增壹阿含經

III. THE CHAPTER OF EXTENSIVE EXPOSITION

1. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, savor the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, accomplish the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Buddha."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Buddha bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the savoring of the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the accomplishment of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to teach this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold it."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other thought, single-mindedly recollecting the Buddha, contemplating the form and features of the Tathāgata without ever turning his eyes away, and having not turned his eyes away, he thereupon recollects the merits of the Tathāgata.

"The substance of the Tathāgata is of vajra, replete with the ten powers and the four fearlessnesses, valiant and strong amid the assembly. The countenance of the Tathāgata is upright and without peer, never wearying to behold. His accomplishment in moral conduct is like vajra that cannot be destroyed, pure and without blemish, also like vaiḍūrya. The samādhi of the Tathāgata has never diminished, forever still and quiet, with no other thought; all the feelings of arrogance and obstinacy, all the mental intentions of desire, the notions of anger, of delusion, of doubt and hesitation, of binding fetters—are entirely swept away.

"The wisdom of the Tathāgata's body is of boundless knowledge, unobstructed. The body of the Tathāgata is accomplished through liberation; he is no longer reborn so as to have to say, 'I shall again fall into birth and death.' The body of the Tathāgata is accomplished in the insight of liberation; he knows the faculties and natures of others, who should be liberated and who should not be liberated, knows their dying here and being born there, coming and going, turning round and round upon the shore of birth and death; those who have liberation and those who have not liberation he wholly knows.

"This is the cultivation of the recollection of the Buddha, which shall bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the savoring of the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the accomplishment of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Buddha, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits. Thus, bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

2. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, savor the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Dharma."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Dharma bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the savoring of the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the accomplishment of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is taught by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words of the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen! Reflect well, and I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other thought, diligently recollecting the Dharma, dispelling all desire and craving, with no defiling toil, his mind of thirsting craving no longer arising.

"Now the True Dharma means: with respect to desire on through to the absence of desire, departing from the sickness of all bonds and all coverings. This Dharma is like the fragrance of all manner of scents, bearing no trace of confused thoughts.

"This is the bhikṣu who cultivates the recollection of the Dharma, who shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, taste the savor of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, accomplish the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of himself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Dharma, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits. Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

3. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Saṅgha."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Saṅgha bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words spoken by the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, diligently recollecting the Saṅgha (the assembly): The holy assembly of the Tathāgata is accomplished in wholesome karma, upright and in accord with the meaning, without wrong karma, harmonious above and below, accomplished in dharma after dharma, accomplished in samādhi, accomplished in wisdom, accomplished in liberation, accomplished in the insight of liberation.

The holy assembly is the four pairs, the eight grades. This is the holy assembly of the Tathāgata, which should be revered, served, and honored. Why is this so?

Because they are the field of merit of the world. Within this assembly all alike are vessels of the Dharma. They also, by liberating themselves, liberate others unto the path of the Three Vehicles.

Karma such as this is called the holy assembly. Therefore, bhikṣus, if a person recollects the Saṅgha, he thereupon has renown, accomplishes a great fruit of recompense, completes fullness in all that is wholesome, attains the taste of ambrosia, reaches the abode of the unconditioned, possesses the spiritual powers, dispels all confused thoughts, attains the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrives of himself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Saṅgha, and you shall thereupon obtain these wholesome merits.

Thus, bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

4. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of Moral Conduct."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of Moral Conduct bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words spoken by the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other thought, diligently recollecting Moral Conduct. Moral Conduct means the cessation of all evils. Moral Conduct is able to accomplish the path and to make a person rejoice. Moral Conduct wraps about the body and makes manifest every fairness.

"Now the precepts of restraint are like the auspicious vase that, in accord with whatever is sought, brings it to fulfillment. All the limbs of the path are accomplished through moral conduct. Thus, O bhikṣus, one who practices the precepts of restraint accomplishes a great fruit of recompense, completes fullness in all that is wholesome, attains the taste of ambrosia, reaches the abode of the unconditioned, possesses the spiritual powers, dispels all confused thoughts, attains the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrives of himself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate, do not depart from the recollection of Moral Conduct, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits. Thus, bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

5. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of Giving."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of Giving bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words of the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other thought, diligently recollecting Giving: 'I now give, and toward the things given I am wholly without any mind of regret, with no thought of obtaining recompense, with no fondness for gaining benefit. If a person reviles me, I wholly do not retaliate. Though a person harm me, striking with the fist, adding blows of blade and staff, hurling tiles and bricks upon my body, I shall arouse a mind of loving-kindness and not give rise to anger.

My intention to give is not severed.' Therefore, bhikṣu, this is called great Giving, which shall accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of Giving, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits.

Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this."

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

6. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Devas."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Devas bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words of the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this meaning at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, diligently recollecting the Devas. Body, speech, and mind are pure and create no defiled conduct; practicing the precepts, he accomplishes the body; the body emits radiance shining everywhere, accomplishing the body—that of those devas; the wholesome fruit accomplishes the body of those devas.

When all conducts are complete, he thereupon accomplishes the body of a deva. Thus, O bhikṣus, this is called the recollection of the Devas, which shall obtain renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa.

Therefore, O bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Devas, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits. Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

7. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of Repose."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of Repose bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words of the Tathāgata, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, diligently recollecting Repose. Repose means the cessation of mental notions, the nature of one's aim made clear, also without agitation, ever steadfast and single-minded, the mind delighting in dwelling in quietude. He constantly seeks the means to enter samādhi, ever mindful not to crave victory over others nor to grasp the foremost station.

Thus, O bhikṣus, this is called the recollection of Repose, which shall obtain renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, O bhikṣus, you should always contemplate, not depart from the recollection of Repose, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits.

Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!" Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

8. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Breath going out and coming in."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Breath going out and coming in bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the words of the World-Honored One, the bhikṣus will uphold them."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, single-mindedly recollecting the Breath going out and coming in. The Breath going out and coming in means: if at the time the breath is long, one should also contemplate and know, 'I am breathing long'; if again the breath is short, one should also contemplate and know, 'I am breathing short'; if the breath is exceedingly cold, one should also contemplate and know, 'I am breathing cold'; if the breath is again warm, one should also contemplate and know, 'I am breathing warm.' Contemplating throughout the body from head to foot, one should contemplate and know all of it.

If the breath is again long or short, one should also contemplate the breath as being long or short. Applying the mind to guard the body, knowing the breath—whether long or short—one knows it all; the breath going out and coming in is distinguished clearly; if the mind guards the body, knowing the breath long or short, one again knows it all. Counting the breath, long or short, one distinguishes and understands it clearly.

Thus, O bhikṣus, this is called the recollection of the Breath going out and coming in, which shall obtain renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, O bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Breath going out and coming in, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits.

Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

9. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all deluded thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of the Body."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of the Body bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the Buddha, the bhikṣus will uphold it."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, single-mindedly and diligently recollecting the Body. The recollection of the Body means: the hair of the head, the hair of the body, the nails, the teeth, the skin, the flesh, the sinews, the bones, the gall, the liver, the lungs, the heart, the spleen, the kidneys, the small intestine, the large intestine, the white membrane, the bladder, the feces and urine, the lien, the stomach contents, the gastric fluid, the tears, the phlegm and spittle, the blood-fat, the leaf-fat, the saliva, the skull, the brain.

Which of these is the body? Is it earth? Is it water?

Is it fire? Is it wind? Is it produced by father and mother?

From what place does it come? By whom is it made? The eyes, ears, nose, mouth, body, and mind—when these die here, in what place will they be born?

Thus, O bhikṣus, this is called the recollection of the Body, which shall obtain renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa. Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of the Body, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits.

Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

10. Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika. At that time the World-Honored One addressed the bhikṣus:

"Cultivate one dharma, propagate one dharma widely. Having cultivated and widely propagated one dharma, you shall have renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, be replete with all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of yourself at Nirvāṇa. What is this one dharma? It is the recollection of Death."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

"How does cultivating the recollection of Death bring renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, the taste of ambrosia, the reaching of the abode of the unconditioned, the possession of the spiritual powers, the dispelling of all confused thoughts, the attaining of the fruit of the śramaṇa, and the arriving of oneself at Nirvāṇa?"

Then the bhikṣus said to the World-Honored One:

"The root of all dharmas is spoken by the Tathāgata. We humbly beseech the World-Honored One to speak this subtle meaning for the bhikṣus. Having heard the Tathāgata speak, the bhikṣus will uphold it."

Then the World-Honored One said to the bhikṣus:

"Listen, listen and reflect well! I shall expound this at length for you."

The bhikṣus replied:

"Yes, World-Honored One."

When the bhikṣus had assented to the teaching, the World-Honored One said:

"If there is a bhikṣu with body upright and mind upright, sitting cross-legged with his mindfulness fixed before him, having no other notion, diligently recollecting Death.

"The recollection of Death means: dying in this place, being born in another, coming and going along the various destinies, the dying of life never ceasing. The faculties scatter and decay, like a tree rotting away, the faculty of life cut off, the clan and kindred sundered apart, without form, without sound, also without any feature or appearance. Thus, O bhikṣus, this is called the recollection of Death, which shall obtain renown, accomplish a great fruit of recompense, complete fullness in all that is wholesome, attain the taste of ambrosia, reach the abode of the unconditioned, possess the spiritual powers, dispel all confused thoughts, attain the fruit of the śramaṇa, and arrive of itself at Nirvāṇa.

Therefore, bhikṣus, you should always contemplate and not depart from the recollection of Death, and you shall obtain these wholesome merits. Thus, O bhikṣus, should you train in this!"

Then the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha taught, joyfully undertook to practice it.

The Buddha, the Dharma, and the holy assembly,

On through to the recollection of Death—

Though together they share a common name,

Yet the meaning of each is different.