十支居士八城人經

Thus have I heard:

At one time the elder bhikkhus were dwelling in the Kukkuṭa Park at Pāṭaliputra, not long after the Blessed One had entered Nirvāṇa.

At that time there were ten householders, men of Aṭṭhaka, possessing much wealth, who came to Pāṭaliputra to make their livelihood. Then these ten householders of Aṭṭhaka, having brought their wealth and goods to trade, and having sold all of them, were greatly delighted; having gained profit, they were greatly delighted and exceedingly happy at heart. They went out from the city of Pāṭaliputra to go to the Kukkuṭa Park.

Having arrived, they bowed at the feet of the elder bhikkhus and sat down to one side. When the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, had sat down to one side, the elder bhikkhus then expounded the Dharma to them, exhorting them to be diligent... with equanimity they exhorted them to diligence, with equanimity they instructed them, and with immeasurable skillful means they expounded the Dharma, urging them to be diligent, even to the point of instructing them with equanimity, causing them all to rejoice; and then the venerable ones abided in silence.

Then the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, having heard the elder bhikkhus expound the Dharma, exhorting them to diligence, even until they all rejoiced, addressed the elder bhikkhus, saying:

"Venerable elders, where is the Venerable Ānanda dwelling at present? We wish to see him."

"Householders, the Venerable Ānanda is dwelling on the bank of the Markaṭa River at Vaiśālī. If you wish to see him, then go there."

Then the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, rose from their seats, bowed at the feet of the elder bhikkhus, circumambulated them, and departed. They went to the place where the Venerable Ānanda was; having arrived, they bowed at the feet of the Venerable Ānanda and sat down to one side. The ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, having sat down to one side, addressed the Venerable Ānanda, saying:

"Venerable Ānanda, we have something we wish to ask; if you grant us permission, then we will dare to ask."

"Ask as you wish, O householders."

"Venerable Ānanda, did the Blessed One, possessed of knowledge and possessed of vision, the Tathāgata, the One with No Attachment, the Fully Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme truth, speak of one Dharma that causes the noble disciple to abide, and, with regard to another matter, brings the cankers to an end, and the mind to be liberated?"

"Householders, the Blessed One, possessed of knowledge and possessed of vision, the Tathāgata, the One with No Attachment, the Fully Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme truth, did speak of one Dharma whereby the noble disciple abides, and, with regard to another matter, brings the cankers to an end, and the mind to be liberated."

"How is it, Venerable Ānanda, that the Tathāgata, the One with No Attachment, the Fully Enlightened One, who with his eye sees the supreme truth, spoke of one Dharma whereby the noble disciple abides, and, with regard to another matter, brings the cankers to an end, and the mind to be liberated?"

"Householders, the noble disciple, having heard, has become liberated from sensual desire, even up to the Fourth Dhyāna, abiding in right concentration. He relies upon the Dharma, the contemplation of the marks of phenomena and the cessation of activity. He relies upon the Dharma, abiding in the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena and of activity; and because of this, the abode wherein he dwells brings the cankers to an end; because he does not dwell there, he brings the cankers to an end.

That one himself delights in the Dharma, himself loves the Dharma, himself practices the Dharma, himself reveres the Dharma, and attains joy; in that one the five lower fetters have come to an end, and he attains spontaneous rebirth. That one attains Parinirvāṇa, becoming an Anāgāmin, and returns no more to this world. For this reason, householders, the Blessed One, possessed of knowledge and possessed of vision, the Tathāgata, the One with No Attachment, the Fully Enlightened One, whose eye sees the supreme truth, spoke of one Dharma whereby the noble disciple abides, and, with regard to another matter, brings the cankers to an end, and the mind to be liberated.

"Furthermore, householders, the noble disciple, having heard, with his mind together with loving-kindness pervades one direction, and abides in right concentration. In like manner the second, third, and fourth directions, above and below, with his mind together with loving-kindness, conjoined, pervading all the directions, without enmity, without harm, without resentment, exceedingly vast, clearly distinguished, having pervaded all the directions, he abides in right concentration.

In the same way, with his mind conjoined with compassion, sympathetic joy, and equanimity, having pervaded all the directions, he abides in right concentration. He relies upon the Dharma, the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena and of activity. He relies upon the Dharma, abiding in the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena and of activity; and because of this, having abided therein, he then brings the cankers to an end; because he does not dwell there, he brings the cankers to an end.

If that one, by means of delight in the Dharma, love of the Dharma, the practice and cultivation of the Dharma, reverence for the Dharma, attains joy with regard to the Dharma, the five lower fetters come to an end, and he attains spontaneous rebirth; right there he attains Parinirvāṇa, becoming an Anāgāmin, and returns no more to this world. Householders, this is how the Blessed One, possessed of knowledge and possessed of vision, the Tathāgata, the One with No Attachment, the Fully Enlightened One, whose eye sees the supreme truth, spoke of one Dharma whereby the noble disciple abides, and, with one other matter, brings the cankers to an end, and the mind to be liberated.

"Furthermore, householders, the noble disciple, having heard, transcends all perceptions of form, even up to the sphere of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, and abides in right concentration; he relies upon the Dharma, the cessation of the contemplation of the marks of phenomena and of activity, even until he brings the cankers to an end, and the mind is liberated."

Then the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, addressed the Venerable Ānanda, saying:

"How wonderful, Venerable Ānanda! We asked the Venerable Ānanda about one door to the Deathless, yet you have spoken of twelve doors to the Deathless. Venerable Ānanda, as for these twelve doors to the Deathless, by relying upon any one of these doors to the Deathless, one will attain security and master oneself.

It is just as, Venerable Ānanda, not far from a village there is a mansion, and that mansion has twelve doors. Suppose a person enters into it for some small matter; or suppose a person dwells therein without purpose, without benefit, without security, without comfort in that house; or suppose a person uses fire to burn that mansion. Venerable Ānanda, that person, with regard to these twelve doors, may go out to safety as he wishes.

So it is in the same way, truly wonderful! Venerable Ānanda, we merely asked the Venerable Ānanda about one door to the Deathless, but you have spoken of twelve doors to the Deathless. Venerable Ānanda, with so many doors, as for the twelve doors to the Deathless, one relies upon each door to the Deathless, and then goes out by each door accordingly.

Venerable Ānanda, those brahmins, holding to evil teachings, make offerings of goods to their teachers; how much more should we, now, with regard to the Great Teacher, not use our wealth to make offerings?"

Then the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, during that night, fully prepared pure and excellent food and drink; and when they had finished fully preparing the pure and excellent food and drink, they spread out the seats, and having spread out the seats, they invited the assembly of bhikkhus at the Kukkuṭa Park and the assembly of bhikkhus at Vaiśālī all to gather together. When the assembly of bhikkhus at the Kukkuṭa Park and the assembly of bhikkhus at Vaiśālī had all gathered together, they with their own hands offered the pure and excellent food and drink.

When they had with their own hands offered the pure and excellent food and drink, and knew that the venerable ones had finished eating, they put away the bowls, brought water for the venerable ones to wash their hands, and then they took five hundred articles, purchasing a dwelling as an offering to the Venerable Ānanda for his use. The Venerable Ānanda took those goods and in turn offered them to the Sangha of the four directions.

When the Venerable Ānanda had spoken thus, the ten householders, the men of Aṭṭhaka, having heard what the Venerable Ānanda said, were delighted and rejoiced.

THE BUDDHA SPEAKS THE SUTRA

OF THE TEN HOUSEHOLDERS, THE MEN OF AṬṬHAKA