中英对照【妙法莲华经】第13品

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Chapter 13 - Exhortation to Maintain

妙法莲华经劝持品第十三

At that time the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Medicine King, and the Bodhisattva Mahasattva Great Delight in Speaking, along with a retinue of twenty thousand Bodhisattvas came before the Buddha and made the following vow: “We only pray that the World Honored One will not be concerned. After the Buddha’s extinction, we will reverently maintain, read, recite, and explain this Sutra.”

“In the future evil ages, as their good roots diminish, living beings will become increasingly arrogant, greedy for benefits and offerings, of increasingly unwholesome roots, far removed from liberation, and difficult to teach and transform. Still, we shall give rise to the great power of patience, read, and recite this Sutra, maintain and speak it, write it out, and make various kinds of offerings to it, not sparing our very bodies and lives.”

尔时药王菩萨摩诃萨、及大乐说菩萨摩诃萨、与二万菩萨眷属俱，皆于佛前、作是誓言：‘惟愿世尊不以为虑，我等于佛灭后，当奉持、读诵、说此经典。后恶世众生，善根转少，多增上慢，贪利供养，增不善根，远离解脱。虽难可教化，我等当起大忍力，读诵此经，持说、书写、种种供养、不惜身命。’

Then, the five hundred Arhats in the assembly who had received predictions, spoke to the Buddha saying, “World Honored One, we too, vow to speak this Sutra extensively in other lands.”

Again, those still studying and those beyond study, eight thousand in number, who had received predictions, rose from their seats, placed their palms together, and facing the Buddha made this vow, “World Honored One, we too, will speak this Sutra extensively in other lands. Why? The people in the Saha World are for the most part evil, arrogant, of scanty merit and virtue, hateful, turbid, flattering, and deceitful, their hearts untrue.”

尔时众中五百阿罗汉得受记者、白佛言：‘世尊，我等亦自誓愿，于异国土、广说此经。’复有学无学八千人、得受记者，从座而起，合掌向佛、作是誓言：‘世尊，我等亦当于他国土、广说此经。所以者何。是娑婆国中、人多敝恶，怀增上慢，功德浅薄、嗔浊、谄曲，心不实故。’

The Buddha’s foster mother, the Bhikshuni Mahaprajapati, together with six thousand Bhikshunis, both those still studying and those beyond study, rose from their seats, singlemindedly joined their palms, and gazed at the Honored One’s countenance without removing their eyes for an instant. The World Honored One then spoke to Gautami saying, “Why do you stare at the Thus Come One with such a worried expression? Are you not thinking of saying that I have not mentioned your name in connection with receiving a prediction for anuttarasamyaksambodhi? Gautami, I included all of you when previously I conferred predictions upon all of the Hearers. Now you wish to know about your prediction. In the future, within the Dharma of sixty-eight billion Buddhas, you shall be a great Dharma Master. You and the six thousand Bhikshunis who are studying and who are beyond study shall all become Dharma Masters. In this way you shall gradually perfect the Bodhisattva Path and become a Buddha by the name of “Thus Come One Upon Whom All Beings Look With Delight,” One Worthy of Offerings, of Right and Universal Knowledge, Perfect in Clarity and Conduct, Well-gone One Who Understands the World, Supreme Lord, Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One. Gautami! The Buddha Upon Whom All Beings Look With Delight and the six thousand Bodhisattvas will successively confer predictions for anuttarasamyaksambodhi upon one another.”

尔时佛姨母摩诃波阇波提比丘尼、与学无学比丘尼六千人俱，从座而起，一心合掌，瞻仰尊颜，目不暂舍。于时世尊告憍昙弥：‘何故忧色而视如来，汝心、将无谓我不说汝名，授阿耨多罗三藐三菩提记耶？’‘憍昙弥，我先总说、一切声闻皆已授记，今汝欲知记者，将来之世，当于六万八千亿诸佛法中、为大法师。及六千学无学比丘尼、俱为法师。汝如是渐渐具菩萨道，当得作佛，号一切众生喜见如来、应供、正遍知、明行足、善逝世间解、无上士、调御丈夫、天人师、佛、世尊。憍昙弥，是一切众生喜见佛、及六千菩萨，转次授记、得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。’

The Bhikshuni Yashodhara, Rahula’s mother, then thought, “When conferring predictions, The World Honored One never mentioned my name.”

The Buddha told Yashodhara, “In a future age, within the Dharma of hundreds of thousands of ten thousands of millions of Buddhas, you shall cultivate the Bodhisattva conduct as a great Dharma Master, gradually perfecting the Buddha Path. In the world ‘wholesome’ you shall become a Buddha by the name of ‘The Thus Come One Complete With Tens of Thousands of Radiant Marks.’ One Worthy of Offerings, of Right and Universal Knowledge, Perfect in Clarity and Conduct, Well-gone One Who Understands the World, Supreme Lord, Regulating Hero, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World Honored One. As a Buddha your life span will be limitless asamkhyeyaeons.”

尔时罗侯罗母耶输陀罗比丘尼作是念：‘世尊于授记中，独不说我名。’佛告耶输陀罗：‘汝于来世百千万亿诸佛法中、修菩萨行，为大法师，渐具佛道。于善国中、当得作佛，号具足千万光相如来、应供、正遍知、明行足、善逝世间解、无上士、调御丈夫、天人师、佛、世尊。佛寿无量阿僧祇劫。’

At that time, the Bhikshuni Mahaprajapati and the Bhikshuni Yashodhara, together with their retinues, all rejoiced greatly, having gained what they never had. They spoke these verses in the presence of the Buddha:

“The World Honored One, our leader,
Brings tranquility to gods and humans;
Hearing this prediction
Our hearts know perfect peace.”

When they had finished speaking this verse, the Bhikshunis said to the Buddha, “World Honored One, we too shall extensively proclaim this Sutra in other lands.”

尔时摩诃波阇波提比丘尼、及耶输陀罗比丘尼、并其眷属，皆大欢喜，得未曾有，即于佛前而说偈言：

世尊导师， 安隐天人， 我等闻记， 心安具足。

诸比丘尼说是偈已，白佛言：‘世尊，我等亦能于他方国土、广宣此经。’

At that time, the World Honored One looked upon the eighty billion nayutas of Bodhisattva Mahasattvas.

All of these Bodhisattvas were Avaivartikas who turned the irreversible Dharma-wheel and who had attained all of the dharanis. They immediately rose from their seats, went before the Buddha, singlemindedly with palms joined, and thought, “If the World Honored One were to command us to maintain and speak this Sutra, we would follow the Buddha’s instruction and vastly proclaim this Dharma.”

They further thought: “The Buddha is silent now and gives no command. What should we do?”

Then all the Bodhisattvas, reverently complying with the Buddha’s will, and wishing to fulfill their own past vows, went directly before the Buddha, and uttered the lion’s roar, proclaiming this vow: “World Honored One, after the Thus Come One’s extinction, we shall circulate throughout the ten directions to lead living beings to copy out this Sutra. To receive, maintain, read and recite, and explain its meaning, to cultivate in accord with Dharma, and to keep it properly in mind—all through the awesome power of the Buddha. We only pray that the World Honored One although dwelling in another direction will lend us his protection from afar.”

尔时世尊视八十万亿那由他诸菩萨摩诃萨。是诸菩萨，皆是阿惟越致，转不退法轮，得诸陀罗尼。即从座起，至于佛前，一心合掌，而作是念：‘若世尊告敕我等、持说此经者，当如佛教，广宣斯法。’复作是念：‘佛今默然、不见告敕，我当云何？’

时诸菩萨敬顺佛意，并欲自满本愿，便于佛前、作师子吼，而发誓言：‘世尊，我等于如来灭后，周旋往返十方世界，能令众生书写此经，受持、读诵，解说其义，如法修行，正忆念，皆是佛之威力，惟愿世尊，在于他方、遥见守护。’

At that time, all the Bodhisattvas in unison raised their voices to speak verses saying:

“Pray do not be concerned,
For after the Buddha’s extinction,
In the frightening evil age,
We will vastly preach.

There are ignorant people with evil mouths will revile us,
Or even beat us with knives or staves,
But we will endure it all.

Bhikshus in the evil age
With deviant knowledge and flattering, crooked minds,
Who claim to have gained what they have not,
Have minds filled with arrogance.

Some may appear to be aranyakas,
For they wear rags and dwell in the wilds.
But although they claim to be on the true path,
They scorn those who live among people.

Coveting profit and offerings,
They will speak Dharma to the white-robed
And be held in reverence by the world
As Arhats with the Six Penetrations.

These people harbor evil thoughts,
Always thinking of vulgar, worldly matters.
Falsely calling themselves aranyakas,
They will take delight in pointing out our faults,
Saying things like,
“All of these Bhikshus are greedy for profit and offerings,”
And so they preach externalist doctrines.

They have written the sutras themselves
To deceive and confuse worldly people
All for the sake of reputation.
They will single out this Sutra
And in the midst of the multitudes slander us
Before the kings, ministers, Brahmans, and lay people
And even to other Bhikshus.
Attempting to defame us, they will say,
“These are people of deviant views
Who preach an externalist doctrine.”

即时诸菩萨俱同发声、而说偈言：

惟愿不为虑， 于佛灭度后， 恐怖恶世中， 我等当广说。

有诸无智人， 恶口骂詈等， 及加刀杖者， 我等皆当忍。

恶世中比丘， 邪智心谄曲， 未得谓为得， 我慢心充满。

或有阿练若， 纳衣在空闲， 自谓行真道， 轻贱人间者。

贪著利养故， 与白衣说法， 为世所恭敬、 如六通罗汉。

是人怀恶心， 常念世俗事， 假名阿练若， 好出我等过，

而作如是言， 此诸比丘等， 为贪利养故、 说外道论议，

自作此经典， 诳惑世间人， 为求名闻故。 分别于是经，

常在大众中、 欲毁我等故， 向国王大臣、 婆罗门居士、

及余比丘众， 诽谤说我恶， 谓是邪见人、 说外道论议。

Because we revere the Buddha,
We will endure all of this evil.
For this we will be mocked
And people will flippantly say,
“All of you are Buddhas.”

All such words of ridicule
We will patiently endure.
In the turbid eon, in the evil age
When there will be much to fear,
Evil ghosts will possess others
In order to slander and insult us.

But revering and trusting the Buddha,
We shall put on the armor of patience.
In order to speak this Sutra,
We shall endure all these difficulties.

Not cherishing body or life itself,
But caring only for the supreme path
We in the ages to come,
Will protect and uphold the Buddha’s entrustment.

As the World Honored One himself knows,
In the turbid age, evil Bhikshus,

Not knowing of the Buddha’s expedients

Whereby the Dharma is spoken appropriately,
Will frown and speak ill of us,
Repeatedly banishing us
From stupas and temples.
So will be the host of evils,
And yet, recollecting the Buddha’s command,
We shall bear up under these events.

If there are those who seek the Dharma,
In the villages, cities, and towns,
We will go to those places
To speak the Dharma entrusted
To us by the Buddha.

We are the Buddha’s attendants
Dwelling fearlessly among the multitudes,
We speak the Dharma skillfully,
And hope the Buddha will remain at peace.

We in the presence of the World Honored One,
And before the Buddhas who have come from the ten directions,
Make vows such as these,
And the Buddha himself knows our thoughts.”

我等敬佛故， 悉忍是诸恶。 为斯所轻言、 汝等皆是佛，

如此轻慢言， 皆当忍受之。 浊劫恶世中， 多有诸恐怖，

恶鬼入其身， 骂詈毁辱我。 我等敬信佛， 当著忍辱铠，

为说是经故， 忍此诸难事。 我不爱身命， 但惜无上道，

我等于来世， 护持佛所嘱， 世尊自当知。 浊世恶比丘，

不知佛方便、 随宜所说法， 恶口而颦蹙， 数数见摈出，

远离于塔寺。 如是等众恶， 念佛告敕故， 皆当忍是事。

诸聚落城邑， 其有求法者， 我皆到其所， 说佛所嘱法。

我是世尊使， 处众无所畏， 我当善说法， 愿佛安隐住。

我于世尊前、 诸来十方佛， 发如是誓言， 佛自知我心。

法华经521

南无法华经