Karmashataka 36: Bam po 36

some among these became upāsakas. Some went forth, and having guarded the taking of refuge and the training precepts for an entire lifetime there, through which they fully matured their faculties, they have now attained liberation.

The Hundred Deeds, Thirty-sixth viśrāma.
As for the one called 'Viṣṇu': While the Bhagavān was wandering on foot in the country of Magadha together with a great assembly of bhikṣus consisting of one thousand bhikṣus, all of whom had formerly been jaṭilas—all of them being arhats, their āsravas exhausted, their task done, what was to be done accomplished, their own welfare attained, the fetters of existence completely severed, and their minds completely liberated through correct knowledge—while traveling in the country of Magadha, he passed along the bamboo groves at the stūpa of the Magadhans called Susthita. Then the Bhagavān arrived at Susthita and stayed in the direction of the stūpa called Susthita belonging to the Magadhans. Then King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard: 'The Bhagavān, wandering on foot in Magadha together with a great assembly of bhikṣus consisting of one thousand bhikṣus, has arrived at the bamboo grove at the stūpa called Susthita belonging to the Magadhans.'

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

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,

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:

“Inhabitant of Uruvilvā, what do you see?
Here there is no fire, sage, or observance.
Kāśyapa, why have you given up the fire sacrifice?
Please, tell me all the reasons why.”

He replied:

“Some here praise food and drink,
Others retinue, or women.²²³
Since I’ve seen the impurity of these heaps,
I find no joy in the sacrificial fire.”

The Blessed One inquired:

“If you’ve no taste for lusting, nor for food,
Nor for drink, nor for a high, haughty seat,
How is it that you—among all on earth—
Could be happy, Kāśyapa? Answer this question for me.”

He replied:

“There is no greater peace than being free of heaps,²²⁴
Nothing like non-attachment to sense pleasures and existence.²²⁵
Having seen the state that another cannot induce,
I find no joy in the sacrificial fire.

“My deluded mind thought I’d be liberated
By sacrifices and fire observances.
Since I hadn’t seen the supreme state free of death,
Birth followed death and I remained blind.

“Now I’ve seen the uncompounded state
The best of humans and protector taught so well.
You, Gautama—foremost of sages, well versed in truth—
Truly were born to benefit many beings.”

The Blessed One said:

“You have reflected well upon
What strikes to the vital point²²⁶
As you dwelt upon phenomena, so finely distinguished—

You are welcome to resolve it once and for all.²²⁷

“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,

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.’ ”

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,

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.

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,

“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.

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,

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,

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,

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,

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

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:

“ ‘Never before have I heard of or seen
A color as beautiful as this.
A brilliant mien, a brilliant form—
Pray tell me, my friend, who you are.’

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā said, ‘Boy,

“ ‘Other embodied beings
Like Kumāra, Indra, and the rest
Know me as the embodiment of Brahmā,
And so too should you know me, Govinda.’

“The great, high brahmin Govinda responded in verse:

“ ‘Brahmā, I bow down before you.
Brahmā, I worship you.
Please hear what I say and then
Grant your answer without delay.’

“Sahāṃpati Brahmā replied:

“ ‘Govinda, I shall listen
To any word you say.
Brahmin, you may ask me
Any question in your heart.