ལས་བརྒྱ་ཐམ་པ་པ 32.11

32.11

The merchants felt a surge of joy toward the Blessed One, and in their joy they sat before the Blessed One to listen to the Dharma.

The Blessed One taught them the Dharma perfectly suited to them, and among the assembled some generated heat. Some generated the peak, or generated the patience in accord with the truths, or generated the highest worldly dharma, or generated the attainment of seeing. Some manifested the resultant state of stream entry. Some manifested the resultant state of once-return. Some manifested the resultant state of non-return. Some went forth and manifested arhatship. Some sowed the seeds to become universal monarchs, some to become great universal monarchs, some to become Indra, some to become Brahmā, some for the enlightenment of the listeners, some for the enlightenment of the solitary buddhas, and some for unexcelled, total, and complete enlightenment. Among the assembled, most found themselves drawn to the Buddha, intent on the Dharma, and favoring the Saṅgha.

“Lord,” the monks requested of the Blessed One, “tell us why the Blessed One saved many from perishing in the fire and established them in the unsurpassed, supreme welfare of nirvāṇa.”

“Not only now,” the Blessed One explained, “but in times past as well and in the same way, I saved many animals from perishing in a fire and delivered them to safety. Listen well!

“Monks, in times gone by, in a certain forest there lived a great number of birds. In that forest two dry sticks scraped against one another and a fire arose. Those birds