佛垂般涅槃略說教誡經

When Śākyamuni Buddha first turned the Dharma wheel, he brought the Venerable Liễu Bổn Tế to liberation. At his final teaching of the Dharma, he brought the Venerable Thiện Hiền to liberation. All those who were ready to be liberated, he had liberated.

As he was about to enter final nirvana, he lay down between two sāla trees. It was then midnight; all was still, without a single sound.

At that time, the Buddha briefly taught the essential Dharma to his disciples:

“O bhikshus! After I have entered nirvana, you should honor and revere the Prātimoksa. It is like encountering light in the darkness, or like a poor person obtaining a precious jewel. You should know that it is your great teacher, no different from me dwelling in the world.

Those who uphold the precepts purely must not engage in trade or commerce; they must not own houses, fields, or gardens, retain male or female servants, or raise livestock. They should shun every kind of agriculture and wealth as they would avoid a pit of fire. They should not cut grass or fell trees, cultivate the soil, compound medicines, interpret auspicious or inauspicious signs, practice astrology, cast horoscopes, or tell fortunes. None of these things should be done.

They should regulate their bodies, take food at the proper time, and live in purity. They should not involve themselves in worldly affairs or serve as envoys or representatives. They should not employ spells, concoct elixirs of immortality, associate with the powerful and noble, or become intimate with base persons.

With right mindfulness and an upright heart, those who uphold the precepts purely should seek liberation. They should not conceal their faults or assume unusual appearances to delude the assembly. Regarding the four requisites offered to them, they must know moderation and contentment. When they receive offerings, they should not hoard them.

This is a brief account of the characteristics of upholding the precepts. The precepts are the foundation of liberation in accordance with the Right Way. Therefore, they are called the Prātimoksa. By relying upon these precepts, practitioners will give rise to meditative concentration and the wisdom that extinguishes suffering.

Therefore, O bhikshus, uphold the precepts purely and do not violate them. Those who can uphold the precepts purely will be able to attain wholesome Dharmas. Without pure precepts, no wholesome merit can arise. You should therefore know that the precepts are the foremost secure dwelling place of merit.

O bhikshus! Once you are able to abide in the precepts, restrain the five faculties and do not allow them to rush heedlessly toward the five desires. This is like a cowherd who keeps watch with a staff and does not allow the cattle to run wild and damage another’s crops. If the five faculties are left unrestrained, not only will the five desires become boundless, but they will also become impossible to control. This is also like a vicious horse without a bridle to restrain it: it will drag its rider into a pit.

If you encounter robbers, the resulting suffering lasts only one lifetime; but if you are harmed by the bandits of the five faculties, the calamity will endure through many lifetimes. Because their danger is so grave, you cannot afford to be careless. Therefore, the wise always control their five faculties and do not follow after them. They guard them as they would several thieves and do not allow them to perpetrate mischief at will. If they become negligent and let them loose, before long they will be destroyed by them.

Because the master of these five faculties is the mind, you must skillfully subdue your minds. The mind is indeed fearsome. It is more dangerous than a venomous snake, a wild beast, a hostile bandit, or a fiercely blazing fire—no analogy can adequately compare with it.

It is like a man carrying a jar of honey in his hands and walking hurriedly. He pays attention only to the honey and fails to see the deep pit.

It is like a mad elephant without chains, or like a monkey in a tree. They leap and race about wildly and are difficult to restrain. Therefore, we must swiftly bring them under control and not allow them to roam in every direction.

Those who indulge this mind will lose every human good. When this mind has been subdued and fixed upon one object, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. Therefore, O bhikshus, you must diligently subdue your minds.

O bhikshus! When taking food and drink, regard them as medicine. Whether pleasant or unpleasant, do not give rise to a desire for more or less. Regard food as medicine that relieves the body of hunger and thirst. Just as a bee gathers pollen, taking only the pollen without harming the flower’s color or fragrance, so too should a bhikshu act.

You receive offerings from others in order to relieve your own afflictions. You must not seek too much and thereby impair the generosity of the donor. This is like a wise person who can estimate the strength of an ox: he does not exceed its capacity or exhaust its strength.

O bhikshus! During the day, diligently cultivate wholesome Dharmas and do not let time pass in vain. At the beginning and end of the night, do not be negligent. In the middle of the night, recite sutras to keep yourselves alert. Do not allow an attachment to sleep to cause you to pass your entire lives without attainment.

You must remember that the fire of impermanence is always burning throughout the world. Therefore, swiftly seek your own liberation and do not crave sleep. The bandits of the afflictions constantly lie in wait to kill people. They are even more dangerous than enemies. How, then, can you sleep peacefully without rousing yourselves to vigilance?

The venomous snake of the afflictions lies asleep within your minds; it is like a black cobra sleeping in your room. You must use the hook of upholding the precepts to remove it at once. Only when the sleeping snake has departed can you sleep peacefully. Those who remain absorbed in sleep without driving the snake away are people without a sense of shame.

Among all adornments, the garment of shame is the finest. Shame may be compared to an iron hook, for it can restrain people from committing unlawful deeds. Therefore, you must always possess a sense of shame and never forget it even for a moment. Those who abandon shame will lose all merit. A person who knows shame possesses wholesome Dharmas. A person who knows no shame differs little from birds and beasts.

O bhikshus! Even if someone were to come and cut your bodies into pieces, you must gather and restrain your minds and not allow anger to arise. You should also guard your speech and utter no harsh words. If you indulge an angry mind, you will obstruct the Path for yourselves and lose the benefits of merit.

Patience is a virtue with which even observance of the precepts and ascetic practice cannot compare. Only one who is capable of practicing patient endurance may be called a Great Person Possessed of Strength. Those who cannot gladly endure the poison of insults as though drinking ambrosia cannot be called persons who have entered the Path of Wisdom.

Why is this so? Because the harm caused by anger can destroy every wholesome Dharma, ruin a good reputation, and cause everyone, both in this life and in lives to come, to take no delight in seeing that person. You should know that anger is fiercer than a raging fire. Therefore, you must always guard against it and not allow it any opportunity to enter. Of all the bandits that plunder merit, none surpasses anger.”

A mind of anger may be excused in householders immersed in sensual desire and in those who do not cultivate the Way, for they have no means of restraining themselves. But for those who have left the household life to cultivate the Way, who are free from desire yet harbor anger, this truly cannot be excused. It is like thunder suddenly arising amid cool clouds; this is utterly inappropriate.

Bhikshus! You should stroke your own heads to remind yourselves:

'I have cast aside fine adornments and donned coarse robes. I carry an alms bowl and sustain my life by begging for food.'

You should regard yourselves in this way. If arrogance arises in you, you must quickly eliminate it. Even laypeople living in the world should not foster arrogance, much less those who have left the household life and entered the Way. For the sake of liberation, you must subdue your own minds and practice going on alms round.

Bhikshus! Flattery is contrary to the Way. Therefore, you must make your minds upright. You should know that flattery arises solely from the wish to deceive. Those who have entered the Way must never have such an attitude. Therefore, you must possess sincere minds and take uprightness as your foundation.

Bhikshus! You should know that people with many desires seek after gain, and therefore their suffering and distress are also great. Those with few desires, who seek and crave nothing, will certainly encounter no such troubles. Therefore, practitioners must cultivate with straightforward minds to diminish their desires. Moreover, having few desires can give rise to many virtues.

Those with few desires do not flatter others to win their favor. Nor are they enticed by the sense faculties. Those who practice having few desires possess great serenity of mind and have nothing to worry about or fear. Whatever circumstances they encounter, they are never dissatisfied. Wherever there is one who has few desires, there is one who attains quiescent cessation.

This is called Fewness of Desires.

Bhikshus! Those who wish to escape all suffering and distress must contemplate contentment. The practice of contentment is the abode of prosperity, joy, and peace. Those who are content remain joyful even when lying upon the ground. Those who are discontent remain dissatisfied even if they ascend to heaven.

Those who do not know contentment may be wealthy and honored, yet in truth they are poor. Those who know contentment may be poor, yet in truth they are wealthy. Those who do not know contentment are forever led about by the five desires, and those who are content look upon them with profound pity.

This is called Contentment.

Bhikshus! Those who wish to seek tranquility and the peace and bliss of the unconditioned should leave places of commotion and dwell alone in quietude. Those who abide in seclusion will be honored alike by Shakra and all the devas. Therefore, you should leave your own communities and other gatherings, dwell alone in seclusion, and contemplate how to eradicate the root of suffering.

Those who delight in commotion will suffer the afflictions of crowds. It is like a great tree upon which many birds come to roost: it will inevitably wither and break. Those who are bound by the world and submerged by it in the suffering and hardship of crowds are like an old elephant mired in mud, unable to extricate itself.

This is called Seclusion.

Bhikshus! For those who are diligent and vigorous, nothing is difficult. Therefore, you should be diligent and vigorous. It is like a small stream continually flowing against a rock; after a long time, it can penetrate the rock.

Conversely, if the mind of a practitioner is always lazy, it is like stopping while drilling wood for fire before the flame has arisen. Although one desires fire, it will be exceedingly difficult to obtain it.

This is called Diligent Effort.

Bhikshus! Seeking to encounter a good spiritual friend or hoping to obtain a good supporter is still not equal to possessing right mindfulness. If one does not lose right mindfulness, the thieves of affliction cannot break in. Therefore, you must always gather and hold your thoughts within your minds. Those who lose right mindfulness will lose all virtues.

If the power of mindfulness is strong, then even when one enters among the thieves of the five desires, one will not be harmed by them. It is like wearing armor upon entering battle, whereby one fears nothing.

This is called Right Mindfulness.

Bhikshus! If one gathers the mind, the mind will become concentrated. Because the mind is concentrated, one can know all the characteristics of the arising and cessation of worldly dharmas. Therefore, you must always diligently cultivate every form of concentration.

If one attains concentration, the mind will not become scattered. It is like a skilled irrigation expert who can ably construct dikes and repair embankments. A practitioner is likewise. For the sake of the water of wisdom, one skillfully cultivates meditative concentration so that it does not leak away.

This is called Meditative Concentration.

Bhikshus! Those who possess wisdom will neither covet nor cling. Always remain vigilant and do not allow yourselves to commit faults. In this way, you will be able to attain liberation within my Dharma. If it is otherwise, I do not know what to call them, for they are neither cultivators of the Way nor householders.

Only one who possesses true wisdom can steer the sturdy vessel across the ocean of birth, aging, sickness, and death. Wisdom is like a great, bright lamp amid the darkness of ignorance; like excellent medicine for all who are ill; and like a sharp axe that cuts down the tree of afflictions. Therefore, through study, reflection, and the cultivation of wisdom, you must increase your own benefit. Those illuminated by wisdom, although they possess only the physical eye, are people who have awakened to the mind and beheld their true nature.

This is called Wisdom.

Bhikshus! If people are drawn into various forms of frivolous discussion, their minds will inevitably become scattered. Even if they have left the household life, they will still not attain liberation. Therefore, bhikshus must swiftly relinquish both scattered minds and frivolous discussions.

If you wish to attain the peace and bliss of quiescent cessation, you need only skillfully eliminate frivolous discussion.

This is called Freedom from Frivolous Discussion.

Bhikshus! In order to attain all virtues, you must always remain single-minded. Abandon every form of heedlessness and keep far away from it as you would from hateful thieves.

All ultimate benefits have now been explained by the Tathagata with great compassion. You need only practice them diligently.

Wherever you may be—upon a mountain, amid a desolate valley, beneath a tree, or within a secluded dwelling—you must remember the Dharma teachings you have received and never allow yourselves to forget them. You must always exert yourselves and cultivate diligently; do not wait until the moment of death to feel regret.

I am like a good physician who accurately diagnoses an illness and prescribes medicine. Whether the patient is willing to take it depends upon the patient and is not the physician's fault.

I am also like a skilled guide who accurately points out the road to one who asks. If, after hearing the directions, the questioner does not follow them, that is the questioner's own doing and not the guide's fault.

If you still have any questions concerning the Four Noble Truths, ask them quickly. Do not harbor doubts without seeking to resolve them."

At that time, the Blessed One spoke in this way three times, yet no one asked a question.

Why was this? Because no one in the assembly had any doubts.

At that time, Venerable Aniruddha observed the minds of the great assembly and then addressed the Buddha, saying:

“World-Honored One! The moon may become hot and the sun may become cold, but the Four Noble Truths taught by the Buddha can never be otherwise.

The Truth of Suffering taught by the Buddha is indeed suffering and can never be happiness. Craving is precisely the cause of suffering—there is no other cause. If one wishes to extinguish suffering, one must extinguish its cause. Because the cause is extinguished, the result is also extinguished. The path leading to the cessation of suffering is indeed the true Path, and there is no other path.

World-Honored One! All the bhikshus present here are firmly resolved and no longer harbor any doubts concerning the Four Noble Truths.

Those in this assembly who have not yet completed what must be done will grieve when they see the Buddha enter nirvana. Those who have newly entered the Path, upon hearing the Buddha’s teaching, have all immediately attained deliverance; just as when thunder roars and lightning flashes in the night, they instantly see the way.

Those who have completed what must be done and have crossed the sea of suffering think only this:

‘Alas! Why does the World-Honored One enter nirvana so soon?’”

Although Venerable Aniruddha had spoken these words, the entire assembly had already fully comprehended the meaning and principle of the Four Noble Truths.

At that time, wishing to make the minds of all in the great assembly steadfast, the World-Honored One, out of great compassion, taught them once more:

“Bhikshus, do not grieve or sorrow. Even if I were to remain in the world for an entire kalpa, in the end there would still have to be a conclusion. It is utterly impossible for there to be union without separation. I have fully taught all Dharmas that benefit oneself and others. Even if I were to remain longer, it would be of no further benefit.

All those capable of being delivered, whether in the heavens or among humankind, I have already delivered. Those who have not yet been delivered have also all established the causes and conditions for their deliverance.

From this time onward, my disciples must continually practice; then the Dharma-body of the Tathagata will always abide and never perish.

Therefore, you should know that all things in the world are impermanent. Where there is union, there must be separation; therefore, do not cling or grieve. Since this is the nature of worldly phenomena, you should practice diligently and vigorously, and swiftly seek liberation.

Use the light of wisdom to dispel the darkness of delusion. The world is truly perilous, fragile, and unstable. My entering nirvana now is like being freed from a grievous illness. This body must be cast aside, for it is a thing beset by evil, provisionally called a body. It is submerged in the vast sea of birth, aging, sickness, and death. How, then, could one possessed of wisdom not rejoice when it is eliminated, as though slaying a hostile bandit?

Bhikshus, you must always remain single-minded and diligently seek the path of liberation. All conditioned and unconditioned phenomena in the world bear the marks of decay and insecurity.

Bhikshus, let this suffice! I have nothing further to say. The time has come, and the Tathagata wishes to enter nirvana. These are my final teachings.”

The Sutra of the Bequeathed Teaching