菩薩本生鬘論

Origin Story 10:

THE TATHAGATA, PERFECT IN WISDOM, DOES NOT CLAIM CREDIT FOR THE GOOD DEEDS OF OTHERS

Once, the Blessed One, together with a great assembly of bhiksu disciples, stopped in the great city of Rajagriha while traveling and teaching. At that time, the Tathagata rose from his seat and walked through the air, manifesting unprecedented wonders. On the soles of his feet appeared the mark of wheels with a thousand spokes. From between the spokes emerged eighty-four thousand precious lotus flowers, each lotus bearing eighty-four thousand exquisite stamens and petals. These lotuses spread in succession throughout the worlds of the ten directions. Upon every lotus were immeasurable, supremely wondrous Buddhas, and on the soles of each Buddha's feet appeared the auspicious lineaments of a thousand-spoked wheel.

At that time, King Suddhodana, who was present in the assembly, saw these events and became exceedingly joyful. Facing the Buddha, he bowed with his five limbs touching the ground and immediately attained the fruit of non-returning.

When the entire assembly saw the Tathagata's miraculous transformations, they all joined their palms and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, today we have seen countless Buddhas throughout the ten directions. Though we have examined them closely, we cannot clearly understand which are real Buddhas and which are transformation Buddhas.”

At that time, the Sakyamuni Tathagata, moved by great compassion for the entire assembly, said:

“The Buddha Tathagatas have entered the samadhi of liberation in the realm of empty quiescence and are freely at ease according to their will. Whether the forms are those of real Buddhas or transformation Buddhas is merely what your own minds perceive.

“Why is this? The Buddha-mind has always been naturally empty and quiescent. Furthermore, relying upon the samadhi called King of the Radiance of Liberation, through the wondrous power of this concentration, boundless bodies are manifested. Boundless bodies are omniscience. Omniscience is the concentration of nonattachment. The concentration of nonattachment is precisely the Tathagata's wondrous functioning: sometimes the Tathagata manifests a body going for alms, and sometimes he manifests a body walking in meditation. These two activities bring immense benefit to sentient beings.

“When the Buddha is in the world, good men or good women may see the auspicious mark of a thousand-spoked wheel upon the soles of his feet and, with utmost sincerity and reverence, bow, make offerings, and offer praise. Through this merit, the extremely grave evil karma of a thousand kalpas is extinguished.

“Or, after the Buddha's nirvana, members of the fourfold assembly may abide in meditative concentration, contemplate the Buddha walking in meditation, and give rise to reverence and make offerings. Through that merit as well, the karmic obstructions of a thousand kalpas are completely eliminated.

“Even if they do not contemplate him in meditation, they may pay homage at sacred sites associated with the Buddha, or escort a Buddha image in a flower-adorned carriage and joyfully make offerings according to their means. The resulting blessings will be inexhaustible.”

The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:

“From the distant past, throughout countless kalpas until now, the Tathagata has always treated everyone with pure faith and reverence. Whenever I saw others cultivating sublime and excellent practices, I invariably rejoiced in them, praised them, and wished for their goodness to increase. Even concerning the slightest fraction of merit, I never gave rise to jealousy toward the goodness of others. Through this merit, I have now obtained these supreme blessings.

“Furthermore, Ananda, after my nirvana, when my disciples wish to make Buddha images, they must depict all the auspicious marks completely, including the lines forming the thousand-spoked wheels upon the soles of the feet and the transformation Buddhas appearing around the Buddha's body within its radiance. Thus, when sentient beings in future ages behold the Buddha's marks and excellent characteristics, they will obtain many desirable blessings, and the grave transgressions accumulated over a long time will all be extinguished.

“Bhiksus, you must diligently contemplate what accords with true suchness and practice accordingly.”

After speaking these words, the Buddha returned to his original seat.

King Suddhodana then rose from his seat and addressed the Buddha:

“Blessed One, now that the Buddha has appeared in the world, what beneficial conditions can he create to enable sentient beings to attain peace and happiness?”

The Tathagata gently said to his royal father:

“In the household of the elder Sudatta of Sravasti lived an old woman named Vaidila, who diligently managed the family estate. Sudatta always trusted and employed her, entrusting her with matters of income and expenditure and with receiving or giving things to others.

“One day, the elder invited the Buddha and the bhiksus to his home to receive offerings. Among the assembly was a sick bhiksu who asked for many things. The old woman was miserly and begrudged the expense. Growing angry and unwilling to provide them, she said:

“‘The great elder of our household has been bewitched by the Sramana's sorcery. These mendicants demand far too much and know no satisfaction. Can such conduct truly be called the Way?’

“She then uttered further malicious words:

“‘When will I no longer have to hear the words “Buddha” and “Dharma,” or see this crowd with shaven heads wearing robes of dull color?’

“One person heard these malicious words, and soon they spread throughout Sravasti. In time, this slander reached Queen Mallika, who became deeply saddened and lamented:

“‘How can it be that Sudatta is benevolent and bestows kindness everywhere, like a beautiful lotus that everyone delights to behold, while the person guarding his wealth is like a venomous snake?’

“Having said this, the queen commanded:

“‘Tell the elder to send his wife here. I wish to speak with her.’

“When the elder's wife arrived, Queen Mallika invited her to sit and said:

“‘The old bondwoman in your household habitually maligns and slanders the Three Jewels with vicious words. She has even vowed that she never wishes to hear the names of the Three Jewels again. Why have you not expelled her? Alas, no transgression could be graver!’

“The wife of the elder Sudatta replied to the queen:

“‘The sun of the Buddha has appeared in the world, illuminating and dispelling the darkness of ignorance, bringing benefit everywhere, and nourishing all sentient beings. Even Angulimala, that great evildoer who killed a thousand people and made a necklace from their fingers, was subdued by the Buddha and brought forth the aspiration for the Way. How much more easily may this old bondwoman be transformed? She is not worthy of troubling Your Majesty's concern.’

“Having heard this reply, the queen was overjoyed and said:

“‘I shall have the royal palace magnificently adorned. Tomorrow I shall invite the Buddha and the bhiksus to receive offerings. Have that old woman come here, and I shall see what happens.’

“Early the following morning, the elder Anathapindika filled a beautiful vessel with mani jewels and other precious gems and ordered the housekeeper to present it to the king as part of the offering.

“Seeing the old bondwoman approaching from afar, Queen Mallika silently prayed that this person of wrong views would be transformed by the Buddha. She thought, ‘If I see her transformed by the Buddha, I shall certainly gain immense benefit from the Dharma.’

“When the Buddha arrived at the royal palace, he entered through the central gate. The Venerable Nanda attended him on the left, the Venerable Ananda on the right, and Rahula followed behind the Buddha.

“When the old woman saw the Buddha and Sangha entering, she became so terrified that her hair stood on end. She tried to find a way to flee but could not, so she hid behind a door. The Buddha appeared before her and caused the door to become transparent like a mirror. She then turned eastward and saw the Buddha there. Wherever she turned—south, west, north, the four intermediate directions, above, or below—she saw Buddhas everywhere. She covered her face with her hands, yet in every space between her ten fingers she saw transformation Buddhas appearing. She then closed her eyes, but when she opened them again, she likewise saw transformation Buddhas throughout the worlds of the ten directions.

“When the Sakyamuni Tathagata manifested these transformation Buddhas, there were in Sravasti twenty-five women of the candala caste, fifty women of wrong views from brahmin clans, and five hundred women of other clans. Until then, they had all followed heterodox teachings and had no faith in the Buddhadharma. But on that day, when they saw the Tathagata manifest countless transformation Buddhas walking through the air for the sake of the housekeeper, their hearts became joyful. The dense net of wrong views that had long enveloped them was torn apart. With reverence, they bowed their heads and faces at the Buddha's feet. The Blessed One then asked the women in a Brahma voice:

“‘By what name do you now call me?’

“They all replied:

“‘Namo Sakyamuni Buddha! Namo Sakyamuni Buddha!’

“The Buddha said:

“‘Because you have invoked my name and beheld the excellent marks of the Tathagata, you will be freed from the transgressions of birth and death accumulated over eight billion kalpas, and you will bring forth the aspiration to seek unsurpassed, perfect enlightenment.’

“Meanwhile, after seeing the Buddha, the housekeeper fled home and told everyone:

“‘Today I encountered something evil! At the gate of the royal palace, before a great crowd, the Sramana Gautama displayed all manner of sorcery. His body was like a mountain of pure gold, his eyes as beautiful as blue lotus buds, and a hundred billion rays of light shone from him. His every feature was beyond description. No Sramana in the world can equal his skill. Young people, do not delight in looking upon him!’

“After speaking, the old woman crawled into a wooden chest, covered it with many oxhides, and concealed herself in the darkness.

“As the Blessed One was about to return to the monastery, Queen Mallika approached and addressed him:

“‘May the Blessed One spare a little time and emit the radiance of loving-kindness to gather in and transform that old woman.’

“The Buddha said:

“‘The roots of that old woman's transgressions are exceedingly deep and grave, and she has no affinity with me. She and Rahula have been friends throughout many kalpas. Today the Tathagata manifested transformations walking through the air for her sake in order to eliminate her karmic obstructions accumulated over many kalpas.’

“The Buddha then returned to Jetavana and told Rahula:

“‘Venerable one, go to the house of the layman Sudatta and transform that old housekeeper.’

“When the twelve hundred great disciples heard the Buddha's instruction, they all rejoiced and wished to accompany Rahula.

“At that time, relying upon the Buddha's awesome spiritual power, the Venerable Rahula entered the Dharma concentration of mastery. He bowed to the Buddha and circumambulated him seven times, then transformed himself into a wheel-turning sage king. One thousand bhiksus transformed into the wheel-turning king's thousand sons, while the seven treasures and the four divisions of the army were all complete. Seated upon a jeweled lotus dais mounted on a golden wheel, the wheel-turning sage king traveled to Sudatta's house and remained in the air. The yaksa spirit guarding Sudatta's garden saw him and loudly proclaimed:

“‘The sage king has appeared in the world, driving away evil people and proclaiming the wholesome Dharma!’

“When the old woman heard these words, she was overjoyed and thought:

“‘The appearance of the sage king surpasses everything I have sought. It is like obtaining a wish-fulfilling jewel, through which no wish remains unfulfilled. My aspiration will certainly be realized today.’

“The sage king, riding in his jeweled carriage amid the ringing of bells and beating of drums, then descended at the elder's house. Hearing this, the old woman crawled out of the wooden chest, bowed with her head and face touching the ground before the sage king, and praised his merit:

“‘Now that I have encountered the sage king, may he gather in and transform the people through wholesome teachings. This is certainly unlike the delusions of the Sramana.’

“The sage king sent the treasurer to tell the old woman:

“‘Younger sister, because you possess merit from former lives, the king cherishes you. He now wishes to select you as the precious queen, one of the sage king's treasures.’

“The old woman replied:

“‘My person is lowly and poor. To receive the sage king's attention so unexpectedly fills my heart with boundless joy, but how could I be capable of becoming the precious queen, the king's treasure?’

“The sage king then told the layman Sudatta:

“‘The old housekeeper of your household possesses all the requisite marks. I now wish to appoint her as the precious queen, one of the king's seven treasures.’

“The elder replied:

“‘Yes, Your Majesty. I shall tell her to obey your command.’

“When the old woman heard the elder's words, she was beside herself with joy.

“The sage king gave her a jewel in which to see her reflection. She saw that her appearance had become beautiful and dignified, just as she had always dreamed, and she became all the more abashed by her good fortune. She thought, ‘Those Sramanas claim to possess virtue and merely speak empty words of compassion, but their words have no effect whatsoever. Now the sage king has appeared in the world and brought immense benefit to sentient beings, transforming my old and sickly appearance into that of the king's precious queen.’

“She then prostrated with her five limbs touching the ground, reverently offering thanks.

“At that time, the treasurer proclaimed the decree of the sage king: everyone was to cultivate the ten wholesome actions and discipline body and mind. The Venerable Rahula then resumed his original form. The old woman immediately awakened. Seeing the great assembly, she wept and said:

“‘The pure Buddhadharma never abandons sentient beings! Even someone as profoundly evil as I am can still be delivered.’

“The old woman repented, reproached herself for her transgressions, vowed to abandon all her past faults, and requested to undertake the five precepts. The Venerable Rahula taught her the Dharma of the Three Refuges and the five precepts. She understood, and her mind became serene and joyful. In a mere instant, she attained the fruit of stream-entry.

“The earth spirit suddenly emerged from the ground and said to the elder Sudatta:

“‘Excellent, elder! The net of wrong views has been torn apart. It is precisely for this that the Tathagata has appeared in the world.’

“Afterward, the Venerable Rahula brought the old woman to the Jeta Grove. Upon arriving and seeing the Buddha, she became exceedingly joyful. She bowed reverently, voiced her repentance, vowed to follow the Buddha's teaching, and requested ordination. The Buddha had someone take her to the residence where his foster mother, Gautami, practiced. She constantly cultivated with diligence and without the slightest indolence. Like white silk that readily takes dye, she attained arhatship in that very life.

Origin Story 11:

THE BUDDHA POURS WATER UPON THE HEAD OF A SICK BHIKSU, AND HIS ILLNESS IS CURED

Once, the Blessed One was staying at the Bamboo Grove Monastery in Rajagriha. At that time, a bhiksu suffered from extremely severe boils. His entire body was stained with blood and pus. No one wished to look at him, and no one dared approach him. The Sangha therefore placed him in a cramped and dilapidated room. The Buddha became aware of the matter and used his spiritual power to veil the eyes of the Sangha so that no one knew what was happening. The Tathagata went alone to the sick bhiksu, comforted him with gentle words, and advised him to bathe and cleanse himself with water.

At that time, Sakra and the devas were assembled in the Hall of Excellent Dharma, discussing conditions throughout the realms. Through spiritual power, the Buddha caused the devas to become aware of this matter. Sakra immediately came with immeasurable hundreds of thousands of attendant devas. Playing various kinds of celestial music, they successively circled through the air and descended before the Buddha. They reverently bowed with their heads and faces at his feet and inquired after him. Holding a precious jeweled vessel filled with fragrant water, Sakra presented it to the Buddha and then stood to one side.

The Tathagata slowly raised his arm, adorned with the marks born of a hundred merits. Brilliant rays streamed from his ten fingertips and shone far into the distance as a signal, causing the devas to gather. Another ray of light emerged from the crown of the Tathagata's head and shone upon the sick bhiksu's body. As the light touched him, all his pain immediately ceased, and the blood and pus from his boils were cleansed away. The bhiksu then joined his palms, bowed to the Buddha, sincerely repented, and implored the Buddha in his compassion to eliminate all his grave transgressions.

Sakra knelt and offered the jeweled vessel he held. The Tathagata accepted the fragrant water, held the vessel in his right hand, and poured the water upon the sick bhiksu's head, while with his left hand he washed the bhiksu's body. Wherever the Tathagata's hand washed, the boils upon the sick bhiksu's body were immediately healed. Cured of his illness, the bhiksu was overcome with joy and wholeheartedly invoked:

“Namo Sakyamuni Buddha! Namo Great Compassionate Father! Namo Supreme King of Physicians! You have caused my bodily illness to be cured today. May the Tathagata, through the wondrous power of his original vows, compassionately bestow upon me the Dharma medicine to cleanse away the illness of my mind, so that all my grave transgressions may be extinguished.”

The Blessed One then said to the bhiksu:

“What I have done today repays the profound kindness you showed me in a former life.”

The Buddha then taught the Four Noble Truths—suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path—revealing the characteristics of suffering and exhorting him to cultivate diligently so as to attain perfect liberation. The sick bhiksu immediately attained arhatship, complete with the three knowledges, the six superknowledges, and the eight liberations.

When Sakra and the devas heard the Buddha speak of repaying kindness from a former life, doubts arose in their minds. They addressed the Buddha:

“Today the Tathagata used his spiritual power and personally endured the task of washing the blood and pus from the boils upon that bhiksu's body, yet the Tathagata said, ‘What I have done today repays your profound kindness from a former life.’ May the Tathagata explain this clearly for the present assembly.”

The Buddha said:

“Lord of Devas, immeasurable kalpas ago, there was a village named Sangavardhana. Its soil was fertile, and its people were wealthy and peaceful. The inhabitants all belonged to noble clans and together honored an elder as the adjudicator of their affairs. Later, an elderly upasaka in the village was suddenly seized by an evildoer who intended to have him killed. The evildoer handed him over to the prison guards. Believing the upasaka to be innocent, the guards brought him before the elder who adjudicated disputes. The elder examined the matter, recognized the man's innocence, and released him. Thus, the upasaka was freed from his peril.”

The Buddha said:

“Sakra, the elder who adjudicated the matter at that time is now this sick bhiksu. The upasaka who was rescued from peril is now myself. That is why the Tathagata spoke as he did.”

Thus, even after immeasurable kalpas, a bodhisattva always remembers to repay even the smallest kindness abundantly. Even upon attaining Buddhahood, he never forgets it.

Hearing the Buddha's teaching, Sakra became exceedingly joyful. The assembled devas played celestial music together, bowed to the Buddha, and returned to their former abodes.

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Origin Story 12:

THE MERIT OF INVOKING THE THREE JEWELS

At that time, the Buddha appeared in the world and taught his royal father and the great assembly the Dharma gateway of the Samadhi of Contemplating the Buddha. Practitioners contemplated the Tathagata's thirty-two excellent marks and eighty minor characteristics, his physical body the color of pure gold and his radiance shining brilliantly.

In the assembly were five hundred members of the Sakya clan. When they contemplated the Buddha's bodily marks, they perceived him as a brahmin ascetic, gaunt and emaciated, with his body smeared with ashes. After seeing him in this way, they beat their heads, tore their hair, and writhed in bitter lamentation. Seeing this, the Tathagata comforted them:

“Do not grieve and weep any longer. I shall now tell you of events from the past.”

The Buddha said:

“In the distant past, there was a Buddha named Vipasyin. After that Buddha entered nirvana, during the age of the semblance Dharma, there was an elder named Candraguna who had five hundred sons. All were intelligent and wise, and there were no worldly writings they did not understand. The elder Candraguna had reverent faith in the Three Jewels and frequently explained the meaning of the Buddhadharma to his sons. Yet they all held wrong views and possessed no faith. Later, all the sons became gravely ill. The elder came before them, weeping. Joining his palms, he said:

“‘Because of your wrong views, you have no faith in the Buddhadharma. Today the sharp blade of impermanence is severing your lives. You have only moments left to live, yet you know nowhere to take refuge! There is a Tathagata named Vipasyin. You must wholeheartedly recollect his name.’

“Hearing their father's instruction, the sons all invoked together:

“‘Namo Buddha! Namo Dharma! Namo Sangha!’

“After reciting this, they all died. Through the cause and condition of recollecting the Buddha, after death they were reborn in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings. When their heavenly merit was exhausted, because of their former wrong views they fell into hell, where raksasa wardens thrust red-hot iron tridents into their eyes.

“While enduring such torment, they remembered their father's instruction and invoked, ‘Namo Buddha.’ Through this, they escaped the suffering of hell and were reborn among humans as lowly and impoverished people. In subsequent kalpas, they were born when the Buddha Sikhin appeared in the world, but they merely heard the Buddha's name and could not behold his golden body. In the same way, through the successive appearances of six Buddhas—Visvabhu Buddha, Krakucchanda Buddha, Kanakamuni Buddha, and Kasyapa Buddha among them—they only heard their names and never beheld their excellent marks.

“Because you heard the names of those six Buddhas, you have now been born together with me in the Sakya clan. Although my body is the color of Jambu River gold, you perceive it as ash-colored, like an emaciated brahmin. This grave retribution results from your disparagement of the Buddhadharma in former lives and your stubborn attachment to wrong views.”

The Buddha taught:

“Today you must invoke the names of the Buddhas of the past, the name of the Tathagata, the name of Maitreya Buddha, and the names of your fathers. After invoking their names and paying homage, you must face the virtuous Sangha, prostrate with your five limbs touching the ground, and confess and repent of the transgression of wrong views.”

The five hundred people obeyed the Buddha. After invoking the names, paying homage, and repenting, their karmic obstructions from former lives were extinguished, and their three karmic activities became purified. Together they saw the Buddha's body as pure gold, majestic and lofty like Mount Sumeru, adorned with the thirty-two excellent marks and eighty minor characteristics and radiating immeasurable light. All were filled with joy and attained the first fruit. They all requested ordination from the Buddha and gradually attained arhatship, complete with the three knowledges, the six superknowledges, and the eight gateways of liberation.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

“After my nirvana, whoever invokes the name of the Tathagata and the names of the Buddhas will obtain immeasurable and boundless blessings.

“Ananda, observe how, when the Tathagata travels along a road, raised places sink and low places rise, so that all uneven ground becomes level. After the Tathagata has passed, the ground returns to its former state. All the forest trees bend toward the Buddha, and their tree spirits manifest bodies and bow in homage. After the Tathagata has passed, the trees return to their normal state. All mounds, pits, earthen hills, filth and impurities, gravel, stones, thorns, and brambles are leveled and cleared away. The road is sprinkled with pure water and strewn with various flowers, while wondrous fragrances permeate the air.

“Furthermore, when the Tathagata walks a long road, even insentient things such as trees and earth incline themselves in reverence; how much more should sentient beings show reverence! Why is this? When the Tathagata cultivated the bodhisattva path, he never gave rise to arrogance toward any sentient being. Instead, he always received them with humility and courtesy, causing their hearts to become joyful. Through this wholesome karma, after attaining Buddhahood, all sentient and insentient beings incline themselves and bow whenever the Buddha passes.

“In the past, the Tathagata offered abundant wealth with a pure mind to the Sangha of the ten directions. Through this cause and condition, now that he has attained Buddhahood, wherever the Tathagata goes naturally becomes magnificent, clean, and spacious.

“Furthermore, in the past, whenever noble sages who cultivated the pure life together traveled along a road, the Tathagata repaired and leveled it, swept it clean, and sprinkled it with water. He also thoroughly cleaned, arranged, and adorned their lodgings and all necessary articles.

“At all times, he devoted himself to seeking the Buddha Way in order to bring benefit and happiness to every sentient being. Therefore, today every place to which the Tathagata goes naturally becomes pure.

“Mount Meru is eighty-four thousand yojanas in height and breadth, and the portion submerged in the great ocean is likewise of that extent. The Iron Encircling Mountain is one hundred twenty-eight thousand yojanas high, as firm as vajra and indestructible. Yet when the Tathagata enters nirvana, even these mountains incline toward the Buddha and bow in homage.

“Furthermore, because the Tathagata's mind is always pure and free from every defilement, wherever the Buddha walks, his feet never become soiled by impurities, nor are insects or ants harmed.

“The Buddha does not wear footwear for three reasons:

1. To cause travelers to give rise to few desires.

2. To display upon the ground the thousand-spoked wheel marks on the soles of his feet.

3. To cause those who see them to become joyful.

“Furthermore, when the Buddha walks, his feet remain four inches above the ground for three reasons:

1. Out of compassion for the insects and ants upon the ground.

2. To protect the grass and flowers upon the earth.

3. To display the Buddha's spiritual power.

“Bhiksus, you must practice in accordance with the Buddha's teaching so as to eradicate the very source of suffering.”

Origin Story 13:

THE SUPREME BLESSINGS OF BUILDING A BUDDHA STUPA

The Buddha told the Venerable Ananda:

“Before this great assembly, the Tathagata shall now briefly explain the merit obtained from building a stupa. Venerable one, listen carefully, contemplate it, and remember it.

“Suppose that all the grasses, trees, and forests filling the four continents became human beings, and each brought forth the aspiration to cultivate according to their abilities. Some attained the fruit of stream-entry, some the fruit of once-returning, some the fruit of non-returning, some arhatship, and others even the fruit of a pratyekabuddha. An elder then made offerings to them with a pure mind, constantly providing food and drink, clothing, bedding, seats, medicine, and other necessities throughout their lives, never allowing them to lack anything. When they entered nirvana, the elder built a jeweled stupa for each one, magnificently and beautifully adorning them with tassels, parasols, banners, and streamers. He also offered various flowers, incense, and lamps at every stupa.

“Ananda, would that elder obtain much merit?”

The Venerable Ananda replied:

“Blessed One, that elder would obtain exceedingly great merit.”

The Buddha said:

“Ananda, although that elder would obtain exceedingly great merit, it would still be finite. It would not equal the merit of someone who, after the Buddha's nirvana, reverently seeks even a tiny portion of sarira as small as a mustard seed and builds a stupa as an offering. That stupa may be only the size of an amra fruit, the pillar in its reliquary chamber as slender and firm as a needle, and the dish upon its summit no larger than a jujube leaf. Upon it, one may place a Buddha image only the size of a grain of rice and offer incense or a lamp according to one's means.

“Venerable Ananda, the merit of that elder's offerings cannot be compared with the merit of building this stupa. In brief, if the supreme blessings of building this stupa were divided into one hundred parts, the elder's merit from making offerings would not equal even one part. Even if divided into thousands, tens of thousands, or billions of parts, it would still not equal one part. Neither calculation nor analogy can reveal the blessings gained from building this stupa.

“Ananda, you should know that throughout kalpas as numerous as the sands, the Tathagata accumulated, cultivated, and maintained the fivefold Dharma body, thereby generating all merit. The fivefold Dharma body consists of moral discipline, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation. He also cultivated the four immeasurable minds and the six paramitas, benefited himself and others, and practiced difficult austerities. Thus, he attained spiritual powers and inconceivable powers of aspiration, unequaled in the mundane or supramundane realms. Why is this? It is because the Buddha has perfected immeasurable and boundless true wisdom.

“Venerable Ananda, in the past, while cultivating the causes of awakening, all Tathagatas clearly understood that the intrinsic nature of sentient beings is pure. Although obscured by afflictions arising through external objects, their intrinsic nature is never truly defiled by those afflictions. Therefore, the Tathagata appears in the world and teaches all sentient beings the wondrous Dharma that eliminates every impurity and defilement, enabling them to attain liberation.”

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Origin Story 14:

THE MERIT OF GOING FORTH

When the Buddha was in the world, there lived in Rajagriha an elder named Punyavardhana. He was more than one hundred years old; his teeth had fallen out, and his strength had waned. Everyone in his household, young and old, had grown weary of him and kept their distance. The old man heard of the benefits of going forth and became joyful. Its merit is immeasurable and beyond analogy, higher than Mount Sumeru, deeper than the great ocean, and as vast as space. Why is this? It is through going forth that the fruit of Buddhahood is attained. Among all the Buddhas of the three times, there has never been one who attained Buddhahood without going forth.

Having heard this, the elder, though advanced in age, became exceedingly joyful and went to the Buddha to request ordination. The Buddha happened to be away traveling and teaching, so the elder went to the Venerable Sariputra and asked to be received. Seeing that the elder was too old, the Venerable Sariputra did not accept him.

The old man then requested ordination from five hundred arhats, but none accepted him. He turned back, left the monastery, and wept aloud. At that moment, the Blessed One approached from behind, counseled and comforted him, and restored his joy.

The Buddha then instructed the Venerable Maudgalyayana to receive him as a disciple, ordain him, and transmit the precepts to him. Because the young bhiksus who had only recently begun their training frequently joked and disturbed his mind, the old man threw himself into the water, intending to end his life. The Venerable Maudgalyayana perceived this, used his spiritual power to rescue him, and placed him on the bank.

He then asked:

“What has brought you to this state?”

The elder recounted everything that had happened.

The Venerable Maudgalyayana thought, “This man is so foolish and angry that unless I instruct him concerning the terrifying retributions of the three evil destinies, how will he attain the fruit of the path?” The Venerable Maudgalyayana then prepared to fly into the air and told Punyavardhana to concentrate and grasp the hem of his robe. They slowly flew toward the great ocean, where they saw the freshly dead body of a beautiful woman. They also saw a worm crawl out of the corpse's mouth, enter through its nose, emerge from an eye, and then crawl into an ear. After the Venerable Maudgalyayana saw this, he moved on. His disciple Punyavardhana asked:

“Master, who is this dead person?”

The Venerable Maudgalyayana said:

“This woman was the wife of a great merchant in Sravasti. Relying upon her beauty, she cultivated no merit. Presuming upon her husband's love and indulgence, she often harmed others. As husband and wife traveled through this region, their ship sank and both lost their lives. Because the sea would not retain their corpses, the waves cast them ashore. The husband's consciousness remained attached to his beautiful wife's body and therefore became that worm. Later, he will fall into hell and undergo painful retribution.”

Teacher and disciple then gradually proceeded onward. They saw a woman circling a large cauldron filled with boiling water. She removed her clothing and jumped into the cauldron. Her skin and flesh dissolved, and the boiling water cast her bones outside. In an instant, the bones became a person again, who scooped her own flesh from the cauldron and ate it.

Punyavardhana asked his teacher:

“What kind of person is this?”

The Venerable Maudgalyayana replied:

“There was an upasaka in Sravasti who reverently believed in the Three Jewels. He invited the Sangha to receive offerings and always prepared abundant delicious food. He instructed a bondwoman to serve it. Whenever the bondwoman carried food to the offering and passed through a place where no one could see her, she selected the finest portions and ate them first. When members of the household saw this and questioned her, she denied it and said:

“‘Only after the bhiksus have finished eating, if something remains and is given to me, would I dare eat it. If I have eaten beforehand, may I in a future life eat the flesh of my own body.’

“Through this cause and condition, she first undergoes the retribution you now see, while the principal retribution will be endured in hell.”

Teacher and disciple continued onward and saw a mountain of bones seven hundred yojanas high and broad. It blocked the sunlight and plunged that region of the sea into darkness. The Venerable Maudgalyayana climbed to the mountain's summit and saw an enormous skeleton moving back and forth. Punyavardhana asked:

“Master, what mountain of bones is this?”

The Venerable Maudgalyayana said:

“Do you wish to know what this mountain is? These are the bones of your former body.”

When Punyavardhana heard this, the hair on his entire body stood on end and he broke into a terrified sweat. He addressed the Venerable:

“Today, although I have heard this, my mind has not yet understood. I respectfully implore you to have compassion and explain clearly the causes and conditions of this mountain of bones.”

The Venerable Maudgalyayana said:

“The cycle of birth and death has no limit. The karmic retribution of good and evil follows as a shadow follows a form and as an echo follows a sound, without the slightest deviation. In the distant past, in this Jambudvipa, there was a village whose people were all wealthy. At that time, an elder named Dharmavardhana lived in the village. His clan had always possessed pure faith in the Three Jewels, devoted itself to wholesome deeds, delighted in benevolence and generosity, and did not harm the lives of sentient beings. The villagers therefore honored him as their magistrate. During the first ten years, the people enjoyed peace and happiness entirely through the magistrate's kindness and virtue, and they regarded him as a father and mother.

“One day, during his leisure, the magistrate began gambling for amusement. Evil companions seized the opportunity to approach and flatter him while expounding false doctrines. Gradually, the magistrate neglected the affairs of the state and the people. Before long, evildoers controlled the region, lawsuits were judged unjustly, and punishments were imposed contrary to the law. One day, an attendant presented a case report showing that a prisoner was innocent. At that moment, the magistrate was losing at gambling. Without bothering to examine the matter carefully, he ordered the prisoner executed.

“The next day, he asked his attendant soldiers:

“‘Where is yesterday's prisoner now?’

“An attendant replied:

“‘He was killed in accordance with the magistrate's order.’

“Upon hearing this, the magistrate collapsed unconscious upon the ground. His attendants sprinkled him with water, and only after a long time did he regain consciousness. Weeping, he said:

“‘All my relatives, gems, and treasures will remain here; I alone shall fall into hell! Today I treated the killing of a man lightly. I must know that I belong among butchers!’

“After thinking this, he died within moments and was reborn as a makara fish in the great ocean, with a body seven hundred yojanas long.”

The Buddha said:

“Venerable Maudgalyayana, officials who rely upon their position and power to oppress the people and kill countless beings are, after death, often reborn as enormous makara fish. Insects cling to their bodies, burrow into them, and devour their flesh, causing their bodies to become emaciated. Whenever such a fish leans against a mountain, blood from the small insects flows out and pollutes the sea, dyeing the water bright red for a hundred leagues. The fish sleeps for hundreds of years. Upon awakening, it drinks, and the water drawn into its mouth surges like a great river.

“At just such a time, a company of merchants had entered the sea in search of jewels. They encountered the makara fish with its mouth open, and their merchant ships were swept toward the fish's mouth as though driven by the wind. As the entire fleet was about to enter the fish's belly, the grieving merchants all invoked together, ‘Namo Buddha!’ When the fish heard the word ‘Buddha,’ it closed its mouth and the water ceased flowing. Through the wondrous power of the Buddha's compassionate protection and mindfulness, the entire company of merchants escaped disaster. The makara fish then died of thirst. The yaksa and raksasa spirits of the sea struggled with one another to drag its body ashore.”

When the Venerable Mahamaudgalyayana had completed this journey with his disciple, the bhiksu Punyavardhana, they returned to the monastery and bowed with their heads and faces touching the ground before the Buddha. Filled with great joy, Punyavardhana clearly understood birth and death, impermanence, suffering, and emptiness. He eradicated all the fetters of the outflows and attained arhatship.