生經

Sutra 45: The Buddha Speaks on the Story of the Brahmin

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Shravasti, together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikshus.

At daybreak, the Blessed One donned his robe, took up his alms bowl, and entered the city of Shravasti to beg for food in due order. Just as he reached the Brahmin’s house, the Brahmin saw the Blessed One from afar. His majestic virtue was awe-inspiring, his faculties serene and composed, his mind peaceful and limpid, and his senses disciplined, without the slightest appearance of frailty.

He was like the sun rising above a mountainside; like the full moon shining brightly amid the stars; like Shakra dwelling in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three; like Brahma King amid the hosts of Brahma; like a lofty snow-covered mountain visible from all four directions; and like blossoms flourishing upon a tree. His mind was still as pure water, and his bodily form was supremely adorned with the thirty-two marks and eighty characteristics of excellence.

His radiant spiritual majesty was beyond description; beholding him was like beholding the sun.

The Brahmin immediately rose from his seat and, accompanied by his household, went forward to welcome him respectfully. He bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and invited him to sit upon a special couch. After the Buddha had taken his seat, the Brahmin and his wife, filled with joy, prepared a multitude of delicious and pure foods and personally served them to him with wholehearted devotion. When the meal was finished, the Brahmin received the bowl and provided water for the Buddha to wash his hands. He then sat upon a low couch to hear the Buddha expound the sutra.

At that time, the Blessed One taught the Dharma for the Brahmin, his wife and children, and the family’s servants and attendants. He opened their minds and clearly revealed the principles contained in the teachings of the Buddhas. In accordance with their capacities, he distinguished and explained the six practices of generosity, morality, patience, diligence, single-minded concentration, and wisdom. Prescribing medicine according to their illnesses, he enabled them to understand clearly the four truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

Thereupon, while still seated, the Brahmin, his wife and children, and the servants and attendants understood the Four Noble Truths. They grasped the essential point of the Buddha’s teaching, attained the divine eye, took refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and undertook the five precepts. The Brahmin immediately rose from his seat, bowed respectfully, and addressed the Blessed One:

“Today, through the profound kindness of the Great Sage, who has clarified these sublime principles, we have attained understanding and have been delivered from every affliction. All this is due to the aid of the Tathagata, the Most True, the Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One. He is like a great cloud spreading throughout the sky, or like rain falling everywhere across heaven and earth, moistening many places. Such is the Blessed One, who always proclaims the great Dharma far and wide with boundless great loving-kindness.”

The Buddha said to the bhikshus:

“Did you hear today, from the Brahmin’s own mouth, his words of the highest praise?”

The bhikshus replied:

“Yes, Blessed One. We all saw and heard them.”

The Buddha said:

“Today, this Brahmin and his household have all obtained such great and complete benefit. In a former life, I likewise enabled this Brahmin to obtain many benefits of this kind.”

The Buddha then related:

“In the distant past, in the city of Varanasi, there was a venerable man named Sở Thủ, born into a Brahmin family. He was intelligent and wise, understood principles and meanings, and always spoke and responded gently and fluently. The king therefore held him in respect, and he regularly enjoyed the king’s favor. That kingdom had an abundance of fine grape wine and plentiful food and drink, so the king and the people often took pleasure in feasting and drinking.

“One day, the Brahmin performed a marvelous and ingenious feat that was exceedingly entertaining. The king was astonished and greatly delighted, and granted him the special favor of receiving whatever he desired. The Brahmin said to the king:

“‘I must return home and ask my wife what she wishes me to request.’

“The king agreed. When the Brahmin returned home, he asked his wife:

“‘I performed a marvelous feat that delighted the king, and he has promised to fulfill my wish. Tell me truthfully what you would like to have, and I shall obtain it for you!’

“His wife asked:

“‘And what do you intend to request?’

“The Brahmin replied:

“‘I intend to request a district.’

“His wife replied:

“‘Then request a district and its settlements! As for me, I ask for a hundred kinds of ornaments, such as jeweled necklaces and jade bracelets, garments of every kind, as well as female servants, milk, clarified butter, food, and drink.’

“The Brahmin then asked his son:

“‘What would you like to request?’

“His son replied:

“‘My wish is that I no longer have to travel on foot, but may ride in a horse-drawn carriage and go on excursions with the crown prince and the ministers.’

“He then asked his daughter:

“‘What does your heart desire?’

“His daughter replied:

“‘My wish is to receive many jewels for adornment and garments of the finest and most splendid kind, so that among thousands of other young women, I alone shall surpass them all.’

“The Brahmin then asked the servants:

“‘What would you like to request?’

“A male servant replied:

“‘This servant wishes to receive carts, oxen, cattle, and implements for plowing the fields.’

“The attendants replied:

“‘We wish to receive millstones and mortars with which to pound grain and grind flour; then we shall be content. For if our master, mistress, young lady, and young master have nothing to eat or drink, we cannot be happy.’

“The Brahmin then returned to the royal palace and gave the king a full account, from beginning to end, of everything requested by his wife, children, and servants. He then spoke these verses of praise:

“Great King, pray listen now;

How strange are their desires!

All those within my household

Cherish different wishes.

“My wife asks for hands filled with jewels;

My son requests a horse-drawn carriage;

My daughter seeks exquisite ornaments;

The servants whom I maintain

Ask for fields and milling stones.

“The king replied in verse:

“According to all you desire,

I shall grant it without denial,

Causing the Brahmin at that time

To know immeasurable joy.

“The king bestowed everything,

Granting each according to their wish;

Obtaining all that they desired,

Their hearts were filled with happiness.”

The Buddha told the bhikshus that the king of that time was the Buddha himself; the Brahmin of that time was the present Brahmin; and his former wife, children, and servants were likewise those of the present.

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

Sutra 46: The Buddha Expounds the Sutra on the King and His Servant

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling at Vulture Peak near the city of Rajagriha, together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikshus.

At that time, the bhikshus thought among themselves: “Through the awesome spiritual power of the Buddhas, the devas have perceived and attained what they had never attained before. While the Blessed One always treats everyone with loving-kindness, compassion, and sympathy, Devadatta, by contrast, constantly intends to harm the Tathagata. Yet the Buddha always responds to him with great compassion.”

One bhikshu said: “Considering all that has happened, could it be that the Blessed One did not know the cruelty and malice in his heart, and yet still allowed him to shave his head and leave the household life?”

Other bhikshus said to one another: “The Buddha certainly knew that Devadatta’s heart was cruel, dangerous, and deceitful.”

Still others remarked critically: “Who permitted Devadatta to shave off his beard and hair and become a shramana?”

From afar, the Buddha knew that the bhikshus were discussing this matter among themselves. He therefore went to them and said:

“Devadatta’s wickedness is beyond measure; no words could ever describe it completely.”

The Buddha continued:

“Indeed, it is just so! As you bhikkhus have said, that Devadatta has always harbored malicious intentions and plotted to harm the Tathagata. Yet I have always subdued him with loving-kindness and compassion, throughout countless distant past lives.

Since then, although the Buddha knew Devadatta to be wicked and his mind full of deceit, he continued to subdue him with loving-kindness and compassion. Therefore, the Buddha allowed him to become a śramaṇa so that he might cultivate and gather wholesome virtues as his foundation. Through these causes and conditions, he was able to leave the household life and receive aid and protection.

It is not only in this present life that Devadatta has continually sought various means to reveal his malice and plot against Me, while I have always subdued him with utterly sincere and boundless loving-kindness and compassion. In the distant past, innumerable kalpas ago, in the city of Varanasi there was a king named Great Yu, who governed the country by law and did not oppress the people. The king had a chief minister named Mi Shancai, who was intelligent, resourceful, and knowledgeable in all things.

His reputation and virtue were truly outstanding and extraordinary, unlike those of ordinary people. His disposition was exceptionally sincere and generous; he was always gentle and composed, without the least anxiety. He constantly regarded all living beings with loving-kindness and compassion, and his intentions were always mild and tender.

That king lacked the compassionate heart of a son of the Sakya clan. His resolve was devoid of kindness and compassion; he constantly scrutinized the faults of others, desired to overcome people, and had a vicious mind without the slightest goodness. At that time, when the king met the chief minister Mi Shancai, King Great Yu said to the minister:

“How should one speak so as to obtain abundant peace and well-being, incur no harm, and instead gain lasting benefit?”

The king then praised this in verse:

“I speak little, yet gain much;

I cannot endure for long.

Patience should be cast aside—

What does Mi Shancai think?”

The chief minister Mi Shancai replied in verse:

“Great King, anger is a seed

That often fills the heart with wrath.

Neither harming nor becoming angry—

That is the true and righteous practice.”

The king spoke in verse:

“By what may one sleep in peace?

How may one be free of distress?

By what single Dharma

Does the secret practice lead to wholesome wealth?

What do the noble sages praise,

So that even at death one does not grieve?

Who can undertake this matter

And end sorrow without anxiety?”

The chief minister replied in verse:

“Abandon anger and sleep in peace;

Eliminate wrath and end distress.

Anger is the root of poison—

Great King, you should clearly understand.

“The noble sages praise this;

Through this condition there is no anxiety.

I answer the king with upright meaning

And extol the practice of patience.

“Destroy all resentment and hatred;

With this meaning I reply.

Through explanation one brings them under control,

Gaining an expedient without force.

Add no further wickedness;

Abide upon the virtue of equanimity.”

The Buddha told the bhikkhus:

“At that time, King Great Yu was Devadatta, while the chief minister Mi Shancai was I Myself. When I attained Buddhahood, I fully explained the origin and conclusion of this matter.”

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

Sutra 47: The Buddha’s Discourse on the Crow King in the Kingdom of Kosala

Thus have I heard:

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

Early one morning, the Blessed One donned His robe, took up His alms bowl, and entered the city to beg for food. King Prasenajit had appointed four chief ministers as four generals, joining them with the four divisions of the army to go and subdue a small kingdom in another region. At that time, the four chief ministers saw the Blessed One and the Sangha from afar. They immediately approached the Buddha, reverently bowed at His feet, and withdrew to stand to one side. The Blessed One asked them:

“Good sirs, where do you wish to go?”

The chief ministers replied:

“King Prasenajit has ordered us to lead the four divisions of the army to subdue a small kingdom elsewhere. Blessed One, we have rendered many services to the king of this country, building up his realm amid countless hardships and dangers that threatened our lives. Now we must journey far away and engage in battle and conquest. Such is the mission upon which we depart.”

The Blessed One praised them:

“Excellent! Excellent! Worthy ones, you are truly difficult to equal, and so too are your deeds.

This is gratitude and the repayment of kindness. Even if the service rendered is only slight, such a deed is never lost. Since you receive the king’s emoluments, it is naturally fitting that you perform your duties.

This undertaking is good, for if the campaign is conducted with great care and in accordance with the Dharma, you will surely become true and upright men. You will repay the king’s great kindness toward his ministers, thereby demonstrating mutual recompense. Worthy ones, listen carefully.

It is not only in this life that you have served a king and accomplished many meritorious deeds difficult for anyone to equal. In the distant past, in the kingdom of Saketa, great flocks of crows came together and rested. Among them was a crow king named Sugarcane, who alone ruled a flock of eighty thousand crows.

The crow king had a mate named Jiulini. At that time, she was carrying young and craved food that was difficult to obtain. She thought, ‘I wish to eat the flesh of the king of deer.’

“Desiring to eat that flesh, she entreated the crow king:

“‘I now have this small wish: if I can eat the tender flesh of the king of deer, I shall live; but if I cannot obtain it, I will surely die.’

“At that time, because the king of Saketa wished to eat the tender and delicious flesh of the king of deer, he had sent hunters to search for it, ordering them to bring it back and present it to him if they caught it. The crow king then heeded his mate’s words, assembled the flock of crows, and told them:

“‘You must go to the king of Saketa. There is a great deer king there, magnificent in form, named Sugūya, who has been captured by the hunters. You must obtain that deer’s flesh and bring it back.’

“At that time, four crows responded:

“‘We undertake to go and obtain the tender and delicious flesh of the deer king intended for the human king. We do not begrudge our own lives and will accomplish this task. Do not send any other crows after us.’

“The four crows then repeatedly flew to the place where a great crowd of people had gathered. They discussed among themselves:

“‘What expedient means can we use to obtain the flesh?’

“At the same time, the king’s messenger reported to the crown prince:

“‘Crows keep flying here. We must guard against them, take precautions, and drive them far away.’

“Unable to fulfill their wish, the crows returned and mobilized the entire flock so that they might quickly obtain the deer king’s flesh and carry it back.

“When the king’s son saw the immense flock of crows, he became frightened and fled back to report to the king, relating the entire matter in full. The king asked:

“‘Where have so many crows come from?’

“The crown prince replied:

“‘I saw four crows of unusual form and color repeatedly flying to that deer park. I drove them away several times, but afterward the four crows reappeared with an enormous flock.’

“The king of Saketa ordered the people outside to capture the crows. A hunter brought a hawk to catch them. Seeing this, the four crows hid themselves, fearing for their lives. Therefore, the hunter went and retrieved the hawk, then immediately changed his method. Observing the developments there, he devised a way to spread nets and capture the crows. He caught them alive and presented them to the king. At that time, the king of Saketa angrily questioned the four crows:

“‘Why do you repeatedly come here and trespass within my domain?’

“The four crows replied:

“Your Majesty, this is not something we take pleasure in, nor did we wish to come to this place. It is only because there is a king named An Trụ, who has eighty thousand crows as his retinue, and that king is our revered master. The wife of the crow king, Cựu-lê-ni, is pregnant and has difficulty eating and drinking. She insists on eating the tender, delicious flesh of a Tu-cụ deer, so the crow king sent us here. Having received our king’s command, we do not begrudge our lives, but risk ourselves in a place of death so that we may devote all our strength to serving him. It is not our own desire.”

Hearing of this unprecedented matter, the king was astonished and marveled. On the one hand, there was the desire to eat food that could not be obtained; on the other, there were those who, having accepted their king’s command, sought a way to fulfill it, begrudging neither body nor life and making light of their lives for their sovereign. Such deeds as theirs today are truly incomparable and rarely found in the world.

Even among human beings, it would be impossible to find such devotion in repaying kindness and obeying the instructions of one’s king or father—how much more so among birds and beasts! That birds and beasts should know how to obey and carry out their king’s command is truly beyond compare, beyond compare indeed, and unprecedented. At that time, the crows spoke these verses on behalf of their king:

We pray that the great king will hear:

We have come to Sa-kiệt

For our beloved King An Trụ,

Who rules eighty thousand crows.

Lê-ni craves delicious food

And desires fine, tender flesh.

Your deer park is unsurpassed,

Possessing all that our king requires.

Our king issued his command,

And we obeyed and came.

Had we not received the royal order,

We would not have dared come here ourselves.

The king then thought, “This is difficult to accomplish and is something unprecedented.”

The king then said to the crows:

“I pardon your offense. From this moment onward, you are released and shall no longer be restrained.”

The Buddha said to the ministers:

“Do you know who those four crows were at that time? They were none other than you, these four ministers. King An Trụ is now King Ba-tư-nặc. At present, the king, the soldiers, ministers, officials, and all of you have been kept safe, just as in the past, when you led the eighty thousand crows away and escaped calamity without suffering harm.”

When the Buddha had given this teaching, the four ministers, the soldiers, the officials, and the bhikshus all rejoiced and received it with understanding.

Sutra 48: The Buddha Teaches the Mật Cụ Sutra

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching in the Jeta Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s Park, in the kingdom of Śrāvastī, together with a full assembly of great bhikshus. At that time, there was a brahmin deluded by the heterodox teachings of non-Buddhists. He did not believe in the Buddhadharma and wished to disrupt the Buddha’s teaching.

While walking through the city, he saw the Tathagata approaching from afar. Detesting the sight and unwilling to look upon him, he took refuge in another house so that the śramaṇa Gautama would not encounter him. The Great Sage, however, felt profound compassion for the brahmin and manifested before him.

The brahmin could not hide, and though he wished to flee, he was unable to escape. He therefore had no choice but to approach the Buddha. The Blessed One taught him the sutras and Dharma.

He rejoiced, a wholesome mind arose within him, and he immediately requested refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha and undertook the precepts. He circumambulated the Buddha three times, bowed in homage, and departed. Upon returning home, he filled a vessel with honey, carried it in both hands to the Buddha, and presented it as an offering.

The Buddha instructed the bhikshus to distribute the bowl of honey equally throughout the Sangha. Although there was only one bowl of honey, after the Buddha and the Sangha had eaten their fill, it remained as full as before. The Sangha then returned the bowl of honey to the Buddha.

The Buddha said to the brahmin:

“Take this honey and pour it into a large body of water where many currents flow.”

The brahmin asked the Buddha:

“For what reason?”

The Buddha replied:

“Because the water is filled with all kinds of insects, worms, crocodiles, giant soft-shelled turtles, fish, and turtles, all of which long to taste this flavor.”

Heeding these words, the brahmin took the honey and poured it into the water. He then returned to the Buddha, at once fearful and doubtful, sorrowful and joyful, his heart deeply stirred. At that moment, the Blessed One smiled with delight, and from his mouth issued rays of five-colored light.

They ascended as far as the Brahmā heaven, shone throughout the five paths, and illuminated everything. They then returned and circled his body three times. When he bestowed a prediction upon a bodhisattva, the light entered through the crown of his head; when he bestowed a prediction upon a pratyekabuddha, the light entered through his mouth; when he bestowed a prediction upon a śrāvaka, the light entered through his elbow; when he spoke of merit in the heavenly realms, the light entered through his spine; when he spoke of taking birth in a human body, the light entered through his knees; and when he spoke of the hells, hungry ghosts, and animals, the light entered through his feet.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, placed his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“The Buddha does not smile without cause. What is the meaning of your smile?”

The Buddha said to Venerable Ānanda:

“Did you see the brahmin offer honey to the Buddha, after which it was offered to the bhikshu Sangha, with some still remaining to be poured into the water?”

Venerable Ānanda replied:

“Yes, I did.”

The Buddha continued:

“This brahmin now before us will not fall into any evil path for twenty kalpas in future lives. After twenty kalpas, he will attain the fruit of a pratyekabuddha and will be named Mật Cụ.”

The bhikshus said:

“Yes, Blessed One. We have all seen that this brahmin offered only one bowl of honey, yet thereby gained great benefit and will attain the fruit of a pratyekabuddha.”

The Buddha said to the bhikshus:

“This brahmin did not gain great benefit by offering a bowl of honey only in this life. In a previous life, he did the same.”

The Buddha recounted:

“In innumerable lives in the distant past, a brahmin entered a secluded and tranquil place, where he encountered many seers and developed reverence and affection for them. That brahmin had heard people say that sages had always been difficult to encounter and that one had to approach and request an audience with them. Some said that one should bring abundant food, drink, clothing, and other necessities when going to see them.

At that time, a seer who had attained the five supernormal powers knew the thoughts in the brahmin’s mind. From his secluded place beneath a tree, he suddenly flew into the sky and appeared before the brahmin. Seeing this, the brahmin rejoiced exceedingly, and a wholesome mind arose within him.

He immediately returned home, filled a bowl with honey, and brought it as an offering to the seer. After accepting the honey, the seer flew into the sky. Through the karmic conditions created by that meritorious deed, the brahmin later became a king named Mật Cụ.

The king governed his country according to the true Dharma, and thus the realm remained peaceful and secure for a long time. After his life ended, he was reborn in a heavenly realm.”

The Buddha told the bhikshus that the seer who had attained the five supernormal powers was the Buddha himself, while the brahmin of that time was this present brahmin. At that time, by giving honey, he gained the merit of rebirth among gods and humans. Because of those karmic conditions, in this life he has again offered honey to the Buddha and will later attain the fruit of a pratyekabuddha. Then the Venerable Ānanda praised the Buddha in verse:

The Buddha’s heart is filled with loving-kindness,

And he exerts himself to liberate all beings.

For the sake of gods and humankind,

He is concerned that they may not escape the hells.

Therefore, he became the Honored One of Gods and Humans,

Showering down the Dharma from the teaching of compassion.

With a joyful heart, he exhorts all beings everywhere;

Countless renounce the household life and are reborn in heaven.

Now, having transcended and ended gain, all people gain benefit;

Therefore, all gladly take refuge in and revere the Buddha.

Whether they respectfully and earnestly make offerings great or small,

When their lives end, they attain a place of peace.

The Blessed One praised the Venerable Ānanda:

“Excellent! Excellent! It is just as the Venerable One has said. Furthermore, Venerable Ananda, I cultivated innumerable practices and vows, and only thus attained the fruition of the path today. The Buddha constantly delivers sentient beings, as a mother lovingly remembers her child.”

When the Buddha had taught thus, everyone joyfully received and understood his teaching.

Sutra 49: The Buddha Teaches the Sutra of Miscellaneous Praises

(According to another version, this is the fiftieth sutra.)

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was journeying and teaching in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of bhiksus.

At that time, the son of a bhiksuni had renounced the household life to cultivate the path, but he delighted in visiting the homes of laypeople, gathering with white-robed householders, speaking recklessly and coarsely, and behaving inconsistently. His mother repeatedly rebuked him:

“Do not behave in this way. You must limit your comings and goings. You should go out only when there are assemblies at which the Dharma is expounded and sutras are taught! You must not imitate worldly conduct.”

His father had also rebuked him before, but he refused to heed his parents’ admonitions and continued going into laypeople’s homes, where he quarreled with many people. He and a group of wicked, disreputable men chased one another about. Unfortunately, he encountered a particularly violent gang, who beat him severely with fists and feet and then threw him into the water. He lay there motionless for a long while before struggling and crying out to be rescued. The bhiksus heard his cries, came to find him, rescued him, and brought him home. Afterward, the bhiksus went to the Buddha and related the entire affair. The Buddha said to the bhiksus:

“It is not only in this life that this man has refused to heed his family’s instruction and has acted in such deluded and wrongful ways.”

The Buddha recounted:

“In the distant past, a pair of crows made their nest near a human dwelling. The people repeatedly pried and searched for an opportunity to catch them, so the female crow said to her mate:

“‘We should not make our nest near a human dwelling. Do not trust these people; otherwise, you will only incur all manner of pain and harm!’

“The male crow heard his mate’s words and wished to leave that place, but his heart remained attached to it, and he could not bring himself to depart. The people repeatedly came to intrude upon and disturb the crows’ nest. Because the crow refused to leave, they caught him, plucked out all his feathers, and tied a hempen cord around his neck. At that time, prolonged rain was falling and the roads were muddy and difficult to traverse. Since he could not fly, the crow slowly and laboriously dragged himself back to the nest. The female crow spoke this verse:

“‘Who is this with feathers stripped bare,

While ceaseless rain falls today,

Wearing hempen cord as clothing,

Standing at the door and loudly calling?’

“The male crow replied in verse:

“‘By fortunate conditions, my life yet remains;

Today I have encountered heavy rain.

Quickly open the door and let me enter;

Hasten to bring food and save this life.’

“The female crow spoke this verse:

“‘What I foresaw has come to pass!

Those who devised this did so out of greed.

The peril you now encounter is just so;

Henceforth you must endure this truth.

“‘I stand by the words that I have spoken;

Ghee and milk now fill the tray.

Let all these hardships be counted as ended;

Let us go to a secluded place and live at ease.’

“Not far from them lived a Brahmin ascetic who had attained the powers of a seer. Overhearing these words, he instructed them in verse:

“‘Not understanding evil retribution

Is the condition for encountering suffering.

Therefore, do not commit transgressions,

And you will not undergo sorrow.’”

The Buddha said to the bhiksus:

“Do you know who the female crow of that time is now? She is none other than that bhiksuni. The male crow is her son, who renounced the household life to become a sramana and was beaten. The seer of that time was I myself. We encountered one another in the past, and today we have met again.”

When the Buddha had taught thus, everyone joyfully received and understood his teaching.

Sutra 50: The Buddha Teaches the Ludha Sutra

(According to the Dan edition, this is the forty-ninth discourse.)

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was journeying and teaching in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of bhiksus.

At that time, a newly ordained bhiksu who had come to this kingdom from afar asked the bhiksus to appoint him as steward. The bhiksus refused because they saw that his manner of walking and standing was improper and his movements were ill-disciplined; if the work were entrusted to him, supplies would be depleted or lost. He therefore went elsewhere to request that position. The bhiksus there did not inquire into his background at all but immediately entrusted the work to him. When one of the former bhiksus learned of this, he came and asked:

“Why did you entrust that work to him without first thoroughly investigating his background?”

The other bhiksu replied:

“I appointed him as steward because I considered him trustworthy and free from deceit, and also so that he might assist me when offerings are made. A bhiksu who walks and stands calmly and deliberately, whose movements are not coarse, and whose comings and goings accord with proper deportment—is he not a good man rather than a vicious one?”

That bhiksu lived alone and seldom went out. The newly ordained bhiksu then took all the robes and bowls, beat the resident bhiksu with a staff, bound him and left him on the ground, and gagged him so that people outside would not hear his cries. That very night, the man fled. At daybreak, the other bhiksus heard muffled cries and rushed over to untie him and ask what had happened. He related the entire affair and asked them to split up, search for the man, capture him, and recover his robes and bowls. The bhiksus replied:

“We told you not to place your trust wrongly and not to appoint him as steward. You did not understand, but relied solely on your own judgment and acted as you pleased, refusing to heed our words. Now that the deed is done, you have finally awakened.”

The bhiksus reported the entire matter to the Blessed One. The Buddha said:

“Bhiksus, it is not only in this life that this bhiksu, because he failed to investigate another’s background and wrongly placed his trust in a wicked man, has had his possessions seized by him. Whenever they have met, that man has robbed him.”

The Buddha recounted:

“In the past, there was a Brahmin named Grass-Ludha who traveled along the main road with a cart laden with pottery. The cart had strong doors and fastenings. From afar, he saw a male servant standing by the roadside. When the servant saw the Brahmin gradually approaching, an evil thought arose in him, and he wished to plunder the Brahmin’s possessions. As soon as they met, the Brahmin trusted him. He thought, ‘This man has seen me and has come to attend and assist me. Thus, I shall gain another companion and another close associate.’ The Brahmin then spoke this verse:

“‘This man at the crossroads—

Could he have a treacherous nature?

Though one does not know his background

And has not examined him clearly,

Travelers can see

His conduct is disciplined and pure.

There is nothing vicious about him;

He will diligently assist me in my work.’

“At that time, the other Brahmins who were his traveling companions all said:

“‘Do not trust or employ that man. Otherwise, he will deceive you and seize all your wealth and possessions!’

“They spoke this verse:

“‘Brahmin, you should not trust a man at once

Merely because you meet him at a crossroads.

His eyes dart about and his face is brazen;

He will surely beat you and rob you of your wealth.’”

The brahmin heard the verse but did not trust his friends’ words. Instead, he placed his trust in the thieving servant. Before he had gained any benefit from providing assistance, food, and drink, midnight came, and in the darkness no one could see anything. That servant immediately rushed at the brahmin and beat him, injuring his leg and knee so severely that his vision blurred and he fell sprawling upon the ground. The man seized all his wealth and fled. Having lost all his possessions and suffered an injury to his knee, the brahmin Thảo-lư-đà lay rolling upon the ground, weeping like a child, lamenting and crying aloud. A deva named Tịnh Tu Phạm Hạnh spoke this verse:

Behold, seeking gain and wealth,

He acted most lamentably;

Acting willfully, he took him in,

And would not heed his teachers.

All such people meet with suffering,

Just like that brahmin;

Trusting others without caution—

The brahmin’s fault indeed!

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“The brahmin Thảo-lư of that time is now the bhiksu who entrusted the duties of the monastery kitchen to the newly ordained bhiksu. The malicious bhiksu who used his position in the monastery kitchen to commit theft was the wicked servant who robbed the brahmin of his property. The other brahmins who admonished the brahmin at that time are now the bhiksus who questioned the afflicted bhiksu, while the deva Tịnh Tu Phạm Hạnh was I myself. We met one another then, and we meet one another again today.”

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

Sutra 51: The Buddha’s Teaching of the Peacock Sutra

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Sravasti, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhiksus. The bhiksus had gathered together and were praising and recollecting how the World-Honored One had accomplished something unprecedented. A person had appeared in the world bearing the title Tathagata, Worthy One, Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One.

He had eradicated and demolished all the various doctrines of the non-Buddhist paths, causing them to become dim and no longer shine brightly. Before the Buddha appeared, they received abundant offerings from everyone: robes, food and drink, beds, and every other necessity, lacking nothing. Since the Buddha had appeared in the world, however, it had become clear that the words of those non-Buddhists did not accord with their deeds.

With his divine ear, the Buddha heard the bhiksus’ discussion from afar. He immediately went to them and asked what they were discussing. The bhiksus reported everything fully to the Buddha:

“We gathered to discuss how, as soon as the Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One appeared in the world, all the various non-Buddhist doctrines were immediately eclipsed, becoming utterly dim and never again regaining their former brilliance.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“Before I appeared in the world, the non-Buddhist doctrines flourished and stood out, just as torches shine brightly when the sun and moon are absent. But as soon as the sun and moon appear, the light of the torches scarcely shines at all. Now that the Buddha has appeared in the world, all those doctrines have been driven back and no longer possess the power to radiate light. Only the Buddha’s light of enlightenment shines forth, illuminating every place without exception. Bhiksus, you should know that it is not only in this life that such outstanding and extraordinary conduct has appeared. It was also so in a former life; truly, this is an unprecedented Dharma.”

In the distant past, there was a great kingdom on the northern frontier named Trí Huyễn. The people of Trí Huyễn brought crows to the kingdom of Ba-già-lê, for there were no crows in that kingdom, nor were there any other rare and beautiful birds. When the people of Ba-già-lê saw the crows being brought there, they were exceedingly delighted and found them most fascinating. They therefore raised and cared for the birds diligently, feeding them many kinds of fruit and giving them drink. As days and months passed, the news spread. Crows in distant regions heard of it and flocked there in immeasurable numbers. The entire kingdom provided for them, tended them, and held them in esteem.

Later, a merchant from another kingdom brought three peacocks. When the people saw the extraordinary beauty of these birds, their sublime and exceptional appearance, their distinctive plumage and wings, and their gentle and graceful gait—such as they had never seen before—and also heard their calls, everyone became billions upon billions of times more joyful and delighted than before. Thereupon, everyone abandoned the crows, and no one continued to feed or care for them.

The crows no longer possessed any splendor and suddenly lost all their appeal, just as the light of torches is dimmed when the sun rises. No one paid any further attention to the crows. Everyone loved and treasured the peacocks, gazing upon them without ever growing weary.

All the provisions formerly used to feed and care for the crows were brought forth in their entirety and devoted to serving the peacocks. The people revered the peacocks and willingly followed them, while all the crows disappeared, and no one knew where they had gone. At that time, a deva spoke this verse:

Before the sun appeared,

The torches blazed with brilliant light;

The flock of crows was nourished

With fruit and drinking water.

Because their fame was then complete,

But when the sun rose high,

The offerings made to these crows

Were henceforth seen no more.

Choose and honor what is excellent,

Serving the peacocks without distinction;

When the venerable elders appear,

Those formerly revered lose their honors.

At that time, the Venerable Ananda, inspired by the World-Honored One’s teaching and filled with joy, composed this verse of praise:

Had the Buddha not appeared in the world,

Had the Teacher not arrived,

Then the non-Buddhist brahmins

Would have received offerings everywhere.

Now the Buddha’s words resound,

Expounding the radiant Dharma;

The various non-Buddhist schools

Have utterly lost their offerings.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“The peacock of that time was I myself; the crows were the various groups of non-Buddhist practitioners; and the deva who expressed himself in verse is now the Venerable Ananda.”

The Buddha said:

“At that time in the world, although I taught the sutras and Dharma, I had not yet completely eliminated the three poisons, nor could I entirely bring birth, aging, sickness, and death to an end. Later, through the pure cultivation of the holy life, I eradicated every affliction and defilement. Thus, to this very day, the Tathagata appears in the world, fully accomplishing the state of Tathagata, Worthy One, Supremely and Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Wisdom and Conduct, Well-Gone One, Knower of the World, Teacher of Devas and Humans, Unsurpassed One, Tamer of Beings, Buddha, World-Honored One.

He teaches the Dharma perfectly and ultimately, purely cultivates the holy life, leaves far behind all dust and defilement, and eradicates lust, anger, delusion, birth, aging, sickness, and death. He alone passes freely through the three realms without fear, subduing the proponents of false doctrines and the non-Buddhist paths. None fail to submit, and all receive the grace of deliverance.”

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

Sutra 52: The Buddha’s Teaching on the Sutra of the Immortal of Eight Kalpas

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling on Vulture Peak near the city of Rajagrha, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhiksus. At that time, the elder Cẩm Tận Thủ went to the Venerable Sariputra to read and recite the sutras and Dharma. After returning home, he became disenchanted with that way of life, shaved his head, renounced the household life, and became a sramana. Yet he had not attained the fruit of arhatship, although everything he did was properly fulfilled. The bhiksus went to the Blessed One and said:

“Now we have observed that Cẩm Tận Thủ always showed reverence when listening to teachings on the Dharma and the precepts. Afterward, he went forth and became a śramaṇa. He was highly intelligent and broadly learned, expounding countless scriptures and teachings with eloquent words and refined phrasing.

Yet his mind of meditative concentration became disturbed, and so he returned home. World-Honored One, for this reason he had not attained the fruit of arhatship. Having no firm foundation and no steadfast attachment to the Dharma, he had not accomplished the practice whereby he might clearly perceive the course of birth and death in samsara, and he did not attain liberation.

As the Buddha taught, the Tathagata, the Most True, the Perfectly and Fully Awakened One, always attains complete peace and security.”

The Buddha said to the bhikshus:

“What is so extraordinary about that? I have attained the fruit of unsurpassed, true awakening and am the Supremely and Perfectly Awakened One, whereas Cẩm Tận Thủ had to rely upon the Venerable Śāriputra’s instruction and guidance before he could transcend the four paths of suffering and affliction. In another lifetime, while still an ordinary person, I expounded the teachings of the scriptures far and wide, guiding people to escape hardship and suffering. That was truly most extraordinary.”

The Buddha continued:

“In the distant past, there was a seer named Bát Kiếp who had attained the five kinds of supernormal powers. At that time, the king cherished and revered the seer Bát Kiếp beyond measure. The seer often used his supernormal powers to fly to the royal palace, where the king made abundant offerings to him, provided him with everything, and always seated him beside the throne. This happened every day. The king attended upon the seer in every way, spreading his hair upon the road for the seer to walk over, and personally presenting and serving hundreds of kinds of food and drink. This continued for many years, and the offerings were truly boundless.

“At that time, the king had a minor matter that required him to travel far away. The king had a daughter who was virtuous, beautiful, and rarely equaled in the world, and he cherished her beyond measure. She was not yet married. The king said to his daughter, ‘Have you seen what I do? I make offerings to the seer and always serve him attentively, never daring to act against his wishes.’

“The daughter replied:

“‘Yes, I have seen.’

“The king told his daughter:

“‘I have business that requires me to travel far away. Remain in the royal palace and see to the offerings for that venerable one. You must do everything exactly as I do and must not displease him!’

“Then the seer flew down through the sky and arrived at the royal palace. When the daughter saw him coming, she raised her hand in greeting and invited him to take his seat. As soon as he touched her hand and felt the softness of her body, lust arose within him.

The moment that thought arose, the flames of sensual desire blazed up, causing him to lose his supernormal power of flight so that he could no longer fly away. He then reflected, entered meditation, and practiced walking meditation, hoping to recover his supernormal power, but he could not do so. Having seen the king’s daughter, lust arose in the seer’s mind and he could not restrain it, so he left the palace on foot.

Word of this spread everywhere, and there was no one who did not hear of it. Consequently, countless people gathered to watch.

“After the king had completed his business, he learned that the seer had lost his mind free from desire, fallen into the bonds of sensual attachment, and thereby lost his supernormal power so that he could no longer fly. Under cover of night, the king went alone to see the seer, bowed his head in homage, and recited this verse:

I have heard that great brahmins,

When lust arises, swiftly perish.

Whose instruction have you followed?

Whence came this defilement by sensual form?

“The seer Bát Kiếp replied in verse:

To you, O great king, I speak the truth,

Just as I heard the words of the sages.

Through perversity I strayed from the path;

Yet Your Majesty rejected my words.

“The king asked in verse:

Without the power of wisdom to discern,

One entertains thoughts both evil and good.

Should the heart be stirred by lust,

It cannot become pure and clear again.

“The seer Bát Kiếp again replied in verse:

Sensual desire destroys meaning and benefit;

The fire of lust scorches the heart.

Today, having heard the king’s words,

I shall put an end to sensual desire.

“After receiving the king’s explanation and guidance, the seer felt ashamed and sternly reproached himself. Diligently exerting himself day and night and devoting all his strength to cultivation, he soon regained his supernormal powers.”

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

“The seer Bát Kiếp of that time is now the Venerable Śāriputra, while that king was I myself.”

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

Sutra 53: The Buddha’s Teaching on the Story of the Lay Devotee A-di phiến-trì and His Son

Thus have I heard:

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

At that time, a lay devotee had a son who was intelligent and wise, skilled in eloquence, and capable of accomplishing anything. He studied extensively and comprehended what he learned, always possessed a spirit of self-reliance, was never indolent, and was exceptionally brilliant. He also knew how to advance the family’s mercantile interests and thereby acquired much precious wealth, while dutifully supporting his parents. The Buddha sustained and protected him through spiritual power, the devas constantly guarded him, and countless people cherished and respected him.

Yet he could not live in harmony with his parents. Consequently, his father felt no affection for him and often despised him. Whenever they met, his father would drive him from the house and sometimes even strike him with a staff. Unable to endure this, the son left for another country. In that foreign land, he earned his livelihood through trade. His business prospered because he never missed a favorable opportunity and never neglected his enterprise, and thus he accumulated much precious wealth.

When the lay devotee heard that his son was prospering, he sent someone to summon him home, but the son refused to obey his father. The lay devotee sent people again, instructing them that if his son said he would not return, they should find a way to bring his wealth back. Those messengers earnestly counseled and entreated the son, but he resolutely refused to comply. He sent this message to his father:

“The suffering Father caused me cannot be fully recounted. Now you have again sent people to make me return, but I cannot obey.”

The lay devotee found it difficult to go there himself, so he approached the assembly of bhikshus and explained his thoughts to them, saying in essence that his son suffered from the affliction of refusing to obey his parents’ words. The bhikshus reported the entire matter to the Buddha. The Buddha said:

“That householder and his son have not been constantly at odds only in this life; it was also so in a former life. That son possessed exceptionally excellent merit and virtue. Whatever enterprise he undertook succeeded, without error or loss, yet he still could not please his father. Bhikshus, consider this matter: that young man possessed extraordinary wisdom and immeasurable virtue, yet he could not accord with his father’s wishes and did not wish to hear his father’s voice, although he always kept him in mind.”

The Buddha recounted:

—In the distant past, there was a man named Adhiphanchì who trained monkeys for a living. He taught monkeys various forms of movement, walking and standing, and playful tricks to delight the people who came to watch. Because of his skill in handling monkeys, countless people were fond of his performances, and spectators came from near and far.

Through this, he gained much wealth and profit. Adhiphanchì had always acquired great riches through the monkey, yet he frequently beat it savagely with whips and sticks. One day, he took the monkey into the city, bound it tightly to a wooden post, and cruelly thrashed it with whips and sticks, intending to humiliate and subdue the animal.

When an opportunity to escape arose, the monkey quietly fled into the mountains. It lived alone in a secluded place near a seer and, relying upon him, dwelt there in peace. The monkey often gathered fruit as an offering to the seer and as food for itself.

When Adhiphanchì learned that the animal had fled to a secluded place in the mountains, he sent someone to find it and summon it back. The monkey refused to obey and sent him this message:

—I now recall how cruelly you treated me before. My suffering was truly immeasurable. I do not know what wrongdoing my father committed in a former life that has caused me now to endure such indescribable suffering and humiliation, to the point that I had to flee into the mountains.

Adhiphanchì came in person to call the monkey, saying:

—Come home!

The monkey remained silent and refused to obey. The seer told him:

—You should leave it in peace there.

He replied:

—I shall leave it in peace.

The seer said:

—You must not seize it by force. You must gently coax and persuade it before you can take it away. If you try to compel it, you certainly will not succeed.

The man replied:

—If I use every means and it still refuses to go, then I must devise a plan.

He then spoke this verse:

You are a gentle, worthy child,

Like a deer beneath leafy boughs,

Sheltered beneath an ancient tree,

Free from all concern for hunger and thirst.

The monkey replied in verse:

The heartless one was born with me;

I know my own nature and intent.

From where have you ever heard

That monkeys are gentle and meek?

Examining all things thoroughly,

You never once gave thought to this:

When wickedness has fully grown,

It can no longer be restrained.

I now recall what happened before.

That man Adhiphanchì

Took me into the city,

Bound me to a post, and beat me painfully.

Even now I have not forgotten

The torment of his lashes and blows.

Now that I have gained my freedom,

I will not let him harm me again.

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

—The monkey belonging to Adhiphanchì at that time is now the intelligent son of the male lay devotee. Adhiphanchì is now that son’s father, and the seer was none other than I myself.

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

Sutra 54: The Buddha’s Teaching on the Sutra of Husband and Wife

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling and teaching in Jeta Grove, Anathapindika’s Park, in the kingdom of Shravasti, together with a great assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikshus.

At that time, a male lay devotee had a wife who was upright and beautiful, dignified in her bearing, and unequaled in virtue. She was also intelligent and wise, eloquent in speech, and, in short, possessed many outstanding qualities. Everyone respected and cherished her. Her husband, however, did not value his wife. Instead, he despised her, took no pleasure in her, and did not wish to see her. On the contrary, he took a maidservant as a concubine and treated that woman with respect and affection. Seeing that her husband’s heart had changed and that he had turned to a woman of lower station and no longer lived harmoniously with her, the wife said to him:

—If you no longer take delight in living with me in harmony, you should permit me to leave the household life, enter the path, and become a bhikshuni.

After she had made this request many times, her husband consented. She then left the household life, entered the path, and became a bhikshuni. Practicing diligently day and night, she soon attained arhatship. Later, when the woman whom that male lay devotee loved succumbed to impermanence, he sought out his former wife, who was now a bhikshuni, and asked her to return to him. The bhikshuni refused to comply with her former husband’s wishes and said:

—Having left the household life to cultivate the path, I am now a different person. Moreover, my way of life has changed; merit and wrongdoing cannot be shared together.

When the other bhikshunis learned of this, they went to the Blessed One and related the entire matter in detail. The Buddha told the bhikshus:

—In a previous life, that male lay devotee likewise humiliated this virtuous woman; it is not only in this life that he has acted so. Furthermore, throughout successive lives, this woman has possessed virtue and an exceptionally noble resolve, while that man has always sought to harm and disturb her. Now that she has entered the Great Path, he wishes to harm her yet again, but he certainly cannot have his way.

The Buddha then told the bhikshus:

—In the distant past, there was a brahmin whose wife was named Lotus. She was gentle and beautiful, with a lovely countenance of the highest order, rarely seen in the world, and her virtue was truly beyond compare. The brahmin had a maidservant who assisted with the household work. He constantly remained close to that maidservant and treated her favorably and respectfully, while he neither loved nor valued his wife Lotus. Not only did he dislike seeing his wife, but he also listened to the maidservant and took his wife away from their home deep into the mountains. There, he climbed an udumbara tree, selected the ripe fruit for himself to eat, and threw down the unripe fruit for his wife. His wife asked:

—Why do you alone eat the ripe fruit, while throwing down the unripe fruit for me?

Her husband replied:

—If you want ripe fruit, why do you not climb the tree yourself and choose some?

The wife replied:

—If you will not give me ripe fruit, then so be it!

Then, following her husband’s words, the wife climbed the tree. When the husband saw that she had climbed up, he used thorny branches at the foot of the tree to fence in all four sides so that she could not descend. He then abandoned her and departed, intending that she should die. At that time, the king and his ministers were out hunting and passed by that tree. They saw the woman there, exceedingly beautiful, with a remarkably noble appearance rarely found in the world. The king approached and asked:

—Who are you? Where have you come from?

The woman related the entire course of her misfortune to the king in detail. Seeing that she possessed all the perfect marks of a woman without the slightest trace of coarseness or ugliness, the king thought to himself, “That brahmin is truly foolish and devoid of wisdom. He is no true man, for he neither delights in nor respects and cherishes this woman.” The king then ordered his men to clear away the thorns and took her with him.

Upon returning to the royal palace, he appointed her queen. That queen was intelligent and wise, and no one could equal her eloquence. She also knew how to play shubo and was skilled in six forms of games, being thoroughly versed in the texts that explained them.

Women from near and far therefore came to play with her, but the queen won every time, and no one could match her. At that time, the brahmin heard from afar that the king had a beautiful queen who was also skilled in games of chance and amusement. Whoever came to play against her was invariably defeated; everyone submitted to her, and no one could prevail.

He thought to himself:

—This must be my former wife and cannot be anyone else, for she was highly skilled in that game!

Moreover, this brahmin was also highly skilled in this art, so he sought out the king to display his talent. When the king’s wife heard that there was a brahmin of such an appearance, with that very stature and those features, whether fair or plain, she immediately thought:

“He must be my former husband.”

The brahmin came to the gate of the royal palace. The king immediately went out to meet him and then had him display his skill from afar with an attendant named Fang. The brahmin spoke this verse:

Silken hair, eight feet long,

Moth-like brows, lovely as a painting;

In gracefulness, none surpasses you—

Do you remember the ripe fruit on the branch?

The queen replied in verse:

Formerly, with your serving maid,

Your heart already delighted in her;

Was honoring her above all else

The finest way to seize what was another’s?

The brahmin again spoke in verse:

Living at ease in the royal palace,

Riding fine elephants at leisure,

Rejoicing together in that place—

Do you still remember the ripe fruit?

The queen replied in verse:

You alone ate the ripe fruit

And cast the unripe fruit to another.

Such was the former cause and condition—

The brahmin was merely skilled at stealing.

At that moment, the brahmin was filled with remorse and sternly reproached himself, but his repentance came too late.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“That brahmin of that time is now this lay devotee, while that king was none other than I myself. At that time, the brahmin stirred up disorder within his own household, and today he has done the same.”

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

Sutra 55: The Buddha Teaches the Sutra of Parables

In the distant past, countless kalpas ago, there was a solitary woman who made her living selling sesame oil. At that time, a bhiksu, relying upon her promise of an offering, came each day to obtain sesame oil with which to light lamps for the Buddha. After many years had passed, the Buddha later bestowed a prediction upon that bhiksu:

“In the future, you will become a Buddha.”

The devas, the king, and the people all came to congratulate the bhiksu. He said:

“I gratefully accept this blessing.”

When the solitary woman who sold oil heard that the bhiksu had received a prediction from the Buddha, she immediately went to the Buddha and said:

“That bhiksu lit lamps as an offering with the oil I gave him. I beseech the Buddha to bestow a prediction upon me as well.”

The Buddha said:

“When that bhiksu attains Buddhahood, follow that Buddha and ask him for a prediction.”

The Buddha said to the Venerable Sariputra:

“The bhiksu of that time was Dipankara Buddha, while the solitary woman who sold oil was I myself.”

Long ago, in the country of Vaisali, there was an elder who heard that the Buddha had arrived during his travels to teach and transform beings. He immediately went to the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said:

“I wish to invite the Buddha to spend the three-month rains retreat at my home.”

The Buddha silently accepted. He then put on his robe, took up his alms bowl, and went to the elder’s home. The others who had been unable to invite the Buddha became angry and plotted to harm the elder.

They appointed a day and time, then brought their followers to surround his house in many ranks. The elder became exceedingly frightened and wholeheartedly recollected the Buddha, thinking of nothing else. For the sake of his household, the Buddha taught the Dharma, giving many essential instructions, whereby the elder and his family all attained the Dharma-eye of non-arising.

The Buddha then rose from his seat and went outside to teach the assembled people. He explained the painful retribution caused by anger and extolled the merit of loving-kindness and gentleness. These essential teachings opened the hearts and minds of everyone, causing as many as eighty-four thousand people to arouse the aspiration for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

The bhiksus asked the Buddha:

“In this great assembly, the people encountered the Buddha and thereby had their hearts and minds opened. Was this merely a chance meeting, or did it arise from causes and conditions established in the past?”

The Buddha said:

“All those in this assembly who have now been transformed and delivered at one time had already formed causes and conditions with the Buddha in a former life.”

The bhiksus said:

“We beseech the Buddha to explain this matter fully from beginning to end, so that those who hear it may increase their merit.”

The Buddha recounted:

“Long ago, there was a country near the great ocean. Its king, named Tất-hòa-đạt, always governed the country with loving-kindness and regarded the people as his own children. At that time, a severe drought befell the country. No rain fell for three consecutive years, and the people suffered hunger and thirst. The king summoned a brahmin ascetic to the palace and asked:

“‘Will rain fall?’

“The ascetic cast a divination and said:

“‘Only after a full ten years will rain fall.’

“When the king heard this, he feared that all his people would perish and became sorrowful and joyless. The king thought:

“‘What means can I devise to save the multitude? Perhaps I should sacrifice my own body to save sentient beings.’

“Having reflected thus, the king purified himself by fasting and observing the precepts, joined his palms, faced the ten directions, and made this vow:

“‘Throughout my life, I have performed many wholesome deeds. If I have thereby gained any blessed reward, may I be reborn in the ocean as a fish with an immense body, so that my flesh may provide nourishment and sustain sentient beings.’

“After making this vow, the king abstained entirely from food and drink. Seven days later, he died and was reborn as a fish whose body was four thousand li long. Because the fish clearly remembered its life and identity in its former existence, it came and lay upon the seashore, appearing like a black mountain. When the people saw it, they wondered why such a strange mountain had appeared there. They gathered to look and then realized that it was a gigantic fish. People from throughout the country came, cut flesh from the fish, and carried it home to eat. Thus they escaped the famine, and the country once again became as well provisioned as before.”

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“The fish of that time was I myself, and those who ate the fish’s flesh are now the people of Vaisali. On that occasion, the Tathagata used his own flesh to save and sustain sentient beings throughout an entire lifetime. Today, I likewise use the light of awakened wisdom to liberate their minds, lead them back to the true nature of suchness, free them from the three realms, and utterly extinguish all suffering.

A bodhisattva must always be diligent, endure hardship, and fully practice the three kinds of giving. What are these three kinds of giving? They are external giving, internal giving, and great giving.

Giving food, clothing, various treasures, and even one’s country, wife, and children is external giving. Giving parts of one’s own body, such as flesh, bones, head, eyes, marrow, and brain, is internal giving. Teaching sentient beings the four immeasurable minds, the six paramitas, the Four Noble Truths, the Dharma gateway of impermanence, the twelve divisions of scripture, and so forth is great giving.

Those who seek attainment of the path must fully practice these three kinds of giving; only then can they swiftly attain Buddhahood.”

When the Buddha finished teaching this, countless sentient beings together aroused the aspiration for unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.

– *

*

Master Thủ Đạt was advanced in years and worthy of reverence; he had taught and transformed five thousand people. Master Duy Tiên was young, with profound and expansive wisdom; he traveled to many countries and taught and transformed sixty thousand people. In the course of their travels to teach and transform beings, the two eventually met. When Master Thủ Đạt’s disciples saw Master Duy Tiên’s bold and penetrating wisdom, they all wished to approach him and express their veneration. Master Thủ Đạt summoned his disciples and told them:

“Duy Tiên is still young; his wisdom is shallow and meager.”

Venerable Duy Tiên heard these words and thought: “Those who cultivate the bodhisattva practice should make offerings to one another. When traveling to teach in various lands, they should regard meeting one another as meeting the Buddha. I truly do not wish to support Venerable Thủ Đạt now, yet I remain mindful of our bond as fellow practitioners.” That very night, Venerable Duy Tiên quietly departed for another country. Why was this? It was because he wished those disciples to continue making offerings to Venerable Thủ Đạt.

Because Venerable Thủ Đạt had slandered Venerable Duy Tiên, he had to fall among the beings of Ma-ha-nê-lê for sixty kalpas. After escaping from there and becoming human, he had to endure sixty lifetimes as a person without a tongue. Why was this? It was because he had failed to restrain the three karmas of body, speech, and mind, thereby losing the bodhisattva’s Dharma practice. Later, when his offenses had been exhausted, through the merit he had previously cultivated and his diligent personal practice, he attained Buddhahood under the name Śākyamuni.

The Buddha told the disciples:

“That Thủ Đạt was none other than I myself, while Venerable Duy Tiên is now Amitābha Buddha.”

All those seated there said:

“That transgression was slight, yet the retribution he had to bear was exceedingly great!”

The Buddha told everyone in the Dharma assembly:

“The three karmas of body, speech, and mind must resolutely be restrained and guarded. Those who fully believe this and practice accordingly will attain the Way. If one commits an evil offense but recognizes it, repents, and reforms, that offense will become lighter!”

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*

Countless kalpas ago, a man resolved to perform a great act of generosity, making offerings for many years to an immense multitude of non-Buddhist brahmins, numbering countless thousands. According to the rules of the brahmins, whoever knew the most scriptures was seated upon the highest seat. Among those brahmins was an elderly man of great wisdom who was regarded as foremost in the assembly.

At that time, the Bodhisattva Nho Đồng was studying scriptures and arts in the mountains, and there was nothing in which he was not proficient. When he arrived at that assembly, he sat in the last place. Questions were posed in order to test the knowledge of the brahmins, and one after another, none could equal him.

Even when they reached the man seated upon the highest seat, all the knowledge of that elder brahmin could not equal that of Nho Đồng. The twelve years were nearly complete, and those learned in the scriptures were to be presented with nine gifts: a golden horse, a silver saddle and bridle, a beautiful and upright maiden, a golden vessel for drawing bathwater, and basins for holding bathwater made of gold and silver—all of them exceedingly fine and beautiful.

The elder brahmin then reflected: “For twelve years, no one has been able to refute me, yet now I have been defeated in debate by this youth! A person can feel shame, but material objects have no words to speak; losing one’s reputation is no trifling matter.” He then said to Nho Đồng:

“The nine donated gifts will all be handed over together. A younger man must remain beneath me and allow me to stay above.”

Nho Đồng replied:

“I have earned this through reasoning; I did not force anyone to place me above. If my understanding were inferior, I would willingly descend below without the slightest regret.”

The elder brahmin sorrowfully yielded the high seat to Nho Đồng. That seat was adorned with the seven precious substances and was exquisitely beautiful and refined. He then asked Nho Đồng:

“Where did you acquire your learning?”

Nho Đồng replied:

“I sought it from A-duy-tam Buddha in order to liberate all beings.”

The brahmin became angry and malicious and inwardly vowed:

“Lifetime after lifetime, I am determined to destroy this man’s resolve and prevent him from attaining anything. If he becomes a Buddha, I shall also be determined to disrupt his work.”

He further thought: “Good and evil follow different paths, and I fear that we will not remain near one another. I must therefore cultivate abundant virtue so that he and I may meet again.”

He practiced the six pāramitās and cultivated wholesome dharmas without ever entertaining thoughts of negligence. Then he departed for good. The donor of the nine gifts gave them all to the brahmins to divide among themselves. Each brahmin deducted one coin from his share and gave it to Nho Đồng. They said:

“You did not accept the nine gifts, so we have had to divide them among ourselves. This is your portion.”

Nho Đồng accepted it, and then everyone went their separate ways.

After the Bodhisattva attained the fruit of the Way, Devadatta constantly followed him. They were born and died together and became brothers together, while Devadatta continually followed him in order to harm the Bodhisattva. The elder brahmin at that time was Devadatta, while Nho Đồng was Śākyamuni Buddha. Because of that ancient vow, they were rarely separated. This is the origin and full account of this matter.

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*

The Master taught:

“In learning, one should rely upon a good spiritual friend. Long ago, there was a donkey whose owner always had it accompany a horse. In traveling, eating, and drinking, it always did everything together with the horse.

When the horse traveled a hundred leagues, it too traveled a hundred leagues; when the horse ran a thousand leagues, the donkey also ran the same distance. Its mane and neighing became just like those of a horse. Later, the horse accompanied donkeys in eating, drinking, and traveling and became their companion.

When a donkey traveled a hundred leagues, the horse also traveled a hundred leagues; when a donkey traveled a thousand leagues, the horse also traveled a thousand leagues. The mane upon its head and body became like that of a donkey. Even the horse’s cries of ‘ai, ai’ became exactly like a donkey’s braying.

From that time until its death, it was no longer a horse. Those who undertake learning are the same. By following a good spiritual friend, they become more diligent day by day, turn into diligent practitioners, and swiftly attain the Way.

By following bad companions and growing more indolent day by day, however, they become lazy people and remain forever submerged in birth and death.”

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*

Long ago, a foreign brahmin who worshiped a god built a shrine and skillfully carved an image of that god, using gold for the statue’s head. At that time, a thief climbed upon the divine image to steal its golden head. He pulled at it repeatedly but could not make it move. He then recited, “Namo Buddha,” whereupon he was able to remove the statue’s head and carry it away. The next morning, the brahmin saw that the head of the divine image was missing. Because the statue had lost its head, everyone gathered and concluded that the god had lost his head and therefore possessed no divine power. The god entered the brahmin’s body and said:

“The thief could not remove my head. He then recited, ‘Namo Buddha,’ causing all the devas to tremble, and so he was able to take my head away.”

The brahmins said:

“The god is not equal to the Buddha. We should therefore worship the Buddha and no longer worship this god. That thief merely recited ‘Namo Buddha’ and was able to take away the head of the divine image. How much more, then, when worthy practitioners constantly recite ‘Namo Buddha’: the spirits throughout the ten directions will always honor them and dare not oppose them. Therefore, one must practice diligently and never be negligent.”

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*

Long ago, a śramaṇa recited sutras day and night. At that time, a dog lay beneath his bed and listened single-mindedly to the sutras, giving no thought to food or drink. This continued for many years. After the dog died, it was reborn as a girl living in the kingdom of Śrāvastī. When she grew up, whenever she encountered bhikṣus on their alms round, she joyfully brought food to offer them. Later, she followed the śramaṇas, became a bhikṣuṇī, practiced diligently, and attained the fruit of arhatship.

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*

Long ago, a king arranged a grand musical performance outside the city, and all the people of the kingdom flocked there to watch. In that city was a family whose father was disabled and could not go to see it. The entire family gathered around to support him and, exerting all their strength, brought him outside the city and stopped beneath a tree. Knowing that he could not go on to watch the performance, he said to his family:

“Go and see, then return and bring me back.”

At that time, Lord Shakra manifested as a practitioner of the Way and passed near that man. He called to the sick man and said:

“Come with me. I can bring you relief from your illness.”

Hearing this, the man was greatly delighted and immediately followed Lord Shakra, who took him up to the heavenly realm and brought him to Lord Shakra’s celestial palace. There he saw immense quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and precious treasures such as could not be found in the human world, and the desire to ask for them arose in his mind. He had also heard someone say that he should ask for the vase, so he said to Lord Shakra:

“I wish to return home. I pray that you will grant me this vase.”

Shakra immediately gave it to him and said:

“This vase contains every necessity. Whatever you sincerely wish for will appear at once.”

The sick man carried the vase home, and his entire household gathered to see it. Immediately, in accordance with their hearts’ desires, they obtained great quantities of gold, silver, jewels, and precious treasures. On account of this, they held a grand gathering for the whole clan, including relatives on both the paternal and maternal sides, to feast, celebrate, and make merry. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, the old man took the vase, danced about, and said:

“I am indebted to the one who bestowed wealth upon me.”

He continued dancing without stopping until he stumbled and fell to the ground, shattering the precious vase. Thereafter, the things they wished for could no longer be obtained. The Buddha’s sutras and precepts are like that precious vase. When one first receives and understands them, one practices diligently and all one’s aspirations are fulfilled. But later, if one gradually becomes indolent, forgets the sutras, and violates the precepts, it is like the vase being shattered: there is no way to make it whole again.

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*

For women and girls in a household who wear gold, silver, jewels, and precious ornaments, there are four ways by which they may be reborn in the heavenly realm:

First, while wearing gold, silver, jewels, and precious ornaments, if they encounter someone who thoroughly understands the meaning of the sutras, listen joyfully as that person expounds the sutras, and relinquish their wealth as alms, this is one meritorious deed that leads to rebirth in the heavenly realm.

Second, if they encounter a shramana teacher from a distant region who is engaged in building monasteries or stupas, and joyfully give their gold and silver as alms to encourage and support the work, this is the second meritorious deed that leads to rebirth in the heavenly realm.

Third, if they encounter someone who is poor, destitute, and in distress, and, having heard the Buddha teach, “Giving is the foremost practice that ought to be undertaken,” immediately give their wealth as alms, this is the third meritorious deed that leads to rebirth in the heavenly realm.

Fourth, if they fall ill and are approaching death, and give away their wealth as alms in order to aid and safeguard their lives, personally witness the giving, and at death remain joyful and unafraid, they will be reborn in the heavenly realm.

These are the four practices within the household that women and girls who wear gold, silver, jewels, and precious ornaments must undertake in order to be reborn in the heavenly realm.