Toh 1-6“The Chapter on Medicines” from The Chapters on Monastic Discipline

Summary

The Bhaiṣajyavastu, “The Chapter on Medicines,” is
a part of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the corpus of monastic law of one of the most
influential Buddhist schools in India. This chapter deals with monastic regulations about
medicines. At the same time, it also includes various elements not restricted
to such rules: stories of the Buddha and his disciples, a lengthy story of the Buddha’s
journey for the purpose of quelling an epidemic and converting a nāga, a number of stories
of the Buddha’s former lives narrated by the Buddha himself, and a series of verses
recited by the Buddha and his disciples about their former lives. Thus, this chapter
preserves not only interesting information about medical knowledge shared by ancient
Indian Buddhist monastics but also an abundance of Buddhist narrative literature.

「律儀根本」，又稱「律本事」或「毘奈耶事」，是　一部關於佛教徒行儀與戒律的典籍，其中還包含了豐富的故事、寓言和歷史。

「律儀根本」中的《藥事》部分，描述和醫療相關的行儀與戒律。本經包含了豐富的醫療方法，藥物的備置和使用，而且和律儀根本其他的部分一樣，包括許多有趣的故事和傳記。

頁數: 798 頁

Acknowledgements

This text was translated by the Bhaiṣajyavastu Translation Team. Fumi Yao
translated the Tibetan text into English and prepared the ancillary materials. Shayne
Clarke proofread the translation and ancillary materials.

The translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000:
Translating the Words of the Buddha.

We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Leo Tong Chen and his family; Zhang
Wei, Li Mo, Zhang Mo Tong and Zhang Mo Lin; (Chi Xian Ren) Mao Gui Rong and Chi Mei; and
Joseph Tse 謝偉傑, Patricia Tse 鄒碧玲 and family, in dedication to all eczema sufferers. Their support has
helped make the work on this translation possible.

Introduction

The Bhaiṣajyavastu, “The Chapter on
Medicines,” is the sixth chapter of the Vinayavastu,
“The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,” of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. The
Mūlasarvāstivāda was one of the most influential Buddhist schools in India, and its
Vinaya, the corpus of monastic law, is reported to have circulated not only in various
parts of the Indian subcontinent but also in Southeast Asia, at least in the late
seventh century. When this Vinaya was composed is an unresolved question, and we are
presently unable to say more than that the corpus seems to have taken its present
shape in the first few centuries of the common era.

The Vinayavastu is one of the four divisions
of this voluminous Vinaya and is a collection of seventeen thematic chapters, each of
which deals with monastic rules about a specific topic such as ordination, clothing,
and so on. Among these chapters, the Bhaiṣajyavastu
is the lengthiest (in the Tibetan translation) or the second lengthiest (in the
Sanskrit manuscript). As is indicated by its title, this chapter is concerned with
rules about medicines to be used and foods to be eaten by monastics. Actually,
however, most of the text is not related to any such rules, at least not directly;
accounts of rules are concentrated mostly in the first and last parts of the chapter,
which together make up less than 20 percent of the entire chapter, and the rest of the
text is filled with various narrative stories about the Buddha and other characters,
and stories of their former lives. Many parallels to sūtras, which present doctrines
rather than monastic law, are also included in this chapter. Thus, it not only
provides interesting information about medical knowledge shared by ancient Indian
Buddhist monastics but is also a vast treasure trove of Buddhist narrative literature,
and it even opens a number of doors to another canonical corpus, the Sūtrapiṭaka of
the Mūlasarvāstivādins, most of which is lost today. The abundance of narrative elements and sūtras is characteristic of the law code of the
Mūlasarvāstivādins as a whole, and the Bhaiṣajyavastu is outstanding in this regard.

The outline of the Bhaiṣajyavastu based on
the Tibetan version is as follows. The chapter opens with an account of the Buddha’s
permission for monks to use medicines, and explanations of various medicines follow.
After the account of permission to boil almsfood that is not completely cooked,
however, the text suddenly begins to narrate the biography of Pūrṇa, a disciple of the
Buddha. After this story ends, another unrelated story begins, explaining how the city
of Rājagṛha was endangered by a nāga king named Apalāla. In this story, at the request
of the citizens of Vaiśālī and King Ajātaśatru of Magadha, the Buddha leaves Rājagṛha
and journeys with his disciples to quell an epidemic in Vaiśālī and convert the nāga
king, who lives in the northern region. The first part of this journey generally
corresponds to the Buddha’s final journey as narrated in the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra in the Dīrghāgama. However, in this text the story
develops differently from the sūtra after the Buddha quells the epidemic in Vaiśālī,
the first destination. Although he hints at his approaching nirvāṇa, the Buddha
travels to Kuśinagarī without entering the city of Pāpā, which is an
important place in the Mahāparinirvāṇasūtra. In the
end, the Buddha does not enter nirvāṇa in the story in the Bhaiṣajyavastu. Various episodes are narrated regarding each place the
Buddha visits, and sometimes they appear quite jumbled—the Buddha even “arrives” at
Rājagṛha, the starting point of the journey, before he reaches the northern region,
that is, his second destination. The Buddha flies through the air from a place named
Rohitaka to the northern region, converts the nāga king Apalāla, returns, and
continues traveling. In Śrāvastī, answering a question of King Prasenajit of Kosala,
the Buddha narrates many stories of his former lives. Then the Buddha and his five
hundred disciples visit Lake Anavatapta by means of their magical power, and there
each of the disciples recites verses about his former lives, as does the Buddha, after
which they return to Śrāvastī. The story of their journey continues until Vaiśālī.
After an episode in Vaiśālī, accounts of various rules follow, which seem not to be
related to the preceding story but to be simply a list of episodes relevant to rules.
The chapter closes with an account of a monk who is bitten by a poisonous snake and
then saved by the Buddha with a charm, accompanied by two stories about the former
lives of the Buddha and the monk.

Today, the Bhaiṣajyavastu is extant in three
languages: Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Chinese. There had been available only a single
Sanskrit manuscript of the Vinayavastu that included the Bhaiṣajyavastu, the so-called Gilgit manuscript, since its discovery in
the 1930s and publication by Nalinaksha Dutt.
At the end of the twentieth century, however, another Sanskrit manuscript of the
Bhaiṣajyavastu was identified by Klaus Wille, and
the present translator is now preparing to publish a transliteration. Unfortunately, about half of the Bhaiṣajyavastu is lost in the Gilgit manuscript, and the newly identified
manuscript is only fragmentary. Although there are some other manuscript fragments
from Central Asia identified with the Vinayavastu, there are no fragments identified
with the Bhaiṣajyavastu other than some corresponding
to the verses of the brahmin Nīlabhūti, which appear in the middle of the
chapter. In some parts
where both manuscripts are unavailable, the Divyāvadāna, a Sanskrit anthology of narrative stories, helps, for many
of its chapters are extracts from the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya.

The Chinese translation was made by Yijing 義淨
(635–713) around 700 ce, after his more than twenty-year
sojourn in India and Southeast Asia. This text
is one of seven extant chapters of the Vinayavastu translated by Yijing, which were
translated as separate texts, not as chapters of a larger text. The extant Chinese
version of the Bhaiṣajyavastu lacks the last part of
the Tibetan version, which seems either not to have been translated or to have been
lost soon after being translated.

Only the Tibetan translation preserves the complete text of the Bhaiṣajyavastu. According to the
colophon to the Vinayavastu, the text was translated by Sarvajñādeva, Vidyākaraprabha,
Dharmākara, and Palgyi Lhünpo and proofread by Vidyākaraprabha and Paltsek. The
translation seems to have taken place in the ninth century, and it is the only Tibetan
version of the text.

There are also several secondary translations such as the Mongolian
version.

Various differences at various levels, from words to narrative structures, are
found between the extant Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan versions. Many of these
differences seem to have already existed in the Sanskrit manuscripts on which the
Chinese and Tibetan translations were based.

In some Kangyurs, there is a colophon at the end of volume kha (Degé, Lithang,
Choné) that mentions a revision of the translation at the time of the fourth Shamarpa
(1453–1524), whereas other Kangyurs (Yongle, Peking, Narthang, Urga, Lhasa) do not
have this colophon. In some other Kangyurs (Tokyo,
London, Stok Palace, Shey Palace, Phukdrak), the corresponding part of the text is not
located at the end of the volume, and no such colophon exists, either.

Most of the extant folios of the Gilgit manuscript corresponding to the Bhaiṣajyavastu were edited and published by Dutt in
1947, and since then several passages in the text have been edited or re-edited by
other scholars such as Heinz Bechert, Raniero Gnoli, Klaus Wille, Jin-il Chung, and
Hisashi Matsumura. Black-and-white photographs of the manuscript were published by
Raghu Vira and Lokesh Chandra in 1974 and reprinted in 1995, and color photographs in
high resolution were published by Shayne Clarke in 2014 together with detailed
bibliographical surveys and concordances of the extant versions.

Since Alexander Csoma Kőrösi introduced the Tibetan Buddhist canon to the
Western world in 1836, many of the stories in the Bhaiṣajyavastu have been translated into various modern languages from
the Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan versions. Ryūzan Nishimoto translated the entire
Chinese version of the Bhaiṣajyavastu into classical
Japanese in kakikudashi style in
1933. In this publication, he supplemented the Chinese version by translating the
missing portions of the Bhaiṣajyavastu from the
Tibetan version. The first complete translation of the Bhaiṣajyavastu into a modern language was a Japanese translation of the
Tibetan version made by the present translator, which was published in 2013.

The present translation is based on the text as it appears in the Degé
Kangyur, and its readings have been corrected on the basis of the Stok Palace
manuscript and, in a few cases, several other Kangyurs, too. Our reason for using the
Degé and Stok Palace Kangyurs is that it is mainly these two editions that have been
used in recent studies of the Vinaya. The translation has also been modified on the
basis of the Sanskrit and Chinese versions, as is mentioned in a note in each case.
References to the Gilgit manuscript in notes are based on the manuscript itself unless
reliable partial transliterations are otherwise available, while the page numbers in
Dutt’s edition have been provided for convenience.

The sections and subsections of the present translation follow the uddāna system in the text itself.
The Bhaiṣajyavastu includes eleven uddānas, or summaries of contents, each of
which is placed at the beginning of a section, and the first items of the uddānas are
collected into a piṇḍoddāna, or
general summary of contents, which is given at the beginning of the entire text. There
are some discrepancies between the uddānas and the main text, and these may represent
vestiges of textual development. In some cases where it seemed necessary, the present
translator has divided stories that are not mentioned in the uddānas into subdivisions
and titled them according to their main topics.

As is usual in the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, there are a large number of
repetitions in the Bhaiṣajyavastu. The text
abbreviates many of these repetitions, using certain phrases such as zhes bya ba nas and zhes bya ba’i bar gong ma bzhin no. The
present translation simply uses ellipses (…) for these phrases to indicate an
abbreviation.

Notes to the present translation are different from the notes to the
translator’s Japanese translation. Many of the notes to the Japanese translation had
to be omitted or abridged in view of 84000’s guidelines because they were too detailed
and lengthy. On the other hand, the notes to the present translation include many new
pieces of information that are not found in the notes to the Japanese version. Thus,
for scholarly purposes, readers are advised to consult the notes to both versions if
possible.

The Translation

From The Chapters on Monastic Discipline

The Chapter on Medicines

General Summary of the Contents of the Chapter on

Medicines

Medicines,

Mahāsenā,

Rājagṛha,

Veṇu,

Carpenter,

Icchānaṅgalā,

Kimpilā,

Ādirājya,

Kumāravardhana,

Sick
People, and

Kaineya.

The entire chapter is thus summarized.

Chapter One

Summary of Contents:

The Authorization of
Medicines,

Fat,

Scabies,

Collyrium,

A Man Gone Mad,

Pilinda,

Revata, and

Sauvīraka.

I. The Authorization of Medicines

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was staying in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s
Park. On that occasion some monks caught an autumn disease. Because they had
caught an autumn disease, they turned pale, became emaciated, lost their strength,
and were weakened.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha,
the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, why have these monks turned
pale, become emaciated, lost their strength, and been weakened?”

The venerable Ānanda replied, “Honored One, these monks caught an autumn
disease. Because they caught an autumn disease, they have turned pale, become
emaciated, lost their strength, and been weakened.”

“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “on account of that, I authorize monks to consume medicines.”

When the Blessed One said “monks may consume medicines,” the monks
consumed medicines at the appropriate time (morning) but did not consume
them after the appropriate time, because they were monks who were in the habit of
eating at the appropriate time. Therefore, the monks turned pale, became
emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha,
the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, I said ‘monks may consume
medicines.’ Why, then, have these monks turned pale, become emaciated, lost their
strength, and been weakened?”

The venerable Ānanda replied, “The Blessed One said ‘monks may consume
medicines,’ but they consumed medicines at the appropriate time and did not
consume them after the appropriate time, because they are monks who are in the
habit of eating at the appropriate time. Therefore, they turned pale, became
emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.”

“Ānanda, on account of that, I authorize monks to consume four kinds of
medicines: medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, medicines to be
consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be
consumed throughout life.

“Among them, the medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time are
manthā, boiled rice, kulmāṣa, meat, and apūpa.

“The medicines to be consumed at night are the eight kinds of drinks:
coconut drink, banana drink, kola drink, aśvattha drink, udumbara drink,
parūṣaka drink, grape
drink, and kharjūra drink.”

A Section Index:

Coconut, banana, kola,

Aśvattha, udumbara,

Parūṣaka, grape,

And kharjūra, which is the eighth.

“Medicines to be consumed within seven days are butter oil, oil, phāṇita,
honey, and śarkarā.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life are medicines derived from
roots, medicines derived from stalks, medicines derived from leaves, medicines
derived from flowers, medicines derived from fruits, the five kinds of resin, the
five kinds of ashes, the five kinds of salt, and the five kinds of
astringents.

“Among these medicines, the medicines derived from roots are musta, vaca,
turmeric, ginger, ativiṣā, and what belong to the medicines derived from roots but
are not used as ingredients in a meal. The medicines derived from stalks are
sandal, cavikā, padmaka, devadāru, guḍūcī, dāruharidrā, and what belong to the
medicines derived from stalks but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The
medicines derived from leaves are from paṭola leaves, vāśaka leaves, nimba leaves,
kośātakī leaves, saptaparṇa leaves, and what belong to
the medicines derived from leaves but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The
medicines derived from flowers are from five kinds of flowers: vāśaka flowers,
nimba flowers, dhātakī flowers, sha ta flowers, padmakesara flowers,
and what belong
to the medicines derived from flowers but are not used as ingredients in a meal.
The medicines derived from fruits are harītakī, āmalaka, vibhītaka, black pepper, long pepper,
and what belong to the medicines derived from fruits but are not used as
ingredients in a meal.

“The five kinds of resin are hiṅgu, sarjarasa, lac, beeswax, and ‘heat medicine.’

“What are the five kinds of ashes? They are barley ash, barley-straw ash,
ash from the sarjikā tree, sesame ash, and ash from the vāśakā tree.

“What are the five kinds of salt? They are salt from the Indus, brown
salt, salt from Suvarcala, salt from Romaka, and salt from the ocean.

“What are the five kinds of astringents? They are āmra astringent, nimba
astringent, jambū astringent, śirīṣa astringent, and kośambaka astringent.

“Medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, medicines to be
consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be
consumed throughout life should be consumed at the appropriate time if they are
mixed with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time. In that situation,
these medicines should not be consumed at an inappropriate time (afternoon or
night).

“Medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven
days, and medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed during the
night if they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at night. In that situation, these medicines
should not be consumed after that night.

“Medicines to be consumed within seven days and medicines to be consumed
throughout life should be consumed within seven days if they are mixed with
medicines to be consumed within seven days. In that situation, these medicines
should not be consumed after seven days.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed after someone
has taken formal possession of them as medicines to be consumed throughout life.
Formal
possession of the medicines should be taken in this manner: The monk who wishes to
consume that medicine should wash his hands before he eats a meal, accept the
medicine, sit down before another monk, and say, ‘Venerable One, please pay
attention. I, named So-and-so (the monk says his name), take formal possession of
this medicine as medicine to be consumed throughout life for myself and my fellow
monks.’ He should say this a second and a third time. Formal possession of
medicines to be consumed at night and medicines to be consumed within seven days
should also be taken in the same manner as medicines to be consumed throughout
life.”

II. Fat

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

A monk had a wind illness and went to a physician. The monk said, “Sir,
since I have a disease like this, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “consume some fat and you will recover
your health.”

The monk said, “Sir, what am I? A cannibal?”

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover
your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover
your health with other medicines,’ you should consume some fat.”

As the monks did not know what kind of fat they should consume, they asked
the physician for advice. The physician said, “Noble ones, since your teacher is
omniscient, go to him and ask.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “Five kinds of fats should be consumed. What are the five? They are fish
fat, porpoise fat,
crocodile fat, bear fat, and pig fat. But these five kinds of fats should not be
consumed if they have been boiled at an inappropriate time, strained at an
inappropriate time, or given at an inappropriate time, or if the monk who needs
some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, but strained at an
inappropriate time, and given at an inappropriate time, and if the monk who needs
some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, they
should not be consumed.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time and strained at the
appropriate time, but given at an inappropriate time, and if the monk who needs
some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, the fats
should not be consumed.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, strained at the
appropriate time, and given at the appropriate time, but the monk who needs some
fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, the fats
should not be consumed.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, strained at the
appropriate time, and given at the appropriate time, and if the monk who needs
some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at the appropriate time, the fats
should be consumed within seven days in the same manner that you would consume
oil.”

The monk then consumed the fat and his health returned. When his health
returned, he threw away the remains of the fat. Later, another monk contracted the
same disease, and he also went to the physician and said, “Sir, since I have a
disease like this, prescribe medicine for me.”

The physician also prescribed fat for him. The second monk went to the
first monk and said, “Venerable one, you consumed fat and the physician also
prescribed fat for me. Are there any remains of the fat?”

“Indeed there were remains, but I threw them away,” replied the first
monk.

The second monk told him, “It wasn’t good to do that.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “Monks should not throw away the remains of fat but should keep them. I will
now establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps fat. A monk who
keeps fat should give the remains of the fat to another monk. If the first monk
does not give the remains to another monk, the first monk should put the remains
in the infirmary. Anyone who needs fat should take it. If a monk who keeps the
remains of fat does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary
behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

III. Scabies

The Blessed One was once dwelling in Śrāvastī.

At that time, a monk had scabies. He went to a physician and said, “Sir, since I
have scabies, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “use an astringent and you will recover
your health.”

“Sir, what am I? One who is intoxicated with lust?”

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover
your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover
your health with other medicines,’ you should use an astringent.”

As the monks did not know what kind of astringent they should use, they
asked the physician for advice. The physician said, “Since your teacher is omniscient, he himself must know.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “There are five kinds of astringents: āmra astringent, . . . .”

When the monk kneaded the astringent and smeared it on his body, the rash
spread. The Blessed One said, “You should make the astringent into a powder.”

When the monks ground the damp astringent into a powder, it became lumpy.
The Blessed One said, “You should dry the astringent.”

When they dried the astringent in the sun, it lost its efficacy. The
Blessed One said, “You should not dry the astringent in the sun.”

When they dried the astringent in the shade, it began to decompose. The
Blessed One said, “You should dry the astringent in the shade where it is warm.”

The monk bathed after he smeared his body with the astringent, so the
astringent did not work. The Blessed One said, “You should bathe after completely
rubbing the astringent with your hands into your skin. If, after you bathe, you
again smear the astringent and bathe, the astringent will work.”

When the monk smeared the astringent, the illness went away. He threw the
remains of the astringent away. Later, another monk had the same disease, and he
also went to the physician and said, “Sir, since I have a disease like this,
prescribe medicine for me.”

The physician also prescribed an astringent for him. The second monk went
to the first monk and said, “Venerable One, you used an astringent and the
physician also prescribed an astringent for me. Are there any remains of the
astringent?”

The first monk said,
“I threw them away.”

The second monk told him, “It wasn’t good to do that.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “I will now establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps
astringents. A monk who keeps astringents should give the remains of the
astringent to another monk who needs them. If the first monk does not give the
remains to another monk, he should put the remains of the astringent in the
infirmary. If a monk who keeps astringents does not act in accordance with the
established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

IV. Collyrium

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

A monk had an eye disease and went to a physician. The monk said, “Sir,
since I have an eye disease, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “use collyrium and you will recover your
health.”

“Sir, what am I? One who is intoxicated with lust?”

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover
your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover
your health with other medicines,’ you should use collyrium.”

As the monks did not know what kind of collyrium to use, they asked the
physician for advice. The physician said, “Since your teacher is omniscient, he
himself must know.” When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the
Blessed One said, “There are five kinds of collyrium: collyrium derived from
flowers, collyrium in a liquid state, collyrium in powder form, collyrium in pill
form, and collyrium derived from red ocher.”

The monk recovered his health with the collyrium. Since he left the
remains of the collyrium in many different places, the remains were lost. Later,
another monk had an eye disease and also went to the physician, and the physician
also prescribed the same collyrium for him. The second monk went to the first monk
and said, “Venerable one, I also have an eye disease. Are there any remains of the
collyrium?”

The first monk looked for the remains of the collyrium, but could not
find them. He said, “Venerable one, indeed there were remains of the collyrium,
but they have been lost because I left them in many different places.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “Monks should not leave collyrium in many different places. I will now
establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps collyrium. A monk who
keeps collyrium should store the collyrium according to its kind. He should keep
collyrium derived from flowers in a vessel, collyrium in a liquid state in a
bottle, and collyrium in powder form in a tubular vessel. He should put collyrium
in pill form and collyrium derived from red ocher into bags, and he should bind
and hang them on a peg in the wall. If a monk who keeps collyrium does not act in
accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of
an offense.”

V. A Man Gone Mad

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

At that time, the venerable Saikata, his mind agitated, went mad and
wandered about. Then some brahmins and householders saw him and said, “Sirs, whose
son is this?”

Others replied, “The householder So-and-so’s.”

The brahmins and householders said, “If the venerable Saikata had not
gone forth among the masterless śramaṇas, who are the sons of the Śākyans, his
kinsmen would have cured him.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “Monks, then cure the monk Saikata, asking a physician for advice.”

The monks went to a physician and said, “Sir, since a monk has a disease
like this, prescribe medicine for him.”

“Noble ones,” said the physician, “let him eat raw meat and he will
recover his health.”

“Sir,
what is he? A cannibal?”

“Noble ones, this is his medicine. He cannot recover his health with
other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “If the physician says, ‘This is his medicine. He cannot recover his health
with other medicines,’ you should give him raw meat.”

The monks gave the venerable Saikata raw meat, but he could not eat the
raw meat. The Blessed One said, “You should give him the meat after covering his
eyes with a cloth.”

They gave the venerable Saikata raw meat and untied the cloth soon after
giving him the raw meat. Then the venerable Saikata saw his hands soiled with raw
meat and vomited in revulsion. The Blessed One said, “You should not untie the
cloth that soon, but should untie it when you have placed a pure and fine meal
before him and he has washed his hands.”

After the health of the venerable Saikata returned, he wanted to eat
nothing but raw meat. When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the
Blessed One said, “When you have your health back, you should act in accordance
with the established discipline. If you eat raw meat, you become guilty of an
offense.”

VI. Pilinda

The following took place in Rājagṛha.

The venerable Pilindavatsa had always had many illnesses and pains since
he had gone forth. The monks asked him, “Elder, how do you feel?”

“Venerables, I always have many illnesses and pains. I cannot bear them,”
he replied.

“Elder, what did you carry with you formerly?”

He said, “I carried a medicine bag.”

“Why do you not carry it now?”

“The Blessed One has not authorized it.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “Monks, on account of that, I authorize monks to carry a medicine bag.”

When the monks put unprocessed medicines derived from roots, flowers,
stalks, and fruits into the bag, the medicines spoiled. The Blessed One said, “You
should gather or bundle the medicines together and hang them on a peg.”

The medicines spoiled and the Blessed One said, “From time to time you
should dry them.”

When dried in the sun, the medicines lost their efficacy. The Blessed One
said, “You should not dry them in the sun.”

When dried in the shade, the medicines spoiled. The Blessed One said,
“You should not dry them in the shade.”

When the monks spread the medicines out and left them, the wind and rain
came, but the monks did not bring the medicines inside. The Blessed One said, “You
should bring the medicines inside.”

When the Blessed One said, “You should bring the medicines inside,” the
monks did not know who should bring them inside. The Blessed One said, “A layman
should. If there are no laymen, a novice should. If there are no novices, a
monk should bring the medicines inside.”

When the monks had brought the medicines inside, they did not consume
them, since the medicines had become mixed together. The Blessed One said, “You
should consume the medicines after separating them. You should not have any
regrets about consuming such medicines. What I have authorized for illnesses
should not be done in ordinary circumstances. If you do so, you become guilty of
an offense.”

VII. Revata

A. Rice Flour and Guḍa

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

The venerable Revata used to doubt everything. Therefore, he was
known by the name of “Revata the Doubter”. Early in the
morning he dressed, took his robe and his bowl, and entered Śrāvastī for alms.
In due course he reached the house of a guḍa maker. When he saw that the guḍa was being
kneaded with rice flour, he said, “Sir, please don’t knead the guḍa with rice
flour.”

“Noble one,” asked the guḍa maker, “do you know anything else that
makes guḍa bind together?”

“I do not know anything else that makes guḍa bind together, but we have to
eat guḍa even at inappropriate times.”

The guḍa maker said, “Noble one, whether you eat it at the
appropriate time or at inappropriate times, what makes guḍa bind together is
this rice flour. Other things do not work.”

Later, when the community had obtained some guḍakhādanika, the
venerable Revata did not eat it. His co-resident monks and pupils said,
“Master, since the community has obtained some guḍakhādanika, please eat it.”

“Sirs,” replied the venerable Revata, “it is mixed with food to be
eaten only at the appropriate time.”

They did not eat the guḍakhādanika either, and other monks said to
them, “Venerables, though the community has guḍakhādanika, why do you not eat
any?”

“Our teacher said, ‘This is mixed with food,’ ” replied the first
monks.

They did not eat the guḍakhādanika, either. Their many followers and
most of the entire community did not eat the guḍakhādanika.

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed
One said, “You may eat the guḍakhādanika mixed with rice flour because it
would be insubstantial as a meal and its origin is pure. You should not have
any regrets about eating the guḍakhādanika.”

B. Barley Flour and Guḍa

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

Early in the morning the venerable Revata dressed, took his robe and
his bowl, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. In due course he reached a village
and saw a perfumer touch guḍa after he had touched barley flour. The venerable
Revata said, “Sir, please don’t touch guḍa after you touch barley flour. We
have to eat guḍa even at inappropriate times.”

“Noble one,” said the perfumer, “is there anyone to hand me water to
wash my hands again and again?”

Later, the community had obtained some guḍakhādanīya,
but the venerable Revata did not eat it. His co-resident monks and pupils
said, “Master, though the community has guḍakhādanīya, why do you not eat
any?”

“Sirs,” replied the venerable Revata, “this is mixed with food to be
eaten only at the appropriate time.”

They
did not eat the guḍakhādanīya either, and other monks said to them,
“Venerables, though the community has guḍakhādanīya, why do you not eat any?”

“Our teacher said, ‘This is mixed with food,’ ” the first monks
replied.

They did not eat the guḍakhādanīya, either. Their many followers and
most of the entire community did not eat the guḍakhādanīya.

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed
One said, “You may eat the guḍakhādanīya mixed with barley flour because it
would be insubstantial as a meal and its origin is pure. You should not have
any regrets about eating the guḍakhādanīya.”

VIII. Sauvīraka

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

The venerable Śāriputra had a wind illness and the venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana thought, “Although I have attended to the venerable Śāriputra
at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I
will ask a physician for advice.” The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana went to a
physician and said, “Sir, since the venerable Śāriputra has a disease like this,
prescribe medicine for him.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “let him eat sauvīraka with salt, and he
will recover his health.”

The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana found sauvīraka, but there was no salt.
When he began to look for the salt, the venerable Pilindavatsa said, “Venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana, I have a horn in which the salt is kept. I have taken formal
possession of that salt as medicine to be consumed throughout life. I will give
you the salt if the Blessed One authorizes it.”

The venerable Śāriputra heard this and said, “Venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana, I thought that ‘medicines to be consumed throughout life
cannot be consumed when they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the
appropriate time.’ ”

When the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana reported this matter to the Blessed
One, the Blessed One said, “Maudgalyāyana, such medicines cannot be taken. If the
four kinds of medicines—medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time,
medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days,
and medicines
to be consumed throughout life—are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the
appropriate time, and if formal possession of these medicines has not been taken,
these medicines should be consumed at the appropriate time, because they are mixed
with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time. These medicines should not
be consumed after the appropriate time.

“If the three kinds of medicines—medicines to be consumed at night,
medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be consumed
throughout life—are mixed with medicines to be consumed at night, and if formal
possession of these medicines has not been taken, these medicines should be
consumed during the night, because they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at
night. These medicines should not be consumed after that night.

“If the two kinds of medicines—medicines to be consumed within seven days
and medicines to be consumed throughout life—are mixed with medicines to be
consumed within seven days, these medicines should be consumed within seven days,
because they are mixed with medicines to be consumed within seven days. These
medicines should not be consumed after seven days.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life may be consumed throughout
life. If you consume the medicines in other ways, you become guilty of an
offense.”

Chapter Two

Summary of Contents:

Mahāsenā,

Flesh,

Hemorrhoids,

One Who Has a Wind
Illness,

Pūrṇa,

Agnidatta,
be’i ra to,

One Who Has Clouds, and Crows.

I. Mahāsenā

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of
Kāśi and arrived in Vārāṇasī. He stayed in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near
Vārāṇasī.

A householder named Mahāsena was living in Vārāṇasī. He was rich and had
great wealth and many possessions. His wife’s name was Mahāsenā. Both he and his
wife were pious and good and had virtuous dispositions. Mahāsena heard that the
Buddha, the Blessed One, had arrived in Vārāṇasī, having traveled through the
country of Kāśi, and that he was staying in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near
Vārāṇasī. When Mahāsena heard that, he thought, “Although the Blessed One has been
invited to my house many times and has had meals, he has never been offered all
the requisites. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three
months.”

He went to the Blessed One, and when he arrived, he bowed down until his
forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one
side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed
One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged,
and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After he had instructed, inspired,
encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through talk consistent with
the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder Mahāsena praised
and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. He rose from his seat, draped his
upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One,
and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent
to my offer of the requisites for three months: namely, robes, almsfood, bedding
and seats, and medicines for the sick.”

The Blessed One assented to the householder Mahāsena by remaining silent.
The householder Mahāsena again praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed
One. He bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then rose
from his seat and departed.

The Blessed One together with the community of monks was then provided by
the householder Mahāsena with the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and
seats, and medicines for the sick, for three months. The householder Mahāsena
always rose at dawn, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet,
and visited the monks. There was a monk who was ill, seriously ill, afflicted with
a painful illness. The physician told him, “Drink meat broth.” At that time, the householder
Mahāsena went to that monk. When Mahāsena arrived, he bowed down until his
forehead touched the feet of the monk, and he asked, “Noble one, what did the
physician prescribe for you?”

“The physician said to drink meat broth,” replied the sick monk.

Then the householder Mahāsena went to his own house and said to his wife,
“Since the physician told Master So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare it and
give it to him.”

The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to
the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following
prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: “Nobody may kill beings.
Whoever kills any living being will be severely punished.” Therefore, the girl
could not get meat in the market even with the money.

When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder Mahāsena,
the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, “Since we have offered the community of
monks headed by the Buddha all the requisites, it would not be good if a monk dies
because of a lack of medicine.” She took a sharp knife, entered the house, cut off
some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said, “Girl, make broth from
this flesh and take it to the noble one So-and-so.”

The girl took the broth to him, and the monk consumed the broth and
recovered his health. The monk knew that the
householder’s wife had served him with her own flesh in that way and thought, “It
is not appropriate for me to be lying down after consuming what was given with
faith. Now I will exert myself in order to attain what I have not attained,
realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have not actualized.” He
then became diligent. Exerting himself, endeavoring and
striving, he came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving five cycles; overthrew all conditioned states by nature
subject to degradation, decline, dispersal, and destruction; abandoned all
defilements; realized the state of an arhat; and became an arhat. He was free from
desire for the three realms—one for whom a lump of dirt was equal to gold, for
whom space was equal to the palm of his hand, who accepted being cut by an adze
and being anointed with sandal paste as the same, and whose knowledge had
shattered the eggshell of ignorance. He attained knowledge, supernormal knowledge,
and discerning wisdom; he turned his back on worldly profit, desires, and honors;
and he became an object of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including
Indra and Upendra.

There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed
ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. Early the next morning, the
Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and, surrounded by a group of
monks, went to the house of the householder Mahāsena, followed by the community of
monks. When the Blessed One arrived, he sat on the seat prepared for him in front
of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the
householder Mahāsena, “Householder, the householder’s wife Mahāsenā is nowhere to
be seen. Where is she?”

“Blessed One, she is in the innermost apartment because she cannot move.”

The majesty of the buddhas, the blessed ones, is inconceivable. The
Blessed One exercised his magical power so that her wound healed and her own
color, skin, and hair returned. Faith then having arisen in the householder
Mahāsena’s wife, she appeared at the door and touched the Blessed One’s feet. The Blessed One
asked, “Why has this householder’s wife experienced the power of a bodhisattva?”

She spoke this verse in reply:

“In saṃsāra, with no effort

A body is exceedingly easy to attain.

But even during ten billion eons,

It is exceedingly difficult to meet a person worthy of gifts.”

The householder Mahāsena then knew that the community of monks headed by
the Buddha had sat down in comfort, and with his own hands he served and satisfied
them with a pure and fine meal. When, with his own hands, he had served and
satisfied them in a variety of ways with a pure and fine meal, and knowing that
the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, the
householder took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the
Dharma. Then the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed,
inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After having
instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena in a
variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One rose from
his seat and departed.

Then the Blessed One went to the monastery and sat on the seat prepared
for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One
said to the monks, “Monks, human flesh is the worst of all kinds of flesh.
Therefore, monks should not eat human flesh. If a monk eats human flesh, he
becomes guilty of a sthūlātyaya offense. I will now establish rules of customary
behavior for an elder monk of the community. If flesh is offered, an elder monk of the
community should ask, ‘What flesh is this?’ If the elder monk of the community
cannot, the second elder monk should ask. If the elder monk of the community does
not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes
guilty of an offense.”

All of the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed
One, the one who severs all doubts, “How is it, O Honored One, that the
householder Mahāsena’s wife served this monk with her own flesh, and, in
dependence upon Mahāsenā, this monk abandoned all the defilements and actualized
the state of an arhat?”

“Listen well, monks,” the Blessed One replied, “and bear in mind how, not
only in the present but also in the past, she served this monk with her own flesh,
and how this monk actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. I will tell
you about it.

“A long time ago, monks, there was a householder named Mahāsena who lived
in Vārāṇasī, and his wife’s name was Mahāsenā. At that time, a brahmin
schoolteacher was teaching brahmanical mantras to five hundred sons of brahmins.
Faith in the brahmin having arisen in the householder Mahāsena, he offered all the
requisites to him and his attendants. The householder Mahāsena honored the brahmin
and his attendants.

“The householder always used to rise at dawn and look after the sick. A
young brahmin then became seriously ill, afflicted with a painful illness. The
physician told him, ‘Drink meat broth.’ Then the householder Mahāsena went to the
young brahmin. When he arrived, he bowed and asked, ‘Young brahmin, what did the
physician prescribe for you?’

“ ‘The physician told me to drink meat broth,’ the young brahmin
replied.

“Then the householder Mahāsena went to his own house and said to his wife,
‘Since the physician told the young brahmin So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare
it and give it to him.’

“The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to
the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following
prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: ‘Nobody may kill beings.
Whoever kills any being will be severely punished.’ Therefore, the girl could not
get meat in the market even with the money.

“When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder
Mahāsena’s wife, the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, ‘Since we have offered
this brahmin and his attendants all the requisites, it would not be good if a
young brahmin dies because of a lack of medicine.’ She took a sharp knife, entered
the house, cut off some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said,
‘Girl, make broth from this flesh and take it to the young brahmin So-and-so.’

“The girl took it to him and the young brahmin consumed it and recovered
his health. The young brahmin knew that the householder’s wife had served him with
her own flesh in that way and thought, ‘It is not appropriate for me to be lying
down after consuming what was given with faith. Now I will endeavor to attain what
I have not attained, realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have
not actualized.’ He then went to a quiet place and actualized the five kinds of
supernormal knowledge.

“What do you think, monks? The one who was the householder Mahāsena’s
wife at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this householder Mahāsena’s wife.
The one who was the young brahmin at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this
monk. She then served this monk with her own flesh and he, in dependence upon her,
actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. Now, too, she served this monk
with her own flesh, and this monk, in dependence upon her, abandoned all
defilements and actualized the state of an arhat.

“Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely
negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions
is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore,
monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you
should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must
train.”

II. Flesh

A. Elephant Flesh

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

At a certain time all the elephants of King Prasenajit of Kosala had
died. Since a famine had broken out, brahmins and householders started to eat
elephant flesh. Early in the morning, the group of six monks dressed, took
their bowls and their robes, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. When they entered
a house where a householder was cooking elephant flesh in a pot, the
householder’s wife said, “Noble ones, we have nothing to offer you. Please
leave.”

“Is there something cooking in this pot?” asked the monks.

“Noble ones, this is elephant flesh. Do you eat elephant flesh?”

“Our lives depend on you. If you eat it, please give it to us, too.”

She then offered the elephant flesh to them. When they had gone out
with their bowls full, they were seen by the other monks who were going for
alms. When the other monks saw the group of six monks, they asked them, “O
group of six, if your bowls are full, what’s in them?”

“We have some elephant flesh,” they replied.

“Do you eat elephant flesh?”

“Venerables, a famine has broken out. If we cannot get anything else,
should we die of hunger?”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed
One said, “Monks, since all the king’s elephants have died, if the king hears
that you ate elephant flesh, will he not think, ‘Because the noble ones eat
elephant flesh, my elephants have died,’ because there are gods, nāgas,
humans, and other nonhuman creatures who have faith in you?
Monks should not eat elephant flesh. If a monk eats elephant flesh, he becomes
guilty of an offense. Horse flesh is the same as elephant flesh.”

B. Nāga Flesh

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying on the bank of Ṛṣi
Gargā Pond in the country of Campā.

The nāga of Campā was pious and good and had a virtuous disposition.
On the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he left his abode,
practiced the eightfold abstinence, illuminated the place, expanded his body,
and gave it to others. He never harmed or frightened any beings in the
world.

Since a famine had broken out, people who had lost their livelihoods,
namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a
living properly, and people making a living improperly, started to cut off
pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them.

Early in the morning the group of six monks dressed, took their bowls
and their robes, and entered the town for alms. When they entered a house
where a householder was cooking nāga flesh in a pot, the householder’s wife
said, “Noble ones, we have nothing to offer you. Please leave.”

“Is there something cooking in this pot?” asked the monks.

“Noble ones, this is nāga flesh. Do you eat nāga flesh?”

“Our lives depend on you. If you eat it, please give
it to us, too.”

She then offered the nāga flesh to them. Most of the other people
then started to eat nāga flesh too, thinking, “Even the noble ones eat it.” At
that time, the wife of the nāga of Campā thought, “Because even these noble
ones eat nāga flesh, most people now eat it too. How long does my husband have
to bear his pain? I will ask the Blessed One.”

Then the wife of the nāga of Campā, after the first watch of that
night, went to the
Blessed One, showing her noble figure. When she arrived, she bowed down until
her forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then she sat down to one
side. At that time, the figure of the wife of the nāga of Campā radiated
light, the vast splendor of which filled the entire neighborhood of Ṛṣi Gargā
Pond. After she sat down, the wife of the nāga of Campā said to the Blessed
One, “Honored One, my husband is pious and good and has a virtuous
disposition. On the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he leaves
his abode, practices the eightfold abstinence, and gives his body to others.
He never harms or frightens any beings in the world. Since a famine has broken
out, people who have lost their livelihoods, namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb
gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a living properly, and people making
a living improperly, cut off pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them. The
noble ones saw this and they too started to eat the flesh. Because the noble
ones eat it, most people have also started to cut it off and eat it. How long
does my husband have to bear his pain? Alas, Blessed One, please have
compassion and devise some reason for the noble ones to resolve not to eat
nāga flesh.”

The Blessed One assented to the wife of the nāga of Campā by
remaining silent. The wife of the nāga of Campā, knowing that the Blessed One
had assented by remaining silent, bowed down until her forehead touched the
Blessed One’s feet and then disappeared from that very place. Then, when the
night had passed, the Blessed One sat on the seat prepared for him in front of
the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the
monks, “Monks, last night the wife of the nāga of Campā came to me after the
first watch of the night, showing her noble figure. When she arrived, she
bowed down until her forehead touched my feet, and then she sat down to one
side. At that time, the figure of the wife of the nāga of Campā radiated
light, the vast splendor of which filled the entire neighborhood of Ṛṣi Gargā
Pond. After she had sat down, the wife of the Nāga of Campā said to me,
‘Honored One, my husband is pious and good and has a virtuous disposition. On
the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he leaves his abode,
practices the eightfold abstinence, and gives his body to others. He never
harms or frightens any beings in the world. Since a famine has broken out,
people who have lost their livelihoods, namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb
gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a living properly, and people making
a living improperly, cut off pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them. When
they began to eat the flesh, the noble ones also started to eat it. Because
the noble ones also eat the flesh, most people have also started to cut it off
and eat it too. How long does my husband have to bear his pain? Alas, Blessed
One, please have compassion and devise some reason for the noble ones to
resolve not to eat nāga flesh.’ I assented to the wife of the nāga of
Campā by remaining silent, and the wife of the nāga of Campā, knowing that I
had assented by remaining silent, bowed down until her forehead touched my
feet and then disappeared from that very place. Now the gods also criticize,
insult, and disparage the monks who ate the nāga flesh, saying, ‘Those monks,
the sons of the Śākyans, have fallen away from the virtuous dharmas.’ This
incident is not good, not appropriate. Therefore, monks, monks should not eat
nāga flesh. If a monk eats nāga flesh, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

III. Hemorrhoids

The Blessed One was once traveling through the country of Magadha and
arrived at Rājagṛha. He stayed in Kalandakanivāpa Bamboo Grove near
Rājagṛha.

When King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard that the Buddha, the Blessed
One, was traveling through the country of Magadha, had arrived at Rājagṛha, and
was staying in Kalandakanivāpa Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha, he thought, “Although
I have invited the Blessed One many times and the Blessed One has had meals, he
has never been offered all the requisites for three months. Now I will offer the
Blessed One all the requisites for three months, and I will also send Jīvaka, the
chief physician.”

The king went to the Blessed One displaying royal treasures and great
royal power. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the
feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to
one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed,
inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha. After he had
instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the king in a variety of ways
through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then
King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over
one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the
Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks
assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats,
and medicines for the sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three
months.”

The Blessed One assented to King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha by remaining
silent. King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha, knowing that the Blessed One had
assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead
touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the
community of monks was provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha with all the
requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the
sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months.

When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One together with
the community of disciples had been provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha
with all the requisites, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months,
he thought, “He is an anointed kṣatriya king, and I am also an anointed kṣatriya
king. His chief physician is Jīvaka, and my chief physician is Ātreya.
So, I will offer
the Blessed One together with the community of disciples all the requisites, along
with Ātreya, the chief physician, when the Blessed One comes to Śrāvastī.”

The Blessed One stayed at Rājagṛha during the rainy season. When the
three months of the rainy season had passed, he finished mending his robes, took
his bowl and his robe, and traveled through the country toward Śrāvastī,
surrounded by a group of monks and followed by the community of monks. In due
course, the Blessed One, traveling through the country, arrived in Śrāvastī and
stayed in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One, traveling
through the country of Kosala, had arrived in Śrāvastī and was staying in
Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, he left Śrāvastī and went to the
Blessed One. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the
feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to
one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed,
inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Prasenajit of Kosala. After he had
instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through
talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King
Prasenajit of Kosala rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder,
knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and
said, “May the
Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the
requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the
sick, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.”

The Blessed One assented to King Prasenajit of Kosala by remaining
silent. King Prasenajit of Kosala, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by
remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead touched the
Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the community of
monks was provided by King Prasenajit of Kosala with all the requisites, along
with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.

King Prasenajit of Kosala always rose at dawn, bowed down until his
forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and visited the sick monks.

At that time, a monk had hemorrhoids and turned pale, became emaciated,
lost his strength, and was weakened. King Prasenajit of Kosala saw him and asked,
“Noble one, why have you turned pale, become emaciated, lost your strength, and
been weakened?”

“Your Majesty, I have hemorrhoids,” answered the monk.

The king then ordered Ātreya, the chief physician, “Treat this monk.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Ātreya replied.

Because Ātreya was impious, he did not treat the monk. Later, the king
saw the monk again and asked him, “Noble one, were you not treated by Ātreya?”

“I was not, Your Majesty,” answered the monk.

Then the king became enraged. He summoned Ātreya by messenger and warned,
“If you treat this monk, all will be fine. But if you do not, I will curtail your
allotment.”

Ātreya, who was naturally impious, himself became very angry and thought,
“His Majesty
will curtail my allotment because of this shaven-headed śramaṇa.” Ātreya tied the
monk up at the gate of the Jetavana and began surgery. The monk, growing afraid,
fearful, and hurt, and experiencing acute, intolerable, and unpleasant pain,
wondered to himself, “Does the Blessed One not observe me afraid, fearful, and
hurt?”

There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed
ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. When the Blessed One, spurred
by great compassion, went there, Ātreya, the chief physician, saw the Blessed One
arrive. Upon seeing him, Ātreya, fiercely angry, called out to the Blessed One,
“Come here, śramaṇa, son of a slave woman—look at your disciple’s anus cut
open!”

Then the Blessed One left, returned to the monastery, and sat on the seat
prepared for him. When he had sat down, the Blessed One smiled.

It naturally occurs that whenever the buddhas, the
blessed ones, smile, rays of blue, yellow, red, and white light emanate from their
mouths. Some of the rays stream downward and some stream upward.

Those rays that stream downward go to the hells of Reviving, Black Cord,
Being Crushed, Scream, Great Scream, Heat, Intense Heat, Incessant, Blisters,
Burst Blisters, Aṭaṭa, Hahava, Huhuva, Water Lily,
Lotus, and Great Lotus. They alight on and cool those in the hot
hells and alight on and warm those in the cold hells. Thus, each of the various pains
of those beings in hell ceases. When those beings think, “Sirs, have we died here
and been reborn elsewhere?” the blessed ones send an emanation to engender their
faith. Seeing it, they think, “Sirs, we have not died here and been reborn
elsewhere. Each of our various pains ceased on account of the power of this being
we have never seen before.” Their minds filled with faith in the emanation, they
exhaust the karma that led them to experience the hells and are reborn among gods
and humans as vessels for seeing the truths.

Those rays that stream upward go to the gods attendant on the Four Great
Kings, the Thirty-Three Gods, the gods of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and
Paranirmitavaśavartin, the gods attendant on Brahmā, and the gods of
Brahmapurohita, Mahābrahman, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha,
Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Abṛha, Atapa,
Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha. They
resonate with the words “impermanent,” “subject to suffering,” “empty,” and
“selfless,” and they proclaim these two verses:

“Take action! Go forth!

Apply yourself to the Buddha’s teachings!

As an elephant destroys a house made of reeds,

Destroy the army of Death!

“Those who, with great care,

Exert themselves in this Dharma and Vinaya

Abandon the course of rebirth

And bring an end to suffering!”

Then the rays of light, after unfurling through the worlds of the
great billionfold universe, later return to the Blessed One. The rays disappear
into the space behind the Blessed One when the Blessed One intends to explain
actions of the past. They disappear into the space in front of the Blessed One
when the Blessed One intends to explain the future. They disappear into the soles
of his feet when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth in the hells. They
disappear into his heels when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as an
animal. They disappear into his big toe when the Blessed One intends to explain
rebirth as a hungry ghost. They disappear into his knees when the Blessed One
intends to explain rebirth as a human. They disappear into his left palm when the
Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning king of power. They disappear into his
right palm when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning
king. They disappear into his navel when the Blessed One intends to explain
rebirth as a god. They disappear into his mouth when the Blessed One intends to
explain the awakening of a disciple. They disappear into the circle of hair
between his eyebrows when the Blessed One intends to explain the awakening of a
self-awakened one. They disappear into the crown of his head when the Blessed One
intends to explain complete and perfect awakening.

The rays of light then circled the Blessed One three times and
disappeared into the soles of his feet.
The venerable Ānanda made the gesture of supplication to the
Blessed One and said:

“A mass made brilliant by thousands of colors

Came forth from your mouth,

Like the sun rising,

Shining in every direction.”

And Ānanda then spoke these verses:

“One who has become a buddha, the supreme cause in the world,

Free from restlessness, discouragement, and self-satisfaction,

A victor who has subdued enemies—

Not without cause does he flash a smile,

White like a lotus root or a conch shell.

“Therefore, O resolute one, please know when the time is right,

O lord of victors, supreme Muni,

And resolve the doubts of your listeners who desire to hear

With words that are reliable, sublime, and excellent.

“Protectors, perfectly awakened ones,

Who are steady like the mountains in the middle of the ocean,

Do not smile accidentally.

These many people desire to hear

For what reason the resolute one smiles.”

“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “that is exactly it! Tathāgatas, arhats,
perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause or condition. Ānanda, Ātreya,
the chief physician, is degenerate and will meet an untimely end. He said ‘son of
a slave woman’ to the Tathāgata, who has had no fault in his conduct since he
assumed Mahāsammata’s lineage. In seven days Ātreya will die, vomiting blood. With
the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings. Therefore,
monks, you should not treat Ātreya or others like Ātreya with respect. You should
not surgically remove hemorrhoids. Treatment for hemorrhoids should be done in two
ways: mantras and medicines. If
a monk surgically removes hemorrhoids or treats Ātreya or others like Ātreya with
respect, the monk becomes guilty of an offense.”

The monk died from the particular harm done by Ātreya. The ministers
reported to King Prasenajit, “Your Majesty, Ātreya said ‘son of a slave woman’ to
the Blessed One and that monk died of the particular harm done by Ātreya.”

The king was then very much enraged and shouted to his ministers, “Sirs,
I have renounced Ātreya, the chief physician. Go!”

“Your Majesty,” said the ministers, “why would you want to kill he who is
already dead? The Blessed One predicted, ‘In seven days he will die, vomiting
blood. With the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings.’
”

“Then banish him from my country,” ordered the king.

The ministers banished Ātreya and he went to a country called Sāketā. The
gods living in Sāketā greatly reviled him: “You stupid man, why should you who has
said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the protector of the three realms stay here?” And
so they expelled Ātreya. Then he went to Vārāṇasī. Then, having been expelled from
there, he went to Vaiśālī. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to
Campā. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Rājagṛha. Then, having
been expelled from there, he dwelt under a tree. Then, having been expelled from
there by the gods living in the tree, Ātreya went to the shores of a river, a
lake, and a pond. Even there he could not find an opportunity to stay and thought,
“Although even foxes find opportunities to stay on this continent of Jambu, I have
nowhere to stay even under a tree, at a lake, or at a pond.” Then, the fierce
agony arose for him in which one dies vomiting blood. As soon as he died, he was
reborn in the great hell of Incessant.

Then the Blessed One spoke these verses about that incident:

“Words, like an axe, hurtle forth from the mouth

Of a person who has been reborn.

Those who speak ill

Cut themselves with the words they say.

“Those who praise those who are worthy of reproach

And reproach those who are worthy of praise

Offend with the mouth,

Because of which they fail to obtain happiness.

“The loss of one who, in this world,

Loses his own wealth by gambling is small.

The loss of one who

Thinks ill of the sugatas is great.

“After reproaching the noble
ones and, with body and speech,

Doing evil, he will go to the hell of Burst Blisters

And stay there for one hundred thousand years. Then he will go to the hell of
Blisters

And stay there for forty-one thousand years.”

IV. One Who Has a Wind Illness

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of
Kāśi and stayed overnight in a town where the boundary had not been fixed. There
the Blessed One caught a wind illness. The venerable Ānanda thought, “Although I
have attended to the Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never
asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.” He went to a
physician and said, “Sir, since the Blessed One has a disease like this, prescribe
medicine for him.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “have him eat the three spices boiled with a
good amount of ghee, and he will recover his health.”

Then the venerable Ānanda himself prepared and cooked the food and
offered it to the Blessed One.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha,
the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, what is this?”

Ānanda said, “Honored One, I thought, ‘Although I have attended to the
Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for
advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.’ When I consulted a physician, he
said, ‘Noble one, have him eat the three spices boiled with a good amount of ghee,
and he will recover his health.’ So I myself prepared and cooked it.”

“Ānanda, where did you make it?”

“Within the boundary.”

“Where did you put it?”

“Within the boundary.”

“Who cooked it?”

“I did,
within the boundary.”

“Ānanda, what was cooked within the boundary and was left within the
boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked within the boundary and was left
outside the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the boundary and
was left within the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the
boundary and was left outside the boundary may be eaten. Ānanda, what was cooked
by a monk, whether within the boundary or outside the boundary, should not be
eaten in any situation.”

The Blessed One concluded, “What was cooked by a monk should not be eaten
in any situation.”

A householder living in Śrāvastī went to the Blessed One. When the
householder arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the
Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side,
the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired,
encouraged, and delighted the householder. After he had … delighted him in a
variety of ways … the Blessed One remained silent. Then the
householder rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the
gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One
together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal at my house
tomorrow.” … Then the householder let the Blessed One know the time by messenger:
“Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is
ready.”

Early in the morning the community of monks dressed, took their bowls and
their robes, and
went to the house of the householder. The Blessed One refrained from going for
almsfood.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, refrain from going for almsfood for five
reasons. What are the five? Wishing to look after the sick, wishing to look after
the living quarters, wishing to go into seclusion, wishing to teach the Dharma to
the gods, and wishing to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the
disciples. In this case, the Blessed One refrained from going for almsfood because
he wished to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the disciples.

The venerable Ānanda was in charge of receiving almsfood for the Blessed
One. He was there given boiled rice, which was not fully cooked, and he thought,
“It has not been long since the Blessed One recovered, and this rice is not fully
cooked. So, if he has this rice, his illness may return. Although the Blessed One
has not authorized cooking such food, it is probable that this situation will lead
him to authorize cooking it.” Ānanda took a pitcher, poured water into the boiled
rice, and cooked it until it was done. Then he offered the boiled rice to the
Blessed One.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha,
the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, does the entire community
have the same boiled rice as this?”

“No, they do not, Honored One. Theirs is not fully cooked.”

“Then where did it come from?”

When Ānanda related to the Blessed One in detail what had happened, the
Blessed One said, “Good, good, Ānanda! You know even what I have not authorized. On
account of that, I authorize monks to receive boiled rice that is not fully cooked
and to cook and eat it.”

After the Blessed One said “monks may receive boiled rice that is not
fully cooked and cook and eat it,” the group of six monks received raw rice
and began to cook and eat it.

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One
said, “You may receive, cook, and eat boiled rice, one third of which is cooked.
You may receive and eat vegetables, flowers, fruits, fish, and meat after their
color changes. You may receive, boil, and drink liquids such as milk when they
have been boiled two or three times. You should not have any regrets about
consuming such things. If you consume them in other ways, you become guilty of an
offense.”

V. Pūrṇa

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying in the Jetavana, in the
Park of Anāthapiṇḍada.

At that time a householder named Bhava was living in a city called
Sūrpāraka. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions, with holdings
both vast and extensive. He possessed wealth equal to that of Vaiśravaṇa, rivaling
that of Vaiśravaṇa. Bhava took a wife from a family of equal rank, and Bhava and
his wife played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and thus the wife conceived a
child. After eight or nine months, a boy who was well proportioned, attractive,
and pleasant to behold was born. At the birth, the householder held a great
celebration for twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, he asked, “What name
shall we give this boy?”

His kinsmen suggested, “Since this boy is the son of the
householder Bhava, let us name him Bhavila.” Thus the boy was named Bhavila.

Then the couple again played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and
another boy was born and named Bhavatrāta.

And then again a boy was born to the householder and was named
Bhavanandin.

Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness and spoke very harsh
words, and thus his wife and sons abandoned him. He had a servant girl, and she
thought, “Although my master won possessions through hundreds of thousands of
means, he now has an illness and was abandoned even by his wife and sons. If
I give up on my master, that would not be
appropriate for me.”

She went to a physician and asked, “Master, do you know the householder
Bhava?”

“Yes, I do. What happened to him?”

“He has such-and-such kind of illness, and he was abandoned by his wife
and sons. Prescribe medicine for him.”

“You said he was abandoned by his wife and sons. Then who attends to
him?” asked the physician.

“I attend to him. Please prescribe inexpensive medicine.”

The physician prescribed it, saying, “This is his medicine.”

Then the servant girl, taking some food for Bhava from her own provisions
and also taking some from the house, attended to him, and he recovered his health.
Bhava thought, “I was abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to this
girl. I should do something for her in return.” Bhava said to her, “Girl, I was
abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to you. So I will give you
whatever you most want. Tell me what you want.”

“Master,
if you are satisfied with me, I would like to have sex with you.”

Bhava said, “What is the use of our having sex? I will give you five
hundred kārṣāpaṇas and liberate you from servitude.”

“Master, I am nothing but a slave whether I am far from here or in the
next life,” she replied. “If I have sex with you, Master, I am not a slave.”

Bhava, knowing she would insist, said, “Girl, tell me when the time is
right and you are fertile.”

Later, when the time was right and she was fertile, she told him. Then
the two, the householder Bhava and the servant girl, enjoyed themselves together,
and she conceived a child. From the very day the child was conceived, all the
wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava became abundant and
fulfilled. After eight or nine months, a boy was born. He was well proportioned,
attractive, and pleasant to behold, with a golden complexion, his head like a
parasol, long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose, and
every major limb and minor appendage of his body complete. From the time he was
born, all the wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava again became
abundant and fulfilled. At the birth, the householder held a great celebration for
twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, … “Let us name him Pūrṇa
(Fulfilled).” Thus the boy was named Pūrṇa.

The boy Pūrṇa was entrusted to eight nursemaids:
two nursemaids to change his diapers … (The passage should be recited in detail,
up to:) He grew quickly
like a lotus shooting up in a pond.
When Pūrṇa grew up, he was taught letters, calculation,
numbers, counting by hand, and how to deal with loans and two different
types of deposits, and he became fully learned in
eight kinds of analysis: the analysis of land, the analysis of cloth, the analysis
of jewels, the analysis of wood, the analysis of elephants, the analysis of
horses, the analysis of boys, and the analysis of girls. He also mastered other
kinds of analysis and reading, and became one whose actions are clear.

Later, the householder Bhava made his sons get married one by one,
beginning with Bhavila. The sons were so attached to their
own wives that they abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten with
physical beauty alone. Therefore, the householder Bhava was plunged into grief,
resting his cheek on his hand. His sons noticed him and asked, “Father, why are
you plunged into grief, resting your cheek on your hand?”

“Sons,” he replied, “I did not get married until I had a hundred thousand
pieces of gold. You have abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten
with physical beauty alone. After my death, my family will be full of misery. How
could I not be plunged into grief?”

Bhavila, taking off his jeweled earrings and putting on wooden earrings
(dārukarṇikā), promised, “I
will not put on jeweled earrings until I acquire a hundred thousand pieces of
gold.”

Then the third one, putting on lead earrings (trapukarṇikā), made the same promise too.

Although they had been known by the names Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and
Bhavanandin, those names disappeared, and they came to be known by the names
Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin.

When the three sons took to the great ocean carrying merchandise, Pūrṇa
said, “Father, I will take to the great ocean, too.”

His father replied, “Son, because you are a child, you should stay here
and do what needs to be done in the store.”

And so Pūrṇa stayed. His elder brothers returned, having been successful
on their voyage. After they were fully rested, they said, “Father, please
calculate the value of our merchandise.” Their father calculated the value and
found that each of the three sons had acquired a hundred thousand pieces of gold.

Pūrṇa had also lawfully earned more than a hundred thousand pieces of
gold. He threw himself at his father’s feet and said, “Father, please calculate
the money I earned at the store, too.”

“Son, you have remained here,” replied his father. “What is there to
calculate for you?”

“Father, at any rate, please calculate it and you will understand,” said
Pūrṇa.

His father calculated it and found that there were, except for the
capital, more than a hundred thousand pieces of gold obtained properly. The
householder Bhava, being pleased and delighted, thought, “This creature appears to
be one who has the great power of merit. Just remaining here, he has acquired a
hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness. He thought, “After my
death, my sons will go their separate ways. So I must devise a plan to keep them
together.” He said to them, “Sons, prepare firewood.” When the sons had prepared
firewood, he said, “Kindle a fire.” When the sons had kindled a fire, he said,
“Pull out, one by one, the pieces of wood.” When the sons had pulled out, one by
one, the pieces of wood, the fire was extinguished. He asked, “Sons, did you see
that?”

“We did, father,” said his sons.

Bhava then recited a verse:

“Fire burns when pieces of wood are gathered together.

Brothers together are just the same.

If you separate the pieces of wood, the fire is extinguished.

People are just like that.”

“Sons, after my death, you should not listen to the words of
women.

“Families are divided because of women.

Those who are clever are divided by words.

Mantras increase when
they are badly chanted.

Friends are divided because of desire.”

The sons, except for Bhavila, went elsewhere. Bhavila stayed and his
father said to him, “Son, whatever happens, you should not abandon Pūrṇa. He has
the great power of merit.” Then Bhava passed away, saying:

“All accumulation ends in loss;

What is lofty in the end will fall;

All meetings end in separation;

All life ends in death.”

The sons decorated his bier with blue, yellow, red, and white cloth,
performed a great ceremony, carried the body to the charnel ground, and cremated
it. Then, having assuaged their grief, they said to one another, “When our father
was alive, we depended on him for our livelihoods. But now he is dead. If we
now abandon the family business and settle
down, the family will dissolve and we will be reproached by our kinsmen. So let us
go abroad carrying merchandise.”

Pūrṇa said, “Then I will go, too.”

“You should stay here and do what needs to be done in the store,” said
the brothers. “Only we three will go.” The three brothers then went abroad
carrying merchandise. Pūrṇa, entrusted with all the other responsibilities, stayed
behind.

It is commonplace that in a wealthy family each member of the family is
given money for everyday expenses. The wives of the three elder brothers sent
their female slaves to Pūrṇa to receive the money for everyday expenses. But since
Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants,
the female slaves did not find an opportunity to receive the money for everyday
expenses. After the guests had stood up and left, the female slaves were then
given the money for that day. When the female slaves returned late, they were
scolded: “Hey, girl, why are you so late?”

“Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and
servants, and his brightness was blazing like the light of the sun,” they replied.
“When everyone else had stood up and left, we were given the money.”

“Such a thing occurs when sons of slave women come into power in
someone’s house,” remarked the wives.

The wife of Bhavila asked her female slave, “Why are you so late?”

When the female slave had explained the matter in detail, the wife of
Bhavila said, “Thank you. You should go when you know the time is right.”

Because the female slave knew when the time was right and went then, she
quickly received the money. The other female slaves took a long time. They asked
the first one, “How did you come back so quickly?”

She explained everything, and the other female slaves began to go to
Pūrṇa with her. Pūrṇa was again surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan
leaders, and servants, and when they left, he gave the female slave of Bhavila’s
wife the day’s money. The other two female slaves also quickly obtained the money.
Their mistresses asked, “How is it that you came back so quickly this time?”

They said, “May the eldest mistress be free from illness. When her female
slave goes, Pūrṇa gives the money to her. So we go with her.”

Unable to bear it, the two wives again remarked, “Such a thing occurs when sons of
slave women come into power in someone’s house.”

Later, Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and Bhavanandin returned from the great
ocean, joyfully, having succeeded on their voyage. Bhavila asked his wife, “Good
lady, did Pūrṇa protect you well?”

“He was as good to me as a brother or a son,” she replied.

When the other two husbands asked their wives the same, the wives
remarked yet again, “These are things that occur when sons of slave women come
into power in someone’s house.”

The two brothers thought, “Women usually split friends apart.”

Later, immediately after the store of cloth from Kāśi was opened,
Bhavila’s son came, and Pūrṇa dressed him with a piece of cloth from Kāśi. The
wives of the two younger brothers saw the cloth and asked, “Child, who gave you
this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

Having seen such cloth, the other wives also sent their own sons. But,
unfortunately for them, the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed and only the store
of rough cloth was open, and so Pūrṇa dressed them in rough cloth. Seeing this,
the wives of the two younger brothers complained to their husbands, “Did you see
that? He gives cloth from Kāśi to one while he gives rough cloth to the others.”

The husbands answered, “That is definitely because when the boys arrived
the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed, but the store of rough cloth was open.”

“Give it more thought,” said their wives.

Later, when the store of śarkarā was opened, Bhavila’s son came and got a
bowl full of śarkarā. When Bhavila’s son returned home carrying the
śarkarā, the wives of the younger brothers saw him and asked, “Child, who gave you
this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

The two wives also sent their own sons. But unfortunately for them, the
store of śarkarā was closed and only the store of guḍa was open. Since they came
when only the store of guḍa was open, they got guḍa. “Did you see that?” the wives
complained again. “Pūrṇa gives śarkarā to the one while he gives guḍa to the
others.”

Having seen all that, the wives tried to alienate their husbands from one
another in order to split up the household. The two younger brothers discussed the
matter together: “Since our household has been ruined for good, we should divide
it.”

One suggested, “Let’s call our eldest brother.”

The other replied, “For the time being, let’s consider how to divide the
household ourselves.”

The two then considered it independently and thought, “One will take what
there is in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there
is in the store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa. If our
eldest brother takes what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, we
will be able to live on what there is in the store and what there is abroad. And
if our eldest brother takes what there is in the store and what there is abroad,
we will be able to live on what there is in the house and what there is in the
farm, and we will also be able to torment Pūrṇa.”

Thus the two brothers discussed the matter. They went to Bhavila and
said, “Since our family relations have dissolved, we are going to divide the
household.”

“I think we should do this after we have carefully analyzed the
situation,” Bhavila replied, “because it is usually women who break up
households.”

“We have already analyzed the situation,” said the other two, “so we are going
to divide the household.”

“Then call five arbitrators,” said Bhavila.

“Why do we need five arbitrators when we have already figured out the
division of the household?” asked the two brothers. “One will take what there is
in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there is in the
store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa.”

“Why do you not give Pūrṇa his share?” asked Bhavila.

“Who gives a share to the son of a slave woman?” the other two answered.
“Not only that, he himself is one of the things we have apportioned. If you want
Pūrṇa, take him.”

Bhavila thought, “Father ordered me: ‘You should not abandon Pūrṇa even
if you part with your entire estate.’ So I should take Pūrṇa.” He then said, “If
that is how it is, then I will provide for Pūrṇa.”

The brother who took possession of what there was in the house and what
there was in the farm went quickly to the house and called out, “Sister, get out
of here!”

When Bhavila’s wife stepped out, he shouted, “Don’t come back again!”

“Why?”

“Because we have divided what belongs to the household.”

The brother who took possession of what there was in the store and what
there was abroad went quickly to the store and called out, “Pūrṇa, come down!”

When Pūrṇa came down, the brother said, “You cannot go up to the store
anymore.”

“Why?”

“We divided the household. What there is abroad and what there is in the
store are mine.”

“Give me my share,” said Pūrṇa.

The brother retorted, “Why should we give a share to you, the son of a
slave woman? Not only that, you yourself are one of the things we have
apportioned. You have been taken by our eldest brother.”

When Bhavila’s wife went with Pūrṇa to the house of a kinsman, her
children began to
cry from hunger. She implored him, “Pūrṇa, give my children something to eat.”

“Give me a kārṣāpaṇa,” said Pūrṇa.

“You earned a hundred thousand pieces of gold,” she replied. “Do you not
have something for the children to eat?”

“How could I have known that your family would come to be needy like
this?” said Pūrṇa in return. “If I had known that, I would have prepared hundreds
of thousands of gold pieces.”

It is commonplace for women to carry a few brass coins wrapped in the
hems of their garments. Bhavila’s wife gave Pūrṇa a brass coin and said, “Bring
something to eat.”

Taking the coin with him, Pūrṇa went to the market, where he saw a man
carrying a bundle of wood that had been cast ashore by the ocean waves. The man
was shivering with cold, and Pūrṇa asked him, “Say, why are you shivering like
this?”

“I don’t know,” answered the man, “but I grow cold like this whenever I
carry this bundle of wood even briefly.”

Pūrṇa, who was learned in the analysis of wood, began to analyze the wood
and found in it a piece of gośīrṣacandana. He asked
the man, “Say, how much would you sell this for?”

“For five hundred kārṣāpaṇas.”

Pūrṇa took the bundle of wood, extracted the piece of gośīrṣacandana,
went to the market, sawed it into four pieces, sold just the sawdust for a
thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and gave the man five hundred kārṣāpaṇas, saying, “Since
Bhavila’s wife is staying at such-and-such a house, take this bundle of wood there
and say that Pūrṇa sent it.”

When the man had brought the wood and told her what happened, Bhavila’s
wife, beating her breast, cried out, “So did Pūrṇa also lose his mind after he
lost his estate? I sent him to find something to be cooked. Instead, he sent something to
kindle a fire with, but nothing to be cooked!”

Later, the king of Sūrpāraka came down with a serious fever and was
semiconscious. The physician prescribed gośīrṣacandana for him, and so the
ministers began to look for gośīrṣacandana. They heard talk in the market and went
to Pūrṇa. The ministers asked him, “Do you have gośīrṣacandana?”

“I do.”

“How much would you sell it for?”

“For a thousand kārṣāpaṇas.”

The ministers bought the gośīrṣacandana for a thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and
when they anointed the king with it, he recovered his health. The king thought,
“What sort of house has gośīrṣacandana in it?” The king asked his ministers,
“Where did this come from?”

“From Pūrṇa, Your Majesty,” answered the ministers.

“Call Pūrṇa here.”

A messenger went to Pūrṇa and told him, “Pūrṇa, His Majesty will speak
with you.”

Pūrṇa wondered, “Why would the king speak with me?” He then thought
further, “Since he recovered his health on account of gośīrṣacandana, he would
speak with me about gośīrṣacandana. So I should take all the gośīrṣacandana with
me.”

Pūrṇa wrapped three pieces of gośīrṣacandana with cloth, held another
piece in his hand, and went to the king. The king asked, “Pūrṇa, do you have any
gośīrṣacandana?”

“Your Majesty, here it is,” Pūrṇa answered.

“What is the price of this?”

“A hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“Do you have any more?”

“I do, Your Majesty,” Pūrṇa said, showing him, one by one, the three
other pieces of gośīrṣacandana. The king ordered his ministers, “Pay Pūrṇa four
hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “give me three hundred thousand. I will
present one to Your Majesty as a gift.”

The king gave three hundred thousand pieces of gold to Pūrṇa and said,
“Pūrṇa, I am pleased with you. So, tell me whatever you most want and I will
give it to you.”

“Your Majesty, if you are pleased with me, I would ask to stay in your
country without being harmed by anyone.”

The king ordered his ministers, “Sirs, from now on, you should not give
orders to Pūrṇa even if you give orders to princes.”

Later, five hundred merchants came to the city of Sūrpāraka, having
succeeded on their voyage on the great ocean. The guild of merchants in Sūrpāraka
made a private agreement: “None of us should go alone to the foreign merchants. If
someone goes alone, a fine of sixty kārṣāpaṇas shall be imposed. We should gather
our merchandise together.”

One of them said, “We should call Pūrṇa, too.”

“What is the use of calling that poor man?” asked another.

At that time Pūrṇa went out and heard that five hundred merchants had
come to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on their voyage on the great
ocean. Pūrṇa, without entering the city, went to the foreign merchants and asked,
“Sirs, what are these goods?”

“They are this and that,” they answered.

“What is their price?”

“Caravan leader, wherever you go you only ask questions. ”

“Even so, tell me the price,” Pūrṇa insisted.

The merchants priced the goods at one million, eight hundred thousand
pieces of gold. Pūrṇa said, “Sirs, here are three hundred thousand pieces of gold
for a deposit. This merchandise is mine. I will pay the balance when I get
home.”

“Please do so,” they said, and Pūrṇa paid three hundred thousand pieces
of gold as a deposit, placed his own seal on the merchandise, and departed.

Later, the guild of merchants sent servants, telling them, “Go see what
goods there are.”

They went and asked, “What are these goods?”

“They are this and that.”

“Our
treasury and warehouse are full of such things.”

“Whether full or not, these goods have already been sold,” said the
foreign merchants.

“To whom did you sell them?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

“You must have made a great profit if you sold it to Pūrṇa.”

The merchants said, “You would not pay even for full price what he paid
as a deposit.”

“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

The servants went back and reported to the guild of merchants, “Those
goods have already been sold.”

“To whom?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

“They must have made a great profit if they sold it to Pūrṇa.”

“You would not pay even for full price what he paid as a deposit.”

“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

They called Pūrṇa and said, “Pūrṇa, why did you take the merchandise when
the guild of merchants had an agreement: ‘None should take the merchandise alone,
but only the guild of
merchants should take it’?”

“Sirs,” he replied, “when you made the agreement, did you tell me or my
brothers? You made the agreement without me. You alone should keep it.”

The guild of merchants then became angry. They seized Pūrṇa and placed
him in the sun so that he would pay sixty kārṣāpanas. The king’s men witnessed
this and told the king.

“Sirs, summon them,” ordered the king.

When the king’s men had summoned the merchants, the king asked them,
“Sirs, why did you seize Pūrṇa and place him in the sun?”

“Your Majesty, we did so because the guild of merchants had an agreement
that none should trade by themselves, but he engaged in trade by himself.”

“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “please ask them whether they told me or my
brothers when they made the agreement.”

“Sirs, Pūrṇa’s claim is fair,” said the king.

The merchants were ashamed, and they freed Pūrṇa.

Later, when the king needed an item, he summoned the guild of merchants
and ordered them, “Sirs, since I need such-and-such an item, present it to me.”

“Your Majesty, Pūrṇa has it,” they replied.

“Since I cannot order him,” said the king, “buy it from him and present
it to me.”

The merchants sent a messenger to Pūrṇa, who told him, “The guild of
merchants calls you.”

“I will not go,” answered Pūrṇa.

Then all the members of the guild of merchants assembled, went to Pūrṇa’s
house, stood at the door, and sent him a message: “Pūrṇa, the guild of merchants
is at your door. Come out!”

When Pūrṇa came out arrogantly, with pride and haughtiness, the guild of
merchants said, “Caravan leader, please sell your merchandise at the price you
paid for it.”

“If I sell my merchandise at the price I paid for it, I would surely be
such a great merchant, wouldn’t I?” said Pūrṇa.

The merchants replied, “Sell it at twice the price and the guild of
merchants will be honored.”

“The guild of merchants should be honored,” thought Pūrṇa. He then sold
it at twice the price of one million, five hundred thousand.

After Pūrṇa hid the remaining money in his house, he thought, “How can I
fill a vessel with dew drops? I will take to the great ocean.” In order to take to
the great ocean, he issued a proclamation in the city of Sūrpāraka with the
ringing of bells: “Sirs, merchants living in the city of Sūrpāraka, listen! The
caravan leader Pūrṇa will take to the great ocean. Whoever among you who wants to
take to the great ocean with the caravan leader Pūrṇa, free from taxes, duties,
and boatman’s fees, should prepare your merchandise to carry across the great
ocean.”

Five hundred merchants prepared their merchandise to carry across the
great ocean. Then the caravan leader Pūrṇa, after performing rituals that bring
good fortune, blessings, and well-being, took to the great ocean with his retinue
and the five hundred merchants, and then returned to the city of Sūrpāraka, having
succeeded on his voyage.

Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and returned, having succeeded on
each voyage.

Everywhere it was said, “Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and
returned, having succeeded on each voyage.” Then, the merchants of Śrāvastī came
to the city of Sūrpāraka bearing their merchandise. After they were fully rested,
they went to the caravan leader Pūrṇa. When they arrived, they said, “Caravan
leader, let us leave for the great ocean.”

“Sirs,” Pūrṇa replied, “have any of you ever seen or heard of anyone who,
six times, returned from the great ocean after succeeding on each voyage, and was
going a seventh time?”

“Pūrṇa, we came a long way to see you. If you do not go, we will not go
either because you are the authority,” the merchants said.

Pūrṇa thought, “Although there is no wealth at all that I need, I will go
for the sake of these people.” Then Pūrṇa left for the great ocean together with
the merchants.

“Caravan leader,” they replied, “these are not songs.”

“Then what are they?”

“They are the words of the Buddha.”

When Pūrṇa heard the sound buddha, a word he had
never heard before, the hairs in every pore of his body stood on end. Pūrṇa asked
reverently,
“Sirs, who is the Buddha?”

The merchants explained, “There is a son of the Śākyans, a śramaṇa of the Gautama family, who went forth from his
home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and
donned saffron robes. He awoke to supreme, complete awakening. Caravan leader, he
is the Buddha.”

“Sirs, where is that blessed one now?”

“Caravan leader, he is staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana,
Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

Keeping this in mind, Pūrṇa took to the great ocean together with them
and came back, having succeeded on his voyage.

His brother Bhavila thought, “He is tired from continually traveling the
great ocean. He should get married.” He then asked Pūrṇa, “Tell me, which daughter
of which merchant,
businessman, or caravan leader shall I request for you?”

“I do not want an object of desire,” Pūrṇa replied. “If you allow it, I
will go forth.”

“You did not go forth when we were not engaged in the family business.
Why do you go forth now?” asked Bhavila.

“It was not appropriate then,” replied Pūrṇa. “It is appropriate now.”

Bhavila, knowing he would insist, allowed Pūrṇa to go forth.

“Brother,” said Pūrṇa, “there is much danger and little to gain on the
great ocean. Many people take to it but only a few of them return. So you should
never take to the great ocean. You have abundant wealth gained properly, while
your brothers have what was gained improperly. So you should not live with them if
they ask you to live together.”

Pūrṇa went to Śrāvastī with a servant. He stayed in the park of Śrāvastī
and sent his servant as a messenger to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, saying,
“Householder, the caravan leader Pūrṇa is staying in the park of Śrāvastī, hoping
to meet you.”

Anāthapiṇḍada thought, “He must have come in a carriage, having grown
tired of traveling by boat.” Then Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Say, how much merchandise
has he brought with him?”

“What merchandise? He came only with me, a servant.”

“It would not be appropriate for me to invite that important person to my
house without honoring him,” thought Anāthapiṇḍada. So, he invited Pūrṇa to his
house with great honor: he offered him a massage, let him bathe, and gave him
food. When they sat down, talking pleasantly, Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Caravan
leader, what is the purpose of your coming here?”

“Householder, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the
well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada stretched his upper body, raised his
right hand, and spoke an inspired utterance: “O Buddha, O Dharma, O Saṅgha! O
well-taught Dharma! A great person like this, abandoning a great many relatives
and friends and full treasuries and warehouses, now wishes to go forth and be
ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada took the caravan leader Pūrṇa to the
Blessed One. At that time the Blessed One was teaching the Dharma, seated before
an audience of many hundreds of monks. When the Blessed One saw the householder
Anāthapiṇḍada coming with a gift, he said to the monks, “Monks, the householder
Anāthapiṇḍada is coming with a gift. For the Tathāgata, there is no gift equal to
this, a person to be tamed.”

The householder Anāthapiṇḍada bowed low until his forehead touched the
feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side together with the
caravan leader Pūrṇa. When Anāthapiṇḍada had sat down, he said to the Blessed One,
“Honored One, the caravan leader Pūrṇa wishes to go forth and be ordained a monk
in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. May the Blessed One let him go forth and
ordain him.”

The Blessed One assented to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada by remaining
silent. Then the Blessed One said to the caravan leader Pūrṇa, “Come, monk, lead
the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed One said this,
Pūrṇa’s hair fell out and he was clad in his outer robe, with but a week’s worth
of hair and beard, his bowl and pitcher in his hand, and standing like a monk who
had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

Because the Tathāgata said “Come,”

His hair fell out and he was clad in his outer robe,

His faculties at once calmed,

And his body swathed in the Buddha’s mind.

At another time, the venerable Pūrṇa went to the Blessed One. When Pūrṇa
arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then
he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the venerable Pūrṇa implored
the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please preach to me a condensed Dharma so that
after I have listened to the condensed Dharma from the Blessed One, I will come to
dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself toward
myself. If I dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself
toward myself, I will, in this life, by my own supernormal knowledge, actualize
and accomplish the supreme end of the pure life for which the sons of noble
families go forth from their homes into homelessness with true faith, having
shaved off their hair and beards and donned saffron robes, and I will
understand, ‘My births have been exhausted. The pure life has been lived. What is
to be done has been done. I will not know another existence after this one.’ ”

When the venerable Pūrṇa had finished speaking, the Blessed One said to
him, “Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it was good that you said this: ‘Please preach to
me a condensed Dharma . . . . I will not know another existence after this one.’
Therefore, listen well and keep this in mind and I will preach to you.

“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are
attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire,
and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and rejoices
in, welcomes, clings to, and remains attached to them, joy will arise in he who rejoices in, welcomes,
clings to, and remains attached to them. If there is joy, the joy will turn into
delight and pleasure. If there is delight and pleasure, it will turn into
clinging. If there is clinging, it will turn into a fetter. A monk who has come to
have delight, clinging, and fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory
objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the
tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and mental objects to be cognized by
the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and
connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows these
objects … he is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are
attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire,
and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and does not
rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them, joy will not arise in
he who does not rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them. If
there is no joy, there will be no delight or pleasure. If there is no delight or
pleasure, there will be no clinging. If there is no clinging, there will be no
fetter. If there are no fetters, a monk who has neither delight, nor clinging, nor
fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be near nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory
objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the
tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and mental objects to be
cognized by the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to
behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows
these objects … he is said to be near nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, since I have entrusted you with this condensed instruction, then
where do you want to dwell? Where do you want to live?”

“Honored One, since the Blessed One has entrusted me with this condensed
instruction, I would like to go to Śroṇāparāntaka.”

“Pūrṇa,
the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce, impetuous, rough, abusive, short
tempered, and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse,
ridicule, and disparage you with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, what will you
think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse, ridicule,
and disparage me with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, I will think, ‘Ah, the
people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are
intelligent. Although they abuse, ridicule, and disparage me with bad, coarse, and
intolerable words, they do not strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt.’
”

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa,
if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with their hands or with clods of dirt,
what will you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with their hands
or with clods of dirt, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper.
Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with
their hands or with clods of dirt, they do not strike me with sticks or swords.’
”

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa,
if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with sticks or with swords, what will
you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with sticks or
with swords, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the
people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with sticks or
with swords, they do not take my life.’ ”

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa,
if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka attempt to take your life, what will you
think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka attempt to take my life, I
will think, ‘Among the Blessed One’s disciples
there are those who, because of this purulent body, are grieved and ashamed and
self-loathing, and who cut themselves with swords, ingest poison, hang themselves,
or throw themselves from a cliff to their deaths. Therefore, ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka
are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. They liberate me
from this purulent body with little trouble.’ ”

“Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it is good that you who possess such patience
and gentleness are able to dwell in Śroṇāparāntaka. Pūrṇa, go and liberate those
who have not been liberated. Release those who have not been released. Relieve
those who have not been relieved. Emancipate those who have not been
emancipated.”

The venerable Pūrṇa praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One.
The venerable Pūrṇa then bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s
feet, and he departed from the Blessed One’s presence.

After that night had passed, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa
dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. He took a meal
of almsfood in Śrāvastī and returned after the meal. He put in order the bedding
and the seat he had used, took his bowl and his robe, and set out for
Śroṇāparāntaka.
Traveling through the country, he arrived in due course at Śroṇāparāntaka.

Then, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa dressed, took his bowl and
his robe, and entered Śroṇāparāntaka for alms.

A hunter, carrying his bow and arrows and going to hunt deer, saw Pūrṇa
and thought, “It is inauspicious that I saw this shaven-headed śramaṇa.”

When the hunter, his bow drawn, charged at the venerable Pūrṇa, the
venerable Pūrṇa caught sight of him. Upon seeing him, Pūrṇa removed his upper robe
and said, “Shoot this, sir, since I entered this place for the sake of this that
is hard to fill up,” and then he spoke this verse:

“Quick, shoot an arrow into this stomach with its many ills,

For the sake of which birds wander in the sky, beasts are ensnared,

People wielding arrows, spears, and lances are killed in battle,

And fish, swimming around from hunger, affliction, and deprivation, are caught
with fishhooks.”

The hunter thought, “This mendicant has such patience and gentleness. Why
should I shoot him with an arrow?” When he thought thus, the hunter’s mind was
filled with faith in the venerable Pūrṇa. Then the venerable Pūrṇa preached the
Dharma to him and established him in the refuges and the rules of training. The
venerable Pūrṇa also made five hundred other huntsmen lay brothers and five
hundred women lay sisters. Five hundred monastery buildings were offered to him,
and hundreds of couches, stools, cushions, pillows, and square blankets were also
offered. After three months had passed, the venerable Pūrṇa actualized with his
body the threefold knowledge and became an arhat. He was
free from desire for the three realms; …  and he became an object of veneration, respect, and
praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra.

Later, the two brothers of Dārukarṇin, having consumed and exhausted
their possessions, came to Dārukarṇin and said, “Since that creature who was our
misfortune has left our home, come, let us live together.”

“Who is that creature that you say was our misfortune?” asked
Dārukarṇin.

“Pūrṇa, of course.”

“He is not a creature who brings misfortune; rather, he brought good
fortune to my home.”

Dārukarṇin’s two brothers said, “Whether good fortune or misfortune,
come, let us live together.”

“Your wealth was not gained properly while mine was gained properly,”
replied Dārukarṇin. “Because of this difference, we cannot live together.”

“The son of a slave woman took to the great ocean many times and helped
you gain your possessions, which you spend and boast about. How were you able to
take to the great ocean?” asked Dārukarṇin’s two brothers.

Dārukarṇin, his pride hurt by his two brothers, thought, “I will take to
the great ocean, too.” Having thought this … Dārukarṇin took to the great ocean.
His ship was driven by a tail wind to a forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, this is the forest of gośīrṣacandana. So, choose
and take wood from here.”

At that time, there was a yakṣa named Maheśvara, who was master of the
forest of gośīrṣacandana, and he was away at a meeting of yakṣas. The merchants
began to cut down the gośīrṣacandana trees with five hundred axes. When a yakṣa
named Apriya saw the gośīrṣacandana trees being cut down with the five hundred
axes, he went to the yakṣa Maheśvara and said to him, “Sir, please be informed
that the
forest of gośīrṣacandana is being destroyed by five hundred axes. Thus, please do
your duty, or what you ought to do.”

Then the yakṣa Maheśvara canceled the meeting of yakṣas, and, unable to
bear it, caused a violent storm and set out for the forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, merchants of the continent of Jambu, listen. Since
this is the very thing that is known as the fear of a great storm, think of a
countermeasure.”

Then the merchants were frightened, terrified, dejected, and, with the
hairs in every pore of their bodies standing on end, started to beg the gods for
help, saying:

“O Śiva, Varuṇa, Kubera, Vāsava, and others,

Gods, humans, serpents, yakṣas, masters of the asuras,

Since we are utterly tormented and frightened,

May the fearless ones help us!”

Some bow to the husband of Śacī.

Others bow to Brahmā, Hari, and Śaṅkara.

To the deities who reside in the earth, in the trees and forest,

Those who are caught in a fiendish storm bow down, hoping for their
protection.

Dārukarṇin stood undisturbed. The merchants asked him, “Caravan leader,
why do you stand undisturbed while we are in intolerable pain and fear?”

“Sirs,” replied Dārukarṇin, “my younger brother told me, ‘Brother, there
is much danger and little to gain on the great ocean. Many people driven by desire
take to it but only a few of them return. So, you should never take to the great
ocean.’ I disobeyed my younger brother’s words and took to the great ocean. So
what can I do now?”

“Who is your younger brother?”

“He is Pūrṇa.”

“Sirs,” said the merchants, “the noble one Pūrṇa has the great power of
merit. Let us seek refuge in him.”

Gods who were delighted with the venerable Pūrṇa then went to him. When
they arrived, they said to the venerable Pūrṇa, “Noble one, your elder
brother feels
intolerable pain and fear. Please consider rescuing him.”

The venerable Pūrṇa considered this, and entered a meditative state by
which, directing his mind, he disappeared from Śroṇāparāntaka and appeared seated
with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship in the great ocean. The storm was then turned back as if it had struck
Mount Sumeru and was thwarted. The yakṣa Maheśvara thought, “Though, in the past,
ships that were hit by a storm were tossed like a piece of cotton and broken
apart, now the storm has been turned back as if it had struck Mount Sumeru and was
thwarted. What was the cause of that?”

The yakṣa Maheśvara looked around and then discovered the venerable Pūrṇa
seated with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship. When the yakṣa Maheśvara had
discovered the venerable Pūrṇa, he asked, “Noble one Pūrṇa, why do you harass me?”

“O you whose nature is to grow old, why do I harass you?” asked the
venerable Pūrṇa in return. “You are harassing me. Had I not attained a number of good qualities like
these, you would have killed my brother, and only his name would have
remained.”

“Noble one,” replied Maheśvara, “I am protecting this gośīrṣacandana for
the wheel-turning king.”

“Sir, what do you think?” asked the venerable Pūrṇa. “Which is greater, a
tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, or a wheel-turning king?”

“Noble one, has the Blessed One appeared in the world?”

“He has.”

“If so, then fill your ship that is not yet full.”

Their lives having been saved, the minds of the merchants were then
filled with faith in Pūrṇa. They filled the ship with gośīrṣacandana, set
out again, and arrived in due course at the city of Sūrpāraka.

Pūrṇa then said to his brother, “Since your treasures belong to the one
by whose name you, having succeeded on your voyage, were able to return, you
should distribute them to these merchants. With this gośīrṣacandana, I will build
a palace garlanded with sandalwood for the
Blessed One.”

Dārukarṇin distributed his treasures to the merchants. The venerable
Pūrṇa then began to build a palace with a hall of gośīrṣacandana. He called the
craftsmen together and asked them, “Sirs, would you like to take five hundred
kārṣāpaṇas every day or take one viḍālapada of gośīrṣacandana dust?”

“Noble one,” they replied, “we would like to take one viḍālapada of
gośīrṣacandana dust.”

The palace garlanded with sandalwood was then quickly built and made
clean. The wood chips and remaining dust of gośīrṣacandana were crushed into
powder and smeared on the palace walls.

Pūrṇa reconciled with his eldest brother and his other two brothers and
said, “Invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal.”

“Noble one Pūrṇa, where is the Blessed One?”

“In Śrāvastī.”

“How far is that?”

“To Śrāvastī, it is more than one hundred yojanas.”

“We will ask His Majesty for permission.”

“You should do so.”

The brothers went to the king and said, “Your Majesty, we would like to
invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal. Please help
us.”

“Excellent, I will do so.”

The venerable Pūrṇa then went up to the roof, looked in the direction of
the Jetavana, dropped to his knees, scattered flowers, burned incense, made a
layman hold a golden pitcher, and began to pray:

“O you of pure conduct, one with greatly pure intellect,

One who always seeks to benefit at mealtimes,

Please look upon those who are masterless—

Have compassion and come.”

Then the flowers, by the awakened power of the
buddhas and the divine power of the gods, formed the shape of a flower pavilion,
and that flower pavilion came to abide at the elders’ dwelling in the Jetavana.
The smoke of the incense was woven together like a cloud. The water assumed the
shape of a lapis lazuli vessel. Since the venerable Ānanda was familiar with
omens, he made the gesture of supplication and asked the Blessed One, “Honored
One, where is this invitation from?”

“From Sūrpāraka, Ānanda.”

“Honored One, how far is Sūrpāraka from here?”

“More than a hundred yojanas, Ānanda. Go and give this order to the
monks: ‘Those who, among you, will go to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal
there tomorrow should take a counting stick.’ ”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda, and he took the
counting sticks and sat down before the Blessed One. The Blessed One and the monks
who were the most venerable of the elders took counting sticks.

At that time, the venerable elder Pūrṇa, who was an elder from
Kuṇḍopadāna and had been liberated through wisdom, was sitting in the assembly.
When the venerable elder Pūrṇa also tried to take a counting stick, the venerable
Ānanda spoke this verse to him:

“Venerable one, this meal is not a meal

In the court of the king of Kosala,

The house of Sudatta,

Or the house of Mṛgāra.

“We are going to a city called Sūrpāraka,

More than a hundred yojanas distant from here,

With our magical power.

Pūrṇa, remain here silently.”

Although the venerable elder Pūrṇa had been liberated through wisdom, he
had not attained magical power. Therefore he asked himself, “Why am I disheartened
by lack of magical power even like that of the non-Buddhist ascetics when I have
searched for the whole collection of defilements within myself, discarded all the
defilements, abandoned them, and driven them away?”

The venerable elder Pūrṇa exerted his vigor and gave rise to magical
power. He stretched his arm, which was like the trunk of an elephant, and took a
counting stick before the venerable Ānanda passed a counting stick to a third
elder, and the venerable elder Pūrṇa spoke this verse:

“O Gautama, in this world, the six sorts of supernormal knowledge

Are not attained by fame,
learning,

Various types of military force,

Words, or a great wish.

“Those who realize as I do,

Even if their youth has been diminished by old age,

Become endowed with the six sorts of supernormal knowledge

By the power of tranquility, moral conduct, insight, and the various powers of
dhyāna.”

On that occasion the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, this is the
best of my monks, the best of my disciples for taking a counting stick for
offerings. The elder Pūrṇa, who is an elder from Kuṇḍopadāna, is the best of those
who take a counting stick.”

Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, go and say
to the monks, ‘Though I have said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your
virtue and not hiding your evil,” those among you who have attained magical power
should go by means of that power to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal, because
there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed
One, and he said to the monks, “Venerables, the Blessed One said, ‘Though I have
said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your virtue and not hiding your
evil,” … because there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ”

The king had beautified the city of Sūrpāraka by removing stones,
pebbles, and gravel, sprinkling sandalwood water, setting out sweet-smelling
censers, hanging many silk tassels, and scattering flowers around the city.

There were eighteen gates around the city of Sūrpāraka, and the king had
seventeen sons. At each surrounding gate a prince stood with the highest majesty.
At the largest gate stood the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, with the great majesty
of kings, together with the venerable Pūrṇa, Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and
Trapukarṇin.

The king then saw those handing out leaves, those handing out grass, and
those handing out receptacles coming by means of their magical power and asked,
“Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One coming?”

Pūrṇa replied, “This is not the Blessed One but rather those handing out
leaves, those handing out grass, and those handing out receptacles.”

At that time the monks who were the most venerable of the elders came by
practicing dhyāna, and the king again asked, “Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One
coming?”

“No,” Pūrṇa replied. “They are the monks who are the most venerable of
the elders who have come by practicing dhyāna.”

A lay brother then spoke this verse:

“Some come riding lions, tigers, elephants, horses, nāgas, or bulls;

Some come seated on heavenly vehicles made from jewels, mountains, trees, or
beautiful chariots;

And others come through the sky, like clouds adorned by garlands of lightning,
joyfully,

As if going to the palace of the gods, by means of magical power.

“Some appear on the ground, breaking through the surface of the earth,

Some descend from the center of the sky,

And some emerge from their seats.

Look at the ability of those with magical power.”

Then the Blessed One washed his feet outside the monastery, entered
inside, sat on the prepared seat, stretched his back, and focused his mind on a
point in front of himself. When the Blessed One put his foot down with a specific
intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six ways. This great
earth quaked, quaked furiously, and quaked absolutely furiously. It roared, roared
furiously, and roared absolutely furiously. When the eastern side rose, the
western side sank. When the western side rose, the eastern side sank. When the
southern side rose, the northern side sank. When the northern side rose, the
southern side sank. When the periphery rose, the middle sank. When the middle
rose, the periphery sank. The king asked Pūrṇa, “Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

Pūrṇa answered, “Because the Blessed One put his foot down with a
specific intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six
ways.”

The Blessed One then emanated a ray of light colored like the radiance of
gold, by which the continent of Jambu blazed like molten gold. Again the king
stared in surprise and asked,
“Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

Pūrṇa answered, “Great King, the Blessed One emanated a ray of light
colored like the radiance of gold.”

The Blessed One then went to Sūrpāraka together with five hundred arhats,
himself tamed and his assembly tamed, himself pacified and his assembly
pacified.

A god who lived in the Jetavana followed the Blessed One, holding a
branch of vakula with which he provided shade for him. The Blessed One knew the
god’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature, preached the Dharma that was
appropriate for him, and caused him to penetrate the four truths of the noble
ones. When the god had heard the Dharma, he leveled the twenty high peaks of the
mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and
actualized the fruit of stream-entry.

There then lived in another place about five hundred widows, and they saw
the Blessed One, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great
man, illuminated by the eighty minor marks, ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, and
beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels whose light surpasses a thousand suns.
As soon as the five hundred widows saw him, great faith in the Blessed One arose
in them.

It is commonplace that when beings who possess the cause of having
accumulated roots of merit look at the Buddha for the first time, they experience
far greater pleasure than that of those who have practiced tranquility of mind for
a dozen years, those who gain a son after having been childless, those who look
upon treasure after having been poor, or those who are anointed as king after
having longed for kingship.

After that, the Blessed One knew that it was the right time to train the
widows, and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks.
The women bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and
then they sat down to one side. The Blessed One knew their thinking, proclivities,
dispositions, and nature … and they actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After
seeing the four truths of the noble ones, they spoke an inspired utterance three
times: “Honored One, what the Blessed One has done for us is what has never been
done for us by our mothers, our fathers, a king, gods, our husbands, our kinsmen
and relatives, ancestral spirits, śramaṇas, or brahmins. You have dried up the ocean of
blood and tears, liberated us from the mountain of bones, shut the gate to
inferior states of existence, opened the gates to liberation and heaven, and placed us among gods and
humans. O Honored One, we have been exalted, truly exalted! Since we seek refuge
in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community of monks, may the Blessed One
accept us as lay sisters.”

They rose from their seats, made the gesture of supplication to the
Blessed One, and implored the Blessed One, “O Blessed One, please give us
something to worship.”

The Blessed One then cut off
his hair and nails by means of his magical power and gave his hair and nails to
the widows. They built a stūpa for the hair and nails of the Blessed One. After
that, the god who lived in the Jetavana planted a vakula tree along the stūpa’s
circumambulatory path, and then the god who lived in the Jetavana said to the
Blessed One, “Blessed One, I will stay here, worshiping this stūpa.”

The god who lived in the Jetavana stayed there. Some people named the
place the widows’ stūpa, and other people named it the circumambulatory path of
the vakula. Monks who worship the stūpa worship the place even now.

The Blessed One then departed.
At that time, there lived five hundred ṛṣis in a hermitage. Since the hermitage
was abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, the ṛṣis were intoxicated with those
things and were without worries. The Blessed One then knew that it was the right
time to train the five hundred ṛṣis and went to the hermitage. When the Blessed
One arrived, with his magical power he destroyed the flowers and fruits of the
hermitage, dried up the water, dug up the meadow, and smashed the residence to
pieces. The ṛṣis were then plunged into grief, resting their cheeks on their
hands.

The Blessed One asked, “Why are you plunged into grief?”

“Blessed One,” they replied, “after you, a human field of merit, came
here, we were placed in a grievous situation.”

The Blessed One then asked, “Ṛṣis, why was the hermitage, which was
abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, ruined? Shall I make the hermitage as it
was before?”

“Blessed One, please do so.”

The Blessed One then ceased his magical power, and the hermitage became
as it had been before. Thus, the five hundred ṛṣis were very much astonished, and
their minds were filled with faith in the Blessed One. The Blessed One knew their
thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and natures, and preached the Dharma that
was appropriate for them. When the five hundred ṛṣis had heard the Dharma, they
actualized the fruit of a never-returner and achieved magical power. They then
made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said, “Honored One, we
wish to go forth and be ordained monks in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. We
will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.”

Then the Blessed One, using the “Come, monk” formula of ordination, said,
“Come, monks, lead the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed
One said this, their hair fell out and they were clad in their outer robes, with
but a week’s worth of hair and beards, their bowls and pitchers in their hands,
standing like monks who had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

Because the Tathāgata said “come,”

Their hair fell out and they were clad in their outer robes,

Their faculties at once calmed,

And their bodies swathed in the Buddha’s mind.

Exerting themselves, endeavoring and striving, they
came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving five cycles, overthrew all conditioned
states … and the five hundred ṛṣis became objects of veneration, respect, and
praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra. The ṛṣi who
was their leader said, “Blessed One, I deceived many people in this guise. I will
go forth after making the people’s faith arise.”

Then the Blessed One, surrounded, in the shape of a half-moon, by the
five hundred ṛṣis and monks who had been monks from the beginning, soared with
them into the air from there using his magical power, and arrived in due course at
Mount Musalaka.

At that time there lived a ṛṣi on Mount Musalaka named Vakkalin. He saw the Blessed One, who was fully
ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man . . . . As soon as Vakkalin
saw the Blessed One, his mind was filled with faith in the Blessed One. When
Vakkalin’s faith had arisen, he thought, “Now I will descend from the mountain and
go to meet the Blessed One. The Blessed One may pass through here out of
consideration for people to be trained. Therefore, I will now throw myself off the
mountain.”

Thinking thus, Vakkalin threw himself from the top of the mountain. Since
the buddhas, the blessed ones, have a watchful nature, the Blessed One caught him
with his magical power. The Blessed One knew his thinking, proclivity,
disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him. When
Vakkalin had heard the Dharma, he actualized the fruit of a never-returner and
achieved magical power. Then Vakkalin said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, I
wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and
Vinaya . . . .”

Then the Blessed One, saying “Come,
monk,” . . . .

…

And his body swathed in the Buddha’s mind.

Then the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, it is he, the monk
Vakkalin, who is the best of the monks who were emancipated by faith.”

After that, the Blessed One, surrounded by a thousand monks, performing
miracles, went to the city of Sūrpāraka. The Blessed One thought, “If I enter from
one gate, those who are at the other gates will be disappointed. Thus, I will
enter by using my magical power.”

So the Blessed One entered the city of Sūrpāraka from the sky using his
magical power. Then the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, and the venerable Pūrṇa,
Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin, as well as the seventeen princes, went
to the Blessed One along with the attendants of each one and hundreds of thousands
of other beings.

After that, the Blessed One, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of
beings, went to the palace garlanded with sandalwood and sat on the seat prepared
for him in front of the community of monks. Since the large crowd could not see
the Blessed One, the crowd started to destroy the palace garlanded with
sandalwood. The Blessed One thought, “If the palace garlanded with sandalwood is
destroyed, such destruction will decrease the donors’ merit. Now I will transform
this palace into a palace made of crystal.” The Blessed One transformed the palace
into a palace made of crystal so that the large crowd could see the Buddha’s body
without obstructions blocking the view.

The Blessed One knew the audience’s thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and
natures, and so preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. When the
audience had heard the Dharma, hundreds of thousands of beings attained great
excellence. Some generated the roots of merit of liberation, some generated the
roots of merit of penetration, some actualized the fruit of stream-entry, some the
fruit of a never-returner, and some went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and
actualized the state of an arhat. Some generated the intention for the awakening
of disciples, some the intention for the awakening of a self-awakened one, and
some the intention for complete and supreme awakening.

Most of the audience became absorbed in the Buddha, devoted to the
Dharma, and inclined to the Saṅgha.

Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin then prepared a pure and fine
meal, arranged seats, set up a jeweled pitcher, and let the Blessed One know the
time by messenger: “Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know
that the meal is ready.”

At that time there lived in the great ocean two nāga kings named Kṛṣṇa
and Gautama. They both thought, “Since the Blessed One is preaching the Dharma in
the city of Sūrpāraka, let’s go to listen to the Dharma.” Then they both, along
with five hundred nāga attendants, departed for the city of Sūrpāraka, creating
five hundred rivers flowing toward the city. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones,
have a watchful nature, the Blessed One thought, “If these two nāga kings, Kṛṣṇa
and Gautama, come to the city of Sūrpāraka, they will ruin the country.” The
Blessed One then said to the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “Maudgalyāyana, accept the alms
requiring haste by the Tathāgata. Why, Maudgalyāyana? Because there are five kinds
of alms requiring haste. What are the five? The almsfood of temporary visitors,
of those who are setting forth on a journey, of sick people, of those attending
the sick, and of monks responsible for monastic property.”

In this situation, the Blessed One intended that the venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana would be the monk who was responsible for monastic
property.

The Blessed One soared up into the air from there, using his magical
power. The two, the Blessed One and the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, went to the
nāga kings Kṛṣṇa and Gautama. When the Blessed One and the venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana had arrived, the Blessed One said, “Lords of nāgas, you should
be attentive to the city of Sūrpāraka, and you should not destroy the
country.”

“Honored One,” said the nāga kings, “we have come here with faith,
because of which we never harm any beings, even ants, to say nothing of the people
living in the city of Sūrpāraka.”

After that, the Blessed One preached the Dharma to the nāga kings Kṛṣṇa
and Gautama, the hearing of which caused them to seek refuge in the Buddha,
Dharma, and Saṅgha, and to accept the rules of training.

When the Blessed One had begun his meal, each nāga thought, “Ah, may the
Blessed One drink my water!”

The Blessed One thought, “If I drink water from only one individual, it
will disappoint the others. Therefore, I must devise a plan to drink the water of
everyone.”

Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana,
“Maudgalyāyana, go and bring water from the very point where the five hundred
rivers meet.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and
he filled a bowl with water at the very point where the five hundred rivers met
and returned to the Blessed One, bringing the water with him. When he arrived, the
venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana offered the bowl of water to the Blessed One, and the Blessed One
accepted the water and drank it.

The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana thought, “The Blessed One once said, ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do
because they nourish their children, raise them, bring them up, feed them, and
teach them everything on the continent of Jambu. Even if a son should try to carry
his parents, his mother on one shoulder and his father on the other, for a hundred
years; if he should give them the earth’s jewels, pearls, lapis lazuli, glass,
coral, silver, gold, agate, amber, ruby, and shells; or if he should put his
parents in a position of power, the son cannot truly help or sufficiently repay
his father and mother with such efforts. If a person motivates his parents to have
complete faith, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads them to
stand safely in their faith when they do not have faith; if he motivates them to
have completely good conduct when they have disordered conduct; if he motivates
them to be completely generous when they are ungenerous; if he motivates them to
have complete intelligence, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads
them to stand safely in their intelligence when they have disordered intelligence,
he comes to truly help and repay his father and mother with just such efforts.’
Since I have not yet repaid my mother, now I will consider where my mother has
been reborn.”

When the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana considered this, he found that she
had been reborn in the Marīcika world. Then he observed by whom she should be
trained and found that it was the Blessed One. He thought, “Since I have come here
from a distance, I will by all means tell this to the Blessed One.” The venerable
Mahāmaudgalyāyana said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, the Blessed One once
said, ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do.’ My mother has been
reborn in the Marīcika world and she is one who should be trained by the Blessed
One. May the Blessed One have compassion and train her.”

“Maudgalyāyana, by whose magical power shall we go there?” asked the
Blessed One.

“By mine, Blessed One.”

Then the Blessed One and the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana departed,
stepping on the summit of Mount Sumeru, and arrived in the Marīcika world after
seven days.

When she, Bhadrakanyā, saw the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana from a distance, she was
delighted, and she went to him and said, “Ah, I see my son after so long! Ah, I
see my son after so long!”

Then a large crowd asked, “Sirs, how is this girl the mother of this
mendicant who is so old?”

“Sirs,” replied the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, “this woman bore this
body of mine. Thus, she is my mother.”

The Blessed One knew Bhadrakanyā’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and
nature, and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for her and that caused her
to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. When
Bhadrakanyā had heard the Dharma, she leveled the twenty high peaks of the
mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and
actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After she had seen the truths, she spoke an
inspired utterance three times: “…you placed me among gods and humans.” Again, she
said:

“The terrible path to inferior states of existence,

With their many dangers, was closed by you.

The path to the heavens, with their excellent merits,

Was opened, and I found the path to nirvāṇa.

“Supported by you, I acquired the pure eye

That is extremely pure and free from fault.

After obtaining the pacified state that pleases the noble ones,

I will cross over to the far shore beyond the ocean of suffering.

“O, you who are venerated by the gods and humans of this world,

Who is free from birth, old age, illness, and death,

Muni who is hard to see even should we be reborn a thousand times,

My encounter with you bore fruit right here and now.

“I am exalted, truly exalted. Since I seek refuge in the Blessed One, the
Dharma, and the community, may you accept me as a lay sister. From today onward, I
embrace my faith as one who seeks refuge throughout my life.
Blessed One and Mahāmaudgalyāyana, please assent to my offer of a meal
today.”

The Blessed One assented to Bhadrakanyā’s request by remaining silent,
and Bhadrakanyā understood the Blessed One’s assent. Then Bhadrakanyā knew that
the Blessed One and the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana had sat down in comfort, and
with her own hands she served and satisfied them with a pure and fine meal. When
she had, with her own hands, served and satisfied them in a variety of ways with a
pure and fine meal, knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed
his hands and his bowl, she took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in
order to hear the Dharma. The Blessed One then preached the Dharma to Bhadrakanyā.
When the venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana had taken the Blessed One’s bowl and washed
it, the Blessed One said, “Maudgalyāyana, shall we go?”

“Blessed One, let us go.”

“By whose magical power?”

“The Blessed One’s, please.”

“Then think about the Jetavana.”

“Blessed One, have we already arrived there?”

“We have arrived, Maudgalyāyana.”

The venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana was astonished and asked, “Blessed One,
what is the name of this magical power?”

“Maudgalyāyana, it is called manojavā (“swift as thought”).”

“Honored One, I had not known that the Buddha’s magical power was so
profound. If I had known, I would never have turned my mind from the goal of
complete and supreme awakening, even if my body had broken into pieces like grains
of sesame. Now I am like firewood that has burned out, and I have no more
opportunity.”

All the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One,
the one who severs all doubts, “Honored One, what karma did the venerable Pūrṇa
create that matured to cause his birth in a family that was rich and had great
wealth and many possessions? What karma did he create, because of which he was
born from a female slave’s womb, went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and
actualized the state of an arhat?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “the actions were performed and
accumulated by the monk Pūrṇa himself, accruing a heap of karma. The conditions
have ripened, and they approach him like a flood, inevitably. Who else but Pūrṇa
would experience the actions that he himself performed and accumulated? Monks,
actions performed and accumulated do not mature in the earth element, the water
element, the fire element, or the wind element, which are outside the body.
Virtuous and nonvirtuous actions performed and accumulated like this mature in the
aggregates, elements, and sense spheres.

“Even after hundreds of eons,

Actions are never lost.

When the time and conditions are right,

They bear fruit in embodied beings.

“Monks, once, in this fortunate eon, when people’s lives were twenty
thousand years long, there appeared in the world a teacher named Kāśyapa, who was
a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct,
a sugata, world knowing, a supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods
and humans, a
buddha, and a blessed one. He stayed near the city of Vārāṇasī.

“In the teachings of that buddha this Pūrṇa went forth, became well
acquainted with the three divisions of the canon, and came to serve as the monk
entrusted with the monastery’s business according to the rules. After a little
while, an arhat became responsible for monastic property. When he started to clean
the monastery, a wind arose and blew the dust hither and thither. The arhat
thought, ‘I shall wait for a while until the wind has died down.’

“Then the monk entrusted with the monastery’s business saw that the
monastery was unclean; fiercely angry, he spoke harshly: ‘Which son of a slave
woman is responsible for monastic property?’

“The arhat thought, ‘Since this person is angry, I shall wait for a while
and make him understand later.’ After the monk’s anger subsided, the arhat went to
him and asked, ‘Do you know who I am?’

“ ‘I do,’ said the monk. ‘You and I went forth in the teachings of the
Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa.’

“ ‘That is true,” said the arhat, ‘but I have finished what should be
done by a mendicant. While I have been released from all bondage, you performed
the action of speaking harshly because you remain bound by all bonds. Confess your
sin as a sin and hence the action will diminish, waste away, and disappear.’

“The monk confessed his sin as a sin. Hence, although he had been doomed
to be born in hell and become the son of a female slave, he was not born in hell
but was born in a female slave’s womb for five hundred lives. And now, in his last
life, he was also born in a female slave’s womb.

“And because he had served the community, he was born into a family that
was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. And because he was well
acquainted with the aggregates, elements, sense spheres, and dependent origination
through recitation and repetition, he went forth in my teaching, abandoned all the
defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat.

“ Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely
negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions
is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore,
monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you
should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

Thus spoke the Blessed One, and the monks rejoiced in and praised what
the Blessed One had said.

VI. Agnidatta

A. The Story of the Two Nāga Kings and King

Bimbisāra

The following took place in Rājagṛha.

At that time, there lived in Rājagṛha two nāga kings named Valguka
and Giri. Because of their power, five hundred hot springs were always
flowing, the fountains, lakes, and ponds never dried up, and the gods brought
rain at the appropriate times. Therefore, the harvest was exceedingly
abundant.

After the Blessed One had converted the two nāga kings Nanda and
Upananda, they both came every day from the terrace of Mount Sumeru to
serve the Blessed One. The nāga kings Valguka and Giri thought, “While these
nāga kings Nanda and Upananda come every day from the terrace of Mount Sumeru
to serve the Blessed One, it is not good that we, living in this very place,
do not serve the Blessed One. Therefore, let us serve the Blessed One, too.”

They went to the Blessed One, and when they had arrived, they bowed
low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then they
sat down to one side. When they had sat down to one side, the Blessed One preached the
Dharma that was appropriate for them. After they had heard the Dharma, they
sought refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha and accepted the rules of
training. Once they had sought refuge in the Blessed One and accepted the
rules of training, their bodies and the amount of food they needed for their
bodies greatly increased. They both went to the Blessed One, and when they had
arrived, they bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed
One, and said, “Blessed One, when we sought refuge in the Blessed One and
accepted the rules of training, our bodies and the amount of food we needed
for our bodies greatly increased. Blessed One, if the Blessed One would
authorize it, we will enter the great ocean.”

“Lords of nāgas,” replied the Blessed One, “since you are living in
the land of the king, ask the king for permission.”

The two considered this and stayed there, saying, “The Blessed One
means that he does not give us permission.”

The nāga kings Valguka and Giri were always dressed as gods if they
went to see the Blessed One at night, and as householders if they went by day.
Dressed as householders, they both served the Blessed One every day.

Whenever King Bimbisāra went to see the Blessed One, the king, who
was proud of his status as a kṣatriya, always sent his retainer ahead, saying,
“There must not be anyone who does not stand up when he sees me.” Once, he
sent a retainer, saying, “Hey, go and see who is serving the Blessed One.”

The retainer went and saw two householders. He thought, “Since these
two people are living in the land of His Majesty, why would they not stand up
at the sight of His Majesty?” He said to the king, “Your Majesty, there
are two householders, and they are living in the very land of Your Majesty.”

King Bimbisāra thought, “Why would those two people not stand up at
the sight of me? Therefore, I shall go.” Then he went to the Blessed One.

When the nāga kings Valguka and Giri saw King Bimbisāra, they asked
the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if King Bimbisāra comes, to which should we
show respect, the king or the Dharma?”

“Nāga kings, show respect to the Dharma,” replied the Blessed One.
“Thus the buddhas, the blessed ones, also respected the true Dharma. The
arhats also respected the Dharma.” He then spoke these verses:

“Those who were past buddhas,

Those who will be future buddhas,

And he who is the present Buddha

Conquer many sorrows.

“Those who have passed, those who will come, and he who is present

All respect the true Dharma.

This is the rule of the buddhas.

“Therefore, anyone here who wishes for their own benefit,

Who wishes for a great state for themselves,

Should remember the teachings of the Buddha

And show respect to the true Dharma.”

The two did not stand up, and the king found this unbearable. He
requested, “May the Blessed One preach the Dharma.”

The Blessed One spoke these verses:

“With thoughts of anger, confusion,

And impiety

You cannot understand the true Dharma

Preached by the Perfectly Awakened One.

“One who has controlled his thoughts

Of wrath and carelessness,

And abandoned thoughts of torment here,

Can understand what is well preached.”

The king thought, “Because these two householders came, the Blessed
One interrupted
my hearing of the Dharma.” He rose from his seat, bowed low until his forehead
touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. When he had departed, he
instructed his ministers, “Sirs, when those two householders depart from the
presence of the Blessed One, order them both to leave my land.”

When they had both bowed low until their foreheads touched the
Blessed One’s two feet and departed, the ministers ordered them, “This was
uttered from His Majesty’s lips: ‘You two must not live in my land.’ ”

“Certainly,” they both answered.

The nāga kings then thought, “We both obtained without difficulty the
very thing for which we had long hoped.” They then caused a great flood and
entered a small valley. Then from the small valley they entered a large
valley, from the large valley a small river, from the small river a large
river, and from the large river the great ocean. When they entered the great
ocean, their bodies and the amount of food they needed for their bodies again
greatly increased.

Later, the five hundred hot springs and the fountains, lakes, and
ponds in Rājagṛha became smaller, depleted, and dried up, and the gods did not
bring rain at the appropriate times. Therefore, there was a very poor harvest,
a famine, and fear, and it was difficult for beggars in the wilderness to find
food. The king thought, “In this Rājagṛha there once lived the nāga kings Giri
and Valguka. Thanks to their power, five hundred hot springs were always
flowing, the fountains, lakes, and ponds never dried up, the gods brought rain
at the appropriate times, and therefore the harvest was abundant. But now the
five hundred hot springs, fountains, lakes, and ponds have become smaller,
depleted, and dried up, and the gods have not brought rain at the
appropriate times. Therefore, there has been a very poor harvest, a famine,
and fear, and it is difficult for beggars in the wilderness to find food. Did
the nāga kings Giri and Valguka die? Were they taken away by the king of
birds, the garuḍa? Were they captured by a snake charmer? Perhaps they have
run away frightened. Still, since the Buddha, the Blessed One, is omniscient,
one who sees everything, I shall now ask the Blessed One this question.”

He went to the Blessed One, and when he arrived, he bowed low until
his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side.
When he had sat down to one side, King Bimbisāra explained the matter in
detail to the Blessed One.

“Great King,” said the Blessed One, “neither has died, nor have they
been taken away by the king of birds, the garuḍa, nor been captured by a snake
charmer, and they have not run away frightened. But you yourself, who are the
king, banished them from your land.”

“Blessed One, I have never seen either of them, let alone banished
them from my land.”

“Great King, I will remind you. Great King, do you remember banishing
two householders from your land?”

“Blessed One, I remember that.”

“Those two people were the nāga kings Giri and Valguka.”

“Honored One, where are they now?”

“They have gone to the great ocean.”

“My land will be ruined!”

“Great King, beg the two of them for forgiveness,
and your land will not be ruined.”

“How should I beg them for forgiveness when they are in the great
ocean?”

“On the eighth and fourteenth days of the month, they both come dressed as
householders to bow low until their foreheads touch my feet. At that time, I
will make a sign. Then you should beg them for forgiveness.”

“Blessed One, should I throw myself at their feet, or should I not throw myself
at their feet?”

“No, reach out your hand and say, ‘O nāga kings, forgive me,’ and you
will be forgiven.”

The king was sitting patiently when the two nāga kings arrived. Just
as they both came dressed as householders into the presence of the Blessed
One, the king also came. And when the Blessed One made a sign, the king
reached out his hand and said, “O you two nāga kings, please forgive me.”

“Great King, you are forgiven.”

“If I am forgiven, please return.”

“Great King, since we sought refuge in the Blessed One and accepted
the rules of training, our bodies and the amount of food we need for our
bodies have increased. If we come here with our present body size, even the
whole country of Magadha would not be able to accommodate us.”

“Then the country of Magadha will be ruined!”

“It will not be ruined.”

“Why will it not?”

“Have two palaces built for us and offer worship every six months,
and we will make our attendants stay there and gather together at the time of
worship.”

The king did as he had been told. The two nāga kings made their
attendants stay there, and the nāga kings received his worship themselves.

B. The Quarrel between the Brahmin Agnidatta and

the Citizens of Rājagṛha

Later, when their attendants were living in idleness, wicked nāgas
took the opportunity to cause hail. In Rājagṛha, there was a brahmin who was
familiar with a charm against hail, and he stopped the hail each time. The
people living in the country of Magadha gave him an allotment.

There was another brahmin named Agnidatta in the southern region who
was also familiar with a charm against hail. He heard that there was a country
in the northern region named Powerful over which a king named
Best Army ruled, that there was the residence of a nāga king named Sundara in
that country,
and that there was a medicine that had great potency and surpassed any other
medicine. He decided to go there in order to get the medicine. He departed and
in due course he arrived at Rājagṛha, where he stayed in the residence of the
first brahmin who had the charm against hail. Then, when it hailed a lot, the
brahmin who had originally lived there was unable to stop the hail and, at a
loss, was going in and out of the house again and again. The brahmin Agnidatta
asked him, “Sir, why are you going in and
out of the house again and again?”

“Because I cannot stop the great hail, my son,” said the first
brahmin.

“I shall stop it.”

“That would be good, my son.”

Agnidatta placed a spell on some water and sprinkled the water,
whereupon the cloud broke into a hundred pieces and dispersed. The brahmins
and householders in Rājagṛha were very surprised and went to the brahmin’s
house, bringing gifts. “Sir,” they said, “the people in Rājagṛha are
rejoicing. Please accept our gifts.”

“Why?”

“Because you stopped the great hail.”

“I did not stop the hail,” he told them, “this brahmin did.”

They went to the brahmin Agnidatta and said, “O young brahmin, please
remain here and we shall give you an allotment.”

“In that case, I shall live here.”

So, he lived there. He stopped the hail with the charm and for a
while it never hailed. The brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha said to each
other, “Sirs, since it does not hail thanks to our own merits, why should we
give him an allotment?” They stopped giving the allotment.

The brahmin Agnidatta then stopped using his charm and went to the
country of Powerful, and later it started to hail again. The
people went to the brahmin who had originally lived there and asked him, “Sir,
where is the young brahmin?”

He replied, “Since you did not treat him with respect, he has
left.”

“Sir, if he comes back, please let us know.”

“I shall do so.”

Agnidatta went in due course to King Best Army. Upon his arrival, he
wished King Best Army victory and long life and said, “Your Majesty,
there is a nāga king named Sundara in your land, and there is a medicine named
immediate effect in his residence. Your Majesty,
please tell me where he is, and I will offer you a portion of the
medicine.”

“O brahmin,” said the king, “since the nāga king Sundara is fierce,
he will certainly defeat you.”

“Your Majesty, for the time being I have the power of a charm and the
power of medicine. If the continent of Jambu were to be filled with nāgas like
the nāga king Sundara as densely as a thicket of sugarcane or a thicket of
reeds, a single hair of mine would not be moved by the nāgas, much less so by
the nāga king Sundara alone. By the way, is there any citizen of Your Majesty
who is to be executed?”

“Yes, there is, brahmin.”

“Your Majesty, please summon him here and make him tell me where the
residence of the nāga king is.”

The king then summoned the man and ordered him, “Hey, tell this
brahmin where the residence of the nāga king Sundara is.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” replied the man to the king, and he
departed, guiding the brahmin. Then, after having traveled for some distance,
the man halted and said to the brahmin, “Brahmin, do you see that green forest
rising up over there?”

“Yes, I do.”

“That is the residence of the nāga king Sundara.”

Agnidatta went there and bound the medicine called
immediate effect in a bundle, brought it to the
country of Powerful, and gave King Best Army his portion of the
medicine. He arrived in due course at Rājagṛha and stayed at the house of the
original brahmin. Then, when the brahmin had called together the brahmins and
householders in Rājagṛha, they brought offerings and said, “O young brahmin,
please remain here. We shall give you an allotment.”

Agnidatta replied, “Since you did not treat me with respect, I will
not remain.”

They started to insist that he stay, entreated him, made a promise,
and provided him with sustenance.

Since people in the world desire prosperity and abhor decline,
Agnidatta took
a wife from a family of equal rank, and he and she played, made love, and
enjoyed themselves. Thus, a boy was born, and Agnidatta named his son
Mountain. When the couple again played, made love, and
enjoyed themselves, a girl was born, and Agnidatta named his daughter
Hail. The name of the brahmin’s wife was Free from the Cycle.
The name of his son’s wife was Lightning.

Agnidatta thought, “What is the use of my stopping the hail each and
every time? I will use a charm to block it for a long time.” Because he used a
charm to block the hail for a long time, it did not hail.

The brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha said to each other, “Sirs,
since it does not hail thanks to our own merits, why should we give him an
allotment?” They stopped giving the allotment. The brahmin, out of jealousy,
had not taught the words of the charm even to his son, and, attached to his
life of ease, he had neither recited the charm nor kept the medicine dry,
whereupon he forgot the words of the charm and found the medicine rotten
because it had not been dried.

Agnidatta, who had once trusted the brahmins and the householders in
Rājagṛha but again began to quarrel with them, visited the residences of
non-Buddhist ascetics and the forests of ascetics here and there and asked
them, “Sirs, is there any means to attain all that I want and seek?”

On those occasions, one said, “Enter into a fire”; another one said,
“Take poison”; another one said, “Throw yourself from a cliff”; and another
one said, “Tie a rope around your neck and hang yourself from the bough of a
tree.” All of them thus taught a means of death, not a means of going forth.

He went to the Bamboo Grove and saw a monk and asked him, “Noble one, is
there any means to attain all that I want and seek?”

“Go forth in the presence of the Blessed One,” said the monk.

“What will I do there?”

“You should, throughout your life, lead the pure life and be engaged
in dhyāna and recitation. If you attain omniscience in this present life, you
will have arrived at the end of your suffering. On the other hand, should you
die with your fetters remaining, you will attain all that you want and
seek.”

“Noble one, if I cannot do that, is there any other means?”

“Invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a
meal.”

“Please tell me another way in case I cannot do that either.”

“Invite the four great disciples who are like a wish-fulfilling
vase,
offer them a meal, and make an aspiration, and you will attain all that you
want and seek.”

“Noble one, I can do that. I will.”

He invited the four great disciples who are like a wish-fulfilling
vase, offered them a meal, and made this aspiration: “May this root of merit
cause Sundara to die and disappear from the state of a nāga and allow me be
born there, and after that do harm to the people of Rājagṛha!”

His wife asked him, “My dear, what aspiration did you make?”

“I made an aspiration that this root of merit might cause Sundara to
die and disappear from the state of a nāga and allow me to be born there, and
after that do harm to the people of Rājagṛha.”

“Good. May I become your wife when you get your wish!”

His son said, “May I become your son, too!”

His daughter said likewise, “May I become your daughter, too!”

And his son’s wife said likewise, “May I become your son’s wife,
too!”

When they entered an old house and slept, rain fell from a cloud of five
colors, and they were all killed, crushed by a falling wall. After the nāga
Sundara had died, they were born there with sixty thousand attendant nāgas.
The nāga who had been Agnidatta in his former life then became known as
Sundara, too. His wife’s name became Free from the Cycle, his son’s name
Mountain, his daughter’s name Hail, and his
son’s wife’s name Lightning.

It is natural that male nāgas and female nāgas remember three things
just after birth: where they died, where they were reborn, and by what action.
The nāga observed that he had died in the human world. Where was he born? In
the midst of nāgas. By what karma? By the force of an aspiration. For what
purpose? For the purpose of doing harm to the people in Rājagṛha.

He asked himself, “Which causes greater suffering to people, doing
harm to crops that have just sprung up, or to crops that have not yet sprung
up?” He saw that doing harm to crops that have not yet sprung up would do less
damage than doing harm to crops that have just sprung up. He ordered his
attendants, “Sirs, now cause all the crops in the country of Magadha to grow
with rain today.” They caused all the crops to grow. Then he, with his sixty
thousand attendants, caused rain as thick as the shafts of a plough, which
looked as if it would carry away everything down to the last straw. Because of
this, the people said to each other, “This nāga carried away even the straw.”
The nāga’s name thus became Apalāla (Without a Straw).

Chapter Three

Summary of Contents:

Rājagṛha,

Nālandā,

Veṇuyaṣṭikā,

Pāṭali
Village,

The Ganges,
Massed Cloud,

Mahāpraṇāda,
and

Vaiśālī,
which is the last.

I. Rājagṛha

A. The Disaster of Rājagṛha and Its End

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying in Kalandakanivāpa
Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha.

When Prince Ajātaśatru was enticed by Devadatta to kill his own
father, who was a righteous Dharma king, and crown himself king, he began to
perform a number of disrespectful acts toward the Blessed One and set the
elephant Dhanapālaka and a fierce dog on the
Blessed One in order to kill him.

His mother, Vaidehī, told him, “My son, do not perform disrespectful
acts toward the Blessed One. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, are
concerned about disrespectful acts, the Blessed One will leave Rājagṛha, which
is bound to be a loss for us. Thanks to the Blessed One’s power, the people of
the countries of Aṅga and Magadha have been rich and enjoyed themselves.”

In an agitated state of mind, he replied, “Will a country where the
Blessed One is not staying become ruined and uninhabited?” All his mother’s
attempts to stop him were in vain.

The Blessed One thought, “Since this Prince Ajātaśatru has performed
a number of nonmeritorious acts, now is not a good time for me to establish
him in rootless faith. Therefore I
shall go to Śrāvastī.” Thereupon the Blessed One, with the community of
disciples, traveled toward Śrāvastī. In due course, he arrived in Śrāvastī and
stayed in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

Neighboring minor kings heard that since Ajātaśatru had performed
disrespectful acts toward the Blessed One, the Blessed One had become
concerned about such disrespectful acts, left Rājagṛha, and arrived in
Śrāvastī. They thought, “For the time being, that sinful king, after having
killed his father who was a righteous Dharma king, is not content and has
performed disrespectful acts toward the Blessed One, who is venerated by gods,
asuras, and humans. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, are concerned about
disrespectful acts, the Blessed One left Rājagṛha and arrived in Śrāvastī.
Therefore, by whatever means, we shall dethrone him.”

They sent messengers to each other and unified their efforts,
prepared an army consisting of four divisions, and set off for Rājagṛha with
an elephant division, a horse division, a chariot division, and
an infantry division. They damaged the crops and camped around the city.

The nāga king Apalāla also damaged other crops by causing hail.
Because the five hundred hot springs, fountains, lakes, and ponds had dried
up, there was a famine. The rest of the water supply was polluted with poison
by the neighboring minor kings. Then, as if throwing ash on the wound of Ajātaśatru, who could not bear his pain and
was frightened, nonhuman beings took the opportunity to cause an epidemic, and
then funeral biers jostled with one another. King Ajātaśatru, his mind
confused by the hundreds of losses, was plunged into grief, resting his cheek
on his hand. Vaidehī asked him, “My son, why are you plunged into grief?”

“Mother, I have suffered hundreds of losses.”

“My son, did I not once tell you, ‘Do not perform disrespectful acts
toward the Blessed One. Since the buddhas, the
blessed ones, are concerned about disrespectful acts, the Blessed One will
leave Rājagṛha, which is bound to be a loss for us’? That’s why!”

“Mother, what should I do about it?”

“My son, beg the Blessed One for forgiveness.”

“Mother, I cannot go into the presence of the Blessed One.”

“My son, have you not heard that the buddhas, the blessed ones,
accept being cut by an adze and being anointed with sandal paste as the same,
and have abandoned anger and attachment? If one cut the Blessed One’s arm with
an adze and anointed his other arm with gośīrṣacandana, the Blessed One would
feel neither attachment nor anger toward him.”

Then King Ajātaśatru, son of Vaidehī, ordered a man, “Go now to the Blessed One.
When you arrive, bow low on my behalf until your forehead touches the Blessed
One’s feet, and ask if the Blessed One is free from trouble, free from
illness, in good physical condition, healthy, without any trouble, and living
in vigor and comfort. Then say, ‘Honored One, this is a message from
Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī: “Honored One, though there is
a bad son, there is no bad father. So, may the Blessed One have compassion and
come to Rājagṛha. If the Blessed One does not come, the city of Rājagṛha will
soon be uninhabited, retaining only its name.” ’ ”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” replied the man to Ajātaśatru, the king of
Magadha, and departed.

The man in due course arrived in Śrāvastī and went to the Blessed
One. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed
One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one
side, the man said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, King Ajātaśatru, son of
Vaidehī, bows low until his forehead touches the Blessed One’s feet, and asks
if the Blessed One is free from trouble, free from illness … and living in
vigor and comfort.”

“I hope you and Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, are
living in comfort, too.”

“Honored One, this is a message from Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha,
son of Vaidehī: ‘Honored One, though there is a bad son, there is no bad
father. So, may the Blessed One have compassion and come to Rājagṛha. If the
Blessed One does not come, the city of Rājagṛha will soon be uninhabited,
retaining only its name.’ ”

The Blessed One assented to the man by remaining silent. Then the
man, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, departed from
the Blessed One’s presence.

Thereafter the Blessed One stayed in Śrāvastī as long as he wished,
and then traveled toward Rājagṛha with the community of disciples. In due
course, he arrived in the country of Magadha.

By the power of the Blessed One, the gods who send wind dried up the
waters that had been polluted with poison. The gods who bring rain filled the
land with water of the eight good qualities. The gods brought rain. The gods
who have faith in the Buddha expelled the nonhuman beings from Rājagṛha and
the epidemic ceased. When the neighboring minor kings heard that the Blessed
One had come, they ended their siege of the city and left. Merchants displayed
their merchandise. Each craftsman began to work. Merchants and caravan leaders
living in each country began to enter Rājagṛha bringing their merchandise. The
harvest became abundant. The great state of the Blessed One was proclaimed in
wide streets, in small streets, at three-forked roads, and at crossroads.
Non-Buddhist ascetics became timid. People were very pleased.

When Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, heard that the
Blessed One had come to the country of Magadha, he was pleased, he rejoiced,
he was very pleased, he was highly pleased, and he felt happy. He instructed
his ministers, “Sirs, today decorate the road for three and a half yojanas and
beautify the cities for the sake of the Blessed One. In the whole city of
Rājagṛha, remove the stones, pebbles, and gravel, sprinkle sandalwood water,
and hang many silk tassels. Set out sweet-smelling censers and set up parasols and
banners. At various intervals make beautiful houses of flowers.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” replied the ministers to Ajātaśatru, the
king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, and they completed everything thoroughly.

Then Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, with the
majesty of a great king and the power of a great king, went to meet the
Blessed One by himself along with his army of four divisions.

Then the Blessed One, who was self-controlled and
followed by a self-controlled assembly, who was calm and followed by a calm
assembly, who was peaceful and followed by a peaceful assembly, who was
excellently self-controlled and followed by an excellently self-controlled
assembly, who was an arhat and followed by an assembly of arhats, who was free
from desire and followed by an assembly free from desire, who was beautiful
and followed by a beautiful assembly, like a bull surrounded by bullocks, like
an elephant surrounded by young elephants, like a lion surrounded by a pride
of beasts, like a king of haṃsas surrounded by a flock of haṃsas, like a
garuḍa surrounded by a flock of birds, like a brahmin surrounded by a group of
his disciples, like an excellent physician surrounded by a group of patients,
like a hero surrounded by a group of soldiers, like a guide surrounded by a
group of visitors, like a caravan leader surrounded by a group of merchants,
like a guild head surrounded by his kinsmen, like a minor king surrounded by a
group of his ministers, like a wheel-turning king surrounded by his thousand
sons, like the moon surrounded by the group of lunar mansions, like the sun
surrounded by a thousand lights, like Dhṛtarāṣṭra surrounded by a group of
gandharvas, like Virūḍhaka surrounded by a group of kumbhāṇḍas, like Virūpākṣa
surrounded by a group of nāgas, like Vaiśravaṇa surrounded by a group of
yakṣas, like Vemacitra surrounded by a group of asuras, like Śakra surrounded
by the group of Thirty-Three Gods, like Brahmā surrounded by a group of gods
attendant on Brahmā, like the immovable ocean, like a rain cloud, like the
best of elephants free from rutting, exhibiting an undisturbed manner and
behavior because his senses were completely restrained, fully ornamented with
the thirty-two marks of a great man, illuminated by the eighty minor marks,
ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels
with a radiance surpassing a thousand suns, and having the ten powers, four
types of self-confidence, three unshared applications of mindfulness, and
great compassion, arrived at the city of Rājagṛha followed by a large
community of monks, Ajātaśatru the king of Magadha and son of Vaidehī, and
hundreds of thousands of gods.

At the moment the Blessed One entered Rājagṛha and, with a specific
intention, placed his right foot on the threshold of the city gate, the great
earth quaked in six ways. This great earth quaked, quaked furiously, and
quaked absolutely furiously. It roared, roared furiously, and roared
absolutely furiously. When the eastern side rose, the western side sank. When
the western side rose, the eastern side sank. When the southern side rose, the
northern side sank. When the northern side rose, the southern side sank. When
the periphery rose, the middle sank. When the middle rose, the periphery sank.
This whole world, along with the interstices between the worlds, was
illuminated by a huge light. Gods beat drums in the air. Gods in the sky
scattered divine flowers such as utpala, padma, kumuda, and puṇḍarīka; agaru
powder, tagara powder, and powder from the tamāla leaf; divine mandārava
flowers; and
garments. When the Blessed One came to the city, these wonders occurred. In
addition, narrow places became wide, low places rose, and high places sank;
elephants roared, horses roared, and bulls also roared; various musical
instruments in houses sounded of their own accord without being struck; blind
people could see, deaf people could hear, mute people could speak, and those
who had other imperfect faculties gained the perfection of each faculty; and
the drunk became sober, those who had taken poison recovered from the effect
of the poison, those who were angry with each other became friendly, pregnant
women bore their children safely, those who had been confined in prison were
freed, and those who lacked property obtained property.

Having seen such prosperity, a lay brother spoke this verse:

“In the country where the Lord of the World appears,

There are no crop failures, epidemics, or external attacks,

The gods bring rain, people make merit,

And hundreds of wonders occur there.”

Thereupon the Blessed One entered Rājagṛha and relieved the people.
He then left Rājagṛha and entered the Bamboo Grove.

Then Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, went to the
Blessed One. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the
Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to
one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma,
instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted Ajātaśatru, the king of
Magadha, son of Vaidehī, and was then silent. Ajātaśatru, the king
of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, then praised and rejoiced in the words of the
Blessed One. He rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder,
made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed
One, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my
offer of the requisites for three months, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and
seats, and medicines for the sick.”

The Blessed One gave his assent to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha,
son of Vaidehī, by remaining silent. Then Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son
of Vaidehī, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent,
bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, rose from his
seat, and departed. The Blessed One with the community of monks was then
provided by Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, with the
requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the
sick, for three months.

B. The Epidemic in Vaiśālī

After that, the epidemic was eradicated by the gods who had faith in
the Buddha; it left Rājagṛha but appeared in a place named Guṃjika. When it entered Vaiśālī, the
people of Vaiśālī suffered from the epidemic and funeral biers jostled one
another.

There was a brahmin in Vaiśālī named Tomara, who was the chief priest
of the country. In a dream, a god living in Vaiśālī said:

“If the Blessed One, the supreme tamer of people to be tamed,

The joy of the lineage of the Śākyans,

Comes to Vaiśālī,

Harm will cease.”

After the night had passed, Tomara said to the people of the Licchavi
clan in Vaiśālī, “Sirs, I dreamed such-and-such a dream.”

“Sirs, what should we do about it?” they wondered. “Whom shall we
send as a messenger to the Blessed One?” They conferred with each other and
said, “This chief priest Tomara is himself capable in everything and he loves
us. We shall send him.” They said to him, “Go to the Blessed One. When you
have arrived, bow low on our behalf until your forehead touches the Blessed
One’s feet, and then ask if the Blessed One is free from trouble, free from
illness . . . . Then say, ‘Honored One, this is a message from the people of
Vaiśālī: “May the Blessed One come to Vaiśālī. If the Blessed One does not
come to Vaiśālī, Vaiśālī will soon be uninhabited, retaining only its name.’ ”

“Sirs,” he said, “since Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of
Vaidehī, has sought to do harm to you and been your enemy for many years, I am
afraid he may do harm to me.”

They answered with this verse:

“Even at a time of war against another country,

It is said that messengers are not killed.

Needless to say, nobody will kill you,

Because you are a messenger to the Victor.”

Thereupon the chief priest Tomara performed various rituals that
bring good fortune, blessings, and well-being, and in due course arrived in
Rājagṛha. After he was fully rested, he went to the Blessed One. When he
arrived, face to face with the Blessed One, he made plenty of pleasant and
joyful conversation, and then sat down to one side. When he had sat down to
one side, the chief priest Tomara said to the Blessed One, “O Gautama, the
people of Vaiśālī bow low until their foreheads touch the Blessed One’s feet,
and ask if the Blessed One is free from trouble, free from illness, in good
physical condition, healthy, having no trouble, and living in vigor and
comfort.”

“Tomara, I hope you and the people of Vaiśālī are living in comfort,
too.”

“O Gautama, this is a message from the people of Vaiśālī: ‘May the
Blessed One come to Vaiśālī. If the Blessed One does not come to Vaiśālī,
Vaiśālī will soon be uninhabited, retaining only its name.’ ”

“Tomara,” replied the Blessed One, “together with the community of
disciples, I am being provided with all the requisites for three months by
Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī. So, ask the king for
permission. If the king permits it, I shall go as you have asked.”

Tomara sent a message to the people of Vaiśālī that the Blessed One
had spoken thus. The people of Vaiśālī returned a message: “Then you should go
to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī. When you arrive, ask on
our behalf if Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī is free from
trouble, free from illness, in good physical condition, healthy, having no
trouble, and living in vigor and comfort. Then say this: ‘Your Majesty, please
permit the Blessed One to come to Vaiśālī. If Your Majesty does not permit it,
Vaiśālī will soon be uninhabited, retaining only its name.’ ”

Then the chief priest Tomara asked himself, “Should I first contact
the king, or his ministers?” He thought, “Some people say, ‘Do not make
contact directly. You should contact those who help you contact the person.’
In short, I should contact the ministers.”

And so he did try to contact the ministers. The ministers then
inquired of him, “O Chief Priest, for what business have you come?”

“Sirs,” he replied, “I came to ask His Majesty a favor for the
Blessed One. Please help me.”

“Certainly. Come when we call you,” they said.

Thereupon they found an appropriate time and called him. The chief
priest Tomara then went to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī.
When he arrived, he wished Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī,
victory and long life and sat to one side. When he had sat to one side, the
chief priest Tomara said to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī,
“Your Majesty, the people of Vaiśālī ask whether Your Majesty is free from
trouble . . . .”

“Tomara, I hope you and the people of Vaiśālī are living in comfort,
too.”

“Your Majesty, this is a message from the people of Vaiśālī: ‘Your
Majesty, please permit the Blessed One to come to Vaiśālī. If Your Majesty
does not permit it, Vaiśālī will soon be uninhabited, retaining only its
name.’”

“Tomara,” said the king, “I have long thought, ‘Oh, why shouldn’t the
land of Vaiśālī become uninhabited?’ If the land of Vaiśālī becomes
uninhabited, it will happen that I obtain without difficulty the very thing
for which I have hoped.”

When the king had spoken thus, Tomara departed. The ministers said, “Your
Majesty, does the Blessed One abandon any living being?”

“No, sirs, he does not.”

“Then Your Majesty is performing a disrespectful act toward the
Blessed One. Whether Your Majesty permits the Blessed One or not, the Blessed
One will go out of compassion for the beings in Vaiśālī.”

“Sirs, I did not know that,” said the king. “Call Tomara back, then.”

They called Tomara back and the king said to him, “Tomara, I promise
I will permit the Blessed One to go. I will permit this if the people of
Vaiśālī venerate and serve the Blessed One as I do.”

Tomara then sent a message to the people of Vaiśālī: “The king has
spoken thus.”

The people said, “While the king has venerated and served the Blessed
One only by himself, why would we, who are many, not do so?” They sent a
message back: “Ask the Blessed One to come, and we will venerate and serve the
Blessed One as a noble one more beautifully than the king did.” Tomara then
informed the king of this.

Thereupon Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, went to
the Blessed One. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the
Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to
one side, Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, said to the Blessed
One, “Honored One, I wish to provide the Blessed One together with the
community of monks with the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and
seats, and medicines for the sick, throughout my life, but the Blessed One will not
permit it out of compassion for other beings. May the Blessed One then assent
to my offer of a meal.”

The Blessed One assented to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of
Vaidehī, by remaining silent. Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī,
knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his
seat, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and
departed.

Thereupon Ajātaśatru, the
king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, prepared a pure and fine meal during the
night. The next morning he let the Blessed One know the time by messenger:
“Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is
ready.”

Knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his
hands and his bowl, the king held a golden pitcher and asked the Blessed One a
favor: “Honored One, the Blessed One has converted a lot of wicked nāgas and
wicked yakṣas. Honored One, this nāga king Apalāla has, for a long time, been
hostile toward us who are not hostile, adversarial toward us who are not
adversarial, and injurious to us who have not been injurious, and he wasted
our crops that had just grown. May the Blessed One have compassion and
excellently convert the nāga king Apalāla.”

The Blessed One assented to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of
Vaidehī, by remaining silent. Thereupon the Blessed One assigned the rewards
of the offerings to Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, and
departed. When he arrived at the monastery, the Blessed One sat on the seat
prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the
Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to convert
the nāga king
Apalāla in the northern region. There are five advantages of the northern
region. What are the five? There are abundant flowers; there are abundant
fruits; there is abundant water; there is sufficient almsfood; and there are
honest people.” When he had said
this, the Blessed One entered the monastery to go into seclusion.

Thereupon Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, ordered
that the road from Rājagṛha to the Ganges and the cities in the country of
Magadha all be cleaned: all the stones, pebbles, and gravel be removed;
sandalwood water be sprinkled; sweet-smelling censers be set out; many silk
tassels be hung; and at various intervals beautiful houses made of flowers be
prepared. The people of the Licchavi clan in Vaiśālī had the road from the
Ganges to Vaiśālī and the cities cleaned more beautifully than he did.

Then in the evening the Blessed One arose from his seclusion and said
to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Nālandā.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the
Blessed One.

II. Nālandā