making offerings, simply return home early. Sit upright and concentrate on my name, and you will then know the realm of your mother’s rebirth."
「時婆羅門女，尋禮佛已，即歸其舍。以憶母故，端坐念覺華定自在王如來，經一日一夜。忽見自身，到一海邊。其水涌沸，多諸惡獸，盡復鐵身，飛走海上，東西馳逐。見諸男子女人，百千萬數，出沒海中，被諸惡獸爭取食噉。又見夜叉，其形各異，或多手多眼，多足多頭，口牙外出，利刃如劍，驅諸辠人，使近惡獸，復自搏攫，頭足相就。其形萬類，不敢久視。時婆羅門女，以念佛力故，自然無懼。
At that time, the Brahmin woman, having finished paying respects to the Buddha, returned to her home. Remembering her mother, she sat upright and focused her mind on the Buddha known as "Lotus Blossom Samadhi-Sovereign King Tathagata," for a full day and night. Suddenly, she saw herself arrive at the shore of an ocean. Its waters surged and boiled, filled with many fearsome beasts, their bodies made of iron, flying and running across the surface, chasing east and west. She saw countless men and women, hundreds of thousands in number, appearing and disappearing in the sea, seized and devoured by those vicious beasts. She also saw yakshas, each with a different form—some with many hands and eyes, many feet or heads, their fangs protruding, sharp as swords—driving the sinful people toward the beasts, then grabbing and wrestling them, heads and feet tangled together. The sight was of ten thousand terrifying kinds, too dreadful to behold for long. Yet, at that moment, the Brahmin woman, through the power of her mindfulness of the Buddha, naturally felt no fear.
「有一鬼王，名曰無毒，稽首來迎，白聖女曰：『善哉！菩薩何緣來此？』時婆羅門女問鬼王曰：『此是何處？』無毒答曰：『此是大鐵圍山西面第一重海。』聖女問曰：『我聞鐵圍之內，地獄在中，是事實不？』無毒答曰：『實有地獄。』聖女問曰：『我今云何，得到獄所？』無毒答曰：『若非威神，即須業力，非此二事，終不能到。』聖女又問：『此水何緣，而乃涌沸？多諸罪人，及以惡獸？』無毒答曰：『此是閻浮提造惡眾生新死之者，經四十九日後，無人繼嗣為作功德，救拔苦難，生時又無善因，當據本業所感地獄，自然先渡此海。海東十萬由旬，又有一海，其苦倍此。彼海之東，又有一海，其苦復倍。三業惡因之所招感，共號業海，其處是也。』聖女又問鬼王無毒曰：『地獄何在？』無毒答曰：『三海之內，是大地獄，其數百千，各各差別。所謂大者，具有十八。次有五百，苦毒無量。次有千百，亦無量苦。』聖女又問大鬼王曰：『我母死來未久，不知魂神當至何趣？』鬼王問聖女曰：『菩薩之母，在生習何行業？』聖女答曰：『我母邪見，譏毀三寶。設或暫信，旋又不敬。死雖日淺，未知生處。』無毒問曰：『菩薩之母，姓氏何等？』聖女答曰：『我父我母，俱婆羅門種。父號尸羅善現，母號悅帝利。』無毒合掌，啟菩薩曰：『願聖者却返本處，無至憂憶悲戀。悅帝利罪女，生天以來，經今三日。云承孝順之子，為母設供、修福，布施覺華定自在王如來塔寺。非唯菩薩之母得脫地獄，應是無間罪人，此日悉得受樂，俱同生訖。』鬼王言畢，合掌而退。婆羅門女，尋如夢歸。悟此事已，便於覺華定自在王如來塔像之前，立弘誓願：『願我盡未來劫，應有罪苦眾生，廣設方便，使令解脫。』」
There was a king of the spirits named Poisonless, who bowed and came forward to greet her. He addressed the Holy Maiden, saying, "Excellent! For what reason has the Bodhisattva come to this place?"
At that time, the Brahmin maiden asked the spirit king, "What place is this?"
Poisonless replied, "This is the first great sea to the west of the Great Iron Ring Mountains."
The Holy Maiden asked, "I have heard that within the Iron Ring, hells exist. Is this true?"
Poisonless answered, "Hells truly exist."
The Holy Maiden asked, "How is it that I have now arrived at the location of these hells?"
Poisonless answered, "If not by the power of spiritual majesty, then it must be by the force of karma. Without one of these two, one could never reach this place."
The Holy Maiden asked further, "Why do these waters surge and boil so, and why are there so many sinful beings and evil beasts here?"
Poisonless answered, "These are the newly deceased beings from Jambudvīpa who created evil deeds. After forty-nine days, if no descendants perform meritorious deeds to rescue them from suffering and difficulty, and if they themselves created no good causes during their lives, then according to the karma they created, they naturally must first cross this sea. One hundred thousand yojanas east of this sea, there is another sea, whose suffering is twice as great. East of that sea, there is yet another sea, whose suffering is again doubled. These three seas are summoned by the evil causes created by body, speech, and mind. Together they are called the Sea of Karma. This is that place."
The Holy Maiden asked the spirit king Poisonless again, "Where are the hells?"
Poisonless answered, "Within these three seas are the great hells. They number in the hundreds and thousands, each one different. The so-called major ones number eighteen. Next are five hundred, with immeasurable suffering and torment. Next are hundreds and thousands, also with immeasurable suffering."
The Holy Maiden asked the great spirit king, "My mother died not long ago. I do not know where her spirit has gone."
The spirit king asked the Holy Maiden, "What actions did the Bodhisattva's mother habitually perform during her life?"
The Holy Maiden replied, "My mother held wrong views, ridiculing and slandering the Three Jewels. Even if she briefly believed, she soon showed no respect again. Though her death was recent, I do not know where she has been reborn."
Poisonless asked, "What was the Bodhisattva's mother's name?"
The Holy Maiden replied, "Both my father and mother were of the Brahmin caste. My father was named Śīla Good-Appearance, and my mother was named Yue Di Li."
Poisonless placed his palms together and addressed the Bodhisattva, saying, "May the Holy One return to her original place. Do not grieve, brood, sorrow, or cling. The sinful woman Yue Di Li has been reborn in the heavens for three days now. It is said she received this due to her filial child setting up offerings, cultivating merit, and making donations at the temple of the Buddha Flower of Enlightenment, King of Self-Mastery. Not only did the Bodhisattva's mother escape the hells, but all the sinners who should have been in the Avīci Hell on that day received joy and have all finished being reborn together."
When the spirit king finished speaking, he placed his palms together and withdrew. The Brahmin maiden soon returned as if from a dream. Having awakened to this event, she then stood before the image of the Buddha Flower of Enlightenment, King of Self-Mastery, and made a great vow: "May I, for all future eons, for all beings suffering from sin, extensively establish skillful means to enable their liberation."
佛告文殊師利：「時鬼王無毒者，當今財首菩薩是。婆羅門女者，即地藏菩薩是。」
The Buddha said to Manjushri, "The ghost king named Non-Poisonous is now the Bodhisattva Wealth-Leader. The Brahmin woman is none other than the Bodhisattva Ksitigarbha."