尸迦羅越六方禮經

The Buddha was dwelling on Mount Kê near the city of Rājagṛha.

At that time, there was a son of an elder named Śṛgāla (Thi Ca La Việt). Rising early in the morning, he combed his hair and bathed, put on fine garments, and faced the East and bowed four times, faced the South and bowed four times, faced the West and bowed four times, faced the North and bowed four times, looked up to the sky and bowed four times, and bowed down to the earth four times. As the Buddha was entering the city to beg for alms, He saw this from afar, and so He went to the house of the elder's son to ask the reason:

– Why do you bow to the six directions? With what teaching does this practice correspond?

Śṛgāla replied:

– When my father was still alive, he taught me to bow to the six directions. I do not know with what teaching it corresponds. Now that my father has passed away, I dare not disobey his command.

The Buddha taught:

– Your father taught you to bow to the six directions, but not by paying homage with the body.

Śṛgāla then knelt down and said to the Buddha:

– I respectfully beg the Buddha to explain to me the meaning of this bowing to the six directions.

The Buddha taught:

– Listen carefully and remember. The elder is a person of intelligence and wisdom who is able to uphold the four precepts without transgression. Therefore, in this life he is respected and esteemed by all, and in the next life he is born in the heavens:

First, do not kill any living beings;

Second, do not steal;

Third, do not take another's wife;

Fourth, do not speak falsely, do not speak with a double tongue; as for lust, greed for sensual pleasure, hatred, and delusion, one must restrain oneself and not follow them.

If one does not restrain oneself in these four matters, then one's bad reputation increases day by day, like the moon that has set, whose light turns to darkness. But whoever is able to restrain himself from these evil deeds is like the moon when it first rises, whose light grows brighter and brighter, until the fifteenth day, the time when the moon is most full and round.

The Buddha taught:

– There are furthermore six things that cause one's wealth to diminish day by day:

First, fondness for drinking liquor;

Second, fondness for gambling;

Third, fondness for sleeping early and rising late;

Fourth, fondness for inviting guests and also wishing to be invited in return;

Fifth, wishing to form close ties with evil companions;

Sixth, arrogance and contempt for others.

To transgress the four evil deeds above and moreover to commit these six deeds will harm one's wholesome conduct, and likewise will be of no benefit in matters of livelihood, causing one's wealth to diminish day by day; so of what benefit is the bowing to the six directions?

The Buddha taught:

– There are four kinds of evil companions:

First, one who harbors a resentful heart within while outwardly pretending to be a friend;

Second, one who speaks well to a person's face but speaks ill behind his back;

Third, one who, when his friend has an urgent matter, shows sorrow to his friend's face but secretly nurtures gladness behind his back;

Fourth, one who outwardly appears very close, but inwardly plots with resentment.

– There are likewise four kinds of good companions:

First, one who outwardly seems like an enemy, but inwardly has a benevolent heart;

Second, one who frankly admonishes a person to his face, while outwardly extolling that person's good qualities;

Third, one who, when illness strikes or when officials and those in power cause you anxiety and fear, seeks ways to help and resolve the matter;

Fourth, one who, seeing his friend poor and destitute, does not abandon him, but constantly thinks of ways and means, wishing for him to become wealthy.

– There are likewise four kinds of evil companions:

First, one who is hard to admonish, hard to teach to do good, and who befriends the wicked;

Second, one who, though instructed, does not like to listen, because being a friend of drinkers he is suited to those addicted to liquor;

Third, one who, though instructed, is obstinate, and moreover stirs up much trouble;

Fourth, one who is taught to befriend the virtuous, but instead grows familiar with gambling companions.

– There are likewise four kinds of good companions:

First, one who, seeing a person poor, hungry, and in rags, helps him to make a living;

Second, one who does not contend over winning or losing with others;

Third, one who often comes to visit;

Fourth, one who, whether coming or going, always keeps his friend in mind.

– There are furthermore four kinds of good companions:

First, one who, when his friend is arrested by officials, brings him back and shelters him, waiting to resolve the matter afterward;

Second, one who, when his friend has illness or sickness, brings him back to nurse and care for him;

Third, one who, learning that his friend has died, attends to the matter of burial;

Fourth, one who, knowing his friend has died, still thinks of his friend's family.

– There are furthermore four kinds of good companions:

First, one who, when his friend wishes to quarrel and fight, restrains him;

Second, one who, when his friend wishes to follow evil companions, advises him not to follow them;

Third, one who, when his friend does not wish to engage in a livelihood, counsels him to attend to his livelihood;

Fourth, one who, when his friend does not delight in the Dharma, teaches and guides him so that he gains faith and joy.

– There are furthermore four kinds of evil companions:

First, one who is offended only a little, yet harbors much hatred;

Second, one who, when asked for help in an urgent matter, is unwilling to do it;

Third, one who, seeing a person in a perilous situation, flees;

Fourth, one who, seeing a person dead, leaves without concern.

The Buddha taught:

– Choose good people to follow, and avoid the wicked. It was through befriending good companions that I myself attained Buddhahood.

The Buddha taught:

– As for bowing to the East, this is:

The child serves his parents in five ways:

First, he must remember to attend to the livelihood;

Second, he must rise early to instruct the servants so that meals are prepared on time;

Third, he must not cause his parents anxiety;

Fourth, he must consider the kindness and grace of his parents;

Fifth, when his parents are ill, he must take care to seek a physician for their treatment.

Parents also have five duties toward their child:

First, they must remember to make the child abandon evil and follow the good;

Second, they teach the child to apply himself to study;

Third, they teach the child to uphold the scriptures and keep the precepts;

Fourth, they must take care to arrange a marriage for their child;

Fifth, whatever wealth there is in the house, they must leave it to their child.

– As for bowing to the South, this is:

The disciple serves his teacher in five ways:

First, he must be respectful and offer praise;

Second, he must be mindful of his teacher's kindness;

Third, he must heed his teacher's instructions;

Fourth, he keeps them in mind without ever growing weary;

Fifth, he should follow wholeheartedly and praise his teacher.

The teacher also has five duties in teaching the disciple:

First, he must make him quick to understand;

Second, he should make his own disciple surpass the disciples of others;

Third, he wishes to make what has been learned remembered forever, never forgotten;

Fourth, all doubts are explained;

Fifth, he wishes to make the disciple's wisdom surpass the teacher's own.

– As for bowing to the West, this is:

The wife serves her husband in five ways:

First, when her husband returns from anywhere, she must rise to welcome and receive him;

Second, when her husband is away, she must attend to all the cooking and the cleaning, awaiting her husband's return;

Third, she must not harbor lustful desire for another; even when her husband reproaches her, she must not respond with reproach in return;

Fourth, she should act according to her husband's admonitions, and whatever object she may pick up, she must not conceal it;

Fifth, when her husband is sleeping and resting, she must finish setting things in order before she herself sleeps.

The husband also has five duties toward his wife:

First, wherever he goes, he must let his wife know;

Second, he provides food and drink on time, and supplies clothing for his wife;

Third, he must provide gold, silver, and precious jewels;

Fourth, whatever things are in the house, be they many or few, he must entrust to his wife;

Fifth, he must not commit adultery, that is, by maintaining, attending upon, or transferring property to another.

– As for bowing to the North, this concerns one's conduct toward kinsmen and friends, in five ways:

First, seeing them do an evil deed, he goes alone to a quiet place to admonish and dissuade them;

Second, seeing a perilous matter, however small, he hastens at once to come to their rescue;

Third, when something is told in confidence, he must not let others hear it;

Fourth, they must respect, cherish, and praise one another;

Fifth, when there is something good, whether much or little, they should share it with one another.

– As for bowing down to the earth, this is:

The master has five duties toward his servants:

First, he must give them food, drink, and clothing on time;

Second, when they fall ill, he must call a physician to treat them;

Third, he must not beat them;

Fourth, if they have property of their own, he must not seize it;

Fifth, whatever things are to be shared, he must share equally.

The servants also have five duties toward their master:

First, they must take care to rise early, not waiting for the master of the house to call;

Second, when they work, they must do so wholeheartedly;

Third, they must cherish their master's belongings, and must not discard them upon others;

Fourth, when the master of the house comes and goes, they must see him off and welcome him;

Fifth, they must praise his good qualities, and must not speak of their master's faults.

– As for paying homage upward toward the sky, this is:

A person serving the Śramaṇas and ascetics must do five things:

First, he approaches them with a wholesome mind;

Second, he chooses fine words to speak;

Third, he shows respect with his body;

Fourth, he must be devoted and admiring;

Fifth, since the Śramaṇas and ascetics are the good among humankind, he must respect, serve, and inquire of them about the means to escape the sufferings of this worldly life.

The Śramaṇas and ascetics have six considerations they keep in mind toward ordinary people:

First, they teach them to give in charity, and not to be greedy and miserly;

Second, they teach them to uphold the precepts, and not to transgress through sensual desire;

Third, they teach them patient endurance, and not to give way to anger and resentment;

Fourth, they teach them diligence, and not to be arrogant and lazy;

Fifth, they teach them single-mindedness, and not to be heedless;

Sixth, they teach them understanding and wisdom, and not to be foolish and deluded.

The Śramaṇas and ascetics teach people to abandon evil and do good, and reveal the path of the right Way; that grace is greater than that of one's parents. Do thus, and regard it as when your father, while still alive, taught you to bow to the six directions—why should you worry about not gaining prosperity and honor?

Śṛgāla then received the five precepts, paid his respects, and withdrew.

The Buddha spoke this verse:

The Buddha is higher than the gods,
Spirits and demons cannot match Him;
Bow the head and circumambulate the stupa and temple,
Joining the hands, pay homage to the ten directions.

Diligently employing the six perfections (pāramitās),
Cultivating practice, he attains the natural state;
Therefore I bow my head down
And take refuge in "the God among Gods" (Devātideva).

Above all, one must rectify the mind,
So that through the three periods of time the spirit-consciousness is good;
Not craving and clinging amid the eight calamities,
One is reborn in the ten directions according to one's conduct.

The Buddha Speaks the Sūtra of Śṛgāla Bowing to the Six Directions