འཕགས་པ་རྒྱ་ཆར་རལ་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 17
The Play in Full 17
- Language
- English
17.2
With nothing more to achieve, all his fetters had been cut. All negative emotions had been cleared away, along with his mental stains. He had conquered Māra and all hostile forces, and now he joined the Dharma-way of all awakened ones. He had become omniscient and perceived everything. He possessed the ten powers and had discovered the fourfold fearlessness. All the eighteen unique qualities of a buddha had unfolded within him. Equipped with the fivefold vision, he surveyed the entire world with the unobscured eye of an awakened one and began to reflect:
“To whom should I teach this Dharma for the very first time? Who is pure, kindhearted, easy to train, and a good teacher able to purify others? Who has little desire, anger, and delusion? Who is open-minded and suffers because of never having heard the Dharma? Such a person I should teach first of all. One who understands my teaching will not turn against me.”
Then, monks, the Thus-Gone One thought to himself, “Rudraka, the son of Rāma, is pure and kindhearted. It is easy for him to make others understand and purify them. He has only little desire, anger, or delusion. He is also open-minded, and now suffers because he has never heard the Dharma. He instructs his students in the practice of disciplined conduct that leads to a state of mind that is neither conscious nor unconscious. Now, where is he staying?”
At that moment the Thus-Gone One realized that Rudraka had died just one week before. The gods, too, bowed their heads to the Thus-Gone One’s feet and said, “Lord, that is how it is. Well-Gone One, that is how it is. Rudraka, the son of Rāma, died just one week ago.”
Monks, at that point I had the thought, “Oh no, how sad that Rudraka, the son of Rāma, died before hearing this well-prepared teaching! If only he had received my teaching, he would surely have understood it.
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To him I would have explained this Dharma for the first time, and he would not have turned against me.”
Monks, the Thus-Gone One again thought, “Now, where could there be another being who is pure and easy to train? Who would have all these qualities and not react against the teaching of Dharma?”
Monks, it then occurred to the Thus-Gone One, “Ārāḍa Kālāma is pure and has all the other qualities. He would not react against the teaching of Dharma.” So the Thus-Gone One wondered, “Where would he be now?” Wondering, he realized that Ārāḍa Kālāma had passed away just three days earlier.
The gods from the pure realms further clarified that matter for the Thus-Gone One, saying, “Lord, that is how it is. Well-Gone One, that is how it is. Ārāḍa Kālāma died just three days ago.”
The Thus-Gone One then thought, “Oh no, how sad that Ārāḍa Kālāma died before hearing this well-prepared teaching!”
Monks, at that point the Thus-Gone One once again reflected, “What other being is pure, has a good heart and all the qualities, and would not react against my presentation of the Dharma?”
Monks, it then occurred to the Thus-Gone One, “My five ascetic companions are pure and goodhearted. They will make good teachers who are able to purify others. They have but little desire, anger, or delusion. They would be open-minded, and they are now suffering because of not having heard the Dharma. When I was practicing under hardships, they helped me. They will understand the Dharma taught by me, and they will not turn against me.”
Monks, at that point the Thus-Gone One decided, “My five ascetic companions will be the ones to whom I shall teach the Dharma for the first time!”
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Monks, the Thus-Gone One now further thought, “Where might these five companions be staying?” Scanning the entire world with his eye of an awakened one, he saw the five ascetics staying in the Deer Park in Vārāṇasī by a hill known as the Hill of the Fallen Sages.
After seeing this, he thought to himself, “If I teach these five excellent ascetics the Dharma before I teach anyone else, they will understand my Dharma when I teach it for the very first time.”
Why is that? Monks, they have already practiced and they already possess pure qualities of accomplished scholars. They are intent on the path to liberation and are free from obstructing forces.
Now, monks, having reflected in this way, the Thus-Gone One arose from the seat of awakening, making the trichiliocosm tremble. In due course, passing through the country of Magadha, he set off on his way to Kāśi. In Gayā, not far from the seat of awakening, an ājīvika mendicant spotted him from afar. Seeing the Thus-Gone One approaching, he came up to him and stood to one side.
As he stood to one side, monks, the ājīvika first made a pleasing conversation about various things with the Thus-Gone One, saying, “Venerable Gautama, your senses are calm, and your skin is bright, pure, and of yellow hue. Just as the autumn season, which is white and bright, becomes of yellow hue, so too your senses, Lord Gautama, are bright, and your round face is perfectly pure. Just as when the ripe fruit of the tāla tree is nipped off its stem, the severed area immediately becomes yellow, bright, and perfectly pure,
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so too, Gautama, are your bright senses and your perfectly pure round face. Just as a necklace made of gold from the Jambū River, whose surface has the excellence of a shining meteor, when well fashioned by a skillful son of a goldsmith and thrown onto a white cloth becomes of vivid color, resplendent, perfectly pure, and exceedingly bright, just so, Venerable Gautama, are your calmed senses, bright skin color, and your perfectly pure round face. Venerable Gautama, with whom did you practice religion?”
Monks, the Thus-Gone One replied to the ājīvika with this verse:
“I do not have any teacher;
There is no one like me.
I alone am the perfect Buddha,
Cool and without any flaws.”
The seeker then asked, “Gautama, surely you are not telling me that you have become a worthy one?”
The Thus-Gone One replied:
“I am a worthy one of the world;
I am the unsurpassed teacher.
Among the gods, demigods, and divine spirits,
There is no rival to me.”
The seeker asked further, “Gautama, surely you are not telling me that you have become a victorious one?”
The Thus-Gone One replied:
“The victorious ones should be known to be like me,
Who has exhausted all faults.
I have conquered all evil dharmas;
Therefore, my friend, I am indeed a victorious one.”
The mendicant then asked, “Venerable Gautama, where will you go now?”
The Thus-Gone One replied:
“I am on my way to Vārāṇasī.
When I arrive in the city of Kāśi,
I shall spread an incomparable light
To shine in this world of the blind.
“I am on my way to Vārāṇasī.
When I arrive in the city of Kāśi,
I shall beat the great drum of nectar
To be heard in this world of the deaf.
“I am on my way to Vārāṇasī.
When I arrive in the city of Kāśi,
I shall turn the wheel of Dharma
That has never been turned in this world.”
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“May this come to pass, Gautama!” replied the ājīvika. “May this come to pass!” The mendicant then took off toward the south while the Thus-Gone One went north.
Monks, at this point Sudarśana, the king of the nāgas, invited the Thus-Gone One to stay with him in Gayā for some refreshments. The Thus-Gone One then proceeded to Rohitavastu and on toward Uruvela-Kalpa, Anāla, and the town of Sārathi. Monks, in all those places the laypeople invited the Thus-Gone One to stay and refresh himself.
In due course he arrived at the banks of the great river Ganges. Monks, at that time the great river Ganges was swollen and flowed on the same level as its banks. Now, monks, since the Thus-Gone One wanted to cross the river, he approached a ferryman about this.
The ferryman told him, “Gautama, you must pay the crossing fee.”
The Thus-Gone One replied, “Sir, I do not have any means to pay the crossing fee.” Then he flew through the air from one shore to the other.
When the boatman saw this, he felt great regret, thinking, “Oh no, how sad! How could I refuse to give a ferry ride to such a venerable man worthy of being served!” He then fainted and fell to the ground.
Later the boatman recounted the story to King Bimbisāra: “Your Majesty, when I asked the mendicant Gautama to pay the crossing fee, he told me that he did not have money to pay the fare. Instead he just flew through the air from one bank to the other!” When King Bimbisāra heard this, he waived the crossing fee for monks from that day onward.
Monks, in this way the Thus-Gone One traveled through the land. Finally he arrived at the city of Vārāṇasī. At dawn he dressed, put on his mendicant robe, and took his alms bowl. Then he entered the city of Vārāṇasī to seek alms.
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Soon he had acquired enough offerings and sat down for his meal.
He then proceeded to the Deer Park by Hill of the Fallen Sages to meet his five former companions. The five companions could see the Thus-Gone One approaching from a distance, and they began to scheme:
“Venerable ones, look, here comes that mendicant Gautama, that lazy, gluttonous one who has given up on his ascetic practices. Before, when he practiced austerities, he never managed to manifest any deep wisdom derived from the teachings of superior humans. How much worse are things now! He is not to be emulated as he walks around eating proper food and doing easy practices. That lazy glutton! None of us should approach him to greet him or rise when he comes. Don’t help him by holding his robes or his offering bowl. Don’t offer him food or drink for refreshment, nor a place to rest his legs. We can, however, set up some spare seats and say, ‘Venerable Gautama, these are spare seats. If you like, you may sit.’ ” The venerable Ājñātakauṇḍinya did not agree with this, but he did not voice his opposition, either.
Monks, the closer the Thus-Gone One came to his five former companions, the more uncomfortable they felt in their seats and wanted to stand up. They felt like birds caught in a cage with a fire burning below.
Just as birds tormented by a fire wish nothing more than to take off quickly and fly away, the closer the Thus-Gone One came to the five companions, the more uncomfortable they felt in their seats and wanted to get up. The reason they felt this way is that no living being is able to remain seated when beholding the Thus-Gone One. So the closer the Thus-Gone One came to the five companions,
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the more overwhelming his splendor and radiance became. They began to quiver in their seats, and then their prior plan fell apart completely and they all stood up from their seats.
One went to greet him. One approached him and held his robe and alms bowl. One prepared a seat for him. One made a footrest. One brought water to wash his feet and said, “Welcome, Venerable Gautama! Welcome, Venerable Gautama! Please sit on this seat that we have laid out.”
Monks, the Thus-Gone One indeed sat on the seat that had been arranged, and the five companions, who tried to make diverse, happy, and pleasing conversation with the Thus-Gone One, sat a little apart. They spoke to the Thus-Gone One in the same way the ājīvika had addressed him earlier:
“Venerable Gautama, your senses are calm, and your skin is bright, pure, and of yellow hue. Just as the autumn season, which is white and bright, becomes of yellow hue, so too your senses, Lord Gautama, are bright, and your round face is perfectly pure. Just as when the ripe fruit of the tāla tree is nipped off its stem, the severed area immediately becomes yellow, bright, and perfectly pure, so too, Gautama, are your bright senses and your perfectly pure round face. Just as a necklace made of gold from the Jambū River, whose surface has the excellence of a shining meteor, when well fashioned by a skillful son of a goldsmith and thrown onto a white cloth becomes of vivid color, resplendent, perfectly pure, and exceedingly bright, just so, Venerable Gautama, are your calmed senses, bright skin color, and your perfectly pure round face. Venerable Gautama, with whom did you practice religion?”
The Thus-Gone One answered the five companions, “Monks, do not address the Thus-Gone One as ‘venerable,’ meaning ‘long-lived,’ or you will have failure, adversity, and unhappiness for a long time. Monks, I have actualized immortality and the path that leads to immortality. Monks, I am the awakened one, the omniscient one, the all-seeing one. I have become tranquil and have exhausted all faults.
“Monks, being the master of phenomena, I will teach you the Dharma. Come, listen and understand. Listen intently with open ears, and I will give you instruction and guidance. When I teach and guide you, you will also relinquish all faults and be liberated within a stainless and insightful state of mind.
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When you attain realization, you will proclaim: ‘Our births have been exhausted. The religious life has been led. That which ought to be done has been done—and nothing else. We therefore know an existence different from this ordinary life.’
“Did you not, monks, earlier say to yourselves: ‘Venerable ones, look, here comes that mendicant Gautama, that lazy, gluttonous one who has given up on his ascetic practices. Before, when he practiced austerities, he never managed to manifest any deep wisdom derived from the teachings of superior humans. How much worse are things now! He is not to be emulated as he walks around eating proper food and doing easy practices. That lazy glutton! None of us should approach him to greet him or rise when he comes. Don’t help him by holding his robes or his offering bowl. Don’t offer him food or drink for refreshment, nor a place to rest his legs. We can, however, set up some spare seats and say, “Venerable Gautama, these are spare seats. If you like, you may sit.” ’ ”
Monks, as soon as the Thus-Gone One had uttered these words, every extremist symbol and banner that the five companions were wearing disappeared in an instant. Instead they each now found themselves dressed in the three robes of a mendicant with an alms bowl and their head shaven. Even their behavior was as if they had already been ordained for a hundred years. This truly was their “going forth”; this very ordination became the essence of monkhood.
Monks, right away the five monks bowed at the Thus-Gone One’s feet and confessed their wrong behavior. In the Thus-Gone One’s presence, they developed their recognition of him as their teacher, as well as their love, devotion, and respect for him. Out of devotion they then gave the Thus-Gone One a refreshing and cleansing bath in a lotus pond with lotuses of many different colors.
Monks, after the Thus-Gone One had been refreshed by his bath, he thought to himself, “Where did all the previous thus-gone ones, the worthy ones, the perfect buddhas, turn the wheel of Dharma?”
Monks, at whichever place the previous thus-gone ones, the worthy ones, turned the wheel of Dharma, at that place there appeared one thousand jewel thrones, made of seven kinds of jewels. Then the Thus-Gone One, out of respect to the thus-gone ones of the past, circumambulated the first three thrones and then sat down crossed-legged on the fourth throne like a fearless lion.
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The five monks prostrated to the Thus-Gone One with their heads at his feet and then sat down before him.
Monks, at that point the Thus-Gone One’s body began to emit light rays that filled this trichiliocosm with bright light. This light illuminated the inhabitants of the entire world who were steeped in evil and darkness. The color and brilliance of this light even outshone that of the sun and the moon, those magical planets that are otherwise so highly praised for their great power. The light shone so brightly that it illuminated even places so dark that those beings who are born there cannot see their hands, even if they hold them right in front of their faces. Now even those beings were bathed in light so bright that they immediately saw and acknowledged each other, saying, “Oh my, there are other beings here! There really are!”
Then the whole trichiliocosm began to shake in six different ways and exhibited eighteen great signs. It began to quiver, tremble, quake, wobble, thunder, and roar, each in three degrees of intensity. The world shook so violently that when the edge was down, the center was up; when the edge was up, the center was down; when the east was down, the west was up; when the west was up, the east was down; when the north was down, the south was up; when the north was up, the south was down.
At that point one could hear all sorts of pleasant and cheerful sounds. There were sounds that inspired love and made everyone serene.
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There were inviting and refreshing sounds impossible to describe or imitate, agreeable sounds that do not produce fear. At that moment there was not a single being anywhere that felt hostile, frightened, or anxious. At that moment even the light of the sun and moon and the splendor of the gods, such as Śakra, Brahmā, and the world protectors, could not be perceived anymore. All beings who were living in the hells along with those born as animals and all those in the world of the lord of death became instantaneously free from suffering and filled with every happiness. No being had any emotion, such as hatred, delusion, envy, jealousy, pride, hypocrisy, arrogance, wrath, malice, or burning anguish. At that moment all sentient beings felt love for each other, wished each other well, and saw each other as parents and children. Then, from within the array of light, these verses rang out:
“Leaving the Heaven of Joy,
The Lord went to the mother’s womb,
Took birth in the Lumbinī Grove,
And was lifted up by the husband of Śacī.
“With the gait of a lion,
He took seven steps and, undistracted,
Spoke with the voice of Brahmā:
‘I am the most excellent in the world.’
“In order to help all beings,
He abandoned the four continents and took ordination.
He first practiced austerities and hardships
Before going to the center of the earth.
“He conquered Māra and his army,
And gained awakening for the sake of the world.
He has come to Vārāṇasī
And will turn the wheel of Dharma.
“Brahmā and the other gods requested him
To turn the wheel of equanimity.
Engendering compassion for the world,
The Sage gave his consent.
“Keeping his firm promise,
He has come to the Deer Park at Vārāṇasī.
There he will turn the wheel
That is wondrous, glorious, and unsurpassed.
“The Lord practiced for a hundred billion eons.
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If you seek the Dharma that he discovered,
You should come in a hurry
To listen to the Dharma.
“Rare is the human condition and the arising of a buddha,
And extremely rare it is that someone develops faith.
It is rare to find freedom from the eight unfortunate states,
So listening to the Dharma is the most important activity.
“All these things have been found today:
The Thus-Gone One has appeared, and you have your freedom and faith.
Hearing the Dharma is the most precious thing
For one who renounces all mad carelessness.
“For the last billion eons,
You have never heard the Dharma.
This Dharma has been discovered today
By one who renounces all mad carelessness.
“Our Guide will turn the wheel of immortality,
So come quickly, everyone!
This voice now urges all of you gods,
From the earth up until Brahmā, to come.”
Once the great divine voice had called the gods,
They at once abandoned their wealth
And all appeared
By the side of the Thus-Gone One.
Monks, in order for the Thus-Gone One to turn the wheel of Dharma at the Deer Park by the Hill of the Fallen Sages in Vārāṇasī, the earth gods now formed a great circle around the Thus-Gone One. The circle was wonderful and beautiful to the eye. It was enormous with a circumference of seven hundred miles, and the gods adorned the sky above it with parasols, victory flags, banners, and canopies.
The gods from the desire and form realms then offered to the Thus-Gone One eight million four hundred thousand lion thrones, accompanied by this request: “Please consider us with love and take your seat on this throne. We pray that the Blessed One will then turn the wheel of Dharma.”
Monks, at that time from all directions—east, south, west, and north, above and below—many millions of bodhisattvas who had made previous aspirations for this occasion came forth. They all bowed down at the feet of the Thus-Gone One and requested him to turn the wheel of Dharma. All the powerful gods in this billionfold universe, such as Śakra, Brahmā, the world protectors, and the other ones with the title of ‘great lord,’
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bowed their heads to the Thus-Gone One’s feet. They all requested the Thus-Gone One to turn the wheel of Dharma with these words:
“May the Blessed One now turn the wheel of Dharma for the benefit and happiness of many beings, for the love of the world, for the well-being and happiness of great numbers of beings, both gods and humans. Well-Gone One, please make this offering of Dharma. Lord, please shower the rain of Dharma! Unfold the great victory banner of the Dharma! Blow the great conch of the Dharma! Beat the great drum of the Dharma!”
About this, it is said:
From throughout the trichiliocosm, Brahmā, Śakra, and many guardians
Appeared, and bowing their heads to the Victorious One, they said:
“Great Sage, please remember your earlier promise when previously you said,
‘I am the first and the best, I will end suffering for all beings.’
Sage, as you sat below the holy tree, you tamed Māra and his minions,
And the peace and sacredness of your supreme awakening felled the tree of disturbing emotions.
Now that all the intentions that you nurtured for a hundred eons have been fulfilled,
Look upon beings bereft of a protector, and turn the supreme wheel.”
The light of the Well-Gone One illuminated hundreds of thousands of buddha realms,
Bringing many hundreds of sons of the buddhas through miraculous power
Who offered the Well-Gone One vast and manifold offerings,
Praised the Thus-Gone One’s true qualities, and invoked the compassionate one thus:
“Like a compassionate cloud, a lightning bolt of wisdom, and a wind of insight,
For a thousand eons you have nourished beings with your thunderous voice.
Please pacify their thirst with the downpour from the rain cloud of the eightfold path;
May your powers, faculties, and concentration make the harvest of liberation bountiful.
“For many thousands of eons, you have trained well and rested in the suchness of emptiness;
You dispense the medicine of the Dharma and know the lives of sentient beings.
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For human beings, tormented by the hundred diseases of disturbing emotions,
Victorious Physician, please turn the supreme wheel of Dharma and liberate beings.
“For so long you increased the six perfections;
You performed and amassed an incomparable and immutable wealth of Dharma.
As you behold all these beings without protection, wealth, or guidance,
Noble Guide, please share the seven types of wealth and turn the wheel.
“Seeking the awakening of the victorious ones, you joyfully relinquished your fortune,
Riches, treasures, gold, fine robes, beautiful flowers, ointments, scented powders,
Finest dwellings, your retinue of consorts, the kingdom, even your beloved son.
Perfect Buddha, please turn the supreme wheel.
“For a hundred eons you have likewise kept your discipline intact and pure,
Always training in patience and with your diligence never waning.
Sage, your concentration is supreme and your insight is a clairvoyant wisdom;
With your intent fulfilled, please remove the fever and turn the supreme wheel.”
Monks, at that point a bodhisattva, a great being, known as the One Who Turns the Wheel When the Intent Is Formed, offered a Dharma wheel to the Thus-Gone One. It was an exquisite wheel adorned with all kinds of jewels, gems, and various other embellishments. It had a hub, a rim, and a thousand spokes. It was adorned with flower garlands, lattices of gold, tassels with bells, and the motifs of an elephant in rut, a filled vase, and a swastika. The wheel was adorned with various marks of auspiciousness, beautifully wrapped in divine fabrics and dyed in different colors. It was strewn with flowers of the heavens, adorned with fragrant garlands, and rubbed with perfumed ointments.
In this way it was a wheel as beautiful as can be. It came about through the power of previous aspirations made as the Bodhisattva had trained. It was truly a suitable offering to the Thus-Gone One.
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Since all the previous thus-gone ones in succession had accepted this wheel, it possessed the unbroken blessings of all the buddhas. In fact this wheel had previously been turned by all former thus-gone ones, worthy ones, perfect buddhas, and therefore it was now offered to the Thus-Gone One to turn.
Once he had made his offering to the Thus-Gone One, the bodhisattva joined his palms and praised the Thus-Gone One with these verses:
“When Dīpaṃkara made the prediction for the Pure One,
He said, ‘You will become a buddha, a lion among the lions of men.’
At that time I made the following aspiration:
‘When I become perfectly enlightened, I will seek the Dharma.’
“Today the best of beings have come here from the ten directions,
So many in number that they cannot be counted.
With joined palms they bow at the Thus-Gone One’s feet
And request the joy of the Śākya clan to turn the wheel of Dharma.
“The offerings of the gods at the seat of awakening,
And the arrays of the sons of the victorious ones—
They all stand together, set forth for the wheel of Dharma.
The complete array could never be fully described.
“The heavens above this trichiliocosm are filled with gods,
And on earth demigods, kinnaras, and humans roam.
Yet no sound can be heard at this very moment
As everyone looks with a peaceful mind to the Victorious One.”
Monks, the Thus-Gone One now spent the first part of the night in silence. During the middle part of the night, he gave an eloquent talk. Finally, during the last part of the night, he summoned the five excellent companions and said:
“Monks, there are two extremes that you should avoid when you have taken ordination. First do not follow self-indulgence, which is shallow, worldly, ordinary,
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unworthy of a noble one, and attended by undesired consequences. In the long run it will prevent you from practicing your religion. You will become distracted and unable to develop nonattachment. You will not enter into the state of cessation nor develop higher knowledge, or attain the perfect awakening of nirvāṇa. On the other hand, straying from the middle way, you will not pass beyond suffering. If you mistreat your body so that it suffers and is harmed, you will face difficulties as can be observed right now, and in the future even further misery will fall on you.
“Monks, the Thus-Gone One teaches the Dharma by showing the middle way that does not fall into either of the two extremes. The Dharma that he teaches is one of correct view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration.
“Monks, there are also four truths of the noble ones. What are these four? Suffering, the origin of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and the path that leads to the cessation of suffering.
“What is suffering? It is the pain that accompanies birth, growing old, falling sick, and dying. It also includes the suffering of meeting the unpleasant and parting from the pleasant. Not finding what is being sought is also suffering. In short the five perpetuating aggregates are suffering. This is what we call suffering.
“What is the origin of suffering? It is the craving that perpetuates existence, which is attended upon by the passion for enjoyment, and which finds pleasures here and there. That is the origin of suffering.
“What is the cessation of suffering? It is the complete and dispassionate cessation of craving that perpetuates existence, which is attended upon by the passion for enjoyment, and which finds pleasures here and there. This is the cessation of suffering.
“What is the path that leads to the cessation of suffering? It is exclusively the eightfold path of the noble ones.
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This is the path that starts with correct view and ends with correct concentration. It is called the path that leads to the cessation of suffering—a noble truth.
“Monks, these four truths are the truths of the noble ones.
“Monks, this teaching I had not heard previously. I understood it by intensely and introspectively focusing my mind on suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, this teaching I had not heard previously. I understood it by focusing intently on the origin of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, this teaching I had not heard previously. I understood it by focusing intently on the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, this teaching I had not heard previously. I understood it by focusing intently on the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, suffering must be known. This I understood by focusing intently on suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, the origin of suffering must be abandoned. This I understood by focusing intently on the origin of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously,
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the cessation of suffering must be actualized. This I understood by focusing intently on the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, the path that leads to the cessation of suffering must be practiced. This I understood by focusing intently on the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, I have fully understood suffering. This I did by focusing intently on suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, I have abandoned the origin of suffering. This I did by focusing intently on the origin of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, I have actualized the cessation of suffering. This I did by focusing intently on the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, within this teaching that I had not heard previously, I have practiced the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. This I did by focusing intently on the path that leads to the cessation of suffering. In this way my wisdom, vision, understanding, intellect, intelligence, knowledge, and insight became manifest.
“Monks, in this way I genuinely contemplated each of the four truths of the noble ones while I recited them three times. Still I did not develop the wisdom that sees their twelve aspects. Monks, therefore I did not make any claims of having awakened to unsurpassable, perfect and complete buddhahood, and I still lacked the insight of wisdom.
“However, monks, once I had recited the four truths of the noble ones three times, I developed the wisdom that sees their twelve aspects. At that point my mind was free and my insight was now free and pure. Monks, at that point I declared that I had awakened to unsurpassable, perfect and complete buddhahood. My wisdom vision had been developed, my births had been exhausted, I had carried out my religious practice, I had done what needed to be done, and I will not have another life.”
On this topic, it is said:
With the melody of Brahmā and the voice of a kinnara,
Emanating trillions of light rays,
He, who had cherished the truth for many millions of eons,
The Self-Arisen Śākyamuni, spoke these words to Kauṇḍinya:
“The eyes, ears, and nose are impermanent and baseless;
Likewise the tongue, body, and mind are also suffering, without self, and empty.
They are lifeless matter, inert like hay or a wall;
There is no self here, neither a person nor life force.
“All phenomena are causally produced;
Beyond limits and without consciousness, they are like space.
There is no agent and likewise no one who feels,
And no action that can be observed as performed, be it good or bad.
“Suffering arises based on the aggregates;
The water of craving makes it grow.
17.19
On the path the aggregates are perceived to be the equality of phenomena;
Infinitely diminished in harmony with the law of decay, they cease.
“Through conceptual thinking, which is superficial,
Ignorance arises; it has no other source.
When you eliminate the cause of formations, there is no passing on;
Consciousness arises dependent on passing on.
“Likewise name and form appear from consciousness;
From name and form, the six sense fields appear.
When joined with these six sense fields, it is said that contact appears;
Contact produces the three kinds of feelings.
“Even the smallest feeling is said to be accompanied by craving,
And craving produces all forms of clinging.
The clinging in turn perpetuates all existence,
And based on existence, one’s birth occurs.
“Rooted in birth, the stages of old age, sickness, and death follow;
In this web of existence, there are many types of birth.
Likewise all beings appear from conditions,
With no self or person who transmigrates.
“Whoever has no thought or concept has found the true way;
Whoever has found the true way has no ignorance.
Whoever has brought this ignorance to a halt
Has exhausted all forms of existence for good.
“The Awakened One, the Thus-Gone One, the Self-Arisen One
Has severed this causation within himself.
Buddha can only mean someone who knows all causality;
It does not refer to the aggregates, sense sources, and elements.
“There is no place here for the heretics of other schools;
Here, in such practice of the Dharma, the emptiness has been proclaimed.
Those beings who are fortunate enough to understand this teaching
Are those who studied and were purified under previous buddhas.”
When the wheel of Dharma was turned
With its twelve aspects,
Kauṇḍinya understood the meaning,
And so the Three Jewels came to be.
The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha:
These are the Three Jewels.
Even up to the Palace of Brahmā,
The news went out from person to person:
“The Protector of the World
Has turned a stainless wheel.
The Three Jewels, which are so rare in this world,
Have now appeared.”
17.20
The five monks—
Kauṇḍinya and the rest—
Along with sixty million gods
Purified their eye of Dharma.
Others, however, say that there were eighty million deities
Present from the realm of form.
Their vision was purified
At the time of the turning of the wheel of Dharma.
The 84,000 humans
Who had congregated there
Purified their eyes
And were liberated from all unfavorable rebirths.
Immediately the Thus-Gone One’s unbounded voice went out into the ten directions.
Its sweet and beautiful sound could be heard throughout the heavens:
“The Sage of the Śākyas, endowed with the ten powers, went to the Hill of the Fallen Sages
At Vārāṇasī, where he turned the one and only supreme wheel of Dharma.”
Hundreds of buddhas residing in the ten directions all became silent.
All their attendants then asked the victorious ones,
“When we heard this voice, your teaching of Dharma by means of your ten powers fell silent.
Why did you become silent? Please tell us right away!”
They replied, “In the past, for hundreds of lives this Buddha strove diligently toward awakening,
And outshone as he did so many hundreds of thousands of bodhisattvas.
Thus did the Benefactor become so thoroughly trained and attain the most auspicious awakening,
And it is because he has turned the Dharma wheel that revolves three times that we are silent.”
When the hundred million beings heard this answer from the buddhas,
They developed the power of love and entered supreme and auspicious awakening.
Then they said, “Even we are able to follow in the footsteps of this Sage with all his glorious diligence and power.
Now may we swiftly become the best in this world; may we give to others the eye of Dharma.”
At that point the bodhisattva, the great being, Maitreya said to the Blessed One, “Lord, these bodhisattvas, the great beings, who reside in the ten directions of the world, would like to hear from you in person in order to learn how you turn the wheel of Dharma.
17.21
Therefore, Lord, please be kind enough to explain what kind of wheel is the wheel of Dharma, which has been turned by the Thus-Gone One, the Worthy One, the Perfect Buddha.”
The Blessed One replied, “Maitreya, the wheel of Dharma is profound because it cannot be grasped by the intellect. This wheel is hard to see because it is beyond duality. This wheel is hard to comprehend because it is not an object of conceptual investigation. This wheel is hard to discern because it is related to the sameness of wisdom and consciousness.
“This wheel is without any blemishes because it leads to the attainment of liberation, which is free from any obscurations. This wheel is subtle because it cannot be exemplified. This wheel is essential because it leads to the attainment of vajra-like wisdom. This wheel is indestructible because it preexists its own turning.
“This wheel is without mental elaboration because it is devoid of the sources of conceptual thinking. This wheel is undisturbed because of its infinite steadiness. This wheel encompasses everything because it is equal to the sky.
“Maitreya, this wheel of Dharma has the nature of the essence of all phenomena. It is a wheel with the power to teach. It is a wheel beyond birth, cessation, and enduring. It is a wheel without the all-ground. It is a wheel of the Dharma-way of nonconceptuality to its full extent.
“It is a wheel of emptiness, a wheel of signlessness, a wheel free of any intent. It is a wheel of the unconditioned, a wheel of solitude, a wheel without desire, a wheel of cessation, and a wheel that engages with the enlightened mind of the thus-gone ones.
“It is a wheel that is unconfused regarding the realm of phenomena, a wheel that is undisturbed concerning authentic limit. It is a wheel without attachment and obscuration.
17.22
It is a wheel free from the two extreme views in the understanding of interdependence. It is a wheel without disturbance within the realm of phenomena beyond center and edge.
“It is a wheel of the effortless and ceaseless activity of the Thus-Gone One. It is a wheel beyond activity and nonactivity. It is a wheel utterly ungraspable. It is a wheel beyond effort and effortlessness, an inexpressible wheel. It is a wheel that is like the nature of phenomena. It is a wheel of entering the sameness of all phenomena within a single sphere.
“It is a wheel that never reverses and continuously bestows guidance and blessings on sentient beings that are deprived of freedom. It is a wheel of entering the way of the ultimate truth, which assumes nonduality. It is a wheel that genuinely subsumes the realm of phenomena. This wheel is immeasurable because it transcends all limits.
“This wheel cannot be enumerated because it is beyond something that can be counted. This wheel is inconceivable because it is beyond the realm of conceptual mind. This wheel is unequaled because it is beyond equality. This wheel is inexpressible because it is beyond all paths of audible words.
“It is limitless. It is without example because it is beyond exemplification. It is like the sky; it does not cease, yet neither is it permanent. Accepting interdependence does not disturb its peace; it is infinitely peaceful. It is reality itself. Its nature is none other than that, not like that, or neither.
“It speaks the languages of all beings. It suppresses all demonic forces and defeats the extremists. It is an escape from cyclic existence. It is the entering into the realm of the buddhas. It is understood by noble beings and realized by solitary buddhas. The bodhisattvas embrace it. It is praised by all the buddhas. It is indivisible from all the thus-gone ones.
“Maitreya,
Linked texts (1)
- འཕགས་པ་རྒྱ་ཆེར་རོལ་པ་ཞེས་བྱ་བ་ཐེག་པ་ཆེན་པོའི་མདོ — Classical Tibetan