The Chapter on Medicines
Chapter Four

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

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

Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Vṛji, arrived in Veṇu Village, and he stayed in a śiṃśapā forest to the north of Veṇu Village. At that time a famine broke out, a calamity in which it became difficult for a beggar to find food. The Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, now here a famine has broken out, a calamity in which it has become difficult for a beggar to find food.186 Therefore, monks, those of you who have any acquaintances, who have any allies, who have any friends in the villages of Vṛji near Vaiśālī, should enter the rainy-season retreat there. [F.49.b] I will enter the rainy-season retreat, too, in this Veṇu Village with my attendant monk, Ānanda. None of you should want for almsfood.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the monks to the Blessed One. And so those who had any acquaintances, who had any allies, who had any friends in the villages of Vṛji near Vaiśālī entered the rainy-season retreat there. The Blessed One entered the rainy-season retreat, too, in that Veṇu Village with his attendant monk, Ānanda.

During the rainy-season retreat, the Blessed One caught a grave, unbearable, severe, and potentially fatal illness. The Blessed One thought, “I have caught a grave, unbearable, severe, and potentially fatal illness. However, the community of monks is now dispersed. Since it is not appropriate for me to be completely emancipated187 while the community of monks is dispersed, I will now remove the pain with vigor, will not concentrate the mind on any outward appearances, and will abide, having accomplished with my body meditation that is free from outward appearances.”

Then the Blessed One did remove the pain with vigor, did not concentrate the mind on any outward appearances, and abided, having accomplished with his body meditation that is free from outward appearances. Thereupon the Blessed One recovered his ability to act and survive.

The venerable Ānanda then arose from his seclusion in the evening and went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the venerable Ānanda said to the Blessed One, [F.50.a] “O Honored One, ever since I knew that the Blessed One had caught a grave, unbearable, severe, and potentially fatal illness, my body has lost its bearings, just as if I had taken poison, and I have forgotten the Dharma I had heard. I hope that the Blessed One does not become completely emancipated until he leaves a will for the community of monks.”

“Ānanda, if someone thinks, ‘The community of monks is mine. I will teach the community of monks. The community of monks is led by me,’ he would certainly leave a will for the community of monks. However, Ānanda, I never think, ‘The community of monks is mine. I will teach the community of monks. The community of monks is led by me.’ So why would I leave a will for the community of monks? Again, Ānanda, how could the community of monks rely on me? Ānanda, I have taught the Dharma to be practiced always, namely, the four applications of mindfulness, the four right relinquishments, the four bases of magical power, the five faculties and the five powers, the seven limbs of awakening, and the eightfold path of the noble ones.188 [B29]

“Ānanda, the Tathāgata does not have the closed fist of a teacher who keeps secrets that the Tathāgata would want to conceal because it would be undesirable if others knew them. Ānanda, when the Tathāgata caught a grave, unbearable, severe, and potentially fatal disease, I thought, ‘I have caught a grave, unbearable, severe, and potentially fatal disease. However, the community of monks is now dispersed. [F.50.b] Since it would not be appropriate for me to be completely emancipated while the community of monks is dispersed, I will now remove the pain with vigor, will not concentrate the mind on any outward appearances, and will abide, having accomplished with my body meditation that is free from outward appearances.’

“I did remove the pain with vigor, did not concentrate the mind on any outward appearances, and abided, having accomplished with my body meditation that is free from outward appearances. Then the Tathāgata recovered his ability to act and survive.

“Now, Ānanda, because the Tathāgata has come to be eighty years old, my body has grown old and decrepit, and it persists by depending on its two things. Like an old chariot held together by depending on its two things, because the Tathāgata has come to be eighty years old, my body has grown old and decrepit, and it persists by depending on its two things.189

“Therefore, Ānanda, you should not feel sorrow, be disturbed, or lament. That which has been born, has arisen, has been formed, has been produced, and has been accumulated is naturally dependently originated and subject to dispersal. In this regard, how could you find anything imperishable? There is no such thing.

“Ānanda, I have previously taught you that one has to part from, be divided from, be separated from, and lose everything desirable, valuable, agreeable, and pleasant.

“Therefore,190 Ānanda, whether now or after I am gone, you should rely on the island that is yourself, the refuge that is yourself, the island that is the Dharma, the refuge that is the Dharma, and not on other islands or other refuges. Why? Ānanda, whether now or after I am gone, those who rely on the island that is themselves, the refuge that is themselves, the island that is the Dharma, [F.51.a] the refuge that is the Dharma, and not on other islands or other refuges are the best of my disciples who seek to train.

“And so, Ānanda, how should a monk rely on the island that is himself, the refuge that is himself, the island that is the Dharma, the refuge that is the Dharma, and not on other islands or other refuges? Ānanda, here a monk, observing the inner body, abides with vigor, vigilance, and mindfulness and has abandoned malice and despair toward the world. Because, observing the inner body, the outer body, and the inner and outer body; inner perceptions, outer perceptions, and inner and outer perceptions; the inner mind, the outer mind, and the inner and outer mind; and inner phenomena, outer phenomena, and inner and outer phenomena, he abides with vigor, vigilance, and mindfulness and has abandoned malice and despair toward the world. If so, Ānanda, that monk is said to be relying on the island that is himself, the refuge that is himself, the island that is the Dharma, the refuge that is the Dharma, and not on other islands or other refuges.”191

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

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

Then, in a certain place, the Blessed One smiled.192 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, [F.51.b] 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. 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,” [F.52.a] “empty,” and “selfless,” and proclaim these two verses:

Then the rays of light, 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 the 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.193 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 top of his head when the Blessed One intends to explain complete and perfect awakening.

At that time those rays, after circumambulating the Blessed One three times, disappeared into the top of the Blessed One’s head. The venerable Ānanda then made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said: [F.52.b]

Ānanda also spoke these verses:

“Ānanda, that is exactly it!” said the Blessed One. Ānanda, tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause, without condition. Ānanda, did you see this place?”

“Yes, I did, Honored One.”

“Ānanda, three perfectly awakened ones have dwelt in this place.”

The venerable Ānanda then quickly folded his upper robe in four, laid it down, and said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please sit on this prepared seat, and then this place will have been enjoyed by four perfectly awakened ones.”

The Blessed One sat on the prepared seat. After sitting for a moment, he said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to the city of Mithilā.”

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

Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Videha, arrived at Mithilā. [F.53.a] He stayed in the mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā.195

Then, in a certain place the Blessed One smiled. The venerable Ānanda saw the Blessed One smile, and having seen that, he said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause, without condition. What, then, is the cause and condition for the Honored One’s, the Blessed One’s smile?”

“Ānanda, that is exactly it! Ānanda, tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause, without condition. Ānanda, once people’s lifespans were eighty thousand years long. This continent of Jambu of people whose lifespans were eighty thousand years long was rich, prosperous, peaceful, abundant in food, and full of many people. Its villages, towns, provinces, and royal palaces were so close that a rooster could fly from one to the next.196 The people whose lifespans were eighty thousand years long experienced these kinds of physical harm: cold, heat, hunger, thirst, desire, loss of appetite, and old age. The daughters of the people whose lifespans were eighty thousand years long were given to their grooms at the age of five hundred just as today’s daughters are given at the age of fifteen or sixteen.

“Ānanda, when people’s lifespans were eighty thousand years long, there appeared a king named Mahādeva, a wheel-turning king who had conquered the border regions in the four directions, a righteous Dharma king who had obtained the seven treasures. His seven treasures were as follows: the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister.197 [F.53.b] He also had a thousand sons who were brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who would defeat the enemy’s army. He conquered the land entirely, as far as the seashore, without risking harm, without violence, without punishment or weapons, but in accord with the Dharma and impartially.

“Then, when the barber who used to cut King Mahādeva’s hair and beard was arranging the king’s hair and beard, the king gave him an order: ‘When you find a white hair growing on my head, tell me, for it is a divine messenger.’198

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty,’ replied the barber to King Mahādeva.

“Then one day the barber, arranging King Mahādeva’s hair and beard, did find white hairs growing on King Mahādeva’s head and he realized that a divine messenger had appeared. Having found them, he said to King Mahādeva, ‘Your Majesty, please be informed that white hairs are growing on your head and thus a divine messenger has appeared.’

“The king gave him another order: ‘Gently pull those white hairs out without cutting them, and place them in my palm.’

“ ‘Certainly, Your Majesty,’ replied the barber to King Mahādeva, and he gently pulled the white hairs out with a pair of golden tweezers, without cutting them, and placed them in King Mahādeva’s palm.

“Then King Mahādeva, holding the white hairs in both his hands, spoke a verse:

“ ‘Since I have already enjoyed human desires, it is time for me to seek divine desires. Now I will put my eldest son upon the throne and lead the pure life of a royal ṛṣi.’

“Thereupon King Mahādeva summoned his son by messenger and said, ‘Understand, my son, [F.54.a] that white hairs are growing on my head and thus a divine messenger has appeared. Since I have enjoyed human desires, it is time for me to seek divine desires. I will now put you upon the throne and lead the pure life of a royal ṛṣi. My son, I will entrust you with the land as far as the seashore, so you should protect it lawfully, not unlawfully. If someone’s conduct is unlawful or a mixture of lawful and unlawful, do not let him live in your country.

“ ‘My son, when you too find a white hair growing on your head and a divine messenger has thus appeared, you should put your eldest son upon the throne and lead the pure life of a royal ṛṣi, too. Thus, my son, you should complete this virtuous and sure path introduced by me and you should not break the tradition. Do not be an inferi or man.

“ ‘My son, he who does not allow such a virtuous and sure path of good men born to a noble lineage to increase, once introduced, will be the one who breaks their tradition and be an inferior man among them. Therefore, I now said, “Complete such a virtuous and sure path of good men born to a noble lineage introduced by me. You should not break the tradition. Do not be an inferior man.” ’

“Thereupon King Mahādeva put his eldest son upon the throne and led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in the mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā.199

“Ānanda, the eldest son whom King Mahādeva put upon the throne was also named Mahādeva, a wheel-turning king who had conquered the border regions in the four directions . . . . Then, when the barber who used to cut King Mahādeva’s hair and beard was arranging . . . . ‘Do not be an inferior man.’ [F.54.b] Thereupon King Mahādeva put his eldest son upon the throne and led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in the mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā.

“Ānanda, his son, grandson, great-grandson, great-great-grandson, and so on, followed likewise, and eighty-four thousand Mahādevas led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in this very mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā.200

“The last of the line was a king named Nimi, a righteous Dharma king, a great king who abided in the Dharma. With his consort, sons, ministers, army, citizens, and provincial dwellers, he practiced the Dharma, gave donations, made merit, abided in abstinence, and practiced moral conduct correctly.

“At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Gods, praised the king in the presence of the Thirty-Three Gods, who were sitting together in the divine meeting hall Sudharmā: ‘O my friends, the people of Videha have attained a great boon, for Nimi, the king of the people of Videha, is a righteous Dharma king, a great king who abides in the Dharma. He, with his consort … practices moral conduct correctly. O my friends, do you want to see King Nimi?’

“ ‘O Kauśika, we sincerely wish to do so.’

“ ‘Then, my friends, you wait here. I will see King Nimi briefly.’

“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, disappeared from the Thirty-Three Gods’ divine meeting hall Sudharmā, as quickly as a strong man stretches his bent arm or bends his stretched arm, and sat in King Nimi’s palace in Mithilā. He said, ‘O Nimi, you [F.55.a] have attained a great boon, for the Thirty-Three Gods, sitting together in the divine meeting hall Sudharmā, have praised you: “O my friends, the people of Videha . . . . He … practices moral conduct correctly.” O Nimi, do you want to go see the Thirty-Three Gods?’

“ ‘O Kauśika, I do wish to go see the Thirty-Three Gods.’

“ ‘Then, Nimi, wait here. I will shortly send you a chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses. You should ride in it and come without fear.’

“ ‘I shall do so,’ replied King Nimi to Śakra, Lord of the Gods.

“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, went to the Thirty-Three Gods and ordered Mātali, the charioteer, ‘Mātali, go and very quickly prepare a chariot with a thousand fine horses. Go to King Nimi and say, “O Nimi, this is the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses sent to you by Śakra, Lord of the Gods. Ride in it and come without fear.” ’201

“ ‘O Kauśika, what you said is excellent,’ replied the charioteer Mātali to Śakra, Lord of the Gods. He very quickly prepared a chariot with a thousand fine horses and went to King Nimi. Upon his arrival, he said, ‘O Nimi, this is the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses sent to you by Śakra, Lord of the Gods. Ride in it and come without fear.’

“Ānanda, King Nimi did ride the chariot drawn by a thousand fine horses without fear. Then the charioteer Mātali asked King Nimi, ‘O Nimi, along which side shall I drive your chariot, the side where beings of evil actions experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous actions, or the side where beings of virtuous actions experience [F.55.b] the maturation of virtuous actions?’

“ ‘In this case, Mātali, drive the chariot in a way that will enable me to see both, the side where beings of evil actions experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous actions and the side where beings of virtuous actions experience the maturation of virtuous actions.’

“Thereupon the charioteer Mātali drove King Nimi’s chariot in a way that enabled King Nimi to see both, the side where beings of evil actions experience the maturation of evil and nonvirtuous actions and the side where beings of virtuous actions experience the maturation of virtuous actions.

“Ānanda, King Nimi went to the Thirty-Three Gods and sat in the Thirty-Three Gods’ divine meeting hall Sudharmā. Śakra, Lord of the Gods, offered half of his seat to King Nimi. King Nimi and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, sat on the two halves of the same seat.

“Ānanda, when King Nimi and Śakra, Lord of the Gods, sat on the two halves of the same seat, there was no difference, no distinction, and no contrast between them, except that Śakra, Lord of the Gods, did not blink his eyes.202

“Thereupon Śakra, Lord of the Gods, said to King Nimi, ‘O Nimi, you should stay here. Nimi, amuse yourself. Play, amuse yourself, and enjoy yourself, enjoying the objects of the five kinds of desires.’

“At that time, King Nimi spoke these verses:

“Ānanda, if you think that the one who was at that time, on that occasion, King Mahādeva, who entered that virtuous and sure path, and after whose entrance onto that virtuous and sure path eighty-four thousand Mahādevas led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in this very mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā, was someone else, you should think otherwise. Why?

“Ānanda, I myself was at that time, on that occasion, King Mahādeva, who introduced that virtuous and sure path, after whose introduction of that virtuous and sure path eighty-four thousand Mahādevas led the pure life of a royal ṛṣi in this very mango grove of Mahādeva in Mithilā.203 Why?

“Ānanda, at that time I had desire, anger, and delusion. I had not been liberated from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, and distress. I had not been liberated from suffering,” said the Blessed One.

“Ānanda, now I, after appearing in this world as a teacher, a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a sugata, a world-knowing, supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a blessed one, have become free from desire, anger, and delusion. Thus I have been liberated from birth, old age, illness, death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, and distress,” said the Blessed One.

“Ānanda, now I, depending on that virtuous and sure path introduced by me, will liberate beings, who are by nature subject to birth, from being by nature subject to birth. I will liberate beings, who are by nature subject to old age, illness, death, [F.56.b] sorrow, lamentation, pain, despair, and distress, from being by nature subject to … distress. What is that virtuous and sure path onto which I entered, on which I depended, and by which I will liberate beings, who are by nature subject to birth … distress, from being by nature subject to … distress? It is the eightfold path of the noble ones, namely, right view, right thought, right speech, right behavior, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. This is that virtuous and sure path onto which I entered, on which I depended, and by which I will liberate beings, who are by nature subject to birth … distress, from being by nature subject to … distress.204

“Ānanda, you should also thus complete this virtuous and sure path introduced by me and you should not break the tradition. Do not be an inferior man.

“Ānanda, he who does not allow such a virtuous and sure path of good disciples born to a noble lineage to increase, once introduced, will be the one who breaks their tradition and an inferior man among them. Therefore, I said, ‘Complete such a virtuous and sure path of good disciples born to a noble lineage that has been introduced by me. Do not break the tradition. Do not be an inferior man.’ ”

Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Videha.”206

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

Thereupon the Blessed One, having arrived in Videha, smiled [F.57.a] in a certain place in Videha … the seat of four buddhas207 . . . . After sitting for a moment, he said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Sālā.”

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

The Blessed One, traveling through the country of Vṛji, arrived in Sālā and stayed near a village of brahmins there. Then, early in the morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Sālā for alms.

Māra the Evil One then had a thought: “This śramaṇa Gautama stayed near a village of brahmins in Sālā. Early in the morning he dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Sālā for alms. Now I will exercise my magical power over the brahmins and householders in Sālā so that after the śramaṇa Gautama has entered Sālā for alms, carrying his washed bowl with him, he will return with his bowl as it is, without getting even a scrap of food.”

Thereupon Māra the Evil One exercised his magical power over the brahmins and householders in Sālā so that after the Blessed One entered