根本說一切有部毘奈耶出家事

Fascicle Two

THE CAUSAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE ORDINATION OF SARIPUTRA AND MAUDGALYAYANA

At that time, there was a teacher named Sanjayin. Kolita and his companions went to his place and asked the people there:

– Where is this teacher sitting in meditation?

The teacher was in his room. Hearing this question, he thought: "I have been here a long time, yet I have never heard anyone use the expression ‘sitting in meditation.’"

Kolita and his companions then thought: "That man is sitting in meditation; we should not disturb him. We shall meet him when he emerges from meditation."

Thinking thus, the whole group withdrew to a suitable place.

Then Sanjayin emerged from samadhi, his faculties serene and pure. When the two men learned this, they went to meet him and asked:

– Worthy sir, what Dharma-eye do you possess? What do you reveal? What excellence have you attained? What holy life do you practice? What fruit have you realized?

He replied:

– I perceive thus and know thus: one speaks truthfully and does not lie, does not harm living beings, forever puts an end to birth and death, neither falls into lower states nor perishes, and will be born in the second Brahma heaven.

The two then asked:

– What is the meaning of this teaching?

He replied:

– Not speaking falsehood is called going forth. Not harming living beings is the foundation of all dharmas. That state in which there is no birth, no death, no falling, and no cessation is nirvana; it is birth in the second Brahma heaven. All practicing brahmins must attain that state.

Having heard this, the two said:

– Venerable sir, we earnestly beseech you to permit us to go forth and practice the holy life.

Sanjayin allowed the two men to go forth.

After they had gone forth, people everywhere heard: "Kolita and his companions have all gone forth under Sanjayin."

At that time, Sanjayin received abundant offerings. He thought: "Formerly I belonged to the distinguished Kaundinya clan, and now I still bear the name Kaundinya. The offerings I receive today are due to the merit of those two men, not to my own merit."

Previously, Sanjayin had five hundred disciples who regularly studied treatises under him. Having reflected as above, he told the two men: "Each of you should take charge of two hundred and fifty disciples and teach them the Dharma."

At that time, Sanjayin contracted a seasonal illness. Upatissa said to Kolita:

– Our teacher has now fallen ill. You should seek good medicines with which to care for him.

He replied:

– You possess wisdom, so you should care for the teacher. I shall go and seek medicine.

Kolita then found various medicines made from plants, leaves, flowers, and so forth, and gave them to the teacher, but his illness grew even more severe. At that moment, the teacher suddenly smiled.

Upatissa said:

– When a great man smiles, there must be a reason. Why has the teacher smiled just now?

The teacher replied:

– It is just as you say; there was a reason for my laughter. In the Golden Continent there was a king named Lord of Gold. He has died. As he was about to be cremated, his wife, overwhelmed by grief and anguish, burned herself as well. Sentient beings are foolish; dragged along by desire and defiled by passionate attachment, they must endure suffering and distress.

Upatissa asked:

– In what year, month, and day did this event occur?

He replied:

– The event occurred in such-and-such a year, month, day, and season.

The two disciples remembered this and said to their teacher:

– We went forth seeking to cut off birth and death. You have attained this; we earnestly beseech you to instruct us so that we too may cut off birth and death.

The teacher replied:

– I too went forth intending to seek this very thing. I have not attained what you seek. Yet on the fifteenth day, during the posadha, a host of devas in the sky declared: "A young prince has been born in the Sakya clan. In the Snow Mountains there is a river named Phan Lo. On the bank of that river, at the dwelling place of the sage Kapila, there is a brahmin skilled in astronomy and physiognomy. He predicted that the prince would become a wheel-turning sage-king. If he goes forth, he will realize the Tathagata’s perfect and complete awakening, and his renown will resound throughout the ten directions."

The teacher continued, telling his disciples:

– You should go forth in that person’s teaching and practice the holy life. Do not pride yourselves on your noble lineage; you must practice the holy life and discipline your faculties. Under him, you will attain a sublime fruit and be free from birth and death.

Having said this, the teacher recited this verse:

– Even great accumulations will disperse;

Whatever rises high must fall;

Those who meet must part;

Whoever lives must die.

Not long afterward, the teacher died. His disciples wrapped his body in blue, yellow, red, and white silk and brought it into the forest for cremation.

At that time, in the Golden Continent there was a brahmin named Golden Hair. He traveled from the Golden Continent to Rajagriha and went to Upatissa’s dwelling.

Upatissa then asked:

– From where have you come?

He replied:

– I have come from the Golden Continent.

Upatissa asked:

– Did you witness anything extraordinary there?

He replied:

– There was nothing unusual. However, there was a king named Lord of Gold. After he died, his body was taken away for cremation, and his wife, stricken with grief, burned herself with him.

Upatissa asked:

– In what month and year did this occur?

He replied:

– It happened on such-and-such a day, month, year, and season.

When Upatissa verified the matter, it was exactly as his teacher had said.

Kolita said to Upatissa:

– Our teacher had realized the sublime Dharma, but he did not teach us his secret Dharma. If our teacher had not attained the Dharma-eye and the divine ear, how could he have known that such an event had occurred in that distant place?

Kolita thought: "Upatissa is intelligent and wise. He must surely have attained the sublime Dharma from our teacher but has not taught it to me."

Thinking thus, Kolita said:

– We should make a vow together: "Whichever of us first realizes the supreme and sublime Dharma must liberate the other."

After making this vow, the two traveled together among the people.

At that time, the bodhisattva was twenty-nine years old. Though he wished to enjoy the five sensual pleasures in the royal palace, when he beheld birth, aging, sickness, and death, disenchantment and detachment arose in his mind. At midnight, he crossed beyond the city and went to a remote forest, where he practiced austerities for six years but attained no result. He regulated his breathing and partook of fine food made from milk and curds and other ingredients, anointed his body with oil, and bathed in scented water. Afterward, he went on his own to a garrison village, where he accepted milk-rice from two cowherd maidens named Nanda and Nandabala.

After the bodhisattva had eaten, the Black Dragon King praised him, saying:

– Excellent!

A man named Svastika gave the bodhisattva a bundle of auspicious grass. The bodhisattva went beneath the Bodhi tree and carefully spread the grass upon a stone to make a seat. He sat upright upon the grass seat in the full lotus posture, keeping his body straight and his mindfulness properly established. With utmost resolve, he made this vow: "If I do not completely eliminate all the outflows, I shall never rise from this grass seat."

Before attaining awakening, the bodhisattva subdued thirty-six trillion evil maras. Each of those evil maras had hundreds of thousands of attendant ghosts and spirits. The bodhisattva then donned the armor of the Dharma and wielded the staff of loving-kindness; having subdued the armies of Mara, he attained unsurpassed, perfect and complete awakening.

At that time, Brahma came and entreated the Blessed One to teach the Dharma. The Blessed One went to Varanasi and turned the Dharma wheel three times. Among those who heard the Dharma were more than fifty young nobles, sons of great ministers. After hearing the Dharma, they all requested to go forth and receive full ordination.

The Blessed One then went to a settlement named White-Fold Forest. There were sixty men there who had formed bonds of good friendship with one another. After hearing the Buddha teach the Dharma, the mind of right faith arose within them.

The Buddha came to a village named Quân Trụ. The village elder had two daughters: one named Nanda and the other Nandabala. When they heard the Buddha teach the Dharma, they both gave rise to right faith.

There was a lake named Uruvilva. At that place was a great sage named Kasyapa, together with one thousand disciples. When they heard the Buddha teach the Dharma, they all requested to go forth and receive full ordination.

The Buddha came to the summit of the Gaya Caitya, where Gaya Kasyapa was. He manifested three kinds of miraculous transformation, enabling Kasyapa to abide in nirvana.

Afterward, the Buddha came to the Bamboo Staff Grove and enabled King Bimbisara, the great king of Magadha, together with eighty thousand devas, brahmins, and householders of Magadha, to see the truth.

He came to the city of Rajagriha and stayed at the Bamboo Grove Monastery. While the Blessed One was in the Bamboo Grove, beside the Kalanda Lake, Upatissa and Kolita were wandering through the land.

When they came to Rajagriha and saw that the city was quiet, they thought to themselves: “There are two possible reasons why that great city is so quiet: either hostile bandits have caused fear, or a brahmin of great spiritual power is present.”

Having thought this, they examined the matter carefully and found that no hostile bandits were causing fear. They painted three lines upon their faces and proceeded one after the other. Countless hundreds of thousands and myriads of people followed behind them.

Later, on another occasion, they again painted marks upon their faces and set out one after the other. This time, not a single person followed them. They thought to themselves: “Previously, when we traveled together, immeasurable hundreds of thousands of people followed us. Now there is not a single person. Why is this so?”

At that time, such was the customary way of all Buddhas.

The Buddha thought to himself: “These followers of other teachings—one named Địa Sư and the other Kolita—encountered Buddhas in the past, planted many roots of virtue, and long cultivated meritorious deeds. They are like an abscess in hot weather that, when the proper time arrives, bursts open and is cured. Their faculties have matured, and now the time is right.”

The Buddha further contemplated their capacities: How were they to be liberated? Through whom could the necessary conditions for their liberation be established? He perceived that they would give rise to faith upon seeing one fully endowed with disciplined conduct. The Blessed One therefore instructed the bhiksu Assaji to go and liberate them.

At that time, the bhiksu Assaji bore himself with perfectly composed dignity. All devas and humans who saw him gave rise to faith.

The Buddha said to Assaji:

– You should gather in and accept those two men.

Assaji respectfully received the Buddha’s instruction and joyfully remained silent. He bowed at the Buddha’s feet and departed.

In the morning, when it was time to seek alms, Assaji put on his robe, took up his alms bowl, and entered Rajagriha. With perfectly composed dignity, he went from house to house in sequence seeking alms, his bearing like that of a king of bulls.

At that time, the brahmin Upatissa went outside and saw the Venerable Assaji, whose dignified conduct was perfect and exceptionally rare in the world. Upatissa exclaimed in praise:

– How extraordinary!

Upatissa thought to himself: “None of the renunciants in this city can compare with this man. I must ask him under whom he went forth, what Dharma he studies, and who his teacher is.”

Having thought this, Upatissa went to the road and waited for the venerable one to approach.

When he saw the Venerable Assaji draw near, Upatissa asked:

– Who is your teacher? What Dharma do you study? Under whom did you go forth?

Assaji replied:

– My Great Teacher is of the Sakya clan: the ascetic Gautama. He has now attained unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment. He is my teacher. Relying upon him, I shaved off my hair and beard, went forth, cultivated the holy life, and studied his teaching.

Upatissa said:

– Venerable sir! I respectfully beseech you to teach me, so that I may hear.

Assaji replied:

– The Tathagata’s teaching is extremely profound, subtle, difficult to understand, and difficult to know. I have only recently gone forth and am unable to explain it fully. I cannot remember all of it; I can only state its meaning in brief.

Upatissa said:

– I respectfully beseech you to explain its meaning.

The Venerable Assaji then spoke this verse: (Taisho 46, p. 1027, middle)

– Of all dharmas, the Tathagata teaches

That they arise from causes and conditions;

Through the cessation of causes and conditions, they cease—

Thus teaches the Great Ascetic.

Upon hearing the verse, Upatissa became free from dust and defilement and attained the Dharma-eye, the eye of the Dharma. Having seen the Dharma, his mind was free of doubt and fear. He naturally rose, respectfully placed his palms together, and said:

– This indeed is my teacher. This truly is the right Dharma. Whoever abides in this Dharma will certainly not fall into lower states. This is the place where suffering and sorrow are no more. From immeasurable kalpas until this day, I have never heard such a profound and essential Dharma.

Upatissa further asked:

– Venerable sir! Where is the Great Teacher, the Blessed One, staying now?

Assaji replied:

– My Great Teacher is in Rajagriha, beside the Kalanda Lake.

When Upatissa heard this, he was filled with joy and delight. Respectfully placing his palms together, he circumambulated Assaji three times and reverently took his leave.

Upatissa immediately went to Kolita. Seeing Upatissa approaching from afar, Kolita asked:

– Today your countenance is radiant and unusually beautiful, and your faculties are pure. Have you attained the supreme and wondrous Dharma of the deathless?

Upatissa replied:

– Indeed! Indeed. It is just as you say.

Upatissa then recounted all that had occurred above and spoke the verse:

– Of all dharmas, the Tathagata teaches

That they arise from causes and conditions;

Through the cessation of causes and conditions, they cease—

Thus teaches the Great Ascetic.

After hearing this teaching, Kolita said:

– Venerable sir, please repeat this teaching for me.

Upatissa repeated:

– Of all dharmas, the Tathagata teaches

That they arise from causes and conditions;

Through the cessation of causes and conditions, they cease—

Thus teaches the Great Ascetic.

Upon hearing the verse, Kolita immediately became free from defilement and attained the Dharma-eye, the eye of the Dharma. Having seen the Dharma, Kolita respectfully placed his palms together, joyfully bowed, and exclaimed:

– This is the right Dharma. Whoever abides in this Dharma will not fall into lower states. Throughout immeasurable hundreds of millions of kalpas until now, I have never heard this Dharma.

Kolita asked Upatissa:

– Where is the Great Teacher, the Blessed One, now?

Upatissa replied:

– He is in Rajagriha, beside the Kalanda Lake.

Having heard this, Kolita asked Upatissa:

– Can we now go together to meet him, go forth, and cultivate the holy life?

Upatissa replied:

– Excellent!

Kolita said:

– Let us ask whether our disciples agree.

Upatissa said:

– Excellent! Excellent! You are a person of renowned virtue and their spiritual friend; you should ask the disciples.

At that time, Kolita told the disciples:

– Upatissa and I now wish to meet the Buddha, the Blessed One, go forth to study the Way, and cultivate the holy life. What do you intend to do?

The disciples replied:

– Everything we have learned was transmitted to us by our teacher. Now that our upadhyaya follows the Buddha, we too wish to go forth and follow the Buddha.

Their teacher said:

– Excellent! Now is the proper time.

At that time, Upatissa and Kolita, each accompanied by two hundred and fifty disciples, set out from Rajagriha, wishing to go to the Kalanda Lake in the Bamboo Grove.

At that time, the venerable bhiksu Assaji was not far from the Blessed One, sitting in quiet meditation beneath a tree. Seeing him from afar, Upatissa said to Kolita:

– Should we first go and pay homage to the Blessed One, or should we first pay homage to the upadhyaya and hear the teaching?

Kolita said:

– We should first go to the place where we heard the Dharma.

Having said this, they both went to the Venerable Bhiksu Assaji, bowed with their heads at his feet, and sat to one side.

At that time, among the Tathagata’s assembly was a brahmin who had formerly worshiped the moon deity. For this brahmin, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

– Whoever fully comprehends the Dharma

Whether young or old,

All must honor them,

As the newly risen moon.

At that time, among the assembly was a brahmin who worshiped the fire god. For their sake, the Blessed One spoke this verse:

– Whoever fully comprehends the Dharma,

Whether young or old,

Should be honored,

As fire purifies defiled things.

After Upatissa, Kolita, and their companions had bowed their heads at the feet of the Venerable Assaji, they went to the Blessed One.

At that time, the Blessed One was surrounded by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of bhiksus and others, and was teaching them the Dharma. Seeing Kolita and his companions approaching from afar, the Blessed One said to the bhiksus:

– Do you see these two men, the leaders of those surrounding them?

They replied:

– Yes, we see them.

The Blessed One continued:

– You should know that these two will go forth and train in my Dharma. Among my shravakas, they will be foremost in supernormal powers and wisdom.

Then Upatissa and Kolita came before the Blessed One, bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, sat to one side, and said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! We beseech you to permit us to go forth in this wholesome Dharma, receive full ordination, attain the status of bhiksus, and cultivate the holy life.

The Blessed One said to them:

– Come, bhiksus! Practice the holy life.

As soon as the Buddha had spoken, their hair and beards fell away of themselves, and their bodies were clothed in kasayas as though they had already been shaved. After only seven days, their deportment was as complete as that of bhiksus of one hundred rains.

A verse says:

“The Blessed One said: ‘Come!’

At once their faculties became serene;

Their hair fell away, and they wore the Dharma robes,

Their deportment like those of one hundred rains.”

At that time, when it was time to seek alms, many bhiksus donned their robes, took up their bowls, and entered Rajagriha to beg for alms in sequence. Within the city were many disciples of Sanjaya. When they saw the bhiksus, they mocked them, speaking this verse:

– The king and people of Magadha

Have all been converted by Sanjaya.

The Buddha dwells in Rajagriha;

Whom, then, is there left for him to convert?

When the bhiksus heard these words, their dignity was shaken and they were no longer joyful.

After seeking alms, they returned to their dwelling. When they had eaten, put away their robes, and washed their feet, they went to the Blessed One, bowed their heads at the Buddha’s feet, and sat to one side. The bhiksus then said to the Buddha:

– Blessed One! While we were seeking alms in Rajagriha, the disciples of Sanjaya reviled us in every possible way. We remained silent, our dignity was lost, and our hearts were not joyful.

The Buddha taught:

– If they speak in that manner, you should reply:

“The Blessed One has taught:

Conversion must accord with the Dharma.

Do you understand this?

The Buddha converts those who follow the Dharma.”

If you answer in this way, they will lose their dignity, fall silent, and depart.

The bhiksus donned their robes, took their bowls, and entered Rajagriha to seek alms in sequence. As before, the disciples of Sanjaya reviled them, speaking this verse:

– The king and people of Magadha

Have all been converted by Sanjaya.

The Buddha dwells in Rajagriha;

Whom, then, is there left for you to convert?

When the bhiksus heard these words, they immediately spoke this verse:

– The Blessed One has taught:

Conversion must accord with the Dharma.

Do you understand this?

The Buddha converts those who follow the Dharma.”

When Sanjaya’s disciples heard these words, they lost all their dignity, fell silent, and departed.

Some time afterward, the brahmin Mathara and his wife passed away. The brahmin Tissa and his wife Sari also passed away. Kotthita returned from the south, bringing with him the Doctrine Denying an Afterlife, and came to the village of Magadha. A gatekeeper asked him:

– Venerable sir! Are you Kotthita?

He replied:

– I am indeed. Everyone knows me.

Kotthita asked the gatekeeper:

– Where is the brahmin Mathara now?

He replied:

– He has passed away.

He asked:

– Where are his wife and Tissa now?

He replied:

– They too have passed away.

He asked:

– Where is Sariputra now?

He replied:

– In Rajagriha there was a great teacher who nearly surpassed the whole world, named Sanjaya. Sariputra went forth under him.

Kotthita said:

– According to the brahminical teaching, one should not go forth. This is not a good thing.

Having said this, he gradually made his way to Rajagriha and asked the people:

– Where is the great teacher Sanjaya now?

They replied:

– The great teacher has passed away. All his disciples have gone to the shramana Gautama and have gone forth under him. This is truly excellent. It was foretold and widely proclaimed of him: “If he became a king, he would be a Wheel-Turning Sage King, and Sariputra would be his chief minister.”

When the brahmin Dīrghanakha heard these words, he immediately went to see the Buddha and said:

– Shramana Gautama! As for all dharmas and all my views, I desire none of them. Those who worship fire act according to such an understanding and reason in this manner. In my understanding, all must be abandoned. Change must also be abandoned. If these understandings are abandoned, one does not grasp at continuity, nor does one grasp at any other understanding.

Shramana Gautama! I see and understand in this way. The understanding of worldly people is entirely contrary to the worship of fire. Those who speak, see, and understand in this way all abide upon this path.

Shramana Gautama! Do you see and understand in this way?

Furthermore, fire worshipers reason thus: If any shramana or brahmin can relinquish this understanding and not grasp at any other understanding, those who can reason in this way are true shramanas and brahmins. This is the sublime state.

Furthermore, fire worshipers all fall within three views. What are the three?

– First: desiring nothing whatsoever.

– Second: desiring everything.

– Third: wishing to abandon desire.

Afterward, Kotthita went forth.

The Buddha told the bhiksus:

– Among my disciples, the foremost in lucid and penetrating understanding is the bhiksu Kotthita.

At that time, the Venerable Sariputra eradicated the afflictions and attained arhatship.

The bhiksus had a doubt and asked the Blessed One:

– What deeds did Sariputra perform in the past, by the karma of which he has now obtained such sharp wisdom, profound wisdom, and wisdom free from doubt?

The Buddha taught:

– Bhiksus, listen attentively. It is precisely because of deeds Sariputra himself performed that he now receives their result, and not because of anything else. He himself experiences the karmic result, and so forth.

The Blessed One then related a former-life account:

– Long ago, in a certain village, a brahmin married a wife. Not long afterward, a son was born to them. Only a few years later, a daughter was also born. When the two children had just grown up, both their parents died of illness. The young man was then so sorrowful and grief-stricken that he thought of entering the forests and mountains. He took his younger sister into the forest, where together they gathered flowers and fruit to sustain their lives.

Bhiksus! A great venomous snake has five evil qualities. What are the five?

– First: great anger.

– Second: great resentment.

– Third: committing evil.

– Fourth: failing to recognize kindness and obligation.

– Fifth: being extremely venomous.

You should know that women also have five evil qualities:

– First: great anger.

– Second: great resentment.

– Third: committing evil.

– Fourth: failing to recognize kindness and obligation.

– Fifth: being extremely venomous.

In what way are women deeply venomous? Women commonly harbor intense sensual desire.

At that time, the girl had reached maturity, and her sensual desire had also developed. She said to her elder brother:

– I cannot continue living forever by eating flowers and fruit in this way. We should go and live among other people to seek food and drink.

Her elder brother then led her out of the forests and mountains, and they went to a brahmin’s house to beg for food. The two called at the door. The master of the house came out, saw them, and asked:

– Does a hermit also have a wife?

The elder brother said:

– She is not my wife, but my younger sister.

The householder asked the elder brother:

– Has your younger sister been promised to anyone yet?

He replied:

– Not yet.

The householder said:

– If so, why not give her to me in marriage?

He replied:

– My sister has renounced the evil ways of the world.

But the woman, aroused by desire, said to her brother:

– It is not that I cannot live by eating fruits in the forest, but I cannot endure the torment of the afflictions. Let us leave the mountains and forests and return to live among people. You should now give me in marriage to the brahmin.

Her brother said:

– I truly cannot give you in marriage. That is an evil practice and not something I would do. Since your heart is set upon worldly life, you may do as you wish.

The brahmin, having learned the young woman’s wishes, then took her home, assembled his relatives, and married her. He said to her brother:

– Come and live in my household, but stay in a separate room.

Her brother said:

– I do not seek sensual pleasures; I desire only to go forth.

His sister said:

– We made a vow to each other; now let each of us follow our own wishes.

Her brother asked:

– What was our vow?

His sister said:

– If you attain a supreme fruit, come back to see me.

Her brother said:

– Excellent! I shall fulfill your wish.

Taking his leave, the elder brother went to the hermits and entered the homeless life. Through the power of wholesome roots from his past karma, he awakened by himself, without a teacher, to the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment and attained the fruit of a pratyekabuddha.

He thought to himself, “Formerly, my younger sister and I made a vow together. I should now go and see her.”

The pratyekabuddha went to his sister, rose into the air, and manifested miraculous transformations with his body: flames issued from the upper part of his body and water from the lower part; he displayed many other extraordinary supernatural powers, and then descended to the ground.

When ordinary people beheld these supernatural powers, their minds were overwhelmed, and they fell to the ground like great trees toppling over. His sister bowed at the feet of the pratyekabuddha and said:

– Elder brother! Have you now attained sublime and wondrous virtues?

He replied:

– Yes.

His sister said:

– To sustain your body, you must have food and drink. Seeking merit, I wish to make offerings to you. You may remain here.

Her brother replied:

– You cannot decide this on your own; you should ask your husband.

The woman said to her husband:

– Do you know that my brother has gone forth, perfected the precepts, and attained the most sublime fruit, foremost in the world? I wish to make offerings to him but dare not decide by myself. If you permit me, I shall provide my brother with food and drink for three months.

Her husband replied:

– Virtuous lady, even if he had not gone forth, however unwilling I might be, I would still have to support him for the rest of his life. How much more so now that he has gone forth and attained the supreme path! I shall follow your wishes and make offerings to him for three months.

During those three months, they offered the elder brother fine and rare delicacies. At the end of the three months, they presented him with fine cloth, a knife, and a needle. After accepting them, he used the knife to cut the cloth. The small knife was sharp and cut very swiftly. Seeing this, his younger sister sat down and made this aspiration:

– May my faculties be as sharp, skillful, and swift as this small knife. In future lives, may I become a person of keen wisdom.

The pratyekabuddha then began sewing the robe, skillfully using the needle and thread to cut and sew without obstruction. His younger sister immediately made another aspiration:

– From this present life into the future, may I possess wisdom like this needle—profound wisdom that penetrates all things without obstruction.

The Buddha then told the bhikshus:

– Harbor no doubts. That brahmin woman in the past was none other than Sariputra today. In a former life, Sariputra made offerings to a pratyekabuddha, providing him with a small knife, fine cloth, and other things, and also made vast aspirations. Through these wholesome roots, he now possesses keen wisdom and is foremost in intelligence.

Bhikshus, you should know that one who creates dark karma must experience a dark result, while one who creates bright karma receives a bright result.

The bhikshus again had doubts and asked the Buddha:

– What karma did Venerable Sariputra create in the past that caused him now to be born into a family of middling status, neither noble nor lowly, and enabled him readily to go forth?

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– Listen attentively. In the past there was a king who, not long after taking a wife, became engrossed in sensual pleasure and passionately addicted to hunting. A few years later, a son was born to him. When the son grew up and saw his royal father governing the kingdom contrary to the Dharma, he thought to himself, “When my father’s life ends, he will fall into hell. If I succeed him as king, I too will undergo the same suffering. I should enter the discipline of the wholesome Dharma, go forth to cultivate the path, and practice the holy life.”

Having thought this, the prince approached his royal father and said:

– Great King, I earnestly beseech you to allow me to go forth.

The king said to his son:

– All sacrifices to the heavenly gods are performed to seek wealth and honor. You are the crown prince, one who travels upon elephants, and the royal throne is already close at hand. Why do you now seek to go forth?

The king reproached him at length and refused to permit him to go forth.

Some time later, the crown prince rode an elephant out of the city on an excursion. He saw a poor man holding a leaf as he begged for food, and said to him:

– Virtuous man, because I belong to a noble family, I am not permitted to go forth. Since you are not of noble birth, why do you not go forth?

The man replied:

– I have no robes or alms bowl. How could I go forth?

The crown prince said:

– Virtuous man, I shall give you the three robes, an alms bowl, and the other requisites. You should go forth.

The man replied:

– Excellent!

The crown prince then gave him robes and an alms bowl.

At that time, seers possessing the five supernatural powers were seated beneath trees, peacefully absorbed in meditation.

The crown prince and the mendicant went to the seers. The crown prince dismounted from his elephant, approached one of the seers, and said:

– Noble One, I earnestly beseech you to permit this man to go forth.

The seer permitted the man to go forth.

The crown prince said to him:

– I now wish to return. If you attain the path and realize its fruit, please come and let me know.

The man replied:

– I shall do as you say.

After going forth, the man went to a quiet place, sat peacefully, and cultivated meditative concentration. He awakened by himself, without a teacher, to the thirty-seven factors conducive to enlightenment and attained the fruit of a pratyekabuddha.

After realizing the path, the pratyekabuddha thought to himself, “My attainment of this fruit was truly made possible by the crown prince. I should visit him and manifest miraculous transformations.”

Having thought this, the pratyekabuddha went to the crown prince, rose into the air, and manifested many kinds of miraculous transformations: water issued from the upper part of his body and flames from the lower part, and so forth.

When the people saw these miraculous transformations, their minds were shaken, and they fell to the ground like great trees toppling over. They all paid homage and said:

– Noble One, have you now attained the supreme fruit?

He replied:

– I have attained it.

Seeing this, the crown prince thought to himself, “That man attained his fruit through my assistance. Yet I have been unable to go forth and attain that fruit. Is this not because I was born into a noble and illustrious family?”

Having thought this, the crown prince made this aspiration:

– In whatever age or lifetime I may be born, may I never be born into a noble and illustrious family, nor into a lowly family. May I be born into a family of middling status, so that I will encounter no obstacles and may readily go forth.

Bhikshus, harbor no doubts about the identity of that crown prince in the past. He was none other than Sariputra today. Through the power of the vow he made in the past, he has now been able to go forth, free and unobstructed.

Know that the fruit of karma is made by oneself and experienced by oneself. If the karma is white, one will receive a white result. If one creates black karma, one will undergo a black result. The matter of good and evil has already been clearly explained above. Bhikshus, you should train yourselves thus.

At that time, all the bodhisattvas gave rise to doubts. Only the Buddha, the Blessed One, could dispel their uncertainty. The bhikshus addressed the Blessed One:

– What meritorious karma did the Venerable Śāriputra perform, such that his wholesome roots matured and he became foremost in wisdom among the śrāvakas?

The Buddha said:

– It was through the power of an aspiration made in a past life.

The bhikshus addressed the Buddha:

– Blessed One, what vow did Śāriputra make? We respectfully beseech the Buddha, out of compassion for us, to explain it fully.

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– Listen attentively. Long ago in the past, during this very Fortunate Eon, when the human lifespan was twenty thousand years, a Buddha appeared in the world named Kāśyapa, fully endowed with the ten epithets. Śāriputra had a teacher who went forth under the Buddha Kāśyapa. The Buddha Kāśyapa gave this prediction concerning Śāriputra’s teacher:

“Among the assembly of śrāvakas, this person is foremost in intelligence and wisdom, and his practice of celibacy is without deficiency, yet he has not attained any fruit.”

As this person approached death, he made a great aspiration:

“Through the merit of my practice of celibacy and these wholesome roots, may the Buddha Kāśyapa give a prediction concerning the Brahmin Undanka: In a future age, when the human lifespan is one hundred years, a Buddha will appear in the world named Śākyamuni, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Completely Awakened, fully endowed with the ten epithets. May I go forth in that Buddha’s teaching, eliminate all afflictions, exhaust the outflows, and realize the fruit of arhatship.”

Śāriputra has now attained the fruit in accordance with his teacher’s aspiration. Through the power of that aspiration, Śāriputra is now foremost in wisdom among the śrāvakas.

At that time, the assembly of bhikshus all had doubts. Only the Buddha could resolve them. They addressed the Buddha:

– What karma did the Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana perform in the past, such that his wholesome roots matured and he became foremost in supernormal powers among the śrāvakas?

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– Listen attentively. In a past life, Mahāmaudgalyāyana performed excellent wholesome karma and accumulated wholesome roots, and so forth...

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– In the distant past, not far from the city of Vārāṇasī, there lived a certain rishi. Wherever he dwelt, he suffused all beings with loving-kindness and compassion.

At that time, an impoverished woodcutter came near the rishi’s dwelling carrying a load of firewood and was utterly exhausted. Seeing him, the rishi felt great compassion and thought: “In a previous life, this poor man did not cultivate the path or plant wholesome roots. Although he has obtained a human body, he must endure such hardship to secure food and clothing. I should now help this man go forth so that he may practice celibacy.”

Having thought thus, the rishi said to the woodcutter:

“Good man, you endure so much bitterness and hardship. Why do you not go forth?”

He replied:

“Great rishi, I am a poor and suffering man who gathers firewood to sustain himself. Who would deign even to look upon me and help me go forth?”

The rishi said:

“I shall help you go forth. If you attain the fruit, please return and inform me.”

He replied:

“Venerable one, if I attain the fruit, I shall certainly inform you.”

The rishi then enabled the woodcutter to go forth. After going forth, the man dwelt in a secluded and tranquil place and cultivated meditative concentration. Through the thirty-seven factors conducive to awakening, he awakened by himself without a teacher and realized the fruit of a pratyekabuddha.

After realizing the fruit, the pratyekabuddha thought: “It was through the rishi that I attained the fruit. I should fulfill my promise, return to visit him, and inform him.”

Having thought thus, the pratyekabuddha went to the rishi, rose into the sky, emitted water from the lower part of his body and fire from the upper part, and displayed the eighteen miraculous transformations, and so forth.... Seeing this, the rishi’s mind swiftly transformed, and he fell to the ground like a great tree, whereupon he declared:

– I vow that, through the immeasurable merit I have cultivated, in a future life I shall possess majestic powers such as yours and be foremost in supernormal powers.

Bhikshus, harbor no doubts. The rishi of that time was none other than Mahāmaudgalyāyana himself. Know that creating white karma brings a white result, and so forth... Bhikshus, you should train yourselves thus.

At that time, the bhikshus all had doubts. Only the Buddha could dispel them. They addressed the Buddha:

– What karma did Mahāmaudgalyāyana perform, such that he is foremost in supernormal powers among the great assembly?

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– Listen attentively. In the past, during this Fortunate Eon, when the Buddha Kāśyapa appeared in the world, he universally guided sentient beings in fulfillment of his vow, and so forth... (as above)

At that time, the bhikshus gave rise to doubts. Only the Buddha could dispel them. They approached and addressed the Buddha:

– What wholesome karma did the Venerable Kauṇḍinya perform in a former life, such that his wholesome roots matured, he became skilled in the Four Unhindered Understandings, and he is now intelligent and of keen faculties?

The Buddha told the bhikshus:

– In the past, during this very Fortunate Eon, a Buddha named Kāśyapa appeared in the world. There was a teacher who practiced celibacy but did not attain any fruit. As he approached death, he made an aspiration, and so forth... While the Buddha still dwelt in the world, anyone who wished to go forth and receive full ordination would approach the Blessed One. The Buddha would say, “Come, bhikshu!” Their hair and beards would fall away by themselves, their bodies would be clothed in kāṣāya robes, and they would naturally be holding alms bowls. Thus they became renunciants and received full ordination.

There was a person who, in exceptional circumstances, lived far from the great city and went to the dwelling of the bhikshus to request the going forth. The bhikshus escorted this person to see the Buddha so that he might request the going forth and receive full ordination. On the way, however, the man died and thus was unable to go forth.

A bhikshu then approached the Buddha concerning this matter and related the foregoing events.

The Blessed One thought: “How wearisome this is for my śrāvaka disciples! If someone in a distant land comes to request the going forth and full ordination, I shall permit the Sangha of bhikshus to grant that person the going forth and full ordination.”

The Buddha, the Blessed One, then assembled the bhikshus and taught:

– Because of this circumstance, from this day forward, if someone requests the going forth, I permit the Sangha of bhikshus to grant that person the going forth and full ordination.

After the Buddha had granted this permission, the bhikshus did not know how to confer the going forth and full ordination. They reported this matter to the Buddha. The Blessed One then told the bhikshus:

– If someone comes to request the going forth, you must question that person concerning the impediments. If the person has no impediments, you should then have them receive the Three Refuges. Instruct them to join their palms, kneel, state their own name, and vow that for the rest of their life they take refuge in the Buddha, the Honored One among Two-Footed Beings; take refuge in the Dharma, the Honored One free from desire; and take refuge in the Sangha, the Honored One among assemblies. Afterward, have them receive the five training precepts, then the ten precepts, and then the two hundred and fifty precepts, as explained fully elsewhere.

After going forth and receiving full ordination, they had no reverence or awe toward their ācāryas and upādhyāyas. They acted as they pleased without consulting their two teachers. The bhikshus then reported this matter to the Buddha.

The Blessed One told the bhikshus:

– For the sake of my disciples, I establish this training precept:

If a disciple wishes to do anything, such as sprinkle the ground with water, plaster a floor with cow dung, sweep the ground, mend robes or bowls, eat food, and so forth, they must first inform their teacher.

If an unfamiliar visiting bhikshu comes to stay in a room, the disciple must inform the teacher.

All matters must be reported to the teacher, except for five things. If one fails to do so, one commits an offense of transgressing the Dharma.

These five things are: cleaning one’s teeth, drinking clean water, urinating or defecating, and paying homage to a caitya within a distance of forty-nine fathoms.

These five matters need not be reported to the two teachers.

Regarding the sewing and mending of robes, the disciple should say to the teacher:

“Teacher, you should not burden yourself with such labor; I shall do it for you.”

If the disciple does so, it is good; if not, the disciple commits an offense of transgressing the Dharma. If the teacher is performing meritorious work or a task assigned by the Sangha, the disciple commits no offense by not doing it in the teacher’s stead.

If either of the two teachers falls ill and requires care, the disciple should say to the teacher:

“Regarding whatever food, drink, and medicine may be needed, please let it be done according to your wishes.”

The disciple must not act contrary to the teacher’s wishes. To act thus is good; failure to do so incurs the same offense as before.

If either of the two teachers commits an offense, the disciple dwelling together with the teacher should skillfully say:

“Teacher, you have committed such an offense of wrongdoing; you should disclose it,” and so forth, as explained fully above.

If either of the two teachers holds wrong views and the assembly performs an act of expulsion, and so forth, removing the teacher from the residence, the disciple should stand amid the assembly and earnestly request forgiveness so that the assembly may be pleased. The disciple should also say to the teacher:

“Teacher, do not entertain such evil wrong views.”

The disciple should skillfully and properly remonstrate with the teacher so that the teacher abandons the evil view. By acting thus, the teacher and the assembly may live together in harmony, peace, and happiness. If the disciple does not do so, the disciple commits an offense of transgressing the Dharma, and so forth, as explained fully above.

If either of the two teachers commits a Sanghavasesa offense, the disciple must cause the teacher to disclose it.

If either of the two teachers is required by the Sangha to undergo parivasa, manatta, and the prohibition against sleeping in the same room as a bhiksu in good standing, and so forth—

If the teacher repents in accordance with the Dharma, and both the root offense and its karmic consequences are eliminated, the teacher becomes equal to a bhiksu in good standing, up to and including being restored to the former status following parivasa, and so forth, as explained fully above.

If the disciple acts thus, it is good. If the disciple fails to act correctly, the disciple commits an offense of transgressing the Dharma.

The disciple must earnestly remonstrate with the teacher so that the teacher repents. If the disciple is at fault, the teacher must likewise earnestly admonish and rebuke the disciple so that the disciple may reform.

MULASARVASTIVADA

VINAYA

THE MATTER OF GOING FORTH

— End of Fascicle 2 —