佛本行集經

Chapter 49: THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS OF ŚĀRIPUTRA AND MAUDGALYĀYANA

(Part 2)

At that time, not far from the city of Rājagṛha, there were several mountains. One was named Giriguha, where great assemblies were often held, and these assemblies were called the Giriguha Assemblies. Another mountain was named Ṛṣigiri, where great assemblies were also often held, and these too bore the mountain’s name, Ṛṣigiri. There was another mountain named Vebhāra. In addition, there were other mountains, such as Pāṇḍava and Vipula. It was the same with these mountains: each hosted great assemblies, and the assemblies bore the respective names Pāṇḍava and Vipula.

When the festival day arrived at Mount Giriguha, a great assembly was held. On the festival days, immense crowds gathered—sometimes countless thousands of people, sometimes countless hundreds of thousands, and sometimes countless hundreds of millions of thousands. They came from the eight directions to watch the great assembly, traveling by elephant, horse, carriage, or on foot.

At that time, all the inhabitants of the city went outside its walls to attend the assembly. Beyond the city of Rājagṛha were two villages, Nālada and Kolika, approximately half a yojana apart.

The youth Upatiṣya thought, “Today I can go to Mount Giriguha to watch the assembly. When I arrive there, I shall certainly gain one thing: disenchantment with the world.” Riding in a carriage drawn by four elephants, the youth Upatiṣya departed from the village of Nālada and went to observe the great Giriguha Assembly.

At that time, the youth Kolita likewise thought, “Today I should go to the great Giriguha Assembly… and give rise to disenchantment with the world.” Seated upon an elephant moving at a gentle pace, with singers and dancers proceeding before him for entertainment, the youth departed from the village of Kolika and went to observe the great assembly.

Both youths were handsome in appearance and pleasing to behold. They had mastered every art and craft without exception and were worthy of being foremost in the world.

High seats had been arranged at the assembly, and when the two arrived, each ascended one of them. The youth Upatiṣya saw the multitude presenting every kind of entertainment. All manner of music was played; there was singing and dancing, and everyone indulged in pleasure to the fullest.

Seeing this, the youth thought, “This is truly extraordinary, something never seen before. Today these people dwell amid suffering, defilement, aging, frailty, and impurity, yet they remain attached and heedless. Amid the defilement and insecurity of illness and suffering, amid aging, death, and impurity, with their lives lasting but a short while, they nevertheless regard this as happiness and so abandon themselves to heedlessness, singing and dancing, performing every kind of music, and indulging in amusement.”

Upatiṣya continued to observe the assembly and again thought, “After one hundred years, not a single person in this assembly will remain.” Thinking thus, he was filled with remorse and found no delight there. He descended from the high seat, slowly stood up, gradually left the great assembly, and went into a secluded grove. Sitting beneath a tree, sorrowful and distressed, he restrained his faculties and entered meditative contemplation.

At that time, a performer in the great assembly was entertaining the spectators. When the youth Kolita saw the multitude laughing loudly, “Ha! Ha!” he thought to himself, “After one hundred years, will the bones of any of this entire multitude still remain joined together?!” Having thought thus, he became deeply sorrowful and distressed and no longer delighted in the festivities. Leaving his seat, he went in search of the youth Upatiṣya, thinking, “Where might the youth Upatiṣya be at this moment?” Looking all around, he saw in the distance the youth Upatiṣya sitting quietly in contemplation within a grove, his heart devoid of joy, his faculties restrained, absorbed in meditation. Seeing this, the youth Kolita approached and asked:

“Why are you sitting here alone in contemplation, your heart so joyless? Have you perhaps been afflicted by some torment, suffering, or unexpected calamity?”

Kolita then spoke this verse:

The youth Upatiṣya said to the youth Kolita:

“My good friend, how strange! Do you see what is happening in this assembly? The entire multitude at this great gathering is listening to music and songs and delighting in merriment. Yet after one hundred years, not one of them will remain.”

Upatiṣya then spoke this verse:

Devas, humans, and asuras delight in celestial music,
Their hearts constantly enjoying scenes of pleasure.
Never becoming disenchanted, they pass away;
Therefore, I now cultivate the practice of Dharma.

The youth Kolita then said to the youth Upatiṣya:

“Upatiṣya, my thoughts are the same as yours.”

He then spoke this verse:

The youth Kolita asked the youth Upatiṣya:

“What should we do today?”

The youth Upatiṣya replied to the youth Kolita:

“My good friend, if this is so, then today we must renounce the household life and seek the supreme ambrosial Dharma.”

Kolita said to Upatiṣya:

“As you wish, so do I. Upatiṣya, since we have already left our homes, let us go from here at once to seek ordination.”

The youth Upatiṣya said to the youth Kolita:

“You should understand that everyone knows us today. If our parents do not grant permission, what teacher would ordain us? He would fear that our parents might cause him trouble. It would be better for us to return and ask our parents’ permission.”

The two youths left the great assembly and returned home. Upon arriving home, the youth Upatiṣya said to his parents:

“Excellent, Mother and Father! Today I wish to renounce the household life. I humbly ask you to grant me permission.”

His parents then conferred privately: “Who in our household will inherit and take charge of all our property? We love this youth dearly, yet he wishes to abandon us, renounce the household life, and seek the path. How could we bear to let him depart?” After discussing this privately, his parents said to the youth Upatiṣya:

“Young man, although we have many children, our affection is directed chiefly toward you. Even your absence for a moment causes us immense sorrow. We always wish you to remain near us and do not want to be separated from you. Moreover, from the time of your birth until today, you have never endured hardship. As your parents see it, even when we die we would not wish to part from you. How much less, while we are still living, could we allow you to renounce the household life? Such a thing is utterly impossible.”

The youth Upatiṣya made the same request a second and then a third time, but his parents still refused permission.

Although the youth Upatiṣya had asked permission three times, his parents would not consent. Because they denied him permission, on one occasion he refused all food and drink for as many as seven days. At that time, all his relatives and acquaintances assembled before his parents and said to them:

“Excellent, venerable ones! You should permit the youth Upatiṣya to renounce the household life. If he is allowed to leave the secular life and go forth, he will live joyfully upon the path in search of awakening. His life will then be preserved, so why fear that you will not see him again? If he does not find joy in the path, he will return home of his own accord. Would you instead allow the youth to lose his life before you?”

The youth’s parents then said:

“If that is so, we consent.”

As for the youth Kolita, he too returned home and said to his parents:

“Excellent, Mother and Father! Today I wish to leave the secular life and go forth. I humbly ask you to grant me permission.”

Kolita was his parents’ only child, and they cherished him all the more and did not wish to be separated from him even briefly. If they did not see him for a moment, their hearts were filled with sorrow. Yet previously Kolita’s parents had made a solemn pledge to the members of their household: “All of you, old and young alike, must not obstruct anything the youth Kolita does. Whatever he says must be followed.” His parents and household now clearly remembered this and therefore said to the youth Kolita:

“Do as you wish, young man. Act according to your own intention.”

At that time, in the great city of Rājagṛha, there was a non-Buddhist wanderer named Sañjaya, a Parivrājaka, who dwelt in the city with five hundred followers. The youths Upatiṣya and Kolita had no refuge and did not know where to go. Therefore, they went to the non-Buddhist teacher Sañjaya—whose name was translated in the Sui dynasty as “Conqueror of Others”—shaved off their hair and beards, went forth, and studied the path.

The two youths possessed keen faculties, had few desires, were content, and had profound wisdom. Thus Sañjaya’s son, Vīraṣṭi—translated in the Sui dynasty as “Staff of Distinction”—taught them his doctrines, including various arts, medicinal formulas, herbs, and the meditation of neither perception nor non-perception.

After receiving these teachings, the two youths mastered everything within seven days and nights. Once they had gained complete mastery, they became instructors among the Parivrājakas and their five hundred followers. The two youths took turns leading and governing the assembly. Yet even after attaining this position, their minds remained unappeased. The youth Upatiṣya therefore said to Kolita the Parivrājaka—“Parivrājaka” being translated in the Sui dynasty as “One Who Has Gone Afar”:

“Excellent, Kolita! The teaching of Sañjaya the Parivrājaka does not completely extinguish suffering. Kolita, you should come with me to seek another virtuous teacher.”

The youth Kolita the Parivrājaka said to the youth Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“I shall follow what you have said. Nevertheless, we should not entirely abandon this teacher while searching for another.”

The two then united in making this vow:

“Whichever of us encounters a supreme teacher who teaches us the supreme ambrosial path must inform the other.”

At that time, after teaching King Bimbisāra and twelve nayutas of people, the Blessed One was dwelling in the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove at Rājagṛha, together with a great assembly of one thousand bhikṣus, all of whom had shaved their heads, left the secular life, and gone forth. Within that great assembly was a bhikṣu named Upasena, foremost in dignified deportment. Early one morning, he donned his robes, took up his bowl, entered Rājagṛha, and went from house to house in due order for alms. This is the account of the teachers of the Mahāsāṃghika school.

Other teachers, however, relate it as follows: At that time, early in the morning while the sun was still in the east, the bhikṣu Aśvajit—whose name was translated in the Sui dynasty as “Horse Master”—donned his robes, took up his alms bowl, and entered the city for alms. Within the city, the bhikṣu wore his inner robe and saṃghāṭī and carried his alms bowl. His deportment was composed, his faculties well restrained, and his mind collected as he looked before him. Contemplating the Dharma and maintaining right mindfulness, he walked straight ahead and went from house to house in due order for alms.

When all the people in the great city of Rājagṛha saw him, they discussed him among themselves and spoke this verse:

His faculties are firmly restrained;
Whether walking or standing, he is always serene and concentrated.
He smiles gently and speaks in a harmonious voice;
Surely this is a disciple of the Buddha.

At that time, the youth Upatiṣya saw the elder bhikṣu Aśvajit within the city, his robes properly arranged, his faculties well restrained, his mind collected as he looked before him, contemplating the Dharma and maintaining right mindfulness. He advanced at an unhurried pace and went from house to house in due order for alms. For this reason, the people spoke the preceding verse. Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka then thought, “There are arhats in this world, together with saints and those proceeding along the path. This venerable one must surely be among them. I should approach him and ask about my doubts.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka then thought again, “It would be untimely to approach and question him now. Why? Because the bhikṣu is gathering alms. One who seeks the Dharma must cast aside pride. I should therefore follow and see where this bhikṣu goes.”

Having thought thus, Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka followed behind him to see where the bhikṣu would go. When the bhikṣu Aśvajit had finished gathering alms, he carried his food out of the great city of Rājagṛha. Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka then approached the venerable bhikṣu Aśvajit. He and the elder exchanged courteous greetings, after which Upatiṣya withdrew and stood to one side.

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka then addressed the venerable bhikṣu Aśvajit:

“Worthy sir, are you yourself a teacher, or are you a śrāvaka disciple of another?”

Hearing this question, the elder Aśvajit said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“There is another Great Teacher. I am only one among his śrāvaka disciples.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka again asked the venerable Aśvajit:

“Venerable sir, who is your teacher? Under whom did you go forth? In what Dharma practice do you delight?”

(When the Blessed One had newly attained awakening, everyone called the Buddha the Great Śramaṇa, a translation of Mahāśramaṇa.)

The venerable bhikṣu Aśvajit said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Excellent, worthy sir! There is a Great Śramaṇa of the Śākya clan, born among the Śākyas. I went forth under him, and he is my teacher. Having followed him into the homeless life, I dwell joyfully in his teaching.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka again addressed the venerable Aśvajit:

“Excellent, worthy sir! Is your Great Teacher more handsome in countenance than you? Do his virtues and abilities surpass yours?”

The elder Aśvajit then spoke this verse:

Even if a śrāvaka has attained liberation
And accomplished all the fruits, he remains a disciple.
He cannot enter the ranks of the Buddhas;
His majestic virtue differs from that of the Buddha, the Blessed One.

“My teacher clearly knows all dharmas throughout the three periods of time and has realized unobstructed wisdom. Worthy sir, concerning all dharmas and every matter, my teacher has accomplished unobstructed wisdom.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka then said to the venerable Aśvajit:

“What Dharma does your teacher proclaim? What matters does he discuss?”

He then spoke this verse:

The supreme Omniscient One;
My teacher is the Unsurpassed Guide.

The venerable Aśvajit then said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Worthy sir, I am still young. I have not studied much of the Buddha’s Dharma, and my understanding is shallow. How could I explain it extensively? I shall therefore give you only a concise account.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka said to Aśvajit:

“Excellent, venerable sir! Please state its essential meaning. I do not delight in lengthy explanations.”

He then spoke this verse:

The venerable Aśvajit then said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Worthy sir, my Great Teacher teaches the Dharma of causes and conditions and expounds the path of liberation. My teacher spoke this verse.”

(This is the account of the teachers of the Mahāsāṃghika school. The teachers of the Kāśyapīya school relate it differently: “What is its meaning?” The venerable Aśvajit said, “Worthy sir, my teacher taught this verse of Dharma:

“At that time, Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka clearly understood the meaning of the Dharma through the words. The venerable bhikṣu Aśvajit clearly understood both wording and meaning, comprehending the import as well as the words. What need was there to say more?”)

When Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka contemplated this Dharma practice, then and there he became free from dust and defilement, extinguished his afflictions, attained the pure Dharma eye, and discerned the mark of cessation in conditioned dharmas. It was like a clean garment unstained by black marks and unsoiled by sweat, which readily takes on any dye. So it was!

So it was! When Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka contemplated this Dharma practice, at that very moment he became free from dust and defilement… and discerned the true character of all dharmas in this way. Having discerned the true character of all dharmas, having attained the Dharma, realized the Dharma, entered the Dharma, and crossed beyond doubt regarding the Dharma, all attachment in his mind to right and wrong ceased.

He attained the state of fearlessness and, without relying upon another’s instruction, directly knew the Tathāgata’s Dharma. He then spoke this verse:

When Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka had seen the true character of all dharmas, attained the Dharma, and brought forth wisdom, he cast aside his pride. He arranged his robes, bowed at Aśvajit’s feet, rose, circumambulated him three times to the right, and then took his leave and returned to Kolita the Parivrājaka.

When he arrived, Kolita the Parivrājaka saw Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka from afar. His countenance was pure, his bearing radiant, and so he asked, “Worthy Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka, your faculties are now pure, your complexion radiant, and your face joyful. Have you attained the ambrosia? Have you realized the ambrosial path?”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka said to Kolita the Parivrājaka, “Worthy sir, I have encountered the supreme ambrosial Dharma and attained the ambrosial path.”

Kolita said to Upatiṣya:

“From whom did you obtain the ambrosial Dharma?”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka replied:

“Worthy sir, I obtained this Dharma from the Great Śramaṇa.”

Kolita the Parivrājaka said:

“Worthy sir, what Dharma did that Great Śramaṇa proclaim? What Dharma did he discuss? How did you attain the supreme ambrosial path today?”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka replied to the worthy Kolita the Parivrājaka in verse:

Upon hearing this verse, Kolita the Parivrājaka then and there became free from dust and defilement, purified himself of afflictions, attained the pure Dharma eye, realized the quiescent cessation of all dharmas, and knew and understood things as they truly are. It was like a clean garment, unstained by black marks and unsoiled by sweat, which readily takes on any dye. Thus he discerned things as they truly are and then spoke this verse:

Kolita the Parivrājaka then addressed Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka in verse:

Kolita the Parivrājaka said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Excellent, worthy sir! Let us quickly go there. Let us swiftly leave this place and approach the Great Śramaṇa to cultivate the holy life. The Buddha, the Blessed One, is our teacher.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka said to Kolita the Parivrājaka:

“Worthy sir, today we must not be ungrateful. We should go and see Sañjaya. Why? Because our former teacher brought us many benefits. We owe him a great debt of gratitude for enabling us to go forth, so we must go and bid him farewell. Furthermore, our teacher’s five hundred disciples have followed us in studying and practicing the Dharma. We should inform them, and if they wish, they may accompany us.”

Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka and Kolita the Parivrājaka went to their teacher Sañjaya the Parivrājaka. Upon arriving, they both said:

“Excellent, worthy sir! Today we wish to go to the Great Śramaṇa, the Buddha, the Blessed One, to cultivate the holy life.”

Sañjaya the Parivrājaka then said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Worthy sir, you should not go there. The two of you and I shall lead this assembly together.”

A second time, Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka said to Sañjaya the Parivrājaka:

“Excellent, worthy sir! We wish to go to the Great Śramaṇa, the Buddha, the Blessed One, to cultivate the holy life.”

Sañjaya the Parivrājaka again said to Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka:

“Worthy sir, you should not go there. I entrust all my disciples to you. I shall live alone and take no part at all.”

A third time, Upatiṣya the Parivrājaka and Kolita the Parivrājaka said together to Sañjaya the Parivrājaka:

“We do not wish to accept these disciples. We only wish to go to that Great Śramaṇa to cultivate the holy life. That Great Śramaṇa is our Blessed One and our Teacher.”

After saying this, the two bade farewell to Sañjaya and departed, never to return.

At that time, the five hundred non-Buddhist Parivrājakas thought, “The worthy Upatiṣya and Kolita are widely learned and possess great understanding, intelligence, and wisdom. For many years we have diligently endured hardship, reciting spells, studying arts, and so forth, yet these two mastered everything in only seven days and nights. They are no ordinary men; they are intelligent, and therefore what they seek must be supreme. We too shall seek what they seek. We shall practice the Dharma they practice. We too should cultivate the holy life they cultivate.” Having thought thus, they all followed Upatiṣya and Kolita.

Sañjaya the Parivrājaka then called to the assembly:

“All of you, do not go! Do not go!”

Although he tried to stop them, he could not hold the assembly back, and so they continued on their way. Sañjaya the Parivrājaka then thought, “This assembly has now resolved to abandon me.” Because the assembly had left him, Sañjaya the Parivrājaka was overwhelmed by sorrow and anguish and died in anger and pain.

Upatiṣya and Kolita led the five hundred disciples together to the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove.

The Buddha then said to the bhikṣus:

“Bhikṣus, you should know that clean seats must be prepared in this monastery.”

The bhikṣus said to the Buddha:

“Yes, indeed! We shall respectfully follow the Blessed One’s instruction.”

The bhikṣus prepared clean seats in the monastery, and the Blessed One sat upon one of them. At that time, the elder Kauṇḍinya saw Upatiṣya and Kolita approaching, surrounded by the non-Buddhist assembly, and said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, Upatiṣya and Kolita are now approaching you. They are widely learned and wise, possess many skills, have mastered various doctrines, and are renowned throughout the four directions. As I understand it, these two have certainly come to debate with you.”

Hearing this, the Buddha said to the elder Kauṇḍinya:

“Kauṇḍinya, I know the thoughts of these two. They have come seeking the supreme Dharma; they have not come to debate.”

When the Buddha, the Blessed One, saw Upatiṣya and Kolita, he spoke this verse:

The Blessed One said to the bhikṣus:

“Bhikṣus, do you see those two non-Buddhist Parivrājakas? One is named Upatiṣya, and the other is Kolita.”

The bhikṣus said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, we see them.”

The Buddha again said to the bhikṣus:

“Bhikṣus, among my śrāvaka disciples, each of these two will be foremost in one respect: one will be foremost in wisdom, and the other foremost in spiritual powers.”

There is a verse:

The great assembly saw the two men approaching,
Surrounded by their company of disciples.
The Buddha’s voice resounded as he told the bhikṣus:
“These two men, coming from among the non-Buddhists,

The Buddha then said to the bhikṣus:

“Bhikṣus, among all the śrāvaka disciples of the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, the Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones of the past, none could equal these two; and so it is also in the present. Bhikṣus, even among the śrāvakas of the Buddhas, Tathāgatas, the Perfectly and Completely Awakened Ones who will appear in the future, none will be able to equal these two śrāvaka disciples of mine today. Bhikṣus, you should also prepare seats and invite these two to sit.”

There is a verse:

These two lordly bulls of profound wisdom
Had abandoned all false paths.
Though they had not yet entered the great grove,
The Blessed One saw them and immediately bestowed his prediction.

As the two gradually approached the Bamboo Grove, they saw the elder Aśvajit walking in meditation beneath a tree. Seeing him, they approached, bowed at his feet, and withdrew to stand to one side.

Kauṇḍinya said to the Buddha:

“How extraordinary, Blessed One! Why do Upatiṣya and his companion, without regard for their own eminent status and vast learning, give rise to the supreme resolve and humble themselves before the elder Aśvajit?”

Hearing this, the Buddha said to the venerable elder Kauṇḍinya:

“A wise person always gives rise to a mind of gratitude toward one who has enabled wisdom to arise within him, constantly remembering and never forgetting. If he receives even a small kindness, he always remembers it and never forgets; how much more so when he has received a great kindness. Kauṇḍinya, Upatiṣya and his companion attained the pure Dharma eye through Aśvajit. For this cause and condition there is this Dharma verse:

Upatiṣya and all his disciples then came before the Buddha, bowed at his feet, knelt, and said:

“Excellent, Blessed One! Today we wish to go forth and cultivate the path in the Blessed One’s presence. We humbly ask the Blessed One to permit us to go forth and receive full ordination.”

The Buddha said:

“Excellent! Come, bhikṣus! Come and enter the teaching that I have realized for myself. Cultivate the holy life and completely extinguish all suffering.”

When the Buddha had spoken these words, their hair and beards naturally fell away, as though they had been shaved only seven days before. Their bodies were clothed in the three robes, and they held alms bowls in their hands. They all became bhikṣus and thereby received ordination and full ordination.

The elder Upatiṣya then sat at the Buddha’s right hand, and the elder Kolita at the Buddha’s left. All the others sat to one side.

Half a month after going forth, the elder Upatiṣya completely ended all the fetters and outflows, manifested spiritual powers, attained the perfection of spiritual powers and wisdom, and realized arhatship. The elder Kolita, meanwhile, required only seven days to end all the fetters and outflows, manifest spiritual powers, attain the perfection of spiritual powers and wisdom, and realize arhatship.

Through such causes and conditions, the elders Upatiṣya and Kolita, together with their five hundred disciples, all successively went forth and received full ordination.

At that time, the mother of the elder Upatiṣya was named Śāri—translated in the Sui dynasty as “Heron.” Therefore, people called Upatiṣya Śāriputra, “putra” being translated in the Sui dynasty as “son.” The elder Kolita belonged to the Maudgalyāyana clan, and for that reason people called the elder Kolita Maudgalyāyana. The Blessed One further bestowed this prediction upon the two bhikṣus:

“Among my śrāvaka disciples, Śāriputra possesses the greatest wisdom, and Maudgalyāyana is foremost in spiritual powers.”

The bhikṣus then said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, what roots of virtue did the two elders Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana plant in the past? Through what causes and conditions have they today been able to go forth, receive full ordination, realize arhatship, and further receive the Blessed One’s prediction: ‘Among the assembly of śrāvakas, Śāriputra is supreme in great wisdom, while Maudgalyāyana is supreme in spiritual powers’?”

Hearing the bhikṣus ask this question, the Buddha said to them:

“Bhikṣus, I recall that in a past life there were two people in the city of Vārāṇasī. The elder brother was named Susīrya—translated in the Sui dynasty as ‘Good Affection’—and his younger sister was also named Susīrya. The elder brother, Good Affection, left the secular life and went forth. After going forth, he realized the fruit of a pratyekabuddha. His younger sister also left the secular life and went forth, but she followed the non-Buddhist Parivrājakas in the city of Vārāṇasī.

“One day, the elder brother, Good Affection the Pratyekabuddha, went to the dwelling of his younger sister, the non-Buddhist wanderer. Upon arriving, he spread out his own seat and sat down. His younger sister presented him with foods of a hundred flavors, allowing the Pratyekabuddha to eat his fill, and then offered him a knife and a needle. After finishing his meal, the Pratyekabuddha took the knife and needle offered by his younger sister, Good Affection, and flew into the sky.

“When the younger sister, Good Affection, saw the Pratyekabuddha flying through the sky, her entire body and mind were filled with irrepressible joy and delight. From afar, she joined her palms, respectfully bowed to the Pratyekabuddha, and made this vow: ‘In a future life, may I encounter a teacher like this one or even more excellent. May I clearly understand the teachings he proclaims, and may I never be born in the evil realms. Just as the sharp knife I offered can cut through anything, through the causes and conditions of this cutting may there be no affliction in my future lives that is not severed and destroyed. Just as the needle can pierce everything, may all the afflictions of my future lives likewise be pierced through.’

“Bhikṣus, that non-Buddhist Parivrājaka woman Good Affection, who at that time offered the knife and needle to the Pratyekabuddha, was none other than the bhikṣu Śāriputra.

“Furthermore, bhikṣus, I recall that in the past, also in the city of Vārāṇasī, there was a merchant who regularly entered the sea, gathered conch shells, and sold them. The merchant thought, ‘In this life I seek wealth for my livelihood, but this occupation is exceedingly arduous. I should perform meritorious deeds to establish causes for the future.’

“At that time, a Pratyekabuddha dwelt continually in the city of Vārāṇasī. Early one morning, while the sun was still in the east, the Pratyekabuddha donned his robes, took up his alms bowl, and entered the city for alms. Within the city, the Pratyekabuddha went from house to house in due order for alms.

“The conch seller saw the venerable Pratyekabuddha from afar. His deportment was dignified, his movements measured, his gait tranquil, and his steps calm and composed. Seeing him, the merchant’s mind became pure. He immediately bowed and invited the Pratyekabuddha to his home, where he respectfully offered him rare delicacies and supplied him with necessary articles. Pratyekabuddhas ordinarily do not teach the Dharma; they employ spiritual powers as skillful means to transform beings, and have no other method of teaching.

“After the Pratyekabuddha had finished eating and accepted the articles from the conch seller, he rose from the ground and flew into the sky. Seeing the venerable Pratyekabuddha flying through the sky in this way, the merchant’s entire body was filled with irrepressible joy. Facing him, he joined his palms, bowed to the Pratyekabuddha, and made this vow: ‘In a future life, may I encounter a teacher like this one or even more excellent. May I swiftly understand the teaching he proclaims, and wherever I am born, life after life, may I never fall into the evil realms. Whatever my teacher possesses, I vow to realize just as the noble one has. Just as the Pratyekabuddha flies through the sky, may I likewise do so in the future.’

“Bhikṣus, what do you think? The man who gathered and sold conch shells at that time and later made offerings to the Pratyekabuddha was none other than this bhikṣu Maudgalyāyana.

“Bhikṣus, because Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana planted roots of virtue in past lives, today they have gone forth and realized arhatship. Moreover, they have received my prediction: ‘Among my śrāvaka disciples, Śāriputra is foremost in wisdom, and Maudgalyāyana is foremost in spiritual powers.’”