根本說一切有部毘奈耶雜事

The Twenty-First Fascicle

Internal summary verse:

Fierce Radiance and Jivaka,

The golden light and the ila vessel,

Na-kich-da attained the fruit,

Wondrous Hair, the bowl, the keeper, and the wanderer.

King Fierce Radiance thought to himself: “I am suffering from this illness of sleeplessness, and it grows more severe by the day. What can I do to be cured? I should summon all the physicians in the kingdom to treat me.”

Having considered this, the king summoned all the physicians and said to them:

– I suffer from an inability to sleep. Work together to treat me.

The physicians replied:

– This is no ordinary illness, and we are unable to cure it. However, King Bimbisara of Rajagriha has a son named Jivaka, a great king of physicians known to everyone. He is endowed with wisdom and can cure this illness.

King Fierce Radiance sent an envoy bearing a letter to King Bimbisara. The letter read:

– O King Shadow-Victor, please have the great physician Jivaka come to see me for a short time, for I wish to receive treatment. I hope you will not refuse. If he does not come, you should stockpile provisions and fodder and prepare your troops to receive us.

After receiving and reading the letter, King Bimbisara became deeply distressed. Resting his cheek upon his hand, he thought: “If I send my son, I fear further demands will follow. If I must comply, my kingdom will become subject to theirs. But if I do not send him, their military forces, many times stronger than ours, will cause trouble.”

Seeing sorrow upon the king’s face, Jivaka knelt and asked:

– Why is Your Majesty distressed?

The king said:

– It is because you possess so many abilities and understand this art that I am distressed. What more can I say?

– Please explain the matter clearly.

The king then fully disclosed the contents of the letter.

After hearing it, Jivaka said to the king:

– Please issue the command, and I shall respectfully obey and depart.

The king said:

– My son, King Fierce Radiance is extremely violent and cruel. Whether a person is good or not, once anger arises in him, he immediately kills that person. I fear that he may act lawlessly and put you to death unjustly.

– If one cannot protect one’s own person, how can one be called a physician?

– Great King, please do not grieve. I shall go and keep the appointed time with them.

The king said:

– Go as you see fit, my son, but take good care of yourself. Do not cause me, the people of the kingdom, or the great and small within the palace to become distressed.

– Please do not grieve; there is no reason for that! I shall examine his condition and cause it to improve, so that he will not become angry.

The king remained silent.

Jivaka asked the envoy:

– From what illness does King Fierce Radiance suffer? What can he consume, and what can he not consume?

The envoy described the king’s symptoms. After hearing them, the great physician mixed ghee with medicinal paste, making its color, fragrance, and flavor exactly like those of wine.

After preparing the medicine, he chose an auspicious time and performed a rite for peace and well-being. The physician then bade farewell to his relatives and departed with the envoy. On the road to the kingdom of Ujjayini, he came to the city of Kanyakubja. In that city, a young physician, having heard that the great physician was about to travel to Ujjayini, brought a haritaki fruit and presented it to him.

After they met, the two found themselves very congenial. The physician asked the youth:

– King Fierce Radiance suffers from such an illness; why have you not treated him?

He replied:

– That king suffers from sleeplessness and should be treated with ghee. Yet by nature he detests ghee and delights in wine, and he is also violent and cruel. Anyone who utters the word “ghee” in his presence is immediately beheaded. Knowing the king’s violent nature, all the physicians have fled far away, and none dares treat him.

The physician said to the youth:

– Dharma brother, you should know that, for the sake of that king, I have mixed ghee with medicinal paste so that it is indistinguishable from wine. Come with me to see him. If I make a sign to convey expedient instructions, you should act accordingly and arrange for him to take the medicine. You should remain behind and watch over him, while I depart. After the king has recovered, I shall reward you and have the king bestow a generous reward upon you as well.

The youth agreed, and together they gradually made their way to the royal city.

When King Fierce Radiance heard that the physician had arrived, he thought: “Jivaka is both a prince and a king of physicians. He should be welcomed into the city with great ceremony.”

The king ordered the city walls and towers to be adorned, the streets to be put in order, and ceremonial regalia to be displayed. The king, the crown prince, the ministers, and the common people all went forth to welcome him. Surrounded before and behind by countless hundreds of thousands of people, the physician entered the city with them.

After allowing the physician to rest, King Fierce Radiance joyfully greeted him and said:

– I suffer from wakefulness and cannot sleep. It has now become extremely severe. Please treat me.

The physician replied:

– I shall treat you, but medicinal ingredients are required, and most of them are found in other kingdoms and cities. There are some known only to me and unknown to others; some known to others but unknown to me; some known to us both; and some found nearby and others far away. Great King, please permit me to use the she-elephant Good and Virtuous and to ride her wherever I please.

The king replied:

– Excellent. Do as you please.

The king ordered the elephant keepers:

– Whenever the great physician needs the elephant Good and Virtuous, he may ride her as he pleases. You must not presume to obstruct him.

He also told the ministers and gatekeepers:

– The physician may depart in the morning and return at noon, or depart at noon and return in the evening. Whenever necessary, he may ride the elephant Good and Virtuous in and out as he pleases. You must not obstruct him.

Having received the king’s command, the ministers and gatekeepers did not dare hinder him.

Thereafter, whether by day or at midnight, the physician would take the elephant and ride out and back at irregular times, until no one paid any further attention.

One day, King Fierce Radiance said to the physician:

– Why have you not treated me?

Jivaka instructed the king to bathe. After the king had bathed, he told him to eat. When the king had finished eating, he said:

– I happen to have some superb wine of the finest quality from Magadha. Your Majesty should drink it.

Overjoyed, King Fierce Radiance said:

– Bring it here.

The physician made an instructive sign and sent his young companion to bring it. Upon receiving the medicine, the king drank it at once. After drinking it, he immediately fell into a deep sleep. Knowing that the king was asleep, the physician mounted the elephant and fled. At midnight, the king awoke. Smelling ghee upon his breath, he became furious and ordered his attendants:

– Quickly seize Jivaka, bring him here, and cut off his head!

They all went to apprehend him, but then discovered that the physician had fled. They returned and reported to the king:

– We cannot find him. He must already have fled far away.

Enraged, the king immediately summoned Phi O:

– Ride the great elephant Vi Son and pursue the physician. Bind him by the neck, bring him back, and cut off his head. When you meet him, remember that he is skilled in magical arts; therefore, you must accept nothing whatsoever from him.

Obeying the king’s command, Phi O mounted the foremost elephant and hurried in pursuit. Following the other elephant’s tracks, he reached a mango grove and caught up with the physician. Phi O called out:

– Return at once!

The physician replied:

– Why are you in such haste? Come here and eat a mango.

Phi O said:

– I am obeying the king’s command. You are skilled in magical arts, so I must accept nothing that you offer me.

The physician replied:

– You need not be afraid. We are now hungry and thirsty. I shall take one mango, and each of us will eat half.

Phi O thought:

– If we share the same fruit, what magical art could there be in that?

The physician took a mango and first ate half of it himself. In the remaining half, he pressed a fingernail containing medicine, thereby infusing it with the drug, and then gave it to Phi O.

After accepting and eating the mango, Phi O—who had already been suffering from a difficult illness—was affected by the medicine in the fruit. As the medicine vigorously attacked the illness, he suffered pain above and an unstoppable discharge below.

The physician entered a village and told the people:

– This is the foremost great elephant, the she-elephant Good and Virtuous, and King Fierce Radiance’s envoy Phi O. You must watch over them carefully and allow no harm to befall them. If anything goes wrong, you will incur severe punishment.

Having given these instructions, the physician continued on his journey. The people obeyed his command and cared for Phi O until he recovered.

The young physician had also treated King Fierce Radiance until the king recovered. When Phi O returned, the king asked:

– Where is the physician?

He replied:

– If the physician were captured, what would Your Majesty do to him?

– When I catch him, I shall cut off his head.

He replied:

– The king has recovered from his illness, and my incurable disease has also been cured. We should reward him generously together; why would you cut off his head?

Hearing this, the king said:

– Excellent! Excellent! Reward him as lavishly as he wishes, in gratitude for his great kindness.

Phi-Ô issued a decree informing the King of Physicians:

– You, the King of Physicians, deserve a generous reward. Why have you fled? Upon receiving this letter, please return and accept the king's reward.

Thi Phược Ca sent a letter in reply:

– Through the king's favor, I lack no precious possessions. If the king is pleased with me, please bestow upon the young physician who attended me whatever would have been granted to me.

The king bestowed much wealth upon the young physician as a reward. The king also sent an envoy to present the King of Physicians with a large woolen cloth worth a hundred thousand taels of gold. Upon receiving the cloth, Thi Phược Ca thought:

– The Blessed One is the unsurpassed great teacher and my benevolent father; therefore, I should offer it to him.

Thi Phược Ca went to see the Buddha and presented the woolen cloth to him.

The Blessed One accepted it and told Ānanda:

– Use this cloth to make robes.

After cutting it up and making three robes for the Buddha, some cloth still remained, so Ānanda reported this to him. The Buddha said:

– You and Rāhula may use it as you wish.

After using it to make an upper and a lower robe for himself, Ānanda gave the remaining cloth to Rāhula to make a Saṅghāṭī robe.

Furthermore, the circumstances concerning the nāga Y La Bát should be understood.

Long ago, in the celestial palace of Tuṣita Heaven, a dialogue of the Buddha was inscribed in verse:

– Where is the sixth king supreme?

Where does attachment bring immersion?

Who, though unattached, becomes attached?

What kind of person is called a fool?

Where does the fool grieve?

Where does the wise one rejoice?

Who, parting from conjunction,

Is said to attain happiness?

If a Buddha, a Blessed One, does not appear in the world, no one can retain this verse or understand its meaning. If a Buddha appears in the world, someone will retain it and understand its meaning.

At that time, the northern celestial king Vaiśravaṇa Yakṣa had occasion to visit the celestial palace of Tuṣita. Seeing this verse of questions, he became enamored of it and immediately copied down its words, although he did not understand their meaning. He brought it back to his palace and inscribed it upon a tablet.

In the land of Takṣaśilā there lived an ancient nāga king named Y La Bát, who day and night longed for the time when he might encounter the Blessed One appearing in the world. This nāga king had a yakṣa friend named Kim Quang. When this yakṣa visited the northern celestial king Vaiśravaṇa, he saw the verse on the tablet and memorized it, though he did not understand its meaning. He brought the verse to the land of Takṣaśilā and said to the nāga king Y La Bát:

– Dear friend, these are the words of the Buddha. Their meaning is profound, and no one understands it. You should memorize this Dharma verse, take a chest full of gold, travel throughout the villages and cities of every land, and proclaim:

– Whoever can explain the meaning of this verse shall receive this chest of gold as my offering.

If no one in a place can answer, then proclaim:

– There are no true people here; therefore, this cannot be called a village or a realm. Having said this, go elsewhere.

Hearing this, the nāga king reverently retained the verse, transformed himself into a young man, and carried the chest of gold throughout the villages and cities of every land ... until, in due course, he reached the land of Vārāṇasī. Standing at the center of a crossroads in the city, the young man proclaimed:

– All you who dwell in this city, and merchants who have come from the four directions, listen to what I say.

After reciting the verse, the young man said:

– I have brought this verse of questions. If anyone can explain it, I shall offer him this chest of gold.

Countless hundreds of thousands of people gathered like clouds. Among them were intelligent and learned persons whose minds were filled with pride. After hearing the verse, everyone was filled with admiration and immense astonishment, yet no one could explain it. The nāga king proclaimed:

– Since there is no wise person in Vārāṇasī, this is not a city.

The brahmins and householders all said to the young man:

– Do not proclaim that this is not a city. In our city there is a supremely wise man who dwells in the wilderness. Wait until he comes, and he will explain its meaning.

He asked:

– What is his name?

They replied:

– He is called Na Kích Đà.

– If that is so, I shall wait.

Na Kích Đà, who was dwelling in a secluded forest, received the news and came. Standing directly before him, the transformed nāga king said:

– Great seer, I have brought this verse of questions here. If anyone can explain its meaning, I shall give him this chest of gold.

After hearing and memorizing it, Na Kích Đà told the young man:

– I shall explain it to you.

He asked:

– When?

Na Kích Đà replied:

– Twenty years from now.

– Great seer, that is far too long.

He then said:

– Six years.

– That is too long.

He replied:

– Three years ..., one year ..., six months ..., three months ..., one month ..., half a month ... and finally seven days.

– Great seer! Please let it be seven days, as you wish. I am entirely sincere.

Previously, Na Kích Đà had been a close friend of five bhikṣus, so he went to them and said:

– A young man brought this verse and a chest of gold to me and said:

– Whoever can explain this verse shall receive the chest of gold as an offering. Yet this verse has few words and many meanings; it is profound and difficult to understand. What should I do now?

The bhikṣus replied:

– Na Kích Đà should go and ask the Buddha.

– Venerable ones, has a Buddha appeared in the world?

They replied:

– He has appeared.

– Where is he now?

They replied:

– He is dwelling in the Deer Park, the Place Where the Seers Fell.

Hearing this, he rejoiced greatly and hurried to see the Blessed One. He beheld the Buddha's body radiant with the thirty-two marks and resplendently adorned with the eighty excellent characteristics. His aura shone for a fathom around him, more brilliant than a thousand suns.

His body resembled a mountain of jewels, his form and features were sublime and wondrous, and his mind was more serene than that of one who had cultivated meditative concentration for twelve years. Seeing this directly, Na Kích Đà became as joyful as a childless person who unexpectedly gains a child, as an impoverished person who obtains a great treasure, as a crown prince who succeeds to the throne, or as a sentient being who has long accumulated roots of virtue and now beholds the Buddha for the first time.

Such was the profound joy in Na Kích Đà's heart. He approached the Buddha, bowed with his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side.

The Blessed One, in accordance with the differences in their faculties, inclinations, afflictions, and dispositions, taught them the Dharma of the Four Noble Truths and brought them to awakening. After hearing the Dharma, Na Kích Đà used the vajra cudgel of wisdom to shatter the mountain of the twenty kinds of satkāya-dṛṣṭi and attained the fruit of stream-entry. Having seen the truth, he bowed with his head at the Buddha's feet and said:

– Blessed One! I ask to go forth in the Buddha's excellent Dharma and Vinaya, attain the state of a bhikṣu, and steadfastly cultivate the holy life.

The Buddha said:

– You previously promised the young man that you would explain the meaning of the verse. You should first go and give him the answer, and afterward go forth.

– Although I have attained such knowledge and vision, I still do not clearly understand the meaning of the verse. Since I possess no eloquence concerning it, what benefit would there be in going?

The Buddha said:

– Go there and say this:

– Recite that verse of questions for me. When he has recited it, you should reply:

The sixth king is supreme;

Through attachment, one becomes immersed.

Though unattached, attachment arises:

This is called the craving of ordinary beings.

Because of this, the fool grieves;

Yet there the wise still rejoice.

Parting from craving,

This is called happiness.

If he says that he does not understand, recite this verse:

Whoever hears the wondrous words,

Understands them, then cultivates supreme concentration;

Whoever hears but does not understand their meaning,

That person is heedless.

If, after hearing the verse, he then says:

You have spoken the words of the Buddha,

But I do not yet understand their meaning;

My mind is confused and has not comprehended.

Quickly dispel my doubts.

Having said this, you should use your fingernail to tear a leaf before them. If they then ask whether the Blessed One has appeared in the world, tell them that He has. If they ask where, reply that He is in the Deer Park.

Having received and retained the Buddha’s instructions, Na Kích Đà went to meet the young man and said:

“Recite your verses, and I shall answer.”

He answered all the questions fully, and so forth, up to the question concerning the Buddha in the Deer Park. Y La Bát thought: “If I manifest my dragon form before Na Kích Đà, he will despise me. If I assume the form of a brahmin and go to meet the Buddha, there are great brahmins in Bà La Ny Tư who understand the three Vedas and the four treatises. If they see me in the form of a young man, they will all reproach me, saying, ‘The brahmins are born into noble lineages; why has he demeaned himself by going to meet Kiều Đáp Ma?’ If I go to meet the Blessed One in my dragon form, dragons have many enemies, and I fear that I may be obstructed. I should transform myself into a Wheel-Turning King and go to meet the Blessed One.”

After reflecting in this way, the dragon transformed himself into a Wheel-Turning King, preceded by the seven treasures and followed by an army of ninety-nine kotis. A thousand sons surrounded him in a crescent formation. He was adorned with every kind of precious jewel, and countless hundreds of thousands of non-Buddhist śramaṇas and brahmin ascetics accompanied him as attendants. Above the king’s head was held a parasol with one hundred ribs. Radiating majestic splendor like the sun and moon, he proceeded to the place of the Blessed One.

At that time, the Blessed One was teaching the Dharma before countless hundreds of thousands of people. As soon as they saw the Wheel-Turning King surrounded by countless hundreds of thousands of troops, they became filled with admiration and said to one another:

“From where has this Wheel-Turning King come? Such a king has never before been seen in the world. Could it be that the Brahmā king has come to make offerings?”

Those in the great assembly whose minds were attracted to him became attached and gazed upon the king’s body; all of them gave rise to deluded thoughts.

Upon reaching the Buddha, the king bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and sat to one side.

The Buddha said:

“You foolish being! During the time of the Buddha Ca Diếp Ba, you received the Buddha’s precepts but failed to guard them. Because you violated the precepts, you received the retribution of this lowly, long-lived dragon body. Why do you now give rise to deceitful thoughts and mislead my assembly? Quickly resume your dragon form.”

The Dragon King said:

“Blessed One, I possess the body of a dragon and have many enemies. I fear that other beings may join together to harm me.”

The Blessed One said to Vajrapāṇi:

“You should protect this dragon and prevent him from being harmed.”

Obeying the Blessed One’s command, Vajrapāṇi followed behind to protect him. The Dragon King arose, went to another place, and resumed his dragon form. He had seven enormous heads, and his body was immeasurably long. His heads rested against the city of Bà La Ny Tư, while his tail lay in the kingdom of Xoa Thi La, two hundred horse-relay stations away. Because of his karma from a former life, a great y-la tree grew from each of his heads. When the wind shook them, blood and pus flowed out and smeared his body. The stench was repulsive, and all kinds of flies and maggots constantly covered his body, biting and gnawing at him day and night. The sight filled everyone with disgust, and no one wished to look upon him.

In his own dragon body, the Dragon King approached, bowed his head at the feet of the Blessed One, and sat to one side.

When the great assembly saw the Dragon King’s dreadful and terrifying body, even those free from desire became frightened. How much more terrified, then, were those not yet free from desire when they saw this body, its coarse scales all torn apart, its wounds filled with pus and blood of many strange colors, its enormous surface uneven, with protrusions and depressions, high places and low! They said to the Buddha:

“What is this creature that has come before the Blessed One?”

The Blessed One told the great assembly:

“This is the body of the Wheel-Turning King who came here earlier. You gave rise to craving and attachment toward his splendor within samsara. This is his true body; the former body was a transformation. Because of evil karma committed in the past, he now undergoes this painful retribution.”

After hearing the Buddha’s words, everyone became sorrowful and remained silent.

The Dragon King said to the Buddha:

“I beseech the Blessed One to give me a prediction and tell me when I shall be able to cast off this dragon body.”

The Buddha told the Dragon King:

“In the future, when the human lifespan is eighty thousand years, a Buddha named Maitreya, endowed with the ten epithets, will appear in the world. He will give you a prediction that you shall be freed from your dragon body.”

At that moment, directly before the Buddha, the Dragon King cried out in anguish and wept. Tears simultaneously poured from the eyes of all his heads, forming fourteen rivers that surged downward.

The Buddha again said:

“Stop now. Do not weep so loudly. If your tears continue to flow, they will destroy the entire land.”

The dragon said to the Buddha:

“My original intention would never be to harm even the smallest living being, much less to destroy a land.”

Having spoken, the dragon bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and disappeared.

At that time, doubts arose throughout the great assembly, and they asked the Buddha:

“What karma did this Dragon King perform in a former life that caused trees to grow from his heads and blood and pus to flow from his body, as described above?”

The Buddha told the great assembly:

“If you wish to know the causes and conditions for which the Dragon King experiences the painful retribution of this body, know that what one does, one must oneself undergo; no one else can take one’s place. This is explained extensively in the verse given above:

Though a hundred kalpas may pass,

Karma once performed is never lost.

When causes and conditions converge,

One personally receives the result.

“Bhikshus, listen attentively to what I shall teach you.

“In the past, during the Auspicious Kalpa, when the human lifespan was twenty thousand years, a Buddha named Ca Nhiếp Ba, endowed with the ten epithets, appeared in the world and dwelt in the Deer Park at Bà La Ny Tư. At that time, this Dragon King renounced the household life and practiced within that Buddha’s Dharma. He mastered the Tripiṭaka, fully cultivated all the methods of meditative concentration, and dwelt in seclusion beneath an y-la tree, diligently practicing walking meditation.

When an y-la leaf fell and struck his forehead, he endured it. One day, however, having concentrated too intensely, he became weary. He emerged from meditation and began walking mindfully.

Again, an y-la leaf fell and struck his forehead, causing great pain. Enraged, he used both hands to tear the y-la leaf and cast it to the ground, saying, ‘What fault did the Buddha Ca Nhiếp Ba perceive in this insentient object above that He established a training rule concerning it, thereby causing me to suffer this pain?’ Because his mind was filled with intense anger, he disparaged the precepts. After his death, he fell into this class of dragons.

Y-la trees grow from his heads, blood and pus flow from his body, and many kinds of insects, flies, and maggots bite and gnaw at him, causing an unbearable stench.

“Bhikshus, what do you think? The bhikshu who mastered the Tripiṭaka and excelled in meditative concentration, yet destroyed the leaf of the y-la tree, was none other than this dragon. Bhikshus, you should know that black karma brings black retribution, white karma brings white retribution, and mixed karma brings mixed retribution. Therefore, you should immediately abandon black karma and mixed karma and cultivate entirely white karma.” The Buddha then continued until He had recited the verse given previously.

At that time, the seer Na Kích Đà approached, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, sat to one side, and said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I have fulfilled the promise I made earlier. I now wish to renounce the household life and train in the Tathagata’s virtuous Dharma and Vinaya.”

The Buddha said:

“Come, bhikshu! I permit you to renounce the household life and cultivate the holy life.”

As soon as he heard the Buddha’s words, his beard and hair fell away by themselves, appearing as though they had been shaved seven days earlier. His body was clothed in Dharma robes, and an alms bowl was in his hand. His deportment was solemn and dignified, like that of a bhikshu of one hundred years’ standing. A verse says:

The Blessed One proclaimed, “Come!”

His hair fell, robes covered his body;

His faculties at once became tranquil,

Following the Buddha, his aspiration was fulfilled.

After the bhikshus saw that Na Kích Đà had renounced the household life, his fellow practitioners of the holy life did not know by what name they should address him, so they reported the matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“This bhikshu’s clan name is Ca Đa Diễn Na; you should use this clan name as his appellation.”

The bhikshus accordingly addressed him by that name. The Blessed One said to Ca Đa Diễn Na:

– In the world, there are two standpoints: the view that things exist and the view that they do not exist. Moreover, because beings are bound by afflictions, they cling obstinately to these two views. So long as the afflictions are not eliminated, they continue to harbor conceit; conditioned by suffering, there is arising and cessation. Katyayana, because doubt and uncertainty have ceased, wisdom arises of itself, and right view becomes present, like the Buddha’s knowledge and vision. Why is this so?

– When, through right wisdom, one clearly sees the arising of worldly phenomena, one no longer gives rise to the worldly attachment to nonexistence. When, through right wisdom, one clearly sees the cessation of worldly phenomena, one no longer gives rise to the worldly attachment to existence. Katyayana, one should not cling to either of these two extreme views. The Tathagata always relies upon the Middle Way when teaching the Dharma. It is this:

– Because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises. That is, conditioned by ignorance are formations; conditioned by formations is consciousness; conditioned by consciousness are name-and-form; conditioned by name-and-form are the six sense bases; conditioned by the six sense bases is contact; conditioned by contact is feeling; conditioned by feeling is craving; conditioned by craving is grasping; conditioned by grasping is existence; conditioned by existence is birth; conditioned by birth are aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. Thus this entire great mass of suffering arises in succession. Because this does not exist, that does not exist; because this ceases, that ceases. That is, with the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form cease; with the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, grasping ceases; with the cessation of grasping, existence ceases; with the cessation of existence, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging and death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress cease. Thus this entire great mass of suffering is extinguished.

When he had heard the Buddha’s teaching, Katyayana, there upon his seat, thoroughly contemplated the five paths of conditioned birth and death in samsara as impermanent, suffering, empty, and non-self. His mind opened and awakened; he eliminated all afflictions and attained the fruit of arhatship, possessing the three knowledges, the six superknowledges, and the eight liberations. He knew in accordance with reality:

– My births are exhausted, the holy life has been established, what had to be done has been done, and there will be no further rebirth. His mind was unobstructed, like a hand striking empty space or a knife cutting through fragrance. He was free from affection and aversion, regarded gold and earth alike, was no longer entangled in fame or gain, and was revered by Sakra, Brahma, and all the devas.

Because the Buddha had given him the name Katyayana, from that time onward the Venerable One was called Mahakatyayana.

At that time, an epidemic afflicted the people of the kingdom of Ujjayini, causing many deaths. Funeral carts passed continually, and corpses lay throughout the fields. The king and his people were all plunged into sorrow. The ministers addressed the king:

– Great King, you should cultivate deeds of merit. Some proposed making offerings to sramanas and brahmins. Others said that ritual incantations should be performed to cure the disease.

After hearing their deliberations, the king made complete preparations to invite rites for averting the calamity, hoping to eradicate the epidemic and bring peace to the people. He then instructed the gatekeepers:

– You should know that if any sramana or brahmin comes to this city who is able to eradicate the epidemic, you must report it to me immediately.

The Tathagata, the Great Teacher, knew that countless people in that kingdom were dying of the epidemic and wished to rescue them. Such is the constant way of the unsurpassed Blessed One: he observes, hears, and knows the entire world, always benefiting all beings with a mind of great compassion. Supreme among rescuers, exceedingly mighty and never speaking falsely, he abides in meditative concentration and wisdom, manifests the three knowledges, skillfully cultivates the three trainings, skillfully disciplines the three kinds of karma, crosses beyond the four violent floods, abides in the four bases of spiritual power, and throughout the dark night continually cultivates the four means of gathering beings.

He casts aside the five hindrances, departs far from the five factors, transcends the five paths, possesses the six sense faculties in full, perfects the six paramitas, bestows the seven treasures universally, brings the seven factors of awakening into bloom, remains detached from the eight worldly concerns, teaches the Noble Eightfold Path, forever severs the nine fetters, penetrates the nine meditative attainments, is replete with the ten powers, and causes his voice to resound throughout the ten directions.

Supreme among all sovereign beings, he has attained the qualities of fearlessness, vanquished the hostile Mara, sent forth a great peal of thunder, and roared the lion’s roar. Throughout day and night, he continually surveys the world with the Buddha-eye: who is progressing and who is declining, who has encountered suffering and calamity, who is headed toward an evil destiny, who is sinking in the mire of sensual desire, who can be guided, and by what skillful means they may be rescued.

Those without the noble treasures he enables to acquire them. With wisdom like the medicine Anjana, he removes the cataract of ignorance from their eyes. Those without roots of virtue he causes to plant roots of virtue, and those who possess roots of virtue he causes to increase them.

He establishes them upon the secure and unobstructed path to the heavens and directs them toward the city of nirvana. As it is said:

– The tides of the great ocean

May sometimes fail to keep their appointed cycle,

But those who are ready to be taught

The Buddha never abandons without deliverance.

As a mother with an only child

Always guards that child’s life,

So toward those ready to be taught

The Buddha’s love surpasses even a mother’s.

Toward all sentient beings

The Buddha’s loving concern never ceases;

Intent on rescuing them from suffering and calamity,

He is like a mother cow following her calf.

Having contemplated, “Who can discipline King Candrapradyota of the kingdom of Ujjayini, together with his consorts, palace women, and common people?” the Buddha clearly knew that the bhiksu Mahakatyayana could discipline them. He said:

– Mahakatyayana, go and attend to King Candrapradyota, his consorts and palace women, and the people of the city of Ujjayini, and cause them to attain peace and happiness.

The Venerable One said to the Buddha:

– I shall respectfully obey the Blessed One’s instruction.

Early the next morning, the Venerable One donned his robes, took up his bowl, and entered Varanasi to beg for alms in due order. After taking his meal, he carried his robes and bowl and set out with five hundred bhiksus for the kingdom of Ujjayini. On the road, they reached the kingdom of Kanakakubja. In that city lived a brahmin who had been an old friend of the Venerable One. He had a daughter whose figure was well proportioned, whose beauty was unsurpassed, and whose hair was lustrous and brilliant beyond compare. She was therefore called Sundarakesa, “Beautiful Hair.” A musician who had come from the south saw that Sundarakesa’s hair was extraordinarily beautiful. He approached the brahmin and said:

– Great Brahmin, I need this young woman’s hair. Could you sell it to me for one thousand gold coins?

The brahmin replied:

– The brahminical law does not permit the selling of hair. Why do you speak such unlawful words?

His wish unfulfilled, the man silently departed.

Later, the girl’s father died. Her mother heard that the noble Mahakatyayana and five hundred companions had come to that kingdom and were staying not far away. Since her husband had only recently died, her heart was still burdened with grief. When she heard that the Venerable One had arrived, she became even more distressed and sat with her cheek resting upon her hand, absorbed in thought. Seeing her mother sorrowful, Sundarakesa asked why she was resting her cheek upon her hand in such distress.

– The noble Mahakatyayana, an old friend of your father, has come here. Your father has passed away, and our household is so poor that we cannot prepare even a single meal as an offering. That is why I am sorrowful.

The girl said:

– If that is so, sell my hair to the musician for one thousand gold coins and use the money to make the offering. My hair will grow again afterward, so please do not grieve, Mother.

Hearing this and knowing that her daughter possessed pure faith, the mother went to see the musician and said:

– Sir, you previously wished to buy my daughter’s hair and offered one thousand gold coins. If you still want it, pay the former price.

He replied:

– Old woman, I needed that hair then, but I no longer need it now. If it has already been cut off for sale, I will take it for half the price.

The mother agreed, received the money, handed over the hair, and returned home.

After reaching that city, the Venerable One settled peacefully in a secluded place. The brahmin’s widow went to see him, bowed with her head at his feet, and said:

– Noble One, was your journey peaceful? While he was alive, my husband was acquainted with you. Out of compassion, please accept my humble offering of a meal at noon tomorrow.

The Venerable One said:

– Our assembly is very large. How could you provide enough for everyone?

She asked:

– Venerable sir, how many members are there in the Sangha?

– There are five hundred.

She replied:

– Excellent.

The Venerable remained silent.

Knowing that the Venerable had accepted her invitation, the old woman paid homage, returned home, and prepared the offerings there.

The next morning, after arranging the seats and setting out clean water, she went to inform him:

– The meal is ready, Venerable sir; it is time.

That morning, the Venerable donned his robe, took up his alms bowl, and went with the other five hundred monks to the old woman’s house, where they took their seats. Seeing that the great assembly was seated, the old woman personally served them the finest fragrant and delicious food and drink. After the assembly had eaten, cleaned their teeth, rinsed their mouths, and put away their bowls, the old woman set out a small seat for herself so that she might listen to the Dharma.

As he was about to teach the Dharma, the Venerable asked:

– Where is your daughter, Diệu Phát?

She replied:

– Because her appearance is unseemly, she does not dare come forth.

Even an arhat does not know without first directing his contemplation. The Venerable contemplated the young woman’s mind and, knowing it to be exceedingly pure and wholesome, said:

– Your daughter has a wholesome heart. Call her here.

Diệu Phát immediately came out of her room, approached the Venerable, prostrated herself wholeheartedly at his feet, and sat to one side. Her mother said:

– This is Diệu Phát. Although I know it is presumptuous, I beseech the Venerable to accept her as your daughter...

She continued:

– Now that we are bound to one another, there is a matter concerning her that I must ask. Into what family should this girl be given in marriage?

The Venerable replied:

– I am one who has gone forth, so you should not ask me about worldly affairs. Nevertheless, this girl will receive inner and outer ornaments and necklaces, each worth five hundred gold coins, and she will be granted as her fief five large villages.

The mother said:

– I am from a poor household. Who would bestow such extraordinary fortune upon her?

The Venerable said:

– Do not speak thus. This girl’s merit and virtue are lofty and far-reaching. Because, with an earnest and pure heart, she has made offerings to a supreme field of merit, she will certainly reap this supreme fruit. Do not grieve or worry.

The mother remained silent.

After teaching the wondrous Dharma, bringing benefit and joy to the old woman and her daughter, the Venerable rose from his seat, took his leave, and gradually journeyed to the kingdom of Ôn Thệ Ny.

As soon as the Sangha entered the city, half of the calamities were dispelled. The gatekeeper went to report to the king:

– Does Your Majesty know? Five hundred men of extraordinary appearance have just entered the city, and half of the calamities were immediately dispelled.

The king said:

– This is truly auspicious. I should personally make offerings to them.

At that time, the brahmins came and said to the king:

– We have labored day and night to avert these calamities. Through our spiritual power, half of them have been dispelled, and before long they will all be eliminated. Why is it now being said that this was due to those bhiksus?

After invoking blessings for the king’s freedom from illness and longevity, the bhiksus took their leave and departed.

The king said to his ministers:

– The gatekeeper reported to me that five hundred men of extraordinary appearance entered the city and that half of the calamities were immediately dispelled. The brahmins say, “We have labored day and night to remove these calamitous obstructions. Through our spiritual power, half of them have been dispelled, and before long none will remain; this is not due to outsiders.” I do not know whose efforts brought this about. Bring the bhiksus and the brahmins to the elephant stable. There, in an unclean place, serve them coarse rice cakes soaked in vinegar. After they have eaten and departed, ask both groups:

– What was the meal served by the king like today?

The ministers said to the king:

– It shall be done.

They carried out the king’s instructions and served the meal in the elephant stable. After the guests had eaten and were leaving, the gatekeeper first asked the brahmins:

– Worthy sirs, what was the food offered by the great king like today?

They became very angry and cried out loudly:

– We consider this unlawful. This wretched king served the brahmins coarse, unpalatable rice cakes drenched in vinegar. How could he gain any merit from that?

Hearing this, the gatekeeper remained silent.

After they had gone, the bhiksus arrived. The gatekeeper asked:

– Venerable sirs, what was the flavor of the king’s offering like?

They replied:

– Good sir, whatever a donor offers, those who receive and eat it do so merely to sustain the body through the days and nights.

The gatekeeper went to the king and recounted the two replies. After hearing them, the king told them:

– Now, in a clean place within the elephant stable, serve them delicious food and question them as before.

In the clean place, they arranged fine seats and served delicious food. When the guests were about to depart, they questioned them as before. The brahmins replied:

– You are like a consecrated ksatriya king. By serving pure and delicious food, you have gained immeasurable merit.

The gatekeeper said:

– The work of the royal kitchen is not always consistent. Why is it that today you offer no criticism?

The brahmins remained silent.

When the bhiksus were questioned in turn, they replied as before. The gatekeeper went to the king and reported what had occurred. The king again ordered pure and impure, delicious and unpalatable foods to be served in the horse stable, just as in the elephant stable... The questions and replies were the same as before.

Upon hearing this, the king thought, “The bhiksu Sangha is indeed a true field of merit; the brahmins are not.” Faith arose in him, and he went to see Mahakatyayana, paid homage, and sat to one side.

The Venerable taught the Dharma, bringing benefit and joy to the king, and then fell silent. The king again bowed at his feet and said:

– Venerable sir, I earnestly beseech you, out of compassion, to come with the noble assembly to my palace tomorrow and partake of a humble meal.

The Venerable silently accepted the invitation.

Seeing that the Venerable had accepted, the king paid homage and took his leave. That very night, he prepared the finest foods. Early the next morning, after arranging the seats and setting out vessels of clean water, the king sent a messenger to inform the Venerable:

– The meal is ready, Venerable sir; it is time.

That morning, the Venerable donned his robe, took up his bowl, and went with the bhiksus to the place where the meal had been prepared, and they took their seats. The king ordered the musicians and dancers to perform music, songs, and dances together. The Venerable and the Sangha sat solemnly and in perfect order, guarding their sense faculties. When the musical performance had ended, the king asked the Venerable:

– What did you think of the music? Did you find it pleasing to hear?

The Venerable replied:

– Great King, only one who has seen and heard it can know whether it was good or poor.

The king said:

– It may be said that the faculties concealed within did not know it, but since the mind follows external objects, how could you neither see nor hear it?

Wishing to make the king clearly understand this matter, the Venerable skillfully said to him:

– Does the king presently have anyone condemned to death?

The king asked:

– What do you intend to do?

He replied:

– The king may place a bowl filled to the brim with oil in that person’s hands and order a man holding a sword to follow behind and frighten him, but not harm him. Command him, “If you spill a single drop of oil upon the ground, your head will be cut off.” Allow him to walk one circuit, and directly before him arrange for courtesans to perform various kinds of music. When he returns to his starting place, ask the man carrying the bowl of oil:

– Were the beautiful women lovely, and was the music pleasing? Only then will the king truly believe me.

Hearing this, the king carried out each instruction exactly as spoken. When the man returned, he was asked:

– Were the beautiful women lovely, and was the music pleasing?

He replied:

– Only one who saw and heard them could know whether they were good or poor.

The king asked:

– You have eyes and ears. Why did you neither see nor hear them?

He replied:

– Great King, if I had spilled a single drop of oil, the man holding the sword would have cut off my head and my corpse would have fallen to the ground. At that time, I feared both that the bowl might tilt and that my head might fall. Thus, with single-minded attention, I carried the bowl back and forth in great distress. How could I have had leisure to notice the appearance of the beautiful women or whether the songs and dances were good or poor?

Hearing this, the king remained silent, not knowing what to say.

The Venerable asked:

– Does the Great King now see?

The king replied:

– I have seen it.

– Great King! Merely for the sake of preserving his life in this single lifetime, this man fears encountering great suffering and therefore remains careful and rightly mindful, not daring to become heedless, skillfully guarding his life and person. How much more so, then, for us bhiksus, who have renounced all forms of song and dance! Knowing that they are causes giving rise to much suffering, how could I wish to see or hear them again?

The king looked at the oil in the bowl and, having clearly understood the matter, admired and revered the Venerable One all the more.

At that time, the crown prince, the women of the royal palace, and the people all came rejoicing and offered the bhiksus the finest foods.

After the assembly had finished their meal, cleaned their teeth, rinsed their mouths, and put away their bowls, the king sat upon a low seat before the Venerable One and asked:

– Is there anywhere that has offered fragrant and delicious food and drink to five hundred members of the noble Sangha as I have done?

The Venerable One said:

– The king is the sovereign of the realm and rules over a hundred cities. All affairs accord with the king’s wishes, without anything lacking. To offer the finest food and drink to five hundred members of the Sangha is therefore hardly rare. Before I came here, in a certain village, a young woman from one household, distressed by her poverty, cut off her own hair and sold it for five hundred gold coins. She then arranged an offering of delicious food for us. That indeed was rare.

Hearing this, the king thought, “That young woman’s hair alone was worth five hundred gold coins; even celestial maidens would find it difficult to compare with her. I must discover who she is and take her as my wife. The Venerable One is a person of lofty virtue, so I should not question him.”

The king commanded a messenger:

– Go to the places through which the Venerable One has passed. Find the village where a young woman sold her hair for five hundred gold coins and used the money to prepare food as an offering to the great Venerable Kātyāyana. I need to meet that young woman and learn who she is.

Understanding the king’s intention, the messenger made inquiries and gradually arrived at the city of Kiến Noa Cúc Xã. Entering the city, he asked everywhere until he learned the exact place he sought. After resting, the messenger went to the brahmin’s house and stood before the gate. Seeing the mother come out, he approached and inquired after her health.

The mother asked:

– For what purpose have you come here?

He replied:

– I wish to seek Diệu Phát’s hand in marriage.

She asked:

– To whom is she to be married?

He replied:

– She is to become the chief queen of King Mãnh Quang.

The mother said:

– Very good, but the betrothal gifts are considerable, so I fear the marriage may not be concluded.

The messenger asked:

– How much is required?

The mother replied:

– There must be a full set of five hundred inner ornaments, and likewise five hundred necklaces to be worn outwardly, together with a fief comprising five hundred villages. If I receive these things, I shall give my daughter in marriage.

Hearing this, the messenger hurried back and reported to the king:

– Great King, your servant has found the young woman.

The king asked:

– What did you say to them?

He replied:

– Your servant told her mother that the king wished to take the young woman as his chief queen.

The king asked:

– What betrothal gifts did they request?

After hearing the messenger’s full report, the king commanded:

– Provide whatever they have requested, whether much or little.

Obeying the king’s command, the messenger went to the young woman’s house. The two parties made their agreement, selected an auspicious day, and completed all the rites. With soldiers arrayed in proper order before and behind, and with banners, drums, and ceremonial procession, they journeyed from the city of Kiến Noa to the kingdom of Ôn Thệ Ny. On the very day they entered the city, every epidemic disappeared, the kingdom became peaceful, and the people dwelt in happiness. Because this auspicious sign had manifested, everyone called the young woman Lady An Lạc.

THE MŪLASARVĀSTIVĀDA

VINAYA: MISCELLANEOUS MATTERS

End of Fascicle Twenty-One.