佛本行集經

Chapter 25: THE KING’S ENVOYS GO IN SEARCH OF THE CROWN PRINCE

(Part 2)

King Suddhodana said: “My wise son, though you lived among your kinsmen, your heart was not attached to them. You should comply with your father’s wishes and return to live in the royal palace. Do not let your father suffer sorrow and anguish today because of you, thereby endangering his life.

“My beloved son, one who practices the Dharma must arouse loving-kindness and compassion toward all sentient beings; only then may one be called a practitioner of the Dharma. How could dwelling alone in a deep forest be the only thing called practicing the Dharma? I formerly heard that, from ancient times until the present, many householders did not remove bodily ornaments such as jeweled necklaces and did not shave their beards and hair, yet were still endowed with the merit needed to seek liberation and attained the Dharma while living at home.

A practitioner cultivating the liberating conduct of the Dharma needs only wisdom and diligence; these are the true causes of liberation. For your sake, I shall briefly explain: In ancient times there was the worthy Sui-chang, the worthy Vajrabala, the worthy Bahubhuta, the worthy Pravaha, the worthy Mahadhana, and the worthy Antadeva. There was also a king of Videha named Neng-sheng Yayati (translated in the Sui as Conducting Conduct), the worthy Pure Sage, and a king of Mala (translated in the Sui as Producing Joy).

Immeasurable and boundless numbers of kings such as these practiced as householders and all attained liberation. You should know that one may also succeed in seeking the Dharma of liberation while living at home; why must you become a renunciant? Therefore, you must quickly return home and fulfill two wishes: first, that you may enjoy the pleasures of the five desires; and second, that your father may always enjoy peace and happiness.

“Among worldly people, one who ascends the throne, possesses ability and wisdom, and acts in accordance with the wishes of the people is called an enlightened ruler. I shall enable you to fulfill that aspiration completely. According to worldly custom, it is difficult for a king to relinquish his throne, yet for you, my son, I shall accomplish this difficult deed by performing the consecration ceremony and transferring the throne to you. If through this cause and condition you establish the realm and secure the nation, I shall rejoice, immediately abandon my ministers and worldly life, renounce the household, and enter the mountains to seek the Way.

“The king then spoke this verse:

The royal throne and kin are hard to forsake;

Now I relinquish all and give them to the Crown Prince.

When I see that my son can govern the realm,

I shall joyfully enter the deep mountains.”

After the chief minister and the Brahmin royal preceptor had recited King Suddhodana’s verse, the two great envoys respectfully inquired after the bodhisattva’s well-being and then presented three matters to remonstrate with the Crown Prince:

“Greatly Wise Holy Prince, your father, King Suddhodana, entrusted these bitter words to us, his servants, speaking with a choked voice while tears fell from his eyes. Now that you have heard your father’s command, you ought reverently to obey it and not oppose his wishes. Your father has now sunk deeply into the river of suffering, with no one to rescue him and bring him to the shore of wisdom. You alone, Holy Prince, are capable of rescuing the Great King from the sea of suffering. It is like a person who has fallen into unfathomably deep water: only a skilled boatman can rescue him.”

The other envoy said:

“Indeed! Indeed! Your father has now sunk deeply into the great sea of suffering, and there is no one to rescue him.

You alone, Holy Prince, are capable of doing so. Moreover, when you were a small child, only your foster mother Gautami cared for and raised you, and she is also your maternal aunt. Do not leave her alone and desolate until she dies.

Today, because she thinks of you, she grieves, wails, and suffers exceedingly, like a mother cow that has lost her calf. So it is! Indeed it is!

Because Lady Gautami cannot see you, she mourns and constantly cries in bitter anguish. Therefore, Holy Prince, please remember the kindness with which she raised you in former days. Just as a mother cow is attached to her calf and should not be separated from it, so too are the women of the palace who long for you.

“Moreover, all the male and female subjects, young and old, of the Sakya clan in the city of Kapilavastu are consumed by the fire of anguish because they miss you. Therefore, we now beseech you, Holy Prince, to return to the royal palace and see them again.

“It would be like the earth being scorched until the devas send down a great rain to extinguish the fire of suffering.”

At that time, after the bodhisattva heard his father’s envoys speak in this way, he reflected briefly, regulated his breathing, settled his body and mind, and then told the envoys:

“I too know that every father has a loving heart toward his son. I know that my father, the Great King Suddhodana, loves and misses me exceedingly. Yet I fear birth, old age, sickness, and death in this world. Seeing that I myself am drowning, how could I rescue another who is drowning? Therefore, wishing to escape samsara, I must first withdraw temporarily from my kindred. Who would wish to remain far from loved ones and not desire reunion? If there were no separation from those we love in this world, who would not delight in remaining here? Yet however long one may live reunited with one’s kin, a day of separation must eventually come. Therefore, today I relinquish my relatives, including my beloved parents, and set my resolve upon bodhi.

“According to what you two have said, because he misses me, my father suffers immeasurable grief and anguish. Although I hear your words, I truly do not cling to affection and attachment. Why is this?

Suppose that while asleep a person dreams of being reunited and gathered together with friends and relatives, but upon waking finds himself separated from them. If an ordinary person does not understand that it was a dream and his heart gives rise to longing, he is a foolish and ignorant sentient being. A wise person, however, reflects: ‘The gathering of a family and its relatives is like travelers on the road.

Travelers following the same route befriend one another and journey together, accompanying one another near and far; but when they reach their destination, they each part and return home.’ Because this is so, whenever beloved relatives gather, they must also separate. What need is there for sorrow and anguish? Moreover, in past lives they were once one another’s relatives but abandoned one another, leading to the present life.

Again, they abandon the relatives of this life to pass into a future life, and abandon the relatives of that future life to pass into yet another. Thus they relinquish one another successively in a revolving cycle. From where does this attachment to relatives come, and where will it go?

“From the moment worldly people enter the womb, wherever they may be, in every shortest instant, the demon that steals life remains beside them. Why, then, do you speak of a proper or improper time and issue this command to me: ‘My son, this is not the time to enter the forest and seek the Way; rather, it is the time to remain in the palace and enjoy the five desires!’ If you ask me what is timely and what is untimely, I shall explain briefly. Why? At all times, the demon that steals life constantly remains beside sentient beings and never departs. Therefore, I wish to leave behind the states of birth, old age, sickness, and death. Thus there is no time that is improper.”

The bodhisattva further said:

“My father told me, ‘If you return, I shall perform the consecration ceremony and transfer the throne to you.’ My father has a magnanimous heart and would readily bestow upon me something difficult to give. Regrettably, however, it would obstruct my path of cultivation. Therefore, I do not wish to accept the royal throne.

The bonds of affection are not the path of liberation. Just as one who is gravely ill has no desire for delicious food, why would a wise person covet worldly pleasures? It is because an ignorant person is deluded concerning his foolish body and brings great suffering upon himself that he accepts the royal throne.

Once enthroned as king, he becomes heedless and unrestrained, indulging in wine and sensuality from which he cannot free himself. It is like a house of gold consumed by blazing flames; like delicious water mixed with poison; or like a lotus pond inhabited by dragons. Indeed!

Indeed! One who enjoys the pleasures of kingship becomes intoxicated in mind, unaware that calamities press close upon him. Therefore, I do not delight in becoming a king, for it is not the Dharma of liberation.”

He then spoke this verse:

Like a golden house engulfed in flames,

Like drinking delicious water mixed with poison,

Like a flower-filled pond inhabited by dragons—

Kingship brings pleasure followed by pain.

After speaking this verse, the bodhisattva continued:

“For this reason, kings of ancient times ascended the throne and governed their people while young, enjoying pleasures. Only when they grew old and became weary of the five desires did they leave their palaces and enter the mountains to cultivate. A person who has entered the mountain forests to practice would rather live on grass than remain in a palace enjoying the pleasures of the five desires, which is like raising a venomous snake and later bringing calamity upon oneself.

At first, while enjoying sensual pleasure, one does not recognize the danger; later, anger arises and harms one’s body. One should abandon the household and enter the mountain forests to practice, rather than abandon the mountain forests and return home. Why is this?

Because the sages and noble ones of former ages condemned such conduct.

“Today I have been born into a virtuous family and therefore should cultivate wholesome Dharma. I should not be like a foolish person whose unrestrained mind commits unwholesome deeds. Having shaved off my beard and hair and clothed my body in the kasaya, I shall dwell only in the mountains to study and cultivate the Way. One who shamelessly takes off the kasaya is called a foolish person devoid of shame, whether he retreats because of greed, anger, and delusion or because he fears others.

“Today I would not desire even the palace of Sakra, lord of the devas; how much less would I return to my own palace? Suppose a person obtained delicious food, ate it, and then vomited it upon the ground. Even if he wished to eat it again, could he do so?

“Indeed! So it is! If someone has renounced the five desires and left the household, yet because of some adversity wishes to return home, it is just the same.

“It is like a person who has escaped from a burning house but wishes to enter it again. Indeed! So it is! A person who has seen the dangers of worldly life should relinquish worldly appearances and enter the mountains to seek the Way. If he returns home, it is just the same.”

He then spoke this verse:

Like one who runs out of a burning house,

Then suddenly enters that house again;

Seeing worldly suffering, one leaves home,

But forsaking the forest to return to lay life is just the same.

After speaking the verse, the bodhisattva again told the two envoys:

“You have just conveyed my father’s instruction: ‘The kings of ancient times practiced while living at home and also attained liberation.’ This is impossible. Why? Because these two circumstances are utterly contrary to one another. Why is this? The mind of one who seeks the Way of liberation is settled, and a tranquil place is the proper dwelling. If one remains in the palace, one freely enjoys the five desires; when one goes out to govern the people, one must become angry, rebuke them, punish them, and beat them. None of these things exists in the mind of one seeking liberation.

“One whose intention delights in the peaceful, unconditioned state does not covet worldly kingship. Even while occupying the throne, he must relinquish it. If he delights in kingship, his mind cannot be peaceful. If he desires composure yet covets worldly affairs, these two things contradict one another and are as distant as heaven and an abyss. Just as water and fire cannot unite, so it is, indeed, with one who seeks the Dharma of liberation yet is attached to the five desires: this cannot be.

“I am certain that the kings of ancient times first relinquished their thrones and only afterward found stability in tranquility. While they occupied their thrones and instructed the people, their wisdom was not yet complete, and they had to apply their minds to learning the methods of governing the people. How could they devote themselves exclusively to studying the Dharma of liberation?

Although this is so, the kings of former times may do as they please, either seeking liberation or experiencing the five desires. But I am not like them today. I shall not follow those kings, nor have I ever cherished such an intention.

I have now resolutely broken the lock of household desire. No longer attached to the world’s five desires, I have set my resolve upon liberation. How could I return to lay life?”

When the two envoys heard the bodhisattva reveal with such perfect sincerity his resolute and upright mind, no longer attached to the world, they again reverently addressed him together:

“Great and Holy Prince, today you have made a vow to seek the unsurpassed Dharma. This is truthful and does not contradict reason, but this is not yet the proper time. Why? Because your father now suffers such sorrow and anguish. If your heart acts contrary to filial duty, it also contradicts the true Dharma.”

They then spoke this verse:

Seeking the treasury of Dharma now brings true benefit;

Though grounded in right reason, it is not yet timely.

Your father grieves, his heart pierced with anguish;

If you oppose filial duty, why seek the Way?

After speaking this verse, the two envoys again addressed the Holy Prince:

“Great Royal Holy Prince, in our humble opinion, if you hold that worldly wealth and the five desires are not skillful means, this view is not yet an accurate mode of contemplation. You do not now know the cause, so how can you seek the result? You have presently obtained blessed recompense, yet you cast it away to seek recompense in the future!

“Great and Holy Prince, all the writings of the world set forth many different teachings. Some maintain that there is a future life, while others maintain that there is no future life. Many people are deeply uncertain about these two matters. Since you have already obtained favorable recompense, you should enjoy it. If the doctrine that there is no future life is correct, why should you diligently seek the Way of liberation?

“Others hold that the wholesome and unwholesome deeds committed in this world will certainly bear their subsequent results in a future life, and therefore they diligently cultivate to seek the Way of liberation. Those who hold such a view are foolish. Suppose the faculties’ decay, separation from loved ones, encounters with those one hates, meetings and partings, and even birth, old age, sickness, and death all occur naturally; why would they need to arise through causes and conditions or diligent action?

You should know that these things have no true existence. Again, while one is in the womb, the hands, feet, back, chest, abdomen, hair, nails, veins, joints, and so forth form naturally. Some people, having obtained a body, later undergo its destruction.

Others say, ‘Once it has been destroyed, it naturally forms again.’ Therefore, the ancient writings say: ‘Who sharpened the thorn’s point like a needle? Who painted the many colors of birds and beasts? These things arise naturally and have no creator, nor can they be brought about merely by wishing.

Nothing in the world transforms according to one’s mind.’

“There is a verse:

Who sharpened the thorn’s piercing point?

Who painted the many colors of birds and beasts?

Each kind changes of itself according to karma;

The things of the world have no creator.

“Others hold that Isvara is the creator who made all things in this world. If everything happens naturally, human beings need not toil to create karma. When they come into being, is it through those causes and conditions that they are borne onward in transmigration? When they depart, is it also through those causes and conditions that they revolve and go on by themselves?

“Others hold that through discrimination the mark of a ‘self’ arises, and that the assumption and destruction of existence occur in the same way. If one assumes existence naturally without seeking it, then when existence disintegrates, it naturally perishes without relying on any other power.

“Others hold that when one wishes to receive a human body in the world, if one’s father owes no debt to others, one is immediately born as a human being. Birth as a deva or a sage is the same. If one wishes to be born in any of these three states and owes no debt to anyone, one need not labor or exert oneself; by merely seeking it, one will naturally be born wherever one wishes.

Liberation is also like this. The scriptures fully set forth methods such as these, by which each person attains liberation. When wise people seek an excellent state, they must certainly expend the power of their minds.

Therefore, we know that if you, Holy Prince, wish to seek liberation, you should follow the principles and methods taught in the writings of ancient times in seeking the path of liberation. Whoever follows them will certainly attain liberation, beyond any doubt.

“The Great King Suddhodana, your loving father, bears sorrow and suffering because of his affection for you. This suffering must be relieved. If, when returning to the palace, you regard it as a danger that must be abandoned, you should not be haunted by such a thought.

Why? Because former sage-kings left their royal palaces and entered the mountain forests to cultivate, but afterward returned to their own palaces. Among these kings was King Ambarisa (translated in the Sui as Arrow of Space), who left his palace and entered the mountains to practice.

Later, when his officials and ministers remonstrated with and exhorted him, his ministers and attendants guarded him before and behind and escorted him back to the palace. King Rama (translated in the Sui as Capable of Joy) saw that wicked people were harassing the country, killing one another and seizing its lands. Unable to bear watching this, he left the mountain forests, returned to the royal court, and used the true Dharma to support and protect the nation.

Moreover, in ancient times there was a great king in the city of Yali named Dhruma (translated in the Sui as Tree), who also left the mountain forests and returned to his native kingdom to protect the people. In ancient times there was a brahmin sage named Vagrite (translated in the Sui as Free from Speech); there was also King Citideva (translated in the Sui as Joyful Deva), and King Dharmayasas (translated in the Sui as Renown of Dharma).

Immeasurable and boundless numbers of sages, brahmins, and kings all left the mountain forests and returned to their palaces to comfort the people and govern their countries. Therefore, Holy Prince, having heard what the kings of ancient times did, you should now return to the royal palace without grief or distress.”

They then spoke this verse:

These are the names of kings of old,

Who all forsook their women and entered the mountain forests.

Later they all left the mountains and returned to their palaces;

What fault could there be if the Holy Prince returns now?

At that time, after hearing the two envoys speak these words, the bodhisattva told the chief minister and the Brahmin royal preceptor:

“As to existence or nonexistence, doubt or freedom from doubt, I myself understand clearly. Yet each of these two positions possesses its own rationale, and whether hidden or manifest, I acknowledge it. But transmitted reports without any source—how could they be believed?

A wise person should not practice in reliance upon untrue words. It is like a blind person wishing to travel along a road: without a guide and unable to see correctly, how could he proceed? When the mind lacks certainty, then whether something is good or bad, one is like that foolish blind man.

Through ignorance, one sees impure things within the pure Dharma. I would rather arouse diligent resolve, even if I have not yet attained the fruit and must undergo much suffering according to karmic recompense, than remain in the mire of the five desires, condemned by the noble ones, and become deluded by momentary sensual pleasure.

“According to what you have said, from ancient times until now, kings such as Arrow of Space and Capable of Producing Joy left the mountain forests and returned to their royal palaces. I do not accept these kings as proof of liberation. Why? Because when the supernatural powers they had acquired through their training came to an end, they possessed no other ascetic practice. Therefore, they returned to their royal palaces.

“You should not entertain such a thought concerning me today. I have made this vow: ‘Even if the sun and moon should fall upon this earth and the majestic Snow Mountain should move elsewhere, if I have not yet realized the precious treasure of the true Dharma, it is impossible that, out of attachment to worldly affairs, I would take this ordinary body back to the royal palace.’ I would rather leap into a vast fiery pit in which fierce flames blaze upward than return to the royal palace without having attained benefit for myself. Such a thing is impossible.”

After making this vow, the bodhisattva rose from his seat, bade farewell to the two envoys, left the forest, and set forth alone.

When the two envoys heard the bodhisattva speak in this way and saw him make a resolute vow to abandon his kindred, they knew with certainty that he would not return to the royal palace. Both collapsed in a faint. Then they rose and wailed aloud, tears streaming over their faces, and tried to pursue the bodhisattva. Yet because the bodhisattva’s majestic virtue was so great, light radiated from his body like the dazzling rays of the sun and blinded the two envoys’ eyes. Thus they could not see the bodhisattva’s body and were unable to catch up with him.

The envoys then called out toward the bodhisattva:

“We humbly beseech you, Holy Prince, not to remain so unyielding in your resolve. We pray that you will have compassion for our devoted hearts. Our love for you cannot fade, and we cannot leave the Holy Prince and return without you.”

The two envoys both loved the Holy Prince and revered the Great King Suddhodana. For this reason, they followed the bodhisattva everywhere, sometimes standing, sometimes watching, sometimes walking, and sometimes running. The two envoys then separately ordered four attendants to follow secretly behind the Holy Prince and remain near him: “You must not leave the Holy Prince. Follow and observe wherever he goes.”

After giving these instructions, the envoys’ hearts were filled with immeasurable sorrow and anguish. They lamented bitterly and discussed together: “How can we now return to the royal city and face the Great King, whose heart suffers so terribly from longing for the Holy Prince? How can we report our words to the Great King? When we meet him, what can we possibly say to relieve the anguish in his heart?”

There is a verse:

The king’s two envoys knew the Holy Prince

Was resolved not to return to the inner palace.

They assigned four men to follow the Holy Prince;

How could they face the king upon returning?

Chapter 26: THE BODHISATTVA INQUIRES INTO THE WAY FROM THE SAGE ARADA

(Part 1)

When the bodhisattva bade farewell to the two envoys—his father’s chief minister and Brahmin royal preceptor—both shed tears. After parting from them, he slowly journeyed toward the city of Vaisali. Before reaching the city, he passed the place of practice of a sage of the Kalama clan named Arada. One of the sage’s disciples saw the bodhisattva approaching and was utterly astonished, for from the time of his birth until that very day he had never seen such a sight. He hurried back to where his honored teacher was seated. Upon arriving, he turned toward the young fellow students and loudly called out the names of each person in the assembly: “Here is the worthy Bhargava, there is the worthy Mitramala, and over there is the worthy Sarma...”

“Young students, declare: ‘Today we should all rejoice and set aside this sacrificial rite.’ A greatly virtuous worthy has come here today as a guest from afar, and we must go forth to welcome him. This worthy has grown weary of the bonds of the afflictions and wishes to seek unsurpassed and supremely true liberation. He is the son of the Great King Suddhodana, lord of the Sakya clan.

Adorned with the excellent marks, his body resembles a pillar of gold and radiates a most majestic light. His arms hang down and his hands reach past his knees. As his feet tread the ground, they imprint wheels with a thousand spokes.

His gait is composed and majestic, like that of a lordly bull. His halo, filled with majestic virtue, resembles the orb of the sun. His body is like pure gold, and he wears the kasaya.

We possess much merit and benefit, for the unsurpassed and supremely honored one is slowly approaching. According to our abilities, let us prepare to welcome him, honor and revere him, bow to him, and make full offerings without omission.”

The young disciple then recited a verse in praise of the bodhisattva:

His composed and measured steps are truly majestic;

His eyes gaze like those of a lordly bull.

His body, complete with excellent marks, is truly magnificent;

All his fine body hairs turn upward.

Beneath his feet are wheels with a thousand spokes;

The white hair between his brows curls beautifully.

His strong, straight arms hang down with ease—

He is the great lion among humankind.

After reciting this verse in praise of the bodhisattva, the young disciple told the others:

“All of you young students, let us go together to our honored teacher and report this matter.”

They went together to the side of their honored teacher, Arada. Upon arriving, they respectfully reported and inquired about all that had occurred.

Just as the young disciples finished speaking, the bodhisattva approached with measured steps to where the sage Arada was. When the sage Arada saw the bodhisattva drawing near, he spontaneously proclaimed aloud: “Welcome! Holy Prince, please come here!”

The bodhisattva approached the sage, and the two faced one another and exchanged greetings concerning their health: “Are you free from illness and affliction? Are you at peace?”

After their greetings, the sage Arada invited the bodhisattva to sit upon a grass mat.

There is a verse:

The two rejoiced greatly upon meeting;

They asked if each had little affliction and illness.

After conversing and exchanging greetings for a while,

A pure green mat was spread for the guest to sit upon.

When the bodhisattva had seated himself upon the grass mat, the sage Arada attentively observed his form from head to foot. His heart rejoiced greatly at this unprecedented sight, and he conversed with him in a gentle and pleasing voice.

The sage praised the bodhisattva, saying:

“Worthy Gautama, I have long heard of your renown as a great man who relinquished the royal throne, tore through the defiled net of attachment to loved ones, crossed beyond the city walls, and renounced the household. You were like a lordly elephant escaping strong iron chains, completely severing all the bonds behind you, freely breaking away and departing at will. Indeed!

So it is! Today, worthy one, your resolve is heroic and vigorous. You have relinquished the palace and entered the mountain forests, contented and of few desires under every circumstance.

You are one of great wisdom. Worthy Gautama, you have performed such a rare deed. Though you had attained the merit, honor, and wealth of the world, you regarded them with indifference, shaved off your beard and hair, and entered the mountain forests.

This is truly difficult to accomplish.

“The kings of ancient times fully possessed the blessed recompense of kingship and satisfied themselves with the pleasures of the five desires. When they grew old, they performed the consecration ceremony for the Crown Prince and transferred the throne to him. Only afterward did they leave the inner palace, renounce the household, and enter the mountain forests to cultivate and seek the Way. This was not difficult, nor was it a rare occurrence in the world.

“As I understand it, while still young you do not crave the five desires or care for power, honor, wealth, and luxury. Keeping your mind firm, you have come here to seek the Way. You had obtained the inconceivable position of a wheel-turning sage-king, the highest of worldly states.

You are now in the prime of your strength, yet you have mastered your mind, do not indulge in desire, and have set your resolve upon liberation. You are not bound by worldly objects; your faculties are not enticed by the six sense objects; and you are alert to all suffering throughout the realms, without being bound by it. Why is this?

In ancient times there was a king named Murdhaja, who ruled the four continents of the world. Yet, still unsatisfied, he flew up to the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, where Sakra, lord of the devas, yielded half his seat to him. Because his heart was greedy and knew no contentment, he immediately lost all the blessed recompense of the five desires and fell back to the human world.

There was also a king named Nahusa, who likewise ruled the four continents. He ascended to the Trayastrimsa Heaven and instructed the devas, yet remained unsatisfied. Therefore, he too lost the position of a sage-king and fell back among human beings.

There were other kings like these, including Rama, Dalarhuyi, and Ababatraka, as well as other wheel-turning sage-kings. When they obtained kingship, their hearts knew no contentment, and so they completely lost the prosperity and honor of kings. Few people in the world are satisfied upon attaining the summit of wealth and honor.

It is like a great fire that burns still more fiercely when more firewood is added.”

When the sage Arada had finished speaking, the bodhisattva said:

“Great Sage, worthy one, I see worldly affairs in precisely this way. I also contemplate all worldly dharmas as resembling a banana tree, without solid heartwood within and destined ultimately to decay. Therefore, although I had obtained the throne, I feared discontentment and did not seek selfish benefit, so I left sensual pleasures behind. Having understood this, I wandered in every direction seeking the true Way. I am like a person traveling through a wilderness who has lost his companions, does not know the direction, cannot distinguish where to proceed, and has no guide, and therefore wanders everywhere searching for someone to show him the way. I am now just the same.”

As soon as the bodhisattva had spoken these words, the sage Arada addressed him:

“Worthy Gautama, I have long understood the thoughts of the great being. Therefore, I know that in regard to liberation you are a person of extraordinary ability.”

At that time, among the assembly was a young disciple of the sage Arada. He joined his palms and asked his original teacher for permission to praise the bodhisattva. The young disciple said:

“Teacher, this person is truly rare and inconceivable, for he clearly understands his own mind. The kings of ancient times spent their youth in palaces enjoying the five desires. Only afterward, when they reached old age and their beards and hair had turned white, did they perform the consecration ceremony and transfer the throne to the Crown Prince, so that they could enter the mountain forests, cultivate the Way, and become sages.

But this man is not like them. He is still young and physically strong, has very few illnesses, possesses abundant vitality, has hair as black as a crow, a supple body, and an extremely vigorous spirit. He lacks nothing and is precisely at the age when the mind becomes unrestrained and intoxicated by the pleasures of the five desires.

Moreover, his aged father wished to confer the throne upon him. Yet he cared nothing for status, did not crave blessed recompense, left the world behind, renounced the household, and entered the mountains to seek the Way.”

The sage Arada addressed the bodhisattva:

“What is it that you have aroused the resolve to seek? What fruit of the Way do you wish to accomplish that caused you to enter these mountain forests?”

The bodhisattva replied:

“Venerable Great Teacher, I see that all sentient beings in the world are bound by birth, old age, sickness, and death and cannot transcend them. Therefore, I have now aroused such diligent resolve.”

The sage Arada again asked:

“Worthy Gautama, you have given rise to such an eye of wisdom and such a perception. This is utterly true. Why is this so?”

He then spoke this verse:

Transcending all dharmas, one solely practices;

Moral discipline and meditative concentration do not go beyond the mind.

Attachment to loved ones is the foremost enemy;

Old age and death spread terror throughout the three realms.

After the sage Arada spoke this verse, a young disciple of the sage among the assembly asked the bodhisattva:

“Why have you now abandoned your beloved relatives and come here?”

The bodhisattva replied:

“Where there is gathering and union in the world, there must be separation. Knowing this, I aroused the resolve to seek the supremely true Way.”

At that time, the sage Arada again addressed the bodhisattva:

“Worthy one, today you will attain liberation. Why? Sentient beings sink into the mire of desire, from which it is difficult to escape. The world is further bound by the strong cords of affliction, yet you alone clearly understand your own mind. I shall now speak of the gateway to liberation: the mind of craving is what you must leave behind. What is the mind of craving? It is a most vicious dragon in the world. It dwells in the waters of sentient beings’ minds and destroys every benefit. For this reason, I observe that worldly people do not follow right conduct. One capable of cultivating this right conduct must be a wise person who has left defiled attachment behind. One must arouse resolve, sever attachment to the view of conditioned marks, and follow the Dharma of the signless.”

The bodhisattva replied:

“Venerable Great Sage, I respectfully accept the teaching you have just given.”

The sage Arada then asked the bodhisattva:

“How do you understand what you have received?”

The bodhisattva replied:

“Worldly people cling to appearances and are therefore bound by those appearances. Parents give birth to children, nurture and educate them in order to establish their household. They nurture and educate their children so that the household may flourish and its endeavors may prosper. For this reason, parents nurture their children. Without such a motive, even relatives would not remain close, much less strangers. Generally, people associate with others because they seek profit. A truly intimate friend is exceedingly difficult to find.”

The sage Arada again praised him:

“Excellent, worthy one! Today you understand all worldly dharmas. Thus the sramana Gautama comprehends every form of wisdom.”

At that time, a young disciple of the sage Arada in the Dharma assembly addressed the bodhisattva:

“Worthy Gautama, today you have attained supreme joy. Why? Because as you gradually leave behind every attachment to loved ones, you realize the worldly dharmas free from affliction. Why is this? I observe that in the world there are few who do not cherish their wives and children or scheme to acquire property, and who therefore do not raise both hands and cry out in anguish at life. On the contrary, I see many people who have few restraints upon their desires, know no contentment, are miserly with their possessions, and give rise to covetous attachment to worldly power and profit. In household after household, they all raise their hands and lament.”

He then spoke this verse:

In the world, people who know contentment are rarely seen;

With few desires and no craving, one escapes suffering.

People cry and lament because of attachment to loved ones;

Most are greedy and gather up possessions.

The sage Arada then addressed the bodhisattva:

“How rare, worthy Gautama! Your wisdom is vast. Today you are truly courageous and vigorous, subduing your faculties so that defiled desires do not increase and you are not swept away by craving.”

The bodhisattva asked the Venerable Arada:

“Venerable Great Sage, why are the faculties not settled? What method must be used to subdue them? I humbly ask you to explain this to me.”

The sage Arada replied:

“Sramana, great being, I shall now explain in general the methods of subjugation. Any worldly person who wishes to escape birth and death should listen attentively.”

There is a verse:

The greatly honored sage Arada

Opened and expanded the bodhisattva’s spiritual wisdom.

From the results he himself had attained,

He explained and distinguished the essential points.

“Great being Gautama, whoever wishes to eliminate the substance and characteristics of the faculties and their objects must reflect and discern in this way. Why? Because all faculties and all sensory objects are known through discrimination, they must all be relinquished. This extends even to the objects of defiled attachment within the faculties. Defilement produced by craving causes attachment, and because of this attachment sentient beings sink into the world and cannot escape. Ordinary people suffer because they are bound by craving. All craving arises on account of its objects, and thus there are sufferings such as these. Great being, you should understand through what causes and conditions this occurs.”

He then spoke this verse:

The mountain goat is killed because of its cry;

The moth burns itself because of the flame’s light.

The fish is caught on the hook because it bites the bait;

Worldly objects draw people onward to their deaths.

After hearing this verse, the bodhisattva asked:

“Today, Venerable One, you have explained the method for disciplining the faculties. They are formed through the convergence of many causes and conditions; their nature is empty, false, and unreal, like a fiery pit, a dream, an illusion, or dew upon the grass. Upon examining this within my mind today, I understand it to be so.”

The sage Arada then asked the bodhisattva, the great being:

“For what reason do you say that the objects of deluded perception bring no benefit?”

The bodhisattva replied:

“People who wish to rely upon sensory objects to receive their results are like those who build houses to shield themselves from sunlight or avoid rain and wind; like thirsty people searching for water to drink; like hungry people seeking food; like those covered in filth wishing to bathe their bodies; like naked people seeking clothes to cover themselves; like distressed people who lack means and therefore seek vehicles; like those who wish to escape the cold and therefore search for warmth; like those who wish to dispel heat and therefore seek a cool place; or like those who wish to relieve weariness and therefore sit upon beds and mats.

All such quests arise because various sufferings press upon the body, and one therefore seeks freedom from that distress, just as a gravely ill person seeks a skilled physician. All the things worldly people seek are like this.”

The sage Arada praised him:

“The thought of worthy Gautama is truly rare! Greatly virtuous one, how could you so readily give rise in this world to the perception of impermanence? Rare indeed! Rare indeed! You have seen reality. Greatly virtuous one, you possess keen faculties, are intelligent, and awaken easily. One who understands dharmas in this way is called one who sees the truth; understanding them otherwise is called error and delusion. It is exactly as you have said: ‘Because of hunger, people seek food; to avoid rain and shelter from wind, they build houses; and to dispel heat and cold...’ By substituting one thing for another and seizing them from one another, worldly people give rise to the deluded perception that these things are happiness.”

The sage again praised him:

“Worthy Gautama, you are truly a bridge of Dharma capable of bearing a great weight. Although I transmit and teach the Dharma, I must first observe whether a disciple’s faculties are capable of receiving it, and only afterward expound the treatises. As I see it, you are not like others. Whatever the practice, you are suited to every circumstance, and there is no need for a period of observation. I shall explain to you all the true meanings contained in the treatises.”

When the bodhisattva heard the sage Arada speak in this way, he rejoiced exceedingly and said:

“Today, Venerable One, although you do not yet know my sincerity, you have immediately taught me such subtle and wondrous Dharma. I understand that although this sign had not yet brought benefit, now benefit has been obtained. Why? It is like a person who wishes to see visible things and must have light; like a person making a long journey who needs a skilled guide; or like one who wishes to cross to the far shore of a river and needs a ferryman. Your opening and instruction of my mind today is just the same. I humbly ask you, Venerable One, to teach me what you understand: how may one attain liberation from birth, old age, sickness, and death?”