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時娑婆世界。即變清淨。琉璃為地。寶樹莊嚴。黃金為繩。以界八道。無諸聚落。村營城邑。大海江河。山川林藪。燒大寶香。曼陀羅華。遍布其地。以寶網幔。羅覆其上。懸諸寶鈴。唯留此會眾。移諸天人。置於他土。
是時諸佛。各將一大菩薩以為侍者。至娑婆世界。各到寶樹下。一一寶樹。高五百由旬。枝葉華果。次第莊嚴。諸寶樹下。皆有師子之座。高五由旬。亦以大寶。而校飾之。爾時諸佛。各於此坐。結跏趺坐。
如是展轉。遍滿三千大千世界。而於釋迦牟尼佛。一方所分之身。猶故未盡。
「時娑婆世界」，在這個釋迦牟尼佛所分身的諸佛，都願意來供養多寶如來這個寶塔。在這個時候，釋迦牟尼佛以其神通的力量，就把娑婆世界給變了。為甚麼要變娑婆世界？因為釋迦牟尼佛生在這個娑婆世界，本來是沒有五濁的，因為他教化眾生，所以才現出五濁惡世。本來釋迦牟尼佛成佛是應該住在實報莊嚴土。打佛七裡有說到實報莊嚴土、常寂光淨土、方便聖居土、西方安樂土。實報莊嚴土是佛所住的和大菩薩所住的一個地方。本來我們娑婆世界也是琉璃為地，沒有一切的山川河海高下，都是地平路長的。就因為釋迦牟尼佛教化眾生而現出淨穢之相，有這個淨土，有這個穢土，穢就是不乾淨、不清淨就叫穢，就是五濁惡世。現在多寶如來現身了，釋迦牟尼佛所分身的諸佛又都要聚會到一起。這就好像我們請一個最高貴的客人來到這兒開一個聚會，預先就把房子莊嚴得很美麗的。等貴賓到這個地方來，生一種歡喜心，釋迦牟尼佛現在請十方的分身諸佛都聚會到一起，所以也要把娑婆世界都變成清淨的世界，此即「三變土田」，三次變娑婆世界成為清淨琉璃為地的世界，就是實報莊嚴土。所以現在釋迦牟尼佛憑這神通力量把這娑婆五濁惡世變成清淨的世界了。
「琉璃為地」，用琉璃做為地。「寶樹莊嚴」，寶樹就是樹王，甚麼是樹王？菩提樹就是一種樹中之王，菩提樹莊嚴這個世界。「黃金為繩」，用黃金來做繩子，「以界八道」，把它攔上一條道一條道的，分了八道，這八道也就表示八正道。「無諸聚落」，沒有聚落，聚落本來就是村莊。但是這個「聚落」是男女，這個世界，只有男沒有女，把所有的村營，就是一般老百姓所住的城邑的地方。「大海」，也沒有大海，也沒有江河山川。「林藪」，有樹木有草，這個地方叫藪，這個都沒有。
「燒大寶香」，燒起來大的寶香，甚麼叫大寶香？就是人所做的功德香。「曼陀羅華」就是適意花，一見到這個花就非常快樂了。「遍布其地」，這花也遍布這個地方。「以寶網幔」，用寶網結成的縵，「羅覆其上」，在這個上面懸掛著。「懸諸寶鈴」在這寶網上又懸著很多的寶鈴。「唯留此會眾」，就把法會的眾生留下了。「移諸天人」，把天人的天，天上敵人和人間敵人「置於他地」，把他所住的土地搬到另一個世界去。你看，這眾生被搬走了還不知道呢！
「是時諸佛」，這個時候諸佛「各將一大菩薩」，每一個人帶領一個大菩薩，一個侍者，做佛的侍者。「至娑婆世界」，到娑婆世界來。「各到寶樹下」，每一位佛坐在一棵寶樹下、菩提樹下。「一一寶樹」，每一棵菩提樹都高五百由旬，有五百由旬那麼高。「枝葉花果」，上面又有枝葉花果。「次第莊嚴」，莊嚴得非常美麗這棵樹。「諸寶樹下」，在每一棵菩提樹的下面，「皆有師子之座」，都有佛說法的那個座。「高五由旬」，這個座位有五由旬那麼高。「亦以大寶而校飾之」，也用最名貴的大寶來裝飾這個座位。
「爾時」，在當爾之時。「諸佛各於此座結跏趺坐」，在這個座位上，就是在菩提樹下五由旬高這座位上。「如是展轉」，「遍滿三千大千世界」，像這樣子一位佛，一位佛這麼坐，展轉，一排一排坐到這個世界上，你說，多少佛？遍滿三千大千世界，坐到把這三千大千世界都坐滿了。你說，有多少位佛？「而於釋迦牟尼佛」，在釋迦牟尼佛來說，「一方所分之身」，至東方所分之身，他所分的佛身。「猶故未盡」，還沒坐滿呢？坐滿了三千大千世界，釋迦牟尼佛在東方所分的這個佛身，分身諸佛，到這兒來聚會，還沒坐滿，還有佛沒有地方坐，三千大千世界都坐滿了，還有佛沒有地方坐。
待續
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Thereupon, the Saha World was transformed into one of purity, with lapis lazuli for soil and with jeweled trees adorning it. Its eight paths were bordered with golden cords. In it there were no towns, villages, cities, oceans, rivers, streams, mountains, brooks, forests or thickets. Precious incense was burned and mandarava flowers completely covered the ground. Above it were spread jeweled nets and banners hung with jeweled bells. It was reserved for the assembly only. The gods and humans had been moved to another land.
Then all of the Buddhas, each bringing with him one great Bodhisattva as an attendant, reached the Saha world and went to the foot of a jeweled tree. Each jeweled tree was five hundred yojanas in height and adorned with branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. Beneath each jeweled tree was a lion throne five yojanas in height adorned with great jewels.
Then each of the Buddhas sat in the lotus posture on his own throne. In this way, by turns, the lands of the Three Thousand Great Thousand World System was filled, and still there was no end to the division bodies of Shakyamuni Buddha from even one direction.
Thereupon, the Saha World was transformed into one of purity. Right after all the division bodies of Shakyamuni Buddha of the ten directions said that they wanted to go to the Saha World to make offerings to the Stupa of the Thus Come One Many Jewels, Shakyamuni Buddha used the power of his spiritual penetrations to transform the Saha World. Why did he do this? Fundamentally, the Saha World does not have five turbidities. The evil world of five turbidities is only manifested for the sake of teaching living beings. Basically, having become a Buddha, the Buddha dwelt in the Adorned Land of Real Reward. In the Recitation Session, we come across the Adorned Land of Real Reward, the Pure Land of Eternal Still Light, the Land of Sagely Dwelling in Expedient Means, and the Western Land of Peace and Bliss. The Adorned Land of Real Reward is where the Buddhas and great Bodhisattvas live. Originally, our Saha World has lapis lazuli for soil. There are no mountains, rivers, and so forth, it is all level and flat; but to teach living beings, Shakyamuni manifested the marks of defilement and purity. Thus, there is the pure land, and the defiled land of the five turbidities. Now, Many Jewels Thus Come One has manifested and all the division bodies of Shakyamuni Buddha are going to gather together in one place. This is like inviting an important guest to a party. The first thing we do is clean house and adorn it nicely in preparation, so the guest will be happy. Since Shakyamuni Buddha has asked his division bodies to gather together, he has first turned the Saha World of five turbidities into a pure world with lapis lazuli for soil, which is the Adorned Land of Real Reward. This is the first of three such transformations that he makes.
The Saha world was then replete with lapis lazuli for soil and adorned with jeweled trees. The jeweled trees are the kings of trees, like the Bodhi tree. This world was adorned with Bodhi trees.
Its eight paths were bordered with golden cords. The eight paths represent the Eightfold Sagely Path.
In it there were no towns, villages, cities. These represent gatherings of men and women. In this pure world there were only men, no women. There were no
oceans, rivers, streams, mountains, brooks, forests or thickets.
Precious incense was burned. What is precious incense? It is an analogy for the merit and virtue that people perform.
And mandarava flowers completely covered the ground. Mandarava flowers are the flowers that "go along with one's wish." As soon as you see these flowers, you are extremely happy. The flowers covered the ground everywhere.
Above it were spread jeweled nets and banners hung with many
jeweled bells. It was reserved for the assembly only. The gods and humans had been moved to another land. Only those in the Dharma Assembly remained. All the enemies in the heavens and in the human realm were relocated in another world! See, living beings can be moved to another world and not even realize it!
Then all of the Buddhas, each bringing with him one Great Bodhisattva as an attendant, reached the Saha World and went to the foot of a jeweled tree. Each Buddha sat under a Bodhi tree.
Each jeweled Bodhi tree was five hundred yojanas in height and adorned with branches, leaves, flowers and fruits. The trees were extremely beautiful.
Beneath each jeweled Bodhi tree was a lion throne where the Buddha speaks the Dharma,
five yojanas in height adorned with great jewels of the highest quality.
Then each of the Buddhas sat in the lotus posture on his own five-yojana-high
throne under the Bodhi tree. In this way, by turns, the lands of the Three Thousand Great Thousand World System was filled. One by one, the Buddhas were seated, until they filled up the entire Three Thousand Great Thousand World System. How many Buddhas would you say there were?
And still there was no end to the division bodies of Shakyamuni Buddha from even one direction. There were Buddhas who had no place to sit, even though the entire Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds had been filled. And that's only the division body Buddhas of Shakyamuni Buddha from one direction—the east—that we are talking about!
To be continued |
