法苑珠林 79

English (machine translation) 79

Language: English

79.1

Compiled by the Śramaṇa Shi Daoshi of Ximing Temple

79.2

Chapter 84: The Ten Unwholesome Actions, Part 7

79.3

Section 13: Wrong View (This has two sub-sections)

When first entering the Buddha-Dharma, one must make faith the foremost priority. It is like a person arriving at a jewel mountain: if he has no hand of faith, he returns empty-handed with nothing gained. Therefore the sūtras say that foolish people do not understand cause and effect, falsely give rise to wrong views, slanderously deny the existence of the Three Jewels and the Four Noble Truths, claim there is neither misfortune nor fortune, nor even good or evil, nor karmic retribution for good and evil, nor sentient beings undergoing rebirth in the present or future lifetimes. People such as this destroy wholesome and unwholesome phenomena; this is called severing the roots of wholesomeness. They are bound to fall into the Avīci Hell.

79.6

Sub-section 2: Adducing Testimonies

79.7

As the Large Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra states: If a person lacks faith and slanders the Mahāyāna Prajñā Sūtra, he falls straight into the Avīci Hell, enduring extreme suffering and pain for immeasurable hundreds of thousands of ten millions of koṭis of years, going from one hell to another hell. When this kalpa ends, he is born into a great hell in another direction; when that other direction's kalpa ends, he is reborn in a great hell in this world; in this manner, he cycles throughout the realms of the ten directions. When the kalpas in other directions end, he is reborn back in a great hell here. When his hell-karma is exhausted, he is born among beasts, also cycling throughout the realms of the ten directions. When his animal karma is exhausted, he is reborn among humans in a place devoid of the Buddha-Dharma—impoverished, lowly, incomplete in his sense-faculties, constantly foolish, mad, and dull-witted, without any discernment. Even if someone is not a foolish beast but rather an intelligent human, if he falsely gives rise to deviant attachments, this is also called wrong view. Therefore, the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra states: 'There are distinctions in delusion. Why is that? Not all delusion is entirely unwholesome. If delusion increases and turns into wrong view, it is then called an unwholesome path of action.' For this reason, when wrong view grows from delusion, it constitutes a grave offense and one will surely fall into the Avīci Hell. Taking wrong view directly, it has its own degrees of lightness and gravity: the light can be redirected; the grave cannot be redirected. Thus the Bodhisattvabhūmi-śāstra states: 'There are two kinds of wrong views: the first is redirectable, and the second is non-redirectable. Slandering cause and effect and declaring that there are no noble persons is called non-redirectable; seeing what is not a cause as a cause, and seeing what is not a fruit as a fruit, is called redirectable.' For this reason, unwholesome karma is called wrong view, while wholesome karma is called right view. Those who do not slander the Four Truths but are deluded about the noble path do not know that the principle and the path arise from one's own mind, and only constantly torment their bodies in search of liberation, like a dog chasing a clod of dirt without knowing to seek its source. Thus the Mahālaṅkāra-śāstra says: 'For example, when a lion is struck or shot, that lion pursues the person. But like a foolish dog, when someone throws something at it, it chases after the tile or stone without knowing to seek the source.' The lion symbolizes a wise person who understands how to seek the source and extinguish defilements. The foolish dog symbolizes the non-Buddhists who scorch their bodies with the five heats, not recognizing the source of the mind (surrounding themselves with fires on four sides, with the sun scorching them from above, placing their bodies in the midst thereof, seeking the path through suffering). It is just that common fools are mostly deluded about the true path; they do not know how to contemplate that body and mind are without self, and merely learn ascetic practices, taking them to be the path. They are identical to non-Buddhists who falsely practice deviant teachings and errantly cling to what contradicts truth, resulting only in unwholesome phenomena. Therefore the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-śāstra says: 'Because the offense of wrong view is grave, even if one upholds the precepts and possesses good bodily and vocal karma, they all follow the unwholesome mind of wrong view. As the Buddha himself said in a parable: like planting a bitter seed, although it is brought to fruition by the four great elements, it all turns into a bitter taste. The person of wrong view is also like this: although he upholds precepts and makes energetic progress, it all becomes unwholesome phenomena. It is not as good as having no attachments and practicing a little of the giving of wisdom. One without attachments is easy to convert; one with attachments is difficult to deliver. It does not merely ruin oneself, but also harms others.' Therefore the Tattvasiddhi-śāstra states: 'It is better to halt and not act than to walk a deviant path, for when the body breaks up at the end of life, one falls into the evil destinies.' Furthermore, the Saddharmasmṛtyupasthāna-sūtra says, in a verse spoken by King Yama reproaching the sinners:

79.8

You who are mired in wrong view and ignorance,
a person bound by the snare of folly,
now fall into this hell,
abiding in a great ocean of suffering.
Evil views burn away all merit;
you are the basest of all people.
You fear the bonds of hell,
yet this is your own dwelling.
If one belongs to wrong views,
that person lacks clever wisdom.
All courses in hell
are deceived by the mind, one's enemy.
The mind is the foremost enemy;
this enemy is the most evil of all.
This enemy can bind a person
and deliver them unto Yama's domain.

79.9

At that time, the World-Honoured One spoke a verse, saying:

79.10

"The fish of delusion in the mud of the mind
resides in the house of craving;
when creating deeds, it laughs with joy;
when receiving suffering, it weeps and wails."

79.11

Furthermore, a verse from the Yogācārabhūmi-sūtra says:

79.12

"Delusion is in their mouth,
and darkness is harboured in their mind.
They can neither contemplate evil,
nor do they have a mind to contemplate good.
Always muddled and dim-witted,
they can accomplish not a single thing.
Like cooking out in a torrential downpour,
nothing can be brought to completion.
Those who cultivate much delusion
will find their faculties incomplete;
they will be born among cattle and sheep,
and thereafter fall into hell."

79.13

The Candraprabha-kumāra-sūtra, also called the Sūtra Spoken by the Buddha on Śrīgupta, states: At that time, there was an elder named Śrīgupta. Taking the counsel of the six non-Buddhist masters, he wished to invite the Buddha and the Saṃgha. [The masters] had the elder dig a pit fifty-six feet deep outside the inner gate, filled more than halfway with charcoal fire, with fine iron rods for beams, and lightly covered with earth on top. They arranged various food and drink, placing poison in their midst, [saying], 'If the fire pit fails to stop him, the poisoned food will be enough to kill him. Plotting it thus, why worry that he will not die?' Acting according to their instructions, the non-Buddhists were all delighted. Thereupon Śrīgupta went to the Buddha's abode and earnestly invited the Buddha and the holy congregation. At that time, the World-Honoured One, pitying his madness and folly, and wishing to deliver him, accepted the invitation in silence. Śrīgupta was inwardly glad: indeed, it was as planned. [Yet even] the poison of Mount Sumeru, the fire of a great trichiliocosm, and the sharp blades of swords could not stir a single hair of the Buddha. Now, wishing to destroy the Buddha with a fire pit and poisoned food was like mosquitoes and gnats wishing to shake Mount Tai, or the wings of flies and midges wishing to block out the sun and moon. Such vain self-destruction would be better replaced by early repentance. At that time, the elder was veiled by the hindrance of transgression, and his mind was not opened to understanding. The World-Honoured One thought to himself: 'Now accepting the invitation of elder Śrīgupta is not like ordinary times. I shall widely display majestic spiritual power to shake the ten directions.' Hundreds of thousands of the holy congregation, together with nāgas and spirits, flying in the air and walking on earth in incalculable numbers, arrived at the house at once to bring benefit. Through his spiritual virtue, the Buddha transformed the fire pit into a pond of the seven jewels, endowed with the eight flavors. The drink and food became heavenly ambrosia, and those who ate were sated and delighted. The six masters were terrified and each fled in hiding. The elder submitted, prostrating his head to the ground, kissed the Buddha's feet, knelt upright, and confessed of his own accord: 'Now I have awakened and obtained deliverance from the Buddha.' All who came to the assembly rejoiced in the sound of the Dharma, and those who obtained merit and deliverance were beyond measure.

79.14

Furthermore, the Guanfo sanmei jing states: At that time, the World-Honoured One said to his father, the king: In the city of Śrāvastī, the elder Sudatta had an elderly bondwoman named Vetravatī. Diligent in the family affairs, the elder appointed her to hold the storehouse keys, fully entrusting to her all incoming and outgoing receipts and deliveries. Sudatta invited the Buddha and the Saṃgha, supplying all their needs. At that time, the sick bhikṣus made many requests. The elderly woman, stingy and resentful, loathed the Buddha-Dharma and the assembly of monks, and said: 'My master is foolish and confused, taking up the arts of the śramaṇas. These mendicants seek much without satiety. What Tao do they have?' Having spoken these words, she made an evil vow: 'When will I be able not to hear the Buddha's name and not to hear the Saṃgha's name?' Such evil words spread throughout the city of Śrāvastī. When Queen Mallikā heard these words, she said: 'Elder Sudatta is like a fine lotus flower, delightful for people to see. Why is there a venomous snake guarding him?' She summoned Sudatta's wife and said to her: 'Your household's old maidservant slanders with evil speech; why not cast her out?' At that time, Sudatta's wife knelt and addressed the queen: 'Even base and evil men like Aṅgulimāla the Buddha could subdue; how much more so an old maidservant?' Hearing this, Mallikā said with joy: 'Tomorrow I shall invite the Buddha; send your maidservant to come.' When mealtime arrived the next morning, the elder sent the maidservant carrying a vase full of gold to assist the queen's offering. Mallikā saw her coming and said: 'This person of wrong views—if the Buddha transforms and delivers her, I will surely obtain benefit.' The Buddha then entered through the main gate, with Nanda attending on his left, Ānanda attending on his right, and Rāhula behind the Buddha. Seeing the Buddha, the old maidservant was terrified and her hair stood on end. She said, 'This evil man has followed behind me!' She immediately fled, trying to escape through a dog's hole, but the dog's hole closed at once. The four gates were all blocked, and only the main gate stood open. The maidservant then covered her face, shielding herself with a fan. The Buddha was before her, making the fan like a mirror without obstruction. Looking around to the east, there was a Buddha in the east; the south, west, and north were also like this. Raising her head to look up, there was a Buddha above; bowing her head to the ground, the ground transformed into a Buddha. Covering her face with her hands, the ten fingertips of her hands all transformed into Buddhas. The old maidservant closed her eyes, but her mind's eye opened to see transformed Buddhas filling the worlds of the ten directions in empty space. At that time, there were twenty-five caṇḍāla women, fifty brāhmaṇa women, and various other groups in the city, together with five hundred women in Queen Mallikā's palace who did not believe in the Buddha. Seeing the Tathāgata Buddha walking in empty space and displaying countless bodies for the sake of the old maidservant, they all broke through their wrong views, bowed their heads in homage to the Buddha, and chanted 'Namo Buddhāya.' Having chanted, they immediately saw transformed Buddhas like a forest, and instantly generated the bodhimind. The old maidservant still did not produce faith because of her wrong views. Yet because of seeing the Buddha, she eliminated the sins of birth and death spanning eighty trillion kalpas. Having seen the Buddha, she ran swiftly back home and addressed her master: 'Today I encountered a great evil opponent. I saw Gautama at the royal palace gate performing all manner of illusory transformations, his body like a golden mountain, his eyes surpassing blue lotuses, radiating exquisite light.' Having spoken these words, she entered a wooden cage, covered the cage with a hundred hides, wrapped her head in white cotton, and lay down in a dark place. The Buddha returned to the Jetavana. Mallikā addressed the Buddha: 'May you transform the errant woman; do not return to the monastery.' The Buddha told Mallikā: 'This maidservant's transgressions are grave; she has no karmic affinity with the Buddha, but has great causal conditions with Rāhula.' After the Buddha returned, he dispatched Rāhula to go to Sudatta's house to deliver that old maidservant. Rāhula transformed into a wheel-turning sage king, while twelve hundred and fifty bhikṣus transformed into his thousand sons, arriving at Sudatta's house and taking that old maidservant to be the jewel of a woman. Then the sage king illuminated the woman's face with a wish-fulfilling jewel, causing her to see herself as the jewel of a woman. Doubly joyful, she said: 'The śramaṇas speak tall and boastful words, claiming they have the Way without any verification. The sage king appears in the world and brings extensive benefits in many ways, causing an old maidservant like me to become like the jewel of a woman.' Having spoken these words, she cast her five limbs to the ground in homage to the sage king. Then the minister of the treasury proclaimed the king's ten good deeds. Hearing the ten good deeds, the woman rejoiced greatly: 'None of the meanings spoken by the sage king are not good.' She bowed to the king, repented her faults, and reproached herself. When her mind was subdued, Rāhula and the bhikṣus resumed their original forms. When the old maidservant saw them, she said: 'The Buddha-Dharma is pure and does not abandon sentient beings. Even someone base and evil like me is still transformed and delivered.' She immediately received the five precepts and attained the fruit of srotāpanna. She was led to the Buddha's abode to pay homage to the Buddha, repented her past sins, sought ordination from the Buddha, and attained arhatship, performing eighteen transformations in empty space. King Prasenajit and Queen Mallikā, seeing this, addressed the Buddha: 'What transgression did this maidservant commit in a past life to be born as a bondwoman? What merit did she have to encounter the Buddha and attain the Way?' The Buddha told the king: 'Long ago in the past, a Buddha appeared in the world named Ratnachatrābhyudgata-dīpa-rāja. After he entered nirvāṇa, during the Semblance Dharma there was a king named Nānāratnapuṣpaprabha. His son, named Suvicāra, left home to study the Way. Relying on being a prince, he was constantly arrogant. His upādhyāya explained the profound Prajñāpāramitā-sūtra and the meaning of great emptiness to him. When the prince heard it, he misinterpreted it and propounded evil views. After his teacher passed away, he said: "My great upādhyāya was devoid of wisdom, only praising the meaning of emptiness. I vow that in future births I will not be pleased to see him. My ācārya has wisdom and eloquence; I vow that in life after life he will be my good spiritual friend." Having spoken these words, he taught all his disciples to practice wrong views. Although he kept the prohibitive precepts, because of slandering prajñā and misinterpreting evil doctrines, after his life ended he fell into the Avīci hell, suffering immeasurable torment for eight billion kalpas. When his sins were exhausted, he emerged from hell to become a poor and lowly person, deaf, foolish, and sightless for five hundred lives, and constantly an enslaved bondwoman for twelve hundred lives.' The Buddha told the great king: 'The upādhyāya of that time was my present self. The ācārya was Rāhula. The prince bhikṣu was this old maidservant. His disciples and followers are now these women of wrong views who generated the bodhimind.'

79.15

The Satyaka-nirgrantha-sūtra also states: "Formerly, when the Buddha was in the world, in the city of Ujjayinī there was King Pradyota. He asked Satyaka Nirgrantha, saying: 'If there is an evil person who does not believe in the Three Jewels, who burns down stūpas, monasteries, scriptures, and images, and reviles them with harsh words, saying that those who make them have no merit, and that those who make offerings to them waste what they have in the present and gain no benefit in the future; or who dislikes stūpas, monasteries, and various images as obstructing a location, so destroys, eradicates, and moves them elsewhere; or destroys the chambers and cave dwellings of śramaṇas; or takes the property of the Buddha, the property of the Dharma, the property of the Saṅgha, [such as] orchards, fields, houses, elephants, horses, carriages, male and female servants, the six domestic animals, clothing, food, drink, and all precious treasures; or seizes śramaṇas, subjecting them to forced labour and driving them as servants, demanding taxes and levies from them, and forcing them to return to lay life; or at times treats them with frivolous contempt, mocking them in various ways; or at times insults, scolds, and slanders them; or beats them with sticks with his own hands; or injures their bodies in various ways—among which class of sentient beings is such an evil person included?' [Satyaka] answered, saying: 'Great King, he is included in the class of evilly rebellious sentient beings. The Great King should punish his crime with the highest penalty. Why is this? Because he has committed fundamental, extremely grave offenses. There are five kinds of offenses called fundamental. What are the five? First, destroying stūpas and monasteries, burning scriptures and images, and taking the property of the Three Jewels—whether committing this oneself, instructing others to do so, or rejoicing when seeing it done: this is called the first fundamental grave offense. Second, slandering the Dharma of the three vehicles, reviling it, obstructing it, concealing it, and covering it up: this is called the second fundamental grave offense. Third, if there is a śramaṇa who with a faithful mind has gone forth, shaving off beard and hair and wearing the kāṣāya robe on his body, whether he keeps the precepts or does not keep the precepts, [if someone] locks him in prison, fetters, beats, and binds him, subjects him to forced labour and drives him as a servant, demands various taxes and levies from him, or strips off his kāṣāya robe to force him back to lay life, or cuts off his life: this is called the third fundamental grave offense. Fourth, among the five rebellious offenses, if one commits any single one: this is called the fourth fundamental grave offense. Fifth, slandering and denying all karmic retribution of good and evil deeds, constantly practicing the ten unwholesome actions through the long night [of saṃsāra], having no fear of future lives, committing them oneself and instructing others, and clinging obstinately without abandoning them: this is called the fifth fundamental grave offense. If one commits such fundamental grave offenses and does not repent of them, they will decisively incinerate all roots of goodness, and he will go to the great hell to undergo the sufferings of Avīci with no time of release. If there are such evil persons in a kingdom who destroy the Three Jewels, all arhats, buddhas, and sages will depart and leave the kingdom; the devas will weep; the good spirits will not offer protection; people will kill one another; bandits will arise from the four quarters; the dragon kings will hide away; water and drought will be unseasonable; wind and rain will miss their proper times; the five grains will not ripen; the people will starve and devour one another; white bones will fill the fields; epidemics will multiply; and those who die will be countless. The people will not know to reflect upon these faults of their own, but will instead resent the devas and the good terrestrial spirits.' The Sūtra on the Samādhi of Contemplating the Buddha also states: 'There are seven kinds of grave offenses, each of which can cause sentient beings to fall into the Avīci hell for eighty-four thousand mahākalpas: first, not believing in cause and effect; second, slandering and denying the buddhas of the ten directions; third, cutting off the study of prajñā; fourth, committing the four pārājika offenses and eating the offerings of the faithful in vain; fifth, misusing the property of the Saṅgha; sixth, coercing and raping a bhikṣuṇī of pure conduct; and seventh, committing impure conduct with any of the six close relations.'

79.16

The Sūtra on the Lesser Five Turbidities also states: 'Apart from the five rebellious offenses, there are another five rebellious offenses: first, disrespecting one's two parents and serving ghosts and spirits; second, being envious of the sovereign of the state; third, treating younger generations with frivolity; fourth, holding one's own body and life in low esteem while valuing wealth; fifth, turning away from merit and approaching wrongdoing.' The Madhyama-āgama also states: 'The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "If an ordinary, foolish person commits evil deeds of body, evil deeds of speech, and evil deeds of mind, after his life ends he will be born in the evil destiny, in Niraya, undergoing extreme pain and suffering entirely without joy. It is, for example, like a person who commits robbery and is delivered to the king to be punished for his crime of robbery. The king then sends men at dawn to pierce him with one hundred lances. His life still remains. When midday comes, the king again orders him to be pierced with two hundred lances. His life still remains. When late afternoon comes, the king again orders him to be pierced with three hundred lances. That person's bodily parts are entirely destroyed, yet his life still remains." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "What do you think? Was this person in pain when pierced by the lances, or not?" The bhikṣus answered the Buddha: "When pierced by a single lance it was already painful, how much more so three hundred lances?" The Buddha then took a small amount of gravel in his hand, about the size of beans, and addressed the bhikṣus: "Comparing the stones in my hand to the stones of the Snow Mountains, which is greater?" The bhikṣus answered the Buddha: "The stones of the Snow Mountains are more, beyond all comparison." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "The pain of three hundred lances compared to the suffering of Niraya is like the small gravel; the suffering of Niraya is like the stones of the Snow Mountains, hundreds of thousands of myriad times greater, beyond all comparison. What are the circumstances of the suffering in Niraya? If there are sentient beings who fall into Niraya, the hell wardens take axes and heat them until they blaze intensely, hacking their bodies into eight facets and four corners, causing them extreme pain for hundreds of thousands of years, yet they do not die; only when their evil is exhausted [does it cease]. Again, they are seated upon iron beds, their mouths opened with iron tongs, and made to swallow red-hot iron pellets for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, they are seated upon iron beds, and molten copper is poured into their mouths for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, they are laid out on the iron ground, and red-hot iron nails are driven into their bodies and heads for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, their tongues are pulled out and made to lick the iron ground, pinned down with nails like a stretched ox hide, for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, the sinews of their necks are pulled out and bound to a chariot for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, the iron ground is heated and they are made to walk upon it for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, a mountain of fire is heated and they are made to descend; as they set foot upon it, flesh and blood melt away, and as they lift their foot, it grows back again, for hundreds of thousands of years. Again, they are boiled in cauldrons for hundreds of thousands of years, caused extreme pain, yet they do not die; they must exhaust their evil before they can emerge. Such is the suffering in the Niraya hell. When the offenses in hell are completed, they are born among various animals, constantly dwelling in darkness, devouring one another, undergoing immeasurable suffering that cannot be fully described. When the offenses as an animal are completed, they may be born among humans. To become a human from an animal is extremely difficult, just like a blind turtle encountering the hole in a floating log. Even if born among humans, they are impoverished, lowly, and servile to others, ugly in appearance, or defective in sense faculties, or short-lived. If they commit evil karma, after death they are born back into Niraya, revolving without end, beyond all description." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "When ordinary, foolish people commit the three evil actions of body, speech, and mind, they incur such guilt." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "If a wise person performs good actions of body, good actions of speech, and good actions of mind, after death he will be born in a good place, in the heavens, experiencing joy exclusively. Like a wheel-turning king endowed with the seven treasures and the four wonders among humans." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "What do you think? Is this joyful or not?" The bhikṣus answered the Buddha: "A single treasure and a single wonder is already supreme joy, how much more so possessing the seven treasures and the four wonders!" The Buddha again took a small amount of gravel in his hand, about the size of beans, and addressed the bhikṣus: "Comparing the stones in my hand to the stones of the Snow Mountains, which is greater?" The bhikṣus answered the Buddha: "The stones of the Snow Mountains are more, beyond all comparison." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "The joy of a wheel-turning king compared to the joy in the heavens is like the small gravel; the joy in the heavens is like the stones of the Snow Mountains, hundreds of thousands of myriad times greater, beyond all comparison. What are the circumstances of the joy in the heavens? If one is born in the heavens, whatever of the six sense objects one experiences is in accordance with one's wishes, enjoying supreme pleasure that cannot be fully described. If one comes from the heavens to be born in the human realm, one is born into an imperial family or into a great clan, being very rich and noble, with abundant wealth and many treasures, with fame heard far and wide, upright and wonderfully handsome, beloved by all people." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "If a wise person performs the three good actions of body, speech, and mind, he obtains such blessings." The Buddha addressed the bhikṣus: "This is the tainted joy of the mundane world. If one cultivates roots of goodness and dedicates them to bodhi, the fruit received within saṃsāra, up to nirvāṇa, will never come to an end.'"

79.17

The Madhyama-āgama also states: 'At that time in Setavyā, there was a king named Pāyāsi, who was immensely wealthy and had boundless assets. Together with the brahmins and householders of Setavyā, he went north to the Siṃsapā Forest. Seeing the Venerable Kumārakāśyapa from afar, they exchanged greetings and sat down to one side. He asked Kāśyapa, saying: "I hold this view and speak thus: 'There is no other world, and there are no beings who are reborn.'" The śramaṇa Kumārakāśyapa told him: "Are these sun and moon of this world or of another world?" The king said: "Although you speak thus, still there is no other world, and there are no beings who are reborn." Kāśyapa used various parables and skillful means to explain it to him, but [Pāyāsi] stubbornly clung to his own view and would not abandon it. Kāśyapa again told Pāyāsi: "Listen to a parable I will tell. If one is wise, upon hearing a parable he will understand its meaning. Pāyāsi, it is like a swineherd who, while walking along the road, saw a great deal of dry dung with no owner. He thought: 'This dung can feed many pigs to their fill. I would do well to take it and carry the load away.' So he took it and carried it on his back. Halfway along the path he encountered heavy rain from the sky; the dung dissolved and flowed all over, splashing and dirtying his body, yet he still carried it along and would not discard it. He thereby brought boundless filth upon himself and became loathed by all people. You should know, Pāyāsi, that you are just the same. If you grasp this view out of fear and folly and never abandon it, you will incur boundless evil upon yourself and become loathed by all people, just like the swineherd." King Pāyāsi said: "Although the śramaṇa speaks thus, this view of mine was grasped through desire, wrath, fear, and folly, and I can never abandon it." The Venerable Kāśyapa said: "Pāyāsi, listen further to my final parable. If you understand it, good; if you do not understand it, I will not preach the Dharma further. Pāyāsi, it is like a great boar who was the king of five hundred pigs traveling along a perilous path. Halfway along the path he encountered a tiger. Having seen the tiger, he thought to himself and said to the tiger: 'If you wish to fight, we can fight together; if not, yield the road to let me pass.' Having heard this, the tiger said to the pig: 'I grant that we fight; I will not yield the road to you.' The pig said again: 'Tiger, wait a little while; wait until I put on my grandfather's armour, then I will return to fight with you.' When the tiger heard this, he thought: 'He is no match for me, how much less his grandfather's armour!' So he said to the pig: 'Do as you wish.' The pig immediately returned to his original privy, rolled in the dung until his body was smeared up to his eyes, and then went to the tiger, saying: 'If you wish to fight, we can fight together; if not, yield the road to let me pass.' Seeing the pig, the tiger thought again: 'I habitually do not eat things mixed with small maggots, because I cherish my fangs; how much less should I approach this foul pig!' Having thought this, the tiger said to the pig: 'I yield the road to you; I will not fight with you.' Having passed by, the pig immediately turned back to the tiger and spoke a verse, saying:

79.18

"Tiger, you have four feet; / I also have four feet. / You came to fight with me, / Why did you flee in fear?"

79.19

Then the tiger, having heard this, also spoke a verse in reply to the pig, saying:

79.20

"Your bristles stand straight and thick; / You are the lowest among all beasts. / Pig, you should go quickly! / The stench of dung is unbearable."

79.21

Then the pig bragged of himself, speaking another verse, saying:

79.22

"The two countries of Magadha and Aṅga / Shall hear of my fighting with you. / You came to battle with me, / Why did you flee in fear?"

79.23

Having heard this, the tiger spoke another verse, saying:

79.24

"Your whole body and bristles are smeared with filth; / The stench of you, pig, chokes me. / In fighting, you wish to claim victory; / I now grant you victory."

79.25

The Venerable Kāśyapa said: "Pāyāsi, if you grasp wrath, fear, and folly and never abandon them, you will bring boundless evil upon yourself and will also be loathed by all people, just as that tiger granted victory to the pig." Hearing this, King Pāyāsi rejoiced and accepted it with devotion, seeking the supreme and wonderful wisdom.

79.26

The verse on primary retribution says:

79.27

The six thieves are treacherous, crooked, and false; / The seven consciousnesses are confused and deviate from the true. / They slander and defame the profound, correct truth; / Their false speech is driven by greed and anger. / Evil karma is created haphazardly; / Loyal words they dislike hearing. / Once entering the Avīci Hell, / Ten thousand sufferings vie to entangle the body.

79.28

The verse on habituated retribution says:

79.29

Wrong views habituate the karma of delusion; / In Avīci one suffers bitter torment. / When the kalpa ends, one is born among humans, / And once again continues with falsehood. / Since wrong and right are opposed, / One naturally becomes flattering and devious. / If this mind is not reformed, / The unbroken chain of hells will never cease.

79.30

Sympathetic resonances and circumstances (Briefly citing thirteen evidential accounts)

79.31

Shen Sengfu of the Song
Shi Daozhi of the Song
Tang Wenbo of the Song
Zhou Zong of the Song
Wang Huaizhi of the Song
Juqu Mengxun of the Song
Cui Hao of the Wei
Emperor Wu of the Zhou
The uncle of Shi Huiyun of the Sui
Fu Yi, Grand Astrologer of the Tang
Song Xingzhi, Bureau Director of the Ministry of Justice of the Tang
Jiang Tengsheng of the Tang
Yao Mingjie of the Tang

79.32

Shen Sengfu of Wuxing under the Song dynasty: At the end of the Daming reign period, there was a famine in his native place. Following the food supply, he arrived in Shanyang. By day he entered villages and fields to beg for food, and at night he returned to lodge near the temple quarters. At that time, the various temples in Shanyang possessed a great many small-sized bronze statues. Over time, Sengfu and several men from his village secretly stole them, until several bags and boxes were completely filled. Thereupon he was about to return home to melt them down together to cast coins. Once the matter was discovered, he was arrested and escorted to the capital. As soon as he boarded the boat, he began saying that he saw people burning him with fire. Day and night he shrieked and wailed, claiming of his own accord that the bitter pain was unbearable. Before he could be executed for his crime, he died. His entire body was blistered and split open, looking just like someone who had been burned by fire. Zhu Heng of Wujun personally knew Sengfu and witnessed the event in full.

79.33

The monk Daozhi of the Song was a monk of Beiduobao Temple. The community of monks had once assigned him to oversee the hall and pagoda. He secretly stole precious ornaments such as hangings and canopies, taking a great many of them. Later, he went on to steal the pearl of the ūrṇā between the eyebrows of a statue. Afterwards, he made a breach in the wall to make it appear like an outside thief, so the community of monks was unable to discover him. After more than ten days, he fell ill and saw strange men piercing him with spears and lances. They came and went intermittently. Whenever they came, he cried out in alarm, and blood flowed in response to his cries. At first, it happened once or twice a day like this; thereafter, as the illness worsened, the piercings became gradually more frequent. Wounds covered his entire body, and his moaning and crying could not be stilled. The community of monks of the same temple grew rather suspicious that he had committed a transgression, and wished to perform a repentance on his behalf. When first questioned, he still concealed it and would not speak. When he had only two or three days left to live, he then made a full confession of his own accord, weeping with tears and snot, and pleaded for rescue, saying, "I was foolish, perverse, and unenlightened, believing there were no unseen paths. In an errant state of mind I committed transgressions, bringing upon myself this cruel calamity. In life I endure tortures; in death I shall meet with knives and cauldrons. For my already ruined body, I only beg your pity and forgiveness. Now I have no remaining belongings left, only robes, bedding, felt mats, and shoes, which might suffice to fund an assembly. I also repeatedly pray that you will thoroughly make repentance for me. In the past, the ūrṇā pearls I stole from the statues numbered two. One already belongs to an old woman and can no longer be retrieved. The other was exchanged for money and is at the house of Chen Zhao. It may now be redeemed." After Daozhi died, the monks gathered together, redeemed the ūrṇā pearl, and hosted a vegetarian feast and repentance. When the craftsman first went to restore the ūrṇā pearl, he turned it around and around, but in the end it would not fit securely into place. The monks bowed and burned incense for it again, and only then was he able to fix it into place. Over a year later, his fellow students heard voices in the sky in the dark night. Listening closely, it was Daozhi's voice. He said of his own accord, "Ever since I died, I have suffered every torment and poison. It will be many years and kalpas before there is any time of release. Relying on the pity and rescue of the monks, who redeemed the ūrṇā pearl of the statue, amid my severe suffering I occasionally obtain a brief respite. Moved beyond measure, I have come briefly to express my gratitude; that is all." When they heard his words, there was a foul and rotting stench, bitterly painful and difficult to endure. Only long after his speech ended did it gradually subside. This matter took place at the end of the Taishi reign period. A curious person of that temple has already recorded it in detail.

79.34

Tang Wenbo of the Song was a man of Gangyu in Donghai. His younger brother was fond of gambling and had completely exhausted their family fortune. In their village there was a temple. Passersby sometimes offered money to the Buddha. The younger brother repeatedly stole it. Long afterward, he contracted leprosy. A diviner said, "The affliction is due to stealing the Buddha's money." The father said in anger, "What kind of spirit is the Buddha that he could cause my son to suffer this? I will try to plunder and rob again; if he can make me sick too, then so be it!" The wife of the former magistrate He Xin had offered four woven bands for a jeweled canopy. He then stole them to use as a waistbelt. Before a hundred days had elapsed, he also contracted a virulent disease. The sores first broke out at the place where the waistbelt was worn. This was at the beginning of the Yuanjia reign period.

79.35

Zhou Zong of the Song was a man of Feiru in Guangling. In the seventh year of Yuanjia, he accompanied Liu Yanzhi on a northern expedition, but the royal army suffered defeat. He fled secretly along with six men from the same district. North of Pengcheng, they encountered an empty temple without any monks. Inside was an image that had a crystal ūrṇā. Thereupon they stole it together, went out to a village, and traded it for food. One of the men was frail and sick, and his companions disdained him, so he alone received no share. After they each returned home, over three or four years, Zong and the other five men consecutively fell ill with leprosy and died. Only the one who received no share was completely spared.

79.36

Wang Huaizhi of the Song, whose style name was Yuanzeng, was a man of Langye. For generations his family was devoted to Confucianism and did not believe in the Buddha's Dharma, regularly claiming that body and spirit are both extinguished, and asking how there could be three lifetimes. During the Yuanjia reign period, he served as Magistrate of Danyang. In the tenth year, he fell ill and stopped breathing, but after a short time he temporarily revived. At that time, He Daoli, Magistrate of Jiankang, was visiting the sickbed and stepped down from the couch. It so happened that Huaizhi spoke to Daoli, saying, "Only now do I know that the teachings of the Śākya are not false. When a person dies, the spirit survives; truly there is evidence for it!" Daoli said, "In your lifetime, Sir, your discourses were not like this. What have you seen now that causes you to differ?" Huaizhi knitted his brows and replied, saying, "The spirit truly is not extinguished. One cannot but believe in the Buddha's teaching." Having finished speaking, he passed away. (The five evidential accounts above are taken from the *Mingxiang ji*.)

79.37

Juqu Mengxun of the Song: At that time there was a monk named Dharmakṣema, who was broadly learned and deeply knowledgeable, and was trusted and revered by Mengxun. The Wei sent Li Shun to confer upon Mengxun the title of King of Liang, and also requested Dharmakṣema. Mengxun begrudged him and would not give him up. Dharmakṣema wished in his heart to enter the Wei, and repeatedly asked Mengxun for permission to depart. Mengxun was enraged and killed him. Soon afterward, Mengxun's attendants frequently saw in broad daylight Dharmakṣema striking Mengxun with a sword. Due to this he fell ill and died. (The one evidential account above is taken from the *Xuanhun zhi*.)

79.38

The twenty-third year of Yuanjia of Emperor Wen of the Song, a bingxu year, was the seventh year of Taiping Zhenjun of the Northern Wei. Emperor Taiwu trusted the evil, flattering sycophancy of Cui Hao and revered Kou Qianzhi, entitling him Celestial Master. He harmed the Śākya lineage, destroyed stupas, and abolished improper sacrifices. At that time, all the ministers said together, "When Kang Senghui moved [the court] with auspicious omens, the Grand Emperor founded a temple. If we demolish it, we fear it may bequeath future regrets." Furthermore, in digging the ground within the rear palace, a gold statue was obtained. Hao desecrated it. His genitals became exceedingly painful, and his shrieking cries were unbearable. The Grand Astrologer divined it, saying, "It is because you offended a great spirit." Thereupon he prayed extensively at famous mountains and offered many sacrifices at temples, but the hidden suffering grew ever heavier and the internal pain ever sharper. A believing palace lady repeatedly offered admonition, saying, "Your Majesty's pain is due to having offended an image of the Śākya. Please pray to the Buddha, and perhaps your suffering may be halted." Hao said, "Is the Buddha a great spirit? Let us try to make an appeal." At a single prayer, he was immediately cured. Rejoicing, he changed his mind, and sent carriages and horses to welcome Dharma Master Kang Senghui, requesting a cleansing repentance and receiving the five precepts from him, paying him profound reverence. Emperor Taiwu only then realized that Kou Qianzhi had secretly used wickedness to mislead him. Thereupon he imposed severe punishment, placing him in the four suburbs: burying his body and exposing his head, he ordered travelers at the crossroads to use his mouth as a latrine until his life was ended. His faction and associates were all decapitated. In the gengyin year, Emperor Taiwu fell ill, and only then was he awakened to realization. In addition, there was the Dhyāna Master Tanshi of the White Feet who came to enlighten him, giving rise to shame and remorse in him. He immediately executed Cui Hao. In the renchen year, Emperor Taiwu passed away, and his grandson Wencheng was established; he immediately erected stupas. Seven years after the destruction of the scriptures, the Three Jewels were revived. In the third year of Heping, Shi Tanyao, Director of the Clergy, lamented the previous desolation and rejoiced in the present revival. Therefore, at this Terrace of the Stone Chamber Temple, he gathered the monastic assembly to translate scriptures and spread their circulation, passing them down to subsequent worthy followers so that the storehouse of Dharma would be maintained and not fall into ruin for a thousand years. Based on this discovery of an image by digging the ground, it is clearly evident that Buddhism already existed during the Qin and Zhou dynasties.

79.39

In the past, the Later Zhou inherited the destiny of the Wei, and the Wei succeeded the foundation of the Jin; as for the rest, they were peripheral rulers with no legitimate basis. During the days of the Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen, there were official scribes in place; when a state perished and an emperor fell, their records were then subjected to historical editing—could it be otherwise? The ancestor of the Zhou, Yuwen Jue, was the legitimate heir of Black Tai, the Grand Chancellor of Western Wei. Tai raised up the King of Gaoyang as the Wei Emperor, moved westward to Chang'an, changed the color of clothing and banners to black, and designated the first year of Datong. After eighteen years, changing the era name, he deposed the emperor and enthroned the King of Qi of the Wei, who died after four years. Jue received the abdication of the Wei, but was deposed that same year. His younger brother Yu was enthroned as emperor, dying after four years. His younger brother Yong was enthroned as emperor; he was the third son of Taizu. Open-minded and magnanimous, he governed the populace. Twelve years after ascending the throne, he executed his uncle, the Grand Tutor and Duke of Jin, Yuwen Hu, along with his ten sons and six ministerial families, changing the era name to Jiande. In the third year, he accepted the demonic flattery of the Daoist Zhang Bin, who claimed that the Buddha's Dharma was inauspicious to the state, and thereupon eradicated it. By the sixth year of Jiande, having pacified the Qi state in the east, he further obliterated public and private temples and pagodas from several hundred years of preceding dynasties, sweeping them away completely. He melted down and scraped away holy images and burned scriptures. Over forty thousand Buddhist temples across prefectures and counties were all bestowed upon princes and dukes. Nearly three million monastic disciples in the three quarters were returned to the household registers. The emperor believed that the realm of the Great Zhou was without trouble, not foreseeing that disaster and calamity would swiftly bring great suffering to his own person. He had lofty ambitions and far-reaching plans; he changed the era name to Xuanzheng, and passed away in the fifth month. The Crown Prince Yun was enthroned; he killed the King of Qi and his eight sons, changed the era name to Dacheng, and in the second month established his son Yan as crown prince, abdicating the throne to him and changing the era name to Daxiang. He titled himself the Celestial Yuan Emperor and established four empresses, with ceremonial regalia and apparel twice as lavish as in antiquity. In the fifth month of the second year of Daxiang, the Celestial Yuan passed away, and his son Yan was enthroned. On the first day of the first month, he changed the era name to Dading; in the second month, he abdicated to the Sui. The Zhou had five emperors in all, spanning twenty-five years, ruling from Chang'an. (The two evidential accounts above are taken from the *Tang gaoseng zhuan ji*.)

79.40

In the eleventh year of the Kaihuang reign era of the Sui, Assistant Magistrate Zhao Wenchang of the Palace Administration Court suddenly dropped dead. For several days, only the area over his heart remained warm, so his family did not dare place him in a coffin. Later, he was able to speak, and when his relatives questioned him in amazement, Wenchang recounted: 'After I died, someone led me to King Yama's place. The king said to me, "In your whole life, what meritorious karmic deeds have you performed?" I replied, "My family was poor and had no possessions to manage merit with; I only single-mindedly recited and upheld the Diamond Prajñā." Hearing these words, the king joined his palms, lowered his knees, and praised me, saying, "Excellent, excellent! That you could uphold Prajñā is of exceedingly great merit, inconceivable." The king told his officer, "Verify carefully and do not allow the wrong person to be brought." Within a short time, the envoy verified that a mistake had been made, and reported to the king, "This man was indeed brought by mistake. According to his ledger, he should live for more than twenty years longer." Hearing this, the king said to the envoy, "Lead Wenchang to the scriptural depository, take a copy of the Diamond Prajñā Sūtra, and bring it here." Receiving the order, the envoy led Wenchang five li to the west, arriving at the depository. I saw several tens of rooms, exceedingly magnificent and ornate, fully packed with scriptural scrolls inside. Their golden rollers and jewelled wrappers were exquisitely adorned. Seeing them, Wenchang felt his wholesome thoughts awaken all the more; with single-minded devotion, he joined his palms, closed his eyes, and at random drew out a scroll that felt similar in size to the one he used to recite. Wenchang was anxious and frightened, fearing it might not be the Prajñā, and asked the envoy to exchange it. The envoy refused. Then he looked at the title, which read: "First and Foremost Among Merits". Wenchang opened and inspected it, and it was indeed the Diamond Prajñā. Wenchang was delighted and brought it to the king. [The king] ordered one person to hold the scroll to the west and ordered Wenchang to stand to the east facing the scroll, directing Wenchang to recite the scripture while an envoy checked and verified it. Not a single word was missed, and he was completely fluent throughout. Thereupon the king released Wenchang to return home, but bound him with an instruction: "Diligently uphold this scripture and do not neglect or forget it!" He ordered someone to lead Wenchang out through the south gate. Just as they were reaching the gate, he saw Emperor Wu of the Zhou in a room east of the gate, wearing a triple iron collar and chains around his neck. He immediately called to Wenchang, saying, "You are a man of my former realm. You have come here for a brief time, and I must speak with you." Hearing himself called, Wenchang ran to Emperor Wu and bowed to him. The emperor asked, "Do you recognise me?" Wenchang replied, "I formerly served in Your Majesty's imperial guard, so I respectfully recognise Your Majesty." Emperor Wu said, "Since you are my former minister, now that you are returning home, describe all my sins in detail to Emperor Wen of the Sui on my behalf. All other matters are about to be settled; only the sin of abolishing the Buddhadharma is so heavy that it cannot yet be resolved. At that time, following the instructions of Wei Yuansong, I abolished the Buddhadharma. Recently, [King Yama] has pursued Yuansong several times without capturing him, and for this reason the matter remains unsettled." Wenchang asked, "Where has Yuansong gone that the king cannot capture him?" Emperor Wu replied, "At that time I did not understand Yuansong's intention and mistakenly abolished the Buddhadharma. Yuansong is a person beyond the three realms (tridhātu), not someone King Yama can govern and control; therefore they cannot capture him. Tell the Sui emperor to bestow on me a few things to cultivate merits on my behalf, hoping that the support of merit will allow me to escape hell." Entrusted with this, Wenchang took his leave. In a short while, outside the south gate, he saw an enormous pit of excrement in which there was a man, with only a patch of hair protruding. Wenchang asked the guide, "Who is this?" The guide answered, "This is General Bai Qi of Qin, who buried the soldiers of Zhao alive. He is temporarily detained here, and his retribution is not yet over." The guide brought Wenchang home, and he revived. After three days, his ailment gradually healed. Wenchang reported this entire matter to Emperor Wen in a memorial. Emperor Wen issued an edict throughout the realm that each person should donate one coin to turn the Diamond Prajñā Sūtra for Emperor Wu of the Zhou, and observe a fast for three days. He further ordered this incident to be recorded in the Sui history.'

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法苑珠林 — 道世, Classical Chinese