The Chapter on Medicines

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was staying in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park. On that occasion some monks [F.278.a] caught an autumn disease. Because they had caught an autumn disease, they turned pale, became emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, why have these monks turned pale, become emaciated, lost their strength, and been weakened?”

The venerable Ānanda replied, “Honored One, these monks caught an autumn disease. Because they caught an autumn disease, they have turned pale, become emaciated, lost their strength, and been weakened.”

“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “on account of that, I authorize10 monks to consume medicines.”

When the Blessed One said “monks may consume medicines,” the monks consumed medicines at the appropriate time (morning)11 but did not consume them after the appropriate time, because they were monks who were in the habit of eating at the appropriate time. Therefore, the monks turned pale, became emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, I said ‘monks may consume medicines.’ Why, then, have these monks turned pale, become emaciated, lost their strength, and been weakened?”

The venerable Ānanda replied, “The Blessed One said ‘monks may consume medicines,’ but they consumed medicines at the appropriate time and did not consume them after the appropriate time, because they are monks who are in the habit of eating at the appropriate time. Therefore, they turned pale, became emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.” [F.278.b]

“Ānanda, on account of that, I authorize monks to consume four kinds of medicines: medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be consumed throughout life.12

“Among them, the medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time are manthā,13 boiled rice,14 kulmāṣa, meat, and apūpa.

“The medicines to be consumed at night are the eight kinds of drinks: coconut drink, banana drink, kola drink, aśvattha drink, udumbara drink, parūṣaka15 drink, grape drink, and kharjūra16 drink.”

A Section Index:

“Medicines to be consumed within seven days are butter oil, oil, phāṇita, honey, and śarkarā.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life are medicines derived from roots, medicines derived from stalks, medicines derived from leaves, medicines derived from flowers, medicines derived from fruits, the five kinds of resin, the five kinds of ashes, the five kinds of salt, and the five kinds of astringents.

“Among these medicines, the medicines derived from roots are musta, vaca, turmeric, ginger, ativiṣā, and what belong to the medicines derived from roots but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The medicines derived from stalks are sandal, cavikā, padmaka, devadāru, guḍūcī, dāruharidrā, and what belong to the medicines derived from stalks but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The medicines derived from leaves are from paṭola leaves, vāśaka leaves, nimba leaves, kośātakī leaves, saptaparṇa leaves, and what belong to the medicines derived from leaves but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The medicines derived from flowers are from five kinds of flowers: vāśaka flowers, nimba flowers, dhātakī flowers, sha ta flowers, padmakesara flowers,17 [F.279.a] and what belong to the medicines derived from flowers but are not used as ingredients in a meal. The medicines derived from fruits18 are harītakī, āmalaka, vibhītaka, black pepper, long pepper, and what belong to the medicines derived from fruits but are not used as ingredients in a meal.

“The five kinds of resin are hiṅgu, sarjarasa, lac, beeswax, and ‘heat medicine.’

“Among them, hiṅgu is resin from the hiṅgu tree. Sarjarasa is resin from the sāla tree. Lac is lākṣā.19 Beeswax is siktha.20 ‘Heat medicine’ is resin from other trees.

“What are the five kinds of ashes? They are barley ash, barley-straw ash, ash from the sarjikā tree, sesame ash, and ash from the vāśakā tree.

“What are the five kinds of salt? They are salt from the Indus, brown salt, salt from Suvarcala, salt from Romaka, and salt from the ocean.

“What are the five kinds of astringents? They are āmra astringent, nimba astringent, jambū astringent, śirīṣa astringent, and kośambaka astringent.

“Medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed at the appropriate time if they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time. In that situation, these medicines should not be consumed at an inappropriate time (afternoon or night).

“Medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed during the night if they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at night.21 In that situation, these medicines should not be consumed after that night.

“Medicines to be consumed within seven days and medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed within seven days if they are mixed with medicines to be consumed within seven days. In that situation, these medicines should not be consumed after seven days.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life should be consumed after someone has taken formal possession of them as medicines to be consumed throughout life. [F.279.b] Formal possession of the medicines should be taken in this manner: The monk who wishes to consume that medicine should wash his hands before he eats a meal, accept the medicine, sit down before another monk, and say, ‘Venerable One, please pay attention. I, named So-and-so (the monk says his name), take formal possession of this medicine as medicine to be consumed throughout life for myself and my fellow monks.’ He should say this a second and a third time. Formal possession of medicines to be consumed at night and medicines to be consumed within seven days should also be taken in the same manner as medicines to be consumed throughout life.”

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

A monk had a wind illness and went to a physician. The monk said, “Sir, since I have a disease like this, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “consume some fat and you will recover your health.”

The monk said, “Sir, what am I? A cannibal?”

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover your health with other medicines,’ you should consume some fat.”

As the monks did not know what kind of fat they should consume, they asked the physician for advice. The physician said, “Noble ones, since your teacher is omniscient, go to him and ask.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Five kinds of fats should be consumed. What are the five? They are fish fat, porpoise22 fat, crocodile fat, bear fat, and pig fat. But these five kinds of fats should not be consumed if they have been boiled at an inappropriate time, strained at an inappropriate time, or given at an inappropriate time, or if the monk who needs some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time. [F.280.a]

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, but strained at an inappropriate time, and given at an inappropriate time, and if the monk who needs some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, they should not be consumed.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time and strained at the appropriate time, but given at an inappropriate time, and if the monk who needs some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, the fats should not be consumed.

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, strained at the appropriate time, and given at the appropriate time, but the monk who needs some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at an inappropriate time, the fats should not be consumed.23

“If the fats have been boiled at the appropriate time, strained at the appropriate time, and given at the appropriate time, and if the monk who needs some fat has taken formal possession of the fat at the appropriate time, the fats should be consumed within seven days in the same manner that you would consume oil.”

The monk then consumed the fat and his health returned. When his health returned, he threw away the remains of the fat. Later, another monk contracted the same disease, and he also went to the physician and said, “Sir, since I have a disease like this, prescribe medicine for me.”

The physician also prescribed fat for him. The second monk went to the first monk and said, “Venerable one, you consumed fat and the physician also prescribed fat for me. Are there any remains of the fat?”

“Indeed there were remains, but I threw them away,” replied the first monk.

The second monk told him, “It wasn’t good to do that.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks should not throw away the remains of fat but should keep them. I will now establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps fat. A monk who keeps fat should give the remains of the fat to another monk. If the first monk does not give the remains to another monk, the first monk should put the remains in the infirmary. Anyone who needs fat should take it. If a monk who keeps the remains of fat does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

The Blessed One was once dwelling in Śrāvastī.

At that time, a monk had scabies. [F.280.b] He went to a physician and said, “Sir, since I have scabies, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “use an astringent and you will recover your health.”

“Sir, what am I? One who is intoxicated with lust?”24

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover your health with other medicines,’ you should use an astringent.”

As the monks did not know what kind of astringent they should use, they asked the physician for advice. The physician said,25 “Since your teacher is omniscient, he himself must know.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “There are five kinds of astringents: āmra astringent, . . . .”26

When the monk kneaded the astringent and smeared it on his body, the rash spread. The Blessed One said, “You should make the astringent into a powder.”

When the monks ground the damp astringent into a powder, it became lumpy. The Blessed One said, “You should dry the astringent.”

When they dried the astringent in the sun, it lost its efficacy. The Blessed One said, “You should not dry the astringent in the sun.”

When they dried the astringent in the shade, it began to decompose. The Blessed One said, “You should dry the astringent in the shade where it is warm.”

The monk bathed after he smeared his body with the astringent, so the astringent did not work. The Blessed One said, “You should bathe after completely rubbing the astringent with your hands into your skin. If, after you bathe, you again smear the astringent and bathe, the astringent will work.”

When the monk smeared the astringent, the illness went away. He threw the remains of the astringent away. Later, another monk had the same disease, and he also went to the physician and said, “Sir, since I have a disease like this, prescribe medicine for me.”

The physician also prescribed an astringent for him. The second monk went to the first monk and said, “Venerable One, you used an astringent and the physician also prescribed an astringent for me. Are there any remains of the astringent?”

The first monk said,27 “I threw them away.”

The second monk told him, “It wasn’t good to do that.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, [F.281.a] the Blessed One said, “I will now establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps astringents. A monk who keeps astringents should give the remains of the astringent to another monk who needs them. If the first monk does not give the remains to another monk, he should put the remains of the astringent in the infirmary. If a monk who keeps astringents does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

A monk had an eye disease and went to a physician. The monk said, “Sir, since I have an eye disease, prescribe medicine for me.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “use collyrium and you will recover your health.”

“Sir, what am I? One who is intoxicated with lust?”28

“Monk, this is your medicine,” replied the physician. “You cannot recover your health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “If the physician says, ‘Monk, this is your medicine. You cannot recover your health with other medicines,’ you should use collyrium.”

As the monks did not know what kind of collyrium to use, they asked the physician for advice. The physician said, “Since your teacher is omniscient, he himself must know.”29 When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “There are five kinds of collyrium: collyrium derived from flowers, collyrium in a liquid state, collyrium in powder form, collyrium in pill form, and collyrium derived from red ocher.”30

The monk recovered his health with the collyrium. Since he left the remains of the collyrium in many different places, the remains were lost. Later, another monk had an eye disease and also went to the physician, and the physician also prescribed the same collyrium for him. The second monk went to the first monk and said, “Venerable one, I also have an eye disease. [F.281.b] Are there any remains of the collyrium?”

The first monk looked for the remains of the collyrium, but could not find them. He said, “Venerable one, indeed there were remains of the collyrium, but they have been lost because I left them in many different places.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks should not leave collyrium in many different places. I will now establish rules of customary behavior for a monk who keeps collyrium. A monk who keeps collyrium should store the collyrium according to its kind. He should keep collyrium derived from flowers in a vessel, collyrium in a liquid state in a bottle, and collyrium in powder form in a tubular vessel. He should put collyrium in pill form and collyrium derived from red ocher into bags, and he should bind and hang them on a peg in the wall. If a monk who keeps collyrium does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”31

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

At that time, the venerable Saikata, his mind agitated, went mad and wandered about. Then some brahmins and householders saw him and said, “Sirs, whose son is this?”

Others replied, “The householder So-and-so’s.”

The brahmins and householders said, “If the venerable Saikata had not gone forth among the masterless śramaṇas, who are the sons of the Śākyans, his kinsmen would have cured him.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks, then cure the monk Saikata, asking a physician for advice.”

The monks went to a physician and said, “Sir, since a monk has a disease like this, prescribe medicine for him.”

“Noble ones,” said the physician, “let him eat raw meat and he will recover his health.”

“Sir, [F.282.a] what is he? A cannibal?”

“Noble ones, this is his medicine. He cannot recover his health with other medicines.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “If the physician says, ‘This is his medicine. He cannot recover his health with other medicines,’ you should give him raw meat.”

The monks gave the venerable Saikata raw meat, but he could not eat the raw meat. The Blessed One said, “You should give him the meat after covering his eyes with a cloth.”

They gave the venerable Saikata raw meat and untied the cloth soon after giving him the raw meat. Then the venerable Saikata saw his hands soiled with raw meat and vomited in revulsion. The Blessed One said, “You should not untie the cloth that soon, but should untie it when you have placed a pure and fine meal before him and he has washed his hands.”

After the health of the venerable Saikata returned, he wanted to eat nothing but raw meat. When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “When you have your health back, you should act in accordance with the established discipline. If you eat raw meat, you become guilty of an offense.”

The following took place in Rājagṛha.

The venerable Pilindavatsa had always had many illnesses and pains since he had gone forth. The monks asked him, “Elder, how do you feel?”

“Venerables, I always have many illnesses and pains. I cannot bear them,” he replied.

“Elder, what did you carry with you formerly?”

He said, “I carried a medicine bag.”

“Why do you not carry it now?”

“The Blessed One has not authorized it.”

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks, on account of that, I authorize monks to carry a medicine bag.” [F.282.b]

When the monks put unprocessed medicines derived from roots, flowers, stalks, and fruits into the bag, the medicines spoiled. The Blessed One said, “You should gather or bundle the medicines together and hang them on a peg.”

The medicines spoiled and the Blessed One said, “From time to time you should dry them.”

When dried in the sun, the medicines lost their efficacy. The Blessed One said, “You should not dry them in the sun.”

When dried in the shade, the medicines spoiled. The Blessed One said, “You should not dry them in the shade.”

When the monks spread the medicines out and left them, the wind and rain came, but the monks did not bring the medicines inside. The Blessed One said, “You should bring the medicines inside.”

When the Blessed One said, “You should bring the medicines inside,” the monks did not know who should bring them inside. The Blessed One said, “A layman should. If there are no laymen, a novice34 should. If there are no novices, a monk should bring the medicines inside.”

When the monks had brought the medicines inside, they did not consume them, since the medicines had become mixed together. The Blessed One said, “You should consume the medicines after separating them. You should not have any regrets about consuming such medicines. What I have authorized for illnesses should not be done in ordinary circumstances. If you do so, you become guilty of an offense.”

The following took place in Śrāvastī.

The venerable Śāriputra had a wind illness and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana thought, “Although I have attended to the venerable Śāriputra at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.” The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana went to a physician and said, “Sir, since the venerable Śāriputra has a disease like this, prescribe medicine for him.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “let him eat sauvīraka with salt, and he will recover his health.”

The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana found sauvīraka, but there was no salt. When he began to look for the salt, the venerable Pilindavatsa said, “Venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, I have a horn in which the salt is kept. I have taken formal possession of that salt as medicine to be consumed throughout life. I will give you the salt if the Blessed One authorizes it.”

The venerable Śāriputra heard this and said, “Venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, I thought that ‘medicines to be consumed throughout life cannot be consumed when they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time.’ ”

When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Maudgalyāyana, such medicines cannot be taken. If the four kinds of medicines‍—medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, [F.284.a] and medicines to be consumed throughout life‍—are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time, and if formal possession of these medicines has not been taken, these medicines should be consumed at the appropriate time, because they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at the appropriate time. These medicines should not be consumed after the appropriate time.

“If the three kinds of medicines‍—medicines to be consumed at night, medicines to be consumed within seven days, and medicines to be consumed throughout life‍—are mixed with medicines to be consumed at night, and if formal possession of these medicines has not been taken, these medicines should be consumed during the night, because they are mixed with medicines to be consumed at night. These medicines should not be consumed after that night.

“If the two kinds of medicines‍—medicines to be consumed within seven days and medicines to be consumed throughout life‍—are mixed with medicines to be consumed within seven days, these medicines should be consumed within seven days, because they are mixed with medicines to be consumed within seven days. These medicines should not be consumed after seven days.

“Medicines to be consumed throughout life may be consumed throughout life. If you consume the medicines in other ways, you become guilty of an offense.”

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of Kāśi and arrived in Vārāṇasī. He stayed in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī.

A householder named Mahāsena was living in Vārāṇasī. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. His wife’s name was Mahāsenā. Both he and his wife were pious and good and had virtuous dispositions. Mahāsena heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, had arrived in Vārāṇasī, having traveled through the country of Kāśi, and that he was staying in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī. When Mahāsena heard that, he thought, “Although the Blessed One has been invited to my house many times and has had meals, he has never been offered all the requisites. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three months.” [F.284.b]

He went to the Blessed One, and when he arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side.39 When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder Mahāsena praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. He rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites for three months: namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick.”

The Blessed One assented to the householder Mahāsena by remaining silent. The householder Mahāsena again praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. He bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then rose from his seat and departed.

The Blessed One together with the community of monks was then provided by the householder Mahāsena with the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, for three months. The householder Mahāsena always rose at dawn, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and visited the monks. There was a monk who was ill, seriously ill, afflicted with a painful illness. [F.285.a] The physician told him, “Drink meat broth.” At that time, the householder Mahāsena went to that monk. When Mahāsena arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the monk, and he asked, “Noble one, what did the physician prescribe for you?”

“The physician said to drink meat broth,” replied the sick monk.

Then the householder Mahāsena went to his own house and said to his wife, “Since the physician told Master So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare it and give it to him.”

The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: “Nobody may kill beings. Whoever kills any living being will be severely punished.” Therefore, the girl could not get meat in the market even with the money.

When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder Mahāsena, the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, “Since we have offered the community of monks headed by the Buddha all the requisites, it would not be good if a monk dies because of a lack of medicine.” She took a sharp knife, entered the house, cut off some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said, “Girl, make broth from this flesh and take it to the noble one So-and-so.”

The girl took the broth to him, and the monk consumed the broth and recovered his health. [B23] The monk knew that the householder’s wife had served him with her own flesh in that way and thought, “It is not appropriate for me to be lying down after consuming what was given with faith. Now I will exert myself in order to attain what I have not attained, realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have not actualized.” He then became diligent. Exerting himself, endeavoring and striving, he came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving40 five cycles; [F.285.b] overthrew all conditioned states by nature subject to degradation, decline, dispersal, and destruction; abandoned all defilements; realized the state of an arhat; and became an arhat. He was free from desire for the three realms‍—one for whom a lump of dirt was equal to gold, for whom space was equal to the palm of his hand, who accepted being cut by an adze and being anointed with sandal paste as the same, and whose knowledge had shattered the eggshell of ignorance. He attained knowledge, supernormal knowledge, and discerning wisdom; he turned his back on worldly profit, desires, and honors; and he became an object of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra.

There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. Early the next morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and, surrounded by a group of monks, went to the house of the householder Mahāsena, followed by the community of monks. When the Blessed One arrived, he sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the householder Mahāsena, “Householder, the householder’s wife Mahāsenā is nowhere to be seen. Where is she?”

“Blessed One, she is in the innermost apartment because she cannot move.”

The majesty of the buddhas, the blessed ones, is inconceivable. The Blessed One exercised his magical power so that her wound healed and her own color, skin, and hair returned. Faith then having arisen in the householder Mahāsena’s wife, she appeared at the door and touched the Blessed One’s feet. [F.286.a] The Blessed One asked, “Why has this householder’s wife experienced the power of a bodhisattva?”

She spoke this verse in reply:

The householder Mahāsena then knew that the community of monks headed by the Buddha had sat down in comfort, and with his own hands he served and satisfied them with a pure and fine meal. When, with his own hands, he had served and satisfied them in a variety of ways with a pure and fine meal, and knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, the householder took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. Then the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After having instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One rose from his seat and departed.

Then the Blessed One went to the monastery and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, human flesh is the worst of all kinds of flesh. Therefore, monks should not eat human flesh. If a monk eats human flesh, he becomes guilty of a sthūlātyaya offense. I will now establish rules of customary behavior for an elder monk of the community. [F.286.b] If flesh is offered, an elder monk of the community should ask, ‘What flesh is this?’ If the elder monk of the community cannot, the second elder monk should ask. If the elder monk of the community does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

All of the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “How is it, O Honored One, that the householder Mahāsena’s wife served this monk with her own flesh, and, in dependence upon Mahāsenā, this monk abandoned all the defilements and actualized the state of an arhat?”

“Listen well, monks,” the Blessed One replied, “and bear in mind how, not only in the present but also in the past, she served this monk with her own flesh, and how this monk actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. I will tell you about it.

“A long time ago, monks, there was a householder named Mahāsena who lived in Vārāṇasī, and his wife’s name was Mahāsenā. At that time, a brahmin schoolteacher was teaching brahmanical mantras to five hundred sons of brahmins. Faith in the brahmin having arisen in the householder Mahāsena, he offered all the requisites to him and his attendants. The householder Mahāsena honored the brahmin and his attendants.

“The householder always used to rise at dawn and look after the sick. A young brahmin then became seriously ill, afflicted with a painful illness. The physician told him, ‘Drink meat broth.’ Then the householder Mahāsena went to the young brahmin. When he arrived, he bowed and asked, ‘Young brahmin, what did the physician prescribe for you?’

“ ‘The physician told me to drink meat broth,’ the young brahmin replied.

“Then the householder Mahāsena [F.287.a] went to his own house and said to his wife, ‘Since the physician told the young brahmin So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare it and give it to him.’

“The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: ‘Nobody may kill beings. Whoever kills any being will be severely punished.’ Therefore, the girl could not get meat in the market even with the money.

“When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder Mahāsena’s wife, the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, ‘Since we have offered this brahmin and his attendants all the requisites, it would not be good if a young brahmin dies because of a lack of medicine.’ She took a sharp knife, entered the house, cut off some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said, ‘Girl, make broth from this flesh and take it to the young brahmin So-and-so.’

“The girl took it to him and the young brahmin consumed it and recovered his health. The young brahmin knew that the householder’s wife had served him with her own flesh in that way and thought, ‘It is not appropriate for me to be lying down after consuming what was given with faith. Now I will endeavor to attain what I have not attained, realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have not actualized.’ He then went to a quiet place and actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge.

“What do you think, monks? The one who was the householder Mahāsena’s wife at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this householder Mahāsena’s wife. The one who was the young brahmin at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this monk. She then served this monk with her own flesh and he, in dependence upon her, actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. [F.287.b] Now, too, she served this monk with her own flesh, and this monk, in dependence upon her, abandoned all defilements and actualized the state of an arhat.

“Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

The Blessed One was once traveling through the country of Magadha and arrived at Rājagṛha. He stayed in Kalandaka­nivāpa44 Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha.

When King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, was traveling through the country of Magadha, had arrived at Rājagṛha, and was staying in Kalandaka­nivāpa Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha, he thought, “Although I have invited the Blessed One many times and the Blessed One has had meals, he has never been offered all the requisites for three months. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three months, and I will also send Jīvaka, the chief physician.”

The king went to the Blessed One displaying royal treasures and great royal power. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha. [F.290.a] After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the king in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months.”

The Blessed One assented to King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha by remaining silent. King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the community of monks was provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha with all the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months.

When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One together with the community of disciples had been provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha with all the requisites, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months, he thought, “He is an anointed kṣatriya king, and I am also an anointed kṣatriya king. His chief physician is Jīvaka, and my chief physician is Ātreya.45 [F.290.b] So, I will offer the Blessed One together with the community of disciples all the requisites, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, when the Blessed One comes to Śrāvastī.”

The Blessed One stayed at Rājagṛha during the rainy season. When the three months of the rainy season had passed, he finished mending his robes, took his bowl and his robe, and traveled through the country toward Śrāvastī, surrounded by a group of monks and followed by the community of monks. In due course, the Blessed One, traveling through the country, arrived in Śrāvastī and stayed in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kosala, had arrived in Śrāvastī and was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, he left Śrāvastī and went to the Blessed One. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Prasenajit of Kosala. After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, [F.291.a] “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.”

The Blessed One assented to King Prasenajit of Kosala by remaining silent. King Prasenajit of Kosala, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the community of monks was provided by King Prasenajit of Kosala with all the requisites, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.

King Prasenajit of Kosala always rose at dawn, bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and visited the sick monks.

At that time, a monk had hemorrhoids and turned pale, became emaciated, lost his strength, and was weakened. King Prasenajit of Kosala saw him and asked, “Noble one, why have you turned pale, become emaciated, lost your strength, and been weakened?”

“Your Majesty, I have hemorrhoids,” answered the monk.

The king then ordered Ātreya, the chief physician, “Treat this monk.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Ātreya replied.

Because Ātreya was impious, he did not treat the monk. Later, the king saw the monk again and asked him, “Noble one, were you not treated by Ātreya?”

“I was not, Your Majesty,” answered the monk.

Then the king became enraged. He summoned Ātreya by messenger and warned, “If you treat this monk, all will be fine. But if you do not, I will curtail your allotment.”

Ātreya, who was naturally impious, himself became very angry and thought, [F.291.b] “His Majesty will curtail my allotment because of this shaven-headed śramaṇa.” Ātreya tied the monk up at the gate of the Jetavana and began surgery. The monk, growing afraid, fearful, and hurt, and experiencing acute, intolerable, and unpleasant pain, wondered to himself, “Does the Blessed One not observe me afraid, fearful, and hurt?”

There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. When the Blessed One, spurred by great compassion, went there, Ātreya, the chief physician, saw the Blessed One arrive. Upon seeing him, Ātreya, fiercely angry, called out to the Blessed One, “Come here, śramaṇa, son of a slave woman‍—look at your disciple’s anus cut open!”

Then the Blessed One left, returned to the monastery, and sat on the seat prepared for him. When he had sat down, the Blessed One smiled.46

It naturally occurs that whenever the buddhas, the blessed ones, smile, rays of blue, yellow, red, and white light emanate from their mouths. Some of the rays stream downward and some stream upward.

Those rays that stream downward go to the hells of Reviving, Black Cord, Being Crushed, Scream, Great Scream, Heat, Intense Heat, Incessant, Blisters, Burst Blisters, Aṭaṭa, Hahava, Huhuva, Water Lily, Lotus, and Great Lotus. They alight on and cool those in the hot hells and alight on and warm those in the cold hells. [F.292.a] Thus, each of the various pains of those beings in hell ceases. When those beings think, “Sirs, have we died here and been reborn elsewhere?” the blessed ones send an emanation to engender their faith. Seeing it, they think, “Sirs, we have not died here and been reborn elsewhere. Each of our various pains ceased on account of the power of this being we have never seen before.” Their minds filled with faith in the emanation, they exhaust the karma that led them to experience the hells and are reborn among gods and humans as vessels for seeing the truths.

Those rays that stream upward go to the gods attendant on the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three Gods, the gods of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, the gods attendant on Brahmā, and the gods of Brahma­purohita, Mahābrahman, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Abṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha. They resonate with the words “impermanent,” “subject to suffering,” “empty,” and “selfless,” and they proclaim these two verses:

Then the rays of light, [F.292.b] after unfurling through the worlds of the great billionfold universe, later return to the Blessed One. The rays disappear into the space behind the Blessed One when the Blessed One intends to explain actions of the past. They disappear into the space in front of the Blessed One when the Blessed One intends to explain the future. They disappear into the soles of his feet when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth in the hells. They disappear into his heels when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as an animal. They disappear into his big toe when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a hungry ghost. They disappear into his knees when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a human. They disappear into his left palm when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning king of power.48 They disappear into his right palm when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning king. They disappear into his navel when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a god. They disappear into his mouth when the Blessed One intends to explain the awakening of a disciple. They disappear into the circle of hair between his eyebrows when the Blessed One intends to explain the awakening of a self-awakened one. They disappear into the crown of his head when the Blessed One intends to explain complete and perfect awakening.

The rays of light then circled the Blessed One three times and disappeared into the soles of his feet.49 The venerable Ānanda made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said:

And Ānanda then spoke these verses:

“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “that is exactly it! Tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause or condition. Ānanda, Ātreya, the chief physician, is degenerate and will meet an untimely end. He said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the Tathāgata, who has had no fault in his conduct since he assumed Mahāsammata’s lineage. In seven days Ātreya will die, vomiting blood. With the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings. Therefore, monks, you should not treat Ātreya or others like Ātreya with respect. You should not surgically remove hemorrhoids. Treatment for hemorrhoids should be done in two ways: mantras50 and medicines. If a monk surgically removes hemorrhoids or treats Ātreya or others like Ātreya with respect, the monk becomes guilty of an offense.”

The monk died from the particular harm done by Ātreya. The ministers reported to King Prasenajit, “Your Majesty, Ātreya said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the Blessed One and that monk died of the particular harm done by Ātreya.”

The king was then very much enraged and shouted to his ministers, “Sirs, I have renounced Ātreya, the chief physician. [F.293.b] Go!”51

“Your Majesty,” said the ministers, “why would you want to kill he who is already dead? The Blessed One predicted, ‘In seven days he will die, vomiting blood. With the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings.’ ”

“Then banish him from my country,” ordered the king.

The ministers banished Ātreya and he went to a country called Sāketā. The gods living in Sāketā greatly reviled him: “You stupid man, why should you who has said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the protector of the three realms stay here?” And so they expelled Ātreya. Then he went to Vārāṇasī. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Vaiśālī. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Campā. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Rājagṛha. Then, having been expelled from there, he dwelt under a tree. Then, having been expelled from there by the gods living in the tree, Ātreya went to the shores of a river, a lake, and a pond. Even there he could not find an opportunity to stay and thought, “Although even foxes find opportunities to stay on this continent of Jambu, I have nowhere to stay even under a tree, at a lake, or at a pond.” Then, the fierce agony arose for him in which one dies vomiting blood. As soon as he died, he was reborn in the great hell of Incessant.

Then the Blessed One spoke these verses about that incident:

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of Kāśi and stayed overnight in a town where the boundary had not been fixed. There the Blessed One caught a wind illness. The venerable Ānanda thought, “Although I have attended to the Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.” He went to a physician and said, “Sir, since the Blessed One has a disease like this, prescribe medicine for him.”

“Noble one,” said the physician, “have him eat the three spices55 boiled with a good amount of ghee,56 and he will recover his health.”

Then the venerable Ānanda himself prepared and cooked the food and offered it to the Blessed One.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, what is this?”

Ānanda said, “Honored One, I thought, ‘Although I have attended to the Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.’ When I consulted a physician, he said, ‘Noble one, have him eat the three spices boiled with a good amount of ghee, and he will recover his health.’ So I myself prepared and cooked it.”

“Ānanda, where did you make it?”

“Within the boundary.”57

“Where did you put it?”58

“Within the boundary.”

“Who cooked it?”

“I did, [F.294.b] within the boundary.”

“Ānanda, what was cooked within the boundary and was left within the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked within the boundary and was left outside the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the boundary and was left within the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the boundary and was left outside the boundary may be eaten. Ānanda, what was cooked by a monk, whether within the boundary or outside the boundary, should not be eaten in any situation.”

The Blessed One concluded, “What was cooked by a monk should not be eaten in any situation.”

A householder living in Śrāvastī went to the Blessed One. When the householder arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder. After he had … delighted him in a variety of ways … the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal at my house tomorrow.” … Then the householder let the Blessed One know the time by messenger: “Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is ready.”

Early in the morning the community of monks dressed, took their bowls and their robes, and [F.295.a] went to the house of the householder. The Blessed One refrained from going for almsfood.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, refrain from going for almsfood for five reasons. What are the five? Wishing to look after the sick, wishing to look after the living quarters, wishing to go into seclusion, wishing to teach the Dharma to the gods, and wishing to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the disciples. In this case, the Blessed One refrained from going for almsfood because he wished to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the disciples.

The venerable Ānanda was in charge of receiving almsfood for the Blessed One. He was there given boiled rice, which was not fully cooked, and he thought, “It has not been long since the Blessed One recovered, and this rice is not fully cooked. So, if he has this rice, his illness may return. Although the Blessed One has not authorized cooking such food, it is probable that this situation will lead him to authorize cooking it.” Ānanda took a pitcher, poured water into the boiled rice, and cooked it until it was done. Then he offered the boiled rice to the Blessed One.

The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, does the entire community have the same boiled rice as this?”

“No, they do not, Honored One. Theirs is not fully cooked.”

“Then where did it come from?”

When Ānanda related to the Blessed One in detail what had happened, the Blessed One said, “Good, good, Ānanda! [F.295.b] You know even what I have not authorized. On account of that, I authorize monks to receive boiled rice that is not fully cooked and to cook and eat it.”

After the Blessed One said “monks may receive boiled rice that is not fully cooked and cook and eat it,” the group of six monks received raw rice59 and began to cook and eat it.

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “You may receive, cook, and eat boiled rice, one third of which is cooked. You may receive and eat vegetables, flowers, fruits, fish, and meat after their color changes. You may receive, boil, and drink liquids such as milk when they have been boiled two or three times. You should not have any regrets about consuming such things. If you consume them in other ways, you become guilty of an offense.”

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying in the Jetavana, in the Park of Anāthapiṇḍada.

At that time a householder named Bhava was living in a city called Sūrpāraka. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions, with holdings both vast and extensive. He possessed wealth equal to that of Vaiśravaṇa, rivaling that of Vaiśravaṇa. Bhava took a wife from a family of equal rank, and Bhava and his wife played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and thus the wife conceived a child. After eight or nine months, a boy who was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold was born. At the birth, the householder held a great celebration for twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, he asked, “What name shall we give this boy?”

His kinsmen [F.296.a] suggested, “Since this boy is the son of the householder Bhava, let us name him Bhavila.” Thus the boy was named Bhavila.

Then the couple again played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and another boy was born and named Bhavatrāta.

And then again a boy was born to the householder and was named Bhavanandin.

Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness and spoke very harsh words, and thus his wife and sons abandoned him. He had a servant girl, and she thought, “Although my master won possessions through hundreds of thousands of means, he now has an illness and was abandoned even by his wife and sons. If I61 give up on my master, that would not be appropriate for me.”

She went to a physician and asked, “Master, do you know the householder Bhava?”

“Yes, I do. What happened to him?”

“He has such-and-such kind of illness, and he was abandoned by his wife and sons. Prescribe medicine for him.”

“You said he was abandoned by his wife and sons. Then who attends to him?” asked the physician.

“I attend to him. Please prescribe inexpensive medicine.”

The physician prescribed it, saying, “This is his medicine.”

Then the servant girl, taking some food for Bhava from her own provisions and also taking some from the house, attended to him, and he recovered his health. Bhava thought, “I was abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to this girl. I should do something for her in return.” Bhava said to her, “Girl, I was abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to you. So I will give you whatever you most want. Tell me what you want.”

“Master, [F.296.b] if you are satisfied with me, I would like to have sex with you.”

Bhava said, “What is the use of our having sex? I will give you five hundred kārṣāpaṇas and liberate you from servitude.”

“Master, I am nothing but a slave whether I am far from here or in the next life,” she replied. “If I have sex with you, Master, I am not a slave.”62

Bhava, knowing she would insist, said, “Girl, tell me when the time is right and you are fertile.”63

Later, when the time was right and she was fertile, she told him. Then the two, the householder Bhava and the servant girl, enjoyed themselves together, and she conceived a child. From the very day the child was conceived, all the wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava became abundant and fulfilled. After eight or nine months, a boy was born. He was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold, with a golden complexion, his head like a parasol, long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose, and every major limb and minor appendage of his body complete. From the time he was born, all the wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava again became abundant and fulfilled. At the birth, the householder held a great celebration for twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, … “Let us name him Pūrṇa (Fulfilled).” Thus the boy was named Pūrṇa.

The boy Pūrṇa was entrusted to eight nursemaids: two nursemaids to change his diapers … (The passage should be recited in detail, up to:)64 He grew quickly like a lotus shooting up in a pond. When Pūrṇa grew up, he was taught letters, calculation, numbers, counting by hand, [F.297.a] and how to deal with loans and two different types of deposits,65 and he became fully learned in eight kinds of analysis: the analysis of land, the analysis of cloth, the analysis of jewels, the analysis of wood, the analysis of elephants, the analysis of horses, the analysis of boys, and the analysis of girls. He also mastered other kinds of analysis and reading, and became one whose actions are clear.

Later, the householder Bhava made his sons get married one by one, beginning with Bhavila.66 The sons were so attached to their own wives that they abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten with physical beauty alone. Therefore, the householder Bhava was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand. His sons noticed him and asked, “Father, why are you plunged into grief, resting your cheek on your hand?”

“Sons,” he replied, “I did not get married until I had a hundred thousand pieces of gold. You have abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten with physical beauty alone. After my death, my family will be full of misery. How could I not be plunged into grief?”

Bhavila, taking off his jeweled earrings and putting on wooden earrings (dārukarṇikā), promised, “I will not put on jeweled earrings until I acquire a hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

The next one, putting on lac67 earrings (stavakarṇikā), made the same promise.

Then the third one, putting on lead earrings (trapukarṇikā), made the same promise too.

Although they had been known by the names Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and Bhavanandin, those names disappeared, and they came to be known by the names Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin.

When the three sons took to the great ocean carrying merchandise, Pūrṇa said, “Father, I will take to the great ocean, too.”

His father replied, “Son, [F.297.b] because you are a child, you should stay here and do what needs to be done in the store.”

And so Pūrṇa stayed. His elder brothers returned, having been successful on their voyage. After they were fully rested, they said, “Father, please calculate the value of our merchandise.” Their father calculated the value and found that each of the three sons had acquired a hundred thousand pieces of gold.

Pūrṇa had also lawfully earned more than a hundred thousand pieces of gold. He threw himself at his father’s feet and said, “Father, please calculate the money I earned at the store, too.”

“Son, you have remained here,” replied his father. “What is there to calculate for you?”

“Father, at any rate, please calculate it and you will understand,” said Pūrṇa.

His father calculated it and found that there were, except for the capital, more than a hundred thousand pieces of gold obtained properly. The householder Bhava, being pleased and delighted, thought, “This creature appears to be one who has the great power of merit. Just remaining here, he has acquired a hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness. He thought, “After my death, my sons will go their separate ways. So I must devise a plan to keep them together.” He said to them, “Sons, prepare firewood.” When the sons had prepared firewood, he said, “Kindle a fire.” When the sons had kindled a fire, he said, “Pull out, one by one, the pieces of wood.” When the sons had pulled out, one by one, the pieces of wood, the fire was extinguished. He asked, “Sons, did you see that?”

“We did, father,” said his sons.

Bhava then recited a verse:

“Sons, after my death, [F.298.a] you should not listen to the words of women.

The sons, except for Bhavila, went elsewhere. Bhavila stayed and his father said to him, “Son, whatever happens, you should not abandon Pūrṇa. He has the great power of merit.” Then Bhava passed away, saying:

The sons decorated his bier with blue, yellow, red, and white cloth, performed a great ceremony, carried the body to the charnel ground, and cremated it. Then, having assuaged their grief, they said to one another, “When our father was alive, we depended on him for our livelihoods. But now he is dead. If we now70 abandon the family business and settle down, the family will dissolve and we will be reproached by our kinsmen. So let us go abroad carrying merchandise.”

Pūrṇa said, “Then I will go, too.”

“You should stay here and do what needs to be done in the store,” said the brothers. “Only we three will go.” The three brothers then went abroad carrying merchandise. Pūrṇa, entrusted with all the other responsibilities, stayed behind. [B24]

It is commonplace that in a wealthy family each member of the family is given money for everyday expenses. The wives of the three elder brothers sent their female slaves to Pūrṇa to receive the money for everyday expenses. But since Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, [F.298.b] businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, the female slaves did not find an opportunity to receive the money for everyday expenses. After the guests had stood up and left, the female slaves were then given the money for that day. When the female slaves returned late, they were scolded: “Hey, girl, why are you so late?”

“Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, and his brightness was blazing like the light of the sun,” they replied. “When everyone else had stood up and left, we were given the money.”

“Such a thing occurs when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house,” remarked the wives.

The wife of Bhavila asked her female slave, “Why are you so late?”

When the female slave had explained the matter in detail, the wife of Bhavila said, “Thank you. You should go when you know the time is right.”

Because the female slave knew when the time was right and went then, she quickly received the money. The other female slaves took a long time. They asked the first one, “How did you come back so quickly?”

She explained everything, and the other female slaves began to go to Pūrṇa with her. Pūrṇa was again surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, and when they left, he gave the female slave of Bhavila’s wife the day’s money. The other two female slaves also quickly obtained the money. Their mistresses asked, “How is it that you came back so quickly this time?”

They said, “May the eldest mistress be free from illness. When her female slave goes, Pūrṇa gives the money to her. So we go with her.”

Unable to bear it, the two wives again remarked, [F.299.a] “Such a thing occurs when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house.”

Later, Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and Bhavanandin returned from the great ocean, joyfully, having succeeded on their voyage. Bhavila asked his wife, “Good lady, did Pūrṇa protect you well?”

“He was as good to me as a brother or a son,” she replied.

When the other two husbands asked their wives the same, the wives remarked yet again, “These are things that occur when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house.”

The two brothers thought, “Women usually split friends apart.”

Later, immediately after the store of cloth from Kāśi was opened, Bhavila’s son came, and Pūrṇa dressed him with a piece of cloth from Kāśi. The wives of the two younger brothers saw the cloth and asked, “Child, who gave you this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

Having seen such cloth, the other wives also sent their own sons. But, unfortunately for them, the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed and only the store of rough cloth was open, and so Pūrṇa dressed them in rough cloth. Seeing this, the wives of the two younger brothers complained to their husbands, “Did you see that? He gives cloth from Kāśi to one while he gives rough cloth to the others.”

The husbands answered, “That is definitely because when the boys arrived the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed, but the store of rough cloth was open.”

“Give it more thought,” said their wives.

Later, when the store of śarkarā was opened, Bhavila’s son came and got a bowl full of śarkarā. [F.299.b] When Bhavila’s son returned home carrying the śarkarā, the wives of the younger brothers saw him and asked, “Child, who gave you this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

The two wives also sent their own sons. But unfortunately for them, the store of śarkarā was closed and only the store of guḍa was open. Since they came when only the store of guḍa was open, they got guḍa. “Did you see that?” the wives complained again. “Pūrṇa gives śarkarā to the one while he gives guḍa to the others.”

Having seen all that, the wives tried to alienate their husbands from one another in order to split up the household. The two younger brothers discussed the matter together: “Since our household has been ruined for good, we should divide it.”

One suggested, “Let’s call our eldest brother.”

The other replied, “For the time being, let’s consider how to divide the household ourselves.”

The two then considered it independently and thought, “One will take what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there is in the store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa. If our eldest brother takes what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, we will be able to live on what there is in the store and what there is abroad. And if our eldest brother takes what there is in the store and what there is abroad, we will be able to live on what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, and we will also be able to torment Pūrṇa.”

Thus the two brothers discussed the matter. They went to Bhavila and said, “Since our family relations have dissolved, we are going to divide the household.”

“I think we should do this after we have carefully analyzed the situation,” Bhavila replied, “because it is usually women who break up households.”

“We have already analyzed the situation,” said the other two, [F.300.a] “so we are going to divide the household.”

“Then call five arbitrators,” said Bhavila.

“Why do we need five arbitrators when we have already figured out the division of the household?” asked the two brothers. “One will take what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there is in the store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa.”

“Why do you not give Pūrṇa his share?” asked Bhavila.

“Who gives a share to the son of a slave woman?” the other two answered. “Not only that, he himself is one of the things we have apportioned. If you want Pūrṇa, take him.”

Bhavila thought, “Father ordered me: ‘You should not abandon Pūrṇa even if you part with your entire estate.’ So I should take Pūrṇa.” He then said, “If that is how it is, then I will provide for Pūrṇa.”

The brother who took possession of what there was in the house and what there was in the farm went quickly to the house and called out, “Sister, get out of here!”

When Bhavila’s wife stepped out, he shouted, “Don’t come back again!”

“Why?”

“Because we have divided what belongs to the household.”

The brother who took possession of what there was in the store and what there was abroad went quickly to the store and called out, “Pūrṇa, come down!”

When Pūrṇa came down, the brother said, “You cannot go up to the store anymore.”

“Why?”

“We divided the household. What there is abroad and what there is in the store are mine.”

“Give me my share,” said Pūrṇa.

The brother retorted, “Why should we give a share to you, the son of a slave woman? Not only that, you yourself are one of the things we have apportioned. You have been taken by our eldest brother.”

When Bhavila’s wife went with Pūrṇa to the house of a kinsman, her children [F.300.b] began to cry from hunger. She implored him, “Pūrṇa, give my children something to eat.”

“Give me a kārṣāpaṇa,” said Pūrṇa.

“You earned a hundred thousand pieces of gold,” she replied. “Do you not have something for the children to eat?”

“How could I have known that your family would come to be needy like this?” said Pūrṇa in return. “If I had known that, I would have prepared hundreds of thousands of gold pieces.”

It is commonplace for women to carry a few brass coins wrapped in the hems of their garments. Bhavila’s wife gave Pūrṇa a brass coin and said, “Bring something to eat.”

Taking the coin with him, Pūrṇa went to the market, where he saw a man carrying a bundle of wood that had been cast ashore by the ocean waves. The man was shivering with cold, and Pūrṇa asked him, “Say, why are you shivering like this?”

“I don’t know,” answered the man, “but I grow cold like this whenever I carry this bundle of wood even briefly.”

Pūrṇa, who was learned in the analysis of wood, began to analyze the wood and found in it a piece of gośīrṣacandana. He asked the man, “Say, how much would you sell this for?”

“For five hundred kārṣāpaṇas.”

Pūrṇa took the bundle of wood, extracted the piece of gośīrṣacandana, went to the market, sawed it into four pieces, sold just the sawdust for a thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and gave the man five hundred kārṣāpaṇas, saying, “Since Bhavila’s wife is staying at such-and-such a house, take this bundle of wood there and say that Pūrṇa sent it.”

When the man had brought the wood and told her what happened, Bhavila’s wife, beating her breast, cried out, “So did Pūrṇa also lose his mind after he lost his estate? I sent him to find something to be cooked. [F.301.a] Instead, he sent something to kindle a fire with, but nothing to be cooked!”

Later, the king of Sūrpāraka came down with a serious fever and was semiconscious. The physician prescribed gośīrṣacandana for him, and so the ministers began to look for gośīrṣacandana. They heard talk in the market and went to Pūrṇa. The ministers asked him, “Do you have gośīrṣacandana?”

“I do.”

“How much would you sell it for?”

“For a thousand kārṣāpaṇas.”

The ministers bought the gośīrṣacandana for a thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and when they anointed the king with it, he recovered his health. The king thought, “What sort of house has gośīrṣacandana in it?” The king asked his ministers, “Where did this come from?”

“From Pūrṇa, Your Majesty,” answered the ministers.

“Call Pūrṇa here.”

A messenger went to Pūrṇa and told him, “Pūrṇa, His Majesty will speak with you.”

Pūrṇa wondered, “Why would the king speak with me?” He then thought further, “Since he recovered his health on account of gośīrṣacandana, he would speak with me about gośīrṣacandana. So I should take all the gośīrṣacandana with me.”

Pūrṇa wrapped three pieces of gośīrṣacandana with cloth, held another piece in his hand, and went to the king. The king asked, “Pūrṇa, do you have any gośīrṣacandana?”

“Your Majesty, here it is,” Pūrṇa answered.

“What is the price of this?”

“A hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“Do you have any more?”

“I do, Your Majesty,” Pūrṇa said, showing him, one by one, the three other pieces of gośīrṣacandana. The king ordered his ministers, “Pay Pūrṇa four hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “give me three hundred thousand. I will present one to Your Majesty as a gift.”

The king gave three hundred thousand pieces of gold to Pūrṇa and said, “Pūrṇa, I am pleased with you. [F.301.b] So, tell me whatever you most want and I will give it to you.”

“Your Majesty, if you are pleased with me, I would ask to stay in your country without being harmed by anyone.”

The king ordered his ministers, “Sirs, from now on, you should not give orders to Pūrṇa even if you give orders to princes.”

Later, five hundred merchants came to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on their voyage on the great ocean. The guild of merchants in Sūrpāraka made a private agreement: “None of us should go alone to the foreign merchants. If someone goes alone, a fine of sixty kārṣāpaṇas shall be imposed. We should gather our merchandise together.”

One of them said, “We should call Pūrṇa, too.”

“What is the use of calling that poor man?” asked another.

At that time Pūrṇa went out and heard that five hundred merchants had come to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on their voyage on the great ocean. Pūrṇa, without entering the city, went to the foreign merchants and asked, “Sirs, what are these goods?”

“They are this and that,” they answered.

“What is their price?”

“Caravan leader, wherever you go you only ask questions.71”

“Even so, tell me the price,” Pūrṇa insisted.

The merchants priced the goods at one million, eight hundred thousand pieces of gold. Pūrṇa said, “Sirs, here are three hundred thousand pieces of gold for a deposit. This merchandise is mine. I will pay the balance when I get home.”

“Please do so,” they said, and Pūrṇa paid three hundred thousand pieces of gold as a deposit, placed his own seal on the merchandise, and departed.

Later, the guild of merchants sent servants, telling them, “Go see what goods there are.”

They went and asked, “What are these goods?”

“They are this and that.”

“Our [F.302.a] treasury and warehouse are full of such things.”

“Whether full or not, these goods have already been sold,” said the foreign merchants.

“To whom did you sell them?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

“You must have made a great profit if you sold it to Pūrṇa.”

The merchants said, “You would not pay even for full price what he paid as a deposit.”

“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

The servants went back and reported to the guild of merchants, “Those goods have already been sold.”

“To whom?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

“They must have made a great profit if they sold it to Pūrṇa.”

“You would not pay even for full price what he paid as a deposit.”

“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

They called Pūrṇa and said, “Pūrṇa, why did you take the merchandise when the guild of merchants had an agreement: ‘None should take the merchandise alone, but72 only the guild of merchants should take it’?”

“Sirs,” he replied, “when you made the agreement, did you tell me or my brothers? You made the agreement without me. You alone should keep it.”

The guild of merchants then became angry. They seized Pūrṇa and placed him in the sun so that he would pay sixty kārṣāpanas. The king’s men witnessed this and told the king.

“Sirs, summon them,” ordered the king.

When the king’s men had summoned the merchants, the king asked them, “Sirs, why did you seize Pūrṇa and place him in the sun?”

“Your Majesty, we did so because the guild of merchants had an agreement that none should trade by themselves, but he engaged in trade by himself.”

“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “please ask them whether they told me or my brothers when they made the agreement.” [F.302.b]

“Sirs, Pūrṇa’s claim is fair,” said the king.

The merchants were ashamed, and they freed Pūrṇa.

Later, when the king needed an item, he summoned the guild of merchants and ordered them, “Sirs, since I need such-and-such an item, present it to me.”

“Your Majesty, Pūrṇa has it,” they replied.

“Since I cannot order him,” said the king, “buy it from him and present it to me.”

The merchants sent a messenger to Pūrṇa, who told him, “The guild of merchants calls you.”

“I will not go,” answered Pūrṇa.

Then all the members of the guild of merchants assembled, went to Pūrṇa’s house, stood at the door, and sent him a message: “Pūrṇa, the guild of merchants is at your door. Come out!”

When Pūrṇa came out arrogantly, with pride and haughtiness, the guild of merchants said, “Caravan leader, please sell your merchandise at the price you paid for it.”

“If I sell my merchandise at the price I paid for it, I would surely be such a great merchant, wouldn’t I?” said Pūrṇa.

The merchants replied, “Sell it at twice the price and the guild of merchants will be honored.”

“The guild of merchants should be honored,” thought Pūrṇa. He then sold it at twice the price of one million, five hundred thousand.

After Pūrṇa hid the remaining money in his house, he thought, “How can I fill a vessel with dew drops? I will take to the great ocean.” In order to take to the great ocean, he issued a proclamation in the city of Sūrpāraka with the ringing of bells: “Sirs, merchants living in the city of Sūrpāraka, listen! The caravan leader Pūrṇa will take to the great ocean. Whoever among you who wants to take to the great ocean with the caravan leader Pūrṇa, free from taxes, duties, and boatman’s fees, should prepare your merchandise to carry across the great ocean.” [F.303.a]

Five hundred merchants prepared their merchandise to carry across the great ocean. Then the caravan leader Pūrṇa, after performing rituals that bring good fortune, blessings, and well-being, took to the great ocean with his retinue and the five hundred merchants, and then returned to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on his voyage.

Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and returned, having succeeded on each voyage.

Everywhere it was said, “Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and returned, having succeeded on each voyage.” Then, the merchants of Śrāvastī came to the city of Sūrpāraka bearing their merchandise. After they were fully rested, they went to the caravan leader Pūrṇa. When they arrived, they said, “Caravan leader, let us leave for the great ocean.”

“Sirs,” Pūrṇa replied, “have any of you ever seen or heard of anyone who, six times, returned from the great ocean after succeeding on each voyage, and was going a seventh time?”

“Pūrṇa, we came a long way to see you. If you do not go, we will not go either because you are the authority,” the merchants said.

Pūrṇa thought, “Although there is no wealth at all that I need, I will go for the sake of these people.” Then Pūrṇa left for the great ocean together with the merchants.

At dawn the merchants recited the Udāna, Pārāyaṇa, Satyadṛś, Sthaviragāthā, Sthavirīgāthā, Śailagāthā, Munigāthā, and Arthavargīya Sūtras.73 Pūrṇa heard them and said, “Sirs, you are singing good songs.”

“Caravan leader,” they replied, “these are not songs.”

“Then what are they?”

“They are the words of the Buddha.”74

When Pūrṇa heard the sound buddha, a word he had never heard before, the hairs in every pore of his body stood on end. Pūrṇa asked reverently, [F.303.b] “Sirs, who is the Buddha?”

The merchants explained, “There is a son of the Śākyans, a śramaṇa75 of the Gautama family, who went forth from his home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes. He awoke to supreme, complete awakening. Caravan leader, he is the Buddha.”

“Sirs, where is that blessed one now?”

“Caravan leader, he is staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

Keeping this in mind, Pūrṇa took to the great ocean together with them and came back, having succeeded on his voyage.

His brother Bhavila thought, “He is tired from continually traveling the great ocean. He should get married.” He then asked Pūrṇa, “Tell me, which daughter of which76 merchant, businessman, or caravan leader shall I request for you?”

“I do not want an object of desire,” Pūrṇa replied. “If you allow it, I will go forth.”

“You did not go forth when we were not engaged in the family business. Why do you go forth now?” asked Bhavila.

“It was not appropriate then,” replied Pūrṇa. “It is appropriate now.”

Bhavila, knowing he would insist, allowed Pūrṇa to go forth.

“Brother,” said Pūrṇa, “there is much danger and little to gain on the great ocean. Many people take to it but only a few of them return. So you should never take to the great ocean. You have abundant wealth gained properly, while your brothers have what was gained improperly. So you should not live with them if they ask you to live together.”

Pūrṇa went to Śrāvastī with a servant. He stayed in the park of Śrāvastī and sent his servant as a messenger to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, saying, “Householder, the caravan leader Pūrṇa is staying in the park of Śrāvastī, hoping to meet you.” [F.304.a]

Anāthapiṇḍada thought, “He must have come in a carriage, having grown tired of traveling by boat.” Then Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Say, how much merchandise has he brought with him?”

“What merchandise? He came only with me, a servant.”

“It would not be appropriate for me to invite that important person to my house without honoring him,” thought Anāthapiṇḍada. So, he invited Pūrṇa to his house with great honor: he offered him a massage, let him bathe, and gave him food. When they sat down, talking pleasantly, Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Caravan leader, what is the purpose of your coming here?”

“Householder, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada stretched his upper body, raised his right hand, and spoke an inspired utterance: “O Buddha, O Dharma, O Saṅgha! O well-taught Dharma! A great person like this, abandoning a great many relatives and friends and full treasuries and warehouses, now wishes to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada took the caravan leader Pūrṇa to the Blessed One. At that time the Blessed One was teaching the Dharma, seated before an audience of many hundreds of monks. When the Blessed One saw the householder Anāthapiṇḍada coming with a gift, he said to the monks, “Monks, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada is coming with a gift. For the Tathāgata, there is no gift equal to this, a person to be tamed.” [F.304.b]

The householder Anāthapiṇḍada bowed low until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side together with the caravan leader Pūrṇa. When Anāthapiṇḍada had sat down, he said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, the caravan leader Pūrṇa wishes to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. May the Blessed One let him go forth and ordain him.”

The Blessed One assented to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada by remaining silent. Then the Blessed One said to the caravan leader Pūrṇa, “Come, monk, lead the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed One said this, Pūrṇa’s hair fell out and he was clad in his outer robe, with but a week’s worth of hair and beard, his bowl and pitcher in his hand, and standing like a monk who had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

At another time, the venerable Pūrṇa went to the Blessed One. When Pūrṇa arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side.78 When he had sat down to one side, the venerable Pūrṇa implored the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please preach to me a condensed Dharma so that after I have listened to the condensed Dharma from the Blessed One, I will come to dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself toward myself. If I dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself toward myself, I will, in this life, by my own supernormal knowledge, actualize and accomplish the supreme end of the pure life for which the sons of noble families go forth from their homes into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off their hair and beards [F.305.a] and donned saffron robes, and I will understand, ‘My births have been exhausted. The pure life has been lived. What is to be done has been done. I will not know another existence after this one.’ ”

When the venerable Pūrṇa had finished speaking, the Blessed One said to him, “Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it was good that you said this: ‘Please preach to me a condensed Dharma . . . . I will not know another existence after this one.’ Therefore, listen well and keep this in mind and I will preach to you.

“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and rejoices in, welcomes, clings to, and remains attached to them,79 joy will arise in he who rejoices in, welcomes, clings to, and remains attached to them. If there is joy, the joy will turn into delight and pleasure. If there is delight and pleasure, it will turn into clinging. If there is clinging, it will turn into a fetter. A monk who has come to have delight, clinging, and fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and [F.305.b] mental objects to be cognized by the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows these objects … he is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and does not rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them, joy will not arise in he who does not rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them. If there is no joy, there will be no delight or pleasure. If there is no delight or pleasure, there will be no clinging. If there is no clinging, there will be no fetter. If there are no fetters, a monk who has neither delight, nor clinging, nor fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be near nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and mental objects to be cognized by the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows these objects … he is said to be near nirvāṇa.

“Pūrṇa, since I have entrusted you with this condensed instruction, then where do you want to dwell? Where do you want to live?”

“Honored One, since the Blessed One has entrusted me with this condensed instruction, I would like to go to Śroṇāparāntaka.”

“Pūrṇa, [F.306.a] the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce, impetuous, rough, abusive, short tempered, and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse, ridicule, and disparage you with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, what will you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse, ridicule, and disparage me with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they abuse, ridicule, and disparage me with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, they do not strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt.’ ”

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with their hands or with clods of dirt, what will you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt, they do not strike me with sticks or swords.’ ”80

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with sticks or with swords, what will you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with sticks or with swords, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with sticks or with swords, they do not take my life.’ ”

“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka [F.306.b] attempt to take your life, what will you think?”

“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka attempt to take my life, I will think, ‘Among the Blessed One’s81 disciples there are those who, because of this purulent body, are grieved and ashamed and self-loathing, and who cut themselves with swords, ingest poison, hang themselves, or throw themselves from a cliff to their deaths.82 Therefore, ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. They liberate me from this purulent body with little trouble.’ ”

“Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it is good that you who possess such patience and gentleness are able to dwell in Śroṇāparāntaka. Pūrṇa, go and liberate those who have not been liberated. Release those who have not been released. Relieve those who have not been relieved. Emancipate those who have not been emancipated.”

The venerable Pūrṇa praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. The venerable Pūrṇa then bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and he departed from the Blessed One’s presence.

After that night had passed, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. He took a meal of almsfood in Śrāvastī and returned after the meal. He put in order the bedding and the seat he had used, took his bowl and his robe, and set out for Śroṇāparāntaka. [F.307.a] Traveling through the country, he arrived in due course at Śroṇāparāntaka.

Then, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Śroṇāparāntaka for alms.

A hunter, carrying his bow and arrows and going to hunt deer, saw Pūrṇa and thought, “It is inauspicious that I saw this shaven-headed śramaṇa.”

When the hunter, his bow drawn, charged at the venerable Pūrṇa, the venerable Pūrṇa caught sight of him. Upon seeing him, Pūrṇa removed his upper robe and said, “Shoot this, sir, since I entered this place for the sake of this that is hard to fill up,” and then he spoke this verse:

The hunter thought, “This mendicant has such patience and gentleness. Why should I shoot him with an arrow?” When he thought thus, the hunter’s mind was filled with faith in the venerable Pūrṇa. Then the venerable Pūrṇa preached the Dharma to him and established him in the refuges and the rules of training. The venerable Pūrṇa also made five hundred other huntsmen lay brothers and five hundred women lay sisters. Five hundred monastery buildings were offered to him, and hundreds of couches, stools, cushions, pillows, and square blankets were also offered. After three months had passed, the venerable Pūrṇa actualized with his body the threefold knowledge and became an arhat. He was free from desire for the three realms; … 83 and he [F.307.b] became an object of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra.84

Later, the two brothers of Dārukarṇin, having consumed and exhausted their possessions, came to Dārukarṇin and said, “Since that creature who was our misfortune has left our home, come, let us live together.”

“Who is that creature that you say was our misfortune?” asked Dārukarṇin.

“Pūrṇa, of course.”

“He is not a creature who brings misfortune; rather, he brought good fortune to my home.”

Dārukarṇin’s two brothers said, “Whether good fortune or misfortune, come, let us live together.”

“Your wealth was not gained properly while mine was gained properly,” replied Dārukarṇin. “Because of this difference, we cannot live together.”

“The son of a slave woman took to the great ocean many times and helped you gain your possessions, which you spend and boast about. How were you able to take to the great ocean?” asked Dārukarṇin’s two brothers.

Dārukarṇin, his pride hurt by his two brothers, thought, “I will take to the great ocean, too.” Having thought this … Dārukarṇin took to the great ocean. His ship was driven by a tail wind to a forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, this is the forest of gośīrṣacandana. So, choose and take wood from here.”

At that time, there was a yakṣa named Maheśvara, who was master of the forest of gośīrṣacandana, and he was away at a meeting of yakṣas. The merchants began to cut down the gośīrṣacandana trees with five hundred axes. When a yakṣa named Apriya saw the gośīrṣacandana trees being cut down with the five hundred axes, he went to the yakṣa Maheśvara and said to him, “Sir, please be informed [F.308.a] that the forest of gośīrṣacandana is being destroyed by five hundred axes. Thus, please do your duty, or what you ought to do.”

Then the yakṣa Maheśvara canceled the meeting of yakṣas, and, unable to bear it, caused a violent storm and set out for the forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, merchants of the continent of Jambu, listen. Since this is the very thing that is known as the fear of a great storm, think of a countermeasure.”

Then the merchants were frightened, terrified, dejected, and, with the hairs in every pore of their bodies standing on end, started to beg the gods for help, saying:

Dārukarṇin stood undisturbed. The merchants asked him, “Caravan leader, why do you stand undisturbed while we are in intolerable pain and fear?”

“Sirs,” replied Dārukarṇin, “my younger brother told me, ‘Brother, there is much danger and little to gain on the great ocean. Many people driven by desire take to it but only a few of them return. So, you should never take to the great ocean.’ I disobeyed my younger brother’s words and took to the great ocean. So what can I do now?”

“Who is your younger brother?”

“He is Pūrṇa.”

“Sirs,” said the merchants, “the noble one Pūrṇa has the great power of merit. Let us seek refuge in him.”

Then they all, with one voice, exclaimed, “Homage to the noble one Pūrṇa! [F.308.b] Homage, homage to the noble one Pūrṇa!”

Gods who were delighted with the venerable Pūrṇa then went to him. When they arrived, they said to the venerable Pūrṇa, “Noble one, your elder brother87 feels intolerable pain and fear. Please consider rescuing him.”

The venerable Pūrṇa considered this, and entered a meditative state by which, directing his mind, he disappeared from Śroṇāparāntaka and appeared seated with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship in the great ocean.88 The storm was then turned back as if it had struck Mount Sumeru and was thwarted. The yakṣa Maheśvara thought, “Though, in the past, ships that were hit by a storm were tossed like a piece of cotton and broken apart, now the storm has been turned back as if it had struck Mount Sumeru and was thwarted. What was the cause of that?”

The yakṣa Maheśvara looked around and then discovered the venerable Pūrṇa seated with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship. When the yakṣa Maheśvara had discovered the venerable Pūrṇa, he asked, “Noble one Pūrṇa, why do you harass me?”

“O you whose nature is to grow old, why do I harass you?” asked the venerable Pūrṇa in return. “You are harassing me.89 Had I not attained a number of good qualities like these, you would have killed my brother, and only his name would have remained.”

“Noble one,” replied Maheśvara, “I am protecting this gośīrṣacandana for the wheel-turning king.”

“Sir, what do you think?” asked the venerable Pūrṇa. “Which is greater, a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, or a wheel-turning king?”

“Noble one, has the Blessed One appeared in the world?”

“He has.”

“If so, then fill your ship that is not yet full.”

Their lives having been saved, the minds of the merchants were then filled with faith in Pūrṇa. [F.309.a] They filled the ship with gośīrṣacandana, set out again, and arrived in due course at the city of Sūrpāraka.

Pūrṇa then said to his brother, “Since your treasures belong to the one by whose name you, having succeeded on your voyage, were able to return, you should distribute them to these merchants. With this gośīrṣacandana, I will build a palace garlanded with sandalwood90 for the Blessed One.”

Dārukarṇin distributed his treasures to the merchants. The venerable Pūrṇa then began to build a palace with a hall of gośīrṣacandana. He called the craftsmen together and asked them, “Sirs, would you like to take five hundred kārṣāpaṇas every day or take one viḍālapada of gośīrṣacandana dust?”

“Noble one,” they replied, “we would like to take one viḍālapada of gośīrṣacandana dust.”

The palace garlanded with sandalwood was then quickly built and made clean. The wood chips and remaining dust of gośīrṣacandana were crushed into powder and smeared on the palace walls.

Pūrṇa reconciled with his eldest brother and his other two brothers and said, “Invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal.”

“Noble one Pūrṇa, where is the Blessed One?”

“In Śrāvastī.”

“How far is that?”

“To Śrāvastī, it is more than one hundred yojanas.”

“We will ask His Majesty for permission.”

“You should do so.”

The brothers went to the king and said, “Your Majesty, we would like to invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal. Please help us.”

“Excellent, I will do so.”

The venerable Pūrṇa then went up to the roof, looked in the direction of the Jetavana, dropped to his knees, scattered flowers, burned incense, made a layman hold a golden pitcher, [F.309.b] and began to pray:91

Then the flowers, by the awakened power of the buddhas and the divine power of the gods, formed the shape of a flower pavilion, and that flower pavilion came to abide at the elders’ dwelling in the Jetavana. The smoke of the incense was woven together like a cloud. The water assumed the shape of a lapis lazuli vessel. Since the venerable Ānanda was familiar with omens, he made the gesture of supplication and asked the Blessed One, “Honored One, where is this invitation from?”

“From Sūrpāraka, Ānanda.”

“Honored One, how far is Sūrpāraka from here?”

“More than a hundred yojanas, Ānanda. Go and give this order to the monks: ‘Those who, among you, will go to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal there tomorrow should take a counting stick.’ ”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda, and he took the counting sticks and sat down before the Blessed One. The Blessed One and the monks who were the most venerable of the elders took counting sticks.

At that time, the venerable elder Pūrṇa,92 who was an elder from Kuṇḍopadāna and had been liberated through wisdom, was sitting in the assembly. When the venerable elder Pūrṇa also tried to take a counting stick, the venerable Ānanda spoke this verse to him:

Although the venerable elder Pūrṇa had been liberated through wisdom, he had not attained magical power. Therefore he asked himself, “Why am I disheartened by lack of magical power even like that of the non-Buddhist ascetics when I have searched for the whole collection of defilements within myself, discarded all the defilements, abandoned them, and driven them away?”

The venerable elder Pūrṇa exerted his vigor and gave rise to magical power. He stretched his arm, which was like the trunk of an elephant, and took a counting stick before the venerable Ānanda passed a counting stick to a third elder, and the venerable elder Pūrṇa spoke this verse:

On that occasion the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, this is the best of my monks, the best of my disciples for taking a counting stick for offerings. The elder Pūrṇa, who is an elder from Kuṇḍopadāna, is the best of those who take a counting stick.”

Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, go and say to the monks, ‘Though I have said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your virtue and not hiding your evil,” those among you who have attained magical power should go by means of that power to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal, because there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One, and he said to the monks, “Venerables, the Blessed One said, ‘Though I have said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your virtue and not hiding your evil,” … because there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ” [F.310.b]

The king had beautified the city of Sūrpāraka by removing stones, pebbles, and gravel, sprinkling sandalwood water, setting out sweet-smelling censers, hanging many silk tassels, and scattering flowers around the city.

There were eighteen gates around the city of Sūrpāraka, and the king had seventeen sons. At each surrounding gate a prince stood with the highest majesty. At the largest gate stood the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, with the great majesty of kings, together with the venerable Pūrṇa, Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin.

The king then saw those handing out leaves, those handing out grass, and those handing out receptacles coming by means of their magical power and asked, “Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One coming?”

Pūrṇa replied, “This is not the Blessed One but rather those handing out leaves, those handing out grass, and those handing out receptacles.”

At that time the monks who were the most venerable of the elders came by practicing dhyāna, and the king again asked, “Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One coming?”

“No,” Pūrṇa replied. “They are the monks who are the most venerable of the elders who have come by practicing dhyāna.”

A lay brother then spoke this verse:

Then the Blessed One [F.311.a] washed his feet outside the monastery, entered inside, sat on the prepared seat, stretched his back, and focused his mind on a point in front of himself. When the Blessed One put his foot down with a specific intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six ways. This great earth quaked, quaked furiously, and quaked absolutely furiously. It roared, roared furiously, and roared absolutely furiously. When the eastern side rose, the western side sank. When the western side rose, the eastern side sank. When the southern side rose, the northern side sank. When the northern side rose, the southern side sank. When the periphery rose, the middle sank. When the middle rose, the periphery sank. The king asked Pūrṇa, “Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

Pūrṇa answered, “Because the Blessed One put his foot down with a specific intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six ways.”

The Blessed One then emanated a ray of light colored like the radiance of gold, by which the continent of Jambu blazed like molten gold. Again the king stared in surprise95 and asked, “Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

Pūrṇa answered, “Great King, the Blessed One emanated a ray of light colored like the radiance of gold.” [V2] [F.1.b] [B25]

The Blessed One then went to Sūrpāraka together with five hundred arhats, himself tamed and his assembly tamed, himself pacified and his assembly pacified.

A god who lived in the Jetavana followed the Blessed One, holding a branch of vakula with which he provided shade for him. The Blessed One knew the god’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature, preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him, and caused him to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. When the god had heard the Dharma, he leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and actualized the fruit of stream-entry.

There then lived in another place about five hundred widows, and they saw the Blessed One, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man, illuminated by the eighty minor marks, [F.2.a] ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, and beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels whose light surpasses a thousand suns. As soon as the five hundred widows saw him, great faith in the Blessed One arose in them.

It is commonplace that when beings who possess the cause of having accumulated roots of merit look at the Buddha for the first time, they experience far greater pleasure than that of those who have practiced tranquility of mind for a dozen years, those who gain a son after having been childless, those who look upon treasure after having been poor, or those who are anointed as king after having longed for kingship.

After that, the Blessed One knew that it was the right time to train the widows, and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. The women bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then they sat down to one side. The Blessed One knew their thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and nature … and they actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After seeing the four truths of the noble ones, they spoke an inspired utterance three times: “Honored One, what the Blessed One has done for us is what has never been done for us by our mothers, our fathers, a king, gods, our husbands, our kinsmen and relatives, ancestral spirits, śramaṇas, or brahmins. [F.2.b] You have dried up the ocean of blood and tears, liberated us from the mountain of bones, shut the gate to inferior states of existence,96 opened the gates to liberation and heaven, and placed us among gods and humans. O Honored One, we have been exalted, truly exalted! Since we seek refuge in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community of monks, may the Blessed One accept us as lay sisters.”

They rose from their seats, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and implored the Blessed One, “O Blessed One, please give us something to worship.”

The Blessed One97 then cut off his hair and nails by means of his magical power and gave his hair and nails to the widows. They built a stūpa for the hair and nails of the Blessed One. After that, the god who lived in the Jetavana planted a vakula tree along the stūpa’s circumambulatory path, and then the god who lived in the Jetavana said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I will stay here, worshiping this stūpa.”

The god who lived in the Jetavana stayed there. Some people named the place the widows’ stūpa, and other people named it the circumambulatory path of the vakula. Monks who worship the stūpa worship the place even now.

The Blessed One then departed.98 At that time, there lived five hundred ṛṣis in a hermitage. Since the hermitage was abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, the ṛṣis were intoxicated with those things and were without worries. The Blessed One then knew that it was the right time to train the five hundred ṛṣis and went to the hermitage. When the Blessed One arrived, with his magical power he destroyed the flowers and fruits of the hermitage, dried up the water, dug up the meadow, and smashed the residence to pieces. The ṛṣis were then plunged into grief, resting their cheeks on their hands. [F.3.a]

The Blessed One asked, “Why are you plunged into grief?”

“Blessed One,” they replied, “after you, a human field of merit, came here, we were placed in a grievous situation.”

The Blessed One then asked, “Ṛṣis, why was the hermitage, which was abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, ruined? Shall I make the hermitage as it was before?”

“Blessed One, please do so.”

The Blessed One then ceased his magical power, and the hermitage became as it had been before. Thus, the five hundred ṛṣis were very much astonished, and their minds were filled with faith in the Blessed One. The Blessed One knew their thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and natures, and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. When the five hundred ṛṣis had heard the Dharma, they actualized the fruit of a never-returner and achieved magical power. They then made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said, “Honored One, we wish to go forth and be ordained monks in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. We will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.”

Then the Blessed One, using the “Come, monk” formula of ordination, said, “Come, monks, lead the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed One said this, their hair fell out and they were clad in their outer robes, with but a week’s worth of hair and beards, their bowls and pitchers in their hands, standing like monks who had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

Exerting themselves, endeavoring and striving, they came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving five cycles, overthrew all conditioned states … and the five hundred ṛṣis became objects of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra. The ṛṣi who was their leader said, “Blessed One, I deceived many people in this guise. I will go forth after making the people’s faith arise.”

Then the Blessed One, surrounded, in the shape of a half-moon, by the five hundred ṛṣis and monks who had been monks from the beginning, soared with them into the air from there using his magical power, and arrived in due course at Mount Musalaka.

At that time there lived a ṛṣi on Mount Musalaka named Vakkalin.100 He saw the Blessed One, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man . . . . As soon as Vakkalin saw the Blessed One, his mind was filled with faith in the Blessed One. When Vakkalin’s faith had arisen, he thought, “Now I will descend from the mountain and go to meet the Blessed One. The Blessed One may pass through here out of consideration for people to be trained. Therefore, I will now throw myself off the mountain.”

Thinking thus, Vakkalin threw himself from the top of the mountain. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, have a watchful nature, the Blessed One caught him with his magical power. The Blessed One knew his thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him. When Vakkalin had heard the Dharma, he actualized the fruit of a never-returner and achieved magical power. Then Vakkalin said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya . . . .” [F.4.a]

Then the Blessed One, saying “Come, monk,” . . . . 

Then the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, it is he, the monk Vakkalin, who is the best of the monks who were emancipated by faith.”

After that, the Blessed One, surrounded by a thousand monks, performing miracles, went to the city of Sūrpāraka. The Blessed One thought, “If I enter from one gate, those who are at the other gates will be disappointed. Thus, I will enter by using my magical power.”

So the Blessed One entered the city of Sūrpāraka from the sky using his magical power. Then the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, and the venerable Pūrṇa, Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin, as well as the seventeen princes, went to the Blessed One along with the attendants of each one and hundreds of thousands of other beings.

After that, the Blessed One, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of beings, went to the palace garlanded with sandalwood and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. Since the large crowd could not see the Blessed One, the crowd started to destroy the palace garlanded with sandalwood. The Blessed One thought, “If the palace garlanded with sandalwood is destroyed, such destruction will decrease the donors’ merit. Now I will transform this palace into a palace made of crystal.” The Blessed One transformed the palace into a palace made of crystal so that the large crowd could see the Buddha’s body without obstructions blocking the view.

The Blessed One knew the audience’s thinking, proclivities, [F.4.b] dispositions, and natures, and so preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. When the audience had heard the Dharma, hundreds of thousands of beings attained great excellence. Some generated the roots of merit of liberation, some generated the roots of merit of penetration, some actualized the fruit of stream-entry, some the fruit of a never-returner, and some went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat. Some generated the intention for the awakening of disciples, some the intention for the awakening of a self-awakened one, and some the intention for complete and supreme awakening.

Most of the audience became absorbed in the Buddha, devoted to the Dharma, and inclined to the Saṅgha.

Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin then prepared a pure and fine meal, arranged seats, set up a jeweled pitcher, and let the Blessed One know the time by messenger: “Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is ready.”101

At that time there lived in the great ocean two nāga kings named Kṛṣṇa and Gautama. They both thought, “Since the Blessed One is preaching the Dharma in the city of Sūrpāraka, let’s go to listen to the Dharma.” Then they both, along with five hundred nāga attendants, departed for the city of Sūrpāraka, creating five hundred rivers flowing toward the city. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, have a watchful nature, the Blessed One thought, “If these two nāga kings, Kṛṣṇa and Gautama, come to the city of Sūrpāraka, they will ruin the country.” The Blessed One then said to the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, [F.5.a] “Maudgalyāyana, accept the alms requiring haste by the Tathāgata. Why, Maudgalyāyana? Because there are five kinds of alms requiring haste.102 What are the five? The almsfood of temporary visitors, of those who are setting forth on a journey, of sick people, of those attending the sick, and of monks responsible for monastic property.”103

In this situation, the Blessed One intended that the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana would be the monk who was responsible for monastic property.

The Blessed One soared up into the air from there, using his magical power. The two, the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, went to the nāga kings Kṛṣṇa and Gautama. When the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had arrived, the Blessed One said, “Lords of nāgas, you should be attentive to the city of Sūrpāraka, and you should not destroy the country.”

“Honored One,” said the nāga kings, “we have come here with faith, because of which we never harm any beings, even ants, to say nothing of the people living in the city of Sūrpāraka.”

After that, the Blessed One preached the Dharma to the nāga kings Kṛṣṇa and Gautama, the hearing of which caused them to seek refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and to accept the rules of training.

When the Blessed One had begun his meal, each nāga thought, “Ah, may the Blessed One drink my water!”

The Blessed One thought, “If I drink water from only one individual, it will disappoint the others. Therefore, I must devise a plan to drink the water of everyone.”

Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, “Maudgalyāyana, go and bring water from the very point where the five hundred rivers meet.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, and he filled a bowl with water at the very point where the five hundred rivers met and returned to the Blessed One, bringing the water with him. When he arrived, the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana offered the bowl of water to the Blessed One, [F.5.b] and the Blessed One accepted the water and drank it.

The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana thought,104 “The Blessed One once said,105 ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do because they nourish their children, raise them, bring them up, feed them, and teach them everything on the continent of Jambu. Even if a son should try to carry his parents, his mother on one shoulder and his father on the other, for a hundred years; if he should give them the earth’s jewels, pearls, lapis lazuli, glass, coral, silver, gold, agate, amber, ruby, and shells; or if he should put his parents in a position of power, the son cannot truly help or sufficiently repay his father and mother with such efforts. If a person motivates his parents to have complete faith, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads them to stand safely in their faith when they do not have faith; if he motivates them to have completely good conduct when they have disordered conduct; if he motivates them to be completely generous when they are ungenerous; if he motivates them to have complete intelligence, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads them to stand safely in their intelligence when they have disordered intelligence, he comes to truly help and repay his father and mother with just such efforts.’ Since I have not yet repaid my mother, now I will consider where my mother has been reborn.”

When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana considered this, he found that she had been reborn in the Marīcika world. Then he observed by whom she should be trained and found that it was the Blessed One. He thought, “Since I have come here from a distance, I will by all means tell this to the Blessed One.” The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, the Blessed One once said, ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do.’ [F.6.a] My mother has been reborn in the Marīcika world and she is one who should be trained by the Blessed One. May the Blessed One have compassion and train her.”

“Maudgalyāyana, by whose magical power shall we go there?” asked the Blessed One.

“By mine, Blessed One.”

Then the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana departed, stepping on the summit of Mount Sumeru, and arrived in the Marīcika world after seven days.

When she, Bhadrakanyā,106 saw the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana from a distance, she was delighted, and she went to him and said, “Ah, I see my son after so long! Ah, I see my son after so long!”

Then a large crowd asked, “Sirs, how is this girl the mother of this mendicant who is so old?”

“Sirs,” replied the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, “this woman bore this body of mine. Thus, she is my mother.”

The Blessed One knew Bhadrakanyā’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature, and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for her and that caused her to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. When Bhadrakanyā had heard the Dharma, she leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After she had seen the truths, she spoke an inspired utterance three times: “…you placed me among gods and humans.” Again, she said:107

“I am exalted, truly exalted. Since I seek refuge in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community, may you accept me as a lay sister. From today onward, I embrace my faith as one who seeks refuge throughout my life. Blessed One and Mahā­maudgalyāyana, please assent to my offer of a meal today.”

The Blessed One assented to Bhadrakanyā’s request by remaining silent, and Bhadrakanyā understood the Blessed One’s assent. Then Bhadrakanyā knew that the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had sat down in comfort, and with her own hands she served and satisfied them with a pure and fine meal. When she had, with her own hands, served and satisfied them in a variety of ways with a pure and fine meal, knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, she took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. The Blessed One then preached the Dharma to Bhadrakanyā. When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had taken the Blessed One’s bowl and washed it, the Blessed One said, “Maudgalyāyana, shall we go?”

“Blessed One, let us go.”

“By whose magical power?”

“The Blessed One’s, please.”

“Then think about the Jetavana.”

“Blessed One, have we already arrived there?”

“We have arrived, Maudgalyāyana.”

The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana was astonished and asked, “Blessed One, what is the name of this magical power?”

“Maudgalyāyana, [F.7.a] it is called manojavā (“swift as thought”).”

“Honored One, I had not known that the Buddha’s magical power was so profound. If I had known, I would never have turned my mind from the goal of complete and supreme awakening, even if my body had broken into pieces like grains of sesame. Now I am like firewood that has burned out, and I have no more opportunity.”

All the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “Honored One, what karma did the venerable Pūrṇa create that matured to cause his birth in a family that was rich and had great wealth and many possessions? What karma did he create, because of which he was born from a female slave’s womb, went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “the actions were performed and accumulated by the monk Pūrṇa himself, accruing a heap of karma. The conditions have ripened, and they approach him like a flood, inevitably. Who else but Pūrṇa would experience the actions that he himself performed and accumulated? Monks, actions performed and accumulated do not mature in the earth element, the water element, the fire element, or the wind element, which are outside the body. Virtuous and nonvirtuous actions performed and accumulated like this mature in the aggregates, elements, and sense spheres.

“Monks, once, in this fortunate eon, when people’s lives were twenty thousand years long, there appeared in the world a teacher named Kāśyapa, who was a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a sugata, world knowing, a supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, [F.7.b] a buddha, and a blessed one. He stayed near the city of Vārāṇasī.

“In the teachings of that buddha this Pūrṇa went forth, became well acquainted with the three divisions of the canon, and came to serve as the monk entrusted with the monastery’s business according to the rules. After a little while, an arhat became responsible for monastic property. When he started to clean the monastery, a wind arose and blew the dust hither and thither. The arhat thought, ‘I shall wait for a while until the wind has died down.’

“Then the monk entrusted with the monastery’s business saw that the monastery was unclean; fiercely angry, he spoke harshly: ‘Which son of a slave woman is responsible for monastic property?’

“The arhat thought, ‘Since this person is angry, I shall wait for a while and make him understand later.’ After the monk’s anger subsided, the arhat went to him and asked, ‘Do you know who I am?’

“ ‘I do,’ said the monk. ‘You and I went forth in the teachings of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa.’

“ ‘That is true,” said the arhat, ‘but I have finished what should be done by a mendicant. While I have been released from all bondage, you performed the action of speaking harshly because you remain bound by all bonds. Confess your sin as a sin and hence the action will diminish, waste away, and disappear.’

“The monk confessed his sin as a sin. Hence, although he had been doomed to be born in hell and become the son of a female slave, he was not born in hell but was born in a female slave’s womb for five hundred lives. And now, in his last life, he was also born in a female slave’s womb.

“And because he had served the community, he was born into a family that was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. And because he was well acquainted with the aggregates, elements, [F.8.a] sense spheres, and dependent origination through recitation and repetition, he went forth in my teaching, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat.

“ Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

Thus spoke the Blessed One, and the monks rejoiced in and praised what the Blessed One had said.

Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Magadha, arrived in Nālandā, and stayed in a mango forest named Prāvārika near Nālandā.

At that time, there lived a wandering mendicant named Reed Merchant, who was old, aged, elderly‍—a hundred and twenty years old. He was treated with honor, looked up to, esteemed, venerated, and paid homage to as a worthy man. Now, a god who had once been a friend, companion, relative, and relation of the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant thought, “If I say to the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant, [F.20.b] ‘O ṛṣi, lead now the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One,’ he will never listen to me. Now I will go to him and make him ponder some questions.”

The god then went to the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant. When he arrived, he said to the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant, “O ṛṣi, now accept and ponder these questions from me: How should you recognize a person who pretends to be a friend while he is not in fact a friend? How should you know a friend who loves you as much as himself? For the sake of what should you enter into renunciation? How should you attain freedom from illness? O ṛṣi, hold these questions in your mind, and if someone answers them and thereby pleases you, you should lead the pure life in the presence of that person.” He then disappeared from there.

Then the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant, having accepted and pondered the questions from the god, went to Pūraṇa Kāśyapa. When he arrived, he considered the questions in his mind in front of Pūraṇa Kāśyapa: “How should I recognize a person who pretends to be a friend while he is not in fact a friend? . . . . How should I attain freedom from illness?” Pūraṇa Kāśyapa did not know or understand the questions being considered in the mendicant’s mind, let alone answer them. Then the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant thought, “Pūraṇa Kāśyapa did not know or understand the questions considered in my mind, let alone answer them.”

He went to Maskarī Gośālīputra, Saṃjayī Vairaṭṭīputra, Ajita Keśakambala, and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra. When he arrived, he considered the questions in his mind in front of Nirgrantha Jñātiputra: [F.21.a] “How should I recognize a person who pretends to be a friend while he is not in fact a friend?” . . . . He thought, “Nirgrantha Jñātiputra did not know or understand the questions considered in my mind, let alone answer them, either.”

Then the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant thought, “What is the use of my going forth under one who cannot answer the questions being considered in my mind? Since my kinsmen have many possessions, I shall now stay at home, enjoy the objects of desire, give donations, and make merit.” Yet this idea also occurred to him: “Now I shall go to the śramaṇa Gautama.”

When he had departed, he again thought, “For the time being, Pūraṇa Kāśyapa … and Nirgrantha Jñātiputra, who are aged śramaṇas and brahmins, did not know or understand the questions being considered in my mind. Needless to say, the śramaṇa Gautama, who is younger and has only recently gone forth, will not either.”

When he had started to turn back, he again thought, “I have heard from my teachers of conduct, who were old, aged, and elderly, former wandering mendicants, that one should not despise a young monk, one should not slight a young monk, since even a young monk can become one who has great force and great power.”132

He then went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he considered the questions in his mind in front of the Blessed One: “How should I recognize a person who pretends to be a friend while he is not in fact a friend? . . . . How should I attain freedom from illness?”

The Blessed One, knowing the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant’s mind with his own mind, [F.21.b] then at that time spoke these verses:133

“You should know that such a person is a person who pretends to be a friend while he is not in fact a friend. How should you know a friend who loves you as much as himself?

“You should know such a person is a friend who loves you as much as himself. For the sake of what should you enter into renunciation?

“You should meditate, seeking it. How should you attain freedom from illness?

“You will attain freedom from illness in such a way.”

Then the wandering mendicant Reed Merchant thought, “My mind was known by the śramaṇa Gautama’s mind.” He said to the Blessed One, “Gautama, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. Blessed One, I will lead the pure life in the presence of the śramaṇa Gautama.”

The wandering mendicant Reed Merchant went forth and was ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. After having thus gone forth, the venerable … became an arhat whose mind had been completely liberated.134 [F.22.a]

Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Pāṭali Village.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One.

Thereupon the Blessed One, together with the community of monks, stayed overnight at Veṇuyaṣṭikā, which was a residence of the king. Then the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, you and I have transmigrated through this difficult course because we did not know, see, comprehend, or realize the four truths of the noble ones. What are the four? You and I have transmigrated … because we did not know, see … the truth of the noble ones that is suffering. You and I have transmigrated … because we did not know, see … the truths of the noble ones that are the origination of suffering, the cessation of suffering,136 and the path to the cessation of suffering. Since I have cut off desire for existence through reflecting on and comprehending the truth of the noble ones that is suffering, my births have been exhausted and now I will have no further existence. Since I have cut off desire for existence through reflecting on and comprehending the truths of the noble ones that are the origination of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path to the cessation of suffering, my births have been exhausted and now I have no further existence.”

Thus said the Blessed One. Thus said the Sugata. Thus said the Teacher.

Thus spoke the Blessed One, and the monks rejoiced in and praised what the Blessed One had said.

Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, had a bridge of boats placed on the river, and the people of the Licchavi clan in Vaiśālī also made a bridge of boats for the Blessed One. The nāgas thought, “Since the bodies of nāgas are inferior, let us now have the Blessed One cross the Ganges over a bridge of our expanded hoods.” They then made a bridge with their expanded hoods.

The Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, those of you who wish to cross the Ganges over the bridge of boats of Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī, should go over that. Those of you who wish to go over the bridge of boats of the people of the Licchavi clan in Vaiśālī should go over that. I, [F.29.a] with the monk Ānanda, will cross the Ganges over the bridge of the expanded hoods of the nāgas.”

At that time some monks went over the bridge of boats of Ajātaśatru, the king of Magadha, son of Vaidehī. Some went over the bridge of boats of the people of the Licchavi clan in Vaiśālī. And the Blessed One, with the venerable Ānanda, went over the bridge of the expanded hoods of the nāgas.

Then a lay brother spoke these verses:146