天請問經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Blessed One was dwelling at Anāthapiṇḍika's park in the Jeta Grove, in the country of Śrāvastī. At that time there was a deva, of surpassing and uncommon beauty, who in the latter half of the night came to the place where the Buddha was, reverently bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and then stood to one side; and the majestic power and radiance of this deva shone forth brilliantly throughout the whole of the Jeta Grove.

Then that deva, using sublime verses, addressed the Buddha:

What is the sharp blade and sword?

What is the harmful poison?

What is the fiercely blazing fire?

What is the deepest darkness?

The Blessed One also answered with a verse:

Harsh words: the sharp blade and sword;

Greed and desire: the harmful poison;

Anger and hatred: the raging fire;

Ignorance: the deepest darkness.

The deva asked:

Who is said to gain profit?

Who is said to lose profit?

What armor is firm and strong?

What blade and sword is sharp?

The Blessed One answered:

The giver is said to gain profit;

The receiver is said to lose profit;

Patience is the firm armor;

Wisdom is the sharp blade and staff.

The deva asked:

What is the robber and thief?

What is the treasure of the wise?

What is called the robber and thief

Among the devas and in the world?

The Buddha said:

Wrong intention is the robber and thief;

Precepts are the treasure of the wise;

Breaking the precepts is the robber and thief

Among the devas and in the world.

The deva asked:

Who is the most at peace and ease?

Who is the most wealthy?

Who is ever upright and dignified?

Who is always ugly?

The Blessed One answered:

Few desires: most at peace and ease;

Knowing contentment: greatly wealthy;

Keeping the precepts: ever upright and dignified;

Breaking the precepts: ever ugly.

The deva asked:

Who is the good kinsman?

What is the hateful, hostile mind?

What is great suffering?

What is the foremost joy?

The Blessed One answered:

Merit is the good kinsman;

Transgression is the hateful, hostile mind;

The hells are great suffering;

The unborn: the utmost joy.

The deva asked:

What should not be delighted in?

What ought to be delighted in?

What is the most burning sickness?

Who is the skilled physician?

The Blessed One answered:

Craving and desire should not be delighted in;

Liberation ought to be delighted in;

Greed is the most burning sickness;

The Buddha is the great skilled physician.

The deva asked:

Who disparages the world?

Who deceives the world?

Who causes one to abandon close friends?

Who prevents birth in the heavens?

The Blessed One answered:

Lack of wisdom covers the world;

Delusion deceives the world;

Stinginess and greed abandon close friends;

Attachment and defilement prevent birth in the heavens.

The deva asked again:

What is it that fire cannot burn,

That wind also cannot extinguish,

That is not a place scalded by water,

And can protect the world?

Who, together with the king, repels bandits,

Withstanding the foe with great valor,

Not subject to the encroachment and seizure

Of humans and non-humans?

The Blessed One answered:

Merit cannot be burned by fire;

Wind also cannot blow it out;

Merit—water cannot scald it astray;

And it can protect the world.

Merit, together with the king, repels bandits,

Withstanding the foe with great valor,

Not subject to the encroachment and harm

Of humans and non-humans.

The deva again asked:

Now I still have doubt;

I beg the Buddha to dispel the doubt:

In this life and in the life to come,

Who dares yet to deceive?

The Buddha taught:

If one has much wealth and riches

Yet does not cultivate and create meritorious recompense,

In this life and in the life to come

That person deceives himself.

At that time, when the deva had heard the Buddha expound this sūtra, he was greatly delighted, praising it as something never before experienced; he bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and then, before the Buddha, suddenly vanished.