佛為黃竹園老婆羅門說學經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Bhagavān was dwelling in the Yellow Bamboo Grove at Verañjā. At that time the brahmin Verañja was advanced in years, aged and great, a venerable elder whose lifespan was nearly spent, being one hundred and twenty years old. Leaning upon a staff, in the latter part of the day he strolled leisurely until he came to the place where the World-Honored One was. Having arrived, he exchanged greetings and inquiries with the World-Honored One. After greeting and inquiring after the World-Honored One, leaning upon his staff he stood before the World-Honored One. Then Verañja, standing to one side, addressed the World-Honored One, saying:

"Gautama, I have heard that the renunciant Gautama is still very young, having only just gone forth to learn the Way. Yet if any great renunciant or brahmin comes in person, he still does not pay homage in a timely manner, nor does he rise, nor does he invite those venerable ones to be seated. Gautama, this is something I cannot accept."

The World-Honored One replied:

"Brahmin, I have never seen, among devas and the world, Māra, Brahmā, renunciants and brahmins, the host of devas and humankind, anyone who, upon approaching, could cause the Tathāgata to pay homage, to rise from his seat and invite that one to be seated. Brahmin, this is so: were the Tathāgata to pay homage and rise from his seat, that person's head would split into seven pieces."

The brahmin said:

"Renunciant Gautama, this is mere indolence and arrogance."

"Brahmin, there is a case in which I may be said to disdain, but it is not as you say. Brahmin, if there were the savor of forms, the savor of sounds, the savor of scents, the savor of touches, things smooth and soft—these things have been utterly extinguished by the Tathāgata, fully known, cut off down to the very root, so that they no longer give rise to terror in the future. Brahmin, this is what causes me to disdain, but it is not as you say."

The brahmin spoke again:

"Has the renunciant Gautama no fear?"

The World-Honored One replied:

"Brahmin, there is again a condition by which I have no fear, but it is not as you say. It is this: if there were fear of forms, fear of sounds, fear of scents, fear of tastes, fear of smooth and soft touches—these the Tathāgata has utterly cut off, has known and cut off down to the very root, so that they no longer give rise to fear in the future. Brahmin, there is this condition by which I have no fear, but it is not as you say."

The brahmin spoke again:

"Will the renunciant Gautama not be reborn in the womb again?"

The World-Honored One replied:

"Brahmin, there is a case in which I am not reborn in the womb, but it is not as you say. Brahmin, if there were a renunciant or brahmin who must be reborn in the womb again, then for me these have been utterly cut off, known and cut off down to the very root, so that they no longer give rise to fear in the future—therefore I say I am not reborn in the womb. Brahmin, the Tathāgata, the One Free from Attachment, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is no longer reborn in the womb again. He has utterly cut off, has known and cut off down to the very root, so that they no longer give rise to fear in the future—I am no longer reborn in the womb. Brahmin, this is the case in which I am no longer reborn in the womb, yet it is not as you say.

Furthermore, brahmin, in this world there is delusion and craving attachment to delusion, being covered over and bound by delusion. I am the first to distinguish the Dharma; among living beings, I am foremost. Brahmin, just as when a hen lays eggs, whether ten or twenty eggs, she in due time, at the proper time, sits upon the eggs; she at the proper time, in due time, broods upon the eggs; she at the proper time, in due time, turns them this way and that.

If that hen should go off somewhere, the chicks within the eggs use their beaks and use their feet to peck and to strike, breaking open the eggs and emerging in safety—they are the foremost among chicks. Just so, brahmin, I was bound fast by delusion, covered over by delusion; I am the first to distinguish the Dharma, and among those living beings, I am foremost.

Brahmin, I took up dry grass and went to the foot of the bodhi tree at the place of awakening. Having come to the foot of the bodhi tree at the place of awakening, I spread out the grass and sat down at the foot of the tree. Spreading out the sitting mat, I sat cross-legged, resolved not to rise until I had utterly extinguished the contaminants.

Brahmin, I did not rise until the contaminants were brought to an end. Brahmin, I was liberated from sensual desire, liberated from evil and unwholesome states; with self-awareness and self-application, attaining joy and delight, I attained the First Dhyāna and dwelt therein, accomplished and at ease. Brahmin, at that time I attained the first contemplation, seeing the Dharma, dwelling in peace and ease, possessing the conduct of bliss, not losing the peaceful and secure abiding that leads onward toward Nirvāṇa.

Brahmin, after I had brought to an end self-awareness and application, within there was joyful faith, the mind became unified, without applied thought and without sustained thought, there was the gladness born of concentration, and I attained the Second Dhyāna, abiding in right attainment. Brahmin, at that time I attained the second contemplation of mind, seeing the Dharma, dwelling in peace and ease, with the conduct of bliss, not losing the security that leads onward toward Nirvāṇa.

Brahmin, not being attached to joy and delight, guarding the mind, with mindfulness and even knowing, the body attained ease—this is what is called what the Noble Ones contemplate, what the Noble Ones guard with mindfulness—and abiding in ease, I attained the Third Dhyāna, accomplishing the abiding of right attainment. Brahmin, at that time I attained the third contemplation, seeing the Dharma, dwelling in peace and ease, with the conduct of bliss, not losing ease, advancing toward Nirvāṇa.

Brahmin, I extinguished pleasure, extinguished pain, abandoned gladness, extinguished the craving that was before, and with neither pain nor pleasure, keeping the mind purified, I attained the Fourth Dhyāna, abiding in right attainment. Brahmin, then I attained the fourth contemplation, seeing the Dharma, dwelling in peace and ease, with the conduct of bliss, not losing ease, advancing toward Nirvāṇa.

Brahmin, by means of this samādhi my mind was purified, pure and clear, without fetters, the fetters removed, supple, stable and abiding, unchanging, and through the knowledge of past lives that I had attained, I governed my own mind. Brahmin, I recalled the immeasurable former lives that had passed, what deeds had been done and what words had been spoken. That is to say, I recalled one birth, two births, a hundred births, a thousand births, or one kalpa, half a kalpa, immeasurable kalpas: those beings had such-and-such a name, such-and-such a family, such a disposition, such food and drink, such pain and pleasure, lifespans long and short, dying here and being born there, dying there and being born here.

There I had such-and-such a name, such-and-such a family, ate such food, had such a lifespan long or short. Brahmin, at that very time, around the middle of the night, I realized the first noble luminous attainment of knowledge. Because of non-heedlessness, I attained concentration—that is, ignorance was extinguished and knowledge arose.

Darkness was dispelled and light appeared; ignorance came to an end and luminous knowledge arose. This was my attainment of the luminous knowledge of past lives.

Furthermore, brahmin, by means of the samādhi, the mind purified, pure and white, without fetters, the fetters removed, supple, stable and abiding, unchanging, I attained the knowledge of the divine eye and governed my own mind. Brahmin, by means of the purified divine eye I saw farther than ordinary people. I saw living beings at the time of their birth and at the time of their death, the beautiful and the ugly, whether born into good destinies or evil destinies, according to the karma that those beings had created.

I knew it just as it truly is: these beings who with the body did evil, with the mouth did evil, and in the mind thought evil, slandering the Noble Ones, holding wrong views—by that cause, by that condition, those ones, when the body breaks up at the end of life, must go to an evil destiny and be born in the hells. If any beings with the body did good deeds, with the mouth spoke what is good, and in the mind thought what is good, having faith, having good conduct, right view, and being in accord with right view—by that cause, by that condition, when the body breaks up at the end of life, they go to a good destiny and are born up in the heavens.

Brahmin, at that time, around the middle of the night, I realized this second luminous attainment of knowledge. Because of non-heedlessness, I now attained the conduct of concentration—that is, ignorance was extinguished and knowledge arose, delusion and darkness dissolved and light was accomplished, ignorance came to an end and luminous knowledge arose. This was my attainment of the luminous knowledge of the divine eye.

Brahmin, by means of this samādhi, my mind being purified, pure and bright, without bondage, the bonds removed, practicing suppleness, stable and abiding, unchanging, I attained the knowledge of the extinction of the contaminants and governed my own mind. Brahmin, I knew as it truly is: "This is suffering";

I knew as it truly is: "This is the arising of suffering," "the cessation of suffering," "the abode of the cessation of suffering." I knew as it truly is: "This is the contaminant," I knew as it truly is: "This is the arising of the contaminant," "the cessation of the contaminant," "the place of the cessation of the contaminant." Knowing thus, seeing thus, my mind was liberated from the contaminant of sensual desire, my mind was liberated from the contaminant of existence and the contaminant of delusion.

After being liberated, I knew that I was liberated, knowing as it truly is: "Birth has come to an end, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, and I clearly know the name-and-form of former lives." Brahmin, then, during that night, I realized the three luminous knowledges. Because of non-heedlessness, I now attained the conduct of concentration: ignorance was extinguished and knowledge arose, ignorance came to an end and luminous knowledge appeared.

That is to say, I attained the luminous attainment of the knowledge of the extinction of the contaminants.

Furthermore, brahmin, this is so: if there be anyone who, in his teaching, teaches without delusion, then among living beings born in the world, in the midst of all living beings that one is the most excellent, freed from suffering and pleasure. Brahmin, you should know that the one who teaches rightly is I. Why is this, brahmin? I am the one without delusion who has appeared in the world; among living beings in this world I am the most excellent, not governed by suffering and pleasure."

Thereupon the brahmin of the land of Verañjā set down his staff upon the ground, bowed his head at the feet of the World-Honored One, and before the World-Honored One praised the World-Honored One:

"The World-Honored One is the most excellent, the World-Honored One is the most marvelous, the World-Honored One is the most subtle and wondrous, the World-Honored One has no equal, none can be compared with the World-Honored One. The World-Honored One is without calamity, the World-Honored One bears no anger toward humans or devas. World-Honored One, now I take refuge for myself in the Dharma and the Saṅgha of monks. May the World-Honored One this very day accept me as a lay disciple. From this day forth, for the whole of my life, I vow to abstain from killing... this very day I take refuge for myself."

Thus the Buddha spoke, and the brahmin of the land of Verañjā, having heard what the Buddha taught, was joyful and delighted.

THE SŪTRA OF INSTRUCTION SPOKEN BY THE BUDDHA

FOR THE OLD BRAHMIN IN THE YELLOW BAMBOO GROVE