意經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was dwelling in the country of Śrāvastī, in the Jeta Grove, in the Garden of Anāthapiṇḍika.

At that time there was a bhikṣu sitting alone in his room, and in his mind there arose this thought: "What leads the world onward? Why must one undergo suffering? Through what arising does it proceed?"

Then, in the late afternoon, that bhikṣu rose from his meditative sitting, went to where the World-Honored One was, and, having sat down to one side, addressed the World-Honored One, saying:

"World-Honored One, today, as I sat alone in my room, this thought arose in me: 'What leads the world onward? Why must one undergo suffering? Through what arising does it proceed?'"

When the World-Honored One had heard this, he praised him:

"Well done! Well done! Bhikṣu, this is a wholesome path with wholesome contemplation; this is skillful eloquence, namely: 'What leads the world onward? Why must one undergo suffering? Through what arising does it proceed?' Bhikṣu, is this not your question?"

The bhikṣu said:

"World-Honored One, it is so."

The World-Honored One said:

"Bhikṣu, the mind leads the world onward; because of the mind one undergoes suffering; because the mind arises, it leads onward. Bhikṣu, because the mind leads the world onward, one must undergo suffering, and because the mind arises, it leads onward. Bhikṣu, the noble disciple, the one who has nothing to which he clings, with respect to the mind that drags one along, the mind that arises, the mind that leads onward—Bhikṣu, the noble disciple, the Arhat, is able to master his own mind, and does not himself follow after the mind."

The bhikṣu said:

"Well done! World-Honored One."

That bhikṣu, having heard what the World-Honored One taught, took delight in it well and understood it well, and then asked further:

"World-Honored One, a learned bhikṣu is spoken of as a learned bhikṣu. World-Honored One, what is called a learned bhikṣu? World-Honored One, in what way is one a learned bhikṣu?"

When the World-Honored One had heard this, he praised him:

"Well done! Well done! Bhikṣu, this is a wholesome path with wholesome contemplation; this is eloquence, wholesome speech, namely: 'World-Honored One, a learned bhikṣu, that learned bhikṣu—World-Honored One, what is called a learned bhikṣu? In what way does the Tathāgata say one is a learned bhikṣu?'

Bhikṣu, is this not what you ask?"

The bhikṣu replied:

"World-Honored One, it is so."

The World-Honored One said:

"Bhikṣu, the things I have expounded are very many: discourses (sūtra), chants (geya), prophetic declarations (vyākaraṇa), verses (gāthā), causes and conditions (nidāna), verses of Dharma (udāna), parables (avadāna), matters of correspondence (itivṛttaka), accounts of birth (jātaka), the expanded teachings (vaipulya), the marvelous and unprecedented (adbhuta-dharma), and expositions of Dharma (upadeśa). Bhikṣu, if there be anyone who, having heard me speak only a verse of four lines, knows its meaning, knows the Dharma, practices in accordance with the Dharma, is in conformity with the Dharma, and expounds it in accordance with the Dharma—such a one is a learned bhikṣu; such a one is a learned bhikṣu; the Tathāgata declares that such a one is a learned bhikṣu."

The bhikṣu said:

"Well done! World-Honored One."

That bhikṣu, having heard what the World-Honored One taught, pondered and bore it well in mind, and joyfully practiced it well. Then he asked further:

"World-Honored One, a bhikṣu who, having heard the Dharma expounded—a bhikṣu who, having heard the Dharma expounded, possesses quick and keen wisdom. World-Honored One, what is called a bhikṣu who, having heard the Dharma expounded, is one of quick and keen wisdom? In what way does the Tathāgata declare one to be of quick and keen wisdom?"

The World-Honored One said:

"Bhikṣu, well done! Well done! This is a wholesome path with wholesome contemplation; this is eloquence, wholesome speech, namely: 'World-Honored One, a bhikṣu who, having heard the Dharma expounded—a bhikṣu who, having heard the Dharma expounded, possesses quick and keen wisdom. World-Honored One, in what way does the World-Honored One say a bhikṣu who has heard the Dharma expounded possesses quick and keen wisdom?'

Bhikṣu, is this not what you ask?"

The bhikṣu said:

"It is just so, World-Honored One."

The World-Honored One taught:

"This bhikṣu, that bhikṣu, when he hears, 'This is suffering,' then with wisdom knows it as it truly is. When he hears, 'The arising of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the abode wherein suffering ceases,' then with wisdom he knows it as it truly is to be the arising of suffering, the cessation of suffering, the abode wherein suffering ceases. That bhikṣu, having heard, uses wisdom to know it as it truly is. Bhikṣu, in this way a bhikṣu, having heard, possesses quick and keen wisdom; the Tathāgata declares that this is a bhikṣu who, having heard, possesses quick and keen wisdom (clear penetration)."

The bhikṣu said:

"Well done, World-Honored One."

That bhikṣu, having heard what the World-Honored One taught, joyfully practiced it. He asked again:

"World-Honored One, a wise bhikṣu possessing clear and penetrating eloquence is spoken of as a wise bhikṣu of clear and penetrating wisdom. World-Honored One, what is a wise bhikṣu of clear and penetrating wisdom? In what way does the Tathāgata say one is a wise bhikṣu of clear and penetrating wisdom and eloquence?"

When the World-Honored One had heard this, he praised him:

"Well done! Well done! Bhikṣu, this is a wholesome path with wholesome contemplation; this is eloquence, wholesome speech, namely: 'World-Honored One, a wise bhikṣu of keen and acute wisdom, that wise bhikṣu of keen and acute eloquence—World-Honored One, what is called a wise bhikṣu of keen and acute wisdom and eloquence? In what way does the Tathāgata say one is a wise bhikṣu of keen and acute wisdom and eloquence?'

Bhikṣu, is this not what you ask?"

The bhikṣu said:

"World-Honored One, it is so."

The World-Honored One taught:

"Bhikṣu, if that bhikṣu has no thought of harming himself, no thought of harming others, and also no thought of harming both; if the bhikṣu has only the thought of benefiting himself, and likewise of benefiting others, of benefiting many people, of compassion for the world, wishing that gods and humans may obtain benefit and meaning—such a bhikṣu is wise, of keen and acute wisdom. The Tathāgata declares that this is a wise bhikṣu of keen and acute wisdom and eloquence."

That bhikṣu said:

"Well done! World-Honored One."

That bhikṣu, having heard what the World-Honored One taught, having pondered, reflected, received, upheld, and recited it well, rose from his seat, bowed his head at the feet of the World-Honored One, circumambulated the World-Honored One, and withdrew.

Then that bhikṣu, following the guidance of the World-Honored One, dwelt alone in a quiet and tranquil place, his mind undistracted, abiding in stillness and peace. That bhikṣu, dwelling alone in a quiet place, his mind undistracted, abiding in stillness and serenity, in order to attain the very purpose for which a person, having shaved off beard and hair and donned the kāṣāya robe, out of faith and joy goes forth into homelessness, leaving the household life to learn the Way—seeking only to accomplish the unsurpassed holy life, to see the Dharma, to accomplish the spiritual powers, and to dwell in realization—he came to know: Birth has been ended, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done; and he knew, as it truly is, name-and-form.

That venerable one, having known the Dharma, then became an Arhat.

Thus did the Buddha expound the Dharma, and that bhikṣu, having heard what the Buddha taught, rejoiced and was glad.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SŪTRA ON MIND