經律異相 27.17

27.17

Formerly, there were five kings whose countries were close to one another, and they became good friends and visited each other. The greatest among them was named Pu'an, who practiced the bodhisattva path. The other four lesser kings always practiced wrong ways. The great king took pity on them, invited them to come up to his palace, and entertained them together for seven days, day and night. When the seven days were completed, the lesser kings addressed the great king, saying, "The affairs of state are manifold; we beg leave to return home." The great king saw them off. When they reached the road, he spoke to the lesser kings, telling each to state what he enjoyed. One king replied, "In the third month of spring, when trees and plants blossom, sporting and roaming across the open fields." Another king replied, "I wish always to be a king: horses with saddles, clothing, and regalia, with officials, subordinates, and common folk surrounding me on left and right, radiant and glorious, beating bells and drumming drums, going out and coming in, while onlookers gaze in awe." Another king said, "I wish my wives and children to be peerlessly handsome and beautiful, enjoying ourselves together to the utmost satisfaction of our hearts." Another king said, "I wish my parents to live forever, with friends, brothers, wives, and children arrayed around me, fine clothes and delicious food to indulge body and mouth, and plain zithers and maidservants in green robes to make merry together." Together they asked the great king, "What is it that you enjoy?" The great king replied, "I enjoy not being born and not dying, having no suffering and no vexation, neither hunger nor thirst, neither cold nor heat, being completely free in living and perishing." The four kings all said, "For such joy, there must surely be an illuminated teacher." The great king replied, "My teacher is called the Buddha, who is nearby at the Jetavana vihāra." The kings rejoiced and together went to the Bhagavat. The great king addressed the Buddha, saying, "Having now attained human birth, we are dark and dull, devoid of wisdom, deeply attached only to worldly pleasures, and ignorant of transgressions and blessings. May the Buddha preach the truth of suffering for disciples such as us." The Buddha said, "Listen carefully, all of you; I shall explain it for you. When a person is born in the world, manifold sufferings afflict the body. To state them briefly, there are eight sufferings. First is the suffering of birth. When a person dies, they do not know toward which path the spirit is heading. Before obtaining a place of rebirth, all take on the form of the intermediate state (antarābhava). Within three seven-day periods, when father and mother unite, [the consciousness] comes to enter the womb. In the first seven days, it is like thin curds; in the second seven days, like thick curds; in the third seven days, like congealed ghee; in the fourth seven days, like a lump of flesh. When the five limbs are formed, skillful winds enter the belly, blowing upon its body so that the six sense organs open. Inside the mother's womb, below the stomach of fresh food and above the stomach of digested food, if the mother swallows a single grain of hot food, it bathes its body like falling into boiling water. If the mother drinks a cup of cold water, it is also like freezing ice cutting into its body. When the mother is full, it compresses its body with unspeakable pain. When the mother is hungry, the belly is completely empty, like being hung upside down, enduring immeasurable suffering. When the months are fulfilled and it is about to be born, with head toward the birth canal, it is worse than being crushed between two mountain crags; born and dropped onto grass, its body is tender and delicate, and the grass touching its body is like treading on swords, so that it suddenly loses its voice and cries aloud. Is this suffering or not?" They all said, "It is suffering." "Second is the suffering of old age. Reared by parents until grown, hungry at times to the extreme, full at times to the extreme, with no moderation. Gradually growing old, the head turns white and teeth fall out; eyesight becomes dim and hearing dull; vigor departs and decay arrives, skin sags and face wrinkles; the hundred joints ache and walking is exceedingly painful; groaning when sitting and rising, filled with sorrow and anguish; the conscious spirit gradually fades, and in a moment it perishes; life draws closer to its end day by day, weeping when speaking of it, needing assistance to sit and rise. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Third is the suffering of illness. The body is formed from the harmony of earth, water, fire, and wind. If one great element is out of balance, a hundred and one diseases arise. If the four great elements are out of balance, four hundred and four diseases arise at the same time. If the earth element is out of balance, the whole body aches. If the water element is out of balance, the whole body swells heavily. If the fire element is out of balance, the whole body suffers intense heat. If the wind element is out of balance, the whole body stiffens and the hundred joints suffer pain as though beaten with sticks and whips. The four great elements waxing and waning, hands and feet become useless; vigor and strength are exhausted, needing assistance to sit and rise; mouth parched, lips dry, tendons snapped, nostrils cracked; eyes do not see form, ears do not hear sound; impurities flow forth, and one lies upon them; heart filled with suffering and vexation, speech ever mournful; the six kinds of kin by one's side, watching day and night without rest; delicious food and drink tasting bitter when entering the mouth. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Fourth is the suffering of death. When a person dies, four hundred and four diseases arise at the same time. As the four great elements are about to disperse, the spirit is unsettled. At the point of death, wind-knives dismember the body, with pain everywhere; white sweat flows forth, both hands grasp at empty space. Family members, both inner and outer, are to the left and right, weeping and wailing with sorrow, the pain piercing to the marrow, unable to bear it. Wind leaves, breath disperses, fire is extinguished, the corpse turns cold, and the spirit has departed. The body lies stiff, with no further awareness. Within ten days, the flesh rots, blood flows, it swells up and rots foully, utterly unapproachable; cast into the wilderness, birds devour it, until the flesh is gone, the bones dried, and the skull lies elsewhere. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Fifth is the suffering of separation from the loved ones. Family members within and without, brothers, wives, and children, cherish and long for one another; yet one morning they are ruined and lost, plundered and abducted, each scattered—father to the east, son to the west, mother to the south, daughter to the north, no longer in one place; becoming slaves and maids to others, each heart grieved, weeping with broken hearts, plunged into darkness with no time of meeting again. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Sixth is the suffering of not getting what one seeks. Having wealth at home, one spends it seeking an official post, hoping for wealth and honor, seeking it without ceasing. If by chance one gets it, one obtains a border post; before long, coveting and taking the people's property, one is denounced by others, and one morning trouble arrives; carried in a cage-cart, in immeasurable anxiety and misery, not knowing on what day one will live or die. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Seventh is the suffering of meeting the hated. Worldly people of base ways, dwelling in craving and desire, quarrel over non-urgent matters, killing one another, which leads to great enmity. Seeking to avoid one another, they have nowhere to hide; each grinds swords and arrows, grasps bows and carries clubs; chancing upon a narrow path, they draw bows and nock arrows, blades facing one another, not knowing who will win or lose; at that time, fear and terror are immeasurable. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." "Eighth is the suffering of grief, sorrow, and despair. When people live in the world, the long-lived reach a hundred years, while those of short life die in the womb or miscarry. Even if one attains a hundred years, the nights consume half, leaving fifty years. Spent in drunken stupor and illness, one does not know how to be human. In youth, ignorant and foolish, for fifteen years one knows nothing of propriety. Past the age of eighty, old, dull, and devoid of wisdom, deaf and blind, with no rules left. When the world is on the brink of disorder, drought, fire, and heavy frost prevent the crops from ripening; within and without the household, there are many illnesses; business ventures frequently suffer loss, government levies number a hundred, one is locked in prison not knowing when one will get out; brothers and sons have traveled far and not returned; the household is poor and cold, with neither clothing nor food; in neighboring villages the tutelary shrines cannot be maintained; family members die with nothing to provide for their encoffining and burial; in spring planting there is no ox for plowing; on festive days when people gather and ought to rejoice, they face one another in mutual sorrow. Is this suffering or not?" They replied, "It is truly suffering." At that time, the five kings and their ministers, tens of millions of people in the assembly, upon hearing the truth of suffering expounded, had their minds opened and awakened, and immediately attained the fruit of stream-enterer (srotāpanna). Seeing their palaces now as though viewing a filthy latrine, with nothing enjoyable, they immediately renounced their royal thrones, entrusted them to their younger brothers, and went forth to practice the path, cultivating all merits day after day without weariness. (Extracted from the Sūtra of the Five Kings)