雜阿含經

Edited and annotated by Thích Tuệ Sỹ

SUTRA 640. SIGNS OF THE EXTINCTION OF THE DHARMA[1]

At that time, the Blessed One said to the Venerable Ananda:

“In a future age, in this land of Mathura^[2], there will be a merchant’s son named Gupta^[3]. Gupta will have a son named Upagupta^[4], who, one hundred years after my nirvana, will perform the work of the Buddha and will be foremost among teachers of instruction. Ananda, do you see that green grove in the distance?”

Ananda said to the Buddha:

“Yes, I see it, Blessed One!”

“Ananda, that place is called Mount Urumunda^[5]. One hundred years after the Tathagata’s nirvana, on this mountain there will be an aranya called Natabhata^[6]. This place will be supremely suitable for tranquil seclusion.”

The Blessed One then thought: “If I entrust the teaching to human beings, I fear that my teaching will not long endure. If I entrust it to the devas, I also fear that my teaching will not long endure and that no one among humankind will receive it. I should now entrust the True Dharma to both devas and humans. If the devas and the people of the world uphold the Dharma together, my teaching will remain unshaken for one thousand years.”

At that time, the Blessed One had formed this mundane thought. Sakra, lord of the devas, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings knew the Buddha’s thought. They went to the Buddha, bowed their heads at his feet, and sat to one side.

The Blessed One said to Sakra and the Four Heavenly Kings:

“Before long, the Tathagata will enter parinirvana in the nirvana without remainder. After I enter parinirvana, you should protect and preserve the True Dharma.”

The Blessed One then said to the Heavenly King of the East:

“You should protect the True Dharma in the east.”

He also said to the Heavenly Kings of the north, west, and south:

“You should protect the True Dharma in the north… After one thousand years, when my teaching is destroyed, what is contrary to Dharma will appear in the world, and the ten wholesome deeds will certainly be corrupted. Violent winds will arise throughout Jambudvipa, rain will fall out of season, and most people will suffer famine. Rainfall will bring disasters of hail; rivers and streams will dry up; flowers and fruits will fail to set; and people will lose their radiant complexions. Villages of living creatures and villages of vegetation^[7] will all be destroyed. Food and drink will lose their flavor. Precious treasures will disappear. The people will eat coarse, rough grasses.

“At that time, there will be a Saka king, a Yavana king^[8], a Pallava king^[9], and a Tukhara king^[10], each with many followers. The Buddha’s bowl, the Buddha’s tooth, and the Tathagata’s cranial relic will be enshrined in the east. In the west there will be a king named Pallava who, together with hundreds of thousands of followers, will destroy monasteries and stupas and kill bhiksus.

In the north there will be a king named Yavana who, together with hundreds of thousands of followers, will destroy monasteries and stupas and kill bhiksus. In the south there will be a king named Saka who, together with hundreds of thousands of followers, will destroy monasteries and stupas and kill bhiksus. In the east there will be a king named Tukhara who, together with hundreds of thousands of followers, will destroy monasteries and stupas and kill bhiksus.

The four quarters will all be in turmoil, and the bhiksus will have to gather in the central land.

“At that time, the king of Kausambi, named Mahendrasena^[11], will beget a son whose hands appear smeared with blood, whose body resembles armor, and who possesses heroic strength. On the same day that this prince is born, five hundred ministers will also beget five hundred sons, all resembling the prince, with hands as though smeared with blood and bodies like armor.

“At that time, blood will rain upon Kausambi for one day. When the king of Kausambi sees this evil omen, he will become exceedingly afraid. He will summon a physiognomist and question him. The physiognomist will report to the king:

“‘Your Majesty has now begotten a son. This person will become king of Jambudvipa and will kill many people.’ Seven days after the child’s birth, he will be named Nandang. As the years pass, he will gradually grow to maturity. At that time, the four evil kings will come from the four regions and slaughter the people.

“When King Mahendrasena hears of this, he will become afraid.

“A deva will then tell him:

“‘Great King, you should establish Nandang as king. Only then will there be sufficient power to subdue those four evil kings.’

“King Mahendrasena will follow the deva’s instruction and yield the throne to his son. He will take the radiant jewel from his topknot and place it upon his son’s head. Gathering the great ministers, he will pour fragrant water upon the crown of his son’s head. He will summon the sons born on the same day to the five hundred ministers. Clad in armor, they will follow the king into battle, defeat and kill all the followers of those four evil kings, and make him king of Jambudvipa, ruling from Kausambi.”

The Blessed One then said to the Four Great Heavenly Kings:

“In Pataliputra there will be a brahmin named Agnidatta^[12], thoroughly versed in the scriptures and treatises of the Vedas^[13]. This brahmin will take a wife, and an intermediate-state being will come to become their child. When it enters the mother’s womb, the mother will greatly enjoy debating with others.

The brahmin will then question the physiognomists. They will reply: ‘Because the being in this womb will understand every system of discourse, it causes the mother to delight in debating with others.’ When the full term has elapsed, the child will emerge from the womb and become a youth who understands all kinds of scriptures and treatises. He will regularly use the scriptures and treatises to instruct five hundred brahmin youths; moreover, he will teach various other treatises to everyone.

He will teach medical methods to students of medicine and will therefore have a great many disciples. Because he has so many disciples, he will be called ‘Disciple’^[14]. Later, he will ask his parents for permission to renounce the household life and study the path.

When his parents consent to his renunciation, he will go forth in my Dharma, master the Tripitaka, always teach the Dharma skillfully, speak with fluent eloquence, and gather a great many followers.”

Again, the Blessed One said to the Four Great Heavenly Kings:

“In this settlement of Pataliputra there will be a great merchant named Sudhana^[15], and an intermediate-state being will enter his wife’s womb. When that being enters the womb, it will cause the mother to become honest and gentle, without perverse thoughts, and with her faculties calm. The merchant will then question the physiognomists.

They will reply: ‘Because the being in this womb is exceptionally virtuous, it causes the mother to become like this,… even to the point that her faculties are calm.’ When the full term has elapsed, a boy will be born and named Suratha. As the years pass, he will grow to maturity. One day, the youth will tell his parents of his wish to renounce the household life and study the path, and both parents will consent.

This youth will go forth in my Dharma, constantly strive with diligence in cultivating the path, attain the exhaustion of the outflows, and realize arhatship. Yet he will be little learned, of few desires, contented, and of limited knowledge. He will always live among the mountains and forests, on a mountain named Gandhamalya^[16].

“At that time, this noble one will often go and teach the Dharma to King Nandang. The king’s father will reach the day when impermanence carries him away. Seeing his father die, Nandang will embrace his father’s corpse with both hands and weep bitterly, overcome by grief and anguish. At that time, the master of the Tripitaka, accompanied by many attendants, will come to the king and teach him the Dharma. After hearing the Dharma, the king’s sorrow will abate, and great faith and reverence for the Buddha-Dharma will arise in him. He will make this vow: ‘From this day onward, I shall make offerings to the bhiksus without apprehension; whatever pleases them will bring me joy.’ He will then ask the bhiksus:

“‘For how many years did the four former tyrannical kings destroy the Buddha-Dharma?’

“The bhiksus will reply:

“‘For twelve years.’

“The king will think in his heart and proclaim with a lion’s roar:

“‘For twelve years I shall make offerings to the five assemblies and prepare every kind of gift for distribution.’

“On the day the king gives alms, fragrant rainwater will fall throughout Jambudvipa, all crops will flourish, and people everywhere will bring offerings to Kausambi to offer to the Sangha.

“At that time, the bhiksus will receive abundant offerings. They will consume the gifts of the faithful but will neither read nor recite the scriptures, nor expound scriptures for students^[17]. They will spend their days in frivolous discourse and sleep throughout the night.

Craving gain and support, they will delight in adorning themselves and wear fine garments. They will distance themselves from the Dharma-joy of deliverance, tranquility, renunciation, and sambodhi. Their forms will be those of bhiksus, but they will be far removed from the virtues of srmanas.

They will be great thieves within the Buddha-Dharma, accomplices who destroy the banner of the True Dharma in the final age and raise the banner of the evil Mara; who extinguish the torch of the True Dharma and kindle the flames of affliction; who shatter the drum of the True Dharma, destroy the wheel of the True Dharma, dry up the ocean of the True Dharma, topple the mountain of the True Dharma, demolish the citadel of the True Dharma, uproot the tree of the True Dharma, destroy the wisdom of meditative concentration, sever the jeweled strand of morality, and defile the True Path.

“At that time, the devas, nagas, ghosts, spirits, yaksas, and gandharvas will harbor ill will toward the bhiksus. They will humiliate and revile them, become disgusted, keep their distance, and no longer draw near to the bhiksus. All beings will lament together: ‘Alas! Such evil bhiksus should not dwell within the Tathagata’s Dharma.’ Then they will speak this verse:

Practicing evil, doing no good,

They follow doctrines of wrong view;

These foolish people

Topple the mountain of the True Dharma.

They observe evil precepts

And abandon practices in accord with Dharma;

They forsake all sublime and wondrous teachings

And abandon the present Buddha-Dharma.

Faithless and without self-restraint,

They delight in evil conduct;

With hypocrisy they deceive the world

And strike down the Muni’s Dharma.

Ruining their form, they cultivate evil,

Violent and reckless;

They use the Dharma to deceive everyone;

Angry, conceited, and arrogant,

They cling to the pursuit of gain and fame;

There is no evil they will not commit.

As the Buddha’s teaching declared,

These are signs that the Dharma is vanishing;

People now will surely behold them

And be despised by the wise.

Now that these signs have appeared,

The ocean of the Muni’s True Dharma

Will before long run dry;

Now the True Dharma is seldom seen,

And evil people come to extinguish it,

Destroying our True Dharma.

“At that time, the devas, nagas, and spirits will all be grieved. They will no longer support the bhiksus and will proclaim together: ‘In seven days the Buddha-Dharma will be utterly extinguished.’ They will weep and wail together and tell one another: ‘On the day when the bhiksus recite the precepts, they will contend with one another, and for this reason the Tathagata’s True Dharma will be destroyed.’ Thus will the devas weep in sorrow.

“Meanwhile, in the city of Kausambi, five hundred upasakas will hear the devas speak these words. Together they will go among the bhiksus, restrain them from contending, and speak this verse:

Alas! The five grievous evils—

Have compassion for living beings.

Now the Buddha-Dharma is about to perish,

The Dharma of the Sakyan Lion King.

The evil wheel destroys the Dharma-wheel;

Only if it were adamantine

Could it remain indestructible.

The age of peace is gone;

A perilous teaching has arisen;

Those of clear wisdom have passed away.

Seeing such signs today,

Know that little time remains.

The Muni’s Dharma will be cut off,

And the world will no longer be bright.

The stainless words of quiescence—

The sun of the Muni is setting.

People of the world lose their treasure;

Good and evil are no longer distinguished.

When good and evil are not discerned,

Who will attain perfect awakening?

While the lamp of Dharma remains in the world,

Do good deeds in time;

Enter the immeasurable field of merit,

For this Dharma will surely perish.

Therefore, all of us,

Knowing that possessions are unstable,

Should seize the heartwood while there is time.

“On the fifteenth day, during the recitation of the precepts, the True Dharma will disappear. On that same day, the five hundred upasakas will each construct a Buddha-stupa, making five hundred stupas in a single day. At that time, the upasakas will be occupied with other work and will not come and go among the Sangha.

The arhat Suratha^[18] will then be dwelling on Mount Gandhamalya. He will contemplate where in Jambudvipa a Sangha is reciting the precepts that day. He will see that in Kausambi disciples of the Tathagata are reciting the precepts and performing posadha, and he will immediately go to Kausambi.

At that time, the Sangha of that land will number as many as one hundred thousand, but among them only one will be an arhat, named Suratha. There will also be a master of the Tripitaka named Disciple. This will be the final great assembly of the Tathagata’s followers.

At that time, the karmadana will distribute the salaka tallies^[19] and say to the senior master of the Tripitaka:

“‘The Sangha has assembled, numbering one hundred thousand. Please now recite the Pratimoksa for us.’

“The senior will reply:

“‘All the Tathagata’s disciples in Jambudvipa have assembled here, numbering one hundred thousand in this congregation. I am the senior and have mastered the Tripitaka, yet even I have not studied the Vinaya. How much less could any of the others have anything they have studied! For whom shall I now recite the Vinaya?’ Then he will speak this verse:

Today is the fifteenth day,

The silent night, the brilliant moon;

Thus have these bhiksus

Now assembled to hear the precepts recited.

This is the final gathering

Of the entire Sangha of Jambudvipa.

I am foremost in the assembly,

Yet have not studied the Vinaya Dharma.

How much less could the other Sangha members

Have anything they have studied?

Who is skilled in the Dharma of the Muni,

The Sakyan Lion King?

Whoever observes the precepts—

Only that person can recite them.

“At that time, the arhat Suratha will stand before the senior, join his palms, and say:

“‘Senior, simply recite the Pratimoksa, as when the Buddha was in the world. I have now fully studied all the training undertaken by Sariputra, Maudgalyayana, and the community of great bhiksus. Although a thousand years have passed since the Tathagata entered nirvana, I have completely maintained the disciplinary rules he established.’

Then he will speak this verse:

Senior, listen to my words:

My name is Suratha,

An arhat whose outflows are exhausted,

Roaring the lion’s roar within the assembly.

A true disciple of the Muni.

Ghosts and spirits who have faith in the Buddha,

Hearing the noble one’s words,

Grieve and weep with falling tears.

They bow their heads, thinking of the Dharma’s extinction:

From this day onward,

There will be no one to teach the Dharma.

The Vinaya of individual liberation

Will no longer remain in the world.

The bridge of Dharma has now collapsed;

The water of Dharma no longer flows;

The ocean of Dharma has dried up;

The mountain of Dharma has crumbled.

Dharma assemblies cease from this day;

The banner of Dharma is seen no more.

The feet of Dharma no longer travel;

The disciplinary rules are forever lost;

The lamp of Dharma no longer shines;

The wheel of Dharma no longer turns.

The gate of deathlessness is tightly sealed.

Dharma teachers no longer dwell in the world,

Nor do good people proclaim the wondrous path;

Living beings do not know goodness

And are no different from wild beasts.

“At that time, the Buddha’s mother, Lady Mahamaya, will descend from heaven. Coming to the Sangha, she will wail and weep: ‘Alas, how painful! This is the teaching of my son, who passed through asamkhyeya kalpas cultivating arduous practices, heedless of bodily toil and mental hardship, accumulating virtue until he attained Buddhahood—yet today it is suddenly destroyed!’ Then she will speak this verse:

I am the Buddha’s mother.

My son once practiced austerities,

Passing through countless kalpas,

Until he ultimately attained the True Path.

Unable to restrain my grieving tears,

I see the Dharma suddenly extinguished today.

Alas! O Wise One,

Where are you now?

Who will preserve the Dharma and abandon disputes?

Born from the Buddha’s mouth,

Supreme above all kings,

The Buddha’s true disciples,

Cultivating the wondrous dhutanga practices,

Resting at night in deep forests—

Truly the Buddha’s children—

Where are they now?

In the present world,

Their awe-inspiring virtue is absent.

Amid desolate mountains and forests,

All the spirits are silent.

Giving, morality, compassion for living beings,

Adorning themselves with faith and precepts;

Upright conduct, patience,

Contemplating wholesome and unwholesome dharmas—

Such supreme qualities as these

Have now suddenly disappeared!

“At that time, a disciple of the senior will think:

“‘The bhiksu Suratha himself declared: “I fully preserve the Vinaya established by the Tathagata.”’

“This senior will have a disciple named Angada. Unable to endure these words and consumed by rage, he will rise from his seat and abuse the noble one: ‘You are a junior bhiksu, foolish and without wisdom, yet you dare insult my preceptor!’ He will then seize a sharp knife and kill that noble one. Then he will speak this verse:

I am Angada,

A disciple of Tissa;

With a sharp sword I kill you,

Who proclaimed, “I possess virtue.”

“At this time, a ghost named Great Timukha will think: ‘There is only this one arhat in the world, yet he has been killed by that evil bhiksu’s disciple.’ He will immediately strike the man with a sharp vajra club whose head blazes with fire, smashing his skull and killing him on the spot. Then he will speak this verse:

I am a fierce ghost-spirit,

Named Great Timukha;

With this vajra club,

I split your head into seven pieces.

“At that time, the arhat’s disciple, seeing the senior’s disciple kill his teacher, will be unable to restrain his anger and will kill the master of the Tripitaka. The devas and humans will then grieve and wail: ‘Alas, how painful! The Tathagata’s True Dharma now exists no more.’ Suddenly the earth will quake in six ways. Immeasurable beings, overwhelmed with grief, will wail and weep: ‘Alas! Today the True Dharma no longer exists in the world.’ After lamenting these words, everyone will disperse.

“At that time, the five hundred upasakas of Kausambi will hear these words and enter the monastery. Striking their heads with their hands, they will cry aloud: ‘Alas! The Tathagata had compassion for the world and rescued all living beings, whether great or minute.

Who can now explain the meaning of the Dharma for us? From this day onward, devas and humans will no longer be able to attain liberation. Living beings now remain in darkness with no one to guide them.

They continually cultivate evil habits and delight in them like wild beasts, refusing to hear the Muni’s wondrous Dharma. Thus, when their bodies break up and their lives end, they will fall into the three lower realms like plummeting stars. From this day onward, people will no longer remember the wisdom of tranquil samadhi or the wondrous Dharma of the ten powers.’

“When the king of Kausambi hears that the bhiksus have killed a true arhat and the Tripitaka Dharma teacher, grief will arise in him. Horrified and lamenting, he will sit in silence. At that time, followers of wrong views will vie with one another in smashing stupas and shrines and persecuting bhiksus. From then on, the Buddha-Dharma will disintegrate and swiftly perish.”

The Blessed One then said to Sakra Devendra, the Four Great Heavenly Kings, the devas, and the people of the world:

“After my nirvana, the signs of the Dharma’s complete extinction will be as described above. Therefore, at present you must diligently strive to protect the True Dharma so that it may long remain in the world.”

After the devas and humans heard what the Buddha had taught, they all showed sorrow, wiped away their tears with their hands, bowed at the Buddha’s feet, and withdrew.

SUTRA 641. THE SUTRA ON THE CAUSES AND CONDITIONS OF KING ASOKA’S GIFT OF HALF AN AMALAKA FRUIT^[20]

King Asoka attained profound faith and reverence for the Tathagata’s Dharma. One day, he asked the bhiksus:

“Who practiced the greatest generosity within the Tathagata’s Dharma?”

The bhiksus replied to the king:

“The householder Anathapindika practiced the greatest generosity.”

The king asked further:

“How many precious objects did he give?”

The bhiksus replied:

“As much as one hundred million thousand pieces of gold.”

Hearing this, the king thought: “That householder was able to relinquish one hundred million thousand pieces of gold. Now that I am king, why should I likewise give only one hundred million thousand pieces of gold? I should give one hundred thousand million pieces of gold.”

The king then commissioned the construction of eighty-four thousand Buddha-stupas, and for each stupa he gave one hundred thousand pieces of gold as an offering. Moreover, every five years he convened a great assembly. Each assembly comprised three hundred thousand bhiksus, and he offered thirty billion pieces of gold to that Sangha. The first portion was for arhats, the second for trainees, and the third for genuine ordinary beings. Apart from his private treasury, everything in Jambudvipa—including his queen, palace women, crown prince, and ministers—could be offered to the noble Sangha and then redeemed with four billion gold coins. Calculated in this way, he ultimately expended ninety-six thousand million gold coins.

One day, the king became gravely ill. He knew that his life was nearing its end. At that time, there was a minister named Radhagupta^[21], who in a previous life had been the king’s childhood companion when the king offered a handful of earth to the Buddha. Seeing that the king was gravely ill and near death, the minister Radhagupta bowed his head and questioned him in verse:

Your countenance was always radiant,

Surrounded by hundreds of thousands of women,

Like lotus blossoms

Around which honeybees assemble.

Yet now, when I behold the king’s face,

Its former radiance is gone.

The king replied in verse:

I do not now grieve

Over losing wealth or royal power,

This body and my loved ones,

Or the various jewels.

I grieve only that I can no longer see

The virtuous and noble ones

And offer them the four requisites.

Thinking only of this,

My complexion has changed,

And my mind is ill at ease.

“Moreover, my aspiration was to use the whole sum of one hundred thousand million gold coins to perform meritorious deeds. But my vow remains unfulfilled and must be left to a future life. If all the gold, silver, and precious treasures I have offered, both earlier and later, are added together, I lack only four hundred million.”

The king then prepared various precious treasures to send as offerings to the Kukkutarama Monastery^[22]. Dharma-Enhancement’s son, named Sampadi^[23], had been appointed crown prince.

The ministers said to the crown prince:

“Before long, the Great King will pass away. He is now sending these precious treasures to the monastery as offerings, while the wealth and valuables in the treasury have been exhausted. According to the way of kings, material resources are of paramount importance. The crown prince should reconsider this matter and should not allow the Great King to expend everything.”

The crown prince then ordered the treasurer not to release any more valuables for the Great King’s use. The king knew that he would no longer receive the objects he requested, so he donated his golden food vessels to the monastery. The crown prince ordered that no golden vessels be supplied and that silver vessels be provided instead. After the king finished eating, he sent those to the monastery as offerings. Silver vessels were then withheld, and copper ones were supplied. The king also sent these to the monastery. Copper vessels were then withheld, and earthenware was provided. At that time, the king had only half an amalaka fruit^[24] in his hand. Grieving and shedding tears, he said to the ministers:

“Who is now the lord of this land?”

The ministers said to the Great King:

“Your Majesty is the lord of this land.”

The king replied in verse:

You seek to protect my heart,

But why do you speak falsely?

Though I still occupy the royal throne,

I have no freedom at all!

Half an amalaka fruit

Now rests within my hand;

It is my possession,

And over this alone I have freedom.

Wealth and rank deserve renunciation—

Alas! Yet people esteem them!

Once I ruled Jambudvipa;

Now suddenly I am poor and lowly.

Like the surging current of the Ganges,

Once gone, it never returns;

Wealth and rank are also thus:

Once past, they return no more.

The king repeated a verse taught by the Buddha:

Whatever flourishes must decline,

For decline is its final end.

Thus did the Tathagata declare;

His words are true and never otherwise.

The teachings formerly given

I now immediately understand.

Though I now make requests,

No one obeys my words,

Like wind obstructed by a mountain,

Like water restrained by a bank.

My royal commands

Are from this day forever ended.

Once immeasurable crowds followed me,

Beating drums and blowing conches;

Musicians constantly performed,

While I enjoyed the pleasures of the five desires.

Hundreds of palace women

Delighted me day and night;

Today all these are gone,

Like a tree without flowers or fruit.

My features gradually wither,

And so too my complexion and strength;

Like a flower slowly fading,

So am I today.

King Asoka then said to an attendant:

“If you still remember the kindness with which I cared for you, take this half amalaka fruit and send it as an offering to the Kukkutarama Monastery. On my behalf, bow with your head at the feet of the bhiksu Sangha and say: ‘King Asoka inquires after the great noble ones. I am King Asoka, ruler of this Jambudvipa. Everything I possessed in Jambudvipa has suddenly been lost today, and I no longer have any treasure to offer the Sangha. I have no freedom over any of my wealth. Only this half amalaka fruit remains under my control. This is my final perfection of giving. Out of compassion for me, please accept this offering so that I may gain merit by making an offering to the Sangha.’”

Then he spoke this verse:

Half an amalaka fruit—

This is now my possession;

Over it alone I have freedom,

And now I offer it to the great assembly.

My mind turns toward the noble Sangha;

No one else will assist me.

Out of compassion for me,

Please accept this amalaka.

May I partake of the fruit of this deed,

And through this immeasurable merit,

In life after life attain wondrous happiness,

Its benefits never exhausted.

The messenger received the king’s command and immediately carried the half amalaka fruit to the Kukkutarama Monastery. Coming before the senior, he prostrated with all five limbs upon the ground, knelt, joined his palms toward the senior, and spoke this verse:

He who ruled Jambudvipa,

Beneath one parasol, at one drumbeat,

Traveling everywhere unobstructed,

Like the heavens illuminating the world—

The result of his former karma has arrived;

He will not remain long in the world.

The king’s awe-inspiring virtue is gone,

Like the sun concealed by clouds.

The king is named Asoka;

He bows his head at the Sangha’s feet

And sends this object as an offering:

Half an amalaka fruit.

He prays for merit in future lives;

Out of compassion for the king,

May the noble Sangha accept

This offering of half a fruit.

The senior then said to the great assembly:

“Who could hear these words and not become disenchanted with the world? Having heard this matter, we cannot fail to give rise to disenchantment and detachment. As the Buddha taught in the sutra: ‘Seeing another’s decline, one should give rise to disenchantment and detachment.’ If sentient beings of understanding hear of this matter, how could they not renounce the world?” Then he spoke this verse:

Among people in the world, a king is foremost:

Asoka of the Maurya line,

Master of Jambudvipa,

Now lord only of an amalaka.

The crown prince and the ministers

Seized the objects the king wished to give;

He sent half an amalaka,

Subduing those who begrudged possessions.

This causes them to become disenchanted.

Fools do not understand giving;

He gains the wondrous karmic fruit of happiness

By offering only half an amalaka.

The senior then thought: “How can this half amalaka fruit be divided equally among the entire Sangha?” He ordered it crushed and placed in a pot to be cooked. When this was done, the entire Sangha each received a share.

The king then asked the great minister beside him:

“Who is king of Jambudvipa?”

The minister said to the king:

“It is Your Majesty.”

The king, who had been lying down, sat up, looked in the four directions, joined his palms in homage, and reflected gratefully upon the kindness and virtue of the Buddhas. He thought and proclaimed: “I now offer this Jambudvipa to the Three Jewels, to be used as they wish.” Then he spoke this verse:

This Jambudvipa today,

Adorned with many precious treasures,

I offer to the excellent field of merit,

That its karmic fruit may arise naturally.

Through the merit of this giving,

I seek neither the state of Sakra Devendra,

Nor that of Brahma or a human sovereign,

Nor any wondrous pleasures of the worlds.

Such karmic rewards as these

I shall not enjoy;

Through the merit of this giving,

May I swiftly attain the Buddha-path,

Become one revered by the world,

Attain omniscience,

Become the good friend of the world,

And the foremost Teacher of the Way.

The king had these words written on paper and sealed. He bit it with his teeth to make his seal. After completing this act, the king passed away.

The crown prince, ministers, palace attendants, palace women, and people of the country presented various offerings. They conducted the funeral according to royal rites and performed the cremation ceremony.

The ministers then wished to establish the crown prince as successor to the throne. However, a minister at court named Anuruddha said to the other ministers:

“The crown prince must not be established as king. Why? During his lifetime, the Great King Asoka vowed to expend one hundred thousand million gold coins in performing meritorious deeds, but he lacked four hundred million and had not yet completed the hundred thousand million. To complete this amount, he has now relinquished Jambudvipa as an offering to the Three Jewels. This great land now belongs to the Three Jewels. How, then, can anyone be established as its king?”

After hearing this, the ministers immediately offered four hundred million gold coins to the monastery. They then established Dharma-Enhancement’s son as king, named Sampadi. Next to inherit the throne was the crown prince Brhaspati^[25]; succeeding Brhaspati was the crown prince Vrsasena^[26]; succeeding Vrsasena was the crown prince Pusyadharma^[27]; and succeeding Pusyadharma was the crown prince Pusyamitra^[28]. Pusyamitra then asked the great ministers:

“What deeds should I perform so that my fame and virtue may endure forever in the world?”

The worthy ministers who had faith in and delighted in the Three Jewels said to the king:

“Great King Asoka was the first monarch of the dynasty. During his lifetime, he commissioned eighty-four thousand stupas of the Tathagata and resolved to make all kinds of offerings. It is precisely this fame and virtue that have been transmitted down to the present day. If Your Majesty seeks such fame and virtue, you must likewise establish eighty-four thousand stupas and make various offerings.”

The king said:

“Because Great King Asoka possessed immense awe-inspiring virtue, he was able to accomplish such deeds. I could never accomplish them. Think of something else.”

Among them was a treacherous and wicked flatterer without faith, who said to the king:

“There are two kinds of deeds whose renown endures perpetually in the world: the first is doing good, and the second is doing evil. Great King Asoka performed wholesome deeds; Your Majesty should now perform evil deeds, such as destroying the eighty-four thousand stupas.”

The king followed the flatterer’s advice and immediately mobilized the four divisions of his army to go to the monasteries and destroy the stupas. First, the king entered the Kukkutarama Monastery. The stone lion before the monastery gate immediately roared, and upon hearing it the king was greatly horrified and afraid. He thought: “Could something that is not a real beast actually roar?” The king returned to the city. Three times in this manner, the king attempted to destroy the monastery.

The king then summoned the bhiksus and asked them:

“Is it better that I destroy the stupas, or is it better that I destroy the Sangha’s dwellings?”

The bhiksus replied:

“Neither should be done. If the king wishes to destroy one of them, it would be better to destroy the Sangha’s dwellings, but he should not destroy the Buddha-stupas.”

The king then killed the bhiksus and destroyed the stupas. Proceeding in this way, he gradually reached the land of Vagala. He also issued an edict: “Whoever brings the head of a Sakyan son who is a sramana will be rewarded with one thousand gold coins.”

At that time, an arhat in that land conjured a great many bhiksus’ heads for people to carry to the king, thereby exhausting all the valuables in the royal treasury. When the king heard what the arhat had done, he became even more enraged and sought to kill him. The arhat then entered the attainment of cessation.

Although the king employed innumerable means to kill this noble one, he ultimately could not do so. Because the arhat had entered the attainment of cessation, his body could not be harmed. The king thus advanced gradually to the gate of a Buddha-stupa.

Within this stupa dwelt a ghost-spirit named Fang-Tooth^[29], who protected the Buddha-stupa. This ghost-spirit thought: “I am a disciple of the Buddha. Because I uphold the precept against killing living beings, I cannot now kill the king.” He thought again: “There is a spirit named Worm^[30], fierce and violent, who constantly commits evil deeds.

He has sought my daughter’s hand in marriage, but I have refused. Now, to protect the True Dharma, I must give her to him and cause him to protect the Buddha-Dharma.” He summoned that spirit and said:

“I now give my daughter to you in marriage, but we must make an agreement: you must subdue this king and prevent him from committing evil deeds and destroying the True Dharma.”

At the king’s side, however, there was a great ghost-spirit named Utra. Because this spirit possessed complete awe-inspiring power, the other spirit could do nothing to the king. Fang-Tooth then sought a way to destroy the present natural power that this spirit conferred upon the king. He thought: “I should pretend to befriend him and thus become his companion and acquaintance.” After they had become close friends, Fang-Tooth led this spirit into the great southern ocean. Only then did the spirit Worm move a great mountain and drive it down upon the king and the four divisions of his army, crushing them so that none survived. The people all cried: “Excellent! Excellent!” and the expression “excellent” was passed from person to person throughout the world.

After this king died, the Maurya lineage ended forever. Therefore, worldly wealth, honor, and pleasure are not worthy of craving. Great King Asoka was wise. He awakened to the impermanence of life, the difficulty of preserving bodily life, and the fact that wealth subject to the five claimants is like an illusion. Having awakened to this, one must diligently strive to create all kinds of merit. Until the end of life, one’s mind should constantly recollect the Three Jewels, thought after thought without interruption. One should cling to nothing and aspire only to the ultimate attainment of unsurpassed, perfect, complete awakening.

Notes:

^[1]. In the Taisho edition, fascicle 25 originally contains two sutras, Nos. 640–641, which modern scholars judge not to belong to the Samyukta Agama. The Kokuyaku edition moves them to fascicle 50, following the account of the causes and conditions concerning King Asoka (see Sutra No. 604). The Fo Guang edition places them in Appendix 2. For Sutra No. 640, compare Taisho 12, No. 383, Mahamaya Sutra; Taisho 13, No. 397, Mahasamnipata Sutra, “15. Candragarbha Section, Chapter 20: The Complete Extinction of the Dharma”; Taisho 49, No. 2028, Katyayana Bhiksu’s Sutra on Future Changes; Taisho 49, No. 2029, Katyayana’s Verses on the Disappearance and Complete Extinction of the Dharma; Taisho 50, No. 2042, Asokaraja Sutra; and Taisho 27, No. 1545, Mahavibhasa, fascicle 183, p. 918a.

^[2]. Mathura 摩偷羅; see n. 11 to Sutra 36.

^[3]. Gupta 掘多; see Sutra 604, where it is transcribed Cù-đa.

^[4]. Upagupta 優波掘多; see n. 32 to Sutra 604.

^[5]. Urumunda 優留曼茶; see n. 34 to Sutra 604.

^[6]. Natabhata 那吒跋置; see n. 35 to Sutra 604, where it is transcribed Na-trà-bà-đề.

^[7]. “Villages of vegetation” 鬼村 refers to plant life. Sanskrit: bhūtagrāma.

^[8]. Yavana 耶槃那. Sanskrit: yavana, originally referring to Greeks and later to Muslims.

^[9]. Pallava 缽羅婆.

^[10]. Tukhara 兜沙羅. Sanskrit: Tukhāra, referring to the Yuezhi people of the Western Regions of China, who invaded northwestern India.

^[11]. Kausambi Mahendrasena 拘睒彌摩因陀羅西那; the Biography of King Asoka calls him Đại Quan. Sanskrit: Kosambi Mahenaresena.

^[12]. Agnidatta 阿耆尼達多. Sanskrit: Agnidatta.

^[13]. “Vedic scriptures and treatises” 比陀經論 refers to texts belonging to the Vedas.

^[14]. “Disciple” 弟子; the Biography of King Asoka calls him “Many Disciples.”

^[15]. Sudhana 須須陀那. Sanskrit: Sudhana?

^[16]. Gandhamalya 揵陀摩羅. Sanskrit: Gandhamālya? See Abhidharmakosa 11 (Taisho 29, p. 58a): “Fragrant-Intoxication Mountain” 香醉山, Sanskrit: Gandhamādana.

^[17]. Chinese: 不薩闍為人受經. Mahavibhasa 183 reads: 不祿獨處靜慮思性, “not delighting in dwelling alone in a secluded place to practice meditation.”

^[18]. The Taisho edition reads Suratha 修羅他. The Ming edition reads Surata 修羅陀.

^[19]. “Distributing salaka tallies” 行沙羅籌 means handing out and counting bamboo tallies, a method of taking attendance or conducting a collective vote within the Sangha. Sanskrit: Śalākā.

^[20]. The sutra concerns the causes and conditions of King Asoka’s gift of half an amalaka fruit (a mango). See n. 1 to Sutra 640. Compare Sutra No. 604 (Taisho edition, fascicle 23).

^[21]. Radhagupta 羅陀崛多. Sanskrit: Rādhagupta.

^[22]. Kukkutarama Monastery 雞雀寺. Sanskrit: Kurkuṭārāma.

^[23]. Sampadi 三波提. Sanskrit: Sampadī, a grandson of King Asoka.

^[24]. Amalaka 阿摩勒. Sanskrit: āmalaka, a mango.

^[25]. Brhaspati 毘梨訶波低. Sanskrit: Bṛhaspati.

^[26]. Vrsasena 毘梨訶西那. Sanskrit: Vṛṣhasena.

^[27]. Pusyadharma 沸沙須摩. Sanskrit: Puṣyadharma.

^[28]. Pusyamitra 沸沙蜜多羅. Sanskrit: Puṣyamitra.

^[29]. Fang-Tooth 牙齒. Sanskrit: Daṃṣṭrānivāsī-yakṣa.

^[30]. Worm 蟲. Sanskrit: Kṛmiśa.