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「如是諸菩薩」：像這麼多的菩薩，數也數不過來，也不知道多少數目。「神通大智力」：他們的神通也大，智力也大。智慧的力量大，所以神通也就大；神通大，智慧也就大。「四方地震裂」：因為他們神通大，智慧的力量也大，所以把東、西、南、北這四方的地，都震裂開了。「皆從中湧出」：他們從地裏邊，好像水泉似地，就都湧出來了。
「世尊我昔來」：世尊！我從往昔以來，「未曾見是事」：雖然我見過很多不可思議的境界，可是這種境界，我從來就沒見過。你看！彌勒菩薩都沒見過這種的境界！「願說其所從」：我願意世尊大發慈悲，說一說這一些個菩薩是從甚麼地方來的？「國土之名號」：是在哪一個國土裏邊？那國土又叫甚麼名字呢？雖然我現在也是個菩薩，但是我怎麼就不知道呢？
「我常遊諸國」：所以前邊我說，這彌勒菩薩，到各國去vacation或者holiday(度假)；他現在自己都說，我常遊歷到所有的國家去。難怪美國人這麼歡喜旅行，「菩薩」都要旅行的！我常到各國去遊玩、去旅行，「未曾見是眾」：雖然我到的國家是很多，各處都到過；可是我沒有見著這一些個菩薩，我一個也不認識！「我於此眾中」：我在這些菩薩的裏邊，「乃不識一人」：一個和我認識的也沒有；所以一個朋友也沒有，沒有「不退菩薩為伴侶」。「忽然從地出」：他們忽然間，很快地從地出來了。「願說其因緣」：這回這個事情我很糊塗了。彌勒菩薩都糊塗了，因為他不知道；我雖然糊塗，現在我願意不糊塗了，我願意請釋迦牟尼佛說一說這些菩薩的因緣給我聽一聽，可以吧？我想釋迦佛是最慈悲的，一定會告訴我的！
「今此之大會」：現在這個大會裏邊，不是只我彌勒菩薩懷疑這個問題。「無量百千億」：無量百千億的菩薩，「是諸菩薩等」：這麼多的菩薩，「皆欲知此事」：他們和我的心是一樣的。我想要知道，也就是因為知道他們也要知道；所以我現在做代表，請問釋迦牟尼佛。「是諸菩薩眾」：現在從地湧出這些菩薩眾，「本末之因緣」：他們一開始的本跡──遠因、近因，到底是怎麼一個來歷？或者到最後這種因緣是怎麼樣？我們大家都想知道。「無量德世尊」：世尊！您是有無量的福、無量的慧！所以，「唯願決眾疑」：現在我唯一的希望，就是您解決這些大眾的懷疑，令大眾都明白這種的因緣。
爾時。釋迦牟尼分身諸佛。從無量千萬億他方國土來者。在於八方諸寶樹下。師子座上。結跏趺坐。其佛侍者。各各見是菩薩大眾。於三千大千世界四方。從地湧出。住於虛空。各白其佛言。世尊。此諸無量無邊阿僧祇菩薩大眾。從何所來。
前邊的偈頌是彌勒菩薩生了一種懷疑。現在，釋迦牟尼佛分身諸佛所帶來的侍者──也就是帶來的徒弟，他們見著這種稀有的境界、見著這麼多的大菩薩來了，他們也都打妄想了、也都生出懷疑來了！從甚麼地方來了這麼多菩薩？今天怎麼來了這麼多菩薩？這是從那裏來的呢？所以都生出懷疑來了。
「爾時」，「釋迦牟尼」：就釋迦佛，「分身諸佛」：他分身到無量國土的諸佛。「從無量千萬億」：從很多很多、沒有數量那麼多的千萬億「他方國土」，「來者」：到這兒來的這些諸佛，「在於八方」：住在這個八方。四方──「東、南、西、北」，四維──「東南、西南、東北、西北」，這叫「八方」。「諸寶樹下」的「師子座上」：在這個師子座上，「結跏趺坐」：都結著跏趺坐。這跏趺坐，是在佛教裏頭是最尊、最貴的。你們學佛法，都應該先學會這個跏趺坐。
待續
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Such are the Bodhisattva’s powers. There are so
many Bodhisattvas; you could never count them. Their spiritual
penetrations and great wisdom are such. Their spiritual penetrations
are great, and the power of their wisdom is great. Because their wisdom
power is great, their spiritual penetrations are great. Because they
have great spiritual penetrations, they have great wisdom. Throughout
the four directions, / The earth quakes and splits open. Because their
spiritual powers are great and their wisdom is great, the earth—north,
south, east, and west—trembles and splits open, and they rise up out of
it. They issue forth, welling forth out of the earth like a bubbling
spring.
World Honored One, from of old—from the long
distant past onwards—I have never seen such a thing. I have seen many
inconceivable states, but this state I have never seen. Just imagine,
even Maitreya Bodhisattva has never seen such an event. I hope the
World Honored One will be greatly compassionate and tell us where these
Bodhisattvas have come from. Pray tell us the names / Of the countries
they come from. What countries are they in and what are the names of
those countries? Although I am a Bodhisattva, I don’t know anything
about these matters. I am always roaming through the lands. Previously
I told you that Maitreya Bodhisattva is always taking vacations—going
on holidays—to all the different countries. Now he tells us that
himself. No wonder Americans love to go on vacations. Even Bodhisattvas
like to travel. But I have never seen this assembly. Although I have
been to many lands—I’ve been everywhere—I have never met these
Bodhisattvas. I do not recognize / A single one in this multitude. I
don’t have a single friend among them. I’m not acquainted with any of
them. I don’t have “the irreversible Bodhisattvas as my companins.”
Suddenly they have welled forth out of the earth.
/ Pray explain the reason why. He is unclear about what is happening.
Even Maitreya Bodhisattva is confused, because he doesn’t know who they
are. Not knowing is a kind of confusion. “Although I’m unclear, I’d
like to get clear. Shakyamuni Buddha, please tell us about the causes
and conditions of these Bodhisattvas. Let us hear about them. Will you
do to it? Shakyamuni Buddha, I know you are very compassionate, and
surely you will tell us.”
Now in this great assembly, / The limitless
hundreds of thousands of millions / Of Bodhisattvas all—not just I,
Maitreya Bodhisattva—wish to understand this event. They are of the
same mind as I am. I want to know because I know they want to know. And
so now I am requesting on their behalf. What are the causes and
conditions, first to last, / Of this host of Bodhisattvas? Their very
beginnings are their formative stages. I want to know their formative
stages on through to the very end. I want to know their causes and
conditions. We want to know their proximate causes and remote causes. I
want to know their background. We want to know all about them. O World
Honored One of limitless virtue, / We only pray you will resolve the
assembly’s doubts. World Honored One, you have limitless blessings,
limitless wisdom, and limitless virtue. My only hope is that you will
resolve the assembly’s doubts, so we can all understand the causes and
conditions behind what is happening here.
At
that time all the division-body Buddhas of Shakyamuni Buddha, who had
come from limitless thousands of myriads of kotis of lands in other
directions, sat in lotus posture on lion thrones beneath jeweled trees
throughout the eight directions. Each of the attendants of those
Buddhas, seeing this great assembly of Bodhisattvas of the three
thousand great thousand worlds welling forth out of the earth in the
four directions and dwelling in empty space, said to his respective
Buddha, “World Honored One, where have all the limitless boundless,
asamkhyeyas of Bodhisattvas in this great host come from?”
In the previous verse section, Maitreya
Bodhisattva expressed his doubts. Now the attendants that the
Shakyamuni Buddhas have brought with them, their disciples, having seen
this rare occurrence of the arrival of so many Great Bodhisattvas, have
false thoughts and doubts, too: “Where did all these Bodhisattvas come
from? Why have so many people come today? So many Bodhisattvas! Where
could they have come from?”
At that time all the Division-Body Buddhas, whom
Shakyamuni Buddha had sent to all the limitless lands, came to here
from limitless thousands of myriads of kotis of lands in other
directions. Beneath jeweled trees throughout the eight directions: They
dwell in the eight directions—east, south, west, north, southwest,
southeast, northwest, and northeast. There are four directions proper
and four intermediate directions. They sat in lotus posture on lion
thrones. Lotus posture is most honored, most venerated in Buddhism;
those of you who study the Buddhadharma should first know how to sit in
the lotus position.
To be continued
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