The Hundred Deeds
Part Ten

Among the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three it is Śakra, King of the Gods, who reigns over the kingdom of the thirty-three gods. Five signs customarily appear when gods near the time of their death and transmigration: (1) Deities are illuminated from within, but at that time this light dwindles. (2) The clothing and ornaments of the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, as well as the branches of flowers and fruit that adorn their clothing, normally make very pleasant sounds when shaken by the wind, but at that time the sounds become unpleasant. (3) Deities’ clothing is soft to the touch, but at that time their clothing becomes very coarse. (4) No odor can cling to the body of a god, but at that time their bodies begin to reek. (5) Deities’ eyes never close, but at that time their eyes close.

As gods approach the time of their death and transmigration, secondary signs also begin to appear: whereas before no odor could cling to their clothing, their clothing begins to reek; whereas before their garlands of flowers could not wilt, they begin to wilt; a foul smell comes over their bodies; perspiration starts to come from both of their armpits; and as they near death and transmigration, they no longer wish to sit upon their thrones.

So it was that one day the secondary signs began to appear on Śakra, King of the Gods. He noticed the secondary signs coming on, and upon noticing them, was immediately horrified. He thought, “To whom can I go for refuge who could prevent me from dying and transmigrating from my current state?”

The young demigoddess Śacī said, “Kauśika, you should go to Jambudvīpa and ask those among the ascetics and brahmins who are of a virtuous nature how to prevent yourself from dying and transmigrating from your current state. Seek refuge in them.”

No sooner had Śakra, King of the Gods, heard this than he [F.73.b] and the young demigoddess Śacī disappeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and traveled to Jambudvīpa, where they approached the ascetics and brahmins and others and asked, “How can one prevent the death and transmigration of a god?”

“Who are you?” they asked in reply.

“I am Śakra, King of the Gods,” he said.

Overcome with joy and elation they said, “What a great boon for us! Śakra, King of the Gods, has come to see us!” And they went to him for refuge.

In despair, Śakra, King of the Gods thought, “I came here seeking refuge, wishing to ask them a question, and instead they took refuge in me. What need is there to put my question to these ascetics and brahmins now?” and he abandoned the hope he had in them.

Now on that occasion the Bodhisattva was in the Tuṣita Heaven observing the world by means of the four observations, and he addressed all six classes of beings in the desire realms, saying, “Friends, this evening I shall take birth in Jambudvīpa, where I shall satiate living beings with the nectar of immortality. Let those among you who wish for this nectar also take birth in Jambudvīpa. There I shall grant a share of nectar to you.”

Then the Bodhisattva reincarnated in his mother’s womb, and Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “What need is there for me to offer the ascetics and brahmins my help and respect? This bodhisattva has reincarnated in his mother’s womb. After he is born he will realize the nectar of immortality‍—let me then offer him my help and respect.” He sent four gods to be the Bodhisattva’s protectors. From time to time he himself [F.74.a] went to protect the Bodhisattva, and when the Bodhisattva was born it was Śakra himself who gathered him up in his arms.

When the Bodhisattva grew up, became disillusioned with saṃsāra, and began making efforts in renunciation. Śakra also traveled to the Bodhimaṇḍa to protect him. When the Bodhisattva had achieved unexcelled wisdom, tamed a first and then a second group of five, tamed fifty upper-class village boys and the group known as the Good,204 established Nandā and Nandabalā in the truths, caused Uruvilvā Kāśyapa and Nadī Kāśyapa to go forth, displayed three miracles upon traveling to Gayā, and in Bamboo Grove placed in the truths King Bimbisāra and eighty thousand gods, as well as the brahmins of Magadha and thousands upon thousands of householders, Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “This is still not a good time for me to ask the Blessed One my question.” After the Blessed One had placed King Bimbisāra in the truths, traveled to Rājagṛha, and accepted Bamboo Grove, he caused Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana to go forth, spreading the doctrine.

The blessed buddhas, teachers of the one path to be traversed, with mastery over wisdom and the two types of knowable objects, in command of the three kinds of sterling equanimity, fearless by means of the fourfold fearlessness, freed from migration through the five destinies, keen in the six sense bases, practiced in the seven limbs of enlightenment, focused on the eight liberations, absorbed in the nine successive meditative absorptions, possessing all ten of the ten powers, whose proclamations are the great roaring of a perfect lion, by nature regard the world with their buddha eyes six times throughout the day and night‍—three times by day and three times by night. [F.74.b]

These are their thoughts as they look out in wisdom: “Who is in decline? Who will flourish? Who is destitute? Who is in a dreadful state? Who is being harmed? Who is destitute, in a dreadful state, and being harmed? Who is veering toward the lower realms? Who is descending through the lower realms? Who has descended to the lower realms? Whom shall I pull up from the lower realms, and establish in the resultant state of heaven and liberation? Whom, mired in misdeeds, shall I lift up by the hand? Whom, lacking the seven jewels of the noble ones, shall I lead to command of the seven jewels of the noble ones? Whom, not having produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to produce them? Whom, having already produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to ripen their roots of virtue? Whom, having already ripened their roots of virtue, shall I slice open with the blade of wisdom? For whom shall I cause this world, adorned with a buddha’s presence, to be fruitful?”

The Blessed One thought, “I must establish Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of eighty thousand attendants in the truths.” With this thought he disappeared from Rājagṛha and traveled to Indra’s cave on Mount Videha, south of Rājagṛha and north of a brahmin village called Mango Forest. As the Blessed One entered into equipoise on the element of fire, Śakra, King of the Gods, thought, “Now the time has come for me to ask the Blessed One my question.”

His suite of eighty thousand divine attendants, the young demigoddess Śacī, and the young gandharva Pañcaśikha all disappeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-Three and came to sit upon Mount Videha. Then, by the power of the bodily presence of Śakra, King of the Gods, and that of the other thousands of demigods, great rays of light spread all over Mount Videha.

Śakra, King of the Gods, entered Indra’s cave, [F.75.a] and upon entering, saw the Blessed One sitting in equipoise on the element of fire. Upon seeing him he thought, “The Blessed Buddha has entered into equipoise on the element of fire‍—the time has not yet come for me to go to the Blessed One and offer my help and respect.”

For a moment he sat without saying anything, then he said to the young gandharva Pañcaśikha, “Pañcaśikha, child, could you cause the Blessed One to stir? If you do so, it will be easy for us to go to the Blessed One and offer our help and respect.”

“Yes, Kauśika, I believe I could,” Pañcaśikha replied.

Taking up a guitar of beryl, with a suite of five hundred attendants he approached the Blessed One. He bid the Blessed One to stir with verses worthy of the Lord and worthy of the arhats. Then Pañcaśikha returned to Śakra, King of the Gods, and said to him, “The Blessed One stirs, Kauśika. The time has come for you to go see the Blessed One and to offer him your help and respect.”

The Blessed One thought, “Alas, this cave is very narrow, and that god’s suite of attendants is very large. I will perform a miracle that causes Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of attendants to be easily accommodated, that they might sit and listen to the Dharma.” Then the Blessed One performed a miracle that caused Indra’s cave to be large and open.

Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of eighty thousand divine attendants, the young demigoddess Śacī, and the young gandharva Pañcaśikha all approached the Blessed One. Upon their arrival they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and sat before him to listen to the Dharma.

Śakra, King of the Gods, shared the story of his previous exploits with the Blessed One, and then asked his question: “Lord, what are the fetters of gods, humans, [F.75.b] demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, or those with any other kind of bodily form?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “envy and avarice are what binds the gods, humans, demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, and those with any other kind of bodily form. They don’t think, ‘I should live without resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.’ Instead they live in resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.”

“Lord, so it is,” said Śakra. “It is just as you say. Envy and avarice are what binds the gods, humans, demigods, nāgas, garuḍas, gandharvas, and those with any other kind of bodily forms. They don’t think, ‘I should live without resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.’ Instead they live in resentment, enmity, ill will, strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After he heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, Śakra, King of the Gods, praised what the Blessed One said, [F.76.a] rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what are envy and avarice founded? What is their origin? What are their aspects? Whence are they born? What must be present for envy and avarice to arise? What must be absent for envy and avarice not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “envy and avarice are founded on affinity and antipathy. Affinity and antipathy are their origins. Affinity and antipathy are their aspects. They are born from affinity and antipathy. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Envy and avarice are founded on affinity and antipathy. Affinity and antipathy are their origins. Affinity and antipathy are their aspects. They are born from affinity and antipathy. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he rejoiced and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what are affinity and antipathy founded? What is their origin? What are their aspects? Whence are they born? What must be present for affinity and antipathy to arise? What must be absent for affinity and antipathy not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, [F.76.b] “affinity and antipathy are founded on craving. Craving is their origin. Craving is their aspect. They are born from craving. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Affinity and antipathy are founded on craving. Craving is their origin. Craving is their aspect. They are born from craving. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what is craving founded? What is its origin? What are its aspects? Whence is it born? What must be present for craving to arise? What must be absent for craving not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “craving is founded on thought construction. Thought construction is its origin. Thought construction is its aspect. It is born from thought construction. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra agreed. “Craving is founded on thought construction. Thought construction is its origin. Thought construction is its aspect. Of thought construction it is born. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After [F.77.a] Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, on what is thought construction founded? What is its origin? What are its aspects? Whence is it born? What must be present for thought construction to arise? What must be absent for thought construction not to arise?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “thought construction is founded on discursive elaboration. Discursive elaboration is its origin. Discursive elaboration is its aspect. It is born from discursive elaboration. Where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise.

“Kauśika, accordingly, where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is thought construction, craving will arise. Where there is craving, affinity and antipathy will arise. Where there is affinity and antipathy, envy and avarice will arise. Where there is envy and avarice, there will be cudgels hefted, weapons taken up, strife, reproof, conflict, contention, cunning, deceit, retribution, lies disseminated, and many such nonvirtuous, sinful things. Thus does this entire great heap of suffering arise.

“Accordingly, where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise. Where there is no thought construction, craving will not arise. Where there is no craving, affinity and antipathy will not arise. Where there is neither affinity nor antipathy, envy and avarice will not arise. When there is no envy and avarice, the hefting of cudgels, the taking up of weapons, strife, reproof, war, contention, cunning, deceit, retribution, the dissemination of lies, and any such nonvirtuous, sinful dharmas all will cease. Thus does this entire great heap of suffering cease.”

“Lord, so it is,” Śakra, [F.77.b] King of the Gods, agreed. “It is just as you say. Thought construction is founded on discursive elaboration. Discursive elaboration is its origin. Discursive elaboration is its aspect. It is born from discursive elaboration. Where there is discursive elaboration, thought construction will arise. Where there is no discursive elaboration, thought construction will not arise. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised what the Blessed One said, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, it is said that there is a path to stopping discursive elaboration. Lord, what is the path to stopping discursive elaboration? What is the path that, if the ordained set out upon it, will stop discursive elaboration?”

“Kauśika,” The Blessed One replied, “the path that stops discursive elaboration is the noble eightfold path, namely, right view, right understanding, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right meditation. This is called the path that stops discursive elaboration. The ordained who enter it are known as those who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “They are known as those who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration. I have understood the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, had heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised the Blessed One’s words, rejoiced, and asked [F.78.a] the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, is there something that is the causal attribute of the prātimokṣa vows taken by the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “there are six causal attributes of the prātimokṣa vows taken by the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration. They are (1) the forms perceived by the eyes, (2) the sounds perceived by the ears, (3) the smells perceived by the nose, (4) the tastes perceived by the tongue, (5) the tangible objects perceived by the body, and (6) the mental phenomena perceived by the mind.

“Kauśika, I have said, ‘There are two types of forms that are perceived by the eyes‍—those that are trustworthy and those that are not trustworthy.’ I have said, ‘Any form perceived by the eyes that I have recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to is surely to be abandoned.’ And I have also said, ‘Any form perceived by the eyes that is suitable to adopt and adhere is to be trusted.’ Thus has the Tathāgata taught, knowing when the time is right for clarification on these.

“In the same way, I have also said, ‘There are two types of sounds perceived by the ears, smells perceived by the nose, tastes perceived by the tongue, tangible objects perceived by the body, and phenomena perceived by the mind‍—those that are trustworthy, and those that are not trustworthy.’ I have also said about these, ‘One should absolutely and surely abandon mental phenomena known by mind that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to.’ I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the right time to teach what should be adopted at any occasion, phenomena known by the mind that are suitable to adopt and adhere to should indeed be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’ ” [F.78.b]

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “There are six causal attributes of the prātimokṣa vow taken by the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration. They are (1) the forms perceived by the eyes, (2) the sounds perceived by the ears, (3) the smells perceived by the nose, (4) the tastes perceived by the tongue, (5) the tangible objects perceived by the body, and (6) the phenomena perceived by the mind.

“Regarding those, Lord, you have said, ‘There are two types of forms that are perceived by the eyes‍—those that are trustworthy and those that are not trustworthy.’ You have said, ‘The forms perceived by the eyes that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ You have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the right time to teach what should be adopted at any occasion, phenomena known by the mind that are suitable to adopt and adhere to should be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’ The same applies to the others, up to the mental phenomena perceived by the mind.

“This is the meaning of the Tathāgata’s response, as I understand it. You have said, ‘If one trusts some form perceived by the eyes and nonvirtues multiply and virtues diminish, one should no longer trust such forms perceived by the eyes.’ You have also said, ‘If one trusts some form perceived by the eyes and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, one should then trust such forms perceived by the eyes.’ Likewise you said, ‘If one trusts a certain sound perceived by the ears, a smell perceived by the nose, [F.79.a] a taste perceived by the tongue, a tangible object perceived by the body, or a mental phenomenon perceived by the mind and nonvirtues multiply and virtues diminish, then one should no longer trust such mental phenomena perceived by the mind, nor, likewise, by the others.’ You have also said, ‘If one trusts a certain mental phenomenon perceived by the mind and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, then one should trust such phenomena perceived by the mind.’ I understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, have overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised the Blessed One’s words, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, what are the things that the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration should abandon? What are the things in which those who have gone forth who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration should exert themselves?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “there are three things that the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration should abandon, and three things in which they should exert themselves. They concern how one speaks, thinks, and analyzes.205 As I have said, Kauśika, ‘There are two types of speech‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’ I have said, ‘Utterances that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, utterances that are recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to are to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“As I have said, Kauśika, ‘There are also two types of thought construction‍— [F.79.b] trustworthy and untrustworthy. I have said, ‘Thought constructions and analyses that are unsuitable to be adopted and adhered to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’206 I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the right time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, analyses suitable to adopt and adhere to should be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’ ”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “There are three things that the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration should abandon, and three things in which they should exert themselves. They concern how one speaks, thinks, and analyzes. Lord, you have said, ‘There are two types of speech‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’ You have said, ‘Utterances that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ You have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, utterances that are recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to are to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“Lord, you have said, ‘There are also two types of thought construction and analysis‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’ You have said, ‘Thought constructions and analyses that are unsuitable to be adopted and adhered to should absolutely and surely be abandoned.’ You have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the right time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, analyses suitable to adopt and adhere to should be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“This is the meaning of the Blessed One’s response, as I understand it. You have said, ‘If one trusts some utterance and nonvirtues [F.80.a] multiply and virtues diminish, one should no longer trust such utterances.’ You have also said, ‘If one trusts some utterance and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, one should trust such utterances.’ You have said, ‘If one trusts some thought construction and analysis and nonvirtues multiply and virtues diminish, one should no longer trust such thought constructions and analyses.’ You have said, ‘If one trusts some analysis and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, one should trust such analyses.’ I understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, have overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods heard the Blessed One’s response to his questions, he praised the Blessed One’s words, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One another question.

“Lord, how many of these aspects of the bodies of the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration have you said have two aspects themselves?”

“Kauśika,” The Blessed One replied, “I have said, ‘There are three aspects of the bodies of the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration, each of two different types.’ These are the pleasant body, the unpleasant body, and the neutral body. Kauśika, I have said, ‘There are also two types of pleasant body‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’ I have said, ‘The pleasant body that is recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to is absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, the pleasant body that is recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to [F.80.b] is to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“Kauśika, I have said, ‘There are also two types of unpleasant body and neutral body‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’

“I have said, ‘The unpleasant body and the neutral body that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ I have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted at any occasion, the unpleasant body and the neutral body recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to are to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’ ”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “Lord, you said, ‘There are three aspects of the bodies of the ordained who have entered the path that stops discursive elaboration, each of two different types. These are the pleasant body, the unpleasant body, and the neutral body.’ Lord, you have said, ‘‘The pleasant body that is recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to is absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ You have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, the pleasant body that is recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to is to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“You have said, ‘There are also two types of unpleasant body and neutral body‍—trustworthy and untrustworthy.’ You have said, ‘The unpleasant body and neutral body [F.81.a] that are recognized as unsuitable to adopt and adhere to are absolutely and surely to be abandoned.’ You have also said, ‘Given that the Tathāgata knows the time to teach what should be adopted on any occasion, the unpleasant body and neutral body recognized as suitable to adopt and adhere to are to be adopted by the mindful and vigilantly introspective.’

“This is the meaning of the Blessed One’s response, as I understand it. You have said, ‘If one trusts some pleasant body and nonvirtues multiply and virtues diminish, one should no longer trust such a pleasant body.’ You have also said, ‘If one trusts some pleasant body and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, one should trust such a pleasant body.’ You have said, ‘If one trusts some unpleasant body or neutral body and nonvirtues multiply and virtues diminish, one should no longer trust such an unpleasant body or neutral body.’ You have also said, ‘If one trusts some unpleasant body or neutral body and nonvirtues diminish and virtues multiply, one should trust such an unpleasant body or neutral body.’ I understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, have overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.” [B34]

After Śakra, King of the Gods heard the Blessed One’s response to his question, he praised the Blessed One’s words, [F.81.b] rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One another question.

“Lord, are all beings alike in their desires, cravings, beliefs, and intentions?”

“No, Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “all beings are not alike in their desires, cravings, beliefs, and intentions. Kauśika, beings do not have a single temperament; they have various temperaments. Those who insist that a certain temperament is supreme are utterly convinced of it and act accordingly, thinking, ‘This is the truth. Others are deluded.’

“Kauśika, since it is the case that beings have various different temperaments, then those who insist that a certain temperament is supreme, are utterly convinced of it, and act accordingly should not think, ‘This is the truth. Others are deluded.’ This is because it is on account of beings having various different temperaments that they insist that a certain temperament is supreme, are utterly convinced of it, and act accordingly, thinking, ‘This is the truth. Others are deluded.’

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “All beings are not alike in their desires, cravings, beliefs, and intentions. Lord, beings have various different temperaments. On this account, they insist that a certain temperament is supreme, are utterly convinced of it, and act accordingly, thinking, ‘This is the truth. Others are deluded.’ I understand the meaning the Blessed One’s words, have overcome my doubt, and have no hesitation.”

After Śakra, King of the Gods, [F.82.a] had heard the Blessed One’s response to his question, he praised the Blessed One’s words, rejoiced, and asked the Blessed One other questions.

“Lord, tell me‍—have the ascetics and brahmins all attained the unsurpassed, supreme welfare? Are they all forever free of distorting influences and perfected in their practice of pure conduct?”

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One replied, “the ascetics and brahmins have not all attained the unsurpassed, supreme welfare, nor are they all forever free of distorting influences and perfected in their practice of pure conduct. Only those among the ascetics and brahmins who have exhausted their thirst207 for unexcelled liberation and whose perfect minds are utterly liberated have attained the unsurpassed, supreme welfare, and are forever free of distorting influences and perfected in their practice of pure conduct.”

“Lord, so it is. It is just as you say,” Śakra, King of the Gods, agreed. “The ascetics and brahmins have not all attained the unsurpassed, supreme welfare, nor are they all forever free of distorting influences and perfected in their practice of pure conduct. Only those among the ascetics and brahmins who have exhausted their thirst for208 unexcelled liberation and whose perfect minds are utterly liberated have attained the unsurpassed, supreme welfare, and are forever free of distorting influences and perfected in their practice of pure conduct. I understand the meaning of the Blessed One’s words, have overcome my doubt, have no hesitation, and with this thorn removed, I no longer despair. On this account I shall henceforth never give rise to such thoughts again.

“Lord, because of not having gained any understanding before in specific response to my questions, [F.82.b] after a long time waiting, I have now finally consulted the Blessed One. By means of the words spoken by the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the totally and completely awakened Buddha, the thorn of my doubt and second thoughts has been removed.”

The Blessed One asked him, “Kauśika, do you recall asking such questions of the other ascetics and brahmins?”

Śakra, King of the Gods, replied, “Yes, Lord, I do recall this. At one time the gods gathered and took their seats in the assembly hall of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. They searched for the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the totally and completely awakened Buddha, and not having found the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the totally and completely awakened Buddha, they rose from their seats and went their separate ways, and while the more prominent gods among them remained to search further, the others died, transmigrated, and disappeared.

“Lord, when even those most prominent gods died and transmigrated, I grew panicked and afraid, thinking, ‘Will I too die and transmigrate?’ And wherever I saw ascetics and brahmins living in isolation, thinking that they were the tathāgatas, the arhats, the totally and completely awakened buddhas, I approached them.

“ ‘Who are you?’ they would ask me, and I responded, ‘I am Śakra, King of the Gods.’ Then in joy and gladness they exclaimed, ‘Oh, we have seen Śakra!’ over and over again, and began to ask questions of me, so I did not put my questions to them. They took refuge in me, so I did not take refuge in them.

“From this day forth I am a disciple of the Blessed One. I take my refuge in the Blessed One.

“Kauśika,” the Blessed One asked him, “do you recall ever attaining such a truth, or attaining experiences of such happiness?”

Śakra, King of the Gods, replied, “I recall attaining experiences of happiness. But I can’t recall an experience of attaining the truth. Lord, there was one time when the gods and demigods were waging war on one another, and the gods were victorious and the demigods defeated. Thereupon I thought, ‘Here I am now in the city of the gods. I will gather up all the pleasures of the gods and all the pleasures of the demigods and enjoy them for myself.’ That attainment of happiness came on the heels of war, on the heels of reproof, on the heels of conflict, on the heels of contention. But, Lord, [F.83.b] the achievement of this happiness‍—this vision of truth‍—does not come on the heels of war, nor on the heels of reproof, nor on the heels of conflict, nor on the heels of contention.

“Lord, when I think of the kindness the Blessed One did in bringing me to the Dharma, I think, ‘When I die from here and transmigrate, may I take rebirth in a house equal in fortune to prosperous and wealthy persons of vast and magnificent means with many nice things, belongings, and personal effects; with riches, grain, gold, silver, treasure houses, and multitudes of every type of granary; and with many who are near and dear, friends, siblings, kin, servants both male and female, workers, and others to whom wages are paid.

“ ‘And after I eventually take birth there and my faculties ripen, when I have given gifts and made merit, shaved my head and face, donned the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith gone forth from home to live as a mendicant, Lord, if I am then worthy and receive spiritual instruction, may I practice according to the instruction given. In so doing, if I am worthy, it shall be the end of suffering.’

“And I also think to myself, ‘Should I not receive spiritual instruction, then taking birth in divine form, may my faculties not deteriorate, and my faculties be unimpaired, with all limbs and digits and other parts of the body intact, with a fine complexion, and may I be illuminated from within, travel the sky, and partake of delightful food‍—blessed with delightful food and a long life free of any who would oppose me.’

“Blessed One, I am a stream enterer. Sugata, I am a stream enterer. It is my hope to one day be a once-returner.”

Śakra replied:

When this Dharma teaching had been explained, Śakra, King of the Gods, and his suite of eighty thousand divine attendants were able to see these things unobscured, with the Dharma vision that has no trace of dust or stain with respect to phenomena. And having seen the truths, Śakra died, transmigrated, and took birth again right where he sat.

The Blessed One knew by touching his body that he had died, transmigrated, and taken rebirth without so much as closing his eyes or disappearing. Śakra, King of the Gods, the young demigoddess Śacī, and the others recognized it too, and the young demigoddess Śacī and the others asked Śakra, King of the Gods, “Kauśika, have you died and taken rebirth?”

“Yes, Śacī,” Śakra replied, “and all of you‍—I did die, transmigrate, and take rebirth. I acquired an extension of my lifespan right here where I sit.” [F.84.b]

Now Śakra, King of the Gods, having seen the truths, was jubilant, joyous, and glad. Feeling jubilant, joyous, and glad, he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and told the Blessed One, “Lord, I have become a noble one. I am a noble one. As I come to you for refuge, please accept me as a lay vow holder from this day forth for as long as I live, for I am happy to the depths of my heart.”

Thereupon Śakra, King of the Gods, said to the young gandharva Pañcaśikha, “My boy, you are a great help and a delight to me. It was you who first admonished me to go see the Blessed One. Pañcaśikha, when we reach the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, I shall give to you in marriage the one for whom you have hoped and wished for so long‍—Princess Suprabhā, whom her father, the gandharva king Tumburu, calls ‘sweet one’‍—and you yourself shall assume the throne of your father, lord of the gandharvas.”

Śakra, King of the Gods, then spoke to the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-Three: “My friends, just as I previously did to Sahāṃpati Brahmā throughout the three times, henceforth I shall bow to the Blessed One in the ways I had reserved for Brahmā. Why? Because the Blessed One himself is Brahmā. He has become Brahmā. He is peace. He is serenity.”

Śakra, King of the Gods, and the other gods touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, circumambulated the Blessed One three times, and slowly backed away while continuing to bow down toward the Blessed One. And once he was outside the line of sight, Śakra, King of the Gods, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, knelt down on his right knee, [F.85.a] and said, “I prostrate to the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the totally and completely awakened Buddha,” and disappeared on the spot.

“Lord,” the monks asked the Blessed Buddha, “what action did Śakra, King of the Gods, take that ripened into his becoming a being of great miracles and great power, and such that he pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him? Blessed One, what action did the eighty thousand gods take that ripened into their entrusting themselves to Śakra alone, and that they pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?”

“It came about by the power of their prayers.” replied the Blessed One.

“When did they make these prayers?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One recounted, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as forty thousand years, and the totally and completely awakened buddha possessed of insight and perfect conduct, the sugata, the knower of the world, the tamer of persons, the charioteer, the unsurpassed one, the teacher of humans and gods, the blessed buddha known as Krakucchanda was in the world, the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda achieved unexcelled wisdom and then traveled to the royal palace known as Śobhāvatī.

“At that time King Śobha built five hundred monasteries with six thousand rooms for the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda and offered them to the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda and the saṅgha of his disciples. And after King Śobha had provided them with everything they required, he and his suite of eighty thousand attendants put great effort into venerating the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda and the saṅgha of his disciples.

“When the totally and completely awakened Buddha [F.85.b] Krakucchanda had carried out all the activities of a buddha, he passed beyond all sorrow into the realm of nirvāṇa without any remainder of the aggregates. King Śobha performed veneration rites for the relics of the Blessed One, built a reliquary stūpa complete in every respect, made a large offering to the stūpa, and prayed, ‘By this root of virtue, wherever I am born, may I take birth as a god, a prominent god, a lord among the gods. Should I take birth as a human, may it be as a prominent human, the lord of a human kingdom.’

“The king’s servants saw him praying, and asked, ‘Deva, what is the prayer you are making?’ whereupon he related it all in detail.

“As soon as they heard this, they venerated the stūpa and themselves prayed, ‘By this root of virtue, wherever we are born, may it be into families of great means, prosperity, and wealth. Entrusting ourselves to our king alone, may we please and not displease a teacher just like this one.’

“O monks, what do you think? The one who was King Śobha then is none other than Śakra, King of the Gods. The act of venerating the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda and the saṅgha of his disciples and saying that prayer ripened into his birth as a god, a prominent god, a lord among gods, and such that when he took rebirth as a human, he became a prominent human, lord of a human kingdom.

“Now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda‍—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means‍— [F.86.a] he has pleased me, and not displeased me.

“Those who were the eighty thousand servants are none other than these eighty thousand gods. The act of venerating the totally and completely awakened Buddha Krakucchanda and the saṅgha of his disciples, and saying that prayer, ripened such that wherever they were born, it was into families of great means, prosperity, and wealth, and that by entrusting themselves to Śakra they pleased me, and did not displease me.”

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there lived a certain brahmin. When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and as they enjoyed themselves and coupled, one day his wife conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child.

As he grew up, he studied letters, brahminical customs and conduct, the syllables oṃ and bho, ritual purity, ritual actions, the collection of ashes, holding the ritual vase, the Ṛg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sāma Veda, the Atharva Veda, how to perform sacrificial rites, how to lead others in performing sacrificial rites, how to give and receive offerings, recitation, and recitation instruction. Trained in these procedures, he became a master of the six types of brahminical activities, and in time he mastered the eighteen sciences.

One day his parents died. After their death the young man thought, “According to brahminical custom, one may take a wife after practicing pure conduct for forty-eight years. So I will practice pure conduct for forty-eight years.” He practiced pure conduct for forty-eight years and then took a wife. His wife was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. But she was also adulterous [F.86.b] and lustful. Being with her aged husband did not satisfy her desire, and she looked for another man.

One day she thought, “So long as my husband still lives, I’ll have no opportunity to sleep with another man. I will send him to another land.” She said to the brahmin, “Lord, there’s nothing at all in the house. Why did you make me your wife? Let me go back to my parents’ house. At least there I can get food without much trouble.”

The brahmin said, “Sweet one, don’t be sad. We brahmins can subsist just as well on alms. I will go seek riches in another country, then return.” So he departed, leaving his wife a supply of food.

After he arrived in that other land he came into possession of many gold coins, and as he was carrying them back to Śrāvastī, he was robbed by bandits on the road, and suffered greatly. “If I go home, there will be a great falling out with the brahminī. What a source of livelihood have I relinquished! I’ll just walk into the thick of the forest and die.”

So he walked into the thick of the forest intending to hang himself with a rope from a tree. When he halted there, the Blessed One thought, “This brahmin is acting rashly, for he is to go forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.”

So the Blessed One disappeared from Śrāvastī and traveled to the thick of the forest, where he said to the brahmin, “Brahmin, don’t be rash. I shall give you riches,” and revealed a treasure. “Brahmin, these riches are yours‍—don’t throw away your precious life.” With those words the Blessed One returned [F.87.a] to the monastery.

The brahmin returned home bearing riches. The house prospered, and he began to give gifts and make merit. Then the thought occurred to him, “The ascetic Gautama has been beneficial and comforting211 for me. I will give up living at home to go forth in the presence of the Blessed One.” He gave up household affairs and went to see the Blessed One. Upon his arrival he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet and sat at one side to listen to the Dharma.

The Blessed One directly apprehended his thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperament, capacity, and nature, and taught him the Dharma accordingly. When he heard it, the brahmin destroyed with the thunderbolt of wisdom the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where he sat.

After seeing the truths, he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and requested the Blessed One, “Lord, if permitted I wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete my novitiate, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, I too wish to practice the holy life.”

With the words “Come, join me, monk!” the Blessed One led him to go forth as a novice, conferred on him full ordination, and instructed him. He cast away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, and manifested arhatship.

“Lord,” the monks requested the Blessed Buddha, “tell us why this brahmin, for fear of poverty, was going to kill himself, and the Blessed One presented him with a mountain of riches and established him in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”

“Not only now,” [F.87.b] the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, for fear of poverty this brahmin was going to kill himself, and I gave him a mountain of riches and set him on the path of the ten virtuous actions. Listen well!

“Monks, it took place in times gone by, during King Mahendrasena’s reign in the city of Vārāṇasī. The kingdom was prosperous, flourishing, happy, and well populated. Quarreling and arguments had ceased, there was no fighting or infighting, and there were no robbers, thieves, illness, or famine. Rice, sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo were plentiful. His was a reign in accord with the Dharma. He ruled the kingdom gently and mercifully, as a parent cares for a beloved only child.

“The king was of a loving nature, quite compassionate, loved beings, and delighted in giving. He gave gifts and made merit. He provided for the ascetics, the brahmins, the bereft, and the poor. He prepared a great deal of food and drink and made gifts of it to the creatures who flew through the sky, dwelt in the water, or made their homes in the fields. He set all his people on the path of the ten virtuous actions and promised, ‘From this day forth I shall give all to beings.’

“He ruled the kingdom in accord with the Dharma, so even nonhuman spirits strove to protect and shelter and shield him. From time to time they let fall streams of rain to make the grain crops flourish.

“One of the king’s neighboring kings reigned unrighteously. He tortured the inhabitants of the country, pillorying them and locking them in wooden stocks. The people were continually subjected to heavy taxes, and in their anxiety [F.88.a] they fled to live in King Mahendrasena’s country.

“One day, as the neighboring king was traveling about with a great many ministers surveying the countryside, he saw that all the villages, towns, cities, forest settlements, and marketplaces were empty, and he asked the ministers, ‘Ministers, why is it that we have encountered such an empty land?’

“ ‘Deva,’ the ministers replied, ‘Mahendrasena’s country is prosperous, flourishing, happy, and has good harvests, and most who live there have hardly any taxes to pay, so many have left to go live there.’ As soon as the neighboring king heard this he seethed with anger, arrayed the four divisions of his army, and advanced on King Mahendrasena’s country to wage war.

“Now King Mahendrasena heard that the neighboring king, seething, had arrayed the four divisions of his army and advanced on his country to wage war. Hearing this, he instructed his ministers, ‘I don’t dare engage in wrongdoing for just one lifetime’s sake, so if you don’t wish your country ruin, bow down to this neighboring king. I dare not harm him.’ And he said in verse:

“The ministers thought, ‘This king doesn’t dare kill anyone. It’s not right for us all to perish and to suffer over something so pointless. Better that we all leave him behind instead.’ So they left the king behind, allying themselves with the neighboring king. When King Mahendrasena became aware that his ministers had left him behind, he went to live in the forest, and there [F.88.b] he remained, eating roots and fruit.

“After he had gone, the neighboring king came, assembled the local people, and asked, ‘Where has the king gone?’

“ ‘Deva, he fled,’ the ministers replied. Then the neighboring king brought the country under his control. He divvied up the spoils among the war heroes, laid claim to the kingdom, and remained there.

“Now at that time there lived in a remote mountain village a certain poor brahmin who was destitute of means. Over time he had ever more sons and daughters to feed, and when a famine arose in the land he could not provide for the members of his household. He heard that King Mahendrasena of Vārāṇasī was of a loving nature, quite compassionate, had a love for beings, delighted in giving, and was generous to all. When he heard this he thought, ‘I will seek an audience with him. Perhaps I can get some money from him.’ He went to Vārāṇasī, and there he heard that King Mahendrasena had gone to live in the forest. When the brahmin heard this, he felt greatly worried but thought, ‘If I seek an audience with him there in the forest devoted to austerities, perhaps he’ll bestow riches upon me yet.’

“He traveled to the place where the bodhisattva was living, and approached him. The bodhisattva pleased him with his gentle words, gave him roots and fruit, and asked, ‘Why have you come here?’

“ ‘A famine has struck recently, and I am destitute and unwell,’ said the brahmin. ‘What’s more, I have many children to provide for, and I’m not able to provide for them. I heard that King Mahendrasena gives away all he has, and I thought, “He could be a fountain of riches.” So here I am before you.’

“The bodhisattva said, ‘Did you not hear I’d gone to live in the forest? Where would all my riches be?’ [F.89.a] No sooner had the brahmin heard this than he went senseless with despair and fell to the ground. The bodhisattva threw water on his face to wake him. When he awoke, the brahmin thought, ‘What’s the use of such a life? I will walk into the thick of the forest and die.’ He took up a rope and walked into the thick of the forest, intending to hang himself with the rope from a tree.

“When he halted there, the bodhisattva saw him, and seeing him so, immediately welled up with compassion and thought, ‘If this brahmin takes me to my enemy, he will be rewarded with a mountain of riches.’ So he said to the brahmin, ‘Brahmin, don’t be rash. I will put an end to your poverty. Come, brahmin‍—bind me tightly212 and take me before King So-and-So, and he will give you a mountain of riches.’

“ ‘I could never tie up someone like you,’ the brahmin said.

“ ‘Don’t hesitate,’ said the bodhisattva. ‘Bind me and take me away.’ For he saw no other way.

“ ‘As you wish,’ the brahmin replied. The brahmin bound him tightly and took him to Vārāṇasī, where many people saw and recognized him, but when the people approached the king and informed him, he didn’t believe them. As he was being handed over, the king emerged from the royal palace. He approached the bodhisattva and saw that the brahmin had tightly bound the bodhisattva and brought him there. He asked him, ‘This man‍—whence did you bring him?’

“ ‘This man,’ he replied, ‘is your enemy, Deva. I overpowered him while he was living in the forest devoted to austerities and brought him here.’

“The king thought, ‘This king’s body is large and powerful, and the brahmin’s body is very weak‍—how would he have been able to catch him? [F.89.b] This king is very compassionate, and has love for beings. He must have tied himself up and given himself over to him.’

“Then he said to the brahmin, ‘How did you catch him, brahmin? Tell us the truth.’

“The brahmin told the king everything just as it had been, and as soon as he heard it, the king developed faith and thought, ‘I have done harm to such a pure being!’ He released the bodhisattva immediately, invited him to the royal palace, embraced him, placed him on a lion throne, and restored the crown to him, taking the crown from his own head and placing it on the head of the bodhisattva.

“He said, ‘You are the rightful king! I am not worthy.’ He offered him back the armies and treasure houses, asked his forgiveness, and returned to his own country. Then King Mahendrasena gave the brahmin a mountain of riches and set him on the path of the ten virtuous actions.

“Monks, I am the one who was King Mahendrasena then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was that brahmin then is none other than this brahmin. At that time, for fear of poverty he was going to kill himself, and I presented him a mountain of riches and set him on the path of the ten virtuous actions. Now as well, for fear of poverty he was going to kill himself, and I have presented him with a mountain of riches and established him in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”

As the Blessed One was traveling through Magadha, he arrived in Rājagṛha, where he stayed at the Kalandakanivāsa, in Bamboo Grove. At that time Devadatta had repeatedly wronged many inhabitants of Rājagṛha, and those he had wronged expressed their grievances to the Blessed One.

The Blessed One spoke to Venerable Ānanda, [F.90.a] saying, “Ānanda, go, don your Dharma robes and patched raiment, take any suitable monk as an assistant, and on the streets and thoroughfares of Rājagṛha, and at the crossroads and forks in the roads, tell the brahmins and householders that there is no longer any need for those who have been wronged by Devadatta or those belonging to Devadatta’s faction to express their grievances to the Buddha, Dharma, or Saṅgha. If they say that Devadatta is a person of great miracles and great power, tell them that while previously he did possess great miraculous ability, he has lost it now.”

Ānanda set out, and on the streets and thoroughfares of Rājagṛha, and at the crossroads and forks in the roads he instructed the brahmins and householders that henceforth they were no longer to express their grievances to the Blessed One.

One day the Blessed One fell ill, and the healer Jīvaka offered the Blessed One a medicinal butter called iron arrow. The Blessed One asked the expert healer, “Jīvaka‍—wondrous?”

“Wondrous, Blessed One,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “Jīvaka‍—marvelous?”

“Marvelous, Blessed One,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “Jīvaka‍—you know?”

“Yes, Blessed One, I do,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “Jīvaka‍—you don’t know?”

“No, Blessed One, I do not,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “What is it that’s wondrous?”

“Blessed One, cows eat grass and drink water, and from them an elixir is obtained from which the medicinal butter called iron arrow is drawn,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “Jīvaka, what is it that’s marvelous?”

“The emergence of the Blessed One in the world, the teaching of the holy Dharma, and the good accomplishments of the Saṅgha,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “What is it you know?”

“Blessed One, I know that whoever is born [F.90.b] must certainly die,” he replied.

The Blessed One then asked, “Jīvaka, what is it you don’t know?”

“Blessed One, I don’t know who is going where,” he replied.213

Now all the monks were perplexed, and they requested the Blessed Buddha, who cuts through all doubt, “Lord, tell us why Jīvaka had already realized the intention of the Blessed One’s speech.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, he understood the intention of my speech. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, in a certain mountain village there lived a householder of great means, prosperity, and wealth. When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and as they enjoyed themselves and coupled one day his wife conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child. For twenty-one days they held an elaborate feast celebrating his birth and named him according to their clan. After that, as they continued enjoying themselves and coupling, another child was born, and again they held an elaborate feast celebrating his birth and named him according to their clan.

“The householder thought, ‘My loans have been paid off and someone to leave my wealth to has been born, so I will load up my wares and go to another country.’ And he thought, ‘My wife is very attractive. If I give her many gold coins before I go, she may enjoy herself and couple with another, so I will give her just a few gold coins before I go.’ He gave her just a few gold coins, and what gold was left he put into jars. He tied the necks of those jars with garlands of pearls and hid them in the cremation ground at the trunk of an aśvakarṇa tree. Then he loaded up his wares and went to another country. [F.91.a]

“After turning a great profit in the other country he married there as well, and as he stayed on there his new wife gave birth to many children. His former wife, Bracelet, did her best to raise her two sons on what she could earn with her own hands214 or with a little help from her relatives.215

“When her sons asked, ‘Where did our father go?’ she told them, ‘He is living in such-and-such a country at such-and-such a place. They say he has a great abundance of wealth. Go there‍—perhaps he’ll even provide you some small living.’

“So the elder of the two went off to find his father. He wandered about this way and that until in time he came to where his father was. His father recognized his features and called out to him, ‘Where are you from? Where are you going?’ The elder son related everything in detail. His father thought, ‘This is none other than my own son,’ and put him up in his home. He told him, ‘My son, don’t let anyone know I am your father,’ but went on to show him great affection.

“His other sons, suspicious, asked, ‘To whom does this boy belong, Father?’

“ ‘He’s the son of a friend,’ their father replied.

“ ‘He has such deep affection for him,’ they thought. ‘There’s no doubt that’s his own son.’ And they said to one another, ‘That’s our elder brother!’

“Their father thought, ‘Among enemies, there’s none more wicked than a stepmother. I will send him back before she comes to kill him. If I give him even something small, because she is so confrontational, she will kill him on the way. I must send him back!’

“He gave the boy a letter he had written that said, ‘If you dig with great care and skill beneath the karṇa tree‍—the one that moves quickly from village to village‍—that is about a yojana east of home, you’ll find the very same inheritance you requested from me. Present Bracelet with what’s around its neck.’ [F.91.b]

“The boy took the letter and departed. On the way his younger brothers seized him on the road and demanded, ‘What did you get from Father?’

“ ‘I didn’t get anything from him,’ he said. ‘He just gave me this letter.’

“ ‘You see, Father has deceived us,’ they complained. ‘Get out of here!’

“With that they released him, and in time he came to his house. He rested for a bit, and after he had been there for some time, his mother asked, ‘What did you get from your father?’

“ ‘I didn’t get anything from him,’ her son replied, ‘except I did get this letter.’

“ ‘Boy, your father deceived you,’ his mother said, ‘and you’ve got nothing to show for your trouble.’

“ ‘This is a big country. He didn’t cheat me,’ her son said, and he began to examine the letter. ‘ “From village” refers to where he was born. That’s what he means here by “village.” “To village” refers to where he’ll be disposed of, a charnel ground. The “quickly” in “the one that moves quickly” refers to a horse, and the “karṇa tree” means the aśvakarṇa tree‍—thus, the letter means “the trunk of the aśvakarṇa tree.” “East of home” means eastward, and “about a yojana away” means exactly that: one yojana away.’

“After analyzing the words in this manner, that night, when no one was about, he went to the charnel ground. Nearby stood the aśvakarṇa tree. Orienting himself to the east, he dug to the depth of a wooden yoke. After a while he discovered a golden jug with a garland of pearls strung around its neck. Elated, he hauled it up, and when he got back home he loosed the garland of pearls and presented it to his mother, Bracelet.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that householder then. The one who was my son then is none other than Jīvaka. There he understood the intention of my speech. Now as well he has understood the intention of my speech.” [F.92.a]

Jīvaka thought, “The Blessed One has an adamantine body, and since his body is so large he can’t be cured with just a little medicinal butter.” So he did the calculations, measured out thirty-two ounces of medicinal butter, and offered it for the Blessed One’s body. What was left in the alms bowl he gave to the monks, who thought, “These are the leftovers from the Blessed One’s alms bowl,” and all drank of it.

Devadatta thought, “I will also drink this medicinal butter.” So he asked Jīvaka, “Jīvaka, how much of this medicinal butter did the ascetic Gautama drink?”

“He consumed thirty-two ounces,” said Jīvaka.

Devadatta said, “Then I too will take thirty-two ounces.”

“The Blessed One has an adamantine body, and his body is very large,” Jīvaka replied. “You can’t digest as much medicinal butter as he can.”

“I’ve got an adamantine body too. Why can’t I digest it?” With that he too drank thirty-two ounces of medicinal butter, and while the Blessed One had digested it, Devadatta could not.

The next day Jīvaka again offered the Blessed One the medicinal butter, together with rice soup. Because the Blessed One had taken it, out of pride Devadatta likewise drank the medicinal butter together with the rice soup, but again he could not digest it and was wracked with pain. Stricken with illness all through his vital organs, he suffered the most severe, unbearable, scorching, awful pains, and he could not sleep day or night.

Venerable Ānanda loved his brother,216 so he brought the news to the Blessed One. The Blessed One reached his hands‍—which are like mighty elephant trunks, covered with insignias such as wheels, auspicious designs, and swastikas that are the result of hundreds upon hundreds of meritorious deeds [F.92.b] and provide assurance from all fear‍—across Vulture Peak Mountain, placed them on Devadatta’s head, and invoked the truth, saying, “By the truth that I hold Devadatta to be neither more nor less than my only son‍—the good and beautiful Rāhula‍—may his illness be assuaged.” That invocation of the truth alone instantly cured Devadatta’s illness, and he regained the life that had been drained from him.

He saw the Blessed One’s hand, recognized it, and thought, “This is the ascetic Gautama’s hand.” Though it was by the greatness of the Buddha that his sickness had abated, Devadatta’s arrogance about all his deceit and trickery had smothered and held sway over his thoughts for so long that even now he said, “You have studied medicine well, Siddhārtha. Maybe with that you can finally earn a living.”

The disciples who had gathered there started to spread the word, “Devadatta had fallen severely ill and was going to die, but the Blessed One’s invocation of the truth healed him.” When they heard this, even the members of Devadatta’s faction expressed their admiration for the Blessed One and said, “His love is absolute! How he has cultivated compassion for beings!”

Then the monks said to Devadatta, “The Blessed One healed you, Devadatta. Otherwise you would already be dead.”

“He knows tricks to turn the mind about,” Devadatta said. “That’s how he’s pacifying the whole world.” And he neither repaid his kindness nor felt any love for him.

After he had gone, the monks went to see the Blessed One, and upon their arrival, perplexed, they requested the Blessed Buddha, who cuts through all doubt, “Lord, tell us why Devadatta did not repay your kindness, had no sense of gratitude, and made a waste of what you did.” [F.93.a]

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, he did not repay my kindness, had no sense of gratitude, and made a waste of what I did. Listen well!

“Monks, it took place in times gone by, during King Mahendrasena’s reign in Videha. At that time in a certain forest there was a well, and into this well five beings fell: a man, a lion, a snake, a mouse, and a hawk. A certain hunter was also in the forest, on the hunt for deer. Stricken with thirst he went to the well, and when the five saw him peeking into the well they immediately cried out, ‘Help us, friend!’

“The hunter felt compassion for them as soon as he saw them, and he thought, ‘If I don’t pull them out, they will all die there,’ so he came bearing a rope and drew them all up out of the well.

“Another day the hunter was out hunting deer, and as he was walking in the forest, the lion, king of beasts, saw him, and asked the hunter, ‘My friend, why are you wandering through this forest?’

“ ‘I’m wandering through here to hunt deer,’ the hunter replied. ‘That’s my livelihood.’

“ ‘Don’t trouble yourself, my friend,’ said the lion. ‘I want to return your favor. If you stay here, every day I shall kill all the good deer and give you as much meat as you like.’ After that, every day the lion, king of beasts, went and killed all the best deer, and brought the man a great deal of meat.

“Another day, the hawk saw the hunter carrying the deer meat home. Recognizing him, the hawk asked the hunter, ‘Do you earn your livelihood by toiling so, my friend?’ [F.93.b]

“ ‘This is my livelihood,’ replied the hunter. ‘This is what I do to support myself.’

“The hawk thought, ‘This man once saved my life. I need to return the favor,’ and said, ‘My friend, stay here. I shall put your poverty to an end,’ and departed.

“After that the hawk went to the area surrounding the royal palace. He thought, ‘Whatever I get today I’ll carry back and give to him.’ As he was flying through the sky, he saw all the jewelry belonging to the most revered of King Mahendrasena’s queens on the roof of the royal palace, where she had loaded it into a basket. As she sat there washing her hair, the hawk took all the jewelry and brought it to the hunter.

“As the hunter was carrying the jewelry back to his house, the man saw him and asked, ‘My friend, where did you find that?’

“ ‘The hawk gave it to me,’ said the hunter, and he returned to his house.

“Soon after, King Mahendrasena ordered all the bird keepers, ‘Go through all the birds’ nests and bring me back that jewelry.’ When the man heard this, he thought, ‘Even though it’s not quite right of me since that man pulled me from a well twice,217 I will go and tell the king. Perhaps he will give me a reward.’

“He went to the king and said, ‘So-and-so the hunter has made off with Deva’s jewelry.’ After he heard this King Mahendrasena immediately gave the man a great reward, summoned the hunter, seized the ornaments, and put him in prison.

“While he was in prison, the mouse saw him, and recognized him. He thought, ‘That’s the man who saved my life! I will return the favor,’ and said to him, ‘My friend, for what offense have they put you in prison?’ The man related everything in detail. [F.94.a]

“ ‘Trust me, my friend’ the mouse said. “Be strong. I shall make sure you don’t lack for food and drink while you’re here.’ So the mouse made sure he did not lack for food and drink while he was in prison.

“Later, while the man was still in prison, the poisonous snake thought, ‘He saved my life. I will return the favor.’ So he said to the man, ‘Listen, man‍—once I rescue you from this prison, I shall make you a wealthy lord.’ And then he said, ‘I will bite the king with my venom, my venom will render him powerless, and then you should say from your prison cell, “No one else can heal the king, only I can heal him.”

“ ‘When the king summons you, go there, make a circle of cow dung, build a fire, and recite this mantra. I will come when I hear your voice. Then you say, “Either you jump into the fire or take your venom from the king!” And I will say to you, “I will jump in the fire then, for I shall not take my venom from the king!” Then you say, “You have already thrown away your own life, but you will not take the life of our king. It would be dishonorable of you not to take your venom from our king!” Then at your command I will take my venom from the king. The king will then be happy with you, release you from prison, and grant you a mountain of riches.’

“So the poisonous snake went and bit the king with his venom, and it rendered the king powerless. The hunter told the prison guards, ‘No one else can remove this venom from the king, but I can remove the venom from him.’ The prison guards relayed this to the king. [F.94.b]

“The king summoned the man and said, ‘Listen, man‍—if you save my life I shall give you a mountain of riches.’ And the man said, ‘Please trust me, Deva. Be strong. As long as I live, you will not pass away.’

“Then the man made a circle of cow dung, built a fire, and recited the mantra. The poisonous snake heard him, approached the circle, and stayed put. Then the man said to him, ‘Here you are! You have two choices‍—either remove your venom from the king or jump into the fire.’

“The poisonous snake replied, ‘Of the two choices, I will jump, so the king will have to die.’

“The poisonous snake advanced and waited, and to turn him away the man said, ‘You have already thrown away your own life, but you will not take the life of our king. For it would be dishonorable of you not to take your venom from our king.’ No sooner had the poisonous snake heard this than he took his venom from the king. Then the king, in happiness, loaded up a mountain of riches and gave them to the hunter.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that hunter then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The man who informed the king then218 is none other than Devadatta. Then, just as now, he did not repay my kindness or have a sense of gratitude, but made a waste of what I did.” [B35]

When219 the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, in Śūrpāraka there lived a certain householder. When the time came for him to marry he took a wife, and as they enjoyed themselves and coupled, one day his wife conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child [F.95.a] who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they named him Deluded.

They reared young Deluded on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and as he grew up he studied letters, tallying, and arithmetic; the study of seals, lending, deposits, and commerce; and the examination of cloth, jewels, gems, incense, medicine, elephants, horses, and arms and armor. He became skilled in writing, skilled at reading, learned, decisive, and industrious, a master of the eight types of examination.

One day his body became completely covered in boils the size of mustard seeds. The boils swelled and burst, and his body became a continuous mass of sores. His father provided the healers with everything they needed for them to cure him, but they were unable to do so, and the worse it got, the more the blood and pus seeped out, until it produced an awful stench. After they covered his whole body with different kinds of fragrant water and draped him with clothes, he healed.

Now when his brothers saw this, they changed his name. They said, “Our little brother healed when we draped him in clothes and ornaments. Therefore, his name will be Covered.” After that some knew him as Deluded and some knew him as Covered.

One day the young man’s parents died, and afterward he helped with all their work, but whatever work he did‍—whether it was work in the fields,220 work as a merchant, or work on the boats‍—something always broke and was incomplete. So the householder Deluded thought, “Whatever work I do here‍— [F.95.b] be it work in the fields, work as a merchant, or work on the boats‍—something always breaks and is incomplete. Is there anything in the world that doesn’t fall to ruin?”

Soon after, the ancestral deity of the householder Deluded’s friends, acquaintances, brothers, and elders came to the door of his house. When he arrived, the house was bathed in great rays of light, and the deity asked the householder Deluded, “Householder, do you not know which things in this world are subject to ruin, and which are not?”

“No, Deva,” said the householder, “I do not know which things in this world are subject to ruin and which are not. Deva, do you know which things in this world are subject to ruin and which are not?”

“No, householder,” replied the deity. “I also do not know which things in this world are subject to ruin and which are not.”

“Deva, who does know which things in this world are subject to ruin and which are not?” asked the householder.

“Householder, there is one who knows‍—the ascetic Gautama, the Śākyas’ heir, one of the Śākya clan, who shaved his head and face and donned the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith went forth from home to live as a mendicant, and fully and completely awakened unto unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment. He, the Blessed One, knows which things in this world are subject to ruin and which are not,” answered the deity.

“Deva, where is the Blessed One staying now?” asked the householder.

“Householder,” the deity replied, “right now the Blessed One is in the east, in a place called Śrāvastī at the garden of Prince Jeta, in the grove of Anāthapiṇḍada. [F.96.a] Householder, if you wish, you may go to see the Blessed One and put your question to him. May you then accept whatever proclamation the Blessed One grants you.” After he said that the deity disappeared on the spot.

As soon as the householder Deluded heard this, he was eager to see the Blessed One. One day some merchants from Śūrpāraka loaded up their goods and went to Śrāvastī. When they arrived there, they found faith in the doctrine of the Blessed One, went for refuge, and took the fundamental precepts. Then they loaded up their goods and earnings and returned to Śūrpāraka, where they spoke in praise of the Buddha and the Dharma in the presence of the householder Deluded. And they said, “The Blessed One is omniscient and all-seeing. Go see him, and he will heal your physical and spiritual ills.”

When he heard their words, he felt especially inspired to go see the Blessed One. So one day the householder Deluded loaded up many provisions, mounted a good horse, and traveled from Śūrpāraka to Śrāvastī. He went as far as he could by vehicle, then descended from his vehicle and approached the Blessed One. When he arrived, he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet and took a seat at one side.

Once he had taken a seat at one side, the householder Deluded told the Blessed One, “Lord, this material body has become so weak. I am so ashamed of it. I wish to cast it off. I revile it.”

“Householder,” the Blessed One replied, “this body is like an illness. It is like a series of wounds. It is like an affliction.” [F.96.b] Using the aggregates as a basis, the Blessed One then taught him the Dharma particularly suited to him. When he heard it, the householder Deluded destroyed with the thunderbolt of wisdom the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where he sat. After he had seen the truths, he thought, “If my body weren’t like this, I too could go forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, in order to ford the floodwaters and completely escape my fetters with diligence, practice, and effort.”

No sooner did the householder feel a sense of renunciation than his body became as smooth as the palm of a hand and free of wounds, and he immediately felt especially filled with joy toward the Blessed One. In his joy he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and requested the Blessed One, “Lord, if permitted I wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete my novitiate, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, I too wish to practice the holy life.”

With the words “Come, join me, monk! Practice the holy life,” the Blessed One led him to go forth as a novice, conferred on him full ordination, and instructed him. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, he manifested arhatship. As an arhat, free from the attachments of the three realms, his mind regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of his hands as like space itself. He became cool like wet sandalwood. His insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. He achieved the insights, superknowledges, and [F.97.a] discriminations. He had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. He became an object of offering, veneration, and respectful address by Indra, Upendra, and the other gods.

Venerable Deluded donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms in Śrāvastī, where a milk cow kicked him, killing him. At death his senses were clear, his appearance pure, and his complexion alabaster.

After that, a group of monks donned their lower garments and Dharma robes, and, carrying their alms bowls, set out toward Śrāvastī for alms. The group of monks who were going to Śrāvastī for alms heard that a milk cow had kicked the householder from Śūrpāraka named Deluded and killed him, and that at his death his senses were clear, his appearance pure, and his complexion alabaster.

Upon hearing this, they took alms in Śrāvastī. And after they had eaten their meal and returned from their afternoon alms round, they put away their alms bowls and Dharma robes, and went to see the Blessed One. When they arrived, they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and took a seat at one side.

After they had taken a seat at one side, the group of monks recounted to the Blessed One, “Lord, we monks donned our lower garments and Dharma robes, and, carrying our alms bowls, set out toward Śrāvastī for alms, when we heard that a milk cow kicked the householder named Deluded from Śūrpāraka, precipitating his death, and that at the time of his passing his senses were clear, his appearance pure, and his complexion alabaster. What was his destination? Into what state will he take birth? In what state did he die?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, [F.97.b] “that noble child is a treasure. The Dharma he came to understand ensued from my own. That noble child attained nirvāṇa. May you therefore perform a reliquary pūjā for his relics.” In that way the Blessed One commended Venerable Deluded as supreme.

After the group of monks heard what the Blessed One had said they took leave of him, venerated the relics, built a reliquary stūpa, and then returned to see the Blessed One. When they arrived, they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and asked him, “Lord, what action did Venerable Deluded take that ripened into his being kicked by a milk cow and killed?”

“Monks,” the Blessed One explained, “in addition to the actions he committed and accumulated himself, it also happened on account of my prayers….”

Here his backstory should be told in detail according to the tale of Puṣkarasārin.

The monks asked, “Lord, what action did Venerable Deluded take that ripened into his birth into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth? What action did he take that ripened such that his body was a continuous mass of sores; that blood and pus seeped from his body until an awful stench arose; that he pleased the Blessed One, did not displease him, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship; and that no sooner did he feel a sense of renunciation than his body became smooth and free of wounds?”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well he committed and accumulated these actions. Since it was he himself who committed and accumulated them, who else would there be to experience them? [F.98.a]

“Monks, the actions he committed and accumulated did not ripen in the external element of earth. They did not ripen into the element of water, nor the element of fire, nor the element of wind. The actions he committed and accumulated, both virtuous and nonvirtuous, ripened into nothing but his own aggregates, sense bases, and constituent elements.

“Monks, in times gone by, during King Brahmadatta’s reign in the city of Vārāṇasī, there lived in Vārāṇasī two householders who had a certain mutual disagreement. When one of them made offerings of great riches to the king, the other householder criticized him. When King Brahmadatta weighed their case, he ruled against the latter householder in the argument and handed him over to the first, who took him back to his house, lashed him viciously, and sprinkled poisonous powder all over the lash wounds until his flesh was like raw meat. Then his brothers paid a ransom of great riches to the householder, and his body was healed through the advice of a healer.

“One day he became disillusioned with saṃsāra and said, ‘I have had enough of living at home. I will go live in a forest devoted to austerities.’ He gave gifts and made merit and went to live in a forest devoted to austerities. There, with neither a teacher nor oral instruction, he contemplated the thirty-seven wings of enlightenment and manifested the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas. Thereupon he thought, ‘My mind caused that householder to generate great demerit. I will go and be his friend.’ From that very place he traveled through the sky to where the householder was, making a miraculous display of fire and light, rain [F.98.b] and lightning.

“Ordinary people are quickly brought to faith through miracles. The householder bowed down at the sage’s feet like a tree felled by a saw, saying, ‘Oh great fortunate one, please, please come down! I’m mired in misdeeds! Please reach down and lift me up!’

“Out of compassion for him, the solitary buddha descended to the earth. The householder bowed down at his feet, asked his forgiveness, and said, ‘Noble one, you accept alms, and I seek merit. So I ask you, please stay here in this garden. I shall provide you with everything you need.’ The solitary buddha assented by his silence.

“After that the householder fashioned a hut of branches and leaves for the solitary buddha and began to provide him with everything he needed. One day the solitary buddha thought, ‘I have done what I needed to do with this material body. Let me enter the sphere of peace!’ After reflecting in this way, he made a miraculous display of fire and light, rain and lightning, and passed beyond all sorrow into the realm of nirvāṇa without any remainder of the aggregates.

“The householder venerated his relics, built a reliquary stūpa, made a large offering to his reliquary, and prayed, ‘By this root of virtue, wherever I am born, may it be into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth. May I please and not displease a teacher even more exalted than this. May I achieve such great virtues. May the act of harming that other one not return to me. Should the ripening of this action [F.99.a] come to me before it is exhausted, may I then feel a sense of renunciation. May that misfortune immediately vanish, and may I be fortunate instead.’

“O monks, what do you think? The one who was that householder then is none other than Deluded. The act of lashing the body of that other householder and sprinkling him with poisonous powder ripened such that wherever he was born, his body became like this. The act of later paying homage to the solitary buddha and saying that prayer ripened such that wherever he was born, it was into a family of great means, prosperity, and wealth.

“Monks, I am more exalted than even one hundred billion solitary buddhas, and he has pleased me, and not displeased me. As soon as he felt a sense of renunciation, his misfortune vanished and he became fortunate instead, and he went forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.

“He also went forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. After practicing pure conduct all his life then, his faculties ripened, and now he has been liberated.”

As the Blessed One was traveling through Magadha, he was accompanied by a saṅgha of numerous monks including the thousand monks who had all previously been the matted-hair ascetics. They were also all arhats who had exhausted the outflows, done what was before them, carried out their activities, subsequently fulfilled their ambitions, completely eradicated that which bound them to saṃsāra, and with right cognition222 liberated their minds.

They made their way with him across the breadth of Forest of Reeds, proceeding directly to the stūpa of the Magadha people called Very Steady. As they arrived at the stūpa Very Steady, the Blessed One seated himself at the base of the stūpa.

Bimbisāra, the king of Magadha, heard that the Blessed One and a saṅgha of numerous monks including the thousand monks had made their way across the country to arrive at the Magadha stūpa called Very Steady, near Forest of Reeds. [F.106.a] Upon hearing this, he emerged from Rājagṛha in a display of great opulence and royal power, with two thousand chariots and 1,800 mares, accompanied by thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders who lived in Magadha. As he was coming out of the city gates to go before the Blessed One, see him, and venerate him, the crown fell off his head, and the thought occurred to him, “Perhaps this bodes ill for my visit to the Blessed One?”

The gods called out to him, “Good shall come of this! Good shall come of you seeing the Blessed One and venerating him. However, some of the people you have imprisoned have produced roots of virtue. It would be right for you to release these prisoners who yet remain in your country, king, and proclaim throughout the country that they too should come along to see the Blessed One and venerate him.”

No sooner had King Bimbisāra heard this than he released the prisoners, calling together all the many people who lived in his country. As he was traveling in the company of this great crowd of people all the way to the Magadha stūpa called Very Steady, near Forest of Reeds, he looked back at his assembled army. When he saw his entire army assembled he became arrogant and thought, “No one can equal me in appearance and might.”

The Blessed One directly apprehended what King Bimbisāra was thinking, so he emanated five hundred kings, gorgeous and statuesque, to whom he began teaching the Dharma. King Bimbisāra of Magadha approached the Blessed One. The king went as far as he could go by vehicle [F.106.b] and then left behind the five signs of his consecration‍—crown, parasol, sword, jewel, and tail fan‍—as well as his colorful boots, and approached the Blessed One.

There he saw the five hundred kings, gorgeous and statuesque, sitting before the Blessed One listening to the Dharma. When he saw them, all his arrogance about his appearance vanished, and he thought, “If I do not state my name and my lineage, the Blessed One will take no interest in me.” So he approached the Blessed One, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, knelt down on his right knee, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and three times stated his name and lineage.

“Lord, I am King Bimbisāra of Magadha. Lord, I am King Bimbisāra of Magadha….”

Thereupon the Blessed One spoke, saying, “So it is, Great King. You are King Bimbisāra of Magadha. Please take your seat, Great King.”

Then King Bimbisāra of Magadha touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet and took a seat at one side. Some of the brahmins and householders of Magadha also touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and took seats to one side. Some made all manner of entertaining and jovial conversation with the Blessed One and took seats to one side. Some bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together and took seats to one side. Some saw the Blessed Buddha from a distance, [F.107.a] and upon seeing the Blessed One, took seats to one side.

At that time the dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa was also seated among the company. The brahmins and householders of Magadha thought, “Does the Great Ascetic practice Kāśyapa’s code of conduct, or does the dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa practice the Great Ascetic’s code of conduct?”

The Blessed One directly apprehended what the brahmins and householders of Magadha were thinking, and he addressed Venerable Kāśyapa in verse:

He replied:

The Blessed One inquired:

He replied:

The Blessed One said:

“O Kāśyapa, may you fill those in your retinue with sorrow for saṃsāra!”

Then, just as the dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa placed his mind in equipoise and entered into meditative stabilization, rising up into the eastern sky, he began to carry out the four activities‍—walking, sitting, standing, and sleeping‍—and entered into equipoise on the element of fire. Now in equipoise on the element of fire, from his body the dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa emitted rays of light in various hues such as blue, gold, red, white, rose madder, and crystalline, then made a further display of miracles: fire blazed from his upper body while a stream of cool water flowed from his lower body; then fire blazed and from his lower body while a stream of cool water flowed from his upper body.

He then performed the same miracles in the south, the west, and the north that he performed in the east. Having displayed miracles in each of the four cardinal directions the dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa concluded his miraculous display, and then he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and declared to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, you are my teacher. I am a disciple of the Blessed One. The Sugata is my teacher. I am a disciple of the Sugata.”

“Kāśyapa, so it is,” the Blessed One replied. “It is just as you say, Kāśyapa. I am your teacher, Kāśyapa. You are my disciple. Kāśyapa, take your place on your designated seat, just as it should be.”

The dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa took his place on his designated seat, [F.108.a] just as it should be, whereupon the brahmins and householders of Magadha thought, “The dreadlocked ascetic Venerable Uruvilvā Kāśyapa practices the ascetic Gautama’s code of conduct. It is certain, then, that the Great Ascetic does not practice Uruvilvā Kāśyapa’s code of conduct.”

Thereupon the Blessed One addressed King Bimbisāra of Magadha: “Great King, forms arise and decay, one after another. You should know the arising of forms, and you should know their decay. Great King, sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness likewise arise and decay, one after another. You should know their arising, and you should know their decay. Great King, knowing the nature of forms’ arising and decay, you will understand form. Great King, knowing also the nature of the arising and decay of sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness, you will understand consciousness.

“Great King, when you understand form, you do not grasp at it, thinking, ‘This is my self!’228 Nor do you appropriate it, dwell upon it, or continue your habitual adherence to it. Great King, when you understand sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness, you do not grasp at consciousness, thinking, ‘This is my self!’ Nor do you appropriate it, dwell upon it, or continue your habitual adherence to it.

“Great King, not grasping at form nor appropriating it, dwelling upon it, or habitually adhering to it‍—this I call ‘the infinite, the boundless, nirvāṇa.’ Great King, not grasping at sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness, nor appropriating them, dwelling upon them, or habitually adhering to them‍—this I call ‘the infinite, the unbounded, nirvāṇa.’ ”[F.108.b]

The brahmins and householders of Magadha then reflected, “If forms are not the self, and, likewise, sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness are not the self, what then is the self, the being, the life force, the creature, the soul, the person, the human being, humankind, the actor, the agent, the speaker, the feeler, the creator, or the fundamental creator? If nothing has been born or arisen, and nothing will arise, then once these aggregates are discarded no other aggregates will be appropriated.”

The Blessed One directly apprehended what the brahmins and householders of Magadha were thinking, then addressed the monks: “Monks, the so-called ‘self’ is only something apprehended by ordinary beings who do not know any better. But there is in fact no such self or anything possessed there.

“Monks, this suffering is born at birth, and this suffering ceases at cessation. These formations are born at birth, and these formations cease at cessation. Consigned to such causes and conditions, beings will be subject to a perpetual stream of formations.

“Monks, the Tathāgata directly apprehends the reincarnation of beings in a perpetual stream of formation, and labels it death, transmigration, and rebirth. With perfectly clear divine vision, beyond that of normal humans, the Blessed One sees how beings continue to die and transmigrate, and continue to take birth; whether they will have a good appearance or a bad one; and whether they will take happy births or fall to lower realms.

“I am fully aware of their actions, and I am fully aware of their destinations. I see that when they separate from their bodies at death‍—by cause and condition of the wrong views and actions they adopted‍—those who comport themselves wrongly, those who speak wrongly, those who reflect wrongly, those who hurl insults at the noble ones, [F.109.a] and those who hold wrong views will fall to lower realms and take rebirth as hell beings. And I see that when they separate from their bodies at death‍—by cause and condition of the right Dharma and actions they adopted‍—those who comport themselves rightly, those who speak rightly, those who reflect rightly, those who refrain from hurling insults at the noble ones, and those who hold right views will take the highest rebirth among the god realms.

“Monks, because I have known it to be so and seen it to be so, I would not say, ‘I am self, I am a being, I am a life force, I am a creature, I am the soul, I am a person, I am a human being, I am part of humankind, I am an actor, I am an agent, I am a speaker, I am a feeler, I am the creator, or I am a fundamental creator.’ These things I would not say. Nor would I grasp at the thought, ‘Although they are not arisen, have never arisen, and will never arise, when these aggregates are discarded no other aggregates will be appropriated.”

“But this does not include the conventional expression of the Dharma. The conventional expression of the Dharma is as follows: since this is, this will be; since this has arisen, this will arise. Thus, due to the condition of ignorance there are formations. Due to the condition of formations there is consciousness. Due to the condition of consciousness there are name and form. Due to the conditions of name and form there are the six sense bases. Due to the condition of the six sense bases there is contact. Due to the condition of contact there is sensation. Due to the condition of sensation there is craving. Due to the condition of craving there is appropriation. Due to the condition of appropriation there is becoming. Due to the condition of becoming there is birth. Due to the condition of birth there is old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and strife. [F.109.b] Thus does this entire great heap of suffering arise.

“So it is that without this, that will not occur. If this ceases, that will cease. In this way, due to the cessation of ignorance, formations will cease. Due to the cessation of formations, consciousness will cease. Due to the cessation of consciousness, name and form will cease. Due to the cessation of name and form, the six sense bases will cease. Due to the cessation of the six sense bases, contact will cease. Due to the cessation of contact, sensation will cease. Due to the cessation of sensation, craving will cease. Due to the cessation of craving, appropriation will cease. Due to the cessation of appropriation, becoming will cease. Due to the cessation of becoming, birth will cease. Due to the cessation of birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, suffering, unhappiness, and strife will cease. Thus does this entire great heap of suffering cease.

“In this way, monks, if the cause arises, suffering will arise, and if the cause ceases, suffering too will cease. Its course interrupted, it cannot begin, and in the absence of rebirth, it ceases to be. This alone is the end of suffering.”

Then the Blessed One asked King Bimbisāra of Magadha two times, “Great King, what do you think‍—is material form permanent, or is it, rather, impermanent?”

“Lord, it is impermanent,” he replied.

“And that which is impermanent‍—is it suffering, or is it, rather, not suffering?”

“Lord, it is suffering,” he replied.

“Regarding those things that are impermanent and, therefore, suffering‍—do noble listeners, educated in the teachings, hold them to be a self and grasp at the thought that they are their possession, them, or their self?”

“Lord, they do not,” he replied.

Then the Blessed One asked, [F.110.a] “Great King, what do you think‍—are sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness permanent or impermanent?”

“Lord, they are impermanent,” he replied.

“And that which is impermanent‍—is it suffering, or is it, rather, not suffering?”

“Lord, it is suffering,” he replied.

Then the Blessed One asked, “Regarding those things that are impermanent and, therefore, suffering‍—do noble listeners, educated in the teachings, hold them to be a self and grasp at the thought that they are their possession, them, or their self?”

“No, Lord, they do not.”

“Great King,” the Blessed One then said, “that is why no form‍—whether past, present, or future; inner or outer; gross or subtle; bad or good; near or far away‍—could possibly be a possession, them, or their self. Thus should you regard them, with perfect wisdom.

“What do you think, Great King? Neither could sensations, nor perceptions, nor formations, nor consciousness‍—whether past, present, or future; inner or outer; gross or subtle; bad or good; near or far away‍—possibly be a possession, them, or their self. Thus should you regard them, with perfect wisdom.

“Noble listeners, educated in the teachings, who see thus, will become disillusioned with material forms. They will become disillusioned with sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousness. In their disillusionment they will cling to nothing. And when they cling to nothing, they will be liberated. [F.110.b] Thus liberated, they will think, ‘I have been liberated. My wisdom and vision are manifest. I have exhausted my rebirths. I have succeeded in the practice of the holy life. I have done what was before me. I shall know no other existence.’ And thinking thus, their wisdom and vision will manifest.”

When this Dharma teaching had been explained, King Bimbisāra of Magadha and the others‍—the eighty thousand gods and the thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders of Magadha‍—were able to see these things unobscured, with the Dharma vision that has no trace of dust or stain with respect to phenomena. King Bimbisāra of Magadha had perceived the truths, discovered the truths, realized the truths, and fathomed the truths to their very depths, until whatever doubt and hesitation he had he overcame.

Then, of his own accord, completely unprompted, and unafraid of the truths his teacher had shown him, he rose from his seat, drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and asked the Blessed One, “Lord, I have become a noble one. I am a noble one. Lord, I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha of those gone forth. Please accept me as a faithful lay vow holder, from the depths of my heart, from this day forth, for as long as I live.

“Blessed One, I beseech you, please come to Rājagṛha. I shall offer my respect and service to the Blessed One and the saṅgha of those gone forth. For as long as I live, please permit me to provide the Blessed One and the saṅgha of those gone forth with provisions of clothing, food, bedding, seats, and medicines for the sick.”

Then the monks requested the Blessed Buddha, “Tell us why the Blessed One led King Bimbisāra and the rest of the eighty thousand gods and thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders of Magadha to go for refuge and established them in the fundamental precepts and the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa, [F.111.a] and how it was cause for the fame of the Blessed One to spread throughout the entire world.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, I placed King Bimbisāra and the rest of the eighty thousand gods and thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders of Magadha in the four meditative states and the five superknowledges, and set them on the path of the ten virtuous actions, which was cause for my fame to spread throughout the entire world. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, during King Diśāṃpati’s reign in the city of Pāṁśula the kingdom was prosperous, flourishing, happy, and well populated. The harvest was good. Quarreling and arguments had ceased, there was no fighting or infighting, and there were no robbers, thieves, illness, or famine. Rice, sugarcane, cattle, and buffalo were plentiful. His was a reign in accord with the Dharma, and he treated the kingdom like a beloved only child.

“As he and the queen enjoyed themselves and coupled, one day the queen conceived. After nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they named him Reṇu.

“Prince Reṇu was brought up with two nurses to hold him in their laps, two wet nurses, two nurses to bathe him, and two nurses to play with him‍—eight nurses in all. They reared him on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and furthermore on every good thing he needed, and he flourished like a lotus in a lake.

“As the young man grew up, they made him study letters, and trained him in all the different fields of craft and skill in which duly consecrated rulers of the royal caste train, [F.111.b] such as how to ride an elephant, how to ride horseback, how to wield a weapon, and how to shoot an arrow, advance, retreat, wage war, grasp with an iron hook, wield a lasso, shoot a spear, throw a single-pointed vajra, throw other single-pointed weapons, and throw a disk; how to cut, cleave, grapple and hold, employ footwork, guard one’s head, strike from a distance, and strike at the noise of an unseen enemy; and how to target the vital points, take infallible aim, and maximize damage. By the time he had been educated in all of these, he was learned in the five fields of knowledge.

“King Diśāṃpati’s magistrate was a brahmin householder named Govinda, who was capable, clear-minded, and trustworthy, an intelligent person with deep knowledge of methods of accounting. Since King Diśāṃpati’s magistrate, the brahmin householder Govinda, was already administering all his righteous works, he put the kingdom in his hands as well, and himself stayed up on the roof of his palatial home in the company of women, playing music, enjoying himself, and coupling.

“One day the brahmin Govinda’s wife conceived, and after nine or ten months had passed, she gave birth to a child who was well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. At the elaborate feast celebrating his birth they named him Guardian of the Flame.

“They reared young Guardian of the Flame on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and as he grew up he studied letters, brahminical customs and conduct, the syllables oṃ and bho, ritual purity, ritual actions, the collection of ashes, holding the ritual vase, the Ṛg Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Sāma Veda, the Atharva Veda, [F.112.a] how to perform sacrificial rites, how to lead others in performing sacrificial rites, how to give and receive offerings, recitation, and recitation instruction. Trained in these procedures, he became a master of the six types of brahminical activities, and in time he mastered the eighteen sciences.

“Soon after, Guardian of the Flame’s father said to him, ‘Son, after I, your father, pass away you will take over my position in the kingdom, and you will become its magistrate. You should tour this kingdom. You have not toured it before, and it would be good for you to do so.’

“ ‘I shall do as my lord instructs,’ Guardian of the Flame replied, and he began to follow Prince Reṇu about like a shadow.

“One day the brahmin Govinda died, and on account of his death Diśāṃpati began to grieve and suffer greatly, wailing and lamenting, whereupon Prince Reṇu asked the king, ‘Deva, why do you sit there, weary from wailing and mourning in despair over the brahmin Govinda’s passing?’

“The king replied, ‘The brahmin Govinda administers each and every righteous deed of my kingdom. It’s on his account that my heart shrinks with grief.’

“ ‘Deva,’ Prince Reṇu said, ‘don’t grieve so over the passing of the brahmin Govinda. Don’t weary yourself so. Don’t wail so. Deva, your counselor’s own son, the young brahmin called Guardian of the Flame, is far more exalted than even his father. Deva, I urge you, appoint him as your magistrate, that he might administer all the righteous works of the kingdom for you.’

“No sooner had King Diśāṃpati heard this than he sent for the young brahmin Guardian of the Flame and appointed him magistrate, whereupon he likewise took over all the king’s duties. One day, after ceding the throne to Prince Reṇu, [F.112.b] Diśāṃpati died. From then on he was no longer called Prince Reṇu, but King Reṇu.

“King Reṇu summoned the young brahmin Guardian of the Flame and told him, ‘Counselor, may you carry out all the righteous works of my kingdom just as you did those of my father.’

“ ‘As you wish, Deva,’ the young brahmin replied.

“The brahmin Guardian of the Flame took on all King Reṇu’s royal duties, after which he was no longer called Guardian of the Flame, but Guardian of the Flame Govinda. At that time, while King Reṇu was still young, friendly, and companionable, there were six princes of the warrior class who came before the king and said, ‘Deva, we ask that you bestow to us our own countries.’

“As soon as the king heard this, he told Guardian of the Flame Govinda, ‘Counselor Govinda, divide this great land into seven parts. Give six parts to these princes, and let one be mine.’

“ ‘As you wish, Deva,’ he replied.

“Then Guardian of the Flame Govinda divided that great land into seven parts, giving six parts to the princes, with one part remaining as King Reṇu’s share. King Reṇu appointed each of the six warriors to his own kingdom, and Guardian of the Flame Govinda was esteemed as Brahmā in Jambudvīpa. The people held Guardian of the Flame Govinda as the way to Brahmā, and regarded him as such.

“One day the brahmin Govinda thought, ‘People throughout the kingdoms esteem me as Brahmā, think that I am the way to Brahmā, and regard me as such. Old brahmin Viṣṇu is aged and infirm, and I’ve heard from the masters of our group that Sahāṃpati Brahmā will come to see a brahmin [F.113.a] who keeps his mind full of love throughout the four months of the rainy season. Therefore I shall cast all else aside and go to the roof of the palace to dwell amid thoughts of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity.’

“He told the king, ‘Deva, please know, for the four months of the rainy season I wish to abide in the domain of Brahmā. Therefore, Deva must appoint another magistrate to carry out all the righteous works of the kingdom.’

“ ‘As you wish,’ King Reṇu said.

“No sooner had the brahmin Mahā­govinda heard this than he cast aside all his duties, went to the roof of the palace, and there on the roof dwelt amid thoughts of love, compassion, joy, and equanimity. Finally, one day Sahāṃpati Brahmā came to see him, and because of Sahāṃpati Brahmā’s appearance the roof of the palace was completely bathed in light. When he saw this the brahmin Mahā­govinda said in verse:

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā said, ‘Boy,

“The great, high brahmin Govinda responded in verse:

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā replied:

“The brahmin Mahā­govinda said:

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā said:

“The young brahmin Mahā­govinda asked:

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā answered:

“Having spoken thus, Sahāṃpati Brahmā disappeared on the spot.

“Soon after Sahāṃpati Brahmā disappeared, the young brahmin Mahā­govinda thought, ‘I have understood the meaning that Sahāṃpati Brahmā taught. If I thus remain at home, living as a householder, it will be dull, and lifelong practice of pure conduct‍—complete, untainted, and pure‍—will be difficult. Let me then [F.114.a] shave my head and face, don the colorful robes of the holy, and with nothing short of perfect faith go forth from home to live as a mendicant.’

“One day King Reṇu went to see the brahmin Mahā­govinda, and upon his arrival he touched his head to the brahmin Mahā­govinda’s feet and took a seat at one side. Brahmin Mahā­govinda said to King Reṇu:

“King Reṇu replied:

“Mahā­govinda said:

“King Reṇu inquired:

“Mahā­govinda replied:

“King Reṇu said, ‘Counselor, please remain here until I cede the throne to my eldest son. Then after you have gone forth, counselor, I too will do the same.’ And then he said in verse:

“Mahā­govinda told him:

“King Reṇu said:

“Mahā­govinda replied, ‘Great King, if you know the time is right, may you do so.’ The brahmin Mahā­govinda asked the six kings of the warrior class, ‘If I decide to shave my head and face, don the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith go forth from home to live as a mendicant, will you do the same?’

“ ‘Counselor,’ they replied, ‘please stay on for seven more years. In seven years we shall cede our thrones to our sons and younger brothers, and then after you go forth, counselor, we shall do likewise.’

“Mahā­govinda said, ‘Oh, seven years is much too long. Desires will become inveterate. Pleasures will become intoxicating. And it will be difficult to tell the difference between life and death. Since there is no certainty whether in seven years you yourselves will go forth, this is all the more reason I should go forth.’

“ ‘Counselor, wait awhile,’ they pleaded. ‘If you wait just six years, or five, or four, or three, or two, or one; or just seven months, or six, or five, or four, or three, or two, or one; or just seven days, or six, or five, or four, or three, or two, or one, then we shall cede our thrones to our sons and younger brothers, and after you go forth, counselor, we shall do the same.’

“Govinda replied, ‘My, isn’t even seven days too long a time? Desires will become inveterate. Pleasures will become intoxicating. And it will be difficult to tell the difference between life and death. Since there is no certainty whether in seven days you yourselves will go forth, this is all the more reason I should go forth.’

“They said, ‘Never mind even seven days, then. This very day we shall cede our thrones to our sons and younger brothers, and [F.115.a] after you go forth, counselor, we shall do the same.’

“ ‘If you know the time is right,’ said Govinda, ‘may you do so.’

“Thereupon the brahmin Mahā­govinda turned his attention from the company of the six kings of the warrior class, and regarded the seven great, high brahmins. He then turned his attention from the seven great, high brahmins, and regarded forty women with whom he was acquainted. He then turned his attention from the forty women with whom he was acquainted, and regarded five hundred young brahmins.

“He then turned his attention from the five hundred young brahmins, and regarded all the myriad carriage drivers, mahouts, equestrians, charioteers, infantry, archers, aides-de-camp, and dependents;229 the fearsome, the heroic, and the oppressed;230 and all the many princes, and asked, ‘If I decide to shave my head and face, don the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith go forth from home to live as a mendicant, will you do the same?’

“They replied, ‘After you go forth, counselor, we shall do the same.’

“ ‘If you know the time is right,’ said Govinda, ‘may you do so.’

“So the brahmin Mahā­govinda gave up all household affairs, gave gifts and made merit, gave much to the poor, shaved his head and face, donned the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith went forth from home to live as a mendicant. After he went forth, he went to live in the forest, fashioning a hut of branches and leaves, and while staying there he generated the four meditative states and five superknowledges, becoming a person of great miracles and great power. After Govinda went forth, King Reṇu and his suite of hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of attendants shaved their heads and faces, donned the colorful religious robes, and with nothing short of perfect faith [F.115.b] went forth from home to live as mendicants.

“After Govinda had gone forth, likewise the six kings of the warrior class, the high brahmins, the seven great, high brahmins, the forty women with whom he was acquainted, and the five hundred young brahmins; all the myriad carriage drivers, mahouts, equestrians, charioteers, infantry, archers, aides-de-camp, and dependents; the fearsome, the heroic, and the oppressed; and all the many princes shaved their heads and faces, donned the colorful robes of the holy, and with nothing short of perfect faith all went forth from home to live as mendicants.

“After the brahmin Govinda conferred on all of them instructions to ponder, through diligence, practice, and effort they generated the four meditative states and the five superknowledges.

Thereafter the great, high brahmin Govinda’s name was no longer great, high brahmin Govinda. Instead they called him Govinda the Teacher.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was called Govinda the Teacher then. The one who was King Reṇu then is none other than King Bimbisāra. The hundreds upon hundreds of thousands who were led by King Reṇu then are none other than the eighty thousand gods and the hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of brahmins and householders of Magadha now led by King Bimbisāra.

“At that time I led King Reṇu and others‍—many people of his country and thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders‍—to go forth, and placed them in the four meditative states and the five superknowledges. For this reason my fame spread throughout the world. Now as well I have sated King Bimbisāra, the eighty thousand gods, [F.116.a] and thousands upon thousands of brahmins and householders of Magadha with a taste of the holy Dharma, establishing them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.” [B37]

One time when the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, many in Śrāvastī were caught up in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.

The blessed buddhas, teachers of the one path to be traversed, with mastery over wisdom and the two types of knowable objects, in command of the three kinds of sterling equanimity, fearless by means of the fourfold fearlessness, freed from migration through the five destinies, keen in the six sense bases, practiced in the seven limbs of enlightenment, focused on the eight liberations, absorbed in the nine successive meditative absorptions, possessing all ten of the ten powers, whose proclamations are the great roaring of a perfect lion, by nature regard the world with their buddha eyes six times throughout the day and night‍—three times by day and three times by night.

These are their thoughts as they look out in wisdom: “Who is in decline? Who will flourish? Who is destitute? Who is in a dreadful state? Who is being harmed? Who is destitute, in a dreadful state, and being harmed? Who is veering toward the lower realms? Who is descending through the lower realms? Who has descended to the lower realms? Whom shall I pull up from the lower realms, and establish in the resultant state of heaven and liberation? Whom, mired in misdeeds, shall I lift up by the hand? Whom, lacking the seven jewels of the noble ones, shall I lead to command of the seven jewels of the noble ones? Whom, not having produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to produce them? Whom, having already produced roots of virtue, shall I lead to ripen their roots of virtue? Whom, having already ripened their roots of virtue, shall I slice open with the blade of wisdom? For whom shall I cause this world, adorned with a buddha’s presence, to be fruitful?” [F.116.b]

The Blessed One thought, “The time has come to tame all of these people. I shall turn them away from this strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, and establish them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.” In the morning he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, we went to Śrāvastī for alms and traveled to where those people were.

The people saw the Blessed One coming from a distance, and they were filled with wonder at the sight of him. They prepared a seat for him and requested him, “This way, Blessed One‍—if you please! Welcome, Blessed One, very good! O Blessed One, please have a seat on this cushion we have prepared for you!”

After the Blessed One had taken his place, he questioned them all, saying, “Friends, what are you doing? If you need to quarrel with others, is there anyone else with whom you could quarrel?”

“Tell us, Blessed One,” they replied, “with whom should we quarrel?”

The Blessed One said, “Please be seated, friends, and I shall tell you in detail.” They touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet and sat before him to listen to the Dharma. Then the Blessed One said to them, “It is your afflictive emotions you must fight. You should struggle to cast away your afflictive emotions.”

The Blessed One taught the Dharma particularly suited to them and they were no longer bound by their anger. [F.117.a] When they heard it, they destroyed with the thunderbolt of wisdom the twenty high peaks of the mountain of views concerning the transitory collection, and manifested the resultant state of stream entry right where they sat.

After seeing the truths, they rose from their seats, drew down the right shoulder of their upper garments, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and requested the Blessed One, “Lord, if permitted we wish to go forth in the Dharma and Vinaya so well spoken, complete our novitiates, and achieve full ordination. In the presence of the Blessed One, we too wish to practice the holy life.”

With the words “Come, join me, monks!” the Blessed One led them to go forth as novices, conferred on them full ordination, and instructed them. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, they manifested arhatship. As arhats, free from the attachments of the three realms, their minds regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of their hands as like space itself. They became cool like wet sandalwood. Their insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. They achieved the insights, superknowledges, and discriminations. They had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. They became objects of offering, veneration, and respectful address by Indra, Upendra, and the other gods.

“Lord,” the monks requested the Blessed One, “tell us why the Blessed One pacified the conflict among those many people and established them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well I placed them in the four meditative states and the five superknowledges. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, [F.117.b] in a remote mountain village, a certain brahmin performed a sacrifice. When the sacrifice was being performed, some other brahmins fought over a seat. There was a certain sage living in a forest devoted to austerities with five hundred attendants. The sage was at that sacrifice, so he taught them the Dharma particularly suited to them in order to pacify the brahmins’ conflict, and thus the conflict was pacified. The brahmins became disillusioned with saṃsāra and went forth in his presence. After they went forth, they generated the four meditative states and the five superknowledges.

“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that sage then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. Those who were the brahmins then are none other than all these brahmins. At that time I pacified their conflict and placed them in the four meditative states and the five superknowledges. Now as well I have pacified their conflict and established them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.

“They also went forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. At that time, having practiced pure conduct all their lives, their faculties ripened and now they have been liberated.”

When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, one of King Prasenajit’s high ministers had everything he possessed confiscated on account of a dispute231 and was thrown into the dungeon where he suffered from hunger and thirst and died.

Now he had made very wicked prayers, and after he died and transmigrated, he took rebirth as a vicious yakṣa. Then he set a plague upon people all over Kośala, and after a great many had died the soothsayers declared, “At his death the high minister made very wicked prayers. Now he has taken rebirth as a vicious yakṣa. [F.118.a] It is he who set this plague upon us.”

When the people heard this, they were desperate and did not know what to do. King Prasenajit thought, “No one can tame him. I shall have to implore the Blessed One right now to do so.” He approached the Blessed One, touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and took a seat at one side.

Once he had taken a seat at one side, King Prasenajit implored the Blessed One, “Lord, the Blessed One has tamed vicious nāgas like Nanda, Upananda, and others besides. You have tamed even the vicious yakṣa lord Aṭavika, and others besides. How wonderful it would be if, out of compassion, the Blessed One could tame this vicious yakṣa as well.” The Blessed One assented by his silence. King Prasenajit then praised this assurance from the Blessed One, rejoiced, touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and took leave of the Blessed One.

By means of a miracle the Blessed One set the yakṣa down near the garden of Prince Jeta, and to tame him he emanated a great fire. The yakṣa saw the great fire surrounding him on every side, and that it was peaceful only at the feet of the Blessed One. Afraid for his life, the vicious yakṣa approached the Blessed One, and the Blessed One said to him, “My friend, you were executed by King Prasenajit for a previous nonvirtuous action. [F.118.b] Even now, since taking rebirth here you have killed many. When you die and transmigrate, what will be your next birth? Where will you go?”

“Blessed One, what advice can you give me?” the yakṣa beseeched him.

“Give up these evil acts,” the Blessed One instructed. “Go for refuge and maintain the fundamental precepts.”

“I shall do just as the Blessed One says,” said the yakṣa. He went for refuge, took the fundamental precepts, and swore to the Blessed One, “Lord, I have given up evil acts. From this day forth, Lord, I shall guard and protect all the many inhabitants of Śrāvastī.”

“Lord,” the monks requested the Blessed Buddha, “tell us why the Blessed One tamed this vicious yakṣa, thereby granting many freedom from fear.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, I tamed this vicious yakṣa, and thereby granted many freedom from fear. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, during King Brahmadatta’s reign in the city of Vārāṇasī, a certain poisonous, extraordinarily venomous nāga appeared in Kāśi and emptied both the villages and the countryside. King Brahmadatta heard that it was headed in the direction of Vārāṇasī, and upon hearing this he flushed with terror. He armed the four divisions of his army and ordered them, ‘Go, kill the poisonous nāga!’

“But they bowed down at his feet and said, ‘Deva, a host of armies could not slay it. Mantras and medicine cannot slay it. Perhaps the ascetics or brahmins [F.119.a] could tame it with their virtuous ways?’

“Now at that time there lived in Vārāṇasī a certain young untouchable with a loving nature, great compassion, and a love for beings. As he saw that the people were confused about what to do, he felt immense compassion for them, and assured them, ‘There is no need for such desperate uncertainty, for I shall tame this poisonous nāga.’

“To this his parents replied, ‘Its very breath is poisonous‍—you will not be able to tame it.’

“ ‘If I don the armor of love,’ the child said, ‘it cannot harm me in the least.’ With that the child set out in the direction the poisonous nāga had gone. As the child approached, the wicked snake saw him from a distance, and blew its poisonous breath at him in anger.

“The child centered himself in love, and looked up at the poisonous nāga with love. No sooner had he cast this gaze than the poison disappeared. Then the boy picked up the nāga-snake in his two hands and set it down in a region where no people lived.

“King Brahmadatta and the others heard that young untouchable so-and-so had tamed the poisonous nāga. As soon as they heard this, the king himself approached the young untouchable and bid the child request some type of boon as his reward, saying, ‘I will grant you some type of boon.’

“The child replied, ‘Take the path of the ten virtuous actions and there remain. Then set the people of your country on the path of the ten virtuous actions.’

“At that, King Brahmadatta heaped material comforts upon him, adopted the path of the ten virtuous actions, and there remained while also setting the people of his country on the path of the ten virtuous actions.

“O monks, what do you think? [F.119.b] I am the one who was that young untouchable then, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who was the poisonous nāga then is none other than this vicious yakṣa. Those who were all those many people then are now the many inhabitants of Kośala. At that time I tamed that poisonous nāga, thereby granting many freedom from fear. Now as well I have tamed this vicious yakṣa, and thereby granted many freedom from fear.

“They also went forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. After practicing pure conduct all their lives then, their faculties ripened, and now they have been liberated.”

When the Blessed Buddha was staying in the garden of the householder Ghoṣila in Kauśāmbī, there lived a certain Kauśāmbī monk who was a wicked and very powerful holder of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā. He had many adherents239 and attendants, and many other monk friends who were also nothing but wicked, powerful holders of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants themselves.

There was also a certain Vaiśālī monk who had come to Kauśāmbī [F.125.a] and was likewise a wicked, powerful holder of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants, and many other monk friends who were also nothing but wicked, powerful holders of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants themselves.

While all of them were in retreat during the rains, they had agreed, “If any one of us sees that the water containers are completely empty, with no water whatsoever, that person should fill them, or else inform the one in charge of the utensils. Furthermore, not filling them or not informing the one in charge of the utensils will be cause for punishment.”

As those who were staying there during the rains were resolving a discussion, they became embroiled in argument and looked for opportunities to harm one another.

At that time a certain householder invited the Buddha and the rest of the saṅgha of monks to take their food at his house, so the Blessed One set out for the householder’s home accompanied by many of the monks, and eventually arrived at the householder’s home.

After the Blessed One left, the Vaiśālī monk went to bathe, and after he had washed and rinsed, he saw that there was no more than a little water left in the water container. He thought, “The monks have all already gone. No one is going to come here to bathe now, so there’s no need to fill the water container or to inform the person in charge of the utensils.” So he departed, leaving no more than a little water there.

Not long after he had gone, the Kauśāmbī monk came and was preparing to bathe when he saw that there was no more than a little water left. Since he had also seen the Vaiśālī monk bathe and depart, he thought, “That monk is doing one of two things‍—he’s either [F.125.b] filling up the water container or informing the person in charge of the utensils,” and he waited there.

Some of the disciples who were living with him asked, “Preceptor, why are you waiting here, when all the other monks have gone?”

“I wish to bathe,” he replied. “The Vaiśālī monk bathed and departed, so he’s gone either to fill the water container or to inform the person in charge of the utensils.”

“Preceptor, he left with his attendants,” they said. “You shouldn’t wait here.”

He showed the water container to the monks. “Look here‍—do you think I can bathe and rinse with just this much water?”

“Preceptor,” they said, “in a little while, claim that there is no water. Then we will support you and take your side.” And then they departed.

The Vaiśālī monk began to feel some regret, and he said to some of the disciples who were living with him, “Oh no, after I bathed and rinsed off, there was no more than a little water in the water container, and I left it like that and departed. We have an agreement among the saṅgha that you have to either fill the water container yourself or inform the person in charge of the utensils. I didn’t fill it myself, nor did I inform the person in charge of the utensils, and now I’ve come back here. But maybe now some other monk will want to bathe and rinse.”

They said, “Preceptor, in a little while, claim that there was water there. Then we will support you and take your side.” Then they departed, and after he finished his food, he went outside.

The Kauśāmbī monks thought, “The Vaiśālī monk has violated the agreement made among the saṅgha. Since he committed the infraction, we240 will make him confess the infraction.” So they prepared a seat [F.126.a] and sounded the gong, and the entire saṅgha assembled.

When the Kauśāmbī monk accused him, the Vaiśālī monk replied, “There was water inside.”

“Do you think I can bathe and rinse with that little water?” retorted the other.

They took action to sequester the monk for his shameless denial. The Vaiśālī monks interdicted241 that action, and performed a separate poṣadha purification ceremony of their own. This was cause for further strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, so in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention they remained.

The Blessed One sent for the sequestered monk, the disciples of the sequestered monk, and the disciples of the disciples of the sequestered monk, and asked them, “Monks, is it true you are engaged in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention?”

“Yes, Blessed One, it’s true,” they replied.

The Blessed One admonished them, “Monks, do not remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Monks, know that if you remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, virtues will decrease, and thereby not increase. Monks, know that if you do not remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, virtues will increase, and thereby not decrease.

“Furthermore, monks, a sequestered monk must do the following: If a sequestered monk is a wicked, powerful holder of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants, and his many other monk friends are likewise nothing but wicked, powerful holders of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants, he may think, ‘They carelessly accuse me and remember things carelessly. [F.126.b] Therefore I shall not pay heed to their grievances as I should. They are sequestering me from view. I am being sequestered on account of egregious, intransigent, destructive views,242 which will be cause for strife, reproof, conflict, and contention in the saṅgha.’ Assuming such, if the accused monk still makes amends as he should, all will be well. But by the same token, if he does not make amends, it will be an infraction.”

Then the Blessed One dismissed the sequestered monk, the disciples of the sequestered monk, and the disciples of the disciples of the sequestered monk, and sent for the monks who had sequestered him, the disciples of the monks who had sequestered him, and the disciples of the disciples of the monks who had sequestered him. He asked them, “Monks, is it true you are engaged in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention?”

“Yes, Blessed One, it’s true,” they replied.

The Blessed One admonished them also, “Monks, do not remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Monks, know that if you remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, virtues will decrease, and thereby not increase. Monks, know that if you do not remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, virtues will increase, and thereby not decrease.

“Monks, the monk who has sequestered another monk must do the following: If a sequestering monk is a wicked, powerful holder of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants, and his many other monk friends are likewise nothing but wicked, powerful holders of sūtra, vinaya, and mātṛkā, with many adherents and attendants themselves, he may think, ‘I have accused him carelessly and remembered things carelessly, and he has not paid heed to that grievance as he should, [F.127.a] so I have sequestered him from view. I sequestered him on account of egregious, intransigent, destructive views, which will be cause for strife, reproof, conflict, and contention in the saṅgha.’ Assuming such, he must not make careless accusations. He must not recall things so carelessly. If he makes a careless accusation, it will be an infraction.”

The Blessed One instructed them further, “Also, if the poṣadha purification ceremony still does not ameliorate the strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, it should be mentioned to the Blessed One as the occasion arises.”

Then the Blessed One sent for the sequestered monk, the disciples of the sequestered monk, and the disciples of the disciples of the sequestered monk, and said to them, “Monks, I have instructed you not to remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Is it true that the poṣadha purification ceremony still has not ameliorated the strife, reproof, conflict, and contention?”

“Yes, Blessed One, it’s true,” they replied.

“Monks, do not engage in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Monks, if you remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, then whether you perform the poṣadha purification ceremony, the lifting of restrictions ceremony,243 an act whose second member is a motion, or an act whose fourth member is a motion, all those acts would be interdicted, and they must be ratified.

“Why? Because, monks, you remain apart from the others, and they remain apart from you as well. Monks, there are two types of remaining apart: one who remains apart of his own accord, and one who lives separately by consensus of the saṅgha.

“Monks, what does it mean then to remain apart of one’s own accord? In this case, monks, to remain apart of one’s own accord means to knowingly claim that a position that does not accord with the Dharma is a position that does accord with the Dharma. [F.127.b]

“What does it mean to remain apart by consensus of the saṅgha? In this case, monks, to remain apart by consensus of the saṅgha refers to when the saṅgha has sequestered a monk out of view, and the sequestering is on account of egregious, intransigent, destructive views.

“Monks, there are two types of remaining together: one who remains on his own, and the saṅgha remaining together as the Dharma specifies.

“What do we mean by one who remains on his own? In this case, monks, one who remains on his own refers to a monk who knowingly claims that a position that accords with the Dharma is one that does not accord with the Dharma.

“What do we mean by the saṅgha remaining together as the Dharma specifies? In this case, monks, the saṅgha remaining together as the Dharma specifies refers to when the saṅgha is going to sequester a monk out of sight, and does the sequestering on account of egregious, intransigent, destructive views.”

Then the Blessed One dismissed the sequestered monk, the disciples of the sequestered monk, and the disciples of the disciples of the sequestered monk, and sent for the monks who had sequestered him, the disciples of the monks who had sequestered him, and the disciples of the disciples of the monks who had sequestered him.

“Monks,” he said to them, “I have instructed you not to remain in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Is it true that the poṣadha purification ceremony has still not ameliorated the strife, reproof, conflict, and contention?” When they replied, “Yes, Blessed One, it’s true,” he gave the previous instruction just as before, up through the saṅgha remaining together as the Dharma specifies. The Blessed One gave them this instruction, but they remained in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention.

Then a certain householder [F.128.a] invited the Buddha and the rest of the saṅgha of monks to take their food at his house, so those monks went there. The Blessed One told the monk in charge of provisions, “Bring my food here.”

Now there are five reasons the blessed buddhas make the monks in charge of provisions bring them food: (1) they wish to meditate, (2) they wish to teach Dharma to the gods, (3) they wish to visit with a sick person, (4) they wish to survey the sleeping quarters, or (5) they wish to give the fundamental precepts to disciples.

On this occasion, the Blessed One did so because he wished to give the fundamental precepts of the monastic discipline.

After he sent the monk in charge of provisions to bring the food, many of the monks who had come to the house began to engage in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention as they sat in their seats. Remaining in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, they continued performing improper actions of body and improper actions of speech and they eventually began striking each other.

After they went to take their food and had done so, they approached the Blessed One, touching their heads to his feet and taking a seat at one side. The Blessed One asked the monks who had taken food, “Monks, has the saṅgha’s good food contented you?”

“Yes, Lord, it has,” they replied. “Though it is good the saṅgha of monks is contented with good food, Lord, still many of the monks who came here began to engage in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention. Remaining in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, they continued to perform improper actions of body and improper actions of speech and eventually began striking each other.”

Then the Blessed One took his food, [F.128.b] washed his feet outside the monastery, and entered to monastery to sit in meditation. In the afternoon the Blessed One rose from his meditation, took his seat amid the saṅgha of monks, and asked them, “Monks, is it true that those of you who went to the house remained in strife, reproof, conflict, and contention, continuing to perform improper actions of body and improper actions of speech until after a while you began striking each other?”

“Yes, Lord, it’s true,” they replied.

The Blessed One then declared to the saṅgha of monks, “I shall make rules that govern a group of monks that goes to a householder’s home in a separate group. A group of monks who separate themselves in a group must give up all bases for dispute. Those monks who remained neutral should neither associate nor live together with the group of monks that separate themselves in a group even a night or a day or a morning or an evening‍—not in the temple, nor in the monastery, nor outside the villages. They should neither walk on the same path, nor accompany one another on the same path. They should not gesture. They should not speak. Those who remain neutral, and perfectly apprehend the cause of the dispute, will be able to make peace in accord with the Dharma and the Vinaya. In order to protect the doctrine of your teacher, if you are able to reach an agreement and by some pure means to make peace as the Dharma and Vinaya specify, then let your accord put to rest the cause of the dispute.”