(25) 提婆达多　害佛毁教

提婆达多心怀奢望，背叛佛陀，害佛毁僧坏教，最后在佛前忏悔而逝，为示业报堕大地狱，实则提婆达多乃为佛陀善知识，发心以逆佛助佛学道，世世与佛作对，激发道心，故佛讚为善知识，于法华会上为说「提婆达多品」。

Devadatta Tried to Harm the Buddha and Destroy Buddhism.

Devadatta, the one who dreamt about betraying the Buddha and destroying Buddha and his sangha, deeply repented his deeds just before his death. He fell into hell as a demonstration of karma but in actual fact he was a constructive adversary of Buddha, who
had vowed to help Buddha complete his path by going against the Buddha, life after life, to reinforce Buddha’s determination to achieve enlightenment. Hence the Buddha considered him a good friend, and thus spoke of the Devadatta Chapter during the Lotus Sutra Assembly.

(26) 佛度姨母　尼众始有

佛姨母摩诃波闍波提，妻耶输陀罗率宫女五百人，恳请准入僧团， 佛再三拒绝后得阿难请求，立「八敬法」（注12）后，准女众出家，是为比丘尼之始。

Buddha Ordained his Aunt, the Beginning of Bikhunnis.

The aunt of Buddha, Prajapati, and his wife, Yasodhara, led five hundred court ladies, approached the Buddha and asked to join the Sangha. Three times the Buddha refused. Ananda personally begged the Buddha for approval and Buddha drawn up the Eight Commands (12) for the ladies to follow, thereby permitted the establishment of the order of Bikhunnis.

注十二

　　八敬法又名八敬戒、八尊师法、八不可越法。都是规定尼众恭敬比丘、尊重比丘的事，所以后人称之为八敬法。参考《佛学常见辞汇》

(12)The eight commands cover the manners how Bhikkhunis should treat and respect Bhikkhus. (Excerpted from The Seeker’s Glossary of Buddhism.)

(27) 父王驾崩　说法荼毘

淨饭王年老病笃，佛尽子责，回国侍父，为说胜法，悟证而逝，更施财物，送终扶棺，说法荼毘，尽诸孝道。

Death of King Suddhodana, Buddha Spoke at the Jhapita Ritual.

King Suddhodana was old and ill. Buddha went back to Kapilavastu to wait on his father and spoke to his father about the Dharma. King Suddhodana immediately attained arhatship and passed away peacefully. Buddha gave away treasures and material goods, attended his father’s funeral and spoke at the Jhapita (cremation) thus fulfilling his role as a son.

(28) 忉利说法　报佛母恩

佛为报生母摩耶夫人恩，上升忉利天，为母说《地藏菩萨本愿经》，忉利天主释提桓因皈依佛陀，誓愿拥护三宝。

Preaching at the Trayatrimsha Heaven, Repaying his Mother’s Gratitute.

Indebted to his mother’s kindness, the Buddha ascended the Trayatrimsha Heaven and preached the Ksitigarbha Sutra (the Earth Store Sutra) to his mother. The talk also convinced King Indra, ruler of the Trayatrimsha Heaven, to take refuge in the Buddha, and he vowed to uphold and protect the Triple Gems.

(29) 天宫下降　弟子迎驾

佛报完母恩，从忉利天宫下降，大梵天王送驾，请佛说法，四众弟子争迎圣驾第一人。莲花色尼以神通迎佛，唯须菩提端坐山中，三昧迎神，佛示弟子，但见色身报体，为解空第一须菩提见佛法身，第一见佛。

Descending to Earth, Welcomed by his Disciples.

When the Buddha had fulfi lled his fi lial duty toward his mother, he descended from the Trayatrimsha Heaven, escorted by Lord of Mahabrahma, who invited the Buddha to preach. The lay and monastic followers of the Buddha raced to become the fi rst to welcome the Buddha. Bikhunni Uppalavanna used her supernatural power and appeared fi rst to welcome the Buddha. Subhuti, on the other hand, sat still in a cave, welcoming the Buddha in the deep meditative state of Samadhi. The Buddha showed his disciples, the physical body of Subhuti, meeting the Dharma-body of the Buddha. Thus, he was the fi rst to welcome the Buddha.

(30) 鸯崛摩罗　遇佛得度

鸯崛摩罗为求真理，误信婆罗门邪师之语，杀满百人则传真理，疯狂杀人，最后欲弑母成百，幸遇佛威德感化，放下屠刀皈依三宝。

Angulimalya Saved by the Buddha.

Angulimalya in his quest for truth, believed in the practice of the fanatic Sivaitic sect, that if one killed one hundred people the truth will come forth. The one hundredth person he would kill was his mother. Fortunately the Buddha used his inspiring virtue and convinced Angulimalya to lay down his sword and took refuge with the Triple Gems.

(31) 娑罗双树　大般涅槃

佛以住世因缘已尽，在拘尸那迦罗城娑罗双树下，最后说法度须跋陀罗，为诸弟子略说法要，诫「以戒为师」，于西元前四六三年二月十五日午夜入灭，佛寿八十岁。

At the Twin Sala Trees at Salavana, the Buddha Entered Mahaparinirvana.

It was time for the Buddha to leave this world. Under the twin sala trees at Salavana, Buddha converted his last disciple, Subhadra. He briefly talked to his disciples about the essence of the Dharma. He admonished his disciples to learn from abiding in the precepts. At mid-night, on February 15, 364 B.C., the Buddha entered into nirvana, at the age of 80.

(32) 分祀舍利　人天争供

佛涅槃后，荼毘所得舍利，人天争供，舍利三分，天上、人间、龙宫。人间为争供养，八王（注13）欲动干戈夺取，后经调解，八王共分，造塔奉祀，舍利异端，至今流传不绝。

Distributing the Sarira, Human and Celestial Realms Fought to Obtain the Sarira.

The sarira that appeared after Buddha’s Jhapita were divided equally among celestial, human and palaces of the dragon kings. In the human realm, eight kings were about to wage battles with one another in order to possess Buddha’s sarira. After several negotiations, the eight kings (13) agreed to divide the sarira equally among them. They erected stupas to house the sarira and the unusual and auspiciousness sarira remained until today.

注十三

　　佛涅槃后，对于佛所留下的碎舍利，有八国的国王，都要求得到舍利，几乎引起纷争。后有一位婆罗门出来协调，决定由八国公平的分取舍利，回国去建塔供养。八国的名称与种族，记录较完全的，如《长阿含经》卷四「游行经」记载有波婆国、遮罗颇国、罗摩伽国、毘留提国、迦维罗卫国、毘舍离国、摩竭国、拘尸国。

(13)After the Buddha entered Mahaparinirvana, there were eight kings who requested Buddha ‘s remaining sarira. Major dispute had almost erupted. A Brahman negotiated between all parties and finally, all agreed to have the sarira distributed equally to all eight countries. Longer Agamas Sutra stated that the following eight kings were able to bring back and stored the sarira in the stupas.

1. Ajatasattu, king of Magadha.
2. Licchavis of Vesali.
3. Sakyas of Kapilavastu.
4. Bulis of Allakappa.
5. Koliyas of Ramagama.
6. Brahmin of Vethadipa.
7. Mallas of Pava.
8. Mallas of Kusinara.

To become a saint is to do nothing more than
to diligently teach others and be courageous in
correcting one’s own faults.
A saint’s transformational influence on and
contribution to society is, again, nothing more
than to teach others and be courageous in
correcting one’s own faults.

Chin Kung
August 1999