[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Indian literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in) › [Buddhist Literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha) › [Buddhist Sanskrit literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit) › [Avadāna and jātaka literature](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana) › [Karmaśataka](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka) › [ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo) › [The Hundred Deeds](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000) › 10 # ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 10 The Hundred Deeds 10 - **Language:** English ### [10.2](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.2) Monks, if you don’t let this woman take the Tathāgata in her arms, she will spew warm blood from her mouth and die.” The monks did not hinder her any further, and, after holding the Blessed One in her arms, she sat before him to listen to the Dharma. The Blessed One directly apprehended her thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperament, and nature, and taught her the Dharma accordingly. Hearing it, the woman 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 she sat. Having seen the truths, she rose from her seat, drew down the right shoulder of her upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms together, and implored him, “Blessed One, 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.” The Blessed One presented her to Mahā­prajāpatī Gautamī, who led her to go forth as a novice, conferred on her full ordination, and instructed her. Casting away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, she manifested arhatship. As an arhat, free from the attachments of the three realms, her mind regarded gold no differently than filth, and the palms of her hands as like space itself. She became cool like wet sandalwood. Her insight crushed ignorance like an eggshell. She achieved the insights, superknowledges, and discriminations. She had no regard for worldly profit, passion, or acclaim. She became an object of offering, veneration, and respectful address by Indra, Upendra, and the other gods. ### [10.3](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.3) Then the Blessed One spoke of her greatness, saying, “Monks, this is the nun Kacaṅkalā—among my listener nuns, she is foremost of those who interpret the sūtras.” The monks requested the Blessed One, “Lord, tell us why thousands of women have seen the Blessed One, but never has anyone run to him from a distance like that.” “Monks,” explained the Blessed One, “Kacaṅkalā was my mother for five hundred lifetimes. She saw me and ran to me because of these habitual tendencies.” “Lord, if she was the Blessed One’s mother for five hundred lifetimes, why is she not your mother now?” “Monks, there are two causes and two conditions for her not being my mother now,” the Blessed One replied. “First, Mahā­māyādevī prayed, ‘Oh, but let me become the mother of the Buddha!’ And I myself, in distress, also prayed, ‘May she who is my mother, in the future not be my mother.’ ” “What distress did she cause the Blessed One?” they asked. “Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “bodhisattvas delight in renunciation and love to give, and she continually created obstacles to my renunciation and charity. This is why she caused me distress.” The monks asked the Blessed One, “Lord, what action did the nun Kacaṅkalā take that ripened into her first being poor and then going forth only in her old age?” “Bodhisattvas delight in renunciation ### [10.4](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.4) and love to give,” the Blessed One explained, “and for a certain number of my lives she obstructed my renunciation and charity. That act ripened into her now being poor, and going forth only in her old age.” “Lord, what action did the nun Kacaṅkalā take that ripened into the Blessed One declaring her the foremost among those who interpret the sūtras, and that she pleased and did not displease the Blessed One, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship?” “It came about by the power of her prayers,” replied the Blessed One. “Lord, where did she make these prayers?” “Monks,” the Blessed One recounted, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, 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 Kāśyapa was in the world, she went forth in his teaching, and the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended her preceptor as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras. “She practiced pure conduct all her life, and at the time of her death she prayed, ‘While I may not have attained any great virtues, still I have gone forth in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and practiced pure conduct all my life. By this root of virtue, may I please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. Going forth in his doctrine alone may I cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship. ### [10.5](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.5) Just as he commended my preceptor as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras, may the peerless Śākyamuni, King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras.’ “O monks, what do you think? The one who was that nun then is none other than Kacaṅkalā now. At that time she practiced pure conduct all her life, and at the time of her death she prayed, ‘May I please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. Going forth in his doctrine alone may I cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship. Just as he commended my preceptor as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras, may the peerless Śākyamuni, King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras.’ “So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that she has pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship, and that I commended her as foremost among those who interpret the sūtras.” The Story of Kaineya When the Blessed One was staying at the Domicile of Ghosts in the Adumā region, one morning he donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, went for alms in Adumā village. After receiving his alms in Adumā village, he ate his meal, ### [10.6](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.6) and since he no longer took food in the later part of the day, he washed his feet outside the Domicile of Ghosts, and entered the grounds to meditate. In the meantime there was a thunderstorm, and lightning struck in Adumā. The people there were chattering anxiously about how it killed four bulls and two brothers: one a householder, the other a peasant farmer. As evening fell, the Blessed One rose from his meditation and emerged from the Domicile of Ghosts and lingered there, walking among the shadows on the grounds of the Domicile of Ghosts. Thereupon one of the great many people there got up and walked toward the Blessed One. After approaching him, he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet and fell in behind him, that he might also walk where the Blessed One had walked. The Blessed One asked the man, “My friend! What are the people of Adumā village chattering about so anxiously?” “Lord,” said the man, “there was a thunderstorm, and lightning struck in Adumā. Everyone is chattering anxiously about how it killed four bulls and two brothers: one a householder, the other a peasant farmer. Did the Blessed One not hear the thunder roar and the lightning strike?” “No, I didn’t hear it,” the Blessed One replied. “How is that?” the man asked. “Was the Blessed One sleeping?” The Blessed One said, “No, I was not asleep at all.” “If the Blessed One has faculties of perception and wasn’t asleep,” he said, “then how did he not hear the thunder roar and the lightning strike?” “I have faculties of perception, and I was not sleeping,” the Blessed One replied, “but I did not hear the thunder roar nor the lightning strike.” Now the man had to think this over. “Hmm,” he thought, “although he has faculties of perception and was not sleeping, still he did not hear the thunder roar nor the lightning strike. How wonderful that the Blessed One can abide so peacefully in meditation.” ### [10.7](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.7) This made the man very happy, and in his happiness he made offerings to the Blessed One. At that time in the forests of the Adumā region there lived a certain sage named Kaineya who was clairvoyant and had a retinue of five hundred. Not far away in another forest lived his sister’s son, a sage by the name of Śaila, who also had a retinue of five hundred. Both sages also spent time on the banks of Lake Mandākinī, traveling there now and again to spend the day. 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, ### [10.8](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.8) 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 ocean, home of creatures fierce, Could fail to send its tides on time. But when the time has come to tame Their offspring, buddhas never fail. The Blessed One thought, “If I give a Dharma teaching to the four great kings there, I will tame the sages Kaineya and Śaila, so I will give a Dharma teaching to the four great kings there on the banks of Lake Mandākinī and tame the sages Kaineya and Śaila with little difficulty.” The Blessed One then had a thought about the world:⁹² “The four great kings can understand my intention, and when they understand it and think, ‘The Blessed One intends to give a Dharma teaching to us on the banks of Lake Mandākinī,’ they will agree to attend.” And indeed, the four great kings directly apprehended the Blessed One’s intention and dispatched their servants, instructing them, “Go now and prepare a seat on the banks of Lake Mandākinī. Scatter different kinds of flowers on the ground, and sprinkle it with fragrant water. Look after the sages Kaineya and Śaila, for it would not be right if harm came to them at the hands of humans, nonhuman spirits, or rākṣasas.” “As you wish,” the servants of the four great kings replied, and they traveled to Lake Mandākinī, where they prepared a seat, scattered different kinds of flowers on the ground, and sprinkled it with fragrant water. Kaineya, seeing that the servants of the four great kings had prepared a seat on the banks of Lake Mandākinī, scattered different kinds of flowers on the ground, and sprinkled it with fragrant water, asked them, “Why are you here making all these preparations?” ### [10.9](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.9) “We are preparing a seat for the Blessed One, for he wishes to teach the Dharma to the four great kings,” they replied. “What! Can’t I teach them Dharma?” Kaineya asked, to which the servants of the four great kings replied, “The ascetic Gautama will teach them the Dharma, not you.” “Then why are you following me all about?” he asked. “A large number of servants and attendants are going to accompany them, so we are looking after you for fear you might be harmed.” “What? Is it me alone you look after?” Kaineya demanded. “Or do you look after the ascetic Gautama as well?” The servants of the four great kings replied, “We do not look after the ascetic Gautama. He himself protects the world, including the gods.” Kaineya thought, “The ascetic Gautama must be a person of great miracles and great power, if even the gods strive to worship him in such a way.” The Blessed One disappeared from the Adumā region and traveled to the banks of Lake Mandākinī, where he took his place on the seat prepared for him. The great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the thousands upon thousands of gandharvas who serve him then filled the fronts of their long shirts with divine lotus, blue lotus, white water lily, and white lotus flowers and went to see the Blessed One. When they arrived, they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, scattered the divine lotus, blue lotus, white water lily, and white lotus flowers over him, and circumambulated the Blessed One seven times before taking their seats in the east, facing the Blessed One to the west. Then the great king Virūḍhaka and the thousands upon thousands of kumbhāṇḍas who serve him all filled the fronts of their long shirts with jewels and went to see the Blessed One. When they arrived, they scattered jewels over the Blessed One, ### [10.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.10) touched their heads to his feet, and took their seats in the south, facing the Blessed One to the north. Then the great king Virūpākṣa and the thousands upon thousands of nāgas who serve him all filled the fronts of their long shirts with pearls and went to see the Blessed One. When they arrived they scattered pearls over the Blessed One, touched their heads to his feet, and took their seats in the west, facing the Blessed One to the east. Then the great king Vaiśravaṇa and the thousands upon thousands of yakṣas who serve him all filled the fronts of their long shirts with gold and silver, and went to see the Blessed One. Upon their arrival, they scattered gold and silver over the Blessed One, touched their heads to his feet, and took their seats in the north, facing the Blessed One to the south. Now since two of the great kings were from barbaric outlying regions, and two were from central lands, the Blessed One thought, “If I give a Dharma teaching in the language of the central lands, two of them will understand what I am saying, and two of them will not, but if I give a Dharma teaching in the language of the barbaric outlying regions, still only two of them will understand what I am saying, and two of them will not. So, I will teach it to each of them individually.” With this thought he said to the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra, “Great King, the separation from the body, the abating of sensations, the cessation of perceptions, the allaying of formations, and the disappearance of consciousness is itself the end of suffering.” When he gave this Dharma teaching, the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the many thousands of gods who belong to the same class as him achieved the Dharma vision that is free from dust and stainless with regard to phenomena. ### [10.11](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.11) After that the Blessed One said to the great king Virūḍhaka, “Great King, when you see, you should have the wisdom to merely see. When you listen, you should have the wisdom to merely hear. When your intelligence begins to differentiate, you should have the wisdom to merely differentiate. And regarding consciousness, you should have the wisdom of mere consciousness. This itself is the end of suffering.” When he gave this Dharma teaching, the great king Virūḍhaka and the many thousands of gods who belong to the same class as him achieved the Dharma vision that is free from dust and stainless with regard to phenomena. Then the Blessed One said to the great king Virūpākṣa, “E ne me ne dab phu da dab phu,” which means precisely, “This itself is the end of suffering.” When he gave this Dharma teaching, the great king Virūpākṣa and the many thousands of gods who belong to the same class as him achieved the Dharma vision that is free from dust and stainless with regard to phenomena. Then the Blessed One said to the great king Vaiśravaṇa, “Mā śā tu śā sang śāmā sarva datra viratrī,” which means precisely, “This itself is the end of suffering.” When he gave this Dharma teaching the great king Vaiśravaṇa and the many thousands of gods who belong to the same class as him achieved the Dharma vision that is free from dust and stainless with regard to phenomena. The four great kings perceived the truths,⁹³ discovered the truths, realized the truths, and fathomed the truths to their very depths, overcoming whatever doubt or hesitation they had. Of their own accord, completely unprompted, and fearless on account of the truths their teacher had shown them, they rose from their seats, drew down the right shoulder of their upper garments, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and said, “Lord, we ### [10.12](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.12) have been inducted into the Dharma, we have been inducted into the Dharma indeed. We seek refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha. We wish to take refuge and the fundamental precepts.” The Blessed One replied, “My friends, what you have said is very good.” At this the four great kings rejoiced, praised all that the Blessed One had said, touched their heads to his feet, and took leave of the Blessed One. After they had left the monks asked the Blessed Buddha, “Lord, what actions did these four great kings take that ripened into two of them being renowned as the lords of the central lands, and two of the barbaric outlying regions, and that they pleased the Blessed One, and did not displease him?” “Monks,” the Blessed One recounted, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, 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 Kāśyapa was in the world, there were two nāga kings named Āśvāsa and Mahā­śvāsa who lived on the slopes of Mount Sumeru. Two bird kings lived there as well, the garuḍas Sound and Great Sound. “Afraid of the two garuḍas, the two nāgas fled, traveling down to the base of the universe, where they remained. The nāga kings Āśvāsa and Mahā­śvāsa liked the doctrine of the totally and completed awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, so both went for refuge and took the fundamental precepts. Having ### [10.13](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.13) taken refuge and the fundamental precepts, the nāga kings were no longer vulnerable to the garuḍas, so they emerged from the waters of the great ocean completely at ease. “The garuḍas Sound and Great Sound saw the two nāga kings emerge from the waters of the great ocean completely at ease. They were overwhelmed at the sight of them and were unable to harm them by force, for striking at them was like smacking into Mount Sumeru. ‘Before you were afraid of us and fled, down to the base of the universe—so how is it that you are now so completely at ease, and that we are unable to harm you?’ they asked them. “ ‘We’ve taken refuge and the fundamental precepts from the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa,’ the two nāgas replied. ‘That’s why we are no longer vulnerable to you.’ “ ‘Who is this one you call “Buddha”?’ the garuḍas asked. The nāgas described the Buddha to them in detail, and immediately after hearing about him they too were filled with the greatest admiration for the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. Joyful, they too went to see the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa. “They took refuge and the fundamental precepts and acted in accord with the nāgas by being friends with them, coexisting with them, and going for refuge and maintaining the fundamental precepts together with them. “At the time of their deaths they prayed, ‘We have gone forth like this in the teaching of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and practiced pure conduct all our lives. By this root of virtue, wherever we are born, may we be renowned as lords of those regions. May we please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely ### [10.14](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.14) awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. May we go forth in his doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.’ “O monks, what do you think? The ones who were the nāga kings Āśvāsa and Mahā­śvāsa then are none other than the great kings Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Virūḍhaka of the central lands. Those who were the garuḍa kings Sound and Great Sound then are none other than the great kings Virūpākṣa and Vaiśravaṇa of the barbaric outlying regions. At that time they went for refuge and maintained the fundamental precepts all their lives, and at the time of their deaths they prayed, ‘By this root of virtue, wherever we are born, may we be renowned as lords of those regions. May we please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha.’ Those acts ripened into their current renown as lords among the gods of the Abodes of the Four Great Kings. “So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that they have pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.” Kaineya was standing nearby as the Blessed One taught the Dharma to the four great kings and told of their past actions, and he could hear every word. As soon he heard it all, he experienced a surge of joy toward the Blessed One, approached him, touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and sat before him to listen to the Dharma. The Blessed One ### [10.15](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.15) directly apprehended his thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperament, capacity, and nature, and taught him the Dharma accordingly. When he heard it, Kaineya 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 implored him, “I would like to request that the Blessed One and the saṅgha of monks remain here in the region this morning. Please accept the beverages I shall prepare for you when it is no longer proper for you to eat.” The Blessed One assented by his silence. Understanding that by his silence the Blessed One had given his assent, Kaineya prepared eight different beverages—apple juice, banana juice, juniper juice, fig juice, udumbara juice, wild date palm berry juice, buckwheat juice, and grape juice—and went to present them to the Blessed One. When he arrived he implored the Blessed One, “Lord, the great sages of the past have sung the praises of these eight different beverages, extolling their virtues and speaking highly of them. I implore the Blessed One to please accept them out of compassion for us.” Out of compassion the Blessed One accepted the eight different beverages from Kaineya. The Blessed One then addressed the monks, saying, “Monks, I permit the monks, nuns, and female and male novices to drink all eight of these different beverages—be they filtered or unfiltered, clear or unclear, turbid or settled, of good color or not of good color— ### [10.16](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.16) at the proper times of day, but not at improper times. Of these eight different beverages, those filtered with cloth, clear, good in color, settled, and free of residue may be imbibed at improper times as well.” The sage Kaineya bowed to the Blessed One with his palms pressed together and beseeched him, “Lord, please allow me to request you and the saṅgha of monks to take your food at my house tomorrow,” and the Blessed One assented by his silence. Understanding that by his silence the Blessed One had given his assent, Kaineya then asked the Blessed One, “In that case, Lord, may I request that you all stay here in the forest tonight?” The Blessed One replied, “If it pleases you, Kaineya, we shall.” The Blessed One then disappeared from the banks of Lake Mandākinī and appeared seated in the forest with the saṅgha of monks, not far from where Kaineya lived. Early in the morning, before sunrise, Kaineya called to his young brahmins, “Noble ones, get up! Get up, gentle ones, get up! Attend to your reception room duties—split wood, make a fire, cook up the rice, prepare the vegetables, and make fried bread!” Kaineya was not the only one staying there that night. Śaila was there as well, and he heard Kaineya calling out to the young brahmins early in the morning before sunrise, “Noble ones, get up! Get up, gentle ones, get up! Attend to your reception room duties—split wood, make a fire, cook up the rice, prepare the vegetables, and make fried bread!” ### [10.17](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.17) When he heard this he thought, “What is this sage doing, sending off a bride to be married? Or is he about to receive a bride, perhaps? If not, he must be hosting foreign visitors, or craftsmen, or a group of men, or perhaps the king and his retinue.” Wondering about this, Śaila asked Kaineya, “What are you doing, sage, sending off a bride to be married? Or are you about to receive a bride, perhaps? If not, are you hosting foreign visitors, or craftsmen, or a group of men, or perhaps the king and his retinue?” “I am neither sending off a bride to be married, nor receiving a bride, nor hosting foreign visitors, craftsmen, or a group of men, nor hosting the king and his retinue,” replied Kaineya. “Rather, today I have invited the Buddha and the rest of the saṅgha of monks for a meal.” When Śaila heard the name Buddha, a sound unlike any he had heard before, it gave him goosebumps, and filled him with joy. Śaila asked Kaineya, “Sage, who is this one you call ‘Buddha’?” “Sage,” Kaineya replied, “near the Himalayas, on the banks of the Ganges, not far from the dwelling of the sage Kapila, a child was born to the Śākyas. The brahmin soothsayers and augurs made this prediction about him: ‘If he remains here at home, he will become a universal monarch, but if he shaves his head and face and dons the colorful robes of the holy, and if with nothing short of perfect faith he goes forth from home to live as a mendicant, then he will be renowned throughout the world as a tathāgata, an arhat, a totally and completely awakened buddha.’ He 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 until he awakened unto unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment. This, O sage, is the one we call Buddha.” “Sage, who are those you call ‘saṅgha’?” “O sage, ### [10.18](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.18) among them are wise warriors, wise brahmins, wise householders, and wise mendicants as well. They are all those who have gone forth to follow the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the totally and completely awakened Buddha. These, sage, are the ones I call the saṅgha. Today I have invited the Buddha and the rest of the saṅgha of monks for a meal.” Śaila asked Kaineya, “Where is the Blessed One now, sage?” “In the forests of the Adumā region, sage,” replied Kaineya. “If you wish to see him, “Brahmin, head to the beautiful forest, For that is where he is. There you shall see the Buddha, our guide, Holding court like a gandharva king.” Śaila heeded Kaineya’s advice and went to the forest to see the Blessed One. There he saw the Blessed One from a distance. His body, graced and resplendent with the thirty-two signs of a great person, looked like it was on fire, like tongues of fire stoked with ghee, like a lamp set in a golden vessel, and like a pillar adorned with all manner of jewels. He was immaculate, clear-minded, and pure of heart. He saw the Blessed Buddha, and the sight of him filled him with supreme joy, for beings who have gathered the roots of virtue to see a buddha for the first time experience such rapture as is not to be had even by those who practice calm abiding meditation for twelve years. After he saw the Blessed Buddha in this way, he approached him, touched his head to his feet, and sat before him to listen to the Dharma. The Blessed One directly apprehended his thoughts, habitual tendencies, temperament, capacity, and ### [10.19](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.19) nature, and taught him the Dharma accordingly. When he heard it, the sage Śaila 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 non-return 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 made this request of 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.” “Sage, have you consulted your retinue?” asked the Blessed One. “No, Lord,” replied Śaila, “I have not.” The Blessed One replied, “In that case, sage, first consult your retinue. It is only fitting that a person like yourself, renowned by all and possessed of great merit, should do so.” So Śaila went to see his young brahmins, and when he arrived he informed them, “Young brahmins, I must let you know that I wish to practice the holy life in the presence of the Blessed One. What will you do now?” “It is with your support, preceptor, that we have sought anything at all,” they replied. “Should the ascetic Gautama lead our preceptor to go forth, we will go forth as well.” “Young brahmins,” Śaila said, “if you are certain the time is right, then may it be so.” Then Śaila went to see the Blessed One along with his five hundred devotees. When he arrived he touched his head to the Blessed One’s feet, and then petitioned the Blessed One: “Lord, I have consulted my devotees, ### [10.20](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.20) and if permitted, Lord, 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.” “Come, join me, monks!” the Blessed One replied. “Practice the holy life.” As soon as the Blessed One had finished speaking there they stood, alms bowl and water pitcher in hand, with but a week’s worth of hair and beard, and with the deportment of a monk who had been ordained for one hundred years. As it is stated, Garbed in robes, with shaven heads, And senses stilled by Buddha’s will— From the very moment the One Thus Gone Spoke to them, saying, “Come, join me.” After preparing many good, wholesome foods that night, Kaineya rose in the morning, prepared seats, filled the water pots, and set them out. Then he sent a message to the Blessed One reminding him it was time for the midday meal: “Lord, the midday meal is upon us. Know that the time has come, Blessed One, and your presence is requested.” That morning the Blessed One donned his lower garment and Dharma robes, and, carrying his alms bowl, set out surrounded and escorted by an assembly of monks, until they arrived at Kaineya’s reception room. There, the Blessed One took his place on the seat prepared for him and Kaineya by his own hand contented the Buddha and the rest of the saṅgha of monks with many good, wholesome foods, proffering all that they wished. Kaineya saw that Śaila and his five hundred devotees had gone forth, and thus were also seated there. Recognizing this, he asked Śaila, “Sage, have you gone forth?” ### [10.21](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.21) “Yes, my friend, I have gone forth.” “Good!” Sage Kaineya said, “Very good! I too shall go forth after the Blessed One and the rest of the saṅgha of monks have finished eating.”⁹⁴ After contenting them by his own hand with many different kinds of good, wholesome food, proffering all that they wished, once he knew that the Blessed One had finished eating, his bowl had been taken away, and his hands washed, he drew down the right shoulder of his upper garment, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and requested, “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.” “Sage, have you consulted your retinue?” asked the Blessed One. “No, Lord,” replied Kaineya, “I have not.” “In that case, sage, first consult your retinue. It is only fitting that a person like yourself, renowned by all and possessed of great merit, should do so.” So Kaineya went to see his young brahmins, and when he arrived he informed them, “Young brahmins, I must let you know that I wish to practice the holy life in the presence of the Blessed One. What will you do now?” “It is with your support, preceptor, that we have sought anything at all,” they replied. “Should the ascetic Gautama lead our preceptor to go forth, we will go forth as well.” “Young brahmins,” Kaineya said, “if you are ### [10.22](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.22) certain the time is right, then may it be so.” So Kaineya went to see the Blessed One along with his five hundred devotees, and when he arrived he touched his head to the feet of the Blessed One, and told him, “Lord, I have consulted my devotees, and if permitted, Lord, 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.” “Come, join me, monks!” replied the Blessed One. “Practice the holy life.” As soon as the Blessed One had finished speaking there they stood, alms bowl and water pitcher in hand, with but a week’s worth of hair and beard, and with the deportment of a monk who had been ordained for one hundred years. As it is stated, Garbed in robes, with shaven heads, And senses stilled by Buddha’s will— From the very moment the One Thus Gone Spoke to them, saying, “Come, join me.” The Blessed One taught Śaila and Kaineya, and they cast away all afflictive emotions through diligence, practice, and effort, and manifested arhatship. He entrusted five hundred of their monks to Venerable Brāhmaṇa Mahā­kapina, two hundred and fifty to Venerable Śāriputra, and two hundred and fifty to Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and told them, “Give them your spiritual advice, and then instruct them to keep it in mind.” “Yes, Blessed One,” they agreed. “We will do just as you have instructed.” Venerable Śāriputra, Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and Venerable Brāhmaṇa Mahā­kapina brought the monks to the banks of the Hiraṇyavatī River, ### [10.23](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.23) where they pledged to stay in retreat during the rains. While observing their pledge to stay in retreat during the rains, they were given instructions to ponder. Venerable Brāhmaṇa Kapina established his five hundred monks in arhatship, Venerable Maudgalyāyana established his two hundred and fifty monks in the resultant state of non-return, and Venerable Śāriputra established his two hundred and fifty monks in the resultant state of stream entry. Now there are two times of year when it is customary for the disciples of the Blessed Buddha to convene—in the middle of the summer months when the time comes for the summer retreat, and on the full moon of the last month of autumn. When the time comes in the middle of the summer months for the monks to enter the rains retreat, the monks receive instructions to ponder, and then they pledge to remain for the duration of the summer in mountain ravines, in mountain caves, in caves of reeds, on the plains, in charnel grounds, or in the forests. Then, when the full moon of the last month of autumn arrives, they give an account of all that they have realized, and they put questions to their superiors regarding all that they still do not understand. The five hundred in each of Venerable Śāriputra and Venerable Maudgalyāyana’s two retinues and the five hundred of Venerable Brāhmaṇa Mahā­kapina’s retinue all entered summer retreat. When three months had passed and their summer retreat was finished, they donned their lower garments and Dharma robes, and, carrying their alms bowls, they went to see the Blessed One. Upon their arrival they touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, and took seats at one side. After they had taken their seats at one side, they gave the Blessed One an account of all that they had realized, and put questions to him regarding all that they still did not understand. The Blessed One gave them more advanced instructions to ponder, and they cast away all afflictive emotions with diligence, practice, and effort, and manifested arhatship. The monks asked the Blessed One, ### [10.24](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.24) “Lord, tell us why Venerable Brāhmaṇa Mahā­kapina, Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and Venerable Śāriputra established five hundred monks in arhatship, in the resultant state of non-return, and in the resultant state of stream entry.” “Not only now, monks” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, Venerable Brāhmaṇa Mahā­kapina, Venerable Maudgalyāyana, and Venerable Śāriputra, respectively, established their five hundred monks in the four meditative states and five superknowledges, in the formless realm, and in the form realm. Listen well! “Monks, in times gone by, on a certain mountain there lived two sages, each with five hundred devotees. One sage lived on one side of the mountain with his five hundred devotees, and the other lived on the other side of the mountain with his five hundred devotees. One day, one of the sages passed away. After the young brahmins made offerings to his relics, they went to see the other sage, and the other sage brought them into his retinue. Then the thought occurred to the sage, ‘After I pass away, there will be no one to look after these young men. I must see to their needs while I’m still alive.’ “Now, this sage had three outstanding students, so he entrusted five hundred young brahmins to one of them and entrusted two hundred and fifty to each of the other two. Then he told them, ‘Both while I am living and after my death, you must teach these disciples and see to it that they also ponder the instructions.’ One of the three established his five hundred young brahmins in the four meditative states and five superknowledges, one established his two hundred and fifty in the formless realm, ### [10.25](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.25) and one established his two hundred and fifty in the form realm. “O monks, what do you think? The one who placed those young brahmins in the four meditative states and five superknowledges then is none other than Brāhmaṇa Kapina. The one who placed them in the formless realm then is none other than Maudgalyāyana. And the one who placed them in the form realm then is none other than Śāriputra. “At that time, one of them placed them in the four meditative states and five superknowledges, one of them placed them in the formless realm, and one of them placed them in the form realm, and so too now one has placed them in arhatship, one has placed them in the resultant state of non-return, and one has placed them in the resultant state of stream entry. “Furthermore, monks, Brāhmaṇa Kapina’s students have keen intelligence, Maudgalyāyana’s students are of average intelligence, and Śāriputra’s students are less intelligent. Monks, if Śāriputra’s students could not so much as generate heat when handed to Brāhmaṇa Kapina, how then could they have realizations of a higher order?” The monks asked the Blessed Buddha, “Lord, what actions did the sages Kaineya and Śaila and their devotees take that ripened such that they pleased and did not displease the Blessed One, went forth in the doctrine of the Blessed One, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship?” “It came about by the power of their prayers,” replied the Blessed One. “When did they make these prayers?” “Monks,” the Blessed One explained, ### [10.26](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.26) “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years and the tathāgata, the arhat, 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 Kāśyapa was in the world, there lived two householders in Vārāṇasī who were very close friends. “One day they found faith in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, gave up household affairs, and went forth. After they went forth, they studied the Tripiṭaka and became proponents of the Dharma with all the eloquence of their wisdom and freedom. They acquired provisions of clothing, food, bedding, a seat, and medicines for the sick. Each of them gathered five hundred students and became a master teacher with his own retinue. “They both practiced pure conduct all their lives, and at the time of their deaths, they prayed, ‘May we please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. May we go forth in his doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.’ “Their students asked them, ‘What kind of prayers are you making?’ They both answered in detail, and then the devotees also prayed, ‘May we too, entrusting ourselves to the two of you, please and not displease the Blessed Buddha. May we go forth in his doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.’ ### [10.27](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10.27) “O monks, what do you think? Those who were the master teachers of their own retinues then are none other than the sages Kaineya and Śaila. Those who were their students then are none other than these one thousand monks. At that time they prayed, ‘May we please and not displease Uttara, the young brahmin prophesied by the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa to be the next blessed buddha. May we go forth in his doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship.’ “So it is, monks, now that I myself have become the very equal of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa—equal in strength, equal in deeds, and equal in skillful means—that they have pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship.” The Betrothal of the Bride: Two Stories The First “Betrothal of the Bride” Story When the Blessed One was in Śrāvastī, there lived two householders who were very close friends. One day, one of them said to the other, “My friend, let’s make certain that come what may, the bond between us can never be broken.” “How could we do that?” asked the other householder. “We have to become kin,” said the first. “Do you have a son or daughter?” wondered the other. “No, I don’t,” said the first. “Well, if you don’t have a son or daughter and I don’t either, how will we ever be kin?” asked the other. ## Linked texts (1) - [ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo.10.2) — Classical Tibetan --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10](https://indike.org/pramana/in.bauddha.sanskrit.avadana.karmasataka*bo~en-84000.10) · Pramāṇa