The Related Discourses
1. The Aggregates
| （五四） 世間 | 166 (54). The World |
|---|---|
| 如是我聞： 一時，佛住波羅㮈國、仙人住處、鹿野苑中。 | 1. Thus I have heard:1 One time, the Buddha was staying at the Residence of Sages in the Deer Preserve of Bārāṇasī. |
| 彼時，毘迦多魯迦聚落有婆羅門來詣佛所。 恭敬問訊，却坐一面。 白佛言： 「瞿曇，我有年少弟子，知天文、族姓。 為諸大眾占相吉凶。 言有必有。 言無必無。 言成必成。 言壞必壞。 瞿曇，於意云何？」 | 2. At the time, there was a brahmin from the village of *Vikataloka who came to visit the Buddha.2 He saluted, exchanged greetings with the Buddha, and withdrew to sit to one side. He said to the Buddha, “Gautama, I have a young disciple who knows astronomy and the clans. He divines fortune and misfortune for the great community. When he says there is something, then there surely is. When he says there is nothing, then there surely isn’t. When he says something will be created, it surely is. When he says something will be destroyed, it surely is. Gautama, what do you think about this?” |
| 佛告婆羅門： 「且置汝年少弟子知天文、族姓。 我今問汝，隨汝意答。 婆羅門，於意云何？ 色本無種耶？」 | 3. The Buddha told the brahmin, “Let’s set aside this young disciple of yours who knows astronomy and the clans. I will ask you a question; you answer it as you think. Brahmin, what do you think? Does form originally have no seed?”3 |
| 答曰：「如是，世尊。」 | He replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 「受⋯想⋯行⋯識本無種耶？」 | 4. “Does feeling … conception … volition … awareness originally have no seed?” |
| 答曰：「如是，世尊。」 | He replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 佛告婆羅門： 「汝言： 『我年少弟子知天文、族姓。 為諸大眾作如是說。 言有必有。 言無必無⋯』 知見非不實耶？」 | 5. The Buddha told the brahmin, “You said, ‘My young disciple knows astronomy and the clans. He divines fortune and misfortune for the great community. When he says there is something, then there surely is. When he says there is nothing, then there surely isn’t …’ Isn’t his knowing and seeing untrue?” |
| 婆羅門白佛：「如是，世尊。」 | He replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 佛告婆羅門： 「於意云何？ 頗有色常住百歲耶？ 為異生、異滅耶？ 受⋯想⋯行⋯識常住百歲耶？ 異生、異滅耶？」 | 6. The Buddha told the brahmin, “What do you think? Is there form that always exists for a hundred years? Is it one thing when it arises and something else when it’s destroyed? Do feeling … conception … volition … awareness always exist for a hundred years? Is it one thing when it arises and something else when it’s destroyed?” |
| 答曰：「如是，世尊。」 | He replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 佛告婆羅門： 「於意云何？ 汝年少弟子知天文、族姓。 為大眾說，成者不壞。 知見非不異耶？」 | 7. The Buddha asked the brahmin, “What do you think? Your young disciple knows astronomy and the clans. He teaches the great community that something created isn’t destroyed. Isn’t his knowing and seeing unchanging?” |
| 答曰：「如是，世尊。」 | He replied, “Yes, Bhagavān.” |
| 佛告婆羅門： 「於意云何？ 此法彼法；此說彼說：何者為勝？」 | 8. The Buddha asked the brahmin, “What do you think? Which is the better: this Dharma or his Dharma; this teaching or his teaching?” |
| 婆羅門白佛言： 「世尊，此如法說，如佛所說，顯現、開發。 譬如有人溺水能救，獲囚能救，迷方示路，闇惠明燈。 世尊今日善說勝法，亦復如是顯現、開發。」 | 9. The brahmin said to the Buddha, “Bhagavān, it’s this teaching and Dharma, as the Buddha has taught it, made it plain, and revealed it. He is like someone who saves another from drowning in a river, saves another who was captured, shows the way to someone lost, or lights a lamp in the dark. The Bhagavān today has well explained a better Dharma, and he has made it plain and revealed it in the same way.” |
| 佛說此經已，毘迦多魯迦婆羅門聞佛所說歡喜，隨喜。 即從坐起，禮足而去。 | 10. After he spoke this sūtra, that brahmin from *Vikataloka who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and was gladdened. He then rose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and departed. |
Notes
This is sūtra no. 54 in the Taisho edition and no. 166 in Yinshun (T99.2.13a17-b12). This sūtra does not appear to have a direct parallel in the Pali suttas. It belongs to a genre of sūtras which feature encounters with brahmins and their teachings. They typically criticize brahmins and Brahminism in various ways and depict the Buddha as defeating them in debates or converting them with superior reasoning. [back]
*Vikataloka. C. 毘迦多魯迦 (EMC. bii-kă-ta-lo-kă = vikaṭaloka?). There doesn’t seem to be any precedent or parallel for this name other than vikaṭa being the name of certain yakṣas and the name of a mountain in BHS sources. But it seems a straightforward transliteration. [back]
originally have no seed. C. 本無種. It seems most likely that 無種 translated P/S. abīja, which would literally mean “not a seed” or “infertile.” Perhaps here this is another word for a cause. Not being certain about the exact intent here, I’ve translated the C. literally. [back]
Translator: Charles Patton
Last Revised: 27 January 2025
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