生經

Sutra 30: The Buddha’s Discourse on the Story of the Lord of the Buffaloes

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Prince Jeta’s Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhiksus.

At that time, the Buddha said to the bhiksus:

“In the distant past, in a certain secluded and open wilderness, there lived a lord of the buffaloes, who wandered here and there to graze on grass and drink from the streams. Whenever the lord of the buffaloes and his retinue gathered together, he always stood at their head. He was handsome in appearance, majestic in spiritual might, and possessed virtues unlike those of the rest. He was also ever patient and gentle, and in all his movements and deportment he manifested peacefulness.

“A female monkey stood by the roadside. When she saw the lord of the buffaloes and his entire retinue gathered in great numbers, anger and jealousy arose in her heart. She immediately picked up bricks and stones and flung sand and dust at the herd. Although treated with contempt and humiliation, the buffaloes silently endured it and did not retaliate.

“A little later, another group belonging to the lord of the buffaloes came along in succession. When the female monkey saw them, she again shouted abuse, picked up bricks and stones, and showered the herd with sand and dust. Seeing that the buffalo king who had gone before them had remained silent and had not retaliated, those in the following group likewise imitated his patience. Joyful, gentle, peaceful, and unhurried, they continued on their way, accepting the insults without becoming angry.

“Not long after the entire retinue of the lord of the buffaloes had passed, a young buffalo calf came after them, hurrying to catch up with the herd. The female monkey once again cursed, insulted, and disparaged him. The calf became very angry and displeased, but when he saw that the whole herd ahead had displayed patience and remained free from anger, he followed their example and likewise showed patience and gentleness.

“Not far from that road, a tree deity dwelt within a great forest. Seeing the buffaloes endure humiliation without becoming angry, the deity asked the lord of the buffaloes:

“‘Why do you remain patient and silent, showing no reaction at all, when you see that female monkey uttering so many insults, throwing bricks and stones, and scattering sand and dust upon you? What is the meaning of this, and what is your intention?’

“He then spoke this verse in inquiry:

For what reason do all of you

Endure that wanton female monkey,

Who is truly vicious beyond measure?

Do you regard this as pain or pleasure?

Be harmonious and loving for the morrow,

And peaceful in your conduct;

Patience must be held in esteem.

In your lives of the past,

Though clubs struck these horns

And caused so much torment,

And though threats inspired fear,

You remained silent and made no reply.

“The lord of the buffaloes replied:

She despises and humiliates us;

Toward others, she will do still worse.

She will undergo abundant retribution,

And her afflictions will only increase.

“Not long after the herd had passed, a large company of brahmins and a group of seers came along the same road. The female monkey again hurled abuse at them, insulting and disparaging them, and then threw stones, bricks, sand, and dust in their direction.

“The brahmins immediately chased and caught her, then trampled her to death. Thereupon, the tree deity spoke this verse:

Evil deeds do not disappear;

Calamity comes when they have ripened.

When evil deeds have reached their fullness,

Disaster is certain to arrive.

“The Buddha told the bhiksus that the lord of the buffaloes at that time was the Buddha himself. When he was still a bodhisattva, because of an offense he had fallen into birth as a buffalo and became king among buffaloes. He constantly practiced patience and cultivated the four immeasurable states of mind—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—until he personally realized Buddhahood.

The other buffaloes and the retinue of the lord of the buffaloes are now these bhiksus. The young buffalo calf was the brahmins, seers, and lay followers of the Buddha. That female monkey represented the heretical Nirgrantha teachers.

Such was the whole course of events, complete and final. Every course of action bears its result; good and evil never disappear, but follow one as a shadow follows the body and as an echo answers a sound.

Sutra 31: The Buddha’s Discourse on the Story of the Lord of the Hares

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Prince Jeta’s Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhiksus.

At that time, the Buddha said to the bhiksus:

“Long ago, there was a lord of the hares who lived with his herd in the mountains. When hungry, they ate fruit; when thirsty, they drank from the streams. He constantly practiced the four immeasurable states of mind—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and taught his retinue that they should be benevolent and harmonious and should commit no evil deeds. Then, after departing from their present bodies, they would obtain human bodies and be able to receive the Dharma of the path. All his followers joyfully obeyed his instructions and dared not disobey his command.

“At that time, a seer lived in the forest, eating fruit and drinking water from the mountain streams. He cultivated the Dharma of the path alone and never allowed his mind to become heedless. He devoted himself to the four pure practices—loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity—and recited sutras while remaining constantly mindful of the Dharma. His voice resounded everywhere with such gentleness that all who heard it rejoiced.

“When the lord of the hares approached that place and heard the recitation of the sutras, his heart became exceedingly joyful, and he never tired of listening. He and his retinue therefore brought fruit as offerings to the practitioner. In this manner, days and months passed throughout the year.

“When the cold winter arrived, the seer wished to return to human society. The lord of the hares saw him put on his robe and take up his bowl and the deerskin bag that held his clothing. He became sorrowful and unhappy, filled with attachment and reluctance to let him leave. The lord of the hares approached him with tears in his eyes and asked:

“‘Where are you going? Seeing you here every day brings me such joy that I forget both hunger and thirst. It is just as though I were living with my own parents. I beseech you to remain here and not depart.’

“The seer replied:

“‘I possess a body composed of the four great elements and must preserve it. Now that the bitter cold of winter has arrived, all the fruit is gone, and the mountain streams will freeze. Moreover, there is no sheltered cave in which I can dwell. I therefore intend to leave and rely upon the populous society below, begging for food as a mendicant and staying temporarily in a monastery. Once the cold winter has passed, I shall return here, and we shall meet again. Therefore, do not worry or grieve.’

“The lord of the hares said:

“‘Our retinue will travel everywhere and search every place for fruit so that we may provide one another with sufficient food. With one heart and one resolve, we implore you to have compassion and save us. If you depart, our attachment will only increase our sadness and anguish, and we may be unable to preserve our own lives. If today we do not have sufficient offerings to present to you, then please accept my body as an offering, O practitioner.’

“Seeing this, the practitioner was deeply moved. He understood the utterly sincere heart of the lord of the hares and hesitated, uncertain what he should do. This seer worshiped fire, and before him was a blazing heap of glowing coals. The lord of the hares thought that the practitioner’s silence meant that he had consented, and so he cast himself into the fire. The flames were blazing fiercely, and as soon as the lord of the hares fell into them, the practitioner tried to save him, but he had already died.

“After his death, the lord of the hares was reborn in Tusita Heaven as a bodhisattva, endowed with exceptionally noble merit and majestic spiritual might. When the seer saw that the lord of the hares had spared neither body nor life for the sake of virtue, he felt immense compassion and severely reproached himself. He then abstained entirely from grain, taking neither food nor drink, and his spirit passed into Tusita Heaven.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

—The king of the hares at that time was I myself; the hare’s retinue are now these bhikshus; and that bhikshu is now Dipankara Buddha. When I practiced as a bodhisattva, I diligently undertook such austerities, always vigorous and never the least negligent. For the sake of the scriptures and the Dharma, I never begrudged my body or life. Only after accumulating merit throughout countless kalpas did I attain Buddhahood. Therefore, you should be diligent and assiduous. You must not be heedless or indolent. Strive to eradicate the six sense faculties as though extinguishing a fire upon your head. Let your minds be free of craving and attachment, always at ease like birds soaring through the sky.

When the Buddha had taught thus, all rejoiced and received his teaching.

Sutra 32: The Buddha’s Teaching on Fearlessness

Long ago, there was a man whose nature was manifestly good, benevolent, and virtuous. He revered the scriptures and the Dharma, observed the precepts, exerted himself in diligent cultivation, and fostered virtuous conduct. Each day he strictly admonished himself, ensuring that his deeds were untainted by evil or wrongdoing.

He always conducted himself in accordance with the proper ways of the world, associated with the fourfold assembly, extinguished every defiled thought, and acted uprightly without delusion. He cultivated the six practices of bodhisattvas: generosity, morality, patience, vigor, one-pointedness, and wisdom. He cut off every avenue of seeking, protected himself by means of the Dharma, and harbored no calculating or discriminating thoughts toward his fellow practitioners.

Wherever a Dharma assembly was held, he would go there to hear the sutras, never growing weary. He constantly recollected the Buddha’s virtues and praised the Buddha as the Tathagata, the Most True, the Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One, the Tamer by the Dharma, the Teacher of Devas and Humans, the Buddha, the Blessed One, whose gracious virtues had been widely bestowed and transmitted everywhere.

He also extolled the wondrous meaning of the Dharma. His aspiration was directed solely toward the unconditioned liberation that is the foundation of the path. He was ever deeply imbued with the gentle sweetness and fragrance of the teaching, which spread everywhere and became known throughout the ten directions.

He abandoned evil and accumulated good. Household life was defiled, while going forth was unconditioned liberation. His mind constantly contemplated the teaching; he made the teaching his vocation and diligently recited the scriptures as though drinking ambrosia.

The Dharma was the medicine of the path that cured many illnesses. The Dharma was a bridge connecting the various roads of passage. The Dharma was a vessel carrying those not yet awakened to the shore of awakening.

The Dharma was the sun and moon illuminating day and night, dispelling obscurity, dissolving the enveloping darkness, and enabling one to perceive what is unseen.

He also placed his faith in the noble Sangha, whose practitioners were like streams flowing together into the great ocean. Among those in the noble Sangha, some had attained the fruit of Stream-enterer, some the fruit of Once-returner, some the fruit of Non-returner, some the path and fruit of the Unattached One, or the fruit of a pratyekabuddha; others practiced the bodhisattva conduct, progressing as far as non-retrogression, the position of one birth remaining, and attainment of the unsurpassed, true, and perfect awakening.

All these also arose from this Dharma. That teaching was inexhaustible, without shore or limit; in short, the ocean of the Dharma was exceedingly profound and wondrous. Bodhisattvas, in their service and transformative activity, continually traveled everywhere to liberate all living beings, sparing no effort in bringing them deliverance.

Relying upon sublime awakened wisdom, they were no longer obstructed by any place whatsoever.

Whenever this man acted or moved among the fourfold assembly, he constantly praised the Three Jewels and himself took refuge in them. Thereby he taught and transformed everyone, always esteeming three matters: First, initiating and establishing meritorious works, such as repairing Buddhist monasteries. Second, reciting sutras, recollecting the path, and proclaiming the scriptures and the Dharma. Third, keeping his mind ever calm and concentrated, putting an end to all heedlessness, and upholding and embodying the four unsurpassed minds: loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity. He practiced emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness; clearly understood skillful means; and taught people according to the occasion, causing them to arouse the aspiration for awakening.

When the man had grown old and his life was nearing its end, his fellow practitioners in the fourfold assembly, his close relatives from the surrounding region, and people from other places all came to visit him. They said, “As you are about to depart, there is nothing to fear. Remain at peace and do not be afraid!” The man then replied in verse:

All evil I have shunned afar;

Good deeds I practiced to the full.

Now that this body reaches its end,

My heart is wholly free from fear.

Like a bridge that spans the way,

Firmly based and standing secure;

Like one who sails in a sturdy boat,

I shall surely reach awakening’s shore.

Upon hearing the verse, everyone rejoiced with great delight. When the man’s life ended, he was reborn in the Tusita heaven, where he reverently bowed before Maitreya Buddha and attained the stage of non-retrogression. Together with the bodhisattvas, he expounded sutras and discussed the Dharma, instructing, teaching, and transforming living beings who had not yet awakened.

Sutra 33: The Buddha’s Teaching on the Five Hundred Young Children

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching in the kingdom of Varanasi together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikshus and many bodhisattvas.

At that time, there were five hundred children who often played together. Being of one heart and mind, they befriended one another and went out to play together every day. They regarded one another as a single whole, without the slightest distinction. A single day without meeting seemed as long as a hundred days, so greatly did they esteem one another. One day, while playing near a river, they heaped sand into stupas and shrines. Each child said, “My stupa is the most beautiful; you should imitate it and build yours like mine.” Although those five hundred children possessed wholesome minds, the merit they had accumulated in previous lives was slight.

At that time, heavy rain fell in the mountains, and floodwaters rushed down, causing the river to swell and overflow everywhere. The waters swept away the five hundred children while they were playing, and they drowned as the current carried them downstream. Everyone who witnessed this lamented and grieved, thinking, “How pitiful! How truly pitiful!”

Their parents wept bitterly and could not restrain themselves. Not knowing where to search for their children’s bodies, they became still more grievously distressed. The people then returned, and the bhikshus related the entire matter to the Buddha and asked him about it. The Buddha told everyone:

—I already knew the span of life allotted to them from their previous lives; it could not be prolonged through supplication.

He summoned their parents and told them not to grieve, for the former karma of those five hundred children was destined to ripen in this way during their present lives. Although their lifespans had now ended, they had been reborn in the Tusita heaven, where together they had aroused the aspiration to cultivate the bodhisattva conduct. The Buddha then emitted brilliant rays of light, enabling their parents to see their children there. When the Buddha called from afar, “Five hundred youths, come forth!”, the youths all came and stood in midair. They scattered flowers as offerings to the Buddha, then descended, bowed their heads at his feet, and requested refuge in the Buddha. The youths said:

—Through the Blessed One’s gracious benevolence, although we lost our bodily lives, we were reborn in the heavenly realm and encountered Maitreya Buddha. We beseech you, in your compassionate benevolence, to teach and deliver those who have not yet awakened.

The Buddha said:

—Excellent! You have considered this well. You understand the most true Dharma of awakening. Because you constructed monasteries and stupas, through that wholesome cause you were reborn in the heavenly realm, encountered Maitreya Buddha, and received instruction in the Dharma.

The Buddha further taught the Dharma for their sake, causing them all to rejoice and abide in the Dharma of non-retrogression. Each of them then said to their parents:

“Father and Mother, please do not grieve. Every living person has a lifespan that cannot be held back. Therefore, you must strive diligently and cultivate yourselves by means of the Dharma. Those living within the three realms are as if confined in prison. Only by attaining the Way and transcending the cycle of birth and death can one become completely free and at ease. Therefore, take refuge in the Three Jewels, escape the sway of the three currents, and arouse the mind of bodhi; only then may you hope to endure for a long time, journey everywhere teaching and transforming, and deliver all beings to liberation.”

His parents both followed their son’s instructions and thus aroused the mind of the Way. At that time, those heavenly sons bowed at the feet of the Buddha, circumambulated him three times, and, after paying homage, withdrew. They suddenly vanished and returned to Tusita Heaven.

When the Buddha had given this teaching, everyone joyfully received and understood it.

Sutra 34: The Buddha’s Teaching on the Story of the Poisonous Plant

Long ago, in a certain country, there was a vast forest whose luxuriant trees towered into the sky, and no one cut them down or damaged them. In that forest dwelt a tree deity who thoroughly understood principles and meaning. His comings, goings, and actions were always appropriate and unlike those of others.

He often traveled throughout the four directions and passed through many unfamiliar forests. At that time, the tree deity was very joyful and freely allowed people entering the forest to gather fruit, collect firewood, and cut grass, without the slightest resentment. The spring waters were shaded by the trees, and those who drank from them were always peaceful and well.

Then a bird flew in from afar, carrying in its beak an exceedingly noxious and poisonous plant. As it flew over the forest, it dropped the poisonous plant. As soon as the poisonous plant fell upon a branch, its toxin penetrated the tree, causing more than half of it to wither.

Seeing this, the forest deity thought, “This poison is exceedingly virulent. The instant it fell upon the tree, it caused half of it to wither. Before half a day or even a single night has passed, it has withered so badly.

In fewer than ten days, all the trees in this forest will have withered!”

While he still did not know how to eliminate that harmful poison, a heavenly deity spoke from empty space:

“Tree deity, before long, a person of profound wisdom traveling on a journey of teaching and transformation will pass through this forest. Prepare a cache of gold and conceal it in the forest so that you may hire him to remove this poison. Have him cleanse each tree down to its roots, leaving not the slightest trace of poison within any tree. Only then will you all enjoy lasting peace and security. Otherwise, before the day grows dark, the poisoned tree will wither entirely, followed by the whole forest.”

The tree deity heeded these words, transformed himself into a man, and stood beside the road waiting. When that person arrived, he immediately said:

“I have a treasury of gold that I shall give you. Please exert yourself to eradicate completely the toxin in this poisoned tree, removing it down to the roots.”

Hearing that he would receive an entire great treasury of gold, the man readily agreed. He then eradicated completely, down to its roots, the toxin that was destroying the tree. The tree deity rejoiced and immediately presented him with the treasury of gold. After accepting the gold, the man took his leave, and through it his household became wealthy. The tree deity rejoiced at having escaped the calamity of poisoning. The trees remained secure for a long time, their flowers and fruits flourishing abundantly. There was no longer any fear of poisonous harm, and all transgressions vanished.

The Buddha said:

“The forest symbolizes the three realms. The tree deity symbolizes the bodhisattva who arouses the resolve to deliver sentient beings. The bird coming from afar with poison symbolizes the conceptions of demonic obstruction that arise from ignorance. The deity in empty space is the Tathagata, the One Most True, of Complete and Perfect Awakening.”

The Buddha employed this story to guide and instruct those cultivating and studying the Dharma: Do not follow the paths of Mara, but rely upon good spiritual friends—the great bodhisattva beings and like-minded fellow practitioners. Only then may you hope to eliminate the three defilements and all grievous calamities and hardships. Removing the poison from the tree down to its roots symbolizes destroying the darkness of lust, anger, and delusion.

If these are not eradicated completely, one will remain submerged within the three realms, while offenses continue to accumulate and enshroud one; then no spiritual power can enable one to deliver sentient beings from the suffering and anguish of birth and death. The gift of the treasury symbolizes the treasury of the Dharma. The great bodhisattva beings successively assist one another in fulfilling their mission of delivering sentient beings, just as all rivers seek to flow into the great ocean.

The tree deity’s rejoicing, freedom from calamity and sorrow, and continued dwelling in that forest symbolize bodhisattvas who have attained the great compassion and patience regarding the non-arising of dharmas, and who therefore continually journey throughout the three realms to teach, transform, and deliver all sentient beings everywhere. Rejoicing upon receiving the treasure and thereby making one’s household wealthy signifies attaining the Dharma treasury of dharani, the six paramitas, the thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening, cultivation of the four immeasurable minds, the four seals, the ten powers, skillful harmony with the fundamental fearlessnesses, and faculties serene in meditative concentration.

These are precisely limitless treasures and the immeasurable riches of the Dharma. Returning home signifies liberation and return to the true, pure source of the realm of the Way. From there, one manifests the body of a Buddha to propagate the Dharma, revealing, teaching, transforming, and delivering beings throughout the ten directions, with none failing to receive its grace.

Sutra 35: The Buddha’s Parable of the Giant Soft-Shelled Turtle

Long ago, there was a king of soft-shelled turtles who roamed throughout the great ocean, journeying here and there in delight. At one time, the turtle king came to the seashore, crawled up to the water’s edge, and lay there. Its body was both long and broad, extending sixty leagues on either side. It lay there basking for many days and fell into a deep sleep upon the ground, without moving at all.

Then a caravan of merchants arriving from afar passed that way. Seeing this place, they thought it was high, dry seashore connected to the land and safe to traverse. Five hundred merchants, together with carts, horses, and livestock numbering in the thousands, all stopped upon the turtle’s back.

They split firewood, kindled fires, prepared food and drink, and pastured such animals as oxen, horses, donkeys, mules, and camels, which walked about, stood, and lay down upon the back of that enormous creature. The turtle king’s body was scorched so intensely that it stirred. It immediately turned and crawled swiftly into the great ocean, swimming rapidly here and there, yet the harmful fire upon its back still did not go out.

Seeing this, the merchants thought that an earthquake had occurred and that the ocean waters were surging over the land. They cried out in anguish:

“Today we shall certainly die! What are we to do?”

The turtle’s body was in such unbearable pain that it immediately plunged deep into the ocean, drowning all the people; the oxen, horses, and other livestock also perished.

At that time, the bodhisattva said to his disciples:

-The analogy given above is intended to explain the following meaning: The caravan of merchants coming from afar represents human beings in the three realms. The five hundred merchants represent the five skandhas, the six sense objects, and the perils of the ayatanas. The turtle's body, sixty miles in length and breadth, represents the twofold interaction of the six links among the twelve links of dependent origination, which causes sentient beings to revolve endlessly in the boundless realm of birth and death, wandering throughout the five paths without knowing when it will ever cease.

Kindling a fire to cook food represents the fierce proliferation of the three poisons and the powerful arising of sensual desire. The turtle running into the vast sea represents those who commit the ten evil deeds and, after death, fall into the three evil paths of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals, where they undergo sufferings too numerous to describe. Therefore, the Tathagata clearly manifests His noble virtues and boundless wisdom of great awakening, passing through the realm of birth and death to save sentient beings who are beset by dangerous calamities, obscured by transgressions, and shrouded in darkness without understanding.

He reveals the radiant splendor of the Dharma, causing the minds of sentient beings to open and expand, and enabling them all to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, right, and true awakening.

Sutra 36: The Buddha Teaches the Account of the Bodhisattva Who Was Once the King of the Turtles

Long ago, there was a bodhisattva who had once been born as the king of the turtles. Born and raised in the vast sea, he taught and transformed those of his own kind as though they were his children, and all his subjects were required to cultivate goodness and accumulate virtue. The turtle king himself also upheld the true Dharma and practiced the four immeasurable states of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, cherishing sentient beings as a mother lovingly shelters and nurtures her own children.

The turtle king traveled throughout the sea, teaching and transforming all those of his kind who had not yet awakened, seeking to bring peace and well-being to all creatures, together with an abundant life free from hunger and cold. This sea was exceedingly deep and vast, with boundless shores and abysses, yet he traveled throughout it, leaving no place unvisited, in order to rescue those in peril and cause their transgressions to be eliminated.

At that time, the turtle king emerged from the sea and went to rest upon the shore. After many days and months, his body lay as solidly as a tract of high ground joined to the earth. A caravan of merchants arriving from afar saw that this place was high and dry, so they stopped upon it, split firewood, kindled a fire, and cooked their food.

They also tethered and confined their oxen and horses there, and piled up all the provisions they had brought, together with their carts. Seeing this scene, the turtle king was also scorched by the fire burning upon his back, while all the people and vehicles remained upon him. Unfortunately, he was unable to speak.

He wished to plunge deep into the water, but feared harming everyone, which would have been an unbearable act contrary to his aspiration for the Way. He therefore strove to endure it, though the pain was beyond description. The turtle king then devised an expedient plan: he would enter the shallow water and immerse his body, thereby extinguishing the raging fire without endangering the lives of the merchants.

This would accomplish two purposes at once and involve no wrongdoing. Just as he had conceived it, he immediately carried out this plan. The merchants became greatly terrified, thinking that the seawater was rising and flooding over them, and cried out piteously:

-This time we shall certainly die! We take refuge and entrust our lives to Lord Shakra, Brahma, the Four Heavenly Kings, and the deities of the radiance of the sun and moon. We beseech you to use your majestic spiritual power to save us.

Seeing this, the turtle king felt even greater compassion and accordingly informed the merchants:

-Be careful, and do not be afraid! Because I was being scorched by the fire, I left the place where I had been lying and entered the seawater to put an end to my pain. I am at ease now, and there is no longer any danger!

When the merchants heard this, they rejoiced greatly, knowing that they had hope of survival, and together cried aloud:

-Namo Buddha.

The turtle aroused great loving-kindness and compassion and gradually carried all the merchants and their belongings close to the seashore. Everyone escaped death and rejoiced. From a distance they bowed to the turtle king, praising his virtue and honoring him as the bridge that had borne them safely across. They declared that this deed was itself the vessel that would carry them beyond the three realms to attain Buddhahood, after which he would return to save everyone from the sufferings and calamities of birth and death.

The turtle king replied:

-Excellent! Excellent! It is just as the Tathagata has said. Now you should depart on your own!

The Buddha said:

-The turtle king at that time was I myself, and the five hundred merchants were the five hundred disciples, such as the Venerable Shariputra and the others.

Knowing their past lives and lifespans, the Buddha taught this to His disciples because He wished to cause them to resolve firmly to cultivate virtue.

Sutra 37: The Buddha Teaches a Parable About the Harmfulness of Poison

Long ago, there was a household in which the entire family delighted in committing harmful deeds with poison. Whenever they completed one such harmful act, their household became wealthier. They paid no heed whatsoever to past lives, lifespans, transgressions, merit, or karmic retribution.

The entire country detested them, and no one dared associate or conduct business with them, fearing an encounter with them as one would fear a deadly danger. Because the whole country shunned them, when they wished to arrange marriages for their children, no one dared give a daughter to them. Everyone warned one another that this was a family specializing in harmful deeds with poison, the most vicious occupation in the world, contrary to all righteousness and concerned only with taking human life.

They reasoned that if they formed a marriage alliance with this family, once the family had no one else left to poison, they would turn back and poison their own in-laws. Thus, everyone avoided them as they would vicious bandits. When bandits fight others, they use weapons and physical force in combat, and one can still distinguish the strong from the weak.

But a family that uses poison secretly harms people, and once someone has been poisoned by them, that person's life can no longer be saved. Everyone knew this, so all avoided them and refused to cooperate with them in any undertaking. The man found himself in extreme difficulty as he searched everywhere for a wife for his son, for no family was willing to give him a daughter.

Consequently, he traveled more than a thousand miles away to another country to seek a wife for his son. His family was wealthy and eminent, while the young woman's household was poor and straitened. Seeing that he was rich, her family became covetous and gave their daughter to him, hoping not to be poisoned by him and also to acquire additional wealth.

He brought the young woman home and held a grand and fully appointed wedding ceremony. The continual ceremonies and formalities caused the family to expend much of its wealth, so they had to poison and kill someone in order to become wealthy again. The parents-in-law ordered their daughter-in-law to go poison and kill someone, saying:

-The ancestral profession of our family requires us to do this ourselves!

Upon hearing this command, the daughter-in-law was sorrowful and said to her parents-in-law:

-My parents practiced goodness and never harmed anyone. Therefore, I will not accept the task of poisoning and harming another person. I would rather die than commit such a violation. Even if you curse and revile me, I still cannot obey your command.

Thereupon, the husband and wife appealed to the spirit of poison:

-Today we ordered this daughter-in-law to go poison and harm someone, but she refuses to obey. What should we do?

The spirit of poison replied:

—I must reform her so that she will no longer disobey my instructions.

The spirit then transformed into a venomous snake and crawled toward the daughter-in-law. Terrified, she did not know where she could hide from it. At times the snake appeared above her head; when she ate, it appeared before her face; when she drank, it appeared among the utensils; when she slept, it appeared on her bed; and when she walked, it followed behind her. The daughter-in-law was so frightened that she did not know where to take refuge. She became emaciated, reduced to skin and bones, and could neither eat nor drink. The malevolent spirit then commanded her to poison others. In utter distress and having no other recourse, she reluctantly obeyed the malevolent spirit’s instructions.

At that time, a member of her own family came to visit. Seeing that the young woman was emaciated and unwell, the visitor was astonished and asked why she had become like this. The young woman related the entire story from beginning to end and then said:

—When you return to my home, you must tell my parents to come quickly and take me back. Otherwise, I will surely die.

The acquaintance returned and fully recounted the matter to her parents. Grief-stricken and anxious, her father prepared a carriage and horses and swiftly went to bring his daughter home. Upon arriving, he said to her parents-in-law:

—My daughter’s mother has been longing for her and weeping throughout the night. Because she misses her so deeply, she has sent me to bring our daughter home so that mother and child may see one another. After a short while, we shall send her back to her husband’s household.

Her parents-in-law agreed to let her go. Her father brought his daughter home and afterward said to her parents-in-law:

—Your family makes a practice of poisoning people. I have taken your daughter-in-law away, and I will not return her.

“If a dispute arose between the two parties and there were a magistrate to adjudicate the case, to which side would he award her?” Because this matter threatened the destruction of the entire household, the young woman’s father was determined not to yield. Only if her husband’s family abandoned the practice of poisoning people would he allow his daughter to return as their daughter-in-law. The husband’s parents discussed the matter together:

—This young woman is truly upright and beautiful, a rarity in the world. We cannot give her up. We would rather abandon our family’s poisonous trade. Moreover, if the authorities learned of it, the danger would be even greater!

They immediately ceased that harmful practice and made a solemn pledge with the young woman’s father that they would never transgress again. The father-in-law ordered someone to cast away the malevolent spirit, and from that time onward the household became peaceful and secure.

That malevolent spirit represents the four kinds of Mara. Committing poisonous acts in pursuit of wealth represents the heavenly maras and hosts of wicked spirits. Their choosing a daughter-in-law day after day while no one in the country was willing to give them a daughter in marriage represents those who do not follow Mara’s teachings.

Sending someone to seek a daughter-in-law in another region and finding one there represents defiled dharmas. Instructing her to poison others while she refused to obey represents clearly recognizing Mara and not falling into the five skandhas. Sending someone to inform her parents represents following the teachings of prajnaparamita together with skillful means.

Asking her father to come and take her home represents returning to the root of emptiness. Causing the married woman to abandon poisoning and return to her mother represents eliminating the three poisons and all deluded thoughts, and seeking accord with the four immeasurable minds. By means of the six paramitas and appropriate skillful means, one guides all sentient beings in the three realms and attains boundless true and correct wisdom.

Sutra 38: The Buddha’s Discourse on Instructing One’s Child

Long ago, there was a man whose father had died when he was young. He lived alone with his mother and had not received complete instruction and discipline. In coming and going, he knew no restraint.

He did not observe proper decorum, violated the teachings in the texts of the sages of former times, refused to study and comprehend the scriptural Dharma, and was led astray by foolish companions. He joined their company to indulge in drinking, gambling, ostentatious displays, attachment to outward appearances, unrestrained sensual desires, and aimless wandering. He would not establish himself through filial devotion and the cultivation of virtue, but instead committed many evil deeds.

His mouth uttered coarse words, and his mind conceived harmful thoughts. He gave no heed to his parents’ teachings and admonitions, but made unlawful conduct and reckless behavior his occupation.

His mother suffered greatly because of such a son. Wishing to instruct him thoroughly in the rules of proper deportment, transform his disposition and conduct, cause him to be vigilant over his thoughts, guard his speech, uphold the texts of the sages of former times, reform his body and mind according to the principles of his forebears, and reverently receive and uphold the boundless path and Dharma of the Blessed One, the mother spoke with heartfelt sincerity these profound words of admonition to her son:

Always conduct yourself gently;

Befriend the virtuous, near and far.

Constantly praise, exhort, and assist;

Cultivating long, attain the Dharma seat.

The son asked his mother:

If I always conduct myself gently,

What shall I thereby obtain?

If I associate with good friends,

What further benefit will I gain?

Why should one always praise,

Exhort, and offer assistance?

Cultivating long and gaining the true Dharma,

What further excellence is there?

The mother told her son:

If your conduct is gentle,

Everyone will honor and cherish you.

If you associate with good friends,

You will stand firm and never fall.

If you always receive exhortation and aid,

You will acquire abundant wealth.

Cultivating long and attaining the true Dharma,

At death, you will be born in a heavenly realm.

The son said to his mother:

—Excellent indeed are my mother’s teachings! This admonition is truly unsurpassed; this teaching of Dharma is truly boundless, majestic and immeasurable, and cannot be fully expressed. Until now, I have been ignorant and benighted, turning my back upon profound kindness, pursuing falsehood and perversity, and failing to know the path of ultimate truth.

Deluded by appearances, I have disgraced my lineage and clan. I considered myself talented and wise; though unenlightened, I deemed myself enlightened; though lacking attainment, I deemed myself accomplished. I did not know how to distinguish high from low or superior from inferior, and above all, I failed to recognize my mother’s wise instruction.

I slighted goodness and esteemed evil. I did not properly follow the path of filial care to repay my kind mother’s benevolence. Abandoning benevolence, I followed cruelty and associated with fools as my companions, causing ignorance and delusion to accumulate ever more deeply.

Through receiving my mother’s instruction, which clearly reveals kindness, manifests overflowing compassion, and is the source of nurturing transformation, causing one to become better and extending throughout the ten directions, I now vow to receive, uphold, and practice it, never daring to err or forget.

The son reverently bowed and thanked his mother, resolving to cultivate in accordance with her instructions and never again deviate from them. Practicing and advancing according to the Dharma, he constantly acted with gentleness and was beloved throughout the kingdom. He chose virtuous people as friends and never bullied or despised others. He constantly offered exhortation and assistance, bringing together those who had been separated and reconciling those in conflict. In this way, he was presented with great riches and immeasurable treasures. The son reverently bowed, took refuge in the Buddha, received and upheld the five precepts, and practiced the ten wholesome deeds. The devas supported and protected him.

When the king heard of him, he summoned him and appointed him a great minister. The king said:

—I have heard that your virtuous conduct brings joy to the entire kingdom, and so I ordered that you be summoned to assist in affairs of state. A country cannot do without worthy ministers; only when worthy ministers give their assistance can the land enjoy peace and security and the nations of the four directions submit to its majestic virtue. Thus shall you attain honor and distinction.

The man respectfully replied:

“Your servant would not dare disobey Your Majesty’s sacred will, but I fear that my virtue is slight and that I am unworthy of the task entrusted to me; that would be deeply shameful! If I failed to fulfill the responsibility assigned by the king and caused the myriad people to complain resentfully, I would find the matter exceedingly difficult. Therefore, I dare not accept your command.”

The king said:

“I have observed the benevolence and virtue revealed in your speech, conduct, movements, and comings and goings. You are indeed capable of accomplishing this task, and that is why I summoned you here!”

The man remained silent and was appointed a great minister. The king then told him:

“There is a certain king with whom I once enjoyed friendly relations, as intimate as blood kin. Later, however, slanderous rumors caused us to oppose each other and fall out. As the months and years passed, our suspicions and enmity only deepened, making reconciliation difficult. I wish to appoint you as my envoy to go and reconcile this matter. If you succeed, I shall richly reward you with wealth and high office.”

The man replied:

“I respectfully obey.”

He then used his own property to prepare every kind of delicious food and precious treasure and took them to the other kingdom. Bowing reverently, he addressed that country’s king:

“Though your servant is ignorant, I have received the sovereign’s favor and have therefore come as an envoy on behalf of my king. I was commanded to bring this food, drink, gold, silver, jewels, and treasures as tribute to Your Majesty. Formerly, my king erred and acted improperly, thereby offending Your Majesty’s sacred will. Many years and months have passed since the estrangement began. My king has felt deeply ashamed and remorseful, unable to find peace, and has therefore sent this humble servant to present tribute and ask Your Majesty to forgive the former clashes and disputes that gave rise to those transgressions.”

Hearing this, the king was delighted at heart, yet he also reproached himself: “For a long time I have wished to seek reconciliation, but before I could do so, this envoy came to apologize first. In this matter, I am truly unable to equal him.”

The king then wrote a letter with his own hand to inform the other king:

“Although we have long been separated and unable to speak face-to-face, I have always remembered our former friendship, and not a day has passed without my thinking of it. During our estrangement, I failed to visit Your Majesty and neglected to meet with you. Now Your Excellency has sent a worthy minister bearing delicacies and treasures as gifts. I shall forever remember this profound goodwill and never forget it. I ask that we meet once so that we may clear away all our former grievances. I now send Your Majesty these precious treasures through my representative as a small expression of my personal esteem!”

When the other king received the letter, he was overjoyed beyond measure. They appointed a day to meet and rejoiced together. On examining the source of their former discord, they found that others had misrepresented matters and caused mutual misunderstandings, leading to that calamity. They agreed that it would be most fitting for the two kingdoms to stand side by side, form a profound bond, and help each other in both ordinary and urgent affairs. The king then conferred an even higher rank upon the great minister and bestowed upon him treasures beyond measure.

Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:

“Was not the mother’s sincere instruction exceedingly great?”

The Buddha said:

“It was indeed exceedingly great!”

Venerable Ananda again asked the Buddha:

“In future generations, should everyone put that instruction into practice?”

The Buddha said:

“Some will follow it, while others will not! Why is this so? In future generations, most people will be rebellious and disorderly.

They will esteem evil and scorn goodness, indulging their passions without restraint. Ministers will seek to harm their kings; children will kill their parents; disciples will harm their teachers. They will not remember profound virtue and merit, nor reflect upon the kindness of those who nurtured and raised them.

They will seek to harm everyone and care only for themselves. They will envy and hate their own teachers as though they were enemies. Are such offenses not exceedingly grave?

Why? Because disciples in later generations will appear humble and respectful in their teachers’ presence, yet behind their backs they will seek to oppose them, their hearts lacking sincerity. Venerable teachers appear in the world to proclaim and spread the Dharma and to teach, transform, and liberate all sentient beings.

Therefore, betraying, envying, and maliciously harming a venerable teacher rank foremost among offenses; nothing can adequately express their full gravity.

“People of virtue will also commonly appear in future generations, but just as trees and plants are plentiful throughout the world while fragrant trees and aromatic herbs are rare, and gold and precious substances are even rarer in mountains and earth, so too will it be with good people who cultivate merit and virtue. When evil people commit wrongdoing, great multitudes of their companions join them. Those who understand what is right and true are exceedingly few.

“When Maitreya Buddha appears in the world, people of benevolence and virtue will be numerous. They will esteem goodness and despise evil. There will be no sycophantic factions, and morality and virtue will flourish and spread everywhere beyond description. Everyone will devote themselves to cultivating the unsurpassed Way and will commit no wicked or sinful deeds. They will always be filial and obedient toward both parents, respect their elders and superiors, obey their teachers, and take refuge in the Three Jewels. Consequently, the Three Vehicles will arise and flourish, the three poisons will be eradicated, and those transformed and liberated will be immeasurable. All will attain the fruit of the Way.”

After hearing these words, Venerable Ananda felt sorrow and joy intermingled. He thought, “If such tribulations are to occur during the future age of the Dharma’s decline, how could its people compare with those living in remote mountain forests, who, though ignorant, can clearly discern the proper paths by which to come and go?” Having reflected thus, Venerable Ananda reverently bowed at the Buddha’s feet and withdrew.

Sutra 39: The Buddha’s Discourse on the Story of a Man Who Repaid His Debt by Taking the Body of an Ox

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhiksus and a full gathering of bodhisattvas.

Early one morning, the Buddha donned his robe, took his alms bowl in hand, and entered the city to seek alms. At that same time, a man from a distant region brought a large, powerful, and well-fed ox and sold it to someone in the city. The buyer led the ox home, intending to slaughter it. At the city gate, the ox encountered the Buddha. Because the owner saw that the ox was large and strong and feared that it might struggle free, he asked more than ten men to help him lead it away.

When the ox saw the Buddha from afar, sorrow and joy mingled in its heart. It broke its tether and escaped, running with great speed. Though the ten men pursued it, they could not restrain it. It ran straight toward the Tathagata. The Buddha knew that the ox was recollecting its lifespan in a former existence. Seeing this, Venerable Ananda stepped forward to drive it aside, fearing that it might offend or injure the Tathagata. Everyone was frightened, afraid that it might harm the Buddha.

The Buddha told Venerable Ananda:

“Come back here. Do not drive it away.”

The ox immediately went straight to the Buddha, knelt on its two front legs, and bellowed loudly at his feet. Tears streamed down its face, and from its mouth came these words:

“I reverently beseech the World-Honored One to extend his compassion, rescue me from this peril, and deliver me from this calamity. In this life, it is exceedingly difficult to encounter a Great Sage. Only after hundreds of thousands of kotis of lives does the World-Honored One appear in the world, and he does so to teach and liberate the myriad kinds of beings. I therefore reverently beseech you to bestow your great loving-kindness upon me so that I may receive deliverance this once.”

The Buddha said:

“Excellent! You are truly pitiable! Because your mind was deluded, you have encountered this calamity.”

Venerable Ananda and all the assemblies of devas, nagas, ghosts, and spirits were astonished and regarded this as extraordinary, wondering how an animal could know to take refuge in the Honored One of Devas. Venerable Ananda then stepped forward, knelt prostrate, and asked the Buddha:

“Why did this ox take refuge in the Buddha as soon as it encountered him? Surely there must be some underlying cause and history behind this?”

The Buddha said:

“Long ago in the distant past, there was a wheel-turning king who ruled the four continents. He possessed a thousand sons and the seven treasures. He governed the realm according to the true Dharma, never oppressed the people, and brought peace throughout the land.

The people lived in security and well-being, and the five kinds of grain were always abundant. The king also possessed the four virtues. He regarded the people as his children, while they served him as their father.

Sramanas, brahmins, elders, and all the common people treated one another with friendship. The king himself had never suffered illness and was always healthy, peaceful, and happy. Throughout the four continents, people constantly praised the king’s merit and virtue, spreading his renown throughout the ten directions.

At that time, after the wheel-turning king had completed a journey of inspection throughout the four quarters and was preparing to return to his palace, he saw a man who seemed to be someone he had known long ago. The man had been seized by a creditor and bound to the foot of a tree, unable to leave. The wheel-turning king, accompanied by the seven treasures, stopped and went no farther.

Wondering at the matter, he looked from a distance and saw that this old acquaintance had been seized and bound because he owed fifty taels of gold. His creditor had detained him and would not let him go. The holy king said to the creditor:

“‘Untie him and let him go! I shall repay you twice the amount—one hundred taels of gold.’

“The creditor replied:

“‘I, in turn, must pay a certain man one hundred taels of gold, so I must use this gold to make up that payment. Therefore, I cannot treat the matter lightly.’

“The holy king immediately ordered a minister to return to the palace, retrieve one hundred taels of gold, and give them to the creditor. The minister obeyed. The creditor then untied the debtor, who was able to return safely to his home.

Although the creditor received the king’s gold, he did not repay the man to whom he owed it. That man repeatedly went to the palace gates to seek the gold but could not obtain it. When he searched for the creditor, the latter had fled and disappeared.

Wandering again and again through birth and death for countless kalpas, the creditor never repaid the debt he owed. In this life, he therefore fell into the animal realm and became this ox. The amount owed, together with the price for which the ox was sold to repay the debt, had grown to several thousand taels of gold.

For this reason, the ox came to take refuge in the Buddha. When conditions from a former life lead and bind one so, how can one escape?”

The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:

“The wheel-turning king of that time was I myself, and that deceitful creditor is now this ox. As the holy king, I stood surety to help him repay his debt, but he failed to pay it. Therefore, he now looks to the Buddha for refuge and asks the Buddha to help repay his debt.”

The Buddha said to the ox’s owner:

“I shall go on alms round on your behalf to make up the full amount of gold you spent to purchase this ox.”

The ox’s owner refused and demanded that the ox be returned. The Buddha then said:

“Weigh this ox. Whatever it weighs, I am willing to pay you that same weight in gold.”

Even then, the man refused. At that moment, Sakra, Lord of the Devas, and the Brahma kings appeared, joined their palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“May the Buddha not go on alms round. Even if you wished to obtain countless thousands of kotis of taels of gold, we would gladly bring it and spread it over both sides of the oxhide.”

Sakra, Brahma, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings brought gold, piled it high, and spread it over both sides of the oxhide. Only then did the man relent and cease demanding the ox. The Buddha brought the ox back to the Jeta Grove Monastery.

Once there, the ox beheld the bodily marks of the Buddha, the forms of the holy assembly, and the virtues of the bodhisattvas, all majestic and immeasurable, august and radiant like the moon among the stars. Their spiritual might shone everywhere and could never be fully described. During this time, the ox contemplated the Buddha, the Dharma, and the holy assembly.

After seven days, its life ended, and it was immediately reborn in the heavenly realm. Remembering and understanding the merit and kindness that the Blessed One had shown it in a former life, the ox returned from heaven to the human world, scattered flowers as offerings to the Buddha in gratitude for that benevolence, and respectfully bowed at the Buddha’s feet. The Buddha expounded the sutras and Dharma for it, whereupon it resolved to seek unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.

It immediately became established on the Stage of Non-retrogression, attained acceptance of the non-arising of dharmas, and returned to the heavenly realm.

Sutra 40: The Buddha’s Teaching Concerning the Brahmin Radiant Flower

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with an assembly of 1,250 bhiksus and an innumerable gathering of bodhisattvas.

At that time, a vast multitude numbering several thousand had assembled in the Buddha’s presence. All had shaved off their beards and hair and become sramanas. They formed themselves into groups of five hundred, diligently cultivated virtue in accordance with the path, and strove energetically without the slightest indolence. They attained spiritual powers, severed the root of birth and death, and all realized the fruits of the path. They then traveled throughout the ten directions to liberate sentient beings.

The Venerable Ananda addressed the Buddha:

“What vows did all these practitioners of the path make in their former lives, and what virtues did they cultivate, that they have now attained such honor? Their wisdom and spiritual powers are clearly foremost.”

The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:

“Long ago in the distant past, ninety-one kalpas ago, during the time of Vipasyin Buddha, there was a king named Candala, whose capital was called Candalamati. At that time, there was a brahmin named Radiant Flower. He was widely learned in the scriptures and extensively proclaimed and disseminated the Dharma teachings.

There was no profound or subtle doctrine that he did not thoroughly understand. This brahmin had five hundred disciples who attended upon him and studied under him. He frequently went into the presence of Vipasyin Tathagata to hear teachings and receive and uphold the scriptures.

He encouraged and instructed the people, dispelled their remaining ignorance and darkness, and guided them toward the true path so that they might become sramanas, taking the cultivation of virtue as their life’s work. At that time, the kingdom had as many as five hundred military encampments. From each encampment, five hundred men became sramanas, as did the great ministers and all the officials.

An elder instructed the people, and they too left their homes to become sramanas. They diligently practiced the teachings, never violating the precepts. After their lives ended, they were reborn in the heavenly realm.

When their celestial lifespans were exhausted, they were reborn among humans. Thus they ascended and descended, one after another in succession, for as many as ninety-one kalpas. In the time of the present Buddha, they have all likewise become sramanas.

They have all assembled in the Buddha’s presence, bowed at his feet, and then withdrawn to sit to one side. The assemblies of devas, nagas, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garudas, kimnaras, mahoragas, humans, and nonhumans have all come before the Blessed One, bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, and then withdrawn to stand to one side. At that moment, the Buddha smiled.

The Venerable Ananda asked:

“Through what causes and conditions does the Buddha smile? The Blessed One, the Supremely True One, never smiles without reason. Please explain the meaning of this.”

The Buddha asked the Venerable Ananda:

“Do you see the assemblies of devas, nagas, ghosts, and spirits gathered here?”

The Venerable Ananda replied:

“Yes, I see them.”

The Buddha said to the Venerable Ananda:

—In the time of Dīpaṅkara Buddha, there was a great kingdom named Candramatī, whose king was named Candra. All upheld the teachings and took refuge in the Three Jewels. At that time, there was a brahmin named Radiant Flower, whose wisdom encompassed the three knowledges and who had mastered all the scriptures.

There was no profound principle he did not thoroughly understand. Encountering Dīpaṅkara Buddha as he was teaching and transforming beings throughout the ten directions, revered by all in heaven and on earth, he exhorted five hundred people to go to the Buddha, become śramaṇas, and receive and uphold the scriptures and precepts. At that time, the king of that country renounced his throne and kingdom and, together with five hundred people, also became śramaṇas.

A great elder likewise taught and transformed a retinue of five hundred people, leading them to become śramaṇas. They all received and upheld the Dharma, cultivated diligently, and attained spiritual powers. They constantly manifested the four immeasurable states of loving-kindness, compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity.

For ninety-one kalpas they did not fall into the evil destinies, but were born only in the heavenly or human realms. Now, having obtained human bodies, they have all assembled here and have likewise gone forth as śramaṇas, comprehended and upheld the scriptures and precepts, and attained the fruits of the path. You should know that the brahmin of that time was none other than I myself.

The king, his subjects, and the great elder’s followers were, in general, those who cultivated and studied together in the time of Dīpaṅkara Tathagata, the Perfectly Awakened One. Having previously sown the seeds, they now reap the harvest. Their merit has never been lost, and each has attained the result for himself.

When they heard the Buddha give this teaching, innumerable people resolved to seek unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. At that very moment, they became established on the stage of non-retrogression and became bodhisattvas destined for Buddhahood after one more birth. Their number was beyond reckoning, and those who attained the fruit of arhatship were equally numerous.

When the Buddha had given this teaching, everyone joyfully received and understood it.

Sutra 41: The Buddha Teaches the Sutra of the Parable of Transformative Instruction

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, together with a great Sangha of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikshus.

At that time, there was a householder who had grown weary of the suffering of worldly life and recognized that all things were impermanent. He saw that all the possessions he owned were no more than illusions, and that living in the realm between heaven and earth was like being a passing traveler. Nothing was worthy of desire; only the true Dharma endured forever.

He therefore went forth and became a śramaṇa, practicing diligently without indolence. Because he had not yet fulfilled his original aspiration, he entered the mountains. There he practiced day and night without the slightest negligence, sparing neither body nor life.

He cultivated the six practices of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, single-minded concentration, and wisdom, guarding his mind from deluded agitation. Yet in the end he did not attain the fruit of the path. His mind changed, and he regretted what he had done and wished to return to secular life.

He had already studied the path for many years, practicing diligently without ever ceasing, yet his mind remained obscured, and he did not know what his goal was. When he formerly lived in the world, he had always delighted in discussion and possessed an eloquent tongue. Now, living in the mountains, he could learn nothing further. Not knowing whether to advance or retreat or which way to turn, he thought it would be better to remove his monastic robes and return to his former occupation, but he hesitated and had not yet decided.

At that time, the mountain spirits and tree spirits knew his thoughts. Regretting that his efforts in cultivation might be wasted, they wished to help him accomplish the undertaking he had chosen. For if they allowed him to return home, his mind would surely become stained by many faults and defilements, and he would remain endlessly tormented by the sufferings of life, beyond all description.

Thereupon, one spirit transformed into a bhikshuni, wishing to resolve his confused and agitated thoughts and arouse within him the mind of the path and steadfast determination. This bhikshuni wore many precious ornaments, and her countenance was radiant, a rare sight in the world. Another spirit transformed into a young woman, upright and graceful in appearance, possessing unsurpassed beauty and a brilliant bearing that none could equal.

The two spoke to each other:

—You are a bhikshuni; why does your body bear precious jeweled necklaces, and why are your lips as lovely as lustrous red jewels?

The bhikshuni said:

—Precious things are like magical illusions, and lovely lips are merely like a brilliantly colored painting. A clearly graceful appearance is only an outward sheen of flesh and fat; what is there to desire? As for you, although your form today is lovely, radiant as springtime flowers, the human body is like fruit about to fall and cannot remain forever upon the tree.

The four great elements come together and then disperse; there is nothing that can truly be called their master. The mind alone is the root, traveling by itself through the three realms, with nothing following it. Misfortune and blessing pursue the body just as a shadow follows its form.

The three realms are all empty, with nothing upon which one may rely. Covered by transgressions and obstructed by the five skandhas and the six coverings, the mind becomes closed and cannot clearly comprehend the Dharma practices of meditation and samādhi.

When the bhikshu cultivating in the mountains heard this discourse, his mind immediately awakened. He clearly understood that it was exactly as she had said: the body of the four great elements originally arises through the convergence of causes and conditions; craving for the body is self-harm; and when thoroughly analyzed, the body is fundamentally empty, like a temporary lodging. Regarding all people throughout the ten directions without distinguishing between intimate and distant, his mind became open and thoroughly liberated. All outflows were exhausted, the root of birth and death was severed, and he no longer gave rise to discrimination. Coming and going freely, he was no longer attached to the dust of defilement.

When the bhikshu attained this understanding, the mountain forest suddenly appeared like a floating cloud. The spirit of the tree knelt and bowed, confessing the bitter suffering of being swept along the course of transmigration through the three realms, obstructed by the five skandhas, and continually led onward without end by the twelve links of dependent origination. The spirit implored the bhikshu to have compassion and save it from those coverings.

The bhikshu then taught the scriptures to the tree spirit, causing its mind to open and become clear. It received and upheld the five precepts, practiced the ten wholesome deeds, and departed far from the three evil destinies. The small measure of aspiration for the path it had formerly possessed now developed without limit, and it entered the true and right course of the Buddha path.

The Blessed One then said to the bhikshus:

—You now understand the matter from root to branch. You must maintain steadfast resolve; once you have decided what must be done, you must not regret it.

When the Buddha had given this teaching, everyone joyfully received and understood it.

Sutra 42: The Buddha Teaches the Parable of the Horse

Long ago, there was an elder who kept a fine horse. When he first obtained it, the horse was often so fierce that it could not be controlled. As soon as the saddle and bridle were fastened, it would raise its two front hooves and charge wildly in every direction, refusing to follow the road and rushing into streams and ravines, woods, or walls. The elder who owned it became extremely angry. He returned home, took a whip, and beat the horse mercilessly. He gave it neither grass to eat nor water to drink, reducing it to desperate hunger and thirst. Grieving and reproaching itself, the horse could devise no plan and did not know what to do. Then a voice from the sky spoke to it:

—Obey your master, and no calamity will befall you.

At that time, the horse understood clearly. At daybreak, when the elder was about to ride and brought out the saddle and bridle, the horse immediately submitted. It no longer leapt or pranced.

He mounted and sat firmly in the saddle, controlling it with ease. It went here and there at its master's command and did not dare disobey. Upon returning home, it was given ample food and drink.

In time, it grew sleek and strong, full of vigor, and thereafter became increasingly disciplined and gentle. Later, it bore two foals. When the young horses reached maturity, the elder rode them, but they too leapt and pranced, running wildly until they broke their reins.

They were beaten again, yet could not be corrected and had to endure hunger and thirst. One of them reflected upon the calamity it was suffering: “For food I must eat spoiled grass, and for drink I must drink filthy stream water. I brought this upon myself; whom can I blame?” At night, the young horse went to find its mother, knelt down, and asked:

“Today the master was cruel beyond anything I have ever seen. Not only did he give me neither food nor drink, but he also beat me mercilessly. Mother, you alone occupy an honored place and give no thought to your kin. Whenever you come and go, you are always delighted, enjoying yourself alone, gazing high and seeing far like a wild goose or a swan, with no concern for your offspring, who now suffers alone in such misery.”

The mother horse replied:

“This is your own fault. Whom can you blame? When the elder places the saddle and bridle upon you, you must submit and let him ride. If you follow his direction and go here and there as he wishes, you will immediately be cherished. This is very easy to do. It is because you acted contrary to his wishes that this misfortune befell you.”

The young horse followed its mother's instruction. The next morning, it acted according to her words. When the elder rode it, it remained calm and obedient to its rider: when told to go, it went; when told to stop, it immediately stopped. The elder was greatly pleased that the horse had been tamed, and so gave it food and drink at the proper times, treating it no differently from its mother.

The foregoing story is presented as a parable. The elder represents the Buddha, while the horse represents those who undertake training but do not accept the Buddha-Dharma, whose minds are unrestrained and who do not follow the path of instruction established by the Dharma. Therefore, the scriptures and precepts must be taught so that they may know how to walk and stand, advance and withdraw.

The horse's uncontrollable leaping and running, which necessitated beating it with a staff, is an illustration of the five precepts and the ten wholesome deeds. Those who observe them are reborn in the heavenly or human realms, while those who commit offenses must endure grievous suffering in the three paths of hell beings, hungry ghosts, and animals. Amid the sufferings and tribulations of the three realms, they revolve again and again in samsara without a single moment of peace.

If they refrain from evil and uphold the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds, they can be awakened and transformed. By practicing the various disciplines, the four immeasurable states of mind, and the six paramitas, they attain supernatural powers and can meet the Buddhas of the ten directions, eliminate the three poisons, and remove every layer of obscuration and bondage. The young horse following its mother, kneeling at length, and asking her questions is intended as an illustration of first listening to one's teacher and practicing in accordance with the rules.

When the teacher expounds practices and vows, whether shallow or profound, each has its purpose. Thus, the five precepts and ten wholesome deeds are taught for beings of the heavenly and human realms. As for the teachings of emptiness, signlessness, wishlessness, the six paramitas, the fundamentally impartial mind, and the four kinds of kindness, they are intended to enable one to reach the state beyond birth and death without abiding in the realm of cessation, to realize the fruit of the true and right path, and to use supernatural powers to travel throughout the three realms and liberate all sentient beings.

Sutra 43: The Buddha's Discourse on the Sutra of the Manifest Transformation of the Bhiksuni

Long ago, the city of Sravasti was known as the city of Kosala. Within that kingdom were bands of profligate and licentious people who devoted themselves to vicious deeds and did not follow the upright path. The entire kingdom was plunged into calamity, and the conditions were truly cruel and painful.

These factions seemed to compete with one another in committing rebellious and evil acts. Government officers attempted to arrest and expel them but could not do so. At that time, the bhiksunis of the kingdom all traveled about teaching.

Dwelling beneath trees, they diligently cultivated and contemplated the right path, and their minds never wavered. Among these bhiksunis, the foremost in wisdom was named Saima, and the foremost in supernatural powers was named Lotus Immortal. All of them possessed virtue and awe-inspiring spiritual power.

When the weather became hot and they wished to bathe, they went together to a stream. Seeing them from afar, the evildoers conceived wicked intentions. Lust arose in their minds, and they wished to violate the bhiksunis.

They waited until the bhiksunis had removed all their clothing and entered the water to bathe, then approached, took their robes, and placed them far away so that they could more easily violate them. At that moment, one bhiksuni saw their wicked intentions. Her mind remained serene, and she felt compassion for their ignorance.

Thereupon, she plucked out both her eyes, placed them in her palm, and told the rebellious evildoers:

“You desire me only because you are infatuated with my appearance. Now that I am blind, what beauty remains?”

She then exposed her intestines, stomach, and the other five viscera, and set aside her hands, feet, and the other parts of her body, saying to the evildoers:

“Here—there is the beauty!”

Seeing this, the rebellious evildoers were suddenly terrified. They perceived that life is impermanent, that existence in the three realms is merely a temporary sojourn, that the body is formed through a combination of conditions, and that its blood and bones are all impure, with nothing worthy of desire. They immediately returned the robes, bowed their heads, and repented of the wrongdoing they had attempted—an act contrary to the principles of the path.

They vowed henceforth to abandon such deeds that brought calamity. They then knelt, joined their palms, and requested to undertake the five precepts. Going before the Buddha, they prostrated with their heads touching the ground and reproached themselves for their offenses: because they had been blind and ignorant, long deluded, they had committed far too much evil, unaware that life after life they would have to endure many calamities and dangers.

Now they implored the Great Sage to bestow his grace and rescue them. They were deeply grateful for the virtue of the bhiksuni, who had used her own eyes to teach and transform them, enabling them to abandon wrongdoing, lighten their offenses, and draw near to the path of liberation.

The Buddha said:

“Excellent! You have left the evil path far behind and are gradually attaining accomplishment. Just as a flowering tree whose branches are covered in blossoms will also bear abundant fruit, so too is it with conduct.”

Everyone rejoiced and together requested permission to become sramanas. The Buddha immediately consented and further instructed them:

“When one goes forth into homelessness, the right mind must be taken as the foundation. Guard the sense faculties, and every calamity will be completely eliminated. The five hindrances will no longer remain, the three poisons will be destroyed, and you will become children of the Buddha. Abandoning birth and death, you will naturally attain supernatural powers. Only then will you clearly understand the Buddha's immense benevolence and virtue.”

Sutra 44: The Buddha's Discourse on the Sutra of the Solitary

Long ago, there was a man who, in his youth, was alone and destitute. Entirely by himself, he labored diligently to cultivate a large tract of farmland that ordinarily would have required many oxen to plow. Through his efforts, he harvested abundant grain and obtained milk, butter, ghee, countless vegetables, fruits, and other produce, supplying people near and far.

From time to time, he also gave to the poor and needy. His reputation for virtue spread throughout the ten directions. At that time, he explained his intention to everyone: people should live with companions and in communities, for one who remains alone cannot attain harmony.

Understanding his intention, people came to settle nearby. The number of households steadily increased, and eventually they established a village. He took a wife and had children.

As the children grew up, the population multiplied. When the father had grown old, he instructed his children to perform wholesome deeds, guard their body, speech, and mind, and generously bestow kindness and virtue. Yet all his children went astray and committed transgressions.

They did not follow his teachings, saying, “Our father is now old. Why does he not simply accept his lot? All his instructions are false and deceptive.

Who would heed them?” Troubled by his children, the father thought to himself: “Originally, I alone established this livelihood and gave generously to people near and far, with no one able to equal me. Now my children have thrown my body and mind into turmoil and refuse to heed my instructions. It is as though I had no children at all.”

The Buddha said:

“Human beings are originally good. One who remains alone yet pure and radiant can bring benefit to many people. Such a person upholds true virtue and possesses keen powers of observation and understanding, yet does not comprehend that all phenomena are fundamentally empty. Believing his own body truly exists, he consequently gives rise to delusion concerning the five skandhas and the six sense objects. Because of this delusion, he cannot reach the true state of the Buddha’s path. If he later clearly understands that all things within the three realms are empty, the five skandhas will be eliminated and the three poisons will all be extinguished; only then will he attain the unsurpassed, true, and perfect path.”

When the Buddha had delivered this teaching, everyone joyfully received and understood it.