新歲經

Thus have I heard. At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, in the country of Śrāvastī, together with a full assembly of eighty-four thousand great bhikṣus, the Venerable Śāriputra, the Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and others, surrounding him before and behind, listening to the Buddha expound the sūtra. The Buddha, in the midst of the great assembly, was like Mount Sumeru, the king of mountains, alone lofty and towering, like the full moon shining brightly among the stars of heaven; his majestic radiance was vast and great like purple gold illuminating the earth, all of golden hue, surpassing, extraordinary, towering, with nothing whatsoever that could compare to him.

At that time the World-Honored One, together with the full assembly of bhikṣus, was of immeasurable purity, like the sky without any clouds. After the three months of the summer rains-retreat (varṣa) had been completed, the day for receiving the New Year (Pravāraṇā) had arrived. The assemblies of bhikṣus waited in silence, single-mindedly contemplating the Path, settled and composed, without any other thought.

At that time the worthy Ānanda rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, placed his right knee upon the ground, knelt down and joined his palms, came before the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and spoke a verse of praise:

The World-Honored One has come here.

With the purpose of deliverance.

Three months in this place.

In the Jeta Grove and the Garden of the Solitary One.

The vow has been fulfilled.

Now indeed the time is right.

O Teacher, Peerless One.

Please proclaim the New Year.

Then the World-Honored One heard the Venerable Ānanda speak the verse of praise, praising the Buddha as the one who has attained true quiescence; having finished, Ānanda sat to one side. The Buddha said to the worthy Maudgalyāyana: "Go forth throughout the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world, to the deep, secluded, and remote mountain caves, to the stone chambers upon the lofty mountain peaks, and proclaim everywhere to the assemblies of bhikṣus—those newly entered upon the Path as well as the senior learners, and those who have not yet realized the Path—inviting them all to gather together in this Jeta Grove. Why is this? Because the Tathāgata, the time having come, wishes to bestow the New Year."

Then the Venerable Mahā-Maudgalyāyana rose up into the open sky, and in accordance with the Buddha's holy command, sent forth a great voice, proclaiming it throughout the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world so that all might know; and within that great resounding voice there spontaneously arose a verse, which said:

O you who are everywhere.

In the deep forests among the mountain rocks.

The hour of the New Year has come.

Your heart's vow shall be fulfilled.

Then the bhikṣus, whether dwelling in their very places or traveling throughout the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world, having heard the announcing verse, all by means of spiritual powers or every kind of expedient means transformed their bodily forms and went to the Jeta Grove, the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika, came before the Buddha to request the receiving of the New Year, and together stood to one side. The Buddha gathered his disciples. They had all come from various lands and realms, and at one and the same time they all assembled, numbering eighty hundred-thousand times four koṭi, wishing to receive the New Year. At that time the World-Honored One said to the Venerable Ānanda: "Go and sound the gaṇḍī bell, for now the time has indeed come."

The Venerable Ānanda obeyed; rising from his seat, he sounded the gaṇḍī bell, and its sound resounded throughout the buddha-realms. From one great country of one buddha down to the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals, all who heard the sound of the gaṇḍī bell, through the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, had all their sufferings, ills, and poisons utterly removed, and all attained peace and ease. At that time the World-Honored One, using the pure Brahmā-voice, said to the bhikṣus: "All of you, rise and draw the tallies that count the saṅgha's number (the practice of the śalākā counting-sticks); let everyone face one another to repent of their faults, reproaching themselves, mutually begging pardon for the faults and transgressions of the Dharma they have committed;

let everyone practice forbearance, harmony, and purity of body, mouth, and mind, so that not the least defilement remains." Then the bhikṣus obeyed the Buddha's teaching; they all rose from their seats, came before the World-Honored One, and each and every one mutually apologized and repented of their faults; having finished, they returned and sat again in their former places.

When the Buddha had seen the saṅgha all return and sit again in their former places, he was moved by compassion, and thereupon rose from his seat, himself joined his palms toward the bhikṣus, and said: "O assemblies of bhikṣus! Keep your hearts in harmony and turn together toward one another to repent of your faults. Why is this?

My body, speech, and mind may perchance have faults and errors; yet the Tathāgata, the Supreme Honored One, the utterly true, has no error, no defects or outflows in his deeds, his mind is not heedless, he does not lose his wisdom, he has no greedy attachment, he does not break the precept-prohibitions; among the ranks of the Śrāvakas and Pratyekabuddhas, his honored virtue surpasses the devas and the people of the world; throughout the exceedingly long ages within the three realms there is none who can equal him.

"Furthermore, O bhikṣus, if the various clans go forth from home to study the Path, practicing according to the Dharma of the śramaṇa, the mind-natures of each person differ, their aspirations and vows are not the same; with regard to the work of attaining Buddhahood, here they must carry it out, must obey the instruction without transgressing. Why is this? If there is a bhikṣu who, among the holy assembly, establishes the New Year, the bodily conduct of each person being different, their thoughts not the same, yet harbors a flattering heart, holding that such-and-such a bhikṣu does not receive what is truly correct—he ought not to receive the full precepts.

Why is this? Because purity of body, mouth, and mind is alone the truly good and correct, the full receiving of the Buddha's precepts: harboring a heart of reverence, complying with those of the higher, middle, and lower ranks, without arrogance or wantonness, with a sense of shame, humble and respectful—only this accords with the precept-Dharma. Why is this?

Such a practitioner has no enmity or jealousy, harbors no resentment, and contemplating the Dharma of past and present is without confusion. In establishing the New Year he likewise has no heart of anger or self-importance. Why is this?

Because he keeps the precept-prohibitions pure. If one establishes the New Year and establishes the supreme great precepts yet is not pure, then one is not a disciple of the Buddha.

"It is like a dead person whose corpse is laid upon the earth, cast away in a burial mound: even though the devas of the heavens above and the people of the human world, the devas and the populace, all bring fine medicines, divine spells, and skilled arts, longing and wishing to make that one live again, they cannot save and revive him. So too is the bhikṣu who has destroyed and transgressed the precept-prohibitions: though he be formally admitted into the assembly, even with many New Years he cannot save himself so as to establish the New Year.

Why is this? Because that person, having destroyed the precepts, must by the natural law undergo the retribution of the hells, the hungry ghosts, and the animals—suffering, poison, and bitterness beyond measure. Therefore all of you must be careful."

When the Buddha had finished expounding the Dharma, he rose from his seat and stepped out from his grass mat. At that very moment the three-thousand-great-thousandfold world quaked with six kinds of trembling. The harps and the konghou, the musical instruments, though not plucked, spontaneously gave forth their sounds; in the midst of the open sky there rained down all kinds of famous fragrances, and flowers of every sort were scattered.

When the Buddha had spoken this chapter on the precept-Dharma in order to instruct the assembly of bhikṣus, then the bhikṣus, each in his own place of sitting, through the true and correct teaching and the awesome spiritual power of the Buddha, the radiance of holy merit shining forth and illuminating everywhere, each rose up of himself, in his heart no longer delighting in desire, ever sitting upon the mountain peaks and beneath the trees, taking this as their joy.

All rose from their seats, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, and with their own mouths declared: "All dharmas issue forth from the Buddha; the Holy One is the root of the Path, sheltering all with the eye of loving-kindness. He is the most honored and extraordinary, of supreme holy virtue, transcendent and beyond all equal, majestic and towering, proclaiming and transforming through the Path."

At that time the Tathāgata, in his very place of honor, repented and offered thanks to the holy assembly, and out of pity for living beings returned to his grass mat. As soon as the Buddha had sat down again, the holy assembly did likewise: each returned to his own place and sat down again in accordance with the Dharma. At that time the World-Honored One, seeing that the hour for receiving the New Year had come, and out of pity for the assemblies, before the bhikṣus made the formal declaration three times; having finished, the work was completed, and five bhikṣus rose from their seats and established the New Year.

As soon as the New Year was established, ten thousand bhikṣus attained the trace of the Path (the stream-entry), and eight thousand bhikṣus attained the fruit of Arhatship. The devas in the open sky, eighty-four thousand of them, were all opened and transformed, all attaining the Dharma-mind of the Path, the unsurpassed true and correct; the expounding of the sūtra-Dharma was beyond all reckoning, and the various kinds of living beings established the Three Vehicles.

Now the Buddha, out of pity, condescending in his heart, sitting amid the great assembly, delivered them from the yoke of peril, and the ten directions all looked to him for rescue and salvation.

Then the Dragon King Anavatapta, with all his retinue, departed from their dwelling places, bearing perfumed water of sandalwood and mixed fragrances, and went to the place of the Buddha, to the place of receiving the New Year; taking refuge in the Buddha together with the holy assembly, they bowed their heads at his feet, and with mixed sandalwood fragrance made offerings to the Buddha and the saṅgha of bhikṣus; then with this verse they offered praise, saying:

Though upon the mountain peaks. Sitting beneath the shade of trees.

Traveling upon the great ocean. Harboring greed, anger, and hatred.

Having come, they establish the New Year. Hundreds of millions of living beings gather.

Making offerings and serving the Buddha. They attain the gate of sweet-dew nectar.

Then the Ocean Dragon King took a pure red pearl and transformed it into a crossing-road, raising aloft a supreme and wondrous canopy, four hundred leagues in length and breadth, formed of gold, purple, and lapis lazuli joined together, holding it in his hand and walking upon the open air. Coming forth from the Dragon Palace, from that crossing-road canopy he took water from the lake possessed of the eight flavors, and with the pure stream sprinkled the surface of the earth as an offering to the Tathāgata and the assembly of bhikṣus; using the crossing-road canopy he presented it to the Great Holy One and the saṅgha of bhikṣus, and scattering jeweled necklaces upon the Buddha and the holy assembly, he then spoke a verse:

Pure as the open sky. One with the natural void.

The precept-prohibitions exceedingly pure. Surpassing the wondrous bright jewel.

Beings numerous as Ganges-sands. Sitting in this great assembly.

All make offerings and dwell at peace. And the assemblies of Śrāvakas.

Then the Bodhisattvas of the ten directions, the devas and dragons, and the Spirit Kings all came from the ten directions to assemble, conjuring forth many rare offering-objects to present to the World-Honored One and the assembly of bhikṣus, bowing in homage and taking refuge, inquiring and receiving and upholding the scriptures. Each and every one did thus, with nothing whatsoever differing; all came to bow in homage, all giving rise to the mind of the unsurpassed true and correct Path. Then the devas and humans, each and every one, gave rise to the heart to make offerings to the World-Honored One and the holy assemblies, and with a verse offered praise:

Within the heart already pure.

The foremost, beyond conceiving.

The holy assembly, most honored and eldest.

Sitting within this gathering.

Casting away all conceptions.

Skillfully removing every defilement.

This day reverently making offerings.

With wholehearted reverence.

Opening, transforming, rescuing from every calamity.

All the dusts and toils.

The precept-prohibitions already pure.

Like the jewel-treasure of the bright moon.

The heart ever contemplating what is correct.

Cutting off all the fetters of anger.

Today the one free of defilement.

Gathering in assembly to establish the New Year.

Teaching the hearts that are hard to teach.

Obeying and practicing, firm as Mount Tai.

Ever practicing the unobstructed Dharma.

The Buddha peacefully establishes the New Year.

When the devas and humans had finished speaking this verse, they bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet and suddenly vanished, all returning to their own palaces, all rejoicing, delighting themselves in the Dharma. At that time the World-Honored One manifested a great cool shade, with jeweled crossing-roads to shelter the holy assembly, and then spoke this verse:

The conduct of the precepts is truly pure.

The deed is hard to keep pace with.

Today bestowing the joyful thing.

Sheltering everywhere, establishing the New Year.

Presented to the abiding ones.

Guarding the precepts, truly pure.

Like a bird delighting in its own plumage.

The Buddha's majesty guards the New Year.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus: "Now the Buddha, the World-Honored One, though the New Year is one assembly held once each year, practices the pure rule of the Dharma to guard the Path, keeping the three things—body, mouth, and mind—without defilement, reverently practicing the ten wholesome deeds, the four equanimities, the six pāramitās, casting away the six sense-feelings, the three poisons, the five hindrances, and the twelve cords that drag one along, pure as the sun shining over all beneath the heavens, its radiance brilliantly shining, the darkness removed, entering into the light of the unsurpassed true and correct Path, all in harmony, suffering and joy not two—only this accords with the Dharma of the Path." Then the Buddha spoke a verse:

The arising of the Buddhas in the world is joy.

To speak the sūtra-Dharma is also joy.

The holy assembly in harmony is joy.

Ever in harmony, attaining peace and bliss.

When the Buddha had spoken thus, the assemblies of bhikṣus, the devas, dragons, ghosts and spirits, asuras, and the people of the world, having heard the Buddha's teaching, there was none who did not rejoice; they bowed in homage and withdrew.

The World-Honored One was traveling in Śrāvastī.

For the sake of his disciples he spoke thus.

All were at the assembly of the Jeta Grove.

Now the Pravāraṇā follows the customary rule.

Śāriputra, joining his palms, addressed the Buddha:

May the World-Honored One speak of the Pravāraṇā.

When the Honored One of the three realms proclaims it,

By what method does a bhikṣu purify himself?

"Śāriputra, for my sake spread the grass.

Beneath the tree, striving to drive away Māra.

If anyone spreads the grass likewise,

In this present age that one shall be made pure.

Like the worthy sage seated,

This is fearlessness.

Sitting in bliss, without desire,

At peace within the three realms.

The summer retreat is now completed.

This is a disciple of the Buddha.

Let him discern for himself,

Compassionate toward the whole world.

It is the great month of the year.

It is the foremost wisdom of awakening.

Let him cast away the conduct of the body,

Cutting off through insight however much suffering there is.

He speaks of the afflictions of transgression,

Clearly knowing the countless sufferings.

This is the attainment of the trace of the Path.

Now for the sake of the Pravāraṇā.

Thinning out greed-desire and anger,

He is also able to remove the root of craving.

He can cut off birth-and-death,

And exhaust the root of the conceptions of affliction.

Of himself he attains the heavens above,

And again is born among humankind.

This is the attainment of the two paths.

Now for the sake of the Pravāraṇā.

Having attained birth in the heavens above,

He shall fall no more.

Once born in the heavens above,

He has extinguished all cravings.

The foremost Dharma in the world,

The Venerable One has attained.

This is the attainment of the two paths.

Now through the Pravāraṇā.

All the afflictions of evil

Are ended, and he attains liberation.

He has attained the four sweet-dews.

This is fearlessness.

He has extinguished all the darkness,

Turning toward all suffering.

This is the eight supreme paths.

Now is the Pravāraṇā.

"Having completed one month, he straightway attains one knowledge; reaching the second month, he straightway attains two knowledges; in the span of three months, he straightway attains three knowledges, delighting in the three knowledges—now is the Pravāraṇā. That one has healed the four sores, with nothing remaining; he has crossed to the far shore and attained peace and ease. Having passed the four months, the one for whom nothing further remains, who has accomplished merit—now is the Pravāraṇā. He can subdue the Dragon-head and Nanda, Hāla; he can shake Mount Sumeru and the ocean waters, so that even the deva-realms all quake. The company of Maudgalyāyana—now is the Pravāraṇā.

The supreme worthy is self-awakened.

Therefore all the realms are ended.

It is the merit that aids the world.

The Buddha himself spoke these words.

Ever walking alone beneath the tree.

For the sake of the example of the multitude.

The Pratyekabuddha is supreme.

Now is the Pravāraṇā.

The three places untainted by attachment.

The assembly, for the sake of pure intent.

The three bodies have been settled.

From the start free of pride and conceit.

Within the three realms, without desire.

Attaining the unmoving pure intent.

At peace like Mount Sumeru.

Now is the Pravāraṇā.

Having practiced the four right things,

The four paths have been settled.

The Buddha calls him the worthy sage,

Increasing the merit of all people.

The place of offering, most secure,

Forever unable to be ruined.

The Buddha has attained all wisdoms.

Now is the Pravāraṇā.

The keeping of precepts already complete,

Unmoving before all powers.

Dharma-food and garments worn.

Ever delighting to dwell in the mountains.

This is the conduct firm and solid,

Complete, without flaw.

The place of the practitioner is pure.

Now is the Pravāraṇā.

Keeping precepts, removing all evil,

The assembly joins palms to receive the Dharma.

He attains the turning-toward of all,

All the Māras are subdued.

The devas together with the good people

Praise the fullness of the precepts.

No longer seeing any Māra.

Now is the Pravāraṇā."

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SŪTRA OF THE NEW YEAR (PRAVĀRAṆĀ)