大般涅槃經

Volume 17

CHAPTER ON PURE CONDUCT (continued)

At that time, King Ajatashatru of the great city of Rajagriha was wicked by nature, delighted in killing and harming, and committed all four evil deeds of speech. Craving, anger, and delusion blazed fiercely within him. He saw only the present and did not see the future; he associated exclusively with evil people and clung greedily to the five sensual pleasures of the present life.

Although his royal father was innocent, he perversely inflicted the heinous act of killing him. After killing his father, regret and anguish arose in his heart. He removed his jeweled necklaces and no longer watched musical performances.

Because of his remorse and anguish, sores broke out all over his body. Those sores were so foul-smelling and filthy that no one could approach him. He then thought to himself: “Today my body has already received the ripened manifestation of this deed; the retribution of hell must be near at hand, not far away.”

At that time, his mother, Vaidehi, applied various medicines, but the sores only worsened and did not diminish. The king then said to his mother: “These sores have arisen from the mind; they did not originate from the four great elements. If it is said that some living being can cure them, that is impossible.”

There was a great minister named Chandrayashas, who came before the king, stood to one side, and said: “Your Majesty! Why are you sorrowful and haggard, with no joy in your countenance? Is your body in pain, or is your mind in pain?”

The king replied to the minister: “How could my body and mind not be in pain? Although my father was innocent, I perversely inflicted the heinous act of killing him! I once heard this teaching from a wise person: In the world there are five kinds of people who cannot escape hell; these are said to have committed the five heinous offenses. I have now committed immeasurable, boundless, incalculable offenses. How could my body and mind not be afflicted? Moreover, there is no good physician to heal my body and mind.”

The great minister said: “Your Majesty, do not grieve,” and then spoke this verse:

If one constantly grieves,

Grief will continue to grow;

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more.

Lustful craving and thirst for wine

Are likewise the same.

“As Your Majesty has said, there are five kinds of people in the world who cannot escape hell—but who has gone there, seen it, returned, and told Your Majesty? Those who speak of hell are merely those whom the world calls wise. As Your Majesty has said, there is no good physician in the world who can heal body and mind.

Yet today there is a great and excellent physician named Purana, who knows and sees all things, has attained mastery of meditative concentration, has perfected the cultivation of pure conduct, and constantly expounds the path to unsurpassed nirvana for immeasurable, boundless living beings. He teaches his disciples this Dharma: There is no black karma and no black karmic retribution; no white karma and no white karmic retribution; no black-and-white karma and no white-and-black karmic retribution; neither higher karma nor lower karma.

This teacher is now in the city of Rajagriha. I pray that Your Majesty will condescend to have the royal carriage taken there, so that this teacher may heal your body and mind.”

The king replied: “If it can truly be as you say and he can eradicate my offenses, I shall take refuge in him!”

There was also a minister named Garbhaguna, who likewise came before the king and said: “Your Majesty! Why is your countenance haggard, your lips and mouth parched, and your voice faint, like a timid person who sees a formidable enemy? Your complexion has changed so grievously—what suffering has caused this? Is your body in pain, or is your mind in pain?”

The king immediately replied: “How could my body and mind not be in pain? I was foolish, blind, and without the eye of wisdom. I drew near to an evil friend and treated him as an intimate companion. Following the words of the wicked Devadatta, I perversely inflicted the heinous act of killing the king who upheld the true Dharma. I once heard a wise person speak this verse:

If toward one’s parents,

The Buddha, or his disciples,

One gives rise to an unwholesome mind

And performs evil karma,

The resulting retribution

Will be in the Avici Hell.

“Because of this, my heart is filled with fear and great anguish. Moreover, there is no good physician to rescue and heal me.”

The great minister again said: “I pray that Your Majesty will neither grieve nor fear! There are two kinds of law: one is the law of renunciants, and the other is royal law. According to royal law, killing one’s father in order to become king of the realm, although called a heinous act, is actually not an offense.

It is like the kalala embryo, which must rupture its mother’s womb before it can be born. Such is the law of birth: although it harms the mother’s body, in truth it is not an offense. The pregnancy of mules and other such creatures is likewise the same.

According to the law of governing a country, the proper method is like this: although one kills one’s father or elder brother, in truth it is not an offense. According to the law of renunciants, however, even killing a mosquito or an ant is an offense. I pray that Your Majesty will open your heart and not grieve.

Why is this? Because:

If one constantly grieves,

Grief will continue to grow;

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more.

Lustful craving and thirst for wine

Are likewise the same.

“As Your Majesty has said, there is no good physician in the world who can heal body and mind. Yet today there is a great teacher named Maskarin Goshaliputra, who possesses complete knowledge and vision, cherishes living beings as though they were newborn infants, has already freed himself from the afflictions, and can extract the three sharp and poisonous arrows. Among all living beings, none knows, sees, or realizes all dharmas; this man alone uniquely knows, sees, and realizes them.

Such a great teacher constantly teaches his disciples this Dharma: The body of every living being consists of seven constituents. What are the seven? They are earth, water, fire, wind, suffering, pleasure, and life span.

These seven dharmas are neither transformed nor created and cannot be destroyed. Like ishika grass, they abide unmoving like Mount Sumeru. They neither relinquish nor act, resembling the richness of cream, and they never contend with one another.

Whether suffering or pleasure, wholesome or unwholesome, even if plunged into a sharp blade, they sustain no injury. Why is this? Because within the emptiness of the seven constituents there is nothing that can be harmed; therefore, life also cannot be harmed.

Why is this? Because there is neither injury nor death, and thus there is no agent, no recipient, no speaker, no hearer, no thought, and no instruction. He constantly teaches this Dharma, which can enable living beings to eradicate all their immeasurable grave offenses.

This teacher is now in the great city of Rajagriha. I pray that Your Majesty will go to him! If Your Majesty sees him, all your offenses will be extinguished.”

The king replied: “If it can truly be as you say and he can eradicate my offenses, I shall take refuge in him.”

There was also a great minister named Tattvalabdha, who likewise came before the king and immediately spoke this verse:

Why does Your Majesty

Remove the jeweled necklaces from your body,

Your hair hanging loose and disheveled,

Until you have come to such a state?

Why is the royal person

Restless and trembling,

Like a flowering tree shaken

By a violent wind?

“Why does Your Majesty’s countenance today appear sorrowful and haggard, like that of a farmer who has sown his seed but receives no rain from the heavens? Is Your Majesty suffering so because your heart is in pain, or because your body is in pain?” The king immediately replied: “How could my body and mind not be in pain today? My father, the former king, was loving, benevolent, and virtuous.

Whenever he saw me or thought of me, he cherished me, and he was without fault. Once, the royal father went to consult a physiognomist, who answered, ‘After this child is born, he will assuredly harm his father in the future.’ Although the king heard these words, he still tenderly cared for and raised me. I once heard the wise say that if anyone commits adultery with his mother or with a bhiksuni, steals property belonging to the Sangha, kills one who has aroused the aspiration for bodhi, or harms his own father, such a person will assuredly fall into the Avici Hell.

How, then, could my body and mind not be in pain today?”

The great minister said further: “I beseech Your Majesty not to grieve! If one harms the royal father while cultivating liberation, then one is guilty. If one puts him to death according to the law of governing a country, then there is no guilt.

Your Majesty! What is contrary to Dharma is called non-Dharma, and non-Dharma is called non-Dharma. For example, one who has no son is said to be sonless, and one who has a bad son is also said to be sonless.

Although it is said that he has no son, in truth it is not that he has no son. Food without salt is called saltless, and food with only a little salt is also called saltless. A river without water is called waterless, and one with only a little water is also called waterless.

The ceasing of each successive thought-moment is called impermanence, yet even that which abides for an entire kalpa is also called impermanent. One who undergoes suffering is said to have no happiness, yet even one who experiences a little happiness is also said to have no happiness. What is not sovereign is called non-self, yet even what possesses a little sovereignty is also called non-self.

The dark night is said to have no sun, and when clouds and mist obscure the sky, it is also said that there is no sun. Your Majesty! Although possessing little Dharma is called having no Dharma, in truth it is not that there is no Dharma!

“I beseech Your Majesty to listen attentively to your servant’s words. All sentient beings have residual karma. Because of karmic conditions, they sometimes undergo birth and death. If the former king had residual karma and Your Majesty consequently harmed him, what guilt would there be? I beseech Your Majesty to open and ease your mind and not to grieve! Why is this? Because:

If one constantly grieves,

Grief will continue to grow.

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more,

So too with lust and fondness for wine—

They are likewise as stated above.

“As Your Majesty has said, there is no good physician in the world who can heal body and mind. Yet today there is a great teacher named Sanjaya Belatthiputta. His insight, knowledge, and wisdom are as profound as the great ocean. He possesses great majestic virtue and great spiritual powers, and he can free sentient beings from every net of doubt. What no other sentient being knows, sees, or realizes, this man alone knows, sees, and realizes. Today this great teacher dwells near the city of Rajagriha and teaches his disciples the Dharma as follows:

“‘Among all beings, if one is a king, he is sovereign and may freely perform good or evil according to his will. Although he commits every evil, he incurs no guilt. Fire burns things without discriminating between pure and impure; a king is likewise, being of the same nature as fire.

The great earth bears all things, whether clean or filthy. Although it does so, the earth feels neither anger nor joy; a king is likewise, being of the same nature as the earth. Water, by its nature, washes both clean and filthy things.

Although it does so, water feels neither sorrow nor joy; a king is likewise, being of the same nature as water. Wind, by its nature, blows upon both clean and filthy things. Although it does so, the wind feels neither sorrow nor joy; a king is likewise, being of the same nature as the wind.

In autumn, trees lose their branches and leaves, but in spring they grow again. Although their branches and leaves are stripped bare, there is truly no guilt. All sentient beings are likewise: when their lives end here, they are born again elsewhere.

Since they are born again, why should there be guilt?

“‘The painful and pleasurable karmic results of all sentient beings do not arise from karma performed in the present life. Causes laid down in the past bear their fruits in the present. If there is no cause in the present, there will be no fruit in the future. Because of present karmic retribution, sentient beings observe the precepts and diligently cultivate vigor, thereby preventing present evil results. Through observing the precepts, they attain the unconditioned freedom from outflows. Having attained freedom from outflows, they exhaust all karma accompanied by outflows. When karma is exhausted, every suffering comes to an end; and when every suffering has ended, liberation is attained.’

“I beseech Your Majesty to go swiftly to this great teacher so that he may heal the suffering of your body and mind. If Your Majesty sees this great teacher, all your offenses will be eradicated.”

The king immediately replied: “If it is indeed certain that such a great teacher exists and can remove my guilt, I shall take refuge in him.”

Furthermore, there was a great minister named Knower of All Meanings, who also came before the king and said: “Why does Your Majesty’s appearance today lack dignity, like that of a man who has lost his kingdom; like a dried-up spring or an emptied pond without lotus flowers; like a tree without blossoms or leaves; or like a bhiksu who has broken the precepts, whose person is devoid of majestic virtue? Is it because your body is in pain, or because your heart is in pain?”

The king replied: “How could my body and mind not be in pain today? My father, the former king, lovingly cared for me and kept me ever in his thoughts, yet I was unfilial and did not know how to repay his kindness. He always bestowed happiness upon me to make me happy, but I repaid his kindness with ingratitude and rebellion, cutting off that very happiness. The former king was innocent, yet I perversely rose in rebellion and harmed him. I have also heard the wise say that if anyone harms his father, he will undergo great anguish for immeasurable asamkhya kalpas. Before long, I shall assuredly fall into hell, and there is no good physician to rescue me and heal my offense.”

The great minister immediately said: “I beseech Your Majesty to cast aside your grief! Has Your Majesty not heard? In ancient times, there was a king named Rama who harmed his own father and thereafter succeeded to the royal throne. King Bhadrika, King Virucina, King Nahusa, King Kathika, King Visakha, King Moonlight Radiance, King Sunlight Radiance, King Love, King Many Supporters, and so forth—all such kings harmed their own fathers in order to succeed to the royal throne, yet not one of them entered hell. At the present time there are King Virudhaka, King Udayana, King Evil-Nature, King Mouse, King Lotus, and so forth. All such kings harmed their own fathers, yet not one of them gave rise to sorrow or anguish.

“Although people speak of hells, hungry ghosts, and heavens, who has ever seen them? Your Majesty! We see only two paths: the path of human beings and the path of animals. Yet even these two paths do not arise from causes and conditions, nor does death occur through causes and conditions. If things do not occur through causes and conditions, how can there be good and evil? I beseech Your Majesty not to harbor sorrow or fear. Why is this? Because:

If one constantly grieves,

Grief will continue to grow.

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more,

So too with lust and fondness for wine—

They are likewise as stated above.”

As Your Majesty has said, there is no good physician in the world who can heal body and mind. Yet there is now a great teacher named Ajita Kesakambala, who sees and knows all things and regards gold and earth equally, without distinction. If one person cuts into his right side with a knife while another anoints his left side with sandalwood paste, this great teacher’s mind remains no different toward either of them.

He regards enemies and loved ones impartially, without any thought of distinction. This teacher is truly a good physician for the world. Whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down, he always abides in samadhi, his mind never distracted.

He tells his disciples: whether one acts oneself or instructs another to act; whether one cuts oneself or instructs another to cut; whether one roasts oneself or instructs another to roast; whether one kills oneself or instructs another to kill; whether one steals oneself or instructs another to steal; whether one engages in sexual misconduct oneself or instructs another to do so; whether one lies oneself or instructs another to lie; whether one drinks intoxicants oneself or instructs another to drink; whether one slaughters an entire village, city, or kingdom, or uses a wheel of blades to kill all sentient beings;

or whether one gives alms to sentient beings south of the Ganges while slaughtering sentient beings north of the Ganges—all such acts entail neither sin nor merit, and there is no giving, moral discipline, or concentration.

This great teacher is now dwelling near the city of Rajagriha. I beseech Your Majesty to go there quickly! If Your Majesty sees him, all your sins will be completely extinguished.” The king said, “Great minister!

If he can truly do as you say and extinguish my sins, I shall take refuge in him.”

There was also a great minister named Jide, who came before the king and said, “Why does Your Majesty’s countenance not shine brightly today? Why is it like a lamp beneath the light of the sun, like the moon in the daytime, or like barren land? Your Majesty! Today the four quarters are peaceful, and there are no enemies, so why are you afflicted with such sorrow? Is your body suffering? Or is your mind suffering? Princes constantly entertain this thought: ‘When shall I gain sovereign freedom?’ Your Majesty! Today your wish for sovereign freedom has been fulfilled! You rule the kingdom of Magadha, and the treasury of the former king is replete. You should simply delight yourself and freely enjoy its pleasures! What purpose is served by harboring such sorrow?”

The king immediately replied, “How could I not grieve? Great minister! A fool craves only the delicious taste and fails to see the sharp blade; he consumes food mixed with poison and fails to perceive the poison’s harm. I am just like this. A deer sees the grass but not the deep pit; a mouse covets food but does not see the cat or weasel. I am just like this. I see the present joy but do not see the unwholesome fruit of suffering in a future life. I once heard a wise person say: ‘Better to endure three hundred thrusts of a spear throughout an entire day than to give rise to a single evil thought toward one’s parents!’ I have now drawn near to the blazing fires of hell. How could I not grieve?”

The great minister again said, “Who has come to deceive Your Majesty by claiming that hell exists? Who fashioned the sharp thorns that pierce one’s head? Who made birds of their differing colors?

Water’s nature is to moisten, stone’s nature is to be hard, wind’s nature is to move, and fire’s nature is to be hot. All the myriad things die and arise of themselves. Who created these things?

The assertion that hell exists is merely a fabrication of words by the wise. What does the word ‘hell’ mean? Your servant shall explain. ‘Hell’ means earth, and ‘prison’ means destruction.

Destruction in relation to hell brings no karmic retribution for sin. This is called hell. Furthermore, ‘hell’ means human beings, and ‘prison’ means heavenly beings.

Because one killed one’s father, one attains birth among human beings or heavenly beings. For this reason, the seer Vasu proclaimed: ‘By killing sheep, one gains the joy of human and heavenly realms.’ This is called hell. Furthermore, ‘hell’ means life, and ‘prison’ means long.

Because one kills living beings, one attains a long lifespan; therefore it is called hell.

“Your Majesty! You should therefore know that hell truly does not exist. Your Majesty!

Just as sowing wheat yields wheat and sowing rice yields rice, killing beings in hell causes one to return to hell, while killing human beings causes one to return as a human being. Your Majesty! Today you should heed your servant’s words: in truth, there is no killing.

If there is a self, then in truth there is also no harming. If there is no self, then there is likewise nothing that can be harmed. Why is this?

If there is a self, it is permanent and unchanging. Because it is permanent, it cannot be killed. It cannot be broken, destroyed, fettered, bound, angered, or gladdened.

Being like empty space, how could it be said that the sin of killing exists? If there is no self, then all dharmas are impermanent. Because they are impermanent, they perish from thought-moment to thought-moment.

If they perish from thought-moment to thought-moment, then both the killer and the one who dies perish from thought-moment to thought-moment. If they perish from thought-moment to thought-moment, who could bear any sin?

“Your Majesty! When fire burns a tree, the fire incurs no sin. When an axe fells a tree, the axe likewise incurs no sin. When a sickle cuts grass, the sickle truly incurs no sin. When a knife kills a person, the knife is certainly not a person; and since the knife incurs no sin, how can the person be said to incur sin? When poison kills a person, the poison is certainly not a person. If the poison incurs no sin, how can the person be said to incur sin? All the myriad things are likewise. Since in truth there is no killing, how can it be said that sin exists? I beseech Your Majesty not to give rise to sorrow! Why is this? Because:

If one constantly sorrows,

Sorrow will only increase;

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more.

Craving lust and delighting in wine

Are likewise the same.”

“As the king has said, there is no good physician in the world who can treat evil karma. Yet today there is a great teacher named Kakuda Katyayana. He knows and sees all things and clearly comprehends the three times. In the space of a single thought, he can see immeasurable and boundless worlds, and likewise hear their sounds. He can cause sentient beings to abandon evil and wrongdoing. Just as the Ganges River purifies all sins, whether inward or outward, so too can this great and excellent physician extinguish all the inward and outward sins of sentient beings.

“This great teacher teaches the Dharma to his disciples thus: ‘If a person kills all sentient beings without feeling shame or remorse, he will certainly not fall into an evil realm, just as empty space does not retain dust or water. A person who feels shame and remorse, however, will enter hell, just as a great quantity of water soaks into the earth. All sentient beings are creations of Ishvara.

When Ishvara is pleased, sentient beings are happy; when Ishvara is angry, sentient beings suffer. All the sins and merits of sentient beings are actually the work of Ishvara, so why should anyone be said to possess sin or merit? It is like a carpenter who fashions a mechanical wooden man that walks, stands, sits, and lies down, lacking only the ability to speak.

Sentient beings are likewise. Ishvara may be compared to the carpenter, and the wooden man to the body of a sentient being. If creation is like this, who could incur sin?’

“Such a great teacher is now dwelling near Rajagriha. I beseech Your Majesty to go to him quickly! If you meet him face to face, all your sins will be extinguished.”

The king then replied, “If it is indeed certain that such a person exists and can extinguish my sins, I shall take refuge in him.”

There was also a minister named Fearless, who approached the king and said, “Your Majesty! A foolish person may experience a hundred joys and a hundred sorrows in a single day, sleep a hundred times and awaken a hundred times, become frightened a hundred times, and weep a hundred times. A wise person has none of these experiences.

Why is Your Majesty so sorrowful? Is it as though you had lost your friends and guests? As though you had fallen into deep mud with no one to rescue you?

As though you were thirsty but could obtain no water to drink? As though you had lost your way with no guide to lead you? As though you were gravely ill with no physician to treat you?

As though your ship had broken apart at sea with no one to save you? Your Majesty! Does your body now suffer pain, or is it your mind that suffers?”

The king replied, “How could my body and mind now be free from pain? I associated with an evil friend and failed to consider the wrongdoing of my speech. The former king was innocent, yet I perversely rebelled against him and caused his death. I now know with certainty that I shall enter hell, and there is no good physician whom I can meet and implore for deliverance.”

The minister then said, “I beseech Your Majesty not to give rise to poisonous sorrow! A kshatriya belongs to the royal lineage. If, for the sake of the realm, for shramanas or brahmins, or to bring peace to the people, you kill someone, you incur no sin. Although the former king revered shramanas, he was unable to serve the brahmins. His mind was not impartial, and because he lacked impartiality, he was not a true kshatriya. Your Majesty! Since you killed the former king because you wished to make offerings to the brahmins, what sin could there be?

“Your Majesty! In truth, you did not kill him. Killing means destroying a life. Life is said to be the vital breath, but the nature of that breath cannot be killed. How, then, could this be called taking a life, and how could it constitute a sin? I beseech Your Majesty to grieve no more! Why is this? Because:

If one constantly grieves,

Grief will only increase;

Just as one who delights in sleep

Will sleep still more.

Craving sensual pleasure and delighting in wine

Are likewise the same.

“As the king has said, there is no good physician in the world who can provide treatment. Yet today there is a great teacher named Nigrantha Jnatiputra. He sees and knows all things, has compassion for sentient beings, thoroughly knows whether their faculties are keen or dull, and comprehends every suitable expedient means.

The eight worldly conditions cannot defile him. He is tranquil and cultivates pure brahmacarya. He teaches the Dharma to his disciples thus: ‘There is no giving, no goodness, no father, no mother, no present life or future life, no arhat, no cultivation, and no path.

All sentient beings pass through eighty thousand kalpas in the cycle of birth and death and then naturally attain liberation. Whether they have committed sins or not, it is the same. Just as the four great rivers—the Sindhu, Ganges, Vakshu, and Sita—all flow into the great ocean without distinction, so too is it with all sentient beings.

When they attain liberation, there is no distinction among them.’

“This teacher is now in Rajagriha. I beseech Your Majesty to go swiftly to him. If you meet him face to face, all Your Majesty’s sins will be eliminated.”

The king said, “If it is indeed certain that such a teacher exists and can eliminate my sins, I shall take refuge in him.”

At that time, the great physician named Jivaka approached the king and said, “Your Majesty! Are you able to sleep peacefully?”

The king replied in verse:

If one can forever sever

All the afflictions,

And is not tainted by craving for the three realms,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If one has attained Great Nirvana

And expounds its exceedingly profound meaning,

One is called a true brahmin;

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If the body is free from every evil deed,

The mouth has abandoned the four faults,

And the mind is free from doubt,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If body and mind are free from burning anguish,

And one dwells securely in a tranquil place,

Attaining unsurpassed bliss,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If the mind is free from attachment,

All enmity has dissolved,

And one is always harmonious, without contention,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If one commits no evil deed,

Always cherishes shame and remorse,

And believes that evil brings retribution,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If one reveres and supports one’s parents,

Does not harm a single sentient being,

And does not steal another’s possessions,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If one’s faculties are disciplined,

One draws near to good spiritual friends,

And destroys the four kinds of mara,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

If one sees neither auspicious nor inauspicious,

Nor suffering, happiness, and the like,

For the sake of all sentient beings

One turns within birth and death;

If one can be thus,

Only then can one sleep peacefully.

Who can sleep peacefully and securely?

It is the Buddha, the Blessed One,

Who deeply contemplates the samadhi of emptiness,

Unmoving, with body and mind at peace.

Who can sleep peacefully and securely?

It is the Honored Compassionate One,

Who constantly cultivates diligence

And regards all beings as his children.

Sentient beings are darkened by ignorance

And do not perceive the fruits of affliction;

Constantly creating evil karma,

They cannot sleep peacefully.

If, for the sake of one’s own body and life

Or the bodies of others,

One commits the ten evil deeds,

One cannot sleep peacefully.

If, claiming it is for happiness,

One harms an innocent father

And follows an evil friend,

One cannot sleep peacefully.

If one eats beyond proper measure

And drinks excessively of cold beverages,

Then illness and suffering arise,

And one cannot sleep peacefully.

If one has offended the king,

Harbors lustful thoughts toward another’s wife,

Or travels along deserted roads,

One cannot sleep peacefully.

One whose observance of the precepts is not yet mature,

A crown prince who has not yet ascended the throne,

And a thief who has not yet obtained his prize—

These cannot sleep peacefully.

“Jivaka! I am now gravely ill, for I have risen in wicked rebellion and inflicted harm upon a king of the true Dharma. All skilled physicians, wondrous medicines, incantations, and expert diagnoses have already proved unable to cure me.

Why is this? My father, a Dharma king, governed the realm in accordance with the Dharma and was truly without fault, yet I willfully inflicted rebellious harm upon him. How could I know any joy, like a fish cast upon dry land?

I am like a deer in a desolate wilderness, finding no happiness; like a man who knows that his life will not last the day; like a king who has lost his realm and fled to another land; like a man who hears that his illness is incurable; or like a precept-breaker who hears his offenses proclaimed... Formerly, I heard a wise man say that if one’s karma of body, speech, and mind is impure, one should know that such a person will certainly fall into hell.

Since I am likewise, how could I ever sleep peacefully? Moreover, I now have no unsurpassed great physician to expound the medicine of the Dharma and eradicate the suffering of my illness.”

Jivaka replied, “Excellent! Excellent! Although Your Majesty has committed an offense, you feel profound remorse and harbor a sense of shame and moral dread. Great King, all Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, always teach that two pure qualities can save sentient beings: the first is shame, and the second is moral dread. Shame means not committing offenses oneself. Moral dread means not teaching others to commit them. Shame is inwardly feeling ashamed of oneself. Moral dread is openly disclosing one’s faults before others. Shame is feeling ashamed before people. Moral dread is feeling ashamed before heaven. These are called shame and moral dread.

“One who lacks shame and moral dread is not called a human being but an animal. One who possesses shame and moral dread can revere parents, teachers, and elders. Because shame and moral dread exist, it is said that there are parents, elder and younger brothers, and elder and younger sisters. Excellent, Great King! You are fully endowed with shame and moral dread!

“Great King, listen carefully! I have heard the Buddha say that there are two kinds of wise people: the first does not commit evil, and the second repents after having committed it. There are also two kinds of foolish people: the first commits offenses, and the second conceals them.

Although one may previously have done evil, if afterward one can disclose it, repent, feel shame and moral dread, and dare not commit it again, it is like placing a bright jewel in turbid water. Through the jewel’s power, the water immediately settles and becomes clear; or like clouds and mist dispersing so that the moon shines brightly... One who has done evil but can repent is likewise.

If Your Majesty repents and harbors shame and moral dread, your offense will immediately be eradicated, and you will become pure as before.

“Great King, there are two kinds of wealth: the first consists of elephants, horses, and all kinds of livestock; the second consists of gold, silver, and all kinds of precious treasures. Though one may possess many elephants and horses, they cannot equal a single jewel. Great King, sentient beings are likewise of two kinds: those rich in evil and those rich in goodness. Many evil deeds cannot equal a single good deed. I have heard the Buddha say that cultivating a single good deed can shatter a hundred kinds of evil in the mind.

“Great King, just as a small piece of vajra can destroy Mount Sumeru, just as a tiny flame can burn everything, and just as a little poison can harm sentient beings, so too can a small amount of goodness shatter great evil. Though it is called a small good, in truth that goodness is great. Why? Because it can destroy great evil.

“Great King, as the Buddha has said, concealment gives rise to outflows, while non-concealment is free from outflows. Because one openly discloses and repents, there are no outflows. If one commits offenses but neither covers nor conceals them, then because they are not concealed, those offenses are very slight; and if one also harbors shame and moral dread, the offenses are eradicated. Great King, although a drop of water is small, drop by drop it can fill a large vessel. A wholesome mind is likewise: each wholesome thought can shatter great evil. If one conceals an offense, it grows greater; but if one discloses it and feels shame and moral dread, the offense is eradicated. Therefore, the Buddhas say that a wise person does not conceal offenses.

“Excellent, Great King! You are able to believe in cause and effect, believe in karma, and believe in karmic retribution! I beseech Your Majesty not to harbor sorrow and fear! If sentient beings commit offenses yet conceal them and do not repent, have no shame or moral dread, do not perceive cause and effect or karmic retribution, are unable to seek counsel from the wise, and do not draw near to good spiritual friends, then even if all skilled physicians came to examine them, they could not cure them. Just as worldly physicians are helpless before the disease kamala, so too is it with those who conceal their offenses.

“What is meant by an offender? It refers to an icchantika. An icchantika is one who does not believe in cause and effect, has no shame or moral dread, does not believe in karmic retribution, does not recognize the present life or future lives, does not draw near to good spiritual friends, and does not follow the teachings and admonitions of the Buddhas. Such a person is called an icchantika, whom the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, cannot cure. Why? Just as worldly physicians cannot cure a corpse, so too can the Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, not cure an icchantika. Great King, you are not now an icchantika; why, then, do you say that you cannot be saved and cured?”

As the king has said, there is no one who can heal him. Yet Your Majesty should know that in the city of Kapilavastu there was a prince of King Śuddhodana, of the Gautama clan, named Siddhartha. Without a teacher, he awakened naturally and attained unsurpassed complete and perfect enlightenment.

He possesses the thirty-two excellent marks and the eighty beautiful characteristics adorning his person; he is endowed with the ten powers and the four fearlessnesses; he sees and knows all; and with great loving-kindness and great compassion, he cherishes all beings as he does Rāhula. He follows beings who are disposed toward goodness as a calf follows its mother. He knows the proper time to teach the Dharma, and at an improper time he does not speak.

His words are true, pure, sublime, meaningful, and in accord with the Dharma. A single word from him can enable beings to free themselves forever from afflictions. He thoroughly knows the faculties, minds, and dispositions of beings and, employing skillful means according to what is appropriate, there is nothing he does not comprehend.

His wisdom is as lofty as Mount Sumeru and as profound and vast as the great ocean. He is indeed the Buddha, the Blessed One, whose vajra wisdom can destroy all the evils of sentient beings. It is impossible to say that he cannot do so.

Today he is twelve yojanas from here, in the grove of twin sāla trees near the city of Kuśinagara, extensively expounding various teachings for immeasurable asaṃkhyeyas of Sangha members, bodhisattvas, and others: whether existent or nonexistent; conditioned or unconditioned; with outflows or without outflows; the fruit of affliction or the fruit of wholesome dharmas; material dharmas, nonmaterial dharmas, or dharmas that are neither material nor nonmaterial; self, nonself, or neither self nor nonself; permanent, impermanent, or neither permanent nor impermanent; blissful, not blissful, or neither blissful nor not blissful; marked, unmarked, or neither marked nor unmarked; annihilated, not annihilated, or neither annihilated nor not annihilated;

worldly, supramundane, or neither worldly nor supramundane; a vehicle, not a vehicle, or neither a vehicle nor not a vehicle; whether one acts and oneself receives the result; whether one acts and another receives it; or whether there is neither action nor reception.

Your Majesty! If, in the presence of the Buddha, you hear the teaching concerning neither action nor reception, all the grave offenses you have committed will immediately be extinguished.

Your Majesty, listen carefully now! When Śakra Devānām Indra’s life was about to end, five signs appeared: first, his garments became soiled; second, the flowers upon his head withered; third, his body gave off a foul odor; fourth, sweat emerged from beneath his arms; and fifth, he no longer delighted in his seat. Whenever Śakra, Lord of the Devas, was in a secluded place and saw a śramaṇa or brāhmaṇa, he would immediately approach that person and conceive the thought that he was the Buddha. At that time, when the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas saw Śakra approaching, they considered themselves fortunate and rejoiced without measure. They would then say, “Lord of the Devas! We now take refuge in you!”

Upon hearing this, Śakra knew that they were not the Buddha and thought to himself, “If these persons are not the Buddha, they cannot cure me of these five signs of decline.”

At that time, there was a charioteer named Pañcaśikha who said to Śakra, “Kauśika! The gandharva king named Tumburu has a daughter named Subhadrā. If Your Majesty can arrange for me to meet this maiden, I shall show Your Majesty how to eliminate these signs of decline.”

Śakra immediately replied, “Good man! The asura king Vemacitrin has a daughter named Śacī, whom I dearly love. If you can indeed show me how to eliminate these evil signs, why would you still need to meet Subhadrā?”

The charioteer said, “Kauśika! There is a Buddha, a Blessed One, called Śākyamuni, who is now dwelling in the great city of Rājagṛha. If you can go there and inquire about what you have not yet heard, these signs of decline will certainly be eliminated.”

Śakra said, “Good man! If the Buddha, the Blessed One, truly can eliminate them, turn the chariot around and go there at once!”

Obeying the command, the charioteer immediately turned the chariot around and proceeded to where the Buddha was dwelling on Mount Gṛdhrakūṭa in the city of Rājagṛha. Śakra bowed his head and face at the Buddha’s feet, withdrew, sat to one side, and said to the Buddha, “Blessed One! Among devas and humans, what constitutes bondage?”

The Buddha replied, “Kauśika! Stinginess and jealousy.”

He asked again, “From what do stinginess and jealousy arise?”

The Buddha replied, “They arise because of ignorance.”

He asked again, “From what does ignorance arise?”

The Buddha replied, “It arises because of heedlessness.”

He asked again, “From what does heedlessness arise?”

The Buddha replied, “It arises because of inverted views.”

He asked again, “From what do inverted views arise?”

The Buddha replied, “They arise because of doubt.”

Śakra said, “Blessed One! Inverted views arise because of doubt. It is indeed exactly as the Noble One has taught. Why is this so? Because doubt was present in my mind, inverted views arose because of that doubt, and I conceived the thought that one who was not the Blessed One was the Blessed One. Now that I see the Buddha, the net of doubt is immediately destroyed. Because the net of doubt has been destroyed, inverted views have also ceased. Since inverted views have ceased, I no longer have stinginess or even jealousy.”

The Buddha said, “You say that you no longer have stinginess or jealousy. Have you therefore attained the state of a non-returner today? A non-returner is free from craving. If you are free from craving, why did you come to me for the sake of preserving your life? A non-returner truly does not seek continued life!”

Śakra said, “Blessed One! When inverted views are present, one seeks continued life; when inverted views are absent, one does not seek continued life. Yet today I truly do not seek continued life. What I wish to seek is solely the Buddha’s Dharma body and the Buddha’s wisdom!”

The Buddha said, “Kauśika! If you seek the Buddha’s Dharma body and the Buddha’s wisdom, you will certainly attain them in a future life.”

At that time, when Śakra heard the Buddha’s words, the five signs of decline immediately disappeared. He then rose, paid homage, circumambulated the Buddha three times, reverently joined his palms, and said to the Buddha, “Blessed One! Whether I now die or live, whether I lose my life or retain it, having once again heard the Buddha confer the prediction that I shall attain unsurpassed complete and perfect enlightenment, this itself is to be born anew and to regain my life! Blessed One! How may all devas and humans increase and flourish? And through what causes and conditions do they suffer decline?”

The Buddha said, “Kauśika! Because of the causes and conditions of conflict, devas and humans suffer decline. By skillfully cultivating harmony and mutual respect, they increase and flourish.”

Śakra said, “Blessed One! If conflict causes decline, then from this day onward I shall no longer wage war against the asuras.”

The Buddha said, “Excellent! Excellent, Kauśika! The Dharma of patience taught by all Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, is precisely the cause of unsurpassed complete and perfect enlightenment.”

At that time, Shakra, Lord of the Devas, bowed before the Buddha. Having reached this point, Shakra departed and returned.

“Great King,” he said to King Ajatashatru, “because the Tathagata is able to eliminate all evil signs, the Buddha is said to be inconceivable. If the King goes to him, all the grave offenses you have committed will certainly be extinguished.

“Great King, listen well! There was a brahmin’s son named Harmless. Because he killed innumerable beings, he came to be called Angulimala.

He also wished to harm his mother; when his evil intention arose, his body likewise moved to act. The movement of body and mind constituted a cause of one of the five heinous offenses, and because the cause of a heinous offense had been formed, he would certainly fall into hell. After seeing the Buddha, his body and mind again stirred with the wish to cause harm.

The movement of body and mind constituted a cause of one of the five heinous offenses, and because the cause of a heinous offense had been formed, he would enter hell. Yet when this man encountered the great teacher, the Tathagata, the causes and conditions leading to hell were immediately extinguished, and he aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, the Buddha is called the unsurpassed physician, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! There was also Prince Subhira. His father became angry, severed his hands and feet, and cast him into a deep well. His mother, moved by compassion, sent someone to draw him out and bring him before the Buddha. As soon as he saw the Buddha, his hands and feet were restored in full. He then aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Great King! By seeing the Buddha, he obtained this immediate recompense. Therefore, the Buddha is called the unsurpassed physician, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! On the bank of the Ganges River there were five hundred hungry ghosts. They had dwelt there for innumerable years without ever seeing water. Although they came to the river, they saw nothing but blazing fire. Tormented by hunger and thirst, they cried out and wailed. At that time, the Blessed One was sitting beneath a tree in the Udumbara Grove beside that river. The hungry ghosts approached the Buddha and addressed him, saying, ‘World-Honored One! We are hungry and thirsty, and our lives will not last much longer!’

“The Buddha said, ‘The waters of the Ganges are flowing. Why do you not drink?’

“The ghosts replied, ‘The Tathagata sees water, but we see fire!’

“The Buddha said, ‘The stream of the Ganges is pure and truly contains no fire. Because of evil karma, your own minds are deluded, and you call it fire. I shall eliminate your delusion and enable you to see water.’

“At that time, the Blessed One extensively explained to the ghosts the faults of miserliness and greed. The ghosts then said, ‘We are now so hungry and thirsty that, although we hear the Dharma being spoken, none of it enters our hearts!’

“The Buddha said, ‘If your thirst is so severe, first enter the river and drink as much water as you wish!’

“Through the Buddha’s spiritual power, those ghosts were immediately able to drink the water. After they had drunk, the Tathagata again expounded various teachings for them. Having heard the Dharma, they all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, cast off the forms of hungry ghosts, and obtained celestial bodies. Great King! Therefore, the Buddha is called the unsurpassed physician, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! There were five hundred bandits in the kingdom of Shravasti whose eyes had all been gouged out by King Prasenajit. Being blind and having no guide to lead them, they could not reach the Buddha. Out of compassion for them, the Buddha went to the bandits and consoled them, saying, ‘Good men! Carefully guard your bodies and mouths! Do not commit evil again!’

“When the bandits heard the Tathagata’s wondrous and lucid voice, their eyesight was immediately restored. Before the Buddha, they joined their palms, bowed to him, and said, ‘World-Honored One! We now know that the Buddha’s loving-kindness universally embraces all sentient beings, not only humans and devas.’

“At that time, the Tathagata expounded the Dharma for them. Having heard the Dharma, they all aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, the Tathagata is truly the unsurpassed skilled physician of the world, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! In the kingdom of Shravasti there was a chandala named Abandoned Void who had killed innumerable people. Upon seeing the Buddha’s great disciple, Mahamaudgalyayana, the causes and conditions leading to hell were immediately destroyed, and he was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Because he has such noble disciples, the Buddha, the Tathagata, is called the unsurpassed physician, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! In the city of Varanasi there was a wealthy elder’s son named Ajita who secretly committed sexual misconduct with his mother and, because of this, killed his father. Later, his mother had relations with another man.

When he discovered this, he killed her as well. An arhat who was his friend learned of these deeds. Feeling ashamed, Ajita killed him too.

Afterward, he went to the Jetavana Monastery and requested ordination. The bhikshus all knew that this man had committed three heinous offenses and did not dare permit him to enter the monastic life. Because they refused to ordain him, his anger became even more intense.

That very night, he set fire to the Sangha’s dwellings and killed many innocent people. Afterward, he went to the city of Rajagriha, approached the Tathagata, and requested ordination. The Tathagata immediately permitted it and taught him the essentials of the Dharma, causing those grave offenses gradually to become lighter.

He then aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Therefore, the Buddha is called the skilled physician of the world, unlike the six teachers.

“Great King! You were originally violent and cruel by nature. Believing the wicked Devadatta, you released a great intoxicated elephant, intending that it trample the Buddha. When the elephant saw the Buddha, it immediately regained its senses. The Buddha extended his hand, stroked its head, and expounded the Dharma for it, causing it to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Great King! Even an animal that sees the Buddha can destroy the karmic result of animal existence; how much more so can a human being! The Great King should know that, if you see the Buddha, all your grave offenses will certainly be extinguished.

“Great King! Before the Blessed One attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment, Mara and his innumerable, boundless retinue approached the bodhisattva. At that time, through the power of patience, the bodhisattva destroyed Mara’s evil intent, causing Mara to accept the Dharma and immediately arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. Such is the Buddha’s power of great merit and virtue.

“Great King! There was a wilderness ghost who harmed many sentient beings. At that time, for the sake of the elder Supriya, the Tathagata went to the Wilderness Village and expounded the Dharma for that ghost. Hearing the Dharma, the wilderness ghost rejoiced and immediately handed the elder over to the Tathagata. Only afterward did the ghost arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.

“Great King! In the city of Varanasi there was a butcher named Broad Forehead who killed innumerable sheep day after day. Upon seeing Shariputra, he accepted the eight precepts and observed them for one day and one night. Because of this cause and condition, when his life ended, he became a son of Vaishravana, the heavenly king of the north. Even a disciple of the Tathagata possesses such a great fruit of merit and virtue; how much more so does the Buddha!

“Great King! In northern India there was a city named Fine Stone. That city had a king named Dragon Seal who, because he coveted the kingdom and valued the royal throne, killed his own father. After killing his father, the king felt remorse in his heart. He relinquished the affairs of state, went to the Buddha, and earnestly requested ordination.”

The Buddha said, “Welcome!” Thereupon he became a bhikshu, his grave offenses were extinguished, and he brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment. Great King, you should know that the Buddha possesses immeasurable and boundless fruits of such great merit.

Great King! The Tathagata had a cousin, Devadatta, who disrupted the Sangha, caused the Buddha’s body to bleed, and killed the bhikshuni Utpalavarna... thus committing three heinous offenses. The Tathagata expounded all manner of essential Dharma teachings for him, thereby immediately lessening those grave offenses. Therefore, the Tathagata is the Great Physician, unlike the Six Teachers.

Great King! If you can believe your servant’s words, I pray that you quickly go to the Tathagata! If you do not believe them, I pray that you carefully consider what your servant has said!

Great King! All Buddhas, the World-Honored Ones, universally shelter beings with their great compassion, without limiting it to any one person. The true Dharma is vast and all-embracing, leaving nowhere uncovered. They regard enemies and loved ones equally, without attachment or aversion, and certainly do not favor one person, enabling that person to attain unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment while preventing others from attaining it.

The Tathagata is not merely the teacher of the fourfold assembly; he is the teacher of all devas, humans, dragons, spirits, ghosts, beings in hell, animals, hungry ghosts, and so forth. All sentient beings should also regard the Buddha as they would their own parents.

Great King! You should know that the Tathagata does not expound the Dharma solely for wealthy and honored persons such as King Bhaddiya; he also teaches those of humble station, such as Upali and others. He does not exclusively accept the meal offerings presented by Sudatta Anathapindika, but also accepts the meal of the poor man Sudatta. He does not expound the Dharma solely for those of keen faculties, such as Shariputra and others, but also for those of dull faculties, such as Chudapanthaka.

He does not permit only those without a covetous nature, such as Mahakashyapa, to renounce the household life and seek the Way; he also permits those of great desire, such as Nanda, to renounce the household life. He does not permit only those with few afflictions, such as Uruvilva Kashyapa and others, to renounce the household life and seek the Way; he also permits those whose afflictions are deep and dense and who have committed grave offenses, such as Sudaya, the younger brother of King Prasenajit, to renounce the household life and seek the Way.

He does not rescue Ta Thao from his rooted anger merely because Ta Thao reverently makes offerings to him, while abandoning Angulimala without rescuing him because Angulimala harbors an evil intention to harm him. He does not expound the Dharma solely for intelligent men, but also expounds it for the utterly foolish woman Phan Hop Hon. He does not enable only those who have renounced the household life to attain the four fruits of the Way, but also enables householders to attain the three fruits of the Way (?).

He does not expound the essential Dharma solely for Puttara and others who have abandoned their many activities to contemplate in tranquil seclusion; he also expounds the essential Dharma for King Bimbisara and others who govern the affairs of state and administer royal duties. He does not teach only those who have abstained from alcohol, but also expounds the Dharma for those addicted to alcohol, such as the elder Ugra, even when they are thoroughly drunk.

He does not expound the Dharma solely for those who have entered dhyana-samadhi, such as Revata and others, but also for the brahmin woman Vasishtha, whose mind became deranged after burying her child. He does not expound the Dharma solely for his own disciples, but also for the Nirgrantha ascetics. He does not expound the Dharma solely for those in the vigor of youth at twenty-five years of age, but also for those who are old and feeble at eighty.

He does not expound the Dharma solely for those whose faculties have matured, but also for those whose wholesome roots have not yet matured. He does not expound the Dharma solely for Queen Mallika, but also for the courtesan Utpalavarna. He does not accept only the sumptuous and delicious meal of King Prasenajit, but also accepts the meal mixed with poison offered by Shrigupta.

Great King! You should know that Shrigupta had previously also created the causes and conditions for committing a heinous offense. Yet because he encountered the Buddha and heard the Dharma, he immediately brought forth the aspiration for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

Great King! Suppose that throughout an entire month one constantly used robes and food to make reverent offerings to all sentient beings. The merit thereby acquired would not equal one-sixteenth of the merit of a person who recollects the Buddha for a single thought-moment.

Great King! Suppose someone fashioned metal into carriages and horses to carry precious objects, numbering a hundred of every kind, and gave them all away. This would not equal the merit of a person who brings forth the resolve to approach the Buddha during the time it takes to lift one foot.

Great King! Suppose that person further used a hundred elephant-drawn carriages to carry all manner of precious treasures from the land of Great Qin (?), together with a hundred women of that country whose bodies were adorned with jeweled necklaces, and gave them all away. This still would not equal the merit of a person who brings forth the resolve to approach the Buddha during the time it takes to lift one foot.

Again, suppose this were possible: if someone used the four requisites to make offerings to and provide for all the sentient beings existing throughout the great trichiliocosm, this still would not equal the merit of a person who brings forth the resolve to approach the Buddha during the time it takes to lift one foot.

Again, suppose this were possible: even if you, Great King, were to make reverent offerings to immeasurable sentient beings as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, this would still not equal going once to the Tathagata’s dwelling beneath the twin sala trees and sincerely listening to the Dharma.”

At that time, the Great King replied, “Jivaka! The Tathagata, the World-Honored One, is gentle and well-disciplined by nature, and therefore has gentle and well-disciplined persons as his retinue, just as a sandalwood forest is surrounded entirely by sandalwood trees. The Tathagata is pure, and therefore the members of his retinue are likewise pure, just as a great dragon has only dragons as its retinue.

“The Tathagata is quiescent, and therefore the members of his retinue are likewise quiescent. The Tathagata is free from greed, and therefore the members of his retinue are likewise free from greed. The Buddha is free from afflictions, and therefore the members of his retinue are likewise free from afflictions.

“I am now an extremely evil person, bound by evil karma. My body reeks with foulness, and I belong to hell. How could I be worthy of going to the Tathagata? Even if I were to go, I fear that he would neither regard nor receive me, nor speak to me! Although you urge me to go to the Buddha, today I see myself as so lowly and profoundly pitiable that I have no heart to go there!”

At that time, a voice immediately issued from empty space, saying, “The unsurpassed Buddhadharma is about to decline! The river of the most profound Dharma is about to run dry! The bright lamp of the Great Dharma is about to be extinguished!

Before long, the mountain of Dharma will collapse! The ship of Dharma is about to sink! The bridge of Dharma is about to be destroyed!

The palace of Dharma is about to disintegrate! The banner of Dharma is about to fall! The tree of Dharma is about to break!

The good spiritual friend is about to depart! Great terror is about to descend! Sentient beings are about to suffer hunger and thirst!

Before long, the epidemic of afflictions will spread! An age of darkness is coming! A time of thirst for the Dharma is approaching!

Mara, the king of demons, rejoices and casts off his armor! The sun of the Buddha will set behind the mountain of Great Nirvana!

“Great King! If the Buddha departs, there will no longer be anyone in the world capable of treating the king’s grave evil. Great King! You have now created the extremely grave karma of the Avici hell! Because of this karmic condition, you will certainly have to undergo its consequences; there is no doubt whatsoever!

“Great King! The syllable ‘A’ means ‘no.’ The syllable ‘vici’ means ‘interval.’ Because there is not even a brief interval of happiness, it is called ‘uninterrupted.’ Great King! Suppose a single person alone were to fall into this hell. That person’s body would become as enormous as eighty thousand yojanas, entirely filling that hell, with no intervening empty space. That person’s body would undergo all manner of suffering all around.”

Even if there were many people, their bodies would fill the entire place, yet they would neither obstruct nor hinder one another. Great King! In the cold hells, beings may still briefly encounter a warm wind and thus take it as pleasure.

In the hot hells, they may still briefly encounter a cool wind, which is likewise called pleasure. There are hells in which, after the people therein have died, if they hear the word “live,” they immediately come back to life. In the Avici Hell, none of these things occur.

Great King! The Avici Hell has gates on all four sides. Outside each gate blazes a fierce fire; the fires from east, west, south, and north intersect and pass through unhindered.

An iron wall eighty thousand yojanas in extent encircles it, and an iron net completely covers it above. The ground of that hell is also made of iron. Fire from above burns all the way down, and fire from below burns all the way up.

Great King! Just as fish in a kiln are scorched and burned, so too are the offenders in this hell. Great King!

One who commits one heinous offense immediately undergoes the full retribution of such an offense. If one commits two heinous offenses, one undergoes twice the retribution; one who commits all five heinous offenses undergoes five times the retribution. Great King!

I now know that you will certainly not be able to escape your evil karma. I implore you, Great King, to go quickly to the Buddha! Apart from the Buddha, the Blessed One, there is no one else who can save you!

Because I now have compassion for you, I offer this counsel and show you the way!”

At that time, having heard those words, the king became deeply terrified. His entire body trembled, and his five limbs shook like a plantain tree. Looking upward, he replied, “Who are you? You do not reveal any visible form, but only make your voice heard!”

A voice from the sky replied, “I am your father, Bimbisara! You must now heed the words of Jivaka! Do not follow the words of those six ministers who hold wrong views!”

Having heard this, the king fainted and collapsed to the ground. The sores on his body greatly multiplied, and their foul stench became twice as strong as before. Although cooling medicine was applied to treat them, the sores emitted a poisonous heat and only continued to worsen, without diminishing.

THE MAHAPARINIRVANA SUTRA

– End of Fascicle Seventeen -