[21] Twenty-First Chapter On Countenances’ Uprightness (Of Immeasurable Life Sūtra)《无量寿经》颜貌端正第廿一

颜貌端正第廿一
Twenty-First [Chapter On] Appearances’ Uprightness

其诸声闻菩萨天人，智慧高明，神通洞达，咸同一类，形无异状。但因顺余方，故有天人之名。颜貌端正，超世希有。容色微妙，非天非人。皆受自然虚无之身，无极之体。」

All its Voice-Hearers, Bodhisattvas, heavenly [and] human [beings, have] wisdom lofty [and] bright, [and] supernormal [powers with] thorough understanding, all [the] same [as] one kind, [with] appearances without different forms. However, [for the] cause [of] according [with] other directions’ [worlds], thus having [the] names of heavenly [and] human [beings. With] appearances upright, surpassing [the] world [in] rarity. [With] countenances refined [and] wonderful, neither heavenly nor human. [They] all receive natural bodies of emptiness, [the] forms of boundlessness.’

佛告阿难：「譬如世间贫穷乞人，在帝王边，形貌容状，宁可类乎？」

[The] Buddha told Ānanda, ‘For example, like [a] poor beggar [in the] world, at [the] Emperor’s side, [of their] appearances [and] forms, how can [they be] similar?’

阿难白佛：「假令此人在帝王边，羸陋丑恶，无以为喻，百千万亿不可计倍。所以然者，贫穷乞人，底极斯下，衣不蔽形，食趣支命，饥寒困苦，人理殆尽。皆坐前世不植德本，积财不施，富有益悭，但欲唐得，贪求无厌。不信修善，犯恶山积。如是寿终，财宝消散。苦身聚积，为之忧恼，于己无益，徒为他有。无善可怙，无德可恃，是故死堕恶趣，受此长苦。罪毕得出，生为下贱，愚鄙斯极，示同人类。

Ānanda said [to the] Buddha, ‘If this person [is] at [the] Emperor’s side, [he is] thin, weak [and] repulsive, without use as [an] analogy, [by a] thousand million koṭis [of] incalculable times. It [is] therefore so, [as the] poor beggar, [is at the] bottom extreme [of] all [the] lowly, [with] clothes not covering [his] body, [with] food barely supporting [his] life, hungry [and] cold, [with] difficulties suffering, [and] human morality nearly exhausted. All because [in] past lives, not planting virtuous roots, accumulating wealth without giving, [becoming] rich [with] increasing miserliness, only desiring [to, with] nothing obtain, greedily seeking without weariness. Not believing [in] cultivating good, committing evil [that like a] mountain accumulates. [When] such [a] life ends, wealth [and] treasures dissipate [and] scatter. [With] toil [of the] body accumulating, for them [having] worries [and] afflictions, for oneself without benefits, only for others [to] have [them]. Without good [that] can [be] depended on, without virtues [that] can [be] relied on, therefore [with] death falling [into] evil realms, [to] receive this long suffering. [With] transgressions’ [karmas] exhausted attaining exit, born as [the] lowly, foolish [and] shallow, [to] such [an] extreme, [only] appearing [to be the] same [as] humankind.

所以世间帝王，人中独尊，皆由宿世积德所致。慈惠博施，仁爱兼济，履信修善，无所违争。是以寿终福应，得升善道。上生天上，享兹福乐。积善余庆，今得为人，乃生王家，自然尊贵。仪容端正，众所敬事。妙衣珍膳，随心服御。宿福所追，故能致此。」

Therefore, [the] world’s Emperor [is] within humans alone honoured, all due [to] past lives’ accumulated virtues [as] its cause. [With] loving-kindness extensively giving, [and] benevolent love [for] all aiding, fulfilling trust [and] cultivating good, without that contradictory [and] contentious. Thus with life ending [and] blessings responding, attaining ascent [to] good paths. Ascending [to be] born [in a] heaven above, enjoying these blessings [and] joys. [With] accumulated good [having] remaining fortune, enabling attainment as [a] human, then born [in a] royal family, [to] naturally [be] honoured. [With] bearing [and] countenance upright, [by] all those respectfully served. [With] wonderful clothing [and] delicious meals, according [to his] wishes making use of [them. With] past blessings that follow, thus able [to] cause these.’

佛告阿难：「汝言是也。计如帝王，虽人中尊贵，形色端正，比之转轮圣王，甚为鄙陋，犹彼乞人在帝王边也。

[The] Buddha told Ānanda, ‘[What] you [have] said is [so]. Calculating thus, [the] emperor, although within humans honoured, [with] body [and] countenance upright, comparing him [with a] Wheel-Turning Noble King, [is] extremely mean [and] ugly, like that [of the] beggar at [the] Emperor’s side.

转轮圣王，威相殊妙，天下第一。比之忉利天王，又复丑恶，不得相喻万亿倍也。

[The] Wheel-Turning Noble King [with] majestic forms’ special wonders, [is] foremost under [the] heavens. Comparing him [with] Trāyastriṃśa Heaven’s King, [is] also again repulsive, [and] cannot be [compared by] analogy [with] one another, [by] ten thousand koṭis [of] times.

假令天帝，比第六天王，百千亿倍不相类也。

If [the] Heaven’s Emperor [is] compared [with the] Sixth Heaven’s King, [by a] hundred thousand koṭis [of] times, [they are] not similar to one another.

设第六天王，比无量寿佛国菩萨声闻，光颜容色，不相及逮，百千万亿不可计倍。」

If [the] Sixth Heaven’s King, compared [with] Immeasurable Life Buddha’s Land’s Bodhisattvas [and] Voice-Hearers, [their] radiant complexion [and] countenances, [are] not [able to] catch up with one another, [by a] thousand million koṭis [of] incalculable times.’

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