The Chapter on Medicines
Chapter Six

In Icchānaṅgalā, the Blessed One stayed in the Icchānaṅgalā Forest. At one point the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, I will go into seclusion here for three months.239 No monks should come to me except when someone brings me almsfood or when it is the day of poṣadha, which is held every fifteen days.”

And so the Blessed One did go into seclusion there for three months. No monks came to him except when a monk brought him almsfood or when it was the day of poṣadha, which is held every fifteen days. Thereupon the Blessed One, having spent the three months, 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, if non-Buddhist ascetics or wandering mendicants approach you and ask, ‘In what state did the śramaṇa Gautama go into seclusion here for three months?’ you should answer those who ask, ‘He dwelt in breathing in and breathing out.’

“Why? Monks, I was in seclusion here for three months in the state of being mindful of breathing in and breathing out. Whenever I breathed in, I knew that I was breathing in exactly as I was. Whenever I breathed out, I knew that I was breathing out exactly as I was. While perfectly aware of long and short breaths and the whole body, whenever I breathed in, I knew, while perfectly aware of the whole body, that I was breathing in exactly as I was. While perfectly aware of the whole body, [F.63.a] whenever I breathed out, I knew, while perfectly aware of the whole body, that I was breathing out exactly as I was. Having made supple the bodily formations, whenever I breathed in and, having made supple the bodily formations, I breathed out, I knew that I breathed in and breathed out exactly as I did . . . .240 I knew, observing cessation, that I breathed out exactly as I did.

“Monks, about this I thought, ‘Since this is a coarse and fabricated state, now I will go beyond that state and abandon it, and abide in subtler and subtler states again and again.’ Having gone beyond that state and abandoned it, I abided in these subtler and subtler states again and again.

“Thereupon three gods came to me. When they arrived, one of the gods said, ‘The śramaṇa Gautama is dead.’

“The second god said, ‘He is not dead but dying.’

“The third god said, ‘He is neither dead nor dying; the state of arhats is tranquil like this.’

“Monks, suppose one correctly speaks of the state of a noble one, the state of a god, the state of Brahmā, and the state of a practitioner having completed the training, which are the same as the state of the Tathāgata. Practitioners undergoing training enter into that state in order to obtain what they have not obtained, realize what they have not realized, and actualize what they have not actualized. Practitioners having completed the training enter into that state in order to abide in happiness in this present life.

“When one thus speaks correctly, [F.63.b] one speaks of abiding in mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out. Why? Monks, abiding in mindfulness of breathing in and breathing out is the state of a noble one . . . . Practitioners having completed the training enter into that state in order to abide in happiness in this present life.”241

The Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kosala, arrived in Icchānaṅgalā and stayed in the Icchānaṅgalā Forest near Icchānaṅgalā.243

At that time a brahmin named Pauṣkarasāri was given tribute along with gifts for brahmins in the form of roots, trees, and water by King Prasenajit of Kosala, and he was enjoying the wealth of the whole of Utkaṭā. There was a disciple of the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri named Ambāṣṭha, who was learned and spoke clearly and fluently. He was teaching brahmanical mantras to five hundred young brahmins, who were also disciples of the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri.

The brahmin Pauṣkarasāri heard thus: “The śramaṇa Gautama, a son of the Śākyans, one who went forth from his home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes, was awakened to complete and supreme awakening. The great virtue, fame, renown, and praise of that honorable Gautama are known in all directions. Thus, the Blessed One Gautama is 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, a buddha, and a blessed one. Having in this life, by his own supernormal knowledge, actualized [F.64.a] and accomplished awakening, he announced to the world with its gods, Māra, Brahmā, people such as śramaṇas and brahmins, and beings such as gods and humans: ‘My defilements 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.’ It appears even in the mantras:244 ‘There are no other ways for a great man possessing those thirty-two marks of a great man besides these two ways: If he lives at home, he becomes a wheel-turning king who conquers the border regions in the four directions, is a righteous Dharma king, and attains the seven treasures. His seven treasures are as follows: the precious chakra, elephant, horse, jewel, woman, householder, and minister. He has a thousand sons who are brave, bold, and endowed with excellent physiques, and who will defeat the enemy’s army. He conquers the land entirely, as far as the seashore, without risking harm, without violence, without punishment or weapons, but in accordance with the Dharma and impartially. If, however, he goes forth from his home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes, he will achieve renown in the world as a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one.’ He, the śramaṇa Gautama, having traveled through the country of Kosala, has arrived in Icchānaṅgalā and is staying in the Icchānaṅgalā Forest near Icchānaṅgalā.”

When he heard that, the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri said to the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, “Ambāṣṭha, did you know? I have heard thus: ‘The śramaṇa Gautama, a son of the Śākyans, one who went forth from his home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes … announced: “. . . . The pure life has been lived.” I discovered it in the mantras: [F.64.b] “There are no other ways for a great man possessing those thirty-two marks of a great man besides these two ways: If he lives at home, he becomes a wheel-turning king who conquers the border regions in the four directions, is a righteous Dharma king … he will achieve renown in the world . . . .” This very man, having traveled through the country of Kosala, has arrived in Icchānaṅgalā and is staying in the Icchānaṅgalā Forest near Icchānaṅgalā.’ Now, young brahmin, go to the honorable Gautama and confirm for yourself whether the great virtue, fame, renown, and praise of that honorable Gautama, which are known in all directions, are true or not, and whether his famous marks are real or not.”

The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha accepted the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri’s order. With many elder brahmins from Utkaṭā, he left Utkaṭā and went to the Blessed One. When he arrived, he sat down to one side. Then the many elder brahmins from Utkaṭā, face to face with the Blessed One, made plenty of pleasant and joyful conversation, and then sat down to one side. When they had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the many elder brahmins from Utkaṭā. While the Blessed One was giving a talk consistent with the Dharma to the many elder brahmins from Utkaṭā, the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha walked around in his shoes. Haughty [F.65.a] and arrogant, he suddenly started to speak‍—he did not wait until the Blessed One had finished speaking, and was thinking of talking back.245

The Blessed One then asked the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, “Young brahmin, do you speak suddenly and in such a way with brahmins who are familiar with the three Vedas?”

“How do you mean, śramaṇa Gautama?”

“While the Tathāgata was giving a talk consistent with the Dharma to the many elder brahmins from Utkaṭā, you were walking around in your shoes. Haughty and arrogant, you suddenly started to speak, did not wait until I had finished speaking, and were thinking of talking back.”

“Śramaṇa Gautama, walking brahmins rightly speak with walking brahmins, standing ones with standing ones, sitting ones with sitting ones, reclining ones with reclining ones. As for shaven-headed śramaṇas, friends of darkness, and the unmarried, it is appropriate that I speak suddenly in this way, as I do now with the honorable Gautama.”

“Young brahmin, if you have come here seeking something, you, behaving in such a way, are no one but a person who has not properly served. The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha seems not to have properly served teachers.”

The Blessed One having rebuked the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha with the words “has not properly served,” Ambāṣṭha was then enraged, angry, furious,246 and displeased. He wanted to talk back to the Blessed One, insult him, and quarrel with him.247 Thinking, “This will be enough to talk back to the śramaṇa Gautama, insult him, quarrel with him, and teach him a lesson,” he said to the Blessed One, “Hey, Gautama, these Śākyans are menials indeed.248 Since they come from a family of menials, they do not respect, esteem, and venerate brahmins.”

“Young brahmin, what harm did the Śākyans do to you?”

“Gautama, once before, [F.65.b] I went on foot to the city of Kapilavastu on my own business and that of my teacher. There the Śākyan men and women, who were on the terrace, pointed at me. Saying, ‘Oh! It is the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, disciple of the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri. It is the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, disciple of the brahmin Pauṣkarasāri,’ they pointed at me without respecting, esteeming, or venerating me.”

“Young brahmin, even swallows, which are little birds, twitter however they like when they are249 in their own nests, let alone the Śākyans. Young brahmin, that Kapilavastu is the city of the Śākyans.”

“Gautama, the castes are these four: brahmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra. Gautama, these four castes respect, esteem, and venerate brahmins. But these Śākyans are menials indeed. Since they come from a family of menials, they do not respect, esteem, and venerate brahmins.”

Then the Blessed One thought, “Ah, this young brahmin Ambāṣṭha excessively criticizes the Śākyans with the word menials, saying, ‘Oh! The Śākyans are menials. Oh! The Śākyans are menials.’ Now I will examine the origin of his family.”

The Blessed One then did examine the origin of the family of the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha. He knew that the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha was a descendant of a female slave of the Śākyans and that the Śākyans were sons of his masters. The Blessed One then asked the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, “Ambāṣṭha, what is your family?”

“Gautama, it is Kāṇvāyana.”

“Young brahmin, here I examined the origin of your family and [F.66.a] found that you were the son of a female slave of the Śākyans.”

Then the elder brahmins from Utkaṭā said to the Blessed One, “Hey, Gautama, you should not criticize the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha with the words ‘son of a slave woman.’ Why? The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha is learned and speaks clearly and fluently. The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha can answer the honorable Gautama about this matter, according to the doctrine.”

“Brahmins, if you think that the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha can answer me according to the doctrine, you should be silent and let the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha answer me about this matter, according to the doctrine. If you do not think that the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha can answer me about this matter according to the doctrine, the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha should be silent, and you should answer me about this matter, according to the doctrine.”

“O Gautama, the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha himself is learned and speaks clearly and fluently. The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha can answer the honorable Gautama about this matter, according to the doctrine, and others cannot.”

The Blessed One then recounted to the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha,250 “Young brahmin, once there was a king named Ikṣuvāku. King Ikṣuvāku had four sons: Ulkāmukha, Karakarṇī, Hastiniyaṃsa, and Nūpuraka. That King Ikṣuvāku banished them for a certain sin. Each taking a sister along with him, they went to other countries, other lands. In due course they arrived beside the Himalaya, on the banks of the Bhāgīrathī River.251 Each of them built his hut near the ṛṣi Kapila’s hermitage and married his half sister by a different mother. They had sons and daughters. Later, King Ikṣuvāku remembered these four sons and asked his ministers, ‘Where are my four sons now?’

“The ministers answered, ‘Your Majesty’s four sons were banished by Your Majesty for a certain sin. They are now in another country, beside the Himalaya, on the banks of the Bhāgīrathī River, and have sons and daughters.’252

“King Ikṣuvāku then asked the ministers, ‘Hey, leaders, [F.66.b] are my sons able to do that?’

“ ‘Yes, they are, Your Majesty.’

“Then King Ikṣuvāku stretched his upper body, raised his right hand, and spoke an inspired utterance: ‘Ah, my sons are able.’

“They were renowned as beings with great power. Since the king uttered the words ‘my sons are able (śākya),’ they were named Śākya. Young brahmin, have you heard that the Śākyans were born from them, their origin is them, and their ancestors are them?”

“Gautama, I have heard that the Śākyans were born from them, their origin is them, and their ancestors are them.”

“Young brahmin, there was a female slave of King Ikṣuvāku named Diśikā, who was beautiful, pleasant to behold, and attractive. She lived with a ṛṣi from a mātaṅga family. Since the two lived together, a son was born. As soon as he was born, the son spoke these words: ‘Mother, please wipe me, wash me, and free me from dirty things immediately.’

“At that time people called fiends kāṇvāyanas. When, as soon as he was born, the son spoke the words ‘Mother, please wipe me, wash me, and free me from dirty things immediately,’ his mother exclaimed, ‘Ah, a kāṇvāyana is born!’ Thus, he was named Kāṇvāyana. Young brahmin, have you heard that the Kāṇvāyanas were born from him, their origin is him, and their ancestor is him?”

Being thus asked, the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha remained silent. The Blessed One asked the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha a second and a third time, “Young brahmin, have you heard that the Kāṇvāyanas were born from him, their origin is him, and their ancestor is him?”

The young brahmin Ambāṣṭha remained silent a second and a third time.

Then the yakṣa Vajrapāṇi raised [F.67.a] a vajra, which was blazing, fully blazing, thoroughly blazing, and blazing like a single tongue of flame, above the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha’s head, thinking, “If the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, having heard the Blessed One ask him three times, does not answer, I will smash his head into seven pieces with this vajra, which is blazing, fully blazing, thoroughly blazing, blazing like a single tongue of flame.”253

The Blessed One saw the yakṣa Vajrapāṇi, and the brahmin Ambāṣṭha, by the Buddha’s power, also saw him. Then the brahmin Ambāṣṭha was frightened, terrified, dejected, and, with the hair in all the pores of his body standing on end, admitted to the Blessed One, “Gautama, I have heard that the Kāṇvāyanas were born from him, their origin is him, and their ancestor is him.”

Then the elder brahmins from Utkaṭā thought,254 “The Honored One Gautama said that the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha was the son of a female slave of the Śākyans and the Śākyans were sons of Ambāṣṭha’s masters. If this is true, we will no longer doubt what the honorable Gautama says.”

The Blessed One then said to the elder brahmins from Utkaṭā, “You should not excessively criticize the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha with the words ‘son of a slave woman.’ Why? He was at that time a ṛṣi of great magical power and dignity. He punished King Ikṣuvāku for a certain sin. When he was punished with the punishment for a brahmin, King Ikṣuvāku was frightened, terrified, dejected, and, with the hair in all the pores of his body standing on end, held with his left hand his eldest daughter adorned with every ornament and with his right hand a golden pitcher. Although he offered her as wife to the ṛṣi, the ṛṣi did not accept her.”

Then, because the Blessed One [F.67.b] had said to the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha that he was the son of a female slave, the young brahmin was upset, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging, ashamed, and in despair, and he remained silent.255

Thereupon the Blessed One thought, “Since I said that he was the son of a female slave, this young brahmin Ambāṣṭha is upset, his shoulders drooping and his head hanging, ashamed, and in despair, and he is silent. Now I will make conversation with him.” He then said to the young brahmin Ambāṣṭha, “Young brahmin, if, for instance, the son of a kṣatriya and the daughter of a brahmin live together, and, having lived together, a son is born, is the son given a seat, water, mantra, or teaching by brahmins?”

“Gautama, he is.”

“Do kṣatriyas anoint him as a kṣatriya?”

“Gautama, they do. Why? Because he is a son of their brother, kṣatriyas anoint their nephew.”256

“Young brahmin, if, for instance, the son of a brahmin and the daughter of a kṣatriya live together, and, having lived together, a son is born, is the son given a seat, water, mantra, or teaching by brahmins?”

“Gautama, he is.”

“Do kṣatriyas anoint him as a kṣatriya?”

“Gautama, they do. Why? Because he is their nephew, kṣatriyas anoint their nephew.”257 258

“Young brahmin, if, for instance, the son of a kṣatriya is banished by kṣatriyas for a certain sin, is he given a seat, water, mantra, or teaching by brahmins?”

“Gautama, he is.”

“Do kṣatriyas anoint him as a kṣatriya?”

“Gautama, they do. Why? Because he is their kinsman, kṣatriyas anoint their kinsman.” [F.68.a]

“Young brahmin, if, for instance, the son of a brahmin is banished by brahmins for a certain sin, is he given a seat, water, mantra, or teaching by brahmins?”

“Gautama, he is not.”

“Do kṣatriyas anoint him as a kṣatriya?”

“Gautama, they do not. Why? Because he is a brahmin caṇḍāla, kṣatriyas do not anoint a brahmin caṇḍāla.”

“Young brahmin, therefore, the family of kṣatriyas is the best in birth, family, and race, not the family of brahmins. Young brahmin, Brahmā, the ruler of the Sahā World, spoke a verse:259

“Young brahmin, the verse spoken by Brahmā, the ruler of the Sahā World, which says:

“is not a faulty saying but a good saying; it’s not a faulty statement but a good statement. Why? I also say: