Toh 250The Sūtra on the Four Factors

Summary

In this short sūtra the Buddha explains that throughout one’s life there are four
beliefs one should not hold: (1) that there is pleasure to be found among women, (2) or at
the royal court; (3) that happiness can be ensured by depending on health and
attractiveness, (4) or on wealth and material possessions.

Acknowledgements

The translation was completed by Adam Pearcey, under the patronage and supervision
of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha, and edited by the 84000 editorial team.

Introduction

The Sūtra of the Four Factors (Caturdharmakasūtra, Toh 250) is the second of three
short sūtras with similar titles, all referring to sets of four factors (Skt. dharma), that contribute to accomplishing
the goal of the path. In many Kangyurs (predominantly those of Tshalpa origin,
including the Degé Kangyur) these sūtras are found grouped together.

Of the other sūtras in this set, The Sūtra Teaching the
Four Factors (Toh 249) is concerned with the four factors necessary for the
practice of confession, while The Noble Mahāyāna Sūtra on the
Four Factors (Toh 251) identifies four factors of the path that
bodhisattvas must not abandon under any circumstance. Two further works, The Accomplishment of the Sets of Four Qualities: The Bodhisattvas’
Prātimokṣa (Toh 248) and The Fourfold Accomplishment (Toh 252) also concern themselves with “sets of four”
(catuṣka, bzhi pa), thereby forming a larger group
of five sūtras in the Degé Kangyur that lay out key elements of the practice of the
path in discrete sets of four factors.

In the present sūtra, the Buddha addresses an audience of 1,250 monks in
Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, in Śrāvastī. He tells them about four beliefs
(which, interestingly, are not explicitly called “factors” in the text), describing
them as beliefs that a “wise son of good family” should not accept as true: (1) that
there is pleasure to be had in consorting with women, (2) or in attending the royal
court, (3) that one can depend on health and attractiveness, (4) or on material
wealth. The sūtra concludes with two verses in which the Buddha reiterates the
inappropriateness of such beliefs and stresses the fragility and transience of wealth,
home, and beauty—and, indeed, of life itself.

As with the majority of Buddhist sūtras, the original recipients of this
teaching were monks, and it is thus presented from a male perspective. Yet, despite
its androcentrism, the sūtra touches upon universal themes. Is it meaningful to seek
pleasure in physical attractions or prestigious connections, to rely on present good
health or ephemeral stores of wealth? The Buddha tells us that the wise never do
so.

The main prose section of the sūtra employs the rhetorical device of anaphora, the repetition of phrases or opening lines
for effect. Successive lines repeat the same opening formula: “Monks, for as long as
he lives, a wise son of good family does not hold the belief that…” Such repetition is
common throughout Buddhist canonical literature; it has a clear mnemonic advantage and
may point to the oral origins of the sūtras.

The sūtra’s two concluding verses also appear among the concluding verses of
the Śīlasaṃyuktasūtra (tshul khrims yang dag par ldan pa’i mdo, Toh 303). This is of particular interest since there is a Sanskrit
version of that sūtra, whereas there
is no known Sanskrit version of The Sūtra of the Four
Factors.

As Peter Skilling has noted, The Sūtra of the Four
Factors is not called a Mahāyāna text in its Sanskrit or Tibetan titles,
and there is nothing in its content that is indicative of a uniquely Mahāyāna
viewpoint. In fact, the Stok Palace Kangyur version concludes with a line stating that
the sūtra belongs to the teachings of the first turning of the Dharma wheel, which is to say, the tradition of the
śrāvakas.

A text by the name of Sūtra of the Four Factors
(chos bzhi’i mdo or chos
bzhi pa’i mdo) is listed in the Denkarma and Phangthangma catalogs
of translated works. This very likely refers to the current sūtra, which is also
summarized in Kawa Paltsek’s An Account of the Precious Teachings
together with a Lineage of the Śākya Clan (gsung
rab rin po che’i gtam rgyud dang shA kya’i rabs rgyud, Toh 4357), suggesting
that it was translated during the imperial period. Even so, since it lacks a
translator’s colophon, we cannot say precisely who translated it or when.

The sūtra does not appear to have been cited in any Indian treatise contained
in the Tengyur. Nor was it commonly cited by later Tibetan authors. There is no
Chinese version. A French translation of it was first published by Léon Feer in 1866
(and reprinted in 1883). Peter Skilling has also published a translation along with
helpful introductory notes in his book, Questioning the Buddha: A
Selection of Twenty-Five Sutras.

The following translation was made based on the Degé block print with
reference to the Comparative Edition (dpe bsdur ma)
and the Stok Palace Kangyur.

The Translation

The Sūtra on

The Four Factors

Homage to all
the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was residing in Śrāvastī, in
Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, together with a great saṅgha of 1250 monks.

At that time, the Blessed One addressed the monks in a voice that was steady,
deep, harmonious, and far-reaching, saying, “Monks, there are four beliefs that a wise
son of good family does not hold for as long as he lives. What are these four?

“Monks, for as long as he lives, a wise son of good family does not hold the
belief that there is pleasure to be found in women.

“Monks, for as long as he lives, a wise son of good family does not hold the
belief that there is pleasure to be found at the court of the royal palace.

“Monks, for as long as he lives, a wise son of good family does not hold the
belief that he is attractive, handsome, good looking, and in good health.

“Monks, for as long as he lives, a wise son of good family does not hold the
belief that he is rich, wealthy, and has abundant resources.”

The Blessed One spoke these words. Once the Sugata had spoken in this way, he,
the Teacher, also said the following:

“How could it be right to depend on women?

How could the royal palace ever be delightful?

How could a bubble possess a solid core?

How could one’s wealth possibly endure?

“Wealth is like a rushing river.

A home is like a ferryboat.

One’s body resembles a flower.

Life itself is like a water bubble.”

When the Blessed One had said this, the monks, together with the world of
devas, humans, asuras, and gandharvas, rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed
One.

This concludes “The Sūtra on the Four
Factors.”

Notes

Bibliography

Tibetan and Sanskrit Texts

Western Language Sources and Translations