Mahāyāna — Northern Canon · Linh Sơn Vietnamese Mahāyāna Canon

雜阿含經

Chinese title:雜阿含經

📖10,046 words · ~40 min read

Save your scripture progress

Create a free account to save scriptures, track progress, and continue your daily learning path.

Create account →

Interpreted by Inti AI (English)

🪷 AI interpretation

Revised and annotated by: Thích Tuệ Sỹ

SUTRA 576. NANDA GROVE[1]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, near the end of the night, a deva of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit to one side. The radiance emanating from his body illuminated the whole of the Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That deva addressed the Buddha in verse:

Without dwelling in Nanda Grove,^[2]

One can never attain delight;

In the palace of the Trayastrimsa Heaven,

One gains the title Lord of the Devas.

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Child,^[3] how could you understand

What the arhats have declared?

All conditioned formations are impermanent;

Their nature is to arise and cease.

Having arisen, they cease again;

Their complete stilling is bliss.

The deva then spoke another verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, the deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and immediately disappeared.

SUTRA 577. FETTERS[4]

Thus have I heard:

Having torn away all fetters,

The muni has no home;

Yet the ascetic delights in teaching others—

I do not say, “Well done!”

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

All classes of sentient beings

Are bound together with one another;

When one possesses wisdom,

How could one not feel compassion for them?

Out of compassion, the Well-Gone One

Constantly instructs sentient beings.

One who has compassion for sentient beings

Acts in accordance with the Dharma.

That deva then spoke another verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, that deva rejoiced and was delighted, and immediately disappeared.

SUTRA 578. MORAL SHAME AND MORAL DREAD[5]

Thus have I heard:

There are always people such as these,

Who constantly cultivate a sense of shame;

They are able to keep far away from evil,

As a wise horse does upon seeing the whip.

The Blessed One then spoke this verse:

One who constantly cultivates a sense of shame

Is indeed rarely found;

Such a person keeps far away from evil,

As a fine horse does upon seeing the whip.

That deva then spoke another verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha speak these verses, the deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head to the Buddha, and disappeared.

SUTRA 579. NOT DRAWING NEAR[6]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sravasti.

At that time, near the end of the night, a deva of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit to one side. The radiance emanating from his body illuminated the whole of the Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. Then that deva addressed the Buddha in verse:

Not drawing near to the true Dharma,

Delighting in and clinging to wrong views,^[7]

One sleeps in delusion without knowing it;

Through many kalpas, how could the mind awaken?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Devotedly cultivating the true Dharma,

And distancing oneself from unwholesome karma;

One becomes an arhat whose taints are exhausted,

Leveling the uneven paths of the world.^[8]

The deva spoke this verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After the Buddha had finished speaking, the deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and disappeared.

SUTRA 580. WELL TAMED[9]

Thus have I heard:

Well tamed by means of the Dharma,

One does not fall into wrong views;^[10]

Though one still sinks into deep sleep,

One can awaken at the proper time.

The Blessed One replied in verse:

If one is tamed by means of the Dharma

And does not follow wrong views,

One ultimately puts an end to ignorance

And can transcend worldly attachment.

That deva then spoke another verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha speak, the deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and disappeared.

SUTRA 581. THE ARHAT (1)[11]

Thus have I heard:

If an arhat bhiksu

Has accomplished what was to be done,

Has completely exhausted all taints,

And bears this final body,

Does he categorically say, “There is a self,”

And speak of “what belongs to the self”?^[12]

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

If an arhat bhiksu

Has accomplished what was to be done,

Has exhausted all the taints of existence,

And bears this final body,

Even if he still speaks of “self”

And “what belongs to the self,” there is no fault.

The deva replied in verse:

If an arhat bhiksu

Has accomplished what was to be done,

Has completely exhausted all taints,

And bears this final body,

Does his mind rely upon self-conceit

When he says that there is a self,

And when he speaks of what belongs to the self?

Does he speak in this way?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Having departed from self-conceit,

His mind no longer holds self-conceit;

Transcending self and what belongs to self,

I declare that his taints are exhausted.

Toward that self and what belongs to self,

His mind never clings;

Understanding the terminology of the world,

He speaks impartially through conventional designations.

That deva then spoke another verse:

After so long, I behold the Brahmin

Who has attained parinirvana;

All fears have been left behind,

And worldly attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha speak, that deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and disappeared.

SUTRA 582. THE ARHAT (2)[13]

Thus have I heard:

If an arhat bhiksu,

With taints exhausted, bears his final body,

Can he say, “There is a self,”

And speak of “what belongs to the self”?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

If an arhat bhiksu,

With taints exhausted, bears his final body,

He may still say that there is a self,

And speak of what belongs to the self.

That deva then spoke another verse:

If an arhat bhiksu

Has accomplished what was to be done,

Has exhausted all the taints of existence,

And only his final body remains,

Why does he still say that there is a self,

And speak of what belongs to the self?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

If an arhat bhiksu

Has accomplished what was to be done,

Has completely exhausted all taints,

And only his final body remains,

I declare that his taints are exhausted,

And that he does not cling to what belongs to the self;

Understanding the terminology of the world,

He speaks impartially through conventional designations.

After hearing the Buddha speak, the deva rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and disappeared.

SUTRA 583. THE MOON DEVA[14]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park, in the country of Sravasti.

At that time, Rahula, king of the asuras,^[15] seized and obscured the Moon Deity.^[16] The Moon Deities became frightened and went to the Buddha. Bowing their heads in homage at the Buddha’s feet, they withdrew to one side and spoke verses in praise of the Buddha:

We now pay homage to the Supremely Awakened One,

Who can free beings from every obstruction;

We now encounter suffering and distress,

And therefore come to take refuge.

We Moon Deities

Take refuge in the Well-Gone One;

O Buddha, out of compassion for the world,

Please deliver us from the asura.

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Dispelling every darkness,

His radiance illumines empty space;

Now Vairocana^[17]

Reveals his pure light.

Rahula, depart from the sky;

Flee swiftly as a hare.

Rahula the asura

Quickly released the moon and returned;

His entire body streamed with sweat,

Terrified and ill at ease;

His mind was dazed, his resolve confused,

Like a gravely ill man.

At that time, an asura named Bali^[18] saw Rahula the asura hastily release the moon and return, and spoke this verse:

Rahula the asura,

Why did you release the moon so swiftly?

Your entire body streams with sweat,

Like one gravely ill.

Rahula the asura replied in verse:

Gautama proclaimed a spell in verse;

Had I not swiftly released the moon,

My head would have split into seven pieces,

And I would have suffered as though near death.

Bali the asura then spoke this verse:

Rare indeed is the appearance of a Buddha,

Who brings peace and security to the world.

He proclaimed a verse that caused

Rahula to release the moon.

After the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the Moon Deities rejoiced in and approved what the Buddha had taught. Having paid homage, they withdrew.

SUTRA 584. FAMILY ORIGIN[19]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deity of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha toward the end of the night. Bowing his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, he withdrew and sat to one side. The radiance issuing from his body illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That deity addressed the Buddha in verse:

Do you have a family origin?

Do you have a lineage of descendants?

Are you entirely without relatives?

How have you cast off your bonds?^[20]

The Blessed One replied in verse:

I have no family origin,

Nor any lineage of descendants;

My ties to relatives are severed forever,

And I am liberated from every bond.

The deity again spoke in verse:

What is a family origin?

What is a lineage?

How does one come to have relatives?

What is the firmly binding cord?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

A mother is one’s family origin in the world;

A wife is the lineage of descendants;^[21]

Having children, one has relatives;

Craving is the firmly binding cord.

The deity then spoke again in verse:

Excellent is freedom from lineage;

Freedom from the birth of a clan is also good;

Excellent is freedom from ties of kinship!

Excellent is liberation from bonds!

Long have I beheld the Brahmin;

Soon may he attain parinirvana;

Every fear has passed away,

And affection and attachment have been wholly transcended.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, the deity rejoiced in and approved them, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and vanished.

SUTRA 585. DWELLING ALONE[22]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying at the Uladina Stupa of the Sakya clan.^[23]

At that time, the Blessed One had just shaved his beard and hair. Toward the end of the night, he sat cross-legged, with body upright and mind rightly composed, establishing mindfulness before him, and covered his head with his robe. At that time, a deity dwelling beside the Uladina Stupa emitted light from his body, illuminating the entire monastery, and asked the Buddha:

“Is the ascetic sorrowful?”

The Buddha told the deity:

“What have I lost?”

The deity asked again:

“Is the ascetic joyful?”

The Buddha told the deity:

“What have I gained?”

The deity asked again:

“Is the ascetic neither sorrowful nor joyful?”

The Buddha told the deity:

“So it is! So it is!”

The deity then spoke in verse:

Because you are free from all afflictions,

Because you have no elation,

How do you dwell alone,

Unbroken by sorrow?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

Liberated, I have no sorrow or distress,

Nor do I have elation;

Sorrow cannot break me,

Therefore I dwell alone.

The deity again spoke in verse:

How are you without sorrow or distress?

How are you without elation?

How do you sit alone,

Unbroken by sorrow?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

Affliction gives rise to elation,

And elation gives rise to affliction;

Be free from both distress and elation—

This, O deity, you should preserve.

The deity again spoke in verse:

Excellent! Free from affliction,

Excellent! Free from elation;

Excellent! Dwelling alone,

Unbroken by sorrow!

Long have I beheld the Brahmin;

Soon may he attain parinirvana;

Every fear has passed away,

And affection and attachment have been wholly transcended.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, that deity rejoiced in and approved them, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and vanished.

SUTRA 586. SHARP SWORD[24]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deity of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha toward the end of the night and bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet. Light radiating from his body illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That deity spoke in verse:

As though harmed by a sharp sword,

As though one’s head were on fire;

Cut off the fire of sensual desire,

And mindfully seek seclusion.

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

As though harmed by a sharp sword,

As though one’s head were on fire;

Cut off the final body,^[25]

And mindfully seek seclusion.

The deity again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the Brahmin;

Soon may he attain parinirvana;

Every fear has passed away,

And affection and attachment have been wholly transcended.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, this deity rejoiced in and approved them, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and vanished.

SUTRA 587. CELESTIAL MAIDENS[26]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deity of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha toward the end of the night and bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet. Light radiating from his body illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That deity spoke in verse:

Surrounded by celestial maidens,

Like a host of pisacas,^[27]

Within the dense forest of delusion,

How can one find a way out?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

The path is straight and even,

The direction leading beyond fear;

One rides the chariot of tranquil silence,

Enclosed by the canopy of Dharma-contemplation.^[28]

Moral shame and moral dread are the yoke-strap,^[29]

Right mindfulness is the binding cord;

Wisdom is the charioteer,

And right view leads the way ahead.

That wondrous chariot

Carries both men and women

Out of the forest of birth and death,

Swiftly reaching the place of peace and bliss.

The deity again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the Brahmin;

Soon may he attain parinirvana;

Every fear has passed away,

And affection and attachment have been wholly transcended.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, that deity rejoiced in and approved them, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and vanished.

SUTRA 588. FOUR WHEELS[30]

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying in the Jeta Grove, in Anathapindika’s Park, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deity of surpassing beauty came to the Buddha toward the end of the night and bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet. Light radiating from his body illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That deity questioned the Buddha in verse:

It has four wheels and nine gates,

And dwells filled with sensual desire;

Sunk deep within the mire,

How can the great elephant emerge?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Cut the long cord of craving and delight,

Sensual desire, and every evil;

Uproot the root of craving,

And go straight to the farther shore.

The deity again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the Brahmin;

Soon may he attain parinirvana;

Every fear has passed away,

And affection and attachment have been wholly transcended.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, that deity rejoiced in and approved them, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and vanished.

SUTRA 589. GREAT WEALTH[31]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, near the end of the night, a heavenly son of surpassingly wondrous countenance came to where the Buddha was, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and emitted from his body a light that illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. That heavenly son spoke a verse and asked the Buddha:

In the land of Lai-tra-ban-de,

There are merchants^[32];

Wealthy and rich in possessions,

They vie with one another, hoping to grow rich.

Seeking every means to gain wealth and profit,

Like kindling a blazing fire;

With minds thus contending for victory,

They ever race after sensual craving.

How should craving be brought to an end,

So that worldly seeking ceases?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

Leaving the household life for homelessness,

Abandoning wife, children, and wealth;

Free from desire, greed, anger, and delusion,

An arhat has purified all the outflows.

Through right knowledge, the mind is liberated;

With craving exhausted, striving comes to an end.

That heavenly son again spoke in verse:

After long awaiting, I behold the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been passed beyond,

And bonds of affection wholly transcended.

When that heavenly son had heard what the Buddha said, he rejoiced and was delighted, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and disappeared.

SUTRA 590. WAKEFULNESS AND SLEEP[33]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, the Blessed One addressed the bhiksus:

“In the past, in the country of Kosala, there were merchants traveling together to trade with five hundred carts. They reached a wilderness. In that wilderness, a band of five hundred robbers followed behind them, secretly seeking an opportunity to plunder them.

At that time, a heavenly spirit dwelling beside the road in that wilderness thought: ‘I should go to those merchants from the country of Kosala and question them about the meaning. If they are willing to let me question them and explain the matter, I shall find a way to keep them safe and enable them to escape the peril of the robbers. If they are not pleased with my questions, I shall leave them to themselves, as the other heavenly spirits do.’ Having thought this, that heavenly spirit emitted a light that illuminated all the merchants’ carts and spoke in verse:

Who sleeps among those who are awake?

Who is awake among those who sleep?

Who understands the meaning of this,

And who can explain it to me?

“Among those merchants was an upasaka who had faith in the Buddha, faith in the Dharma, and faith in the Bhiksu Sangha. His mind was single-mindedly directed toward the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and he had taken refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. He was free from doubt regarding the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and free from doubt regarding suffering, its arising, its cessation, and the path.

He had seen the Four Noble Truths and attained the first fruit of direct realization^[34]. While traveling with the other merchants who were his companions on the road, near the end of the night that upasaka sat upright in contemplation, establishing mindfulness before him. He contemplated the twelve links of dependent origination in forward and reverse order: because this exists, that exists; because this arises, that arises.

That is, conditioned by ignorance are formations; conditioned by formations is consciousness; conditioned by consciousness are name-and-form; conditioned by name-and-form are the six sense bases; conditioned by the six sense bases is contact; conditioned by contact is feeling; conditioned by feeling is craving; conditioned by craving is clinging; conditioned by clinging is existence; conditioned by existence is birth; conditioned by birth is aging; and conditioned by aging are illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress.

Thus this entire great mass of suffering arises. In the same way, with the cessation of ignorance, formations cease; with the cessation of formations, consciousness ceases; with the cessation of consciousness, name-and-form cease; with the cessation of name-and-form, the six sense bases cease; with the cessation of the six sense bases, contact ceases; with the cessation of contact, feeling ceases; with the cessation of feeling, craving ceases; with the cessation of craving, clinging ceases; with the cessation of clinging, existence ceases; with the cessation of existence, birth ceases; with the cessation of birth, aging ceases; and with the cessation of aging, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress cease.

Thus this entire great mass of suffering ceases.”

Having completed his contemplation, that upasaka immediately spoke in verse:

Among those who are awake, I sleep;

Among those who sleep, I am awake.

I clearly understand this meaning,

And can clearly explain it to you.

The heavenly spirit then asked the upasaka:

“How does one who is awake sleep, and how does one who sleeps remain awake? How can this be known, and how can it be confirmed?”

The upasaka spoke in verse:

Sensual desire and anger,

Delusion—he has become dispassionate toward them;

The arhat whose outflows are exhausted,

Through right knowledge, has liberated his mind.

He is one who is awake;

Compared with him, I am fast asleep.

Those who do not know the cause from which suffering is born,

Nor the conditions by which suffering arises;

Those who do not know the complete ending

Of all this suffering without remainder;

And who also do not know the Right Path

That leads to suffering’s end—

They are thus asleep;

Compared with them, I am awake.

Thus it is regarding sleep,

And thus it is regarding wakefulness.

One who well understands the meaning in this way

Can confirm it in this way.

The heavenly spirit again spoke in verse:

Excellent! Asleep among the wakeful;

Excellent! Awake among the sleeping;

Excellent! You understand the meaning well;

Excellent! You confirm it well.

Only now, after so very long, have I seen you;

Brothers, you should come forth.

Through the beneficent power of this man,

The entire company of merchants

Will escape the robbers

And travel by a safe road.

“In this way, the bhiksus, in the country of Kosala the entire company of merchants traveled by a safe road and escaped that desolate and perilous place.”

When the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the bhiksus, hearing the Buddha’s teaching, rejoiced and respectfully practiced it.

SUTRA 591.[35]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, the Buddha addressed the bhiksus:

“In the past, on an island, an upasaka went to the home of another upasaka. They sat together, and he vehemently denounced sensual desires, saying: ‘These sensual desires are false and unreal. They are deceptive phenomena, like illusions, beguiling children.’

“After saying this, he returned to his own home and indulged wantonly in the five sensual desires. A heavenly spirit dwelt in that upasaka’s house. The heavenly spirit thought: ‘This upasaka is no better and no different from the other upasakas. Sitting amid a great gathering, he vehemently denounced sensual desires, saying: “These sensual desires are false and unreal. They are deceptive phenomena that beguile children.” Yet after returning to his own home, he again indulges wantonly in the five sensual desires. I shall now help awaken him.’ The spirit then spoke in verse:

Amid the assembled multitude,

You denounced sensual desires as impermanent;

Yet you yourself sink into sensual craving,

Like an ox mired in deep mud.

Within that assembly I saw

The upasakas there:

Learned and thoroughly versed in the Dharma,

They upheld the precepts in purity.

You saw them delighting in the Dharma

And spoke of sensual desires as impermanent;

Why then do you abandon yourself to sensual desires

And fail to cut off craving?

Why do you delight in worldly life,

Supporting wife, children, and dependents?

“That heavenly spirit instructed the upasaka in this way. The upasaka was awakened and immediately shaved off his beard and hair, put on the kasaya robe, and, with true faith, left the household life for homelessness to train in the path. Practicing diligently, he completely eradicated all phenomena subject to the outflows and attained arhatship.”

When the Buddha had spoken this sutra, the bhiksus, hearing the Buddha’s teaching, rejoiced and respectfully practiced it.

SUTRA 592. SUDATTA[36]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove^[37], in the country of Sravasti. At that time, the householder Anathapindika had some business in the city of Rajagrha and stayed overnight at the house of a certain householder. During the night, he heard the host instructing his wife and children, servants, and workers:

“You should arise, prepare the firewood and fires, cook rice and make cakes, prepare fine foods, and adorn the house.”

Hearing this, the householder Anathapindika thought: ‘What is this host doing today? Is he giving his daughter in marriage, taking a wife for his son, or inviting the king and government officials as guests?’ Having thought this, he asked the host:

“What are you doing? Are you giving your daughter in marriage, welcoming a daughter-in-law, or inviting the king and government officials as guests?”

The host replied to Anathapindika:

“I am not giving a daughter in marriage, welcoming a daughter-in-law, or inviting the king and government officials as guests. I merely wish to invite the Buddha and the Bhiksu Sangha and make offerings to them.”

The householder Anathapindika had never before heard the name ‘Buddha.’ Now, upon hearing it, he was filled with immense joy, the hairs of his entire body standing on end. Delighted, he asked the host:

“What is called the Buddha?”

The householder replied:

“There is the ascetic Gautama of the Sakyan clan, who, from among the Sakyan people, shaved off his hair and beard, donned the kasaya robe, and, with right faith, went forth from the household life into homelessness to train in the Way. He attained unsurpassed perfect enlightenment. This is called the Buddha.”

The householder Anathapindika asked:

“What is called the Sangha?”

That householder replied:

“If one born into the brahmin caste shaves off his hair and beard, dons the kasaya robe, and, with right faith, goes forth from the household life into homelessness under the Buddha; or if those born into the kshatriya, vaishya, or shudra castes—these good men—shave off their hair and beards, don the kasaya robe, and, with right faith, go forth from the household life into homelessness under the Buddha: this is called the Sangha. Today I have invited the Buddha and the Sangha presently assembled to receive an offering.”

The householder Anathapindika asked that householder:

“May I go to see the Blessed One today?”

That householder replied:

“Remain here. I have invited the Blessed One to my home, and you will see him here.”

Throughout that night, the householder Anathapindika wholeheartedly recollected the Buddha and slept soundly. Before dawn, he suddenly saw a sign of light and, thinking that day had already broken, left the house and went toward the city gate. When he reached the gate, it was only the second watch of the night, and the gate had not yet opened. According to the customary law of the king, people had to await an order before they were permitted to pass. At the end of the first watch, the city gate had been closed. Only toward the end of the middle watch was it opened again for those traveling early. When the householder Anathapindika saw the city gate open, he thought: ‘The night has surely passed, day has dawned, and the gate has opened.’ Following the sign of light, he went out of the city.

After he had passed through the city gate, the sign of light immediately vanished, and darkness suddenly returned. The householder Anathapindika became frightened, and the hair on his entire body stood on end. “Perhaps a stranger, a demon, or some villain is trying to frighten me?” He hastily wished to turn back. At that time, a heavenly spirit dwelling by the city gate emitted light from its body that extended from the gate to the Cold Grove cemetery, illuminating the whole area. The heavenly spirit said to the householder Anathapindika:

“Proceed onward. You may gain excellent benefit. Do not turn back.”

The heavenly spirit then spoke this verse:

A hundred excellent horses,

A hundred measures filled with pure gold,

Mule-drawn carts and horse-drawn carriages,

A hundred of each kind,

Filled with every precious thing

And laden high with them all—

Through wholesome roots from former lives,

One may gain such blessings.

Yet if a person, with a reverent heart,

Takes one step toward the Buddha,

The merit gained is greater still;

Compared with it, the former merit

Does not equal one-sixteenth.

“Therefore, householder, proceed onward and do not turn back.”

The heavenly spirit then spoke another verse:

A royal elephant from the Snow Mountains,

Adorned with ornaments of pure gold,

Its body immense, its tusks long and great—

To give such an elephant to another

Does not equal the merit of proceeding toward the Buddha,

Not even by one-sixteenth.

“Therefore, householder, proceed swiftly onward. You will gain great benefit. Do not turn back.”

The heavenly spirit then spoke this verse:

Maidens from the land of Kamboja,

Numbering as many as a hundred,

Possessing every precious beauty

And adorned throughout with pearls and jewels—

To give them all away

Would still not equal the merit

Of taking one step toward the Buddha,

Not even by one-sixteenth.

“Therefore, householder, proceed swiftly onward. You will gain excellent benefit. Do not turn back.”

The householder Anathapindika asked the heavenly spirit:

“Good sir! Who are you?”

The heavenly spirit replied:

“I am Matousijian, the great manava, formerly an acquaintance of yours. I aroused faith and reverence toward the Venerable Sariputra and Mahamaudgalyayana. Through the merit of this, I was born in the heavenly realm and now guard this entire city. Therefore, I tell you, householder: proceed only onward and do not turn back. Continue onward and you will gain great benefit. Do not return.”

The householder Anathapindika reflected: “The appearance of a Buddha in the world is no small matter. To hear the true Dharma is no small matter. Therefore, this heavenly spirit urges me to proceed onward and see the Buddha.”

The householder Anathapindika then followed that light and passed through the Cold Grove cemetery. At that time, the Blessed One had left his chamber and was walking in meditation in an open area. Seeing the Buddha from afar, the householder approached and, according to the worldly custom, respectfully greeted him:

“Blessed One, have you rested peacefully?”

The Blessed One spoke this verse:

The brahmin who has attained nirvana

Always dwells in peace and joy;

Unattached to sensual desires,

He is forever liberated.

Having ended every longing

And subdued the blazing mind,

His mind is calm and utterly stilled;

With a peaceful mind, he sleeps at ease.

The Blessed One led the householder Anathapindika into his chamber and sat upon the prepared seat, his body upright and his mindfulness collected. The Blessed One then taught the Dharma to the householder, instructing, illuminating, and gladdening him. Afterward, the Blessed One taught the doctrine of impermanence; encouraged the meritorious practices of generosity and keeping the precepts, and the performance of merit leading to rebirth in the heavenly realm; and explained the gratification of sensual desire, the danger in sensual desire, and escape from sensual desire.

Upon hearing the Dharma, the householder saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, penetrated the Dharma, and fully understood the Dharma. He brought all doubt to an end. His faith did not depend upon another, nor was his deliverance obtained through another.

He entered the true Dharma and discipline, and his mind attained fearlessness. He then rose from his seat, arranged his robes, bowed to the Buddha, knelt with his right knee upon the ground, joined his palms, and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I have been delivered! Well-Gone One, I have been delivered! From this day until the end of my life, I take refuge in the Buddha, take refuge in the Dharma, and take refuge in the Sangha. May I be accepted as a lay disciple, and may you bear witness to this!”

The Blessed One asked the householder Anathapindika:

“What is your name?”

The householder addressed the Buddha:

“My name is Sudatta. Because I regularly assist the lonely and destitute, people today call me Anathapindika, ‘Provider for the Unprotected.’”

The Blessed One asked again:

“Where do you live?”

The householder addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I live in the kingdom of Kosala, in the city of Sravasti. May the Blessed One come to Sravasti. For the rest of my life, I shall provide robes, food, lodgings, bedding, and medicines according to the needs of the sick.”

The Buddha asked the householder:

“Is there a monastery in Sravasti?”

The householder addressed the Buddha:

“There is not.”

The Buddha told the householder:

“Establish a monastery there where bhikshus may come and temporarily reside.”

The householder addressed the Buddha:

“I only pray that the Blessed One will come to Sravasti. I shall build a monastery and dwellings for the Sangha where bhikshus may come and stay to rest.”

The Blessed One silently accepted his invitation. Knowing that the Blessed One had accepted through his silence, the householder rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew.

SUTRA 593. ANATHAPINDIKA[38]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was dwelling in the kingdom of Sravasti, in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park.

At that time, the householder Anathapindika became gravely ill, passed away, and was reborn in the palace of the Tusita heaven as a heavenly son of that realm. He thought: “I should not remain here long; I should go to see the Blessed One.” Having thought this, in the brief time it takes a strong man to bend or extend his arm, he disappeared from the Tusita heaven and appeared before the Buddha. He bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet and then withdrew to sit to one side. The heavenly son Anathapindika emitted light from his body that illuminated all of Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s Park. The heavenly son Anathapindika then spoke this verse:

Here in this Jeta Grove,

The seers of the Sangha^[39] dwell;

The Kings^[40] also abide here,

Increasing my joy still more.

Deep faith in karma, pure morality,

Wisdom, and the supreme life—

By these are beings purified,^[41]

Not by lineage or possessions.

Sariputra, great in wisdom,

Ever mindful and serene,

Peacefully cultivates seclusion,

A good friend to those newly training.

After speaking this verse, he immediately disappeared.

After that night, the Blessed One entered the Sangha assembly, spread out his sitting cloth, sat before the assembly, and addressed the bhikkhus:

“During the night, a deva of exquisitely wondrous appearance came to me, bowed his head at my feet, withdrew to one side, and recited this verse:

Here in Jeta’s Grove,

The Sangha of sages dwells;

Kings also abide here,

Increasing my joy all the more.

Deep faith, karma, and pure precepts,

Wisdom and the supreme life;

By these are beings purified,

Not by lineage or possessions.

Sariputra, of great wisdom,

Ever mindful and serene;

At ease, cultivating seclusion,

A good friend to those newly training.

Then Venerable Ananda said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, as I understand what the Blessed One has said, the householder Anathapindika was born in that heavenly realm and then came into the Blessed One’s presence; for that householder Anathapindika held Venerable Sariputra in the highest esteem.”

The Buddha told Ananda:

“Indeed, Ananda, it is so! Ananda, the householder Anathapindika was born in that heavenly realm and then came to see me.”

The Blessed One spoke this verse for Venerable Sariputra:

Of all wisdom in the world,

Except the wisdom of the Tathagata,

When compared with Sariputra’s wisdom,

None equals even one-sixteenth of it.

Yet wisdom such as Sariputra’s,

Together with that of all devas and humans,

When compared with the Tathagata’s wisdom,

Does not equal even one-sixteenth of it.

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the bhikkhus, hearing what the Buddha had taught, rejoiced and respectfully practiced it.

DISCOURSE 594. DEVA HASTAKA^[42]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying at the Wilderness Monastery. At that time, a householder of the Wilderness fell gravely ill and died, and was born in the Akanittha Heaven. After being born in that heavenly realm, he immediately thought: ‘I should not remain here long without seeing the Blessed One.’ Having thought this, in the time it takes a strong man to bend or extend his arm, he disappeared from the Akanittha Heaven and appeared before the Buddha. That deva’s body came to rest upon the ground, but he was unable to stand upright, just as a pool of ghee upon the ground cannot stand upright. That deva’s body was subtle and soft, and he could not raise himself to stand.”

The Blessed One then told the deva:

“You should transform yourself into a coarse body so that you may stand upon the ground.”

The deva immediately transformed himself into a coarse body and stood upon the ground. He approached, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit at one side.”

The Blessed One then said to the deva Hastaka:

“Hastaka^[43], of the scriptural teachings you formerly learned while in a human body, in this world, do you still remember them now without forgetting?”

The deva Hastaka said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, whatever I had comprehended I have not forgotten even now. Even the teachings that I heard while I was a human in the world but did not fully understand, I still remember. It is just as the Blessed One has well said. The Blessed One said: ‘When a person dwells in a place of happiness, he can recollect the Dharma, but not when dwelling in a place of suffering and affliction.’ These words are entirely true. Just as the Blessed One teaches the Dharma in Jambudvipa, surrounded by beings of every kind and by the fourfold assembly, and that fourfold assembly, hearing the Buddha’s teaching, reverently accepts and practices it, so too do I teach the Dharma to the devas in the great assembly of the Akanittha Heaven. Those devas all receive it and cultivate it.”

The Buddha asked the deva Hastaka:

“When you were in the world, with regard to which teachings were you insatiable, thereby attaining birth in the Akanittha Heaven?”

The deva Hastaka said to the Buddha:

“Blessed One, I was insatiable with regard to three things, and therefore, when my body broke up, I was born in the Akanittha Heaven. What are the three? Because I was never satiated with seeing the Buddha, when I died I was born in the Akanittha Heaven. Because I was never satiated with the Buddha’s Dharma, I was born in the Akanittha Heaven. Because I was never satiated with making offerings to the Sangha, when I died I was born in the Akanittha Heaven.”

The deva Hastaka then recited this verse:

Never satiated with seeing the Buddha,

Nor ever satiated with hearing the Dharma;

In making offerings to the Sangha,

I likewise was never satisfied.

Upholding the Dharma of the noble ones,

I subdued the defilement of greedy attachment;

Insatiable with regard to these three things,

I was therefore born among the Akanittha devas.

After the deva Hastaka had heard the Buddha’s teaching, he rejoiced in accord with it and then disappeared.

DISCOURSE 595. THE POTTER^[44]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in Anathapindika’s Park in Jeta’s Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deva from the Aviha Heaven, of exquisitely wondrous appearance, came to the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit at one side. The radiance from his body illuminated all of Jeta’s Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. The deva then recited this verse:

Born in the Aviha Heaven,

Seven bhikkhus were liberated;

Greed, anger, and wrath exhausted,

They transcended and escaped all attachment.

Who crossed beyond the various floods,

And Mara’s host of death, so hard to cross?

Who tore away the fetters of death’s Mara,

And was wholly freed from affliction’s bonds?^[45]

The Blessed One replied in verse:

Venerable Upaka,

Together with Paligandha;

Phaguna and Phalguna,

Bhaddiya and Khandadeva.

Together with Bahudanti,

And Bavitrasudatta;

All these seven

Crossed beyond the various floods.

They utterly tore away the fetters of death’s Mara,

And crossed that place so hard to cross;

They tore away all the bonds of death’s Mara,

And transcended the yoke of heavenly existence.

You speak a most profound and wondrous Dharma,

Awakening to what is hard for people to know;

You have skillfully asked about this profound meaning—

Who are you now?

That deva addressed the Buddha in verse:

I am a non-returner,

Born in the Aviha Heaven;

Therefore I know these matters,

Concerning the seven liberated bhikkhus.

Their sensual desire and anger exhausted,

They were wholly freed from every attachment.

The Blessed One then spoke another verse:

Eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body,

With mind as the sixth sense base;

If that name and form

Are wholly ended without remainder,

Then through fully knowing these phenomena,

The seven bhikkhus were liberated;

Their craving for existence entirely exhausted,

They were wholly freed from every attachment.

The deva again recited this verse:

In the village of Vebhalinga^[46],

There I made my dwelling;

My name was Nandipala,

And I devoted myself to making pottery.

A disciple of the Buddha Kasyapa,

I observed the Dharma of a lay devotee;

I supported my mother and father,

And, free from desire, cultivated the holy life.

Life after life he was my friend,

And I likewise was his friend;

Such true persons as these

Were in harmony in former lives,

Skillfully cultivating body and mind,

And now bearing their final bodies.

The Blessed One then spoke another verse:

You are a virtuous person,

Just as you have declared;

In the village of Vebhalinga,

Your name was Nandipala.

A disciple of the Buddha Kasyapa,

You undertook the Dharma of a lay devotee;

You supported your mother and father,

And, free from desire, cultivated the holy life.

Formerly they were your friends,

And you likewise were their friend;

Such true persons as these

Were in harmony in former lives,

Skillfully cultivating body and mind,

And now bearing their final bodies.

When the Buddha had spoken this discourse, the deva, hearing what the Buddha had taught, rejoiced in accord with it and then disappeared.

DISCOURSE 596. A DEVA ⁽¹⁾^[47]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in Anathapindika’s Park in Jeta’s Grove, in the country of Sravasti. At that time, a deva^[48] of exquisitely wondrous appearance came to the Buddha toward the end of the night, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit at one side. The radiance from his body illuminated all of Jeta’s Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. The deva then asked the Buddha in verse:

This world abounds in fear,

And beings are ever troubled and distressed;

What has arisen is suffering,

And what has not arisen will also bring suffering.

Is there a place beyond all fear?

May the One with the Eye of Wisdom declare it.

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Apart from diligently practicing austerity,

Apart from disciplining the faculties,

Apart from relinquishing everything,

Nowhere is liberation to be seen.

That deva again recited this verse:

Long have I beheld the Brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been crossed,

And every attachment wholly transcended.

After hearing the Buddha’s teaching, that deva rejoiced in accord with it, bowed his head in homage at the Buddha’s feet, and then disappeared.

DISCOURSE 597. A DEVA ⁽²⁾^[49]

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in Anathapindika’s Park, in the Jeta Grove at Sravasti. At that time, a devaputra of exceedingly wondrous appearance came to the Buddha’s dwelling in the last watch of the night, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew to sit to one side. Light radiating from his body illuminated the entire Jeta Grove and Anathapindika’s Park. The devaputra then spoke in verse, asking the Buddha:

How may sentient beings

Obtain a body of fine appearance?

What means must they cultivate

To attain the path of liberation?

In what Dharma should beings abide,

And what Dharma should they cultivate?

What kind of sentient beings

Receive offerings from the devas?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

Upholding precepts, with wisdom bright,

They themselves cultivate right concentration;

Upright, their minds anchored in mindfulness,

Diligent, they extinguish sorrow.

They attain impartial wisdom,

And their minds are well liberated;

Through these causes and conditions,

They obtain bodies of fine appearance.

They accomplish the path of liberation,

And their minds abide therein and train;

Those endowed with such virtue

Receive offerings from the devas.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in it, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 598. SLEEP[50]

Thus have I heard:

Sunk in sleep and slumber,

Yawning long, without joy;

Sated with food, the heart pounding,

Lazy and lacking diligence.

These ten^[51] things obscure sentient beings,

Causing the Noble Path not to appear.

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

The mind sunk in sleep and slumber,

Yawning long, without joy;

Sated with food, the heart pounding,

Lazy and lacking diligence.

One who diligently cultivates

Can reveal and develop the Noble Path.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in them, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 599. FETTERS[52]

Thus have I heard:

The outer bond is not the binding bond;

The inner bond binds sentient beings.

I now ask Gautama:

Who, amid bonds, is freed from bonds?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

The wise establish themselves in precepts,

And inwardly cultivate wisdom;

A bhiksu who diligently cultivates

Can be freed from bonds amid bonds.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s words, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in them, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 600. DIFFICULT TO CROSS[53]

Thus have I heard:

Difficult to cross, difficult to endure,

The ascetic, through not knowing,

Gives rise to many kinds of hardship

And sinks ever deeper into delusion.

Ruled by thoughts and perceptions,

The mind is repeatedly submerged;

How can an ascetic

Skillfully guard and restrain his mind?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Just as a skillful tortoise

Draws itself into its shell,

A bhiksu practicing meditative contemplation

Skillfully restrains all thoughts and perceptions.

His mind has nowhere to depend,

And nothing causes him fear;

Thus he conceals himself securely

And is maligned by no one.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in it, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 601. THE SMALL STREAM[54]

Thus have I heard:

The small stream of Tát-la^[55]—

Where will it flow against the current?

The shortcut through birth and death—

Where does it cease to turn?

The sufferings and pleasures of the world—

Through what do they cease without remainder?

The Blessed One replied in verse:

The eye, ear, nose, tongue, and body,

Together with the mind as an ayatana;

When name-and-form cease without remainder,

The small stream of Tát-la flows against the current.

The path of birth and death no longer turns;

Suffering and pleasure cease without remainder.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in it, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 602. DEER’S THIGH[56]

Thus have I heard:

With thighs like the deer Y-ni-da^[57],

The Honored One among seers;

Eating little and not attached to flavors,

Contemplating in meditation, delighting in mountains and forests.

I now bow my head in reverence

And ask Venerable Gautama:

How may one depart from suffering?

How may one be liberated from suffering?

I now ask about liberation:

Where is it utterly brought to an end?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

The five sensual desires of the world,

With mental phenomena as the sixth;

Having no desire amid those desires,

One is liberated from all suffering.

Thus does one emerge from suffering;

Thus is one liberated from suffering.

You ask about liberation:

It is precisely there that all is extinguished.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in it, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

SUTRA 603. THE STREAMS

Thus have I heard:

How does one cross the streams?

How does one cross the great ocean?

How does one eliminate suffering?

How does one attain purity?

The Blessed One then replied in verse:

Faith crosses the streams;

Heedfulness crosses the ocean.

Diligence can eliminate suffering;

Through wisdom, purity is attained.

The devaputra again spoke in verse:

Long have I beheld the brahmin,

Who swiftly attained parinirvana;

All fears have been transcended,

And attachment and craving wholly overcome.

Having heard the Buddha’s teaching, the devaputra rejoiced and delighted in it, bowed his head reverently at the Buddha’s feet, and then vanished.

Notes:

^[1]. Yinshun, recitation 5. The Eight Assemblies, “25. The Deities Saṃyutta,” comprises Taishō sūtras 576–597 (fascicle 12) and 995–1022 (fascicle 35). Most correspond to the Pāli S.1, Devatāsaṃyutta. Taishō sūtra 576 corresponds to Pāli S.1.11, Nandana. Cf. Chinese: No. 100 ⁽¹⁶¹⁾ [Alternative Translation of the Saṃyukta Āgama, fascicle 9]; No. 125 (31.9) [Ekottarika Āgama, fascicle 9].

^[2]. Nandā Grove 難陀林, the Garden of Delight in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. Pāli: Nandana.

^[3]. Chinese: an ignorant child 童蒙. Pāli: tvavvm bāle.

^[4]. Fetters. Pāli, S.10.2 Sakka. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁶²⁾.

^[5]. S.1.18. Hirī.

^[6]. S.1.7 Appaṭividitā. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁶⁴⁾.

^[7]. Pāli: yesam dhammā appaṭividitā, paravādesu nīyare, “Those who do not clearly understand the Dharma go astray among heterodox doctrines.”

^[8]. Pāli: caranti visame saman’ti, “They walk evenly upon an uneven path.”

^[9]. S.1.8 Susammuṭṭhā. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁶⁵⁾.

^[10]. Pāli: yesaṃ dhammā susammmuṭṭhā, paravādesu nīyare, “Those who are deluded regarding the Dharma go astray among heterodox doctrines.”

^[11]. S.1.25 Arahaṃ. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁶⁶⁾.

^[12]. Pāli: ahaṃ vadāmī’ ti’ pi so vadeyyā’ ti. mamaṃ vadantī’ ti’ pi so vadeyyā’ti, “He too might say, ‘I speak.’ He too might say, ‘They speak of it as mine.’” Although an arhat has realized non-self, he still says “I” and “mine” in accordance with worldly convention.

^[13]. See sūtra 581 above.

^[14]. S.2.9 Candima.

^[15]. Rāhula, King of the Asuras 羅[目+侯]羅阿修羅王. Pāli: Rāhu-asurinda.

^[16]. The phenomenon of a lunar eclipse.

^[17]. Vairocana 毘盧遮那. Pāli: virocana; not mentioned in the Pāli version.

^[18]. Vepacitti 婆稚. Pāli: Vepacitti.

^[19]. S.1.19 Kuṭikā.

^[20]. Chinese: clan-root 族本, reborn into a clan 轉生族. Pāli: kacci te kuṭikā natthi, kacci natthi kulāvaka kacci santānakā natthi, kacci muttosi bandhanā’ti, “Do you have no thatched hut? Do you have no nest? Do you have no descendants? Are you free from every bond?” The Chinese version reads kula (clan or family) instead of kuṭikā, a thatched hut.

^[21]. Pāli: mātaraṃ kuṭikaṃ brūsi, bhariyaṃ brūsi kulāvakaṃ. “I call the mother a thatched hut; I call the wife a nest.”

^[22]. Living alone. Pāli, S.2.18 Kakudha.

^[23]. The Śākyan Uladina Stūpa 釋氏優羅提那塔. The Pāli version, S.2.2.8: Sākete vihārati añjavane migadāya; the Buddha was dwelling at Sāketa, in Añjana Grove, at the deer park.

^[24]. S.1.21 Sattiyā. Chinese, No. 100 ⁽¹⁷⁰⁾.

^[25]. A subsequent body 後身. Pāli: sakkāyadiṭṭhi, identity view.

^[26]. S.1.46 Accharā. Chinese, No. 100 ⁽¹⁷¹⁾.

^[27]. Piśāca 毘舍脂. Pāli: pisāca, a blood-drinking demon.

^[28]. Perception of the Dharma 法想. Pāli: dhammacakkehi saṃyuto, joined by the wheels of Dharma.

^[29]. Chinese: long reins 長縻. Pāli: hirī tassa apālambo, moral shame is the chariot’s restraining strap.

^[30]. Four wheels. S.1.29 Catucakka.

^[31]. Pāli: S.1.28. Mahaddhana. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸³⁾.

^[32]. Pāli: Mahaddhanā mahābhogā, raṭṭhavantopi; khattiyā, “Kṣatriyas possessing much money, great wealth, and even entire kingdoms.” The Chinese version understands raṭṭhavanta, “possessing a kingdom,” as the name of a country, treating it as a proper noun.

^[33]. Cf. Chinese No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁴⁾.

^[34]. The foremost fruit of immediate penetration, referring to the attainment of stream-entry.

^[35]. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁵⁾.

^[36]. Pāli: S.10.8. Sudatta. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁶⁾.

^[37]. The Chinese version is mistaken. At this time, Anāthapiṇḍika did not yet know the Buddha. The Pāli version reads: rājagahe viharati sītavane: dwelling at Rājagṛha, in Sītavana (the charnel ground).

^[38]. Pāli: S.2.20. Anāthapiṇḍika. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁷⁾.

^[39]. The Sangha of seers 仙人僧, referring to the Sangha of the Buddha’s disciples. Pāli: isisaṅgha.

^[40]. Chinese: kings 諸王. Pāli: dhammarāja, Dharma King, referring to the Buddha.

^[41]. Pāli: kammaṃ vijjā ca dhammo ca sīlam jīvitamuttaṃ; etena maccā sujjhanti: “Beings are purified by karma, knowledge, Dharma, morality, and supreme right livelihood.” Pāli: jīvita; the Chinese version understands this as lifespan rather than right livelihood.

^[42]. Pāli: A.3.125. Hatthaka. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁸⁾.

^[43]. The deva’s son Hatthaka 手天子. Pāli: Hatthaka.

^[44]. The potter. Pāli: S.2.24. Ghaṭīkara. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸⁹⁾.

^[45]. The yoke of afflictions 煩惱軛; later, it is called the yoke of the devas 諸天軛. Pāli: dibbayoga, the fetter of the heavenly realm.

^[46]. Vehaliṅga. Pāli: Vehaliṅga.

^[47]. Pāli: S.2.17. Subrahmā. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸¹⁾.

^[48]. Pāli: a deva’s son named Subrahmā.

^[49]. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁸²⁾.

^[50]. Pāli: S.1.16. Niddātandī.

^[51]. The original Chinese reads: ten 十. Yinshun suspects it should be seven 七.

^[52]. Pāli: S.1.23. Jaṭā. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁷³⁾.

^[53]. Pāli: S.1.17. Dukkara. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁷⁴⁾.

^[54]. Pāli: S.1.27. Sarā. Cf. No. 100 ⁽¹⁷⁶⁾.

^[55]. Sarā 薩羅. Pāli: Sarā, a stream; it refers to the stream of saṃsāra (saṃsāra-sarā). The Chinese version understands it as the name of a river.

^[56]. Antelope shanks. Pāli: S.1.20. Eṇijaṅgha.

^[57]. Eṇijaṅgha 伊尼耶鹿捩, antelope-like shanks, one of the auspicious marks of the Buddha. Here it refers to the Buddha. Pāli: Eṇijaṅghā.

🌏Why is this sūtra summarized by Inti AI?

The version you're viewing was faithfully rendered by Inti AI in keeping with the tradition. Switch to the other language tab to read a human translation.

Translation source: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng KinhLicense: Linh Sơn Pháp Bảo Đại Tạng Kinh (Việt dịch) · nguồn: rongmotamhon.net (Liên Phật Hội) · EN: AI translation from Vietnamese source, awaiting source English

Translations belong to the translator/source credited above. The bilingual compilation, presentation, and AI translations compiled by Inti are © Inti Foundation. Please attribute when quoting; do not bulk-copy or use commercially without permission.

←Previous雜阿含經 Next雜阿含經→

🕯️ Light a candle