鸡足山

On 29 December 2020, Rinpoche took his monks from Bodhgaya to nearby Cock’s Foot Peak. There, he explained its background for – as he says at the end of the teaching, when advising on the proper attitude pilgrims should adopt – to make the most of a pilgrimage, it is important to be aware of the significance of the sacred place we practise at.

2020年12月29日，仁波切带僧众从菩提伽耶前往附近鸡足山，在那里解释其背景。正如开示末尾谈朝圣者应有态度时所说，要充分受益于朝圣，了解修持之圣地的意义，很重要。

If you don’t know anything about the sacred place you are visiting, you’re no different from a dog that just blindly follows someone. It’s helpful to know the history of each place because it inspires us with faith, pure perception, devotion, respect, and so on. When these feelings arise within us, so the teachings tell us, we can then receive the blessing of that sacred place.

若对所访圣地一无所知，就和盲目跟人的狗没有差别。了解各地历史很有帮助，能激发信心、清净观、虔敬、尊重等。教法告诉我们，当这些感受在心中生起，便能领受圣地加持。

The place we are visiting today is sacred in relation to both our Teacher, the Bhagavan Buddha, and to Guru Rinpoche. I don’t need to tell you the life-story of the perfectly awakened buddha Shakyamuni. This is where his supreme disciple, the great shravaka Kashyapa, is waiting to pass on the Buddha’s robe to the future buddha Maitreya. When our Teacher, the perfectly enlightened buddha passed into parinirvana he chose the great shravaka Kashyapa as regent and presented him his sanghati^[1] . He also told him to later entrust the charge of his teachings to the shravaka Ananda.

今天所访之地，既与我们的导师世尊佛陀有关，也与莲花生大师有关，因此神圣。圆满觉悟的释迦牟尼佛生平，不必多讲。这里是其殊胜弟子、大声闻迦叶等待将佛袈裟传给未来佛弥勒之处。导师圆满觉悟佛陀入般涅槃时，选择大声闻迦叶为补处，将僧伽梨^[1]交给他，并吩咐日后将护持教法的责任，交予声闻阿难。

The great shravaka Kashyapa looked after the Buddha’s teachings for many years and convened the first Buddhist council. He later transmitted this responsibility to the shravaka Ananda who then became the Second Patriarch. There have been seven patriarchs, beginning with Kashyapa and Ananda. 

大声闻迦叶护持佛教多年，召集第一次佛教结集。后来将责任交予声闻阿难，阿难成为第二祖。从迦叶、阿难开始，共有七祖。

When the time came for Mahakashyapa to pass into parinirvana, he asked to be taken to Cock’s Foot Peak near Bodhgaya. This peak is named after its shape—three aiguilles crowned by a single peak, resembling a cock’s foot.

大迦叶将入般涅槃时，请人带他到菩提伽耶附近鸡足山。此峰依形得名：三座尖峰汇成一峰，如鸡足。

Mahakashyapa was a great arhat who had mastered the twelve ascetic practices; this is why he was able to take care of the robe of the fourth buddha of the Good Kalpa, Shakyamuni Buddha. At Cock’s Foot Peak, he asked the yakshas and all the other spirits to protect the dharma robe. The Buddha prophesied the future enlightenment of the Regent, Protector Maitreya, who would turn the wheel of the dharma for his disciples. The bhikshu disciples of Maitreya will have great merit and as a result their lives will be long, their body tall, and so on. Yet it will still be difficult for them to master the twelve ascetic practices, hence Mahakashyapa was entrusted with Shakyamuni’s sanghati and asked to hand it over to Maitreya when he appears.

大迦叶是精通十二头陀行的大阿罗汉，因此能守护贤劫第四佛释迦牟尼佛的袈裟。在鸡足山，他请夜叉与其余精灵守护法衣。佛陀授记，补处怙主弥勒未来将觉悟，为弟子转法轮。弥勒比丘弟子福德广大，因此寿长、身高等；但仍难精通十二头陀行。所以，佛将僧伽梨托付大迦叶，请他待弥勒出现时转交。

The Buddha said that Maitreya would come to Cock’s Foot Peak thanks to his miraculous powers. He would then open the three-aiguille peak in the centre of which the kudung of the great shravaka Khashyapa had been placed. He would declare, “In the past, when the life expectancy of humans was one hundred years, when the fourth guide of this Good Kalpa appeared in the world and turned the wheel of the dharma, the great shravaka Kashyapa who mastered the ascetic practices of a Buddha entered cessation and since then has been remaining here in his kudung. The sanghati that the kudung wears belongs to Shakyamuni Buddha.” The great shravaka Kashyapa would then show the sanghati to all those around him, who would marvel at the small size of the robe. “The sanghati is so small”, they’ll say. “The Buddha must have been really small. The body of the great shravaka Kashyapa too is small. If small people like them could develop the qualities of the training, actualize endless samadhis and reach arhathood, then there is no reason why people like us with our long life, magnificence and great height should also be unable to attain it.” So inspired, they will cultivate the qualities of the ascetic training and reach arhathood.

佛说，弥勒将以神通来到鸡足山，打开三尖山峰；中央安置着大声闻迦叶的法体。弥勒将宣布：“往昔人寿百岁，贤劫第四导师出世转法轮时，精通佛陀头陀行的大声闻迦叶入灭尽定，此后以法体住此。其法体所穿僧伽梨，属于释迦牟尼佛。”随后，大声闻迦叶将向周围大众展示僧伽梨。众人会惊讶袈裟如此小，说：“僧伽梨这么小，佛一定很小，大声闻迦叶的身体也小。这样小的人，都能培养修学功德、现前无尽三摩地、证阿罗汉果，我们寿命长、相好庄严、身材高大，没有理由做不到。”受到启发，他们将修习头陀行功德，证阿罗汉果。

Therefore, just as the Buddha instructed, the great shravaka Kashyapa rested his kudung here in the Cock’s Foot Peak—three aiguilles rising to a single peak—awaiting for it to be opened. There’s no debate about this point–everyone agrees. Protector Maitreya will show Mahakashyapa’s kudung in the palm of his hand and all the great shravakas will look at it closely. At that time, Mahakashyapa will rise from cessation, the upper part of his body will turn into water, the lower into fire, a rain of ringsels will fall, and he will reach parinirvana. This is the location of Mahakashyapa’s kudung, as mentioned in all the sutras, a fact accepted by all Buddhists worldwide. There’s a Cock’s Foot Peak in China also, but it’s probably related to other great beings and is unlikely to be one that contains a kudung of Kashyapa. 

因此，依佛吩咐，大声闻迦叶将法体安住于此鸡足山，三尖合为一峰，等待山门开启。这一点没有争议，人人同意。怙主弥勒将在掌中展示大迦叶法体，一切大声闻仔细观看。届时，大迦叶从灭尽定起，上身化水，下身化火，降下舍利雨，入般涅槃。一切经中所说的大迦叶法体所在，就是这里，全世界佛教徒都接受这一事实。中国也有鸡足山，但大概与其他大德有关，不大可能是藏有迦叶法体的那一座。

Guru Rinpoche is for us Nyingmapas the perfectly enlightened buddha and teacher of the tantras. He was born on Lake Dhanakosha in Pakistan and the king Indrabodhi of Afghanistan took him as his heir. Guru Rinpoche then abandoned the rule of his kingdom and went to practise ascetism in the eight great charnel grounds of India. He received transmissions from the eight great vidyadharas of India when they turned the wheel of the dharma. He went to Akanishtha and the buddha fields of the buddhas of the five families where he met all the buddhas and developed a perfect understanding of the dharma. He was then called the ‘second buddha’. 

对我们宁玛派而言，莲花生大师是圆满觉悟佛陀、密续导师。他诞生于巴基斯坦达那郭夏湖，阿富汗的因陀罗菩提王立他为继承人。后来，他舍弃统治王国，去印度八大尸陀林修苦行。印度八大持明转法轮时，他从他们领受传承。他前往色究竟与五部诸佛净土，面见一切诸佛，圆满通达佛法，继而被称为“第二佛”。

Later, he returned to the Vajra Seat in the central land of Magadha in India. Since he was displaying the way to follow the path in stages, he took ordination. According to some sources he took his vows in front of the great shravaka Ananda. Other sources, however, say that he received ordination from Prabhahasti. As Nyingmapas we follow the Katangs, the chronicles of Guru Rinpoche’s life. They all say that while Prabhahasti was residing in a cave near Cock’s Foot Peak (or ‘the mountain shaped like the foot of a garuda’), Guru Rinpoche went to see him, took ordination from him, and received the name Shakya Senge, ‘Lion of the Shakya’. Once ordained, he needed to shave his head, however the dakinis stole his razor and prevented him from doing it. He received numerous dharma teachings on the three yogas (generation-mahayoga, completion-anuyoga and great completion-atiyoga) from the vajra master Prabhahasti and many other siddhas, thereby clearing away all misunderstanding. He stayed for a long time in the Red Rock Garuda Cave^[2] where he practised. Then he went to the Vajra Seat. Enthroned as the regent of the Buddha by the five hundred panditas, he remained there for two hundred years. This is the ‘second buddha’ Shakya Senge that we revere.

后来，他返回印度中土摩揭陀的金刚座。为了示现次第修道，便出家受戒。有些来源说，他在大声闻阿难前受戒；另一些则说，从波罗诃悉帝受戒。宁玛派依《卡唐》，即莲花生大师生平纪事。各本都说，波罗诃悉帝 当时住在鸡足山，又称“形如金翅鸟足之山”，附近的洞中。莲花生大师去见他，从他受戒，得名释迦狮子。出家后须剃头，但空行母偷走剃刀，阻止剃发。他从金刚上师 波罗诃悉帝 及许多其他成就者，领受大量三瑜伽教法，即生起摩诃瑜伽、圆满阿努瑜伽与大圆满阿底瑜伽，由此消除一切误解。他久住红岩金翅鸟洞^[2]修持，之后赴金刚座，由五百班智达迎立为佛陀补处，住二百年。这就是我们崇敬的“第二佛”释迦狮子。

Where we are today is the place where Guru Rinpoche, the second buddha, took ordination and stayed on retreat. It is called Garuda Bird Rock, Garuda Foot Peak, or Red Rock Garuda. Everyone agrees that this is the right place. The locals have a name for it, which corresponds to the Sanskrit which, when translated, means exactly Garuda Bird Rock. Numerous experts in Sanskrit as well as many historians have all agreed that this is the right place—there’s no doubt about this. 

今天所在之处，就是第二佛莲花生大师出家、闭关的地方，称为金翅鸟岩、金翅鸟足峰或红岩金翅鸟。人人同意这里是正确地点。当地名称对应梵语，译出来恰好是金翅鸟岩。许多梵语专家与历史学者都同意，地点正确，毫无疑问。

Guru Rinpoche’s biographies must be relatable to human beings. Why? Guru Rinpoche appeared in the guise of a human being in order to guide human beings, as the way he manifests must be such that human beings can relate to his appearance and actions. It wouldn’t work if this was beyond them and they thought Guru Rinpoche was only a legend, for example. Therefore, this place is very important.

莲花生大师的传记，须让人类能够理解、联系。为什么？他以人身出现，为引导人类，因此显现方式须让人类能够理解其形相与行为。若超出理解，例如只把大师当作传说，就不起作用。因此，此地非常重要。

Until today, I’ve never been able to come here. Worried that it might just get more difficult in the future as I get older and my health declines, I gathered my strength and managed to reach this sacred mountain thanks to our young monks, and we’ve been practising the Sampa Lhundrupma sadhana here. This place is very sacred and endowed with powerful blessings. Since Guru Rinpoche is someone who has gained a wisdom body, by resting his wisdom mind undistractedly and directing his blessings he consecrates the outer environment in its entirety which becomes a pure field, while the great purity which is primordially the very nature of all sentient beings – they are dakas and dakinis – appears clearly just as it is, transforming this area into an exceptionally sacred place. 

直到今天，我从未能来到这里。担心日后年老、健康衰退，只会更难，所以鼓起力气，借年轻僧人的帮助，终于来到圣山，在此修《愿望任运成就》仪轨。此地极神圣，具强大加持。莲花生大师已得智慧身，以智慧心不散乱安住、引发加持，令整个外在环境开光，成为净土；一切众生本初本性的大清净，即空行父母，也如实清晰显现，使此地成为格外神圣之处。

When we go to sacred places, if we make prayers, give rise to devotion and receive blessings in the context of our practice, we will definitely receive great blessings. For example, when you arrive near a great lake, you have access to all the water you need to drink, cook or do whatever else you may need it for. It is the same when you arrive at a sacred place. The place is primordially pure and blessed, and since on top of that great beings such as Guru Rinpoche who have realized primordial wisdom have blessed it, its blessings and siddhis never diminish or disappear.

朝圣时，若在修持中祈请、生起虔敬、领受加持，就必得大加持。例如来到大湖旁，饮水、做饭或其他用途，所需之水皆可得。到圣地亦如此。地方本初清净、具加持，再加上莲花生大师等证得本初智慧的大德加持，其加持与悉地永不衰减、消失。

So when virtuous people come and pray, recognising the actual purity of a place, and request blessings, they receive them. “How do we receive the blessings?” you may ask. You don’t receive euros, dollars or Singaporean dollars for example, but the supreme and ordinary siddhis. The supreme siddhi is that if you meditate, your mind will become one with the buddha’s wisdom-mind free of concept, and you’ll reach the supreme accomplishment of the Great Seal, or Mahamudra. You will also receive the ordinary siddhis according to your prayers and practice. Furthermore, in this life, all problems and obstacles, enemies and obstructing forces will be pacified. In the next, you will meet a virtuous friend, a spiritual teacher who will take you progressively along the path to perfect buddhahood. If you think like this, it will happen exactly according to your wish. Especially since the Lotus-born Guru’s compassion and blessings are extraordinarily swift and potent:

因此，善人来此祈请，认知此地真实清净，请求加持，便能得到。也许会问：“怎样得到加持？”得到的并非欧元、美元、新加坡元，而是殊胜、共同悉地。殊胜悉地，是若修禅定，心将与佛离概念的智慧心合一，达到大手印的殊胜成就；也会依祈愿与修持，获得共同悉地。此外，今生一切问题、障碍、敌人与障碍力量，将得平息。来生，遇见善友、引导修道的老师，逐步带你走向圆满佛果。如此思惟，便会如愿发生。尤其莲花生上师的悲心与加持，格外迅速、有力：

“In the future, when the five degenerations are rampant, the power and strength of my compassion will be incomparable. Its strength will be as powerful as the apocalyptic fire at the end of a kalpa; it will permeate everywhere with its immense sun- and moon-like radiance.”

“未来五浊炽盛之时，我悲心的威力将无与伦比，强如劫末毁灭之火，以日月般广大的光辉，遍透一切处。”

This is the extraordinary pledge that Guru Rinpoche made. Since the power of this pledge is completely reliable, without toil and effort “all our wishes will be quickly fulfilled”, just as the Sampa Nyurdrupma says.

这是莲花生大师的殊胜誓愿。既然誓愿之力全然可靠，便无须劳苦，“一切愿望迅速圆满”，如《愿望迅速成就祈请文》所说。

Also, during the upcoming tsok, you should all meditate on body as deity and speech as the expression of the tsok, while you actualize the meaning with your mind and recite properly without missing words or syllables. Since we have made the effort to come here today, let’s not waste it. I tell you all this because I think it’s my responsibility, because of the position that I have—most of you here are all monks in my monastery and rely on me. For the others, there’s nothing special in what I just said, it’s simply the truth. I think it’s okay to talk, if you speak the truth.

另外，接下来荟供时，大家应观身为本尊、语为荟供的表达，心中现证其义，并正确念诵，不漏字句。今天既已努力来到，不要浪费。我讲这些，是因所处位置，觉得这是责任；在座多数都是我寺院的僧人，依靠我。对其他人，刚才所说也没什么特别，只是真话。我想，若说真话，开口就可以。