四天下品第六
Chapter 6: The Four Great Continents
[0179c20] 爾時佛說。天下有四。一剡浮提。二者西瞿耶尼。三東弗于逮。四北欝單越。爾時比丘白佛言。世尊。此剡浮提其地若大。佛告比丘。剡浮提大。東邊地際。二千由旬。西北二邊。亦各二千由旬。南邊地際。但三由旬。周迴六千三由旬。其面如車一切眾生生此地上。面似地形。是剡浮提具有江山。江山中間。諸國間廁。
At that time the Buddha said:
“There are Four Great Continents. The first is Jambudvīpa in the south, the second is Aparagodānīya in the west, the third is Pūrvavideha in the east, the fourth is Uttarakuru in the north.”
At that time the Bhikṣus turned to the Buddha and said:
“O Bhagavān. How large is this Jambudvīpa?”
The Buddha addressed the Bhikṣus:
“Jambudvīpa is large, with the eastern border measuring two-thousand yojanas, and both the western and northern borders also measuring two-thousand yojanas, and southern border measuring only three yojanas. The perimeter is six-thousand and three yojanas. Its face resembles a cart and all sorts of beings are born atop the land, and they too have faces resembling that land. This Jambudvīpa has many rivers and mountains, and between its rivers and mountains are kingdoms interspersed throughout.”
爾時比丘白佛言。世尊。西瞿耶尼。其形若大。佛告比丘。西瞿耶尼大。廣二千三百三十三由旬。又一由旬三分之一。周迴七千由旬。地形團圓無山有江。其江中間。立諸國土。 人民富樂。無有賊盜。悉多賢善。填滿其中。
At that time the bhikṣus turned to the Buddha and said:
“O Bhagavān. How large is Aparagodānīya?”
“Aparagodānīya is large, with a width of two-thousand, three-hundred and thirty-three yojanas, and one-third a yojana. The perimeter is seven-thousand yojanas. Its appearance is perfectly round, and is without any mountains, but it does have rivers. Between its rivers are kingdoms interspersed throughout. The common inhabitants are prosperous, there is no stealing, and they are largely noble and good, filling up the land to the brim.”
是時比丘復白佛言。世尊。東弗毘提。地形若大。 佛告比丘。東弗毘提大。廣二千三百三十三由旬。又一由旬三分之一。周迴七千由旬。地形團圓。猶如滿月。多有諸山。唯有一江。是山中間。安置諸國。人民富樂。無有賊盜。悉多賢善。充滿其國。一切諸山。並是金寶。耕梨鋘斧及諸器物。並是真金。其一江者。名曰薩闍。 其江浦岸。並皆可愛。淨命賓頭盧於彼岸側。 起僧伽藍。
Then the bhikṣus again turned to the Buddha and said:
“O Bhagavān. How large is Pūrvavideha?”
The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus:
“Pūrvavideha is large, with a width of two-thousand, three-hundred and thirty three yojanas and one-third a yojana. Its circumference is seven-thousand yojanas. Its appearance is perfectly round and looks like a full-moon. It has many various mountains but it only has one river. Between its mountains are kingdoms interspersed throughout. The common inhabitants are prosperous and joyful, there is no stealing, and they are largely noble and good, filling up the kingdoms to the brim. All of the various mountains are composed of suvarṇa and jewels. Ploughs, hoes, axes, and various vessels and objects are composed of satyasuvarṇa. Its one river is called, Sajjā, and the banks of this river are agreeable. Piṇḍola, who was pure in livelihood, established a saṃghārāma on one of the banks of that river.
云何得知如是等事。昔時波羅 [木奈]國。有一比丘。及一沙彌。皆具神通。從波羅 [木奈] 。往東毘提下。時此沙彌取一石子。欲以磨針。即持此石。還波羅 [木奈] 。安置寺中。即於是夜。大放光明。是時比丘問沙彌言。汝取彼物將還此不。大德。我將彼石子。還來此中。欲以磨礪剃刀針等。比丘即便語沙彌言。汝取此石送還彼國。是時沙彌從比丘言。即提此石。投波羅 [木奈] 深江水中。是時此江大放光明。 一切龜魚諸水類等。並皆顯現。其國人民爭往觀看。衢巷填滿。無復門戶。皆謂是龍現大神力。是時比丘與此沙彌。於晨朝時入城乞食。見是人眾無量無數聚集河邊。城門阨塞。還往難通。問沙彌言。汝前此石擲置何處。 沙彌答言。大德。我以此石。擲河深處。比丘復語沙彌。汝取此石。還送本處。是時沙彌即從其語。於看眾前。入河深水。而取此石。身衣不濕。踊出空中。飛騰而去。送還本處時。諸比丘往還彼國。其數無量。並說如是。時佛世尊為諸比丘。說此因緣。是故得知。
How was this to be known?
Formerly, in the kingdom of Vārāṇasī, there was a bhikṣu and a śramaṇera who both possessed ṛddhibalas. From Vārāṇasī they went to Pūrvavideha.
When the śramaṇera had obtained a small stone there, he the wished to then sharpen one of his needles, and so holding onto the stone he withdrew, returned to Vārāṇasī, and quietly placed it within the monastery. Therein, during that night, it began issuing forth a great radiance of light.
Then the bhikṣus questioned to śramaṇera, saying:
“Was it not you who brought that object back here?”
“O Greatly Meritorious Ones. I indeed brought that small stone back here. I had wished to sharpen my razor, needles, and so on.
The bhikṣus then directly spoke to the śramaṇera and said:
“You ought to pick up at that stone and return it to its kingdom.”
Then the śramaṇera, following what the bhikṣus had said, took the stone and threw it into the deep river at Vārāṇasī.
Therein, the river began issuing forth a great radiance of light, and all of the turtles, fishes, and various aquatic creatures became clearly visible. The common inhabitants of the kingdom all competed in wish to go examine and observe it. The streets and lanes were filled to the brim, with no passage possible through any of the gates.
They all said:
“A nāga must be manifesting his great ṛddhibala!”
That morning, when the bhikṣus and the śramaṇera entered the city to beg for alms. Seeing the many people, aparimāṇas and aprameyas of a crowd on the riverbank, and the city gates blocked in such a way that coming and going through had become difficult, the bhikṣus asked the śramaṇera:
“Where had you thrown that stone earlier?”
The śramaṇera replied, saying:
“O Greatly Meritorious Ones. I threw that stone into the deep end of that river.”
The bhikṣus again said to the śramaṇera:
“You ought to pick up at that stone and return it to its kingdom.”
Therein, the śramaṇera followed their words and before the large crowd, entered into the deep section of the river and picked up the stone. But his body and robes were not wet. He then lept forth into the sky, began flying, withdrew, and sent it back to its original place.
Various bhikṣus have gone back and forth from that kingdom, aparimāṇas in number, and all of them spoke of such matters. When the Buddha Bhagavān was attending to the various bhikṣus and explained of these causes and conditions. And thus did this came to be known.
爾時比丘。白佛言。世尊。北欝單越國土若大。佛告比丘。北欝單越大。東際長二千由旬。西際二千由旬。南北亦爾。四周八千由旬。以金山城之所圍遶。 黃金為地。晝夜常明。是欝單越地有四種德。 一者平等。二者寂靜。三者淨潔。四者無刺。謂平等者。彼國土中。無有[山*亢] 穽。亦無穴居。又 不敧仄。無有高下。亦不泥滑。故名平等。其寂靜者。彼國土中。無有師子虎豹熊羆毒蛇蜂蠆能害人者。故名寂靜。其淨潔者。於彼國中。無有死屍死蛇死狗諸不淨物。若彼民人。 大小便利。地坼受之。受已還合。故名淨潔。其無刺者。彼國土中。無利刺樹。無臭氣樹。故名無刺。
At that time the bhikṣus turned to the Buddha and said:
“O Bhagavān. How large is the kingdom of Uttarakuru?”
The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus, saying:
“Uttarakuru is large, with the eastern border measuring two-thousand yojanas, the western border measuring two-thousand yojanas, and both the northern and southern borders are the same. It has a perimeter of eight-thousand yojanas. It is encircled by a wall of suvarṇa mountains, with a ground of pītasuvarṇa. It is constantly illuminated day and night.
Uttarakuru has four kinds of merit. The first is evenness, the second is tranquility, the third is purity, and the fourth is thornlessness.
What is meant by evenness? In that land there are pits, chasms, caves, steep inclines, heights, depressions, mud, or slippery surfaces. Hence it is called, even.
What is meant by tranquility? In that land there are no lions, tigers, leopards, bears, venomous snakes, bees, scorpions, or other such creatures capable of harming beings. Hence it is called, tranquil.
Wha is meant by purity? In that land there are no corpses, dead snakes, dead dogs, or other such impurities. When the beings there relieve themselves, the earth opens up and receives it, and afterwards it closes again. Hence it is called, pure.
What is meant by thornlessness? In that land there are no thorny trees nor any foul-smelling trees. Hence it is called, thornless.
彼中有草。名曰車毘。其色紺青。形甚 可愛。如孔雀項。觸時柔軟。如迦真隣衣。迦真隣衣者。不可染污。夏冷冬溫。又如阿時那衣。 燒之不然。草觸柔軟。亦復如是。是車毘草遍覆其地。四時不凋長唯四寸。其國諸江。八功德水。岸渚及底。並布金沙。其水恒流。無有增減。金堤堅固。永無崩落。佛說如是。
Within that land is grass called, Cavī. It has a colour of violet-blue. Its appearance is extremely agreeable. It is like the nape of a peacock. When it is touched it is soft, like kācalindika cloth. That kācalindika cloth cannot stained, it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. It is also like aśmana cloth, for even when burned it does not ignite. This grass, when touched, is soft in this same way. This cavī grass completely covers that land. The four seasons cannot cause it to wither from its length of four aṅgas in measure.
Within this kingdom are various rivers, filled with water of the eight-qualities. Their banks, islands, and riverbeds are all strewn with suvarṇa sand. The water only ever flows and is without increase or decrease. Their suvarṇa embankments are solid and are never able to collapse. Thus did the Buddha explain this matter.
爾時佛告比丘。伽婁羅鳥所住四洲。其東弗毘提南剡浮提二洲中間。有伽婁羅洲。南剡浮提西瞿耶尼二洲中間。有伽婁羅洲。西瞿耶尼北欝單越二洲中間。有伽婁羅洲。北欝單越東弗毘提二洲中間。有伽婁羅洲是鳥洲者。
At that time the Buddha addressed the bhikṣus:
“The Garuḍa Birds dwell upon a further four continents. Between Pūrvavideha in the east and Jambudvīpa in the south is a Garuḍa Continent. Between Jambudvīpa in the south and Aparagodānīya in the west a Garuḍa Continent. Between Aparagodānīya in the west and Uttarakuru in the north is a Garuḍa Continent. Between Uttarakuru in the north and Pūrvavideha in the east is a Garuḍa Continent.
圍一千由旬。洲形團圓。一切皆是深浮留林。伽婁羅鳥。住在林中。洲外水下。並龍住處。龍居此地。猶如彼鳥。聚蓄飲食。飢則便取。迦婁羅鳥。凡有四種。一者化生。二者濕生。三者卵生。四者胎生。一切諸龍皆亦四生。化生迦婁羅。能食四種龍。濕生迦婁羅。 除化生龍。能食三種。卵生迦婁羅。食後二種。 胎生迦婁羅。食後一種。其鳥食時。兩翅扇水。水開五十由旬。因捉取龍還上樹食。鳥所食殘。猶如象骨。在地狼藉。是故四洲恒有臭氣。
The continents have a circumference of one-thousand yojanas, are perfectly round, and are all dense floating forests. The Garuḍa Birds abide within those forests.
Outside the continents and in the water below are the bhavanas of Nāgas. The Nāgas live there, and just like those Birds, they store provisions of food and drink, so that when they are hungry they can go and take it.
The Garuḍa Birda are generally classed into four lineages. The first is transformationally born, the second is moisture born, the third is egg born, the fourth is womb born. All of the various Nāgas are also classed into these four lineages.
The Transformationally Born Garuḍas are able to eat all four lineages of Nāgas. The Moisture Born Garuḍas are able to eat three lineages of Nāgas, excepting the Transformationally Born Nāgas. The Egg Born Garuḍas are able to eat the latter two lineages. The Womb Born Garuḍas are able to eat the latter last lineage.
When these Birds eat, they flap their two wings upon the water, and the water parts by fifty yojanas. Due to this, they are able to seize the Nāgas and bring them up to the trees to feed. The leftovers of what those Birds eat, like the bones of elephants, lies scattered upon the ground, and for this reason these four continents are always foul-smelling.
東弗毘提南剡浮提兩洲中間。迦婁羅鳥所住之洲。有樹名曲深浮留。根莖枝幹。並皆具足。形相可愛。其葉繁密。久住不凋。風雨不入。如世精巧裝飾花鬘。及眾寶耳璫。亦如傘蓋高下相覆。其樹形相。亦復如是。高百由 旬。下本洪直。五十由旬。方有枝葉。枝葉四布 逕百由旬其樹下本。徑五由旬。周圍十五由旬。迦婁羅王名鞞那低耶。居是樹上。其大龍王名摩那斯。欲共鳥王戲時。出浮顯現。是時鳥王捉取此龍。安樹枝上。而是龍王自性本大。更復變化。能令身長。如是鳥王捉龍還樹。 龍身隨長。遍滿樹上。如是次第龍身滿樹。是 龍重故。樹為摧曲。是時鳥王覺是事已。仍放此龍。作是思惟。是摩那斯龍。壞我住處。時鞞那低耶鳥王起悔恨心。退一處住。默念憂惱。是摩那斯龍遂能張我。
Between Pūrvavideha in the was and Jambudvīpa in the south, on the continent where the Garuḍa Birds dwell, there on that continent, is a tree called, Kuṇālapallava. Its roots, trunk, branches, and twigs are all complete and its appearance is agreeable. The leaves are dense, is long-lived and does not wither, and neither can the wind nor rain penetrate it. It is like a worldly craftsman’s flower-garland, or resembling earrings made of many jewels, and also resembling a chattra-vitāna rising one above the other. This tree’s appearance is also like this.
Its height is one-hundred yojanas, and its lower roots are thick and straight. For a direction of fifty yojanas, there are branches and twigs. The branches and twigs extend out one-hundred yojanas and this tree’s roots extend for fifty yojanas, with a circumference of fifteen yojanas.
The Garuḍarāja whole lives upon this tree is called, Bīnadīya. The Mahānāgarāja is called, Manasvin. When he desires to play with the Bird King, he emerges and manifests himself. Therein, the Bird King seizes this Nāga and places him atop the tree. But the Nāgarāja, is by his nature, originally large, and so transforms back and enlarges his body. Thus when the Bird King brings the Nāga back to the tree, the Nāga’s body enlarges and covers the whole tree. As the Nāga’s body gradually covers over the tree, it causes the tree to break and bend. Therein, the Bird King having realised this matter, releases this Nāga from his grasp, producing this thought:
“This Nāga, Manasvin, is destroying my bhavana.”
Then the Garuḍarāja, Bīnadīya, develops a mind of regret withdrawing from this one bhavana. Silently he thinks to himself in sorrow:
“This Nāga, Manasvin, was able to overpower me.”
爾時龍王又變作天童子。以天金寶。莊嚴臂手。天冠耳璫眾寶瓔珞。以飾其身。住鳥王所。而作是言。善友。汝有何事。憂惱困苦。默然獨住。起不安心。鳥王答曰。我今被張。為摩那斯龍。壞我 住處。童子答言。善友。汝更取龍作飲食不。損汝住處。尚復憂惱龍失眷屬。其苦云何。汝若更復取龍。住處決當不立。於是龍鳥二王。 共立誓願。不相損害。永為朋友。為是因緣故。名此樹為曲深浮留。
At one time the Nāgarāja one again transformed himself into a Devakumāra. He adorned his arms and hands with divine suvarṇa and jewels. And adorned his body with a divine mukuṭa, earrings, and variously jewelled hāras.
He went to the where the Bird King was and produced these words:
“O Kalyāṇamitra! Why are you silently dwelling here alone in misery and distress; dwelling forth within a troubled mind?”
The Bird King replied, saying:
“I had now been oppressed and attacked by the Nāga, Manasvin, who had destroyed my bhavana.”
The Kumāra replied, saying:
“O Kalyāṇamitra. Would you still not wish to seize nāgas for food? Have you not lost your bhavana? Moreover, have the nāgas not suffered in misery, having lost their kin? How can their suffering be described? Were you to seize nāgas again, your bhavana would certainly not endure.”
In this way the two kings of the nāgas and garuḍas, made a joint vow to never harm one another, and to forever be friends. Because of these causes and conditions, the tree had come to be called, Kuṇālapallava.
是四天下。及四鳥洲。其地最大。是故今說其一一洲。八洲圍繞。牛洲。 羊洲。 [卄/耶] 子洲。寶洲。神洲。猴洲。象洲。女洲。 其餘七洲。亦復如是。此義佛世尊說。如是我聞。
In this way are these Four Great Continents and the Four Bird Continents established. This Great Earth is vast, for this reason I now explain that for each and every continent, encircling each one of the eight continents are Gaudvīpa, Ajadvīpa, Mṙgadvīpa, Ratnadvīpq, Yakṣadvīpa, Gajadvīpa, and Narīdvīpa. The remaining seven continents are the same.
This was the meaning of what the Buddha Bhagavān had taught. Thus have I heard.
Saddharmatā 