 爾時龍女有一寶珠，價值三千大千世界，持以上佛，佛即受之。龍女謂智積菩薩，尊者，舍利弗言，我獻寶珠，世尊納受，是事疾否？答言：甚疾。女言，以汝神力，觀我成佛，復速於此。當時眾會，皆兒龍女，忽然之間，變成男子，具菩薩行，即往南方無垢世界。坐寶蓮華，成等正覺，三十二相，八十種好，普為十方一切眾生，演說妙法。
這舍利弗尊者，本來他在《維摩經》上，已經就知道沒有男女相可得了。為什麼在《法華經》上，他又懷疑龍女成佛，不會有這個事情呢？這不是舍利弗懷疑，也不是智積菩薩懷疑，是為眾生而請問；恐怕眾生在這個情形之下發生懷疑，不信《法華》，所以來代表眾生請問。那麼才說這女人不會成佛，本來舍利弗尊者和智積菩薩，都沒有這個男女相可得了；沒有男女相可得，怎麼又會懷疑女身不能成佛呢？一般的凡夫，看有男有女，在證果的聖人上看，沒有男女可得；男女之相了不可得，所以舍利弗才提出這種的理論，和這個龍女來辯論。你們不要以為舍利弗真是不明白，要和龍女來做舌戰。舌戰，就是用舌頭來戰爭。
「爾時龍女」：在舍利弗說完這個女身有五障不能作梵王，不能作帝釋，不能作魔王，不能作轉輪聖王，不能成佛這個時候。你說這女人身不作魔王，要我說更好，魔王有什麼好作呢！不作女人？寧可作女人也不做魔王，這個障——有，也是最好的！
龍女「有一寶珠」：這個龍，最愛惜他那個珠子。這個龍女她自己也有一個寶珠。這個寶珠值多少錢呢？值三千大千世界，這麼有價值。
「持以上佛」：她拿著這個寶珠供佛。上佛，就是上供於佛。「佛即受之」：佛把這個寶珠給來就放在Pack（袋）裡，因為大家都用Pack，佛雖然沒有pack，但是我講這個你們大家聽都明白啦！佛即受之：就接受啦！也沒有拒絕，說我不要她這個寶珠；沒有，佛就拿來收起來。
「龍女謂智積菩薩」：那麼佛收了之後，這個龍女就對智積菩薩和「尊者舍利弗」——這個智積菩薩也是很有智慧，舍利弗更是大智舍利弗，所以龍女對他們兩個說，你這一個有智慧的菩薩，和你這個最聰明的尊者，「我獻寶珠」：我現在供養佛這個寶珠。「世尊納受」：世尊即刻就接納我這個寶珠了，就放在pack（袋）裡。「是事疾否」：這個事情你們兩個人講，快不快？是不是很快的？
「答言：甚疾」：這個智積菩薩和舍利弗聽了她這麼一問，也即刻說，這很快的，佛很快就接受你的供養。「女言」：這個龍女就說了。「以汝神力」：以你們二位的神力——這個智積菩薩的神通也不可思議，大智舍利弗的神通也不可思議，你們二位的神力。「觀我成佛」：你看著我成佛。「復速於此」：比我剛才供養寶珠給世尊，世尊就接受了，比這個還快，我成佛比這一種的快法更快。
就在說話這個時候，「當時眾會，皆見龍女」：大家都看見；看見什麼？看見這龍女「忽然之間」：忽然，就是很快的，比獻寶珠那個時間還快。獻寶珠，她又要從她那個袋裡拿出來，又要叩頭頂禮，然後頂在頭上供養佛，這最低限度都要三、五分鐘的時間。「變成男子」：變成男子了。「具菩薩行」：就是具足了，圓滿了那個菩薩所修的行門了。「即往南方無垢世界」：即刻就向南方去了，到南方有一個無垢世界，那個世界叫無垢世界。「坐寶蓮華」：坐到蓮華上。「成等正覺」：坐寶蓮花，也就是蓮花化身，在這個蓮蕊化身成佛了。
待續
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Sutra:
The dragon girl had a precious pearl, its worth equal to the entire system of three thousand great thousand worlds, which she took before the Buddha and presented to him. The Buddha immediately accepted it. The dragon girl then said to Wisdom-Accumulation and the Venerable Shariputra, "I just offered up this precious pearl and the World Honored One accepted it. Was that quick or not?"
"Very quick!" they answered.
The girl said, "With your spiritual powers, watch as I become a Buddha even more quickly than that!" At that moment, the entire assembly saw the dragon girl suddenly transform into a man and perfect the Bodhisattva conduct. Instantly she went off to the south, to the World without Filth, where, seated on a jeweled lotus, she accomplished Equal and Proper Enlightenment and embodied the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics. There, for the sake of all living beings throughout the ten directions, she proceeded to proclaim the wonderful Dharma.
Commentary:
It's clear in the Vimalakirti Sutra, that the Venerable Shariputra already knew that the mark of male and female was ultimately unobtainable. Why then, in the Dharma Flower Sutra did he have doubts about the dragon girl being able to become a Buddha?
Actually, the doubts weren't Shariputra's or Wisdom-Accumulation's. Shariputra and Wisdom-Accumulation Bodhisattva were not attached to the mark of male or female. They merely asked these questions on behalf of living beings, fearing that some living beings might have doubts and not believe the Dharma Flower Sutra. That is why they brought up the point that women can't become Buddhas.
Common people see and think in terms of male and female. Sages have gone beyond concepts of male and female. Just because Shariputra brought up these points to challenge the dragon girl, you shouldn't think that Shariputra really didn't understand or that he was trying to pick a fight.
Shariputra said that a woman has five obstacles, which are that she cannot be a Brahma King, a Shakra, a demon king, a wheel-turning sage king, or a Buddha. As for not being able to be a demon king, as far as I'm concerned, that's great. What's so great about being a demon king? It's better to be a woman than a demon king. It's not such a bad obstacle, really.
The dragon girl had a precious pearl, its worth equal to the entire system of three thousand great thousand worlds, which she took before the Buddha and presented to him. Every dragon has a pearl, and treasures it above everything else. The dragon girl's pearl was very valuable, but she offered it to the Buddha, and the Buddha took it and put it into his pocket. Well, the Buddha didn't have pockets, but you get the general idea. He didn't say, "I don't want your 'crummy' pearl!" The dragon girl then said to Wisdom-Accumulation and the Venerable Shariputra, "Intelligent Ones, I just offered up this precious pearl and the World Honored One accepted it. Was this quick or not? What do you think? Wasn't it quick?"
"Very quick!" they answered.
The girl said, "With your spiritual powers, Wisdom-Accumulation and Shariputra, with your inconceivable powers, take a look, watch as I become a Buddha even more quickly than that! I will become a Buddha in less than the time it took to present my pearl to the Buddha.
At that moment the entire assembly saw the dragon girl suddenly transform into a man. This all happened faster than her giving the pearl to the Buddha. When she gave the Buddha her pearl she had to dig it out of her purse, bow to the Buddha, put it up to her forehead and probably took from three to five minutes at least. But now, she immediately became a man and just that fast was able to perfect the Bodhisattva conduct. Instantly she went off to the south, to the World without Filth, where, seated on a jeweled lotus, she accomplished Equal and Proper Enlightenment. She was born transformationally from a lotus flower, and she accomplished Buddhahood there. |
