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佛陀的初轉法輪 有一次，佛陀在憍薩羅國首都舍衛城南郊的祇樹給孤獨園，告訴比丘們說： 「比丘們！當我在菩提樹下證知：我的解脫已穩固而不可動搖，這是我最後之生，此後我不會再有新的來生了。那時，我想，我所證知的緣起法與涅槃境界，深徹而難知難解，寧靜崇高而難證，而世人只欣樂『阿賴耶』，如果我教導他們這些真理，他們是不會瞭解的，只有徒增我的疲勞與困擾而已，我還是不說的好。 比丘們！當大梵天王知道我這樣想時，他想：如來、正等正覺的心，已傾向於無所作為的不說法，這世界可就要亡滅了。 於是，憂心的大梵天王以神通來到我面前，勸我說法。 聽完大梵天王的勸進，我瞭解他對眾生的慈悲，遂以正覺者之眼，展望這個世間，看到各種不同根性與不同類型的眾生，就像池塘中的各種各色蓮花一樣，因此我答應了大梵天王，給那些願意張開耳朵的人，開啟一扇不死之門。 於是，我開始考量，誰可以迅速體會這個法，選誰先說法好呢？第一位想到的是阿羅羅迦摩羅，但有位來自天界的眾生在空中告訴我，他七天前已經過世了。然後，我想到鬱陀羅摩羅子，但又有另一位天界的眾生告訴我，他也在前一天過世了。接著，想起了當初伴我出家，護持我苦修精進的五比丘。 展開天眼，發現五比丘就在迦尸國波羅奈城郊的鹿野苑，於是，我就朝那兒走去。 途中，遇見一位名叫優波迦的邪命派外道，他讚歎我容光煥發，並探詢我的師承與所修的法門。 我告訴優波迦，我是超越所有眾生，無師自悟的解脫者。但這位優波迦外道，不相信地搖搖頭走開了。 來到鹿野苑五位比丘處，他們遠遠地看我走來，相約不要對我熱情恭敬地迎接，因為他們認為我已經墮落不再精進修道了。然而，當我一走到他們面前，他們立刻忘了自己的約定，紛紛起身熱情恭敬地相迎，稱呼我為道友。 我告訴他們，不要稱如來為道友，如來是正等正覺者，而我已經證得了不死之法，讓我來教他們這個法，透過實踐，他們也能自證解脫涅槃。 五比丘質疑地問： 『瞿曇！即使你勤修苦行，都還不能獲得超越常人的殊勝知見，更何況又回到以往多欲多求的生活，享受充分的飲食呢！』 我告訴他們，縱情欲樂，是低下的凡夫行為，但無意義的苦行，也非聖道，兩者都是極端的二邊，修道者都不應當學。離開這兩個極端，有一趣向正覺解脫的中道，那就是『正見、正思惟、正語、正業、正命、正精進、正念、正定』的『八正道』。 接著，我詳細地教導他們，應當聽聞、思惟『苦、集、滅、道』等『四聖諦』：『苦聖諦』即人生的生、老、病、死、怨憎會、愛別離、求不得，都是不圓滿的，都是苦，總括為五取蘊之苦，這是世間苦迫不圓滿的真相；『苦集聖諦』即為貪愛，是苦迫不圓滿的形成原因；『苦滅聖諦』即是貪愛的止息，是苦迫不圓滿的滅除；『苦滅道跡聖諦』即是正見到正定的八正道，是滅除苦迫不圓滿的方法。 聽聞、思惟此四聖諦，必導致開啟智慧之眼；得智慧；得清明；得覺了。 又，我教導他們在聽聞、思惟四聖諦之後，當修、當證，當證、當成就。 如果有人經『聞、修、證』三轉『四聖諦』，即共十二相的修證，還不能徹底得到正覺解脫，我就不會自稱是超越一切眾生的無上等正覺者了。」 那時，當佛陀為五比丘說到這兒，五比丘中的拘鄰憍陳如，當下遠塵離垢，得法眼清淨，證入了初果。 |
First Turning of The Wheel of The Dharma Once upon a time, the Buddha was in Jeta's Grove, Anathapindada's Park located in the south suburb of Sravasti, capital of Kosala. He told the monks: “Bhikkhus! When I verified under the Bodhi tree: My Liberation has been firm and unshakable, this is my final life, and will not have a new Future Life. At that time, I contemplated that the Condition Origination and the Realm of Nirvana, which I had verified were profound, hard to understand, tranquil lofty and difficult to prove, and the mundane only enjoy “Alaya”, if I teach them such truth, they will not understand, only to increase my fatigue and confusion, hence it world be better for me not to teach.” “Bhikkhus! When the king of the great Brahman-heaven aware of my thinking, he contemplated: Tathagata’s True Enlightened and Awakening Mind had inclined toward the methodology of Inexplicability and Inaction, it could mean destruction of the world. Therefore, employing supernatural power, the worrying king of the great Brahman-heaven appeared before me and persuaded me to preach the Dharma. After listening to the king of the great Brahman-heaven’s persuasion, I understood his compassion toward the sentient beings, hence utilized the True Enlightened Eye to look into the world, visualized the sentient beings of different type and different nature, just like the lotus of various types and colors, hence I promised the king of the great Brahman-heaven that I would open the door of Deathless for those who are willing to lean me an ear. Therefore, I began to consider, who would be quickly realizing this Dharma, whom should I select to preach the Dharma? I first thought of Alara Kalama, but one of the sentient beings from the Heavenly Realm told me from the heaven that Alara passed away seven days ago. Afterward, I thought of Uddaka Ramaputta, but another sentient beings from the Heavenly Realm told me that Uddaka passed away the day before. Thereafter, I thought of the five bhikkhus who accompanied me to leave home and became monastic, supported me to practice vigorously and diligently. Opening up my Heavenly Eye, I found the five bhikkhus were at the Deer Park of Isipatana in the suburb of Benares, State of Kasi, hence I walked toward there. On my way, I came across Ajivaka Upaka, who taught a form of fatalism, which was a doctrine differing from Buddhism. He praised my glowing appearance and queried my doctrine and to whom I was studied the Dharma under. I told Upaka that I was the one who had transcended all; I was a self-verified who attained Liberation without a teacher. However, Upaka the Non-Buddhist shock his head in disbelieve and took a bypath and departed. Then I came to the Deer Park and approached the bhikkhus of the group of five. The bhikkhus saw me coming in the distance, and they agreed among themselves that they should not pay homage to me or rose up for me because they considered me giving up my striving, reverted to luxury became degraded and no longer practice diligently. However, as I approached, those bhikkhus found themselves unable to keep their agreement, they rose and received me wholeheartedly, and addressed me as “friend”. I told them do not address the Tathagate by name and as “friend”, the Tathagate is an Accomplished One, A Fully Enlightened One and the Dharma of Deathless has been realized. Let me teach them such Dharma, so that they could verify Liberated Nirvana through practice by themselves. The bhikkhus of the group of five queried: “Gotama! By the conduct, the practice, and the performance of austerities that you undertook, you did not achieve any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones. Since you now live luxuriously, having given up your striving and reverted to luxury, enjoyed plenty of foods, how will you have achieved any superhuman states, any distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones?” I told them that indulgent in craving and pleasure is the lower mundane behavior, however, insensible practicing of austerities is not sage’s path either, both of them are the sides of two extremes, which are unsuitable for practitioners to follow. Away from these two extremes, there is The Middle Way destining to True Enlightenment and Liberation, which is the Eightfold Noble Path, comprises of “Right View, Right Thought, Right Speech, Right Action, Right Livelihood, Right Effort, Right Mindfulness, and Right Concentration. Thereafter, I instructed them in details in listening to and contemplating the “Four Noble Truth” of “The Truth of Suffering, The Truth of the Arising of Suffering, The Truth of Cessation of Suffering and The Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering”: “The Noble Truth of Suffering” which include the four basic form of suffering: Birth, Illness, Aging and Death along with the four derivative forms of suffering: Separation From That Which We Love, Association With That Which We Hate, and Unable to Fulfill Our Desires; these are incomplete, they all are suffering and also called conclusively The Suffering From the Instability of the Five Skandhas. These are the truth of the incomplete, suffering and suppressing in the world: “The Noble Truth of the Arising of Suffering” is craving, which is the cause of the incomplete, suffering and suppressing; “The Noble Truth of the Cessation of Suffering” is the cessation of craving, which is the elimination of the incomplete, suffering and suppressing; “The Noble Truth of the Path to the Cessation of Suffering” is the Eightfold Noble Path encompassing from “Right View” to “Right Concentration” which is the means of eliminating the incomplete, suffering and suppressing. Listen to, contemplating this Four Noble Truth will surely lead to open the Wisdom Eye; obtain Wisdom, obtain Pure Brightness, and obtain Enlightenment. Also, I taught them that after listening to and contemplating the Four Noble Truth, they should Practice, should Verify and should Accomplish. If someone, after “Heard of, Contemplating and Verify” and turning three times the “Four Noble Truth”, i.e., verification of a total of twelve aspects and still unable to obtain completely Enlightenment Liberation, I will not address myself as the Supreme Enlightened that surpassing all sentient beings.” At that time, when the Buddha spoke to the Bhukkhus of Five to this point, Kauyinva, one of the Bhukkus immediately departed from defilement, obtain the Pure Wisdom Eye and verified the Stream-Enterer Fruit. (Translator’s note: In Sanskrit “srota-apanna”, it is the first of the four accomplishments (fruits) leading to the level of Arhat. The practitioner succeeds in breaking the deluded view of the three worlds, and pushing his/her own karmic flow clearly onto the path of enlightenment.) |
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按語： 一、本則故事取材自《中部第二六聖求經》、《中阿含第二○四羅摩經》，《雜阿含第三七九經》、《相應部第五六相應第一一經》，《增壹阿含經第二四品第五經》。 二、與「佛陀的修學歷程」一樣，佛陀的初轉法輪，為佛陀的首次教化，其內容對佛法的修學者，也應具有指標性的意義，值得特別注意。 三、佛陀初轉法輪的內容，相信應該是包含了「八正道」與「四聖諦」兩者的，那也是佛陀在菩提樹下體證的內容。若就修學佛法的理論與實踐兩大方向來看，「四聖諦」是緣起法理則的展現；「八正道」則是修行實踐的內容與次第。另就內容的含攝與開展來看，「八正道」為四聖諦中「道諦」的主要內容；而「四聖諦」又是八正道中「正見」的主要內容，兩者相依相攝，是佛法簡要而卻完整的內容。 四、「世人只欣樂『阿賴耶』」一句，引義自《中部第二六聖求經》菩提比丘之英譯本。其中，「阿賴耶」一詞，原英譯為worldliness，但譯者在其註解中，特別說明此字的巴利語原文為a^laya，英文中難有完全相當的字可譯。其實，不只英文如此，中文也不容易找到涵義完全相當的譯詞可用。以下引印順法師的一段解說，或稍可意解：「釋尊感到佛法太深，不想說法，問題在『眾生樂著三界窟宅』。在《相應部》中，作『樂阿賴耶，欣阿賴耶，槱阿賴耶』（說一切有部加『愛阿賴耶』）（按：印順法師乃引《成唯識論》『說一切有部增壹經中，亦密意說此名阿賴耶，謂愛阿賴耶，樂阿賴耶，欣阿賴耶，槱阿賴耶』而作此說，參照《雜阿含經論會編》上冊〈雜阿含經部類之整編〉第三八頁，《大正大藏經》第三一冊第一五頁上）。阿賴耶a^laya，譯義為窟、宅、依處、藏；在《阿含經》裏，也是愛著的一類。聯想到四諦中集諦的內容，是：『（愛），後有愛，貪喜俱行，彼彼喜樂』。愛、樂、欣、槱、貪、阿賴耶，以不同名字（約義多少不同）而表示同一內容，這就是生死不已的癥結所在。」（《印度佛教思想史》第二五頁）依此可知，此處「阿賴耶」一詞所指，與後來佛教後期「唯識思想體系」中的「第八阿賴耶識」，有所不同。 五、邪命派外道，意為「謀生計的修行人」，亦即不以乞食為生，而以醫藥、觀星象、巧言、占卜為生，為佛陀時代六師外道之一派，末伽梨拘舍梨為其有名的長老。（參考《中華佛教百科全書》第二六四二至二六四三頁） |
Notes: 1. This story was derived from Majjhima Nikaya 26th Ariyapariyesana Sutra,
Madhymagama 204th Sutra, Samyuktagma 379th Sutra, Samyukta-nikaya 56th Anguttaka
11th Sutra, and Chapter 24, Ekottarikagama 5th Sutra. |