ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 23
The Hundred Deeds 23
- Language
- English
23.2
commended him as foremost among keepers and compilers of the teachings. The Blessed One also commended Mahākāśyapa’s vast greatness as being like his own. Thereupon they both became gurus of the entire world with its gods.
The Blessed One thought, “After my parinirvāṇa, these two monks will be able to fulfill the purpose of my teachings. One will be able to safeguard the treasury of teachings, and the other will be able to recount my doctrine.” Having reflected thus, the Blessed One traveled to the city of Kuśinagarī.
When the Blessed One was passing into parinirvāṇa he thought, “If I pass my doctrine on to only human beings and don’t pass it on to any nonhuman beings, it will not remain for long; and if I pass it on to only nonhuman beings, and do not pass it on to any human beings, then it also will not remain for long. So I will pass on my doctrine to gods and humans, and to both these monks as well, for then its keepers will be gods and human beings alike. Then, kept by gods, humans, and both these monks as well, the doctrine will remain for a long time.”
Having reflected thus, the Blessed One said to Venerable Mahākāśyapa, “Kāśyapa, after I pass into parinirvāṇa, you must not pass into parinirvāṇa until you have carried on my doctrine and perfectly recounted the Tripiṭaka, and the monk Ānanda has cast away all afflictive emotions and manifested arhatship.”
Then the Blessed One spoke to Venerable Ānanda, saying, “Ānanda, do not pass into parinirvāṇa until the sage Mādhyandina has gone forth. Then you must tell him, ‘You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until you have tamed the nāga king Hulluru,
23.3
founded the kingdom of Kashmir, and established the doctrine there. As it flourishes there the householder Śāṇavāsa will go forth. You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until he has cast away all afflictive emotions and manifested arhatship, and you have passed on to him all that you have heard.’
“Then Mādhyandina must tell Śāṇavāsa, ‘You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until you have tamed the two nāga kings Naṭa and Vīra, and they have established the hermitages of Naṭa and Vīra. There shall be a perfume merchant named Gupta in Mathurā, and he will have a son named Upagupta. You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until he goes forth, casts away all afflictive emotions, manifests arhatship, and you have passed on to him all that you have heard.’
“Then Śāṇavāsa must tell Upagupta, ‘You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until noble Dhītika has gone forth, manifested arhatship, and you have passed on to him all that you have heard.’
“Upagupta must tell Dhītika, ‘You must not pass into parinirvāṇa until you decide to consume poisoned food in Pāṭaliputra.’ ”¹⁵⁹
Venerable Mahākāśyapa and Ānanda rose, drew down the right shoulder of their upper garments, bowed toward the Blessed One with palms pressed together, and said, “As you wish, Blessed One.”
The Blessed One spoke to Venerable Mahākāśyapa, saying, “Kāśyapa, go now and lead the saṅgha of ordinary beings to wander the country. Let there be no disagreement among you prior to my parinirvāṇa.”
23.4
“As you wish, Lord,” he replied, and Venerable Mahākāśyapa went and led the saṅgha of ordinary beings to wander the country.
Not long after Venerable Mahākāśyapa had left, the Blessed One had a thought about the world: “It would be good if Śakra, King of the Gods, and the four great kings—Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Virūpākṣa, Virūḍhaka, and Vaiśravaṇa—would come to see me.” So the Blessed One performed a miracle that caused Śakra, King of the Gods, and the four great kings to disappear from among the gods and appear instantly seated before the Blessed One. They scattered divine blue lotus, lotus, white water lily, white lotus, and mandārava flowers over the Blessed One, and again sat down before him.
“Lords,” the Blessed One said to Śakra, King of the Gods, and the four great kings, “before long the Tathāgata will pass into the realm of nirvāṇa without any remainder of the aggregates. After my parinirvāṇa, may you safeguard my doctrine.
“Lords, in a thousand years, when the doctrine has begun to decline, when injustice prevails in the world and the path of the ten virtuous actions has lost all its strength, Jambudvīpa will be filled with an ill wind. With the arrival of this ill wind, rain will cease to fall. When the rain ceases to fall, all the rivers and wells will have but little water in them. The trees will neither flower nor bear fruit, the harvests and fruits will lack any vitality, and they will also be devastated by hail. The grain too will be ruined, and there will be famine. When the famine occurs, human beings
23.5
will be forced to eat wild millet. They will have little strength and their life force will diminish.
“Śakas, Yavanas, Bāhlikas, kings, and brigands will harm the living. After the Śakas, Yavanas, Bāhlikas, kings, and brigands have done their harm, they will also seize the Tathāgata’s crown protrusion, eye teeth, alms bowl, stūpas, and such, and take them east. After that a king of the barbaric outlying regions named Śaka will come from the south with a suite of a hundred thousand attendants, raze the monasteries of the saṅgha, tear down the stūpas, and slay the monks.
“A king of the barbaric outlying regions named Bāhlika will come from the west with a suite of a hundred thousand attendants, raze the monasteries of the saṅgha, tear down the stūpas, and slay the monks.
“A king of the barbaric outlying regions named Yavana will come from the north with a suite of a hundred thousand attendants, raze the monasteries of the saṅgha, tear down the stūpas, and slay the monks. Because of all this, the people and the robbers will blame and harm one another, and the monks will wish to travel east.
“Lords, at that time a king named Mahendrasena will rule in Kauśāmbī with a suite of a hundred thousand attendants. When his son is born, he will be wearing armor on his body, have blood on his hands, and be tremendously strong. On the same day, sons will also be born to the king’s five hundred ministers who are wearing armor, have blood on their hands, and are tremendously strong.
“On that day a rain of blood will fall on Kauśāmbī. When the king consults the soothsayers, they will issue a prophecy saying,
23.6
‘Deva, he will become the sole sovereign over the whole world, but he will slaughter many beings.’
“At the elaborate feast celebrating the birth of the king’s son, they will name him, saying, ‘Since he is infamous and overwhelming, his name will be Duṣprasaha.’ As he grows up, the kings of the barbaric outlying regions will slaughter many people over twelve years and then travel east. When King Mahendrasena hears of it, he will become fearful and unhappy, and the gods will advise him, ‘Let young Duṣprasaha be king, and he will defeat the kings of the barbaric outlying regions once and for all.’
“Thereupon King Mahendrasena will remove the crown and diadem from his head and grant them to young Duṣprasaha, at which point King Duṣprasaha will appoint the sons of Mahendrasena’s five hundred ministers as his chief ministers. He and his five hundred ministers will don their armor and he will lead them into battle against the kings of the barbaric outlying lands.
“They will slaughter the three kings of the barbaric outlying lands along with the hundreds upon hundreds of thousands in their retinue, and he shall become the sole sovereign over the whole world. He shall bring them under his command and then return to Kauśāmbī.
“Lords, at that time in Pāṭaliputra there will appear a brahmin called Agnidatta, a master of the Vedas and the supplements to the Vedas. When the time comes for him to marry, he will take a wife, they will enjoy themselves and couple, and a being will enter his wife’s womb. Then his wife the brahmiṇī will begin to think things like, ‘Wouldn’t it be good to converse with those who debate the scriptures!’
23.7
“The brahmin will consult the soothsayers and the soothsayers will say, ‘The being in her womb will understand all the treatises and confound those who debate the scriptures. It is on account of that being that the brahmiṇī has such fervent wishes and thinks, “Wouldn’t it be good to converse with those who debate the scriptures!” ’
“After nine or ten months have passed, she will give birth to a child who is well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. When he is grown, he will master all the treatises and confound those who debate the scriptures. He will act as a master of disciples of the brahmin mantras for five hundred brahmins. He will have many disciples, and therefore he will be called Śiṣyaka.
“Then he will ask for his parents’ permission, go forth in my very doctrine, be educated in the Tripiṭaka, become a proponent of the Dharma with all the eloquence of wisdom and freedom, and gather around himself a great retinue.
“Lords, at the same time, in Pāṭaliputra a trader called Sudhana will appear. When the time comes for him to marry, he will take a wife, they will enjoy themselves and couple, and a being in its final existence will enter his wife’s womb. The woman will become patient, gentle, peaceable, and calm.
“When the trader Sudhana consults the soothsayers, they will reply, ‘The being who has entered her womb will be gentle. It is on account of that being that your wife has become patient, gentle, peaceable, and calm.’ After nine or ten months have passed, she will give birth to a child who is well proportioned, pleasing to the eye, and beautiful. They will name him Sūrata.
“When he is grown, he will ask for his parents’ permission to go forth in my very doctrine,
23.8
cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifest arhatship. He will have little learning and few desires, be known by all, and make his home in a remote place.
“One day King Duṣprasaha’s father Mahendrasena will die. King Duṣprasaha will take his remains in his hands and cradle them in his lap, grieving and suffering, wailing and lamenting, and there will be no one able to dispel his sorrow.
“Soon thereafter the elder Śiṣyaka and hundreds of his disciples will travel to Kauśāmbī, where he will go before King Duṣprasaha and teach him the Dharma. Hearing it will clear away the king’s sorrows, and he will find faith in the doctrine. Now faithful, he will give the gift of protection to the monks. He will say to the monks, ‘How many years has it been since the Blessed One’s doctrine was destroyed by the kings of the barbaric outlying regions?’ And they will reply, ‘Twelve years.’ Then he will proclaim with a lion’s roar, ‘For twelve years I shall hold a Festival of the Fifth Year of the Doctrine of the Blessed One¹⁶⁰ in Kauśāmbī.’
“When the king inaugurates the Festival of the Fifth Year in Kauśāmbī, on the very day it commences rain will begin to fall, and people the world over will be sated with water, all the way to the ocean’s edge. The many inhabitants of Jambudvīpa will come to Kauśāmbī specifically to celebrate the Festival of the Fifth Year.
“Monks will put all their efforts into working for offerings. They will be fixated on worldly profit and high acclaim. They will indulge themselves on donations given in faith. They will not receive instruction, and neither read nor recite. They will pass their days in gossip
23.9
and their nights in sloth and slumber. They will crave money and acclaim. They will be obsessed with physical hygiene and pour their efforts into their attire. They will have neither renunciation, tranquility, solitude, nor perfect enlightenment. The only thing dear to them will be their outfits.
“Lacking the great virtues of the holy ascetics, and acting as enemies to the holy Dharma and friends with this time of strife, they will lay down the banner of the Dharma and hoist the banner of Māra, snuff out the flame of Dharma and ignite the flame of afflictive emotions, cleave the Dharma drum, grind the wheel of holy Dharma down to dust, let dry up the ocean of holy Dharma, level the mountain of holy Dharma, raze the city of Dharma to the ground, rip out the Dharma tree by its roots, cast aside calm abiding meditation and insight meditation, snip off the adornments of their morality, and repudiate the path.
“Then the gods, nāgas, and yakṣas shall curse, desert, and defeat¹⁶¹ them, saying, ‘It isn’t right that these lowest of beings spoil the excellent speech of the Blessed One.’ And they will also say:
“ ‘These wretched persons, engulfed in wrong views,
Whose sorry misdeeds know no bounds,
In their benighted state have felled the Blessed One’s teaching,
The fruit-bearing tree, and now it’s gone.
“ ‘The heartless tossed out the Dharma way.
The true Dharma they have cast away. In greed,
They tore the Dharma banner, the Blessed One’s teaching,
Left it on the ground, and now it’s gone.
“ ‘These countless restive, wicked persons
In the thrall of sin, these evil ones,
Destroyed that bridge, the Sage’s teaching,
And now it’s gone.
“ ‘These ignoble persons with shaven heads,
Lax in conduct, whose lives are a ploy,
Dishonest folk, have destroyed that market,
23.10
The Sage’s teaching, and now it’s gone.
“ ‘Anger, pride, and arrogance
Like foul spirits possess them.
Fond of money, inhumane—other than evil,
They’ve done nothing at all.
“ ‘Now is the time that the holy Dharma is razed.
The signs, they tell an awful tale.
The virtuous are filled with grief;
The teacher, he saw it all.
“ ‘All of what the perfect sage predicted,
Everything has come to pass—
A trifling remnant of the Sage’s teaching
Remained, and now it’s gone.
“ ‘The ocean of the Sage’s teaching
Will be a wasteland before long.
The wanton, with their vulgar wisdom,
Through negligence have done their harm.
“ ‘They don’t know how to serve the just.
They cling to faults and abandon good.
Like children, fearful when alone,
They are never in solitude, ever unaware.
“ ‘These deluded persons, trailing after
Nasty masters who were poorly trained,
Convinced of what is totally wrong,
Have spoiled the Dharma, and now it’s gone.
“After they speak these words, in bitter disappointment never again will the gods, nāgas, and yakṣas look after the monks or shelter them. With the holy Dharma due to vanish in seven days’ time, the gods will be unhappy and hover in the sky, crying out this pronouncement: ‘Friends, seven days from now, when the time comes for the poṣadha purification ceremony, the holy Dharma of the Tathāgata will vanish because of a dispute.’
“Upon hearing this, five hundred lay vow holders of Kauśāmbī will go to the monastery to pacify all the monks’ fighting, faultfinding, quarrels, and disputes, protesting, ‘Alas! The Buddha’s doctrine will vanish soon because of a dispute.’ And they will also say:
“ ‘The Śākya lion’s teaching
That gladdened every being
Very soon will be destroyed,
Crushed beneath the wheel of time.
23.11
“ ‘Many a thousand hearts are broken.
Even the greatest, made of iron—done.
The peaceful times are now long past.
A dreadful time has come. It’s gone.
“ ‘The wise of the world
Have dwindled to none.
All the signs upon earth,
Whatever forms they take, concur:
“ ‘It’s certain that the doctrine
Will fall to ruin before long.
Think well, those who wish for happiness,
What could be of benefit.
“ ‘Know it now, think well on this—
That the true Dharma is vanishing.
Where before there was boundless worship
Now a mere measure remains.
“Thus the five hundred lay vow holders will come to reflect, ‘Common enjoyments are meaningless. We should do something more meaningful.’ And so, on the very day when the holy Dharma is to disappear, the group of five hundred lay vow holders will provide support for five hundred monasteries. But when it comes time for poṣadha, the five hundred lay vow holders will be occupied and will not be able to go to the monastery.
“Meanwhile the monk Sūrata, living upon Gandhamādana Mountain, will wonder, ‘Where should I go to convene for poṣadha?’ When he looks out toward Jambudvīpa, seeing all the Blessed One’s disciples converging upon Kauśāmbī, he will wish to travel to Kauśāmbī for poṣadha. Among the hundred thousand monks assembled for poṣadha, there will be but a single arhat, the one called Sūrata, and there will be but a single Tripiṭaka master, the one called Śiṣyaka.
“Lords, that will be the final gathering of the Tathāgata’s disciples. One hundred thousand monks will be there. Then the monk in charge of implements will distribute tally sticks among the saṅgha of monks and say to the elder monk Śiṣyaka, ‘Elder brother, now that the saṅgha of monks has convened, we ask you, please recite the Prātimokṣa Sūtra.’
“Śiṣyaka will reply, ‘All the Blessed One’s disciples in Jambudvīpa have come here.
23.12
There are a hundred thousand monks here, and I am the most senior among the entire saṅgha and have completed my study, so if I do not instruct them in the precepts, no one else will instruct them in the precepts. I wonder, for whose sake should I recite the prātimokṣa, then?’ And he will also say:
“ ‘Now, upon the fifteenth night,
As the constellations all align,
Those monks whose aim is the poṣadha rite
Are sitting heedful in their seats.
“ ‘All of the Śākya’s offspring
Who dwell in Jambudvīpa
Have come to this place.
This will be their final convocation.
“ ‘Among the saṅgha of monks,
Only I have completed my studies,
So if even I am not able to give the precepts,
Of course no other person can.
“ ‘So if there are some here
Well trained in the precepts
Taught by the Lord of Sages, the wise Śākya lion,
Please express your qualifications.’
“Then the arhat Sūrata will rise from his seat before the row master, bow toward the saṅgha with palms pressed together, and bid elder monk Śiṣyaka, ‘Elder brother, please recite the Prātimokṣa Sūtra. For in the same way that the great disciples—Śāriputra, Maudgalyāyana, and the rest—maintained their precepts perfectly while the Blessed One dwelt among us, I likewise have maintained the doctrine perfectly, some thousand years after the Blessed Buddha passed into parinirvāṇa.’ ”
The Blessed One¹⁶² continued:
“Having listened to the words
Spoken by the elder monk,
Then Sūrata, the Sugata’s heir,
Will speak with a lion’s roar:
“ ‘I have borne the precepts of the Sage,
Never wavering.
With precision I have learned the precepts
of the Teacher’s monastic discipline.’ ”
“Thereupon
23.13
Śiṣyaka’s fearsome disciple Aṅgada will rise to his feet and say, ‘You’re but a newcomer, and one of little learning! How can you speak such nonsense to our preceptor?’ And he will take up a sharp sword to slay the arhat Sūrata.”
The Blessed One continued:
“Śiṣyaka’s disciple
Aṅgada, so frightening,
Will slay the arhat Sūrata,
The Sugata’s very heir.
“Then a yakṣa called Dadhimukha will come there and think, ‘This wicked man has killed the one arhat that was here!’ He will light his vajra scepter on fire and it will burn all over, covered in flames. Wielding nothing but a single, searing flame, he will bludgeon the monk Aṅgada’s head, and split it into seven pieces.”
The Blessed One continued:
“Then the yakṣa Dadhimukha
Will wield a blazing scepter
And split wicked Aṅgada’s head
Into seven pieces.
“The disciples of the arhat Sūrata will rise from their seats, and they will murder the Tripiṭaka master Śiṣyaka, and after the murder of the arhat Sūrata and the Tripiṭaka master Śiṣyaka, the Tathāgata’s holy Dharma will disappear.
“When the holy Dharma disappears, the earth will quake, a meteor will strike, and the thundering of a celestial drum will resound from the heavens. Comets will fall from the four directions, and some hundred thousand gods will cry out in unbearable compassion, wailing and lamenting, ‘What misery! The holy Dharma the Tathāgata cultivated for over three countless eons is no more!’ ”
The Blessed One continued:
“In the very instant
The monk Sūrata is slain,
The entire surface of the earth
Will quake six different ways.
“When the holy Dharma
Of the Great Sage vanishes,
A great many beings, overcome by suffering,
23.14
Will perish then.
“Yakṣas who once beheld the Buddha
And who love the Victor’s teaching,
Will fall face-down upon the ground,
Crying in lamentation, suffering.
“From this time forth, in all the world
The holy Dharma will be no more.
Vinaya and prātimokṣa
Will not be practiced any more.
“The Dharma bridge, swept away.
The stream of Dharma, stopped.
What was an ocean, only sand.
The Dharma mountaintop, removed.¹⁶³ It will be gone.
“The Dharma sacrifice will draw to a close.
The Dharma sacrificial pillar, felled. It will be gone.
The Dharma’s base will break. It will be gone.
The vows shall be no more. They will be gone.
“The Dharma lamp will be snuffed out.
The Dharma wheel will halt. It will be gone.
The door to deathlessness will be shut. It will be gone.
The Dharma preachers will die off. They will be gone.
“The remonstrators of the righteous way,
Those superb persons will be destroyed. They will be gone.
Not long from now, human vision
Will be like that of beasts.
“Thereupon Mahāmāyādevī will descend from her home in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three, and cry out in unbearable compassion, wailing and lamenting, ‘What misery! The holy Dharma my son cultivated for over three countless eons has now vanished because of a dispute and is no more!’ And she will also say:
“ ‘Alas! Virtuous Sūrata,
The Buddha’s youngest heir,
Was killed in a fit of hatred
By jealous Aṅgada.
“ ‘The Buddha’s mother, great Māyādevī,
So disciplined in manner,
Speaks out of pity and sadness,
For the holy Dharma is gone.
“ ‘Alas! The doctrine supreme among
Gods and humans is destroyed, it’s gone.
The Tripiṭaka master Śiṣyaka,
And the monk Sūrata both were killed.
“ ‘Thus today the moon fell from the sky,
And the sun has left and gone.
The sun of the teachings is no more—
Now the world is plunged in gloom.
“ ‘The pure disk of the moon
Lies in the clutches of Rāhu.
A murk, thick and terror-filled,
23.15
Engulfs the whole world now.
“ ‘Today the boat of Dharma,
Sailing to the port of nirvāṇa,
Was wrecked by Aṅgada
And other heartless fools. It’s gone.
“ ‘It is gone without a trace—
In its place is irreligion.
The māras’ victory call
Resounds through Māra’s horde.
“ ‘Now, on the very hill in Videha
Where once thundered the lion’s roar,
Śakra and his suite of servants
Are shot through with pain and sorrow.
“ ‘Today the world, even Brahmāloka,
Is defenseless and in despair.
Māra and his horde run rampant,
Arrogant and unopposed.
“ ‘The Teacher pointed out
The way to liberation, and, at the end, he entered nirvāṇa.
The Sage’s wings of awakening
And paths to liberation are cut. They’re gone.
“ ‘Those who bathed in its waters,
Kauṇḍinya and the rest, once were cured and perfected.
But today the pool of the Dharma, where the flowers
Of the factors of awakening bloomed, has run dry.
“ ‘The assembly of the doctrine—where did it go?
The doctrine holders—where have they gone?
There is no more joy in Jambudvīpa,
And we despair from seeing this today.
“ ‘The Buddha’s children, finely trained,
Born of the Dharma King’s speech,
Fixed the rudder and abandoned affliction.
These eloquent tigers—where have they gone?
“ ‘In every world, the Lord’s children,
Who held up the Buddha’s central pillar,
Have left the rubbish heaps, ravines,
And forests. Where have they gone?
“ ‘Ever since they went away,
Like the moon in Rāhu’s clutches,
The hermitages have no allure.
They’re devoid of any appeal.
“ ‘Trained in knowledge and mores,
Adorned with jewels of faith,
Patient and kind,
Winnowing the ill from good,
“ ‘The supremely intelligent ones,
The beings who adorned this land
With its monasteries, groves,
And stūpas—all are gone.
“ ‘Seeing that the world has lost its guide,
In abject suffering and out of pity,
The gods and other divine beings
Wander, lament,
23.16
and weep.’
“When they hear this, the five hundred lay vow holders in Kauśāmbī will emerge from the monastery, throw up their hands, and lament, ‘The holy Dharma the Tathāgata cultivated for over three countless eons has now vanished into contention and is no more!’ And they will say:
“ ‘Who among the ineloquent persons
Of this fearful world
Could preach the holy Dharma?
Who could transcend sorrow?
“ ‘Light is shrouded in gloom.
The deluded wander about,
Bereft of the Sage’s teachings,
Virtuous deeds cast aside.
“ ‘Lacking sorrow for saṃsāra, they behave like beasts—
Nonvirtue is their constant Dharma.’
“When the king of Kauśāmbī hears that the arhat Sūrata and the Tripiṭaka master Śiṣyaka have been killed, in a fit of rage and fury he will attack the teachings, destroying the temples of the saṅgha, demolishing the stūpas, and slaying all the monks.
“Lords, in the future you must band together to protect the teachings wherever they incur harm.”
“We shall,” they said.
“Lord,” the great king Dhṛtarāṣṭra declared, “I shall protect the teachings in the east.”
“Lord,” Virūḍhaka declared, “I shall protect the teachings in the south.”
“Lord,” Virūpākṣa declared, “I shall protect the teachings in the west.”
“Lord,” Vaiśravaṇa declared, “I shall protect the teachings in the north.”
“Lord,” Śakra, King of the Gods, declared, “I shall protect the teachings in all directions.”
Having spoken thus, Śakra, King of the Gods, and the four great kings
23.17
praised the words of the Blessed One, rejoiced, touched their heads to the Blessed One’s feet, and disappeared on the spot.
After the Blessed One had handed the doctrine to Venerable Mahākāśyapa and Venerable Ānanda, the monks said to the Blessed Buddha, “Lord, you have seen that after the Blessed One hands the doctrine to the monk Kāśyapa, and the treasury of teachings to the monk Ānanda, and passes into parinirvāṇa, the two will propagate the doctrine.”
“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well, and in the same way, I handed my country and the four divisions of my army to the monk Kāśyapa, and to Ānanda I handed the treasury of my wealth. By safeguarding them after my death, the two made my royal palace flourish. Listen well!
“Monks, in times gone by, when King Mahādeva reigned in the city of Mithilā, one day his wife 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 according to their clan. They reared him on milk, yogurt, butter, ghee, and milk solids, and he flourished like a lotus in a lake.
“Soon after, the king fell ill. Though he was treated with medicinal roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and fruits, he could not be cured. The king thought, ‘I shall die from this illness, and my son is still very small. After my death, everyone will think, “This child is king?” and they will come to revile him. Who could be powerful enough to maintain the royal palace after I die and pass on?’
“Now the king had two wise chief ministers, capable, clear-minded,
23.18
trustworthy, shrewd, disciplined, and prudent. Their names were Nanda and Upananda. King Mahādeva thought, ‘After I die and pass on, Nanda and Upananda will be able to safeguard the royal palace.’ With this thought, he summoned both ministers by messenger and then instructed them, ‘The two of you should know that soon I shall be no more. You two will be able to care for the royal palace after I die and pass on.’ The king handed one of them the prince and the royal treasury, and the other the country and the four divisions of the royal army, instructing them, ‘After my passing the two of you must protect the royal palace and ensure that it prospers.’
“Then the king ceded the throne to the prince and passed away. After his passing, the two ministers divided his affairs:¹⁶⁴ one would safeguard the prince and the royal treasury, and the other would safeguard the kingdom and the four divisions of the army.
“When the prince had come into his own and grown strong, one of the two ministers offered him the wealth and the treasury, and the other offered him the country and the four divisions of the army, saying, ‘Deva, this wealth was your father’s. May you therefore rule righteously as king!’
“O monks, what do you think? I am the one who was that aged king, and lived the life of a bodhisattva. The one who safeguarded the four divisions of the army and the country then is none other than the monk Kāśyapa. The one who safeguarded the prince and the royal treasury then is none other than Ānanda. The one who was the prince then is none other than Śāṇavāsa. At that time, I
23.19
handed the prince and my royal treasury to one younger than myself, and to another younger than myself I likewise handed my country and the four divisions of my army.
“At that time, after I died and passed on, they likewise cared for the royal palace and made it prosperous. Now, as I am once again nearing the end, I have handed to one the treasury of teachings, and to the other I have handed the doctrine; after my parinirvāṇa, they will make the doctrine known.
“Furthermore, regarding the monks Ānanda and Kāśyapa, one prayed, ‘May I become supreme among the learned. After the Blessed One’s parinirvāṇa, may I make known the treasury of teachings,’ while the other prayed, ‘After the Śākya sage, foremost King of the Śākyas, passes into parinirvāṇa, may I fulfill the aim of his doctrine.’ ”
“Lord, where did they make these prayers?” the monks inquired.
“Monks,” the Blessed One recounted, “in times past, in this fortunate eon, when people lived as long as twenty thousand years, and the totally and completely awakened buddha endowed with perfect knowledge 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, the monk Ānanda went forth in his teaching, and the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended the one who had led Ānanda to go forth as foremost among keepers of the teachings.
“At that time he practiced pure conduct all his life, and at the time of his death, he 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
23.20
and manifest arhatship. Just as the Buddha Kāśyapa commended my preceptor as foremost among keepers of the teachings, may the Śākya sage, the most excellent King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among keepers of the teachings. After his parinirvāṇa may I make known the treasury of his teachings.’
“O monks, what do you think? The one who was that monk then is none other than Ānanda himself. At that time he prayed thus, and 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 he has pleased me, not displeased me, gone forth in my very doctrine, cast away all afflictive emotions, and manifested arhatship; that I have commended him as foremost among keepers of the teachings; and that after my parinirvāṇa, he will make the teachings known.
“Monks, the monk Kāśyapa also went forth in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa, and the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended the one who had led him to go forth as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices.
“At that time he practiced pure conduct all his life, and at the time of his death, he prayed, ‘While I may not have attained any great virtues, still I have gone forth like this in the doctrine of the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa and practiced pure conduct all my life. Therefore, 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.
23.21
Just as the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa commended my preceptor as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices, may the Śākya sage, the most excellent King of the Śākyas, likewise commend me as foremost among those possessing the ascetic practices.’
“When he died and transmigrated, he took rebirth in the city of Vārāṇasī in the family of a chief minister. After his birth, when he had grown, King Kṛkī made him one of his ministers. When the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa had carried out all the activities of a buddha and passed beyond all sorrow into the realm of nirvāṇa without any remainder, King Kṛkī venerated his relics and commissioned a jewel stūpa that was one league in circumference, for which the king appointed as overseer the minister’s son.
“One day, when King Kṛkī had completed every aspect of the stūpa, he wished to inaugurate the traditional festival of the stūpa, so he prepared a large quantity of food, drink, and robes, and extended an invitation to the monks. When seven days had gone by since the totally and completely awakened Buddha Kāśyapa passed into parinirvāṇa, the doctrine disappeared. After his parinirvāṇa, those monks who had achieved spiritual power also entered parinirvāṇa. Those who were ordinary persons returned to home life. As a result, those who had extended the invitations could not find a single monk.
“ ‘Where have all the monks gone?’ asked King Kṛkī.
“ ‘Now that seven days have passed since the totally and completely awakened Buddha has passed into parinirvāṇa, the doctrine has disappeared,’ the ministers replied.
“ ‘Is there not a single monk who can act as keeper of the doctrine?’ the king asked.
23.22
And with that, King Kṛkī venerated the stūpa and departed.
“Thereupon the minister’s son also venerated the stūpa 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 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. After his parinirvāṇa may I also become a keeper of the doctrine.’
“O monks, what do you think? The one who was the minister’s son then is none other than the monk Kāśyapa. It was at that time that he made this prayer.”
The Story of Son of Grasping
When the Blessed One was in Rājagṛha, there lived certain great brahmin named Grasping. In the village of Nālada there lived another brahmin named Tiṣya. The two were dear friends.
As the brahmin Tiṣya and his wife enjoyed themselves and coupled, one day his wife 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 Śāriputra Upatiṣya.
Then one day the brahmin Grasping’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 asked, “What name should we give this child?” And they named him, saying, “Since this is the great, high brahmin Grasping’s child, his
Linked texts (1)
- ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ — Classical Tibetan