毘婆尸佛經

At that time, the Buddha addressed the bhikṣus:

In a past age there was a great king named Manduma. The king had a prince named Vipaśyin. Having dwelt long within the inner palace, the prince wished to go out and view the gardens, so he told Yunga, his charioteer:

"Prepare the horses and chariot properly, for I wish to go on an excursion."

Yunga obeyed the command, went to the stable, arranged the horse and chariot, and brought them before the prince. The prince mounted the chariot and went out. He saw a sick man and asked:

"Why is this man's appearance so haggard, his strength so feeble and weak?"

Yunga replied:

"This is a sick man."

The prince asked:

"What is sickness?"

Yunga answered:

"When the four great elements provisionally combine—illusory and unreal—they oppose and conflict with one another, and at once suffering and affliction arise. This is called sickness."

The prince asked:

"Can I escape from sickness?"

Yunga replied:

"Your own illusory body is likewise made of the four great elements, no different. If it does not maintain its own harmony, it too cannot escape sickness."

When the prince heard this, his heart felt no joy. He at once ordered the chariot to be turned back to the royal palace. He sat in deep contemplation: the suffering of sickness is real, not false; and his mind was not at ease.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

King Manduma asked Yunga:

"The prince went out and has returned; why is he not joyful?"

Yunga replied:

"The prince went out to view the scenery and saw a sick man, haggard in form and color. The prince, not knowing, asked, 'What sort of man is that?' Yunga replied, 'That is a sick man.' The prince asked, 'Can I escape from sickness?' Yunga replied, 'Your body too is of the same four illusory great elements, no different; if it does not maintain its own harmony, it too cannot escape sickness.' The prince then ordered the chariot turned back to the palace; pondering the suffering of sickness, he is not joyful."

When King Manduma heard of this matter, he recalled the words of the physiognomist of former days: 'If he remains in the household life, he will receive the consecration rite and succeed to the throne as a Wheel-Turning King. If he goes forth into homelessness and devotes his will to spiritual practice, he will attain Buddhahood.' Thinking thus, he had every kind of exquisite sensual pleasure arrayed in the palace to delight the prince, to make him indulge in them and abandon his aspiration to go forth.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

Afterward, the prince Vipaśyin told Yunga:

"Prepare the horses and chariot properly, for I wish to go on an excursion."

Yunga obeyed the command, went to the stable, arranged the horse and chariot, and brought them before the prince. Having gone out of the city, the prince saw an old man, his hair and beard all white, his body and mind decrepit, trembling, his breath wheezing, leaning on a staff as he walked forward. The prince asked:

"What sort of man is this?"

Yunga replied:

"This is an old man."

The prince asked:

"What is meant by an old man?"

Yunga replied:

"The illusory body of the five aggregates, with its four marks changing, begins as an infant; before long it grows to maturity and then ages—eyes dimmed, ears deaf, body and mind in decline. This is called old age."

The prince asked:

"Can I escape from old age?"

Yunga said:

"Though the noble and the lowly differ, this false and illusory body is no different; as days pass and months return, it too must grow old and decline."

When the prince heard this, he was not joyful. He returned to the palace and sat still in deep contemplation upon the suffering of old age, from which there is no escape.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

"King Manduma, seeing that the prince was not joyful, asked Yunga:

"Why is my son's mood not joyful?"

Yunga replied:

"The prince went out and saw an old man. He asked, 'What sort of man is this?' Yunga replied, 'This is an old man.' The prince again asked, 'What is old age?' Yunga replied, 'The illusory body of the five aggregates, with its four marks changing, begins as an infant; before long it grows to maturity and then ages—eyes dimmed, ears deaf, body and mind in decline. This is called old age.' The prince asked, 'Can I escape from old age?' Yunga said, 'Though the noble and the lowly differ, this provisionally combined body is no different. As days pass and months return, it too must grow old and decline.' When the prince heard this, he was not joyful; he returned, sat in silent deep contemplation, and truly could find no way to escape old age. For this reason he is not joyful."

When the royal father heard of this matter, he recalled the words of the physiognomist of former days: 'If he remains in the household life, he will become a Wheel-Turning King. If he goes forth into homelessness, he will surely attain the fruit of Buddhahood.' King Manduma, thinking thus, employed exquisite sensual pleasures to delight the prince, to make him take pleasure in them and abandon his aspiration to go forth.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

Afterward, the prince Vipaśyin told Yunga:

"Prepare the horses and chariot properly; I wish to go on an excursion."

Yunga went to the stable, arranged the chariot, and brought it before the prince. The prince went out and saw many people surrounding a funeral carriage, weeping bitterly. The prince asked:

"What sort of man is this?"

Yunga replied:

"This is a dead man."

The prince asked:

"What is a dead man?"

Yunga replied:

"Human beings, living in this drifting, floating world, have lifespans long or short. On some day, when the breath ceases, the consciousness departs from the corpse, forever parting from kin and relations, to dwell henceforth in the desolate burial mounds, while kin and relations grieve and weep. This is death."

The prince asked:

"Can I escape from death?"

Yunga replied:

"The three realms are not secure; how can one escape birth and death? Therefore, no one escapes death."

When the prince heard this, his body and mind grew sorrowful. He ordered the chariot turned back to the palace and sat in silence, pondering the law of impermanence, which cannot be taken delight in—how can I escape from this suffering?

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

King Manduma asked Yunga:

"Why is the prince not joyful?"

Yunga replied:

"The prince went out of the city and saw a dead man, and asked, 'What sort of man is that?' Yunga replied, 'That is a corpse.' The prince asked, 'What is death?' Yunga replied, 'Human beings, living in this drifting, floating world, have lifespans long or short. On some day the breath is cut off, the consciousness departs from the corpse, forever parting from kin and relations, to dwell henceforth in the desolate burial mounds, while kin and relations grieve and weep.

This is called death.' The prince asked, 'Can I escape from death?' Yunga replied, 'The three realms are not at peace; how can one escape birth and death? Therefore, no one escapes death.' When the prince heard this, he ordered the chariot turned back to the palace, sat in silent deep contemplation, and truly could not escape death; for this reason he is not joyful."

When the king heard these words, he recalled the words of the physiognomist of former days: 'If he remains in the household life, he will become a Wheel-Turning King; if he goes forth into homelessness, he will attain the fruit of Buddhahood.' The king brought the five kinds of sensual pleasure to delight the prince, to make him indulge and abandon his aspiration to go forth.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

Afterward, the prince Vipaśyin told Yunga:

"Prepare the horses and chariot properly; I wish to go on an excursion."

When Yunga heard this, he went at once to the stable, arranged the chariot, and brought it to the prince. The prince mounted the chariot and went out, and saw a bhikṣu, his beard and hair shaven off, wearing the kāṣāya robe. The prince asked:

"What sort of man is this?"

Yunga replied:

"This is one who has gone forth into homelessness."

The prince asked:

"What is one who has gone forth into homelessness?"

Yunga replied:

"One who, awakened to old age, sickness, and death, enters the gate of liberation, practices patience and compassion, seeks the peace and bliss of Nirvāṇa, forever cuts off the affection and love of kin and relations, and is resolved to be a śramaṇa; this is called one who has gone forth into homelessness."

When the prince heard this, he rejoiced and came before the bhikṣu, praising him:

"Excellent! Excellent! By practicing the wholesome dharmas of compassion, patience, and equanimity, one can cut off the afflictions and turn toward peace and bliss. I too wish to do likewise." Having spoken thus, the prince returned to the palace, gave rise to faith, practiced the dharma of going forth, and took on the appearance of a śramaṇa.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

In the city of Manduma there were eighty thousand people who saw Vipaśyin renounce his royal father's throne, go forth, shave his head, and take on the appearance of a śramaṇa, and so they thought:

"The prince, of a noble lineage, has renounced the five sensual desires to cultivate the holy life. We too should go forth and follow him." Having thought thus, they at once went forth and became śramaṇas.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

After the Bodhisattva Vipaśyin had gone forth, together with those eighty thousand people, he left his own city and journeyed about to various places, coming to a certain village to enter the rains retreat. After the retreat was completed, he reflected: 'Why have I, like one infatuated, been wandering about to various places?' Reflecting thus, his mind became pure, and he went to his former dwelling. At midnight, he again reflected: 'Why do I make use of the wealth and rank of the world?

Sentient beings, because of craving and attachment, revolve in the cycle of birth and death, bound by suffering continuously without end.' He further reflected: 'The cause of suffering is old age and death. By what cause and condition do old age and death arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma, and saw that there is old age and death because there is birth. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of birth arise?' He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma, and saw that it comes from existence (becoming).

He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of existence arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from clinging (grasping), existence is produced. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of clinging arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from craving, clinging is produced. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of craving arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from feeling, craving is produced.

He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of feeling arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from contact, feeling is produced. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of contact arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from the six sense bases, contact is produced. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of the six sense bases arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from name-and-form, the six sense bases are produced.

He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of name-and-form arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from consciousness, name-and-form is produced. He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of consciousness arise?' He entered right concentration and carefully contemplated this dharma: from volitional formations, consciousness is produced.

He further reflected: 'By what cause and condition does the suffering of volitional formations arise?' He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: from ignorance, volitional formations are produced. Thus, ignorance conditions volitional formations, volitional formations condition consciousness, consciousness conditions name-and-form, name-and-form conditions the six sense bases, the six sense bases condition contact, contact conditions feeling, feeling conditions craving, craving conditions clinging, clinging conditions existence, existence conditions birth, and birth conditions old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering.

Thus is the assembling together of one great mass of suffering.

At that time the Bodhisattva Vipaśyin again reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of old age and death be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when birth is extinguished, old age and death are extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of birth be extinguished?

He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when existence is extinguished, birth is extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of existence be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when clinging is extinguished, existence is extinguished.

He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of clinging be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when craving is extinguished, clinging is extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of craving be extinguished?

He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when feeling is extinguished, craving is extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of this feeling be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when contact is extinguished, feeling is extinguished.

He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of this contact be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when the six sense bases are extinguished, contact is extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of the six sense bases be extinguished?

He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when name-and-form is extinguished, the six sense bases are extinguished. He reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of name-and-form be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when consciousness is extinguished, name-and-form is extinguished.

He reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of consciousness be extinguished? He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when volitional formations are extinguished, consciousness is extinguished. He further reflected: How can the cause of the suffering of volitional formations be extinguished?

He entered right concentration and contemplated this dharma: when ignorance is extinguished, volitional formations are extinguished. Thus, when ignorance is extinguished, volitional formations are extinguished; when volitional formations are extinguished, consciousness is extinguished; when consciousness is extinguished, name-and-form is extinguished; when name-and-form is extinguished, the six sense bases are extinguished; when the six sense bases are extinguished, contact is extinguished; when contact is extinguished, feeling is extinguished; when feeling is extinguished, existence is extinguished; when existence is extinguished, birth is extinguished; when birth is extinguished, old age and death, sorrow, lamentation, and suffering are extinguished.

Thus, the one great mass of suffering, of itself, arises no more.

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

Entering concentration, he carefully contemplated,
And clearly knew that suffering arises from birth;
On down to the cause of volitional formations,
He knew they arise from ignorance.

Again he contemplated whence cessation comes,
When ignorance ceases, volitional formations cease;
On down to the end of old age and death,
Then the aggregates of suffering remain no more.

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

Then the Bodhisattva Vipaśyin further contemplated that form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness arise and cease without ceasing, like an illusion, like a phantom, unreal. When he contemplated thus, the wisdom of contemplation manifested before him, all the habit-tendencies of karma and afflictions arose no more, and he attained great liberation and accomplished Perfect Complete Enlightenment. The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

The Bodhisattva Vipaśyin,
Again contemplated the dharmas of the aggregates;
Entering into samādhi,
When the wisdom of contemplation manifested before him.

When the World-Honored One had spoken the verse, he addressed the bhikṣus:

"When the Bodhisattva Vipaśyin had not yet awakened, first he had doubt concerning the delusion and confusion of his own self. Second he had doubt concerning the afflictions of greed and hatred that kept ever developing. He contemplated such dharmas of dependent origination, and attained great liberation."

The World-Honored One spoke a verse:

END OF THE FIRST FASCICLE