12. Hoa (Phẩm Hoa)

T 0584c06昔佛在舍衛國，國東南海中有臺，臺上有華T 0584c07香樹，樹木清淨。有婆羅門女五百人，奉事T 0584c08異道意甚精進，不知有佛。於時諸女自相謂T 0584c09曰：「我等稟形生為女人，從少至老為三事所T 0584c10鑑不得自由，命又短促形如幻化當復死亡。T 0584c11不如共至華香臺上採取香華，精進持齋降T 0584c12屈梵天當從求願，願生梵天長壽不死，又得T 0584c13自在無有鑑忌，離諸罪對無復憂患。」即齎供T 0584c14具往至臺上，採取華香奉事梵天，一心持齋T 0584c15願屈尊神。於是世尊見此諸女雖為俗齋，其T 0584c16心精進應可化度，即與大眾弟子菩薩天龍T 0584c17鬼神，飛昇虛空往至臺上坐於樹下。諸女歡T 0584c18喜，謂是梵天，自相慶慰得我所願矣。時一天T 0584c19人語諸女言：「此非梵天，是三界尊，號名為佛，T 0584c20度人無量。」於是諸女前至佛所，為佛作禮前T 0584c21白佛言：「我等多垢今為女人，求離鑑撿願生T 0584c22梵天。」佛言：「諸女！快得善利乃發此願。世有二T 0584c23事其報明審，為善受福、為惡受殃。世間之苦、T 0584c24天上之樂，有為之煩、無為之寂，誰能選擇取T 0584c25其真者？善哉諸女乃有明志。」

於是世尊即說T 0584c26偈言：T 0584c27

SC Verse 88Verse 12.1「孰能擇地，　　捨鑑取天，
誰說法句，T 0584c28　　如擇善華。

SC Verse 89Verse 12.2學者擇地，　　捨鑑取天，T 0584c29
善說法句，　　能採德華。

SC Verse 90Verse 12.3知世坏喻，T 0585a01　　幻法忽有，
斷魔華敷，　　不現死生。T 0585a02

SC Verse 91Verse 12.4見身如沫，　　幻法自然，
斷魔華敷，T 0585a03　　不現死生。」T 0585a04

於是諸女聞佛此偈，願學真道為比丘尼，頭T 0585a05髮自墮法衣具足，思惟寂定即得羅漢道。阿T 0585a06難白佛言：「今此諸女素有何德。乃令世尊就T 0585a07而度之，一聞說法出家得道也？」佛告阿難：「昔T 0585a08迦葉佛時有大長者，財富無數，夫人婇女有T 0585a09五百人。其性妬惡門不妄開，夫人婇女欲往T 0585a10見佛，終不肯聽。後日國王請諸大臣，上殿T 0585a11宴會，會輒竟日，時夫人婇女見長者入會，便T 0585a12共至佛所稽首作禮，小坐聽經各發願言：『令T 0585a13我世世莫與惡人共相遭遇，所生之處恒與T 0585a14道德聖人相值，聞來世有佛名釋迦文，願與T 0585a15相值出家學道奉持訓誨。』」佛語阿難：「爾時夫T 0585a16人婇女五百人者，今此五百比丘尼是。本願T 0585a17懇惻，今應得度，是以世尊就度之耳。」

佛說T 0585a18是時莫不歡喜。

T 0585a19◎法句譬喻經卷第一

T 0585a25喻華香品之二T 0585a26◎昔佛始得道在羅閱祇國教化，轉到舍衛T 0585a27國，國王群臣莫不宗仰。時有賈客大人名曰T 0585a28波利，與五百賈人入海求寶。時海神出，掬水T 0585a29問波利言：「海水為多？掬水為多？」波利答曰：「掬T 0585b01水為多。所以者何？海水雖多無益時用，不能T 0585b02救彼飢渴之人，掬水雖少值彼渴者，持用與T 0585b03之以濟其命，世世受福不可稱計。」海神歡喜T 0585b04讚言善哉！即脫身上八種香瓔校以七寶，以T 0585b05上波利。海神送之，安善往還到舍衛國，持此T 0585b06香瓔上波斯匿王，具陳所由。「念是香瓔非T 0585b07小人所服，謹以貢上，願蒙納受。」王得香瓔T 0585b08以為奇異，即呼諸夫人羅列前住：「若最好者T 0585b09以香瓔與之。」六萬夫人盡嚴來出。王問：「末利T 0585b10夫人何以不出？」侍人答言：「今十五日持佛法T 0585b11齋素服不嚴，是以不出。」王便瞋恚，遣人呼曰：T 0585b12「汝今持齋，應違王主之命不乎？」如是三反，T 0585b13末利夫人素服而出在眾人中，猶如日月倍T 0585b14好於常。王意悚然加敬，問曰：「有何道德，炳然T 0585b15有異？」夫人白王：「自念少福稟斯女形，情態穢T 0585b16垢日夜山積，人命促短懼墜三塗，是以日T 0585b17月奉佛法齋，割愛從道世世蒙福。」王聞歡喜，T 0585b18便以香瓔以與末利夫人。夫人答言：「我今T 0585b19持齋不應著此，可與餘人。」王曰：「我本發意欲T 0585b20與勝者，卿今最勝，又奉法齋道志殊高，是以T 0585b21相與。若卿不受，吾將安置？」夫人答言：「大王T 0585b22勿憂！願王屈意共到佛所，以此香瓔奉上世T 0585b23尊，并採聖訓，累劫之福矣。」王即許焉，即勅嚴T 0585b24駕往到佛所，稽首於地却就王位，王白佛T 0585b25言：「海神香瓔波利所上，六萬夫人莫不貪T 0585b26得，末利夫人與而不取，持佛法齋心無貪欲，T 0585b27謹以上佛，願垂納受。世尊弟子執心護齋T 0585b28直信如此，豈有福乎？」

於是世尊為受香瓔，T 0585b29即說偈言：T 0585c01

SC Verse 92Verse 12.5「多作寶華，　　結步搖綺，
廣積德香，T 0585c02　　所生轉好。

SC Verse 93Verse 12.6琦草芳華，　　不逆風熏，T 0585c03
近道敷開，　　德人逼香。

SC Verse 94Verse 12.7栴檀多香，T 0585c04　　青蓮芳花，
雖曰是真，　　不如戒香。T 0585c05

SC Verse 95Verse 12.8華香氣微，　　不可謂真，
持戒之香，T 0585c06　　到天殊勝。

SC Verse 96Verse 12.9戒具成就，　　行無放逸，T 0585c07
定意度脫，　　長離魔道。」T 0585c08

佛說偈已重告王曰：「齋之福祐明譽廣遠，譬T 0585c09如天下十六大國滿中珍寶持用布施，不如T 0585c10末利夫人一日一夕持佛法齋，如比其福須T 0585c11彌以豆矣。積福學慧可到泥洹。」王及夫人T 0585c12群臣大小，莫不歡喜執戴奉行。

T 0585c13昔佛在羅閱祇耆闍崛山中，於時城中有T 0585c14長者子五十人，往詣佛所作禮却坐。時佛為T 0585c15說無常苦空非身之法，恩愛如夢會當別離，T 0585c16尊榮豪貴亦有憂慼，唯有泥洹永離生死，群T 0585c17殃盡滅乃可大安。時五十人聞法喜悅，願為T 0585c18弟子，佛言：「善來比丘！」鬚髮自墮法衣具足，T 0585c19即成沙門。此諸沙門有親友長者，聞其出家T 0585c20意大歡喜，往到崛山與之相見，讚言：「諸T 0585c21君快哉善利，乃有此志。」為之設壇請佛及T 0585c22僧。明日佛與眾會就其舍食，食訖說法晡時T 0585c23乃還。此諸新學沙門戀慕宗黨皆欲返退，佛T 0585c24知其意，將出城門，見田溝中污泥糞壤中生T 0585c25蓮華，五色香潔其香芬熏乃蔽諸臭。佛便趣之，T 0586a01因說偈言：T 0586a02

SC Verse 97Verse 12.10「如作田溝，　　近於大道，
中生蓮華，T 0586a03　　香潔可意。

SC Verse 98Verse 12.11有生死然，　　凡夫處邊，T 0586a04
智者樂出，　　為佛弟子。」T 0586a05

佛說偈已即還山中。賢者阿難前白佛言：「向T 0586a06者世尊臨田溝上，所說二偈不審其義？願T 0586a07聞其意。」佛告阿難：「汝見溝中污泥不淨糞T 0586a08壤之中生蓮華不？」「唯然見之。」佛言：「阿難！人T 0586a09在世間展轉相生，計壽百歲或長或短，妻T 0586a10子恩愛飢渴寒熱，或悲或欣，一凶二吉三毒T 0586a11四倒五陰六入七識八邪九惱十惡，猶如田T 0586a12溝畜藏糞壤污泥不淨。欻有一人覺世無常，T 0586a13發心學道修清淨志，凝神斷想自致得道，亦T 0586a14如污泥生好蓮華，身自得道還度宗親，一切T 0586a15眾生皆蒙開解，亦如華香奄蔽臭穢。」

五十比T 0586a16丘聞佛說法，進志堅固，即得阿羅漢道。

Beal 1In days of old, when Buddha was residing at Śrāvastī, there was to the south-east of that country, in the mid-ocean, a certain islet (a mound, or fort, or look-out), on the top of which was a tree that bare beautiful scented flowers.
In the same spot dwelt five hundred women of the Brahman caste, wholly devoted to their worldly duties, ignorant that there was a Buddha born in the world. Now these women were in the habit of conversing together on the unhappiness of their worldly condition, and in consequence they used to go to the tree that surmounted their abode, and pluck the flowers and offer them to Brahmā-deva, with the prayer that they might escape the power of Yama, and be born in heaven (Brahma-heaven). Now Buddha, perceiving their case, and knowing that they had the capacity of being converted, suddenly transported himself with his followers to their place of abode, and then came and sat down near them. The women seeing the wonderful sight, were lost in amazement, and exclaimed, “Brahmā himself has come to answer our prayers!” But on this a certain Deva answered them, and said, “This is not Brahmā, but the World-honoured Buddha, who has come to save the world.” On this the women bowed down in reverence, and addressed Buddha in these words—"We, indeed, are but women, much polluted, yet we desire, above all things, to escape the power of Yama, and to be born in the highest heaven;” to whom Buddha replied, “May you, indeed, obtain your desire! But there are two things in the world which are immutably fixed—that good actions bring happiness, and bad actions result in misery. But (it is not generally known that) the joys of heaven as well as the sorrows of earth are both to be avoided. Who, then, is able to pluck and to hold the true joy of perfect rest (the rest of non-action)? Truly ye have understanding, O women!” and therefore he recited these gāthas:

“Who is able to select (conquer?) the earth (i.e., the place of his abode), to escape Yama, and lay hold of heaven? Who (is able) to repeat the verses of the Law as one who selects choice (excellent) flowers? The enlightened (one) selects the earth, avoids Yama, seizes heaven, illustriously repeats the verses of the Law, is able to cull the flowers of virtue. Knowing that the world is like a hillock of sand, that it is unsubstantial as a mirage, he separates the flowery arrows of Māra, and escapes from the necessity of birth and death. Regarding the body as a bubble, as a self-created mirage, he separates the flowery garland of Māra, and escapes from birth and death.”

And so the 500 women were converted, and, in reply to Ānanda, Buddha explains how these women had formerly lived in the time of Kāśyapa Buddha, and because of their devotion to him, were now privileged to live in the time of Śākya Buddha, and to be converted by him. And so on another occasion Buddha recited these gāthas:

“As many kinds of flowers when waived to and fro scatter their scent far and wide, so wide is the renown of his accumulated merits, who once is born and lives as he ought. The scent of the Vassikī flowers does not travel against the wind, but the (odour) of those who live religiously spreads far and wide—the fame of the virtuous man pervades all places. The scent of sandal-wood and the Tagara, of the Lotus and Vassikī flower, although real and sensible, is not as the fragrance of (him who walks according to) the precepts. Mean and false in comparison is the scent of the rarest flowers with the fame of him who holds by virtue, the excellency of whose conduct rises to heaven. He who thus lives in perfect agreement with the precepts, who walks circumspectly, and who by fixed thought has obtained release, he has far out-distanced the way of Māra.”

And on another occasion, when Buddha was residing on the Gridhrakūta Mountain, near Rājagriha, he recited the following gāthas:

“As a ditch in the field, close beside the highway, will produce the lily in its midst, and spread far and wide its delightful perfume, so in the midst of life and death (that is, the phenomenal world), beside the way of false speculation (universal inquiry), the wise man diffuses his glad sentiments in becoming a disciple of Buddha.”