Из перевода с пали
"Сасанавамсы" О. С. Сорокиной, по книге "Буддизм в переводах", выпуск 1, Санкт-Петербург, "Андреев и сыновья", 1992.
"А вот как это изложено в
Чулавамсе. Тхера Буддхагхоша родился в брахманской семье недалеко от дерева махабодхи и был рано искусен в трех Ведах. Он был известен как знаток Вед. Возымев желание помериться силами с другими в изложении содержания Вед, бродил он по Джамбудвипе. Поселившись в одном монастыре, жил в нем как гость. В этом же монастыре жил тхера по имени Ревата. Разговаривая с этим тхерой, он, молодой брамин, совершенно запутался в Ведах и стал задавать вопросы тхере Ревате. Тхера Ревата, будучи спрошен, дал ему разъяснения. Что же до того юноши, то он не мог объяснить того, что у него спрашивали. Тогда юноша спросил: "Чье это манто, о бханте?" -- "Это манто Будды" -- получив такой ответ, он пожелал познакомиться с учением и, получив посвящение у тхеры Реваты, стал изучать Трипитаку.
Очень скоро он стал сведущ во всех трех Питаках и стал известен под именем Буддхагхоши, так как он был тем, кто имеет голос Будды. Проживая рядом с благородным Реватой, Буддхагхоша написал два трактата, называющиеся Нянодайа и Аттхасалини. После этого он решил предпринять составление комментария к священным текстам.
Тогда его ачария сказал: "Авусо, на Джамбудипе есть только сами тексты, а комментарии отсутствуют. Поэтому слово Учителя стали толковать по-разному. Но на острове Сихала сохранились комментарии, привезенные туда Махамахиндой. Их читали и составляли на трех Соборах тхера Сарипутта и другие. Отправляйся туда и переведи комментарии на язык Магадхи".
Буддхагхоша поехал на остров Сихала и вошел в монастырь Махавихара в Анурадхапуре. Там он услышал из уст тхеры Самгхапалы Аттхакатху школы Тхеравады на языке сингалов. Он заявил, что хотел бы написать комментарий ан Трипитаку. Сингальские монахи, чтобы убедиться в его способностях, сначала предложили ему
две гатхи как тему для комментария. Взяв текст Питак и Аттхакатху и сократив их, Буддхагхоша написал Висуддхимаггу.
После того ка кон прочел свое сочинение перед собранием монахов, великий Сакка сделал книгу невидимой, и Буддхагхоша трижды писал её заново. Прмиренный Самгхапала передал ему все тексты и комментарии.
Так Буддхагхоша, прибыв на остров Сихала, перевел Трипитаку вместе с комментариями, составил комментарий на нее и тем самым сделал невозможным неправильное толкование священных текстов. Записав Трипитаку вместе с комментариями, Буддхагхоша вернулся на Джамбудвипу".
Отрывок из английского перевода Чулавамсы:
215 A young Brahmana born near Bodhimanda7, who understood science, the arts and accomplishments and was perfectly versed in the three Vedas, who knew the (various) systems of doctrine thoroughly, who was skilled in disputation and also fond of controversy, wandering about Jambudlpa8, sought out the various masters of controversy. Thus he came (once) to a vihara and
7 Bodhimanda "Place of Enlightenment", the spot not far from the present Bo-Gaya in Southern Bihar where, according to tradition, the Bodhisatta meditating under a Ficus religtosa, by attainment of the highest knowledge became the Buddha. For the history of Buildhaghow cf. BIMALA CHAR AN LAW, The Life and Work of Buddhaghosa, Calcutta and Simla 1923.
8 Name for the continental India.
elucidated during the night the ideas of Patanjali1 word for word and quite exhaustively2. Hereupon, the Grand Thera3 (of the vihara) named Revata realised: "This is a being of the highest wisdom; he must be won over," and he said: "Who then is he who cries there with the cry of an ass?" The (Brahmana) said to him: "Dost thou then understand (at all) the meaning of the cry of asses?" and on the reply: "I understand it" he expounded his ideas. Revata answered each single thesis and pointed out the (logical) contradictions. On the request: "Explain then thy own system of doctrine," he held forth to him on the text and content of the Abhidhamma.
The (Brahmana) did not understand it. He asked; "Whose sayings4 are these?" "These are the sayings of the Buddha," answered the other. To the request (of the Brahmana): "Make them known to me," Revata answered: "Thou shalt receive them when thou hast undergone the ceremony of world-renunciation." As the Brahmana craved for the sayings he underwent the ceremony of world-renunciation and learnt the Tipitaka5. He recognised: this path leads alone to the goal6, and accepted it thereafter7. As his speech was profound like that
1 The author of the Yogasutrani (STRAUSS, Indisclie Philosophic, p. 178 ff.) who must accordingly, if our notice is credible, have lived before middle of the 5th century A. D.
2 Lit.: with comprehensive words and well rounded off.
3 P. thera (= Skr. sthavira) and mahathera are titles of older bhikkhus in leading- positions, something like presbyter.
4 P. manta, skr. mantra. What is meant by this word are the sayings of the Veda. Here the word has a wider meaning-, something like -"sacred text".
5 That is the whole of the canonical books consisting of the three parts Vinaya-, Sutta-, Abhidhammapitaka. See Mhvs. trsl. p. 296, nr. 27.
6 The sentence ekayano ayam maggo is an allusion to a passage in the Samyutta. Here (S. V. 167 8ff.) the Buddha says: ekayano yam (sic!) maggo sattanam visuddhiya . . . nibbanassa Mcchikiriitayi yam idam cattaro satipatthana. We see at once from the passage that ekayana is an adjective something like "alone accessible". In the Chainlogra-Upanishad 7. 1. 2 the word is used substantially to denote a branch of science. Sankara explains it by HitiSaistrti.
7 That is: he now entered the Order with the ceremony of the upnttampntla* making its duties and principles his own.
of the Buddha he was called Buddhaghosa; for his speech (resounded) through the earth like (that of the) Buddha1. After he had written a book Nanodaya yonder (in Jambudipa), he also wrote the Atthasalini2, an interpretation of the Dhammasangani. The sage (Buddhaghosa) also began to compose a commentary to the Paritta3. When the Thera Revata saw that, he spake the following words: "The text alone has been handed down here (in Jambudipa), there is no commentary here. Neither have we the deviating systems of the teachers4. The commentary in the Sihala tongue5 is faultless. The wise Mahinda who tested the tradition6 laid before the three Councils7 as it was preached by the Perfectly Enlightened one and taught by Sariputta and the others, wrote it in the Sihala tongue and it is spread among the Sihalas. Go thither, learn it8 and render it into the tongue of the Magadhas9. It will bring blessing to the whole world." Thus addressed, the wise (Buddhaghosa) sailed forth joyful in the faith and entered the Island just in the time of this King (Mahanama). He came to the Mahavihara, tie abode of all pious (people), went into the great practising-house10, learned from Samghapala the commentary
1 "Speech" in P. ghosa. The second time TURNOUR translates it by "fame", scarcely right. In this case the motivation with hi would not apply. TURNOUR avoids the difficulty by translating "and throughout etc."
2 The Dhammasangani is one of the books of the Abhidhamma (cf. note to 44. 109). It and Its commentary the Atthasalini were published by E. HOLLER (PTS. 1885, and 1807). On kaccha "elucidation" see Culavs. ed. II, Index 2 s. v.
3 For the Paritta see GEIGER, Pali, p. 16 f. Cf, note to 46. 5.
4 P. Acariyavada. In the Mhvs. (5. 2) all these later schools are placed in opposition to theravada, the original school represented in the Pali Canon.
5 P. sfadlattiiakatha. For this see GEIGER, Pali, p. 17.
6 P. A'athamagga, concrete: the traditional text as handed down today, just as in JaCo. L 27»9 the word means ''traditional history".
7 For the history of the three Councils (Sangiti see Mhvs. 3, 4, 5.
8 Lit. "hearken to it'1, all teaching being oral.
9 That is from the Old Sinhalese into the Pali tongue.
10 P. mahapadhanaffhara. By padhana is meant the practices in which the zealous bhikkho engages in order to attain through the various grades of ecstatic meditation to tlie dignity of the Arahant, of the "perfected".
in the Sihala tongue and the doctrinal system of the Theras perfectly, reached the conclusion: it is just this system which interprets the intentions of the Master of Truth; gathered together there the community1 and said: "Give me all the books that I may compose a commentary". To test him the community gave him two verses with the words: "Show here thy qualification! Once we have seen it, whe shall give thee all the books." Briefly summing up the three Pitakas2 together with the commentary he wrote the work called Visuddhimagga3. Then calling together the community who was versed in the thoughts of the Enlightened One, he began to read the work in the vicinity of the great Bodhi Tree. But the devatas4 to convince the people of his greatness, caused the book to vanish; but twice and thrice he reproduced it. When the book was brought forth a third time to be read the gods then produced the two other books. Then the bhikkhus read out all the three books together. Neither in composition and content, nor also as regards the sequence (of the subjects5), in the teaching of the Theras, in the quotations6, in words and sen-
1 The samgha, that is the totality of the bhikkhus belonging to the vihara,
2 See Note to 37. 223.
3 Visuddhimagga (ed. by Mrs. RHYS DAVIDS, 2 vols. PTS. 1920-21)
alludes to the verse:
‘Sīle patiṭṭhāya naro sapañño, cittaṃ paññañca bhāvayaṃ;
Ātāpī nipako bhikkhu, so imaṃ vijaṭaye jaṭaṃ.
which WARREN (Buddhism in Translations, Harvard Oriental Serios vol. Ill, p. 285) has rendered thus:
"What man his conduct guardeth, and hath wisdom,
And thoughts and wisdom traineth well,
The strenuous and the able priest,
He disentangles all this snarl,"
* On those spiritual beings common to the popular belief called He-rat ft see Zeitschr. fiir Budclhismus VII, p. 28. In the following verse* they are called Maril "^ods",
5 Lit: regarding the earlier and the later.
*' P. palihi refers to passages quoted from the canonical texts, foregoing theravadehi, on the other band, means quotations from the commentaries.
-tences was there any kind of deviation in all three books. Then the community satisfied and exceedingly well pleased, cried again and again: "without doubt this is Metteyya!" and handed over to him the books of the three Pitakas together with the commentary. Then dwelling in the Ganthakara-vihara2 which lies far from all unquiet intercourse, he rendered the whole of the Sihala commentaries into the tongue of the Magadhas, the original speech of all. For beings of all tongues this (rendering) became a blessing and all the teachers of the Theravada3 accepted it as the original text. Then haying accomplished what he had to do, he set out for Jambudipa to adore the sacred Bodhi Tree4.
When Mahanama had enjoyed the (dominion of the) earth twenty and two years5 and done many meritorious works, he passed away in accordance with his doing.
For all the power they had amassed and for all the glorious splendours they had enjoyed all the rulers of the earth were at the end unable to escape death. With the thought: thus all beings are subject to the law of decay, the wise man should forever entirely forsake the desire for wealth and even for life.
Here ends the thirty-seventh chapter, called 'The Six Kings', in the Mahavanisa, compiled for the serene joy and emotion of the pious.
1 The next expected Buddha. He Is now living as a Bodhisatta in the Tusita heaven according to Mhvs. 82. 73. Cf. Th. KERK, Manual of Indian Buddhism, p. 64, 65, 95,
2 Cf. 52. 57 with note.
3 See note to 37. 227.
4 The sacred tree of Bo-Gaya (see note to 37. 215), of which according to the legend, the Bodhi Tree in the Mahavihara at Anuradhapura is a cutting.
5 So also the Pujavaliya; only 20 years according to the Bajavaliya. According to Chinese sources the King Mo-ho-nan 1= Mahanama) sent a letter to the court of the Chinese emperor in the year which corresponds to 428 A. D. This however does not agree with the Sinhalese chronology as it is generally accepted. See JRAS. C. Br, xxxv, nr. 68, p. 83.
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