Samyuktagama (Sanskrit fragments) 263

263.1

（二六三）

(263)

Thus I have heard: One time, the Buddha was staying at Citra the cowherd’s village in Kuru.

263.2

如是我聞：

Thus have I heard:

263.3

一時，佛住拘留國雜色牧牛聚落。

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the country of the Kurus, in the market town of Kammāsadhamma.

263.4

爾時，佛告諸比丘：「我以知見故，得諸漏盡，非不知見。云何以知見故，得諸漏盡，非不知見？謂此色、此色集、此色滅；此受、想、行、識，此識集、此識滅。不修方便隨順成就，而用心求：『令我諸漏盡，心得解脫。』當知彼比丘終不能得漏盡解脫。所以者何？不修習故。不修習何等？謂不修習念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。譬如伏鷄，生子眾多，不能隨時蔭餾，消息冷暖，而欲令子以觜、以爪啄卵自生，安隱出㲉，當知彼子無有自力，堪能方便以觜、以爪安隱出㲉。所以者何？以彼雞母不能隨時蔭餾，冷暖長養子故。

At that time, the Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: 'It is through knowing and seeing that I attained the destruction of all āsravas, not through not knowing and not seeing. How is it that through knowing and seeing one attains the destruction of all āsravas, and not through not knowing and not seeing? It refers to: this is rūpa, this is the origination of rūpa, this is the cessation of rūpa; this is vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, and vijñāna, this is the origination of vijñāna, this is the cessation of vijñāna. If one does not practice skillful means in conformity with fulfillment, yet sets one's mind to seeking: "May my āsravas be destroyed, and may my mind attain vimukti," you should know that that bhikṣu will ultimately not be able to attain the vimukti of the destruction of āsravas. Why is that? Because of not cultivating. Not cultivating what? That is, not cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga. For example, a brooding hen has many chicks, but is unable to brood and warm them in due season, or regulate their cold and warmth, yet desires that the chicks with beak and claws peck the egg themselves to be born and safely emerge from the shell; you should know that those chicks lack the strength of their own to be capable, through such means, of using beak and claws to safely emerge from the shell. Why is that? Because the mother hen is unable to brood and warm them in due season, nurturing the chicks with cold and warmth.'

It was then that the Buddha addressed the monks, “It was because of knowing and seeing that I reached the end of the contaminants, not because of not knowing or seeing. How was it because of knowing and seeing that I reached the end of the contaminants and not because of not knowing or seeing? I mean: ‘This is form, this is the formation of form, and this is the cessation of form. This is feeling … conception … volition … awareness, this is the formation of awareness, and this is the cessation of awareness.’

“[Suppose] one doesn’t cultivate this method or follow through with it, and they apply their mind to this goal: ‘Let my contaminants come to an end and my mind be liberated.’ You should know that that monk will never be able to reach the end of the contaminants or be liberated. Why is that? Because he doesn’t train himself. What doesn’t he train himself in? He doesn’t train in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, or the path.

“He’s like a brooding hen that lays a clutch of eggs but can’t keep them warm at the proper times. She takes breaks when it’s too cold or hot, but she wants her chicks to use their beaks and claws to hatch themselves by pecking at their eggshells. You should know that her chicks won’t have the strength to break out of their shells with their beaks and claws. Why is that? Because that mother hen wasn’t able to keep them warm at the proper times when it was too cold or hot.”

263.5

「如是，比丘不勤修習隨順成就，而欲令得漏盡解脫，無有是處。所以者何？不修習故。不修何等？謂不修念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。

'In this way, if a bhikṣu does not diligently cultivate in conformity with fulfillment, yet desires to attain the vimukti of the destruction of āsravas, this cannot be. Why is that? Because of not cultivating. Not cultivating what? That is, not cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga.'

“Thus, it isn’t possible for a monk who wants to reach the end of the contaminants and be liberated if he isn’t diligent in his training or following through with it. Why is that? Because he doesn’t train himself. What doesn’t he train in? He doesn’t train in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, or the path.

263.6

「若比丘修習隨順成就者，雖不欲令漏盡解脫，而彼比丘自然漏盡，心得解脫。所以者何？以修習故。何所修習？謂修念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。如彼伏雞善養其子，隨時蔭餾，冷暖得所，正復不欲令子方便自啄卵出，然其諸子自能方便安隱出㲉。所以者何？以彼伏雞隨時蔭餾，冷暖得所故。

'If a bhikṣu cultivates in conformity with fulfillment, even if he does not desire the vimukti of the destruction of āsravas, that bhikṣu will naturally have his āsravas destroyed and his mind will attain vimukti. Why is that? Because of cultivating. What is cultivated? That is, cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga. Just like that brooding hen who well nurtures her chicks, brooding and warming them in due season with cold and warmth well-regulated: even if she does not desire that the chicks by their own means peck the eggs to come out, nevertheless those chicks are naturally able by their own means to safely emerge from the shell. Why is that? Because that brooding hen broods and warms them in due season, with cold and warmth well-regulated.'

“If a monk trains himself and follows through with it, then that monk’s contaminants will end naturally and his mind will become liberated, even if he doesn’t want that. Why is that? Because he trains himself. What does he train in? He trains in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, and the path.

“He’s like a brooding hen who is good at taking care of her chicks and keeps them warm at the appropriate times when it’s too cold or hot. Even if she doesn’t want her chicks to use their own beaks to hatch from their eggs, her chicks are still able to safely hatch themselves. Why is that? Because that brooding hen kept them warm at the appropriate times and did so when it was too cold or hot.

263.7

「如是，比丘善修方便，正復不欲漏盡解脫，而彼比丘自然漏盡，心得解脫。所以者何？以勤修習故。何所修習？謂修念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。譬如巧師、巧師弟子，手執斧柯，捉之不已，漸漸微盡手指處現，然彼不覺斧柯微盡而盡處現。

'In this way, when a bhikṣu well cultivates skillful means, even if he does not desire the vimukti of the destruction of āsravas, that bhikṣu will naturally have his āsravas destroyed and his mind will attain vimukti. Why is that? Because of diligent cultivation. What is cultivated? That is, cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga. For example, when a master carpenter or a carpenter's apprentice holds an axe handle in his hand and grasps it unceasingly, it gradually wears down until the marks of his fingers appear, yet he does not notice the axe handle gradually wearing down until the worn marks appear.'

“Thus, a monk who is good at cultivating this method will naturally end the contaminants and his mind will become liberated even if he doesn’t want that. Why is that? Because he diligently trained himself. What did he train in? He trained in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, and the path.

“He’s like a mason or a mason’s apprentice whose axe handle gradually wears away where he grips it with his hand. He isn’t aware that it has worn away until it becomes obvious.

263.8

「如是，比丘精勤修習隨順成就，不自知見今日爾所漏盡，明日爾所漏盡，然彼比丘知有漏盡。所以者何？以修習故。何所修習？謂修習念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。譬如大舶，在於海邊，經夏六月，風飄日暴，藤綴漸斷。

'In this way, when a bhikṣu diligently cultivates in conformity with fulfillment, he does not himself know or see: "Today so many of my āsravas are destroyed, tomorrow so many of my āsravas are destroyed," yet that bhikṣu knows that the destruction of āsravas exists. Why is that? Because of cultivating. What is cultivated? That is, cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga. For example, a large ship lying on the seashore through the six months of summer, blown by the wind and scorched by the sun, has its rattan bindings gradually rot and snap.'

“Thus, a monk who diligently trains himself and follows through with it won’t know and see for himself that the contaminants will end today or tomorrow. Still, that monk will know that he has ended the contaminants. Why is that? Because he trains himself. What does he train in? He trains in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, and the path.

“He’s like a large ship that travels along the coast of the ocean for six months during summer. Its rope lashings slowly break as it’s blown around violently each day.

263.9

「如是，比丘精勤修習隨順成就，一切結縛、使、煩惱、纏，漸得解脫。所以者何？善修習故。何所修習？謂修習念處、正勤、如意足、根、力、覺、道。」

'In this way, when a bhikṣu diligently cultivates in conformity with fulfillment, he is gradually liberated from all fetters, latent tendencies, kleśas, and entanglements. Why is that? Because of good cultivation. What is cultivated? That is, cultivating the smṛtyupasthānas, samyakprahāṇas, ṛddhipādas, indriyas, balas, bodhyaṅgas, and the mārga.'

“Thus, the monk who diligently trains himself and follows through with it will slowly be freed from all the bonds, tendencies, afflictions, and hindrances. Why is that? Because he trains himself well. What does he train in? He trains in the abodes of mindfulness, right effort, spiritual abilities, faculties, powers, factors of awakening, and the path.”

263.10

說是法時，六十比丘不起諸漏，心得解脫。

When this Dharma was spoken, the minds of sixty bhikṣus attained vimukti without āsravas arising anymore.

When he taught this Dharma, sixty monks stopped producing the contaminants, and their minds became liberated.

263.11

佛說此經已，諸比丘聞佛所說，歡喜奉行。

When the Buddha had spoken this sūtra, the bhikṣus, having heard what the Buddha said, rejoiced and practiced it.

After he spoke this sūtra, the monks who heard what the Buddha taught rejoiced and approved.