經律異相 7
English (machine translation) 7
- Language
- English
7.1
Compiled by the Liang śramaṇas Sengmin, Baochang, and others
7.2
1. The Origins of the Śākya Clan
2. Śuddhodana Relinquishes His Life
3. Māyā Is Born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven
4. Mahāprajāpatī Leaves Household Life
5. Rāhula Remains in the Womb for Six Years
6. Rāhula Leaves Household Life
7. Rāhula Receives the Buddha's Precepts and Attains the Path
8. Nanda Leaves Household Life
9. Devadatta Leaves Household Life
10. Aniruddha Leaves Household Life
11. Bhaddiya Leaves Household Life
12. King Virūḍhaka Destroys the Śākya Clan
13. Five Hundred Śākya Women Beseech the Two Masters
14. The Past Causes and Vows of the Buddha's Slave Channa and the Horse Kaṇṭhaka
7.3
1. The Origins of the Śākya Clan
7.4
In the past there was a king named King Uma (also called Yima; the *Dīrgha-āgama* says Guma; these are merely different regional pronunciations). He had four sons by concubines: the first was named Zhaomu, the second Congmu, the third Tiaofuxiang, and the fourth Nilou (the *Dīrgha-āgama* gives different names: the first is named Mianguang, the second Xiangshen, the third Lushan, and the fourth Zhuangyan). All of them were intelligent, divinely martial, and possessed of great authority and virtue. The principal queen had a son named Changsheng, who was obstinate, shallow, ugly, and despised by everyone. The queen said to the king: "The four sons are divinely talented, while my son is dull and inferior. If he succeeds to the throne, they will certainly contend to usurp it. If Your Majesty banishes the four sons, my mind will be at peace." The king said: "The four sons are humane and filial, and have committed no fault. Why should they be banished?" The queen further said: "My anxiety is truly for the sake of the state. The four sons are brave and martial, and the people look to them with devotion. If their faction is established, once rivalry begins, they will surely destroy one another. The fortune of our great realm would instead fall into the hands of others. I pray Your Majesty consider this." The king said: "Your words are correct." He then summoned the four sons and ordered them, saying: "You have committed an offense against me. Yet I cannot bear your death. Each of you must depart the kingdom swiftly, strive for self-reliance, and make a living. Do not linger, lest you bring regrets upon yourselves." The four sons received the order and immediately prepared their provisions. Their mothers, brothers, and sisters all begged to go with them. At that time, many warriors and people also wished to follow them, and the king permitted them all. They went to the edge of the Himālaya Mountains and dwelt in a grove of straight trees (śāka trees). Their mothers took wives for them, and they settled themselves. Within several years, those who turned to their virtue assembled like a marketplace; the settlement flourished greatly and suddenly became a powerful state. Several years later, their father longed to see them and sent messengers to summon them back. All declined due to their past offense and would not return. The king then sighed three times: "My sons are capable; they can sustain and establish themselves!" For this reason, he named the clan Śākya (the *Dīrgha-āgama* states that it was named after the straight tree forest, also called the Śāka forest, taking their surname from the forest; it also says that the king heard the four sons had handsome children and remarked, "These are true Śākyas!"; the *Ruiying jing* states that it was named because they were capable of declining; these are similar reasons for the name). Hence there arose the Śākya clan. Their ancestor King Nilou begot Utula.
7.5
His great-great-grandfather Utula was the king of Kapilavastu and begot Qutula. His great-grandfather King Qutula begot Xixiuluo (the *Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra* calls him King Siṃhahanu). His grandfather King Xixiuluo begot four sons, the eldest of whom was Śuddhodana (also named King Baijing, appearing in the *Mahīśāsaka-vinaya*).
7.6
2. King Śuddhodana Relinquishes His Life
7.7
King Śuddhodana fell ill. His limbs and joints felt as if they were coming apart, and his breath was like a rushing current. Various treatments were of no benefit. His two younger brothers, the other kings, and the ministers all said: "Great King, you have never committed evil; you have planted virtue insatiably; you have nurtured and employed everyone so that none failed to find peace. Why are you troubled with grief?" The king said: "I regret only that I have not seen Siddhārtha, Nanda, Ānanda, Rāhula, and the others, to dispel my longing." His tears fell like rain. At that time the Buddha was in Rājagṛha, fifty yojanas away. The king was now growing weaker, and it was feared they would not meet in time. The Buddha, knowing his father's mind, at once instructed Nanda, Rāhula, and the others, and using his supernormal powers he leapt into the air and suddenly appeared in Kapilavastu, emitting a great radiance. The people of the realm saw it from afar and wept aloud, saying: "If the Great King passes away and abandons this Śākya realm, it will surely be broken off and ended!" The people in the city wept sorrowfully toward the Buddha, writhing and throwing themselves to the ground. The Buddha said: "Separation through impermanence has existed from ancient times to the present. Samsāra is suffering; only the Path is true." The Buddha's light shone brilliantly, penetrating within and without, and illuminated the king's body. The king said: "What light is this? Upon touching my body, my suffering has ceased. It must be the light seen before from my Siddhārtha!" Those returning from outside reported: "The Buddha, Ānanda, Rāhula, and the others have arrived riding through the air." The king's heart leapt with joy, and unconsciously he sat up, saying: "I wish only that the Tathāgata would touch my body with his hand. My body is like pressed oil, agonizing beyond endurance; if I could see the Bhagavat, my affliction would instantly be dispelled." The Buddha said to Nanda: "Look upon the king's former appearance: majestic and towering, with renown heard far and wide. Now, in grave illness and emaciation, he is almost unrecognizable. Where have his countenance, strength, and renown gone?" The king single-mindedly joined his palms. [The Buddha said:] "I pray you do not grieve. Your virtue is pure and unblemished." Touching the king's forehead with his hand, he said: "The king is a person of pure moral conduct, whose mental defilements are already removed. You should only rejoice; it is not fitting to worry or grieve. You should contemplate deeply and be mindful of the doctrines of the scriptures; regarding what is unstable, attain an unshakeable resolve to plant wholesome roots. The king ought to rejoice." The Great Victorious King wished, saying: "The Buddha, Nanda, Ānanda, and Rāhula—these four sons have broken the net of Māra!" (He first praised the virtues of the four sons individually; the text is extensive and is not recorded here.) The king was then filled with joy. The Buddha preached the *Canda-pabbata Jātaka* for him, and the king attained the fruit of anāgāmin. Grasping the Buddha's hand, he held it to his heart. The Buddha expounded the Dharma further, and he attained the fruit of arhat. His life came to an end and his breath ceased. The Śākyas wailed bitterly. They bathed his body with scented water, wrapped it in kalpa-cotton, silks, and batting, and placed it in the coffin. It was adorned with the seven jewels, with real pearl nets hanging all around it. They lifted the coffin and placed the corpse on a lion throne, scattering flowers and burning incense. The Buddha and Nanda were at the head; Ānanda and Rāhula were at the feet. Nanda and the others said to the Buddha: "We respectfully recall his gracious upbringing and beg to carry the coffin ourselves." For the sake of future unfilial sentient beings who do not repay the kindness of their upbringing, the Buddha wished to carry it in person. The great trichiliocosm trembled, and all the mountains rocked like boats upon waves. Innumerable retinues from the six heavens of the kāmadhātu came together to attend the funeral. The Four Heavenly Kings, leading hundreds of thousands of millions of ghosts and spirits, all raised their voices in mourning. The kings said to the Buddha: "We are disciples of the Buddha; having heard the Dharma from the Buddha, we have become srotāpannas. We ought to carry it." The Buddha permitted the Four Heavenly Kings to carry it. They immediately transformed their bodies into human forms, lifted the coffin with their hands, and placed it upon their shoulders. The Buddha's awesome radiance was like ten thousand suns; holding an incense burner in his hand, he walked at the very front. Arriving at the burial site, a thousand arhats from Gṛdhrakūṭa Mountain arrived through the air, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, and asked for instructions on what to do. The Buddha said: "Go to the islets of the great ocean and bring back ox-head candana and various fragrant woods." In the space of a finger-snap they brought the various pieces of fragrant firewood. The great assembly gathered them together and used them to burn the coffin. When the assembly saw the flames arise, they wailed even more sorrowfully. The Buddha said: "Suffering, emptiness, and impermanence are just like illusions, reflections of the moon in water, or images in a mirror." When the burning of the body was finished, they quenched it with milk, gathered the bones into a vajra casket, and together erected a stūpa. The great assembly inquired where his consciousness was reborn. The Buddha said: "He was born in the Śuddhāvāsa heavens." (From the *Sūtra on King Śuddhodana's Nirvāṇa*.)
7.8
3. Māyā Is Born in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven
7.9
The Buddha ascended to the Trāyastriṃśa heaven, entered the Nandana grove, and stayed under the pārijāta tree for the three-month rain retreat. Emitting light from his pores, he illuminated the great trichiliocosm. The sons of the gods did not understand the cause. The Buddha said to Mañjuśrī: "Go to my mother and say that I am here; I pray she will deign to visit." [Mañjuśrī] went and told Māyā. Milk flowed spontaneously from Māyā's breasts, [and she said:] "If it is indeed Siddhārtha, let the milk enter his mouth!" The milk streamed from both breasts and traveled far, entering the Buddha's mouth. Māyā was filled with joy. The entire earth trembled, and wonderful flowers and fruits blossomed and ripened out of season. She then said to Mañjuśrī: "Because mother and son are reunited, I have joy and peace as never before." Together they went to the Buddha's place. The Buddha saw his mother from afar and said: "The bodily paths one travels are accompanied by both suffering and joy. You should cultivate nirvāṇa to seek eternal liberation." Māyā single-mindedly threw her five limbs to the ground, concentrated her correct mindfulness, and her defilements and fetters were subdued and extinguished. When the Buddha expounded the Dharma for her, she immediately recognized her past lives and attained the fruit of srotāpanna. She then said to the Buddha: "From the prison of birth and death, I am now liberated!" The great assembly all said: "May all sentient beings attain liberation!" The broad conversion of devas and humans brought great benefit. When the three months were drawing to a close, he addressed Kumāra: "You may now descend to Jambudvīpa. The Tathāgata will soon enter parinirvāṇa." At that time the assembly was distressed: "We did not know earlier that he would soon enter parinirvāṇa. The eye of the world is about to be extinguished—how bitter it is!" Śakra ordered the ghosts and spirits to create three flights of jeweled stairs. Māyā shed tears, and thereupon they parted. Treading upon the jeweled stairs, with Brahmā holding a parasol and the Four Heavenly Kings attending on left and right, the fourfold assembly sang verses of praise, and divine music filled the sky. Scattering flowers and burning incense, he arrived in Jambudvīpa. (From the *Sūtra on the Buddha Ascending to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to Preach the Dharma for His Mother*, and also from the *Samantapāsādikā*.)
7.10
4. Mahāprajāpatī Leaves the Household
7.11
The Buddha returned to the kingdom of Kapilavastu. Mahāprajāpatī (in the language of Liang, 'Great Love') of the Gautama clan implored the Buddha to let her go forth, beseeching him thrice, but the Buddha did not grant it. She withdrew and stood outside the gate, clad in soiled and tattered robes, standing barefoot, weeping and sobbing bitterly. Ānanda asked, 'Why are you weeping?' She replied, 'Because women are not permitted to go forth, I am grieving for myself.' Ānanda stopped her and addressed the Buddha: 'I have heard from the Buddha that through diligence a woman can attain the four fruits. Now Mahāprajāpatī with sincere heart aspires and rejoices [in the Dharma].' The Buddha said, 'Do not cause women to enter my Dharma and Vinaya to become śramaṇas. For example, when a household has many women and few men, that family will surely decline and weaken. If women go forth, the pure religious life (brahmacarya) cannot long endure. Furthermore, it is like weeds mingling with grain crops, damaging the fine harvest; women entering the Dharma are just like this.' Ānanda said, 'Mahāprajāpatī has many wholesome intentions. When the Buddha was first born, she raised and nurtured him herself until he reached adulthood.' The Buddha said, 'She has much faith and wholesome intention, and has been benevolent to me. I too have been benevolent to Gautami. Through me, she has taken refuge in the Three Jewels, has no doubts regarding the Four Noble Truths, is established in the five faculties of faith, and upholds the five precepts. Even if someone were to offer their own body in worship, it would not equal this. If a woman wishes to become a śramaṇa, she must never transgress the Eight Rules of Respect (garudharmas), but practice them for the rest of her life. It is like holding back water by skillfully constructing dikes and ponds so that nothing leaks away. If she is capable of this, she may enter the Dharma and Vinaya.' Ānanda reported this fully to Gautami. Gautami rejoiced and was thus able to go forth, becoming a great nun (bhikṣuṇī). Upholding the Dharma and Vinaya, she eventually attained arhatship. Later, together with various elder nuns, she went to Ānanda's dwelling: '[We] have long cultivated the pure religious life and have already seen the Truths; how can it be that we must pay homage to young bhikṣus?' Ānanda addressed the Buddha. The Buddha said, 'Stop, stop, do not speak of this! Had women not gone forth, all the virtuous ones among the non-Buddhists and diverse practitioners would have made the four kinds of offerings, spreading their hair on the ground and bowing down to invite [the monks] to step on it. My True Dharma would have lasted a thousand years, but because women have been delivered, it will now last only five hundred.' Gautami heard this, rejoiced, and faithfully practiced it (from the *Sūtra of the Buddha Ascending to the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven to Preach the Dharma to His Mother*). Staying in the Royal Garden Vihāra, she was about to cast off her life and said, 'I cannot bear to see the world without the Tathāgata and the arhats passing into extinction. I shall first rest my spirit in original non-being.' The Buddha perceived this thought and told Ānanda. Ānanda's body grew limp, and his mind was so stifled that he lost awareness. The Buddha said, 'Do you think she will take away the fivefold Dharma body, the four bases of mindfulness, or the practice of the eightfold path?' He replied, 'No, but I only reflect that seven days after the Buddha was born, the queen mother died; as a loving mother, she showed great benevolence to the World-Honoured One.' The Buddha said, 'You speak of the great kindness of nursing, a grace difficult to repay. Yet I have revealed the way to her: she took refuge in the Three Honoured Ones, heard the truths of suffering, origination, and cessation, the eye of wisdom was illuminated in her, all fetters of existence were exhausted, and she attained the state of non-attachment. This benevolence surpasses even Mount Sumeru.' Gautami, together with five hundred nuns, arrived at the Buddha's dwelling. She fully stated her intention, rubbed the Buddha's feet with her hands, and said, 'From now on, I shall never again see the Supreme, Perfectly Awakened One.' She circumambulated the Buddha three times and returned to the vihāra. Together with the five hundred nuns, she displayed eighteen transformations, illuminating the heavens above, and entered nirvāṇa at the same time. The Buddha told Ānanda, 'Go into the city to the house of the lay practitioner (one who receives the precepts and stays at home is called a lay practitioner, that is, an upāsaka) Yayou, and tell him that the Buddha's mother and five hundred elders have passed into extinction.' At dawn Ānanda entered the city, came to the door of the lay practitioner, and recounted the matter in full. Those who heard it cried out in grief, threw themselves to the ground, and with tears in their eyes said, 'From now on we shall no longer look upon their spiritual powers—how deeply sorrowful!' Ānanda said, 'The Buddha said that although heaven and earth endure for long, what has a beginning must have an end. The three realms are impermanent, just like an illusion or a dream. To be born and seek not to die, to meet and hope never to part, can never be attained.' The mind of the lay practitioner became enlightened. [Ānanda] then went to the homes of various brahmacārin lay practitioners and said to them, 'The Buddha encourages you virtuous ones to prepare five hundred sets of funerary implements to offer to the five hundred nuns.' The brahmacārin lay practitioners prepared them and brought them into the vihāra. The inner gate of the vihāra was closed; they opened it by climbing in and were about to proceed to the lecture hall when a novice nun told them, 'My teacher has entered samādhi. Be careful not to disturb her.' They answered, 'She is dead, not in samādhi.' The novice threw herself to the ground and fainted; after a long while she revived, wailing and lamenting, 'Who will teach and transform us now? The holy instructions have been cut off!' The lay practitioner said to the novice, 'Though there is meeting through affection and love, there must ultimately be separation. You need only resolve your will and strive to attain arhatship.' When the cremation was completed, they held the relics and came to the Buddha's dwelling. The Buddha said to Ānanda, 'Face east, clasp your hands, kneel on your right knee, and say: "Let all those who possess upright faith, upright karma, the three knowledges, and the six spiritual powers, whose spiritual path is fully perfected, come here. The five hundred nuns have now all well-gone (attained nirvāṇa). It is fitting that a Dharma assembly be held."' The same was done in all four directions. From each of the four directions, two hundred and fifty arhats came flying. The Buddha told Ānanda, 'Fill a bowl with the relics and place it in my hands.' Ānanda handed it to the Buddha, who received it with both hands. He addressed the monks and the lay practitioners: 'This was originally a defiled body, foolish, violent, urgent, and wrathful, full of jealousy and deceit, undermining the path and destroying virtue. Yet they were able to eradicate folly and cruelty, carry out the conduct of a great man, attain the path of arhatship, and transfer their spirits to original non-being. How heroic indeed! We should together erect a shrine and make offerings.' All said, 'Indeed so.' (The Saṃyuktāgama states that she was the birth mother of Nanda. The Ekottarikāgama states: The Buddha told Ānanda and Rāhula, 'You all raise the lamentation; I shall tend to the remains myself.' Śakra Devānām Indra and Vaiśravaṇa said, 'May you not tire your spirit; we shall make the offerings.' The Buddha said, 'Stop, stop.' The Buddha himself, along with Nanda, went to the sandalwood grove, took fragrant wood with his own hands, and placed it upon her body, proclaiming, 'Four kinds of persons ought to have stūpas erected for offerings: first, Buddhas; second, pratyekabuddhas; third, arhats; fourth, wheel-turning sage kings—all because they transform living beings through the ten wholesome deeds.') Thereupon the four assemblies, devas, humans, nāgas, and spirits, each erected stūpas and shrines and made various offerings (from the *Sūtra on the Buddha's Mother Entering Nirvāṇa*).
7.12
5. Rāhula Remaining in the Womb for Six Years
7.13
Prince Siddhārtha had two consorts: the first was named Gopikā, and the second was named Yaśodharā. Because Gopikā was a precious jewel-woman, she never became pregnant. Yaśodharā, on the night the Bodhisattva went forth, perceived herself to be pregnant. The Bodhisattva practiced austerities for six years, and Yaśodharā did not give birth for six years. The Śākyas reproached her, saying, 'The Bodhisattva has gone forth—how could you have this?' Yaśodharā said, 'I have committed no other transgression; the child I carry is truly the remaining flesh and blood of the Prince.' The Śākyas said, 'Why has it been so long without birth?' She answered, 'It is not something I understand.' The Śākyas assembled to deliberate; hearing that the king intended to punish her according to the law, Gopikā addressed the king, 'I constantly live together with Yaśodharā. I will be her witness, for I know she is without fault. Wait until her child is born and see whether he resembles his father or not; why would it be too late to punish her then?' The king then pardoned and spared her. When the Bodhisattva's austerities were fulfilled and on the night he first attained buddhahood, Rāhula was born. The king saw that he resembled his father; out of love and affection, he forgot his grief, and said to the assembled ministers, 'Although my son has departed, now I have obtained his child, who is no different from my son.' Since Yaśodharā's bad reputation had already spread, she wished to remove her ill fame. The Buddha returned to Kapilavastu to deliver the Śākya youths. At that time, King Śuddhodana and Yaśodharā constantly invited the Buddha into the palace to eat. Then Yaśodharā took joy-sweets of a hundred flavors and gave them to Rāhula to hold up and offer. By his spiritual power, the Buddha transformed the five hundred arhats so that all had the Buddha's appearance, equal and without any difference. Rāhula was only seven years old; holding the joy-sweets, he went straight before the Buddha and presented them to the World-Honoured One. Then the Buddha withdrew his spiritual power and restored [them to] the forms of bhikṣus. All the bowls were empty; only the Buddha's bowl was filled with joy-sweets. Yaśodharā asked, 'For what reason in the past did I carry a pregnancy for six years?' The Buddha answered, 'In a past age, Rāhula was once a king. At that time, a seer with the five supernormal knowledges came into the king's realm and said to the king, "The king punishes thieves according to the law; please punish my offense. Without permission, I stole the king's water and used the king's tooth-stick; this was taking what was not given." The king said, "When I first ascended the throne, I issued an order that all water and tooth-sticks are bestowed upon everyone." The seer said, "Although the king has bestowed them, my mind is still in doubt. I wish to be punished now, so that it causes no offense in the future." The king said, "If you truly desire this, wait a little while until I return to the palace." He entered the palace and did not come out for six days; the seer suffered from hunger and thirst. The seer thought, "I fear the king is precisely punishing me by this." When the king came out, he apologized, saying he had forgotten. Because of this, for five hundred lives [Rāhula] was always in the womb for six years' (from the seventeenth chapter of the *Mahāprajñāpāramitopadeśa*).
7.14
6. Rāhula's Going Forth
7.15
The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana: 'Go to the city of Kapilavastu. Inquire after my parents, my uncle, and my aunt. Comfort and instruct Rāhula's mother, causing her to sever affectionate attachment and let Rāhula go to become a novice monk (śrāmaṇera). The affectionate joy between mother and child lasts but a moment; upon dying they fall into hell, each unaware of the other. When Rāhula attains the Way, he shall return to deliver his mother, cutting off birth and death forever, just as I have now.' Maudgalyāyana arrived in the kingdom and explained the Buddha's intent in full. When Yaśodharā heard that the Buddha had sent a messenger to take Rāhula, she was about to climb a tall tower. She instructed the guards to firmly shut the gates and doors, ordering that all be secured. Maudgalyāyana flew up. Having no choice, Yaśodharā made obeisance and asked: 'Is the Bhagavat free from illness? What does he wish by sending the venerable one here?' Maudgalyāyana said: 'The prince Rāhula is already nine years old; he should be made to leave household life and study the noble Way.' He then explained the Buddha's intent in full. She answered: 'When the Tathāgata Śākyamuni was a prince, he took me as his wife. I served the prince as though serving a heavenly deity. In less than three years, he abandoned the pleasures of the five desires, leapt over the palace walls, and fled to the royal fields, pledging that when he attained the Way he would surely return. Having attained the Way and returned to the kingdom, he did not visit his kin at all, disregarding past love and kindness worse than a stranger on the road. He made me endure solitude and embrace misery. Now he would snatch away my child to be his follower—what cruelty could match this? When the prince attained the Way, he himself spoke of kindness and compassion; now he separates mother and child—what compassion is there in this? Return to the Bhagavat and speak as I have related.' Maudgalyāyana took his leave and returned to King Śuddhodana's dwelling, where he reported these matters in full. Hearing these words, the king at once said to Lady Pajāpatī: 'My son Siddhārtha has sent for Rāhula to study the noble Dharma. His mother, being a woman, is foolish and bound by clinging, loving without letting go. You may go and admonish her, bringing her mind to awakening.' The lady reasoned with her repeatedly, yet Yaśodharā still would not listen, saying to the lady: 'When I was at home, kings of eight realms vied to seek my hand, but my parents did not consent. Because the prince's talents and arts surpassed others, my parents gave me to him. If the prince did not wish to remain in the world, why did he so earnestly and laboriously seek me? When a noblewoman marries, it is truly for affection and fondness, and to carry on the lineage of descendants—the proper conduct of the world. Since the prince has already left, and now seeks Rāhula as well, severing forever the royal succession, what justice is there in that?' Hearing this, the lady was silent and had no words. The Buddha then sent an apparition who spoke from the air: 'Do you remember your ancient vow or not? When I was a bodhisattva, I bought five stalks of flowers from you with five hundred silver coins to offer to Dīpaṅkara Buddha. You asked to contribute two stalks, requesting that in life after life wherever we were born, you would always be my wife. I said to you: "As a bodhisattva, I give all in charity." You then made a vow: "In life after life wherever we are born, realms, cities, wives, children, and even my own body—all may be given away as you wish." Why do you now begrudge Rāhula?' Yaśodharā suddenly awakened, as though seeing yesterday's events. Her clinging to her beloved son gradually subsided. She sent for Maudgalyāyana, repented and apologised to him, held Rāhula's hand, earnestly entrusted him, and parted in tears. Rāhula addressed his mother: 'I go to pay my respects to the Bhagavat. Mother, please do not grieve; I shall soon return to see you.' King Śuddhodana told the grand clans: 'Let each of you send one son to accompany my grandson.' Fifty persons thereupon accompanied him to the Buddha's presence and bowed their heads in obeisance. The Buddha had Ānanda shave the heads of Rāhula and the fifty young gentlemen, causing them all to leave household life. He commanded Śāriputra to serve as preceptor (upādhyāya) and Mahāmaudgalyāyana to serve as ācārya to confer the ten precepts upon them. The Buddha preached to the fifty novices about the past karmic retribution of Śaṇḍila and others (too lengthy to record), and they were all greatly distressed. They all addressed the Buddha: 'Our preceptor has great wisdom and virtue, so he receives the highest offerings. We boys are foolish and without virtue; eating people's generous offerings, we will suffer in future lives like Śaṇḍila. Therefore we are truly anxious. May the Buddha have pity and permit us to abandon the Way, hoping to avoid sin and fault.' The Buddha said: 'Suppose there were two starving men who suddenly met a host providing fine food and drink, and greedily ate until overly full. One had wisdom: he took emetics from a physician, observed restraint, and took care of himself, thereby escaping calamity and in the end preserving his lifespan. The other was without wisdom: he killed living beings and performed sacrifices to save his life; the retained food caused wrenching pain, and he died of agony in his heart, being born into hell. Returning home out of fear of guilt—that is the person without wisdom. You have wholesome causes and have encountered me; taking the medicine to relieve suffering, you will surely attain deathlessness.' Hearing this, Rāhula's mind opened and his thoughts understood. Later, when the Buddha returned to the palace, people suspected Gopā: 'The prince abandoned the kingdom twelve years ago; whence was this child born?' The Buddha addressed the father-king: 'Gopā maintained pure and faithful chastity, truly without blemish.' He transformed the community of monks so that all resembled the Buddha. Rāhula, aged seven, was asked: 'Who is your father?' Rāhula immediately stepped forward, went up to the Buddha, made obeisance, and handed his mother's signet ring to the Bhagavat. (From the first part of the Sūtra of What Has Never Been; the Mahīśāsaka Vinaya states that when the Buddha returned to the palace, Rāhula saw him from afar on the tower and came down to beg the Buddha for his remaining wealth, and the Buddha had Śāriputra ordain him as a novice monk).
7.16
7. Rāhula Receives the Buddha's Precepts and Attains the Way
7.17
Formerly, before Rāhula had attained the Way, his nature was crude and rough, and he was seldom honest in speech. The Buddha instructed Rāhula: 'Go and reside in the Xianti monastery; guard your speech, restrain your thoughts, and diligently practice the teachings and precepts.' Rāhula received the instruction, bowed, and departed. Residing there for ninety days, he was ashamed and repented day and night without ceasing. The Buddha went to see him. Rāhula was delighted, went forward to bow at the Buddha's feet, set up a rope bed, and put away his outer robe. Sitting on the rope bed, the Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Fetch water in the basin and wash my feet.' When the foot-washing was finished, the Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Can this water be used for food, drink, or washing the mouth?' Rāhula said: 'This water was originally clean, but now having washed feet it has taken on dust and dirt; it can no longer be used.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are my son and the grandson of a king, who abandoned worldly glory and emoluments to become a śramaṇa, you do not apply diligence to restraining the mind and guarding the mouth. The defilements of the three poisons fill your breast. You are just like this water that can no longer be used.' The Buddha again said to Rāhula: 'Although the basin is empty, can it be used to hold food and drink?' He answered: 'It cannot. Why is that? Because it bears the name of a washbasin and has previously held impurity.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are a śramaṇa, your mouth lacks honesty, your disposition is stubborn, you do not strive with diligence, and you have borne an evil reputation. You are just like the basin, unfit to hold food.' With his toe, the Buddha kicked the basin aside; it immediately rolled and tumbled, bounding and falling several times before stopping. The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Do you feel any regret for this basin, fearing it might break?' Rāhula said to the Buddha: 'A vessel for washing feet is a thing of cheap price; though in my mind I might regret it, I am not deeply concerned.' The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'You are just like this. Although you are a śramaṇa, you do not restrain body and speech; with coarse speech and wicked talk you injure many. Not accepted by the multitude, the wise do not cherish you. When your body dies and your consciousness departs, you will revolve in the three wretched paths, undergoing birth and death on your own with boundless suffering. The Buddhas, worthies, and sages do not cherish you, just as you said you do not cherish the basin.' Hearing this, Rāhula was ashamed and terrified. The Buddha said to Rāhula: 'Listen to my analogy. Formerly a king had a great elephant, fierce, strong, and capable in battle. When the king raised an army to conquer a rebellious kingdom, he had the elephant outfitted and deployed to advance in formation. The elephant only hid its trunk, fearing [injury] and refusing to fight. The elephant trainer was pleased, knowing the elephant was protecting its body. Why? An elephant's trunk is soft and brittle; if struck by an arrow, it dies instantly. One should guard the mouth just as this great elephant protected its trunk and did not fight.' Hearing the Buddha's earnest admonition, Rāhula was deeply stirred, urged himself forward, and attained the path of an arhat. (From the tenth fascicle of the Avadāna Sūtra).
7.18
8. Nanda Leaves Household Life
7.19
The Buddha's younger brother Sundarananda was one zhang, five chi, and four cun tall. When the Buddha and Ānanda were in the city of Kapilavastu entering the city to beg for food, Nanda saw them from a high tower, came down, bowed, and said: 'The Tathāgata ought to be a wheel-turning sage king (cakravartin). Why debase yourself to hold a bowl and beg for food?' He took the bowl and filled it with fine food. The Buddha then returned to the Nyagrodha Park and told his attendants: 'When Nanda comes out, do not take the bowl; make him deliver it himself.' Nanda brought it to the Buddha's place. As he left, his wife had instructed him: 'Wait until you return before eating.' Offering the bowl, he urged the Buddha to accept it quickly. The Buddha said: 'Since you have come here, you should leave household life now.' Adding his supernatural power, he locked him in a quiet room. After a long while, it was his turn to take watch on duty. Delighted, Nanda said: 'Taking advantage of this spare moment, I shall flee and return home.' At that time, whatever tasks Nanda was supposed to perform, he left none undone. But heavenly spirits followed him: when he drew water until it was full, it spontaneously tipped over; on ground he had cleaned, grass and dirt grew even more abundantly; when he shut the doors and windows, the doors would always open again. Nanda thought: 'Even if there are losses, my family can fully compensate for them.' He took off the three Dharma robes, put on other garments, and secretly followed a small path, avoiding the Buddha to return home. Before he had gone far, he ran right into the Tathāgata. He rushed toward a large tree, wishing to conceal himself, but the tree turned behind him. By his supernatural power, the Buddha uprooted the tree and suspended it in the air. Nanda stood where the tree roots had been. The Buddha said: 'Why have you come here?' Silent, he was filled with shame. The Buddha asked him repeatedly: 'Where do you wish to go?' He answered: 'To return home and see my wife.' The Buddha said: 'When a man studies the Way, his mind clings to greed and desire, heedless of the disaster of burning his body in future lives. I shall now take you up to heaven to tour and see; you should concentrate your mind and harbor no terror.' The Buddha lifted him up to heaven. He saw a palace adorned with the seven jewels, with jade maidens attending in numbers beyond counting, but without a master. Nanda asked the Buddha: 'What heavenly palace is this that alone lacks a master?' The Buddha said: 'You may ask them yourself.' Nanda asked, and a heavenly maiden answered: 'The Buddha's younger brother Nanda, if he keeps the precepts, will be born here.' He returned and reported this in full to the Buddha. The Buddha said: 'Diligently cultivate the brahma-conduct, and before long you will surely be born here.' Again, using his supernatural power, he brought him to the hells. Passing beyond the Iron Enclosing Mountains, he saw a blind monkey. The Buddha asked Nanda: 'How is your wife Sundarī compared to this monkey?' He answered: 'Sundarī is supremely exquisite among women; how could she be compared to this?' The Buddha said: 'Compared to the heavenly maidens, she is likewise inferior by hundreds of thousands of ten-millions of times.' Going all through the hells, he saw various kinds of agony. There was a cauldron of fire surrounded by hell wardens; the broth was boiling and the fire blazing, but no sinner was seen. Nanda addressed the Buddha: 'Why is this one alone without a sinner?' The Buddha said: 'Ask them yourself.' The hell wardens replied: 'Nanda, son of King Amṛtodana, is heavy with lustful desire and relies on his nobility to demean others; upon death, he will be born here.' Nanda turned pale with fright and urgently asked the Bhagavat, seeking to escape hell. The Buddha preached the wondrous Dharma, causing him to attain the place of awakening (bodhimaṇḍa). (From the Sūtra of the Boy Asking the Buddha About Begging Food, and also from the sixteenth fascicle of the Udānavarga Sūtra).
7.20
9. Devadatta Leaves Household Life
7.21
King Śuklodana (the second younger brother of King Śuddhodana) had two sons. One was named Ānanda, whose height was one zhang, five chi, and three cun. The other was named Tiaoda [Devadatta], whose height was one zhang, five chi, and four cun. (The Dazhidu lun calls him Bhadrika; the Shier you jing states that King Amṛtodana's eldest son was Devadatta and his younger son was Ānanda.) King Śuddhodana went to the Buddha's dwelling. Seeing that the followers of Kāśyapa were ugly and unsightly in appearance, he assembled his royal clan and said, "Asita foretold by physiognomy: 'If the Buddha did not go forth from the household, he would become a Cakravartin King ruling the four continents; his attendants on left and right would be exceedingly handsome and upright.' Now his disciples are utterly lacking in dignity of form and appearance. If there are those among you who wish to cultivate the Way and whose deportment and appearance are fully dignified, I permit them to fill the monastic ranks and bring splendor to the Bhagavat." They all said, "Very good!" Tiaoda said (also named Devadatta; in the Liang language, "Heaven's Heat"): "We, the sons and younger brothers of kings, now renounce worldly glory to go forth from the household and dwell in the Way. We should arrange our attire and adornments with the utmost worldly elegance, and ride in elephant- and horse-drawn chariots worth tens of thousands in gold." On that day they departed in magnificence. The onlookers choked the roads, their caps and turbans falling to the ground. The horse ridden by Kokālika spread all four legs upon the earth and neighed like a bird. A physiognomist divined it and said, "The rest will all attain the Way; two of them will encounter ill fortune." They all proceeded to the Buddha's place and sought to become śramaṇas. The stubborn and intractable were subdued, and there were none who did not receive it with joy. (Extracted from the first fascicle of the Zhong benqi jing; also in the Shier you jing.)
7.22
10. Aniruddha Goes Forth from the Household
7.23
King Droṇodana (the third younger brother of King Śuddhodana) had two sons. One was named Mahānāma, and the other was named Aniruddha. Aniruddha was dearly beloved of his mother. Mahānāma said, "Many of the Śākyas are practicing the Way; only our family does not. Let one manage the worldly affairs, and one seek to go forth from the household." Because household affairs were vexing and burdensome, Aniruddha petitioned his mother to go forth. His mother said, "If Bhadrika goes, I will permit you." He petitioned without ceasing, and both were granted permission. Bhadrika asked to delay for seven years to enjoy the pleasures of the five desires. Aniruddha said, "Human life is impermanent; it can hardly be guaranteed." He again asked for one year, down to seven days. When the seven days had passed, the eight Śākya youths, with Upāli as the ninth, each adorned a precious elephant and rode them out of the city. Shedding their clothing, elephants, and horses, they handed them over to Upāli, saying, "You have relied upon us to make your living. Now we are going forth from the household; we give these garments and elephants to you as a livelihood." Upāli then hung the garments upon a tree, thinking, "Whoever takes them, may they have them." Together they went to the Buddha's place and likewise sought to go forth. [The princes] pleaded, "Cross over Upāli first, so as to eliminate our arrogance." Next was Aniruddha. (Extracted from the first and third parts of the Sifen lü; the Dazhidu lun and Shier you jing differ slightly, but are broadly the same.)
7.24
11. Bhadrika Goes Forth from the Household
7.25
King Amṛtodana (the fourth younger brother of King Śuddhodana) had two sons. The first was named Deva, and the second was named Bhadrika. Bhadrika was dearly beloved of his mother. He asked his mother to let him go forth. His mother said, "If Aniruddha goes forth, I will permit you as well." Afterwards, both indeed did so. They went to the Buddha's place and sought to go forth: "Our parents have already given permission; may you condescend to deliver us." At that time, Bhadrika was contemplating alone under a tree among the charnel grounds. As the night passed, he called out in a loud voice, "Such joy! Such joy!" The monks near him reported it to the Buddha. The Buddha summoned Bhadrika and asked what joy it was. Bhadrika said, "Formerly when I was at home, I was constantly guarded inside and outside with swords and staves, yet I was still afraid. Now, dwelling alone among the charnel grounds, my hair does not stand on end, and my renunciation is exceedingly joyful." The Buddha said, "Excellent!" (Extracted from the Dharmaguptaka Vinaya; the Dazhidu lun and Shier you jing differ slightly, but are broadly the same.)
7.26
12. King Virūḍhaka Destroys the Śākyas
7.27
When King Prasenajit had newly succeeded to the royal throne, he immediately thought: “I ought first to take a Śākya maiden [as wife].” He then instructed an official: “Carry my name, go to Kapilavastu, and ask to marry a maiden of theirs.” The five hundred Śākyas assembled in one place, all greatly enraged: “Our family is of noble clan; for what reason should we form a marriage alliance with the son of a slave woman?” Some said they should grant it; some said they should not. At that time Mahānāma said to the Śākyas: “King Prasenajit is violent and wicked by nature; he might destroy our state.” Now, Mahānāma had a slave woman who had borne a daughter with an upright and fair countenance. They bathed and clothed her, and in a feathered, jeweled carriage, [Mahānāma] personally escorted and took her to King Prasenajit. He said to the king: “This is my daughter; she may become your bride.” The king was then delighted and immediately appointed this maiden as his primary queen. In a few days she became pregnant and gave birth to a son, handsome without peer and extraordinary in the world. The king assembled diviners to name the child. The diviners said: “When the queen was sought, the Śākyas deliberated together; some gave to one another lapis lazuli (liúlí). Now let the crown prince be named Virūḍhaka (Liúlí).” When he was approaching eight years of age, the king told him: “You may go to Kapilavastu to learn the archery arts.” Riding a great elephant with many attendants, he went to Mahānāma's residence. [The Śākyas] gathered five hundred young boys to practice together with him. A newly built lecture hall was just like a heavenly palace. [The Śākyas said:] “We ought first to invite the Buddha and the saṅgha to offer them sustenance therein, receiving boundless merit.” They spread out seat cushions, hung up banners and canopies, sprinkled the ground with fragrant water, and burned diverse renowned incenses. Crown Prince Virūḍhaka went to the lecture hall and ascended the lion throne. The Śākyas, seeing this, shouted that he was the son of a slave woman, dragged him outside the gates, and threw him to the ground. Crown Prince Virūḍhaka looked back and spoke to the brahmacārin Suprasādaka: “These Śākyas have deeply humiliated me! When I succeed to the royal throne later, you must report this matter to me.” When the father king died and the crown prince succeeded to the throne, the ascetic reported it to the king. The king ordered his ministers to gather the fourfold army to go and subjugate the Śākyas. Arriving at Kapilavastu, the Bhagavat went out to meet him, sitting cross-legged beneath a withered tree. The crown prince saw him from afar, descended from his chariot, paid homage, and asked: “There are other fine trees; why do you sit beneath this one?” The Buddha said: “The shade of one's kinsmen is superior to that of outsiders.” At that time the king said: “Today the Bhagavat acts for the sake of his kinsmen; I should not campaign against them.” But the brahmacārin insisted on his counsel, and the king again raised an army. Maudgalyāyana said to the Buddha: “King Virūḍhaka (the Ekottarika-āgama, division 19, says King Virūḍhaka; the account is largely the same) is going to attack the Śākyas. I wish to take his fourfold army and cast it all to another land; I also wish to lift them out into empty space; I also wish to move and place them into the ocean; I also wish to move and place them between the Iron Circle mountains; I also wish to move the people and place them in the great lands of another region; and I also wish to cover the city with an iron cage.” The Buddha said: “Though you possess wisdom and virtue, you ultimately cannot preserve the people of the Śākya state. Sentient beings have seven things that cannot be avoided: first, birth; second, old age; third, illness; fourth, death; fifth, guilt; sixth, merit; and seventh, causes and conditions. Even if in mind one wishes to avoid them, one can never escape. How could you cover over their past karma?” Maudgalyāyana's intent still did not rest. He picked up four to five thousand acquaintances, put them all inside his bowl, and raised and placed them into the midst of the constellations in empty space. The Śākyas also gathered their fourfold army and marched out one yojana to meet King Virūḍhaka. From within one yojana, the Śākyas saw King Virūḍhaka from afar; [their arrows] pierced his ear and hair-tuft, and destroyed bowstrings, weapons, banners, and standards completely, without ever harming a person. At that time King Virūḍhaka was gripped with great terror and told his ministers: “Look at where these arrows come from! If they set their minds on harming us, we will surely all die.” He ordered a retreat to Śrāvastī. The brahmacārin Suprasādaka said: “Great King, do not fear! The Śākyas uphold the precepts; they do not even harm an insect, how much less a person? You should advance now.” The king then complied with him. The Śākyas indeed retreated and returned into the city. King Virūḍhaka said: “Open the city gates quickly! If not, all will be slain.” In the city was a young boy only fifteen years of age named Śama. He mounted the city wall and fought alone, wounding and killing many; the rebel army scattered and hid in earthen holes. At that time the Śākyas told the young boy: “You bring shame upon our lineage! Who does not know how to fight? The Śākyas cultivate good; they do not kill insects or ants, how much less human lives? Each one of us is a match for ten thousand, and is fully able to destroy an army. But because of taking human life, upon death one enters hell, and if born among humans, one's lifespan is brief. Leave quickly now; you must not stay.” Śama then left the state on his own. King Virūḍhaka's army came to the gate once again. The evil Māra Pāpīyān took the form of a Śākya and called out to open the gate quickly. The Śākyas opened the gate. King Virūḍhaka said: “Since the Śākyas are numerous, bury them all to the feet and have furious elephants trample them to death. Select five hundred Śākya maidens and bring them to the king's quarters.” At that time Mahānāma begged a boon from the king, and the king granted it. Mahānāma said: “I will now submerge in water; whether I take long or short, allow the Śākyas to flee as they please. When I emerge from the water, you may kill them wherever they are.” The king said: “Very well.” [Mahānāma] then entered the depths of the water, tied his hair to tree roots, and ended his own life. The Śākyas in the city rushed out through the four gates in competition. The king said to his ministers: “Father Mahānāma has not yet emerged.” They immediately entered the water and pulled him out, already dead. Regret arose in the king's heart: “My maternal grandfather has now taken his own life, all out of love for his kinsmen. Had I known earlier, I would never have attacked them.” Virūḍhaka slew 99,900,000 people. Blood flowed, forming a river circling the city of Kapilavastu. After the army had left, Maudgalyāyana said to the Buddha: “Relying on the Buddha's divine power, I have protected four to five thousand people.” The Buddha said: “Go and look at them.” Maudgalyāyana lowered the bowl; the people were all already dead. [Virūḍhaka] went to Nyagrodha Park and said to the five hundred Śākya maidens: “Do not sorrow! I am your husband.” Seizing one Śākya maiden, she said: “Why should I now be intimate with the son of a slave woman?” The king immediately amputated her hands and feet and cast her into a deep pit. All five hundred Śākya maidens reviled the king, saying: “Who would surrender her body to have congress with the son of a slave woman?” The king commanded that the five hundred Śākya maidens be punished according to the former method. He returned to the state of Śrāvastī. Crown Prince Jeta was performing various types of music in the deep palace. Hearing the sound, the king turned his chariot and went to him. Jeta came out of the gate to meet him, saying: “Welcome, Great King; please halt your chariot a while.” King Virūḍhaka said: “Did you not hear that I was fighting the Śākyas? You play with courtesans and did not assist me!” Jeta replied: “I heard of it, but I cannot bear to kill sentient beings.” King Virūḍhaka struck down Jeta with his own hand. The Buddha saw that Jeta was reborn in the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. At that time the five hundred Śākya maidens took refuge and cried out the name of the Tathāgata: “Born together in the Śākya clan, you left home and became a Buddha. We suffer this excruciating venom, yet are we not remembered?” The Buddha, together with the monks, went to Kapilavastu. The women, seeing him from afar, all felt ashamed. The Bhagavat looked back and spoke to Śakra Devānām Indra, saying: “These women feel shame.” Śakra immediately covered these women with heavenly garments. The Buddha told Vaiśravaṇa: “These women have been hungry and thirsty for days.” [Vaiśravaṇa] immediately prepared heavenly food, and all were filled to repletion. The Buddha expounded for them the path of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the way. The defilements of the women were all exhausted, and they attained purity of the Dharma eye. Each took their own death in that place, and all were reborn in heaven. The Buddha arrived at the eastern gate and saw that in the city, smoke and fire were blazing fiercely. Looking back, he said to the monks: “Formerly I expounded the Dharma here together with the monks; now it is like an empty wasteland with no people. From now on, I will not come here again.” He returned to the Jetavana grove in the state of Śrāvastī and announced to the monks: “Seven days from now, King Virūḍhaka and his armies will all be utterly destroyed.” Hearing this, the king was terrified. The brahmacārin Suprasādaka said: “Inside and out there is not a speck of dust; Great King, simply amuse yourself.” The king sent someone to count the days; on the morning of the seventh day, the king was overjoyed. Leading his armies and courtesans, he went to the bank of the Aciravatī River to feast together. A great thunderclap suddenly struck, unseasonable clouds arose, and a violent storm of wind and rain injured, submerged, and drowned them, destroying them all at once. The king entered the Avīci Hell while still alive. Furthermore, a heavenly fire burned down the palace city. The monks asked the Buddha: “By what cause did the Śākyas now encounter this suffering?” The Buddha said: “In the past, there was a fishing village in the city of Rājagṛha. At that time there was a famine in the world; people ate grass roots, and traded one dou of gold for one dou of rice. In the village was a great pond exceedingly abundant in fish, which the people caught and ate. There were two kinds of fish: one named Kusvā (the Xīngqǐ xíng jīng says Qū) and the second named Bahujihva. They said to each other: ‘We are creatures of the water and do not dwell on dry land, yet these people all come to eat us.’ In the village was a child, only eight years of age, who although he did not catch fish, felt delighted when seeing it. The people of Rājagṛha village were the present Śākyas; the Kusvā fish was King Virūḍhaka; the Bahujihva fish was the brahmacārin Suprasādaka; and the little child who saw the fish and laughed was I. For the guilt of catching the fish, they suffered the torments of hell for countless kalpas; now there was this remaining retribution. Because I saw them and laughed with delight, I now suffer a headache as if pressed by a stone, or as if carrying Mount Sumeru (the Shijia bijui jing is largely the same with minor differences, but its text is lengthy and not recorded in full).” Many people on their seats, hearing the Buddha preach the teaching of impermanence, attained the fruit of srotaāpanna (from the Shijia bijui jing, and also from the Dīrghāgama and Dharmapada Avadāna Sūtra).
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