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Language: English
Extent: 73 passages, 8,206 words
Text: complete digital text
Source: pramana-mt · Machine translation by Gemini 3.8 Flash (2026-10-21) of in.bauddha.taisho.730 · Machine output without human authorship: no copyright is claimed (CC0 1.0). The original text keeps its own…

1 — 73 parts

Text

1.1

Translated by An Shigao, Tripiṭaka Master from the Kingdom of Parthia, during the Later Han.

The Buddha said: "When a man of the Way is practicing the Way, if a thought of ill-will arises, he should immediately restrain himself. Having restrained himself, he then thinks of the good; this is the practice of a man of the Way. If he gives wealth and profit [or] acquires it, he considers it impermanent and does not transgress in bodily action—meaning he does not commit killing, theft, or sexual misconduct; this is not transgressing in bodily action. One who removes ill-will does not speak it with his mouth nor think it in his mind; this is removing the exceedingly deep sound within the mind. Just as when a person commits theft, someone says: 'What you have done is utterly improper'; this is the exceedingly deep sound within the mind."

1.3

The Buddha said: "As for the [mark of] successive tastes: when food is taken in, it is combined externally, and internally its flavors are discerned without error; this is successive tastes. The reason a bodhisattva attains this knowledge is that in past lives, whatever food he ate, he always first offered it to his parents and to men of the Way, and only afterward ate it himself. For this reason, he attained these thirty-two marks and eighty secondary signs."

1.4

The Buddha said: "By means of four things, a bodhisattva attains the four fearlessnesses: first, whatever he himself knows, he also wishes all people to know; second, he teaches people without weariness; third, with an impartial mind he conceals nothing; fourth, when expounding the sūtras for people, he does not regret it afterward. These are the four things. The Buddha also, by means of four things, attains the four fearlessnesses: first, expounding in accordance with the Dharma; second, not accepting the property of others; third, having an impartial mind; fourth, possessing complete precepts."

1.5

The Buddha said: "Furthermore, there are four fearlessnesses: first, expounding according to the facts; second, having no attachment or stinginess; third, [possessing] riddhipāda; fourth, not disputing with others.

1.6

"That the Buddha attained the radiance from the crown of his head is due to three nidānas: first, lighting lamps to give to Buddhist temples; second, delighting in the illuminating sūtras; third, resolving people's doubts and fetters.

1.7

"That the Buddha raises his right hand is due to four nidānas: first, because bad people do not repay kindness; second, because good people do repay kindness; third, to manifest instruction; fourth, to tell people not to do evil.

1.8

"That the Buddha raises his right hand is furthermore due to four nidānas: first, he wishes to cause people of the ten directions to all come, learn the Way, and follow his intention; second, wishing to show people the merit I practiced, having now attained these marks; third, encouraging people to all observe the precepts; fourth, his deportment is naturally so, and also because he does not wish to see people's evil manners; therefore he always raises his right hand.

1.9

"That the Buddha does not wear sandals is due to three nidānas: first, to cause practitioners to have few desires; second, to display the wheels beneath his feet; third, to cause people who see them to rejoice.

1.10

"That when the Buddha walks, his feet are four inches above the ground is due to three nidānas: first, because he sees that there are worms and ants on the ground; second, because there is living grass on the ground; third, to display his riddhipāda, and also wishing to cause people's minds to fix upon the Buddha's gait.

1.11

"That when the Buddha walks, high and low ground all becomes level is due to three nidānas: first, he originally practiced the four immeasurable minds, wishing to bring peace and security to all—the earth rests upon the waters, and in the waters there are spirits, and when worms, ants, and all creatures encounter the soles of the Buddha's feet, they all attain peace and security and establish their intentions with a single mind; therefore the low becomes high and the high becomes low; second, because the devas, ghosts, and spirits practice merit by clearing the ground for the Buddha, the high and low become level; third, because when the Buddha was a bodhisattva, he cleared thoroughfares, paths, and bridges to deliver people across; having attained merit from this, high and low are made straight and level, and he wishes people's minds to be likewise.

1.12

"That the Buddha does not fly through the air is due to four nidānas: first, he encourages the disciples, wishing to make them vigorous; second, he wishes to cause the disciples to listen to the sūtras; third, he repays debts of gratitude from past lives; fourth, he displays marks; therefore he does not fly through the air.

1.13

"When the Buddha was in the world, devas, ghosts, spirits, nāgas, and people all went to the Buddha's place to listen to the sūtras, in hundreds and thousands of tiers; whether walking, sitting, in front, or behind, they all saw the Buddha's face. Why was this? In the Buddha's past lives, his speech was without before or after; therefore there was no one who did not see the Buddha's face. When people lay down, they all directed their heads toward the Buddha's place, because of the Buddha's venerable status.

1.14

"That when the Buddha first attained the Way he did not eat for seven days is due to four nidānas: first, contemplating the Way, he forgot food; second, with single-mindedness, he was not hungry; third, with joy, he was not thirsty; fourth, he did not dwell upon feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness; these are the four. He wishes to cause people who listen to the sūtras to be likewise.

1.15

"That dust and water do not cling to the inside of the Buddha's kāṣāya, nor does external filth cling to it, is due to two nidānas: first, because he does not dwell upon any person's evil; second, because seeing that all people have desires, he wishes to extinguish them. That the Buddha nevertheless washes his kāṣāya is because external filth does not cling to it, but internal filth clings, for where there is a body there is filth. Why is this? External practices have already been exhausted, so filth does not cling externally; internal practices are not yet exhausted, so filth clings to it. Because having a body means the internal is not yet exhausted, and because he takes having a body to be a fault, he does not begrudge his body or life. Why then does he nevertheless cherish his life? Because he uses life to attain the Way.

1.16

"The eight hundred million nidāna sūtras spoken by the Buddha all cure people's three afflictions: first, lust; second, ill-will; third, delusion. These three matters are divided into six; thus they correspond to the six defilements to cure the three afflictions. The reason the sūtras are so numerous is that, just as when a person takes medicine and the illness is not cured, he must take another medicine. The Buddha said: 'People's minds have many inclinations and shift swiftly; therefore the sūtras are many. They are cured according to their inclinations, wishing to cause them to understand quickly.'"

1.17

"Though the Buddha had already attained the Way, he still had three afflictions and six worries. The six worries mean worrying about the six sense spheres; the three afflictions mean that mind, intellect, and consciousness undergo apprehension and reception. If even the Buddha, having already attained the Way, had such worries and afflictions, how much more so other people whose karmic retributions and offenses are not ended and who cannot transcend the world? If the Buddha's karma was not completed, he could not transcend the world.

1.18

"That the Buddha relinquished twenty years of his remaining lifespan is due to three nidānas: first, because worldly people are attached to the body; second, because what was to be taught was already exhausted; third, for fear that evil people would slander him and incur heavy offenses; therefore he entered parinirvāṇa. When the Buddha departed transcending the world, he did not take his body with him, nor did he take his mind with him; it was merely the cessation of suffering. Earth, water, fire, wind, and space are constantly in the world without interruption.

1.19

"That the Buddha's body was cremated upon transcending the world is due to three nidānas: first, on account of decay; second, on account of insects and moths being generated; third, to enable people to gain merit by bringing offerings of incense and flowers.

1.20

"That when the Buddha smiles, five-colored light emerges from his mouth is due to five nidānas: first, he wishes to prompt people to ask questions, because following upon questions there is benefit; second, for fear that people might say the Buddha does not know how to smile; third, to manifest the light within his mouth; fourth, he smiles at all who are insincere; fifth, he smiles at the arhats who cling to emptiness and do not attain the bodhisattva path. That the light returns and enters through the crown of his head is to show the great brilliance to later people."

1.21

When the Buddha was about to transcend the world and depart, the bhikṣus said to the Buddha: "All people in the world were to gain merit from the Buddha. Now that the Buddha is transcending the world and departing, from whom shall the people of the world gain merit?"

1.22

The Buddha said: "Bhikṣus! Although I transcend the world and depart, the Dharma of the sūtras shall remain. Furthermore, there are four nidānas from which merit can be gained: first, when animals have nothing to eat, feed them so that their lives are preserved; second, seeing someone afflicted with illness without a caregiver, provide for and attend to them so they obtain peace and comfort; third, the impoverished, solitary, and destitute should be protected and looked after; fourth, when a person is solitary and alone, practicing meditation and contemplating the Way, lacking clothing and food, one should provide for and look after them; these are the four things. If you practice giving and provide for them with a benevolent mind, the merit gained is equal to that of [giving to] the Buddha, without any difference." At that time, his body was entirely in pain, and he was about to transcend the world and depart.

1.23

The Buddha said to Śāriputra: "That I cause you to expound the sūtras is due to three nidānas: first, for fear that after the Buddha departs, people will not believe the words of the other bhikṣus; second, to encourage the disciples' minds and cause them to understand, [seeing that] the Buddha even has a bhikṣu expound the sūtras, how much more so other people; third, to display Śāriputra's virtues, for fear that other bhikṣus might become arrogant and wish to expound the sūtras." For these reasons, the Buddha caused Śāriputra to expound the sūtras.

1.24

After the Buddha departed transcending the world, the arhats reproached Ānanda together: "When the Buddha was in the world and wanted water, why did you not give it to him? All beings in the ten directions were to attain liberation through the Buddha; why did you not urge the Buddha to stay and not enter parinirvāṇa? If the Buddha had wished to practice the four bases of supernatural power, he could have remained for one kalpa, or even a hundred kalpas, or even a thousand kalpas; why did you not encourage the Buddha to practice the four bases of supernatural power?" Ānanda said: "According to your words, did the Buddha not possess mastery, that he had to wait for my words? If he had remained in the world for one kalpa, how could Maitreya come down to become a Buddha? Those who originally practiced and studied the Way together with the Buddha numbered eight hundred million people, all seeking the bodhisattva path, but only two attained the Way: the first was Śākyamuni, and the second was Maitreya; among the rest, some attained [the stage of] arhat or pratyekabuddha. The Buddha's forbearance surpasses the earth, his gentle mind surpasses water, his resolve surpasses Mount Sumeru, his merit surpasses the ocean waters, and his wisdom surpasses empty space. For this reason, he became a Buddha first!"

1.25

The Buddha said: "That Maitreya does not come down is due to four nidānas: first, there are times when merit corresponds to that other realm; second, the people in this realm are crude and none can receive the sūtras; third, his merits are not yet complete; fourth, there are people in the world who can expound the sūtras; therefore Maitreya does not descend. When he descends in the future, there remain five hundred and seventy million six hundred thousand years. In Maitreya's time, people's eyes will all see for four thousand li. That in Maitreya's time people's eyes will see for four thousand li is attained through originally practicing ten nidānas: first, not covering other people's eyesight; second, not harming other people's eyes; third, not obscuring or shielding other people's eyes; fourth, not concealing other people's goodness; fifth, not watching killing; sixth, not watching theft; seventh, not watching sexual misconduct; eighth, not spying on secret matters and other people's shortcomings; ninth, not watching any evil deeds; tenth, lighting lamps in Buddhist temples; these are the ten things.

1.26

"The Buddha, the pratyekabuddha, and the arhat—these three persons—are identical in the Dharma but differ in their practices: the Buddha is awakened in mind; the pratyekabuddha knows by seeing nidānas; the arhat only knows through seated meditation. The pratyekabuddha, through nidānas, sees the characteristics of birth and death, guards himself, and dares not depart from practice; because he attains the Way from seeing nidānas, he is called a pratyekabuddha. The Buddha sought the pratyekabuddha [path] for the sake of comprehensive practice and wishing to deliver and liberate people. A pratyekabuddha cut his own flesh to keep five hundred people alive, and pierced his own throat with wood; examining and calculating through nidānas, just as cutting the earth reveals blood to be water, and seeing that all things are impermanent, he then took the Way. There was a pratyekabuddha who in a past life was a bodhisattva for five hundred kalpas, and his body already possessed thirty marks, lacking two marks and falling short of the Buddha; falling short of the Buddha was because he lacked skillful means.

1.27

"When the Buddha expounds on the suffering and toil of birth and death and the affairs of the three evil destinies, there are wise people whose minds understand and immediately take [the stage of] arhat; although becoming arhats, they are the most venerable among them. Why is this? Because in past lives they practiced the bodhisattva path for five hundred kalpas, and having a compassionate mind they wished to deliver the people of the ten directions; therefore, although attaining the wisdom of an arhat, they can understand regional and vernacular dialects. When first becoming an arhat, one cannot spontaneously realize that in past lives he was a bodhisattva; the Buddha then expounds the Buddha's virtues, and further expounds the arhat's virtues for him; only then does he realize the Buddha's virtues are vast, and he regrets [his choice] and wishes to turn his mind to attain Buddhahood."

1.28

The Buddha said: "Having already attained the Way of the arhat, one cannot turn back. He then repents to himself, saying: 'How foolish of me to have directly taken the Way of the arhat!' The Buddha then explains the matter to him: 'Your wisdom surpasses other arhats, but your wisdom does not reach that of a Buddha. An arhat cuts off his own suffering but does not cut off the suffering of others; the Buddha's fundamental practice cuts off his own suffering and also cuts off the suffering of others. Therefore, they do not equal one another.'"

1.29

The Buddha said: "Śāriputra! There are three kinds of speech by which the minds of people can be entirely known: the first is coarse speech; the second is deep speech; the third is drawing speech. When these three kinds of speech are attained, if there is a wholesome intention, it is immediately seen; if there is an unwholesome intention, it is also seen; if there is an intention of forbearance, it is also seen; all of a person's thoughts and intentions are known through these three kinds of speech."

1.30

Śāriputra addressed the Buddha, saying: "In the snap of a finger, does a person's mind undergo sixty births and deaths?"

1.31

The Buddha said: "There being nine hundred and sixty births and deaths is not too many either. In essence there are three kinds of intentions: wholesome intentions, unwholesome intentions, and desire-driven intentions. Wholesome intentions have three hundred and twenty [moments], unwholesome intentions have three hundred and twenty, and desire-driven intentions have three hundred and twenty. In the snap of a finger the three intentions proceed together, combining to make nine hundred and sixty births and deaths. Setting aside the three hundred and twenty wholesome intentions, there remain six hundred and forty intentions of birth and death. As for the Buddha and Śāriputra practicing the thirty-seven factors together, the reason their wisdom is not equal is like the breathing of the breath: while [breath] exits and enters through all the pores together, if one is able to notice it, one only knows the breath entering and exiting the nostrils. What the Buddha knows fully knows all the pores; what Śāriputra knows is like the nostrils. If one divides Śāriputra's knowledge into sixteen parts, what is known by all the wise people filling the three-thousand great-thousandfold world system with its suns and moons of one Buddha-realm does not equal one part of what Śāriputra knows. If one divides the Buddha's wisdom into sixteen parts, what is known by Śāriputra filling one Buddha-realm does not equal one part of the Buddha's knowledge. The practice of the thirty-seven factors has three grades: there are the great thirty-seven factors, the middling thirty-seven factors, and the small thirty-seven factors. If one's intention is great, one attains the great intention; if one's intention is middling, one attains the middling intention; if one's intention is small, one attains the small intention. When one profoundly and wonderfully practices the thirty-seven factors in their entirety, one penetrates [them] thoroughly. Why is this? A proper division makes sixteen parts, and human beings fundamentally have sixteen intentions; therefore the Buddha distinguishes them, and thus they are not the same."

1.32

"Śāriputra knows all expressions of the Dharma; he speaks in accordance with the proper time, protects his words, and guards his speech. The Buddha then said to Śāriputra: 'Discard untimely speech; because [it cannot be relied upon], it cannot be entrusted to others.' Śāriputra's original name was Upatiṣya."

1.33

"Śāriputra passed away before the Buddha for three reasons: first, because his lifespan was exhausted; second, because he did not wish to see the Buddha pass away; third, because there was no one left for him to liberate."

1.34

After Śāriputra had gone about receiving food from people, he returned to the vihāra and said that he must repay the debt: 'Sitting in meditation and recollecting the Way is repaying the debt; not recollecting the Way while going about receiving alms from people is being indebted. It is like having an unpaid debt and incurring another, or having an earlier fault unatoned and now committing another fault.'"

1.35

The Buddha said: "When eating food given by others, one must not fail to recollect the Way; one thereby gains benefit for oneself and also benefits all beings. For this reason, one must repay the debt."

1.36

The Buddha said: "Śāriputra is foremost in wisdom, Maudgalyāyana is foremost in supernatural power, Ānanda is foremost in hearing, Rāhula is foremost in precepts, and Aniruddha is foremost in divine vision."

1.37

The Buddha sent Maudgalyāyana to invite Śāriputra. Śāriputra said: 'Try lifting my sash; I fear you cannot manage it.' Maudgalyāyana then pulled at the sash; the heavens and earth of the three-thousand great-thousandfold suns and moons all shook, yet he could not lift the sash. Śāriputra then formed the intention to arrive at the Buddha's place first; Maudgalyāyana followed behind, yet Śāriputra arrived before him. The Buddha knew that the two were each foremost."

1.38

"Among the monks of the ten directions in the world, there are none who observe the precepts like Rāhula. Rāhula's observance of the precepts has four reasons: first, he thinks to himself: 'I am the Buddha's son.' Second, he considers observing them to be life itself. Third, he constantly thinks to himself: 'I am a śramaṇa.' Fourth, in observing the precepts, he always wishes to excel other monks."

1.39

"Śāriputra once poured a bowl of water into the ocean, stirred it up in the water, and the next morning went and drew out the old water. Śāriputra is capable of even this, how much more so the Buddha! When Maudgalyāyana was beaten by others, he did not fly away because he could not exercise his supernatural power. Why could he not exercise his supernatural power? Because his past karma had not yet ended."

1.40

The Buddha said: "When King Pukkusāti walked to the twelve gates, he returned without knowing the six elements in his body. Focusing the mind, one can attain the Way, but he did not know that the body produces the mind and the mind produces the body, unable to distinguish them. The Buddha knew he could be liberated, so he went to stay overnight with him, but the king did not know it was the Buddha. The Buddha asked: 'What teaching do you practice, O King, and what Way do you delight in?' and his body hair stood on end. The Buddha explained to him the emptiness of matters within the body, whereupon he attained the Way. If one does not cut off everything completely, one does not attain arhatship." The Buddha said: "All practitioners should know that the mind can attain the Way."

1.41

The Buddha said: "Formerly, Cūḷapanthaka studied the scriptures for twenty-four years and grasped five words, understanding how to discard defilements and worry no more. Why? In past lives he had encountered five hundred Buddhas and had fully penetrated all the scriptures, but he hoarded the scriptures and the Way, refusing to teach others. Later, he was stricken by illness for twenty-four days, and only when facing death did he repent and call someone to teach him. Because of this single blessing, he knew five words. How much more so if one teaches people completely—the merit and virtue attained would be immeasurable! (Some editions write Zhu-li-pan-te for Cūḷapanthaka)."

1.42

The Buddha said: "In the past, the monk Channa fell ill, and the Buddha sent Śāriputra to go and bring him piṇḍapāta. Śāriputra then asked him: 'Does your eye have any consciousness?' Channa replied, saying: 'The eye has no consciousness; it merely sees form. Consciousness arises and the body arises; when the retribution of illness arrives, therefore there is illness. The body also does not know death. If the body dies, earth, water, fire, wind, and space will all perish; it is merely that the mental consciousness migrates to rebirth.'"

1.43

"The Buddha sent Śāriputra to go for piṇḍapāta, and he passed by the house of a courtesan. The woman then closed the door and performed sorcery, saying to Śāriputra: 'If you do not engage in lust with me, you shall enter this great fire.' Śāriputra replied, saying: 'I would rather enter this fire than engage in lust with you; lust causes people to fall into the evil destinies without any time of escape.' A deva then descended to save him. The Buddha said: 'It is only that people cannot guard the precepts; if they can guard them, they will never need to worry about being struck by heterodox ways.'"

1.44

The Buddha said: "Formerly, there was a monk sitting in meditation and practicing the Way. The Buddha's younger brother Nanda was drunk with wine and repeatedly came to his side singing and jesting. The monk addressed the Buddha, saying: 'I wish to avoid him and leave.' The Buddha said: 'No need; this Nanda will now attain stream-entry.' The Buddha then sent Ānanda to his home, with Mahākāśyapa following behind him. Śāriputra explained the scriptures to him, and Maudgalyāyana displayed supernatural powers; Nanda then rejoiced and immediately attained stream-entry. The Buddha said that when a monk practices the Way, if he only keeps a steadfast mind, why worry that he will not attain the Way? Hearing the Buddha speak these words, the monk's mind opened in delight, and he attained arhatship."

1.45

The son of the Buddha's paternal aunt, named Sunakkhatta, had attended the Buddha for eight years when he thought: 'He and I walk together as cousins, yet he alone is upright and has the thirty-two marks.' Unwholesome thoughts then arose in him. Walking behind the Buddha, he swept away the Buddha's footprints so that people would not see the Buddha's marks, and moreover told people that the Buddha had no Way, but merely spoke words that pleased people's minds. Śāriputra and Ānanda heard of this and became sorrowful and unhappy. The Buddha said: 'Sunakkhatta does not speak ill of me; he is actually praising the Buddha's virtues. If words hit people's minds, it is because people's minds have many afflictions.' The Buddha told Śāriputra: 'Sunakkhatta does not deliberate, but is merely angry. Why does he not deliberate? The Buddha has the thirty-two marks, radiance, and supernatural powers solely to subdue heterodox ways.' The Buddha repeatedly admonished Sunakkhatta, but [taking] true words to be heterodox sorcery, he was angry for this reason."

1.46

The Buddha had an aunt who was old; she wove a kāṣāya with golden thread with her own hands and offered it to the Buddha. The Buddha would not accept it. She said again: 'The Buddha should have pity on me and accept it so that I may gain merit.' Ānanda addressed the Buddha, saying: 'Could you accept it for my sake?' The Buddha said to Ānanda: 'Have her offer it to the bhikṣu-saṅgha. I am also part of the bhikṣu-saṅgha; it is better to give it to the assembly, which will serve as a cause in future lives. Those who rejoice when seeing one another in this life were all relatives and good friends in past lives. How is this known? Because upon seeing one another, their minds are relieved.' The Buddha said: 'When worldly people treat one another, they suffer only from neglect, not from generosity.'"

1.47

The Buddha said: "The one who originally attended the Buddha was named Meghiya; the next was named Sunakkhatta; the next was named Ānanda." The Buddha told the monks: "I am old and wish to have someone attend me." Śāriputra, Mahākāśyapa, Maudgalyāyana, and others each volunteered to attend the Buddha. The Buddha said: "It cannot be." Mahākāśyapa and Maudgalyāyana, through meditative contemplation, knew that the Buddha wanted Ānanda, and called Ānanda, saying: "You should attend the Buddha." Ānanda said: "I do not dare to attend the Buddha; I am unable to attend the Buddha." Maudgalyāyana said: "You must attend the Buddha." Ānanda said: "You must grant me four things: first, I do not wish to accept the Buddha's leftover robes; second, I have no use for the Buddha's leftover food; third, if someone invites the Buddha and the other monks do not go, I also will not go; fourth, when the Buddha sits in meditation contemplating the Way, I must have freedom to enter and exit." The Buddha said: "Very good! I grant what you wish." Thereupon Ānanda attended the Buddha; for this reason, Ānanda alone could question the Buddha.

1.48

The Buddha's disciples Aniruddha, Nandika, and Kimbila sat together and contemplated seven things on their own: 'First, having few desires leads to attaining the Way, while having many desires does not lead to attaining the Way; second, contentment leads to attaining the Way, while discontent does not lead to attaining the Way; third, vigor leads to attaining the Way, while lack of vigor does not lead to attaining the Way; fourth, guarding the six defilements so that they do not arise leads to attaining the Way, while failing to guard the six defilements and letting them arise does not lead to attaining the Way; fifth, guarding oneself leads to attaining the Way, while not guarding oneself does not lead to attaining the Way; sixth, guarding the mind leads to attaining the Way, while not guarding the mind does not lead to attaining the Way; seventh, wisdom leads to attaining the Way, while lack of wisdom does not lead to attaining the Way.' They contemplated these seven things together. At that time, they were sixty li away from the Buddha. The Buddha was sitting in meditation at that moment, immediately knew what the three were thinking, and shifted his presence to sit before the three, saying: 'Excellent! Excellent! I shall tell you another thing: not thinking of household desires leads to attaining the Way; thinking of household desires does not lead to attaining the Way.' Thereupon the three rejoiced and immediately attained bodhisattvahood.

1.49

The Buddha told Ānanda: "What the human eye sees covers four hundred and twenty thousand yojanas. How is this known? The sun and moon are four hundred and twenty thousand yojanas away from the earth; human eyes can see the sun and moon, and by this it is known what the eyes can see. In the broad and distant regions of the ten directions, the suns and moons are hundreds of millions of times more numerous, like the sands in the great ocean, hundreds of millions of times beyond count. The good and bad, disasters and blessings created by human beings—that is, the disasters and blessings created earlier and later—are hundreds of millions and beyond reckoning. All good and bad essentially culminate when life ends: doing bad, one meets bad realms; doing good, one attains good realms. Disasters and blessings are all prepared in advance; their realms are all prepared in advance. If one's parents, brothers, wife, and children attain the Way, it ceases; if they do not attain the Way, it never ends."

1.50

The Buddha said: 'Devadatta only teaches people to make merit; he does not teach people to practice the Way. The Buddha teaches people to make merit, observe the precepts, and guard the mind, resting only when they have attained the Way. Devadatta gave rise to a thought in his mind: "I shall manifest riddhipāda before King Ajātaśatru. If the king follows me, other people will all follow as well. I will transform myself into a white elephant and enter and leave the palace alone." He then transformed himself into a young boy of peerless handsomeness and climbed up onto the king's lap, and the king grew exceedingly fond of him. Seeing what Devadatta had done, the king thought to himself that Devadatta surpassed the Buddha, and the king followed what Devadatta said. The king's officials and commoners, as well as the śramaṇas who had not yet attained the Way, all followed the king to Devadatta's dwelling to inquire about matters. Devadatta then came to where the Buddha was and said: "The Buddha is old; there is no need for him to teach the disciples any longer." Devadatta then summoned Śāriputra to leave, along with the other śramaṇas. Because of his deluded greed, Devadatta had this evil intention, and consequently he lost his riddhipāda.'

1.51

The Buddha said: 'What foolish people do is inverted; it is not the Dharma of the Buddhas. Devadatta thought to himself: "I shall fly away; when people see me flying, they will all follow and serve me." When he tried to fly away, he could no longer fly. While Devadatta was unaware that he had lost his riddhipāda, a brāhmaṇa practicing the immeasurable mind came down from the first heaven and said to Śāriputra: "Devadatta has already lost his riddhipāda." The Buddha said to Śāriputra: 'Devadatta wished to summon you, but that only caused him to incur greater transgression.' The Buddha said to the deva: 'Before Devadatta had even attained riddhipāda, I knew he would lose it; how much more so up to the present?' The Buddha said: 'A person should not be greedy; Devadatta lost his riddhipāda merely because of greed.'

1.52

The Buddha said: 'There are two types of arhats: the first is called *shemo* [śamatha?], who worries over his own person to attain the Way, and then wishes to transcend the world and depart; the second type attends to and guides others so that all attain deliverance.'

1.53

The Buddha and the arhats both practice the teachings of the thirty-seven factors of awakening. It is like the flame of a lamp: the Buddha investigates and knows how many elements there are, knows their roots and branches, guards against them, and extinguishes them; an arhat does not investigate the roots and branches, but simply extinguishes them directly. The Buddha is like one who follows a tree from its trunk to its branches, knowing and distinguishing them; an arhat's practice is like going from the branches to the trunk. One who goes from the trunk to the branches realizes that the root is empty; one who does not know emptiness does not attain the Way.

1.54

The Buddha said: 'An arhat has the flourishing aggregates, but is free from the five aggregates of grasping; whatever exists appears, yet he simply does not cling to it. He has form, feeling, perception, and consciousness, but is free from birth-and-death [volitional formations].'

1.55

The Buddha said: 'An arhat engages in silence. Having attained arhatship, he has three marks: first, he no longer commits offenses of body, speech, or mind; second, the three poisons are extinguished; third, in clothing and food, he has no need to make them fine, but merely puts an end to thoughts of hunger and cold. Having these three causes and conditions, he is able to transform freely without attachment in mind; because of defilements, one does not attain mastery.' The Buddha said: 'The mind should simply distinguish the six defilements and must not cling to them; if one clings, one does not attain the Way.'

1.56

The Buddha said: 'When an arhat flies, there are two reasons why he makes himself unseen by people: first, for fear that if people see him, they will make lavish offerings; second, for fear that evil people will envy him.' The Buddha said: 'Displaying riddhipāda also brings two kinds of merit: first, when people see him flying, they will vigorously be mindful of the Way; second, receiving alms from people enables them to obtain great merit. It is for this reason that he displays riddhipāda. Because their minds are joyful, they obtain great merit.'

1.57

The Buddha said: 'There is an arhat named Gavāmpati who, though having already attained the path of an arhat, chews like an ox.' A disciple asked the Buddha: 'Why is this?' The Buddha said: 'In a previous life of this monk's past lives, he was an ox for seven hundred lifetimes. In this life, he has attained the Way, but his residual habits have not yet been exhausted; hence this is so.'

1.58

The Buddha said to the monks: 'You should be mindful of the impermanence of the body.' A monk then replied to the Buddha: 'I contemplate impermanence; a person in this world can last at most fifty years.' The Buddha said: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps thirty years.' The Buddha said again: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps ten years.' The Buddha said: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps one year.' The Buddha said again: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps one month.' The Buddha said again: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps one day.' The Buddha said again: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps one hour.' The Buddha said again: 'Do not speak such words.' Another monk said: 'Perhaps between an exhalation and an inhalation.' The Buddha said: 'That is correct.' The Buddha said: 'If an out-breath does not return, one already belongs to the next life; human life exists only between an exhalation and an inhalation.'

1.59

The Buddha said to the monks: 'Whenever you gather and sit together, you should only speak words of the Dharma. If you cannot do so, promptly close your eyes to sound, guard the mind, and listen attentively; through this you may attain the Way.' Hearing the Buddha speak these words, the monks rejoiced, their minds gained understanding, and they immediately attained the path of an arhat.

1.60

The Buddha said: 'When a monk enters someone's home, he should be like a hand moving through empty space with nothing obstructing it; his mind too should have no attachment. Hearing agreeable sounds with the ear is attachment; hearing disagreeable sounds is attachment.' A monk addressed the Buddha: 'If both the agreeable and the disagreeable are attachments, how is one to attain the Way?' The Buddha said: 'When a monk understands emptiness and is completely free of attachment, this corresponds to the practice of a bodhisattva.' Hearing these words, the monks all leaped with joy and immediately attained the forbearance of the non-arising of dharmas.

1.61

The Buddha said: 'There was a monk sitting in the mountains who let out a sigh. A person asked the monk: "You practice the Way; why do you sigh?" The monk replied: "When I was in hell, the five poisons were exceedingly painful. Now that I have obtained a human body and have also met with the Buddha's scriptures and precepts, yet have still not attained the Way, I fear that upon dying I will fall into those evil destinies again; for this reason I sigh!" As a monk, he also worries about worldly people, he worries about the scriptures and precepts, and he worries about himself. A good state of mind cannot always be maintained; when conditions arise, he thinks of wife, children, and wealth—this leads to falling into the evil destinies.'

1.62

The Buddha said: 'There was a monk who went to an upāsikā's home for piṇḍapāta, and expounded the scripture for her. The upāsikā knelt down on both knees and wept. The monk expounded the scripture until midnight, and the upāsikā knelt without standing up. The monk said: "In my practice of preaching the scripture, I have never seen anyone so vigorous." The upāsikā replied: "In my home there was a donkey who brayed until midnight and then died; this is why my tears flowed." The Buddha said: 'Preaching scriptures does not lie in quantity; it is only a question of whether one has understanding and wisdom or not.' A monk, hearing the Buddha relate this matter, went and asked the Buddha: 'Explain to me an essential teaching that will enable me to attain the Way.' The Buddha said: 'Do not take what is not yours; take only what is yours.' Thereupon, the monk thought to himself: 'None of the myriad things in the world belong to me; goodness alone belongs to my family.' The monk then addressed the Buddha: 'I have understood.' The Buddha said: 'Understanding this is indeed the Way.' At that time, a monk who heard the Buddha speak these words went and asked the Buddha: 'Has Śāriputra attained this or not?' The Buddha said: 'Śāriputra has attained it completely.' The monk said: 'Why did Śāriputra scold me and brush my face with his kāṣāya?' The Buddha said: 'Call Śāriputra here and ask him.' Śāriputra said: 'I had no ill-will. The reason I scolded him was to cause him to practice forbearance. The reason I brushed his face with my kāṣāya was to purify his eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.' The Buddha said to the monk: 'This was done through Śāriputra's skillful means.' Thereupon, the monk rejoiced and immediately attained the path of an arhat.

1.63

The Buddha said: 'In the past, someone went to challenge a monk, saying: "When a person dies, consciousness, thought, and perceptions are all extinguished. When one practices the Way and attains mental concentration, what is known is also extinguished. What difference is there?" The monk replied: "Both are extinguished; yet when a person dies and life ends, the spirit is not extinguished, but takes rebirth according to its actions. It is merely subtle and cannot be immediately seen. What they obtain is different: doing good leads to ascending to heaven, while doing evil leads to falling into the abyss. It is in this that they differ."'

1.64

The Buddha said: 'A monk went to an upāsikā's home for piṇḍapāta. Seeing that she was beautiful, improper thoughts arose in the monk, and he rose to leave. The upāsikā then brought food offerings to give him, but the monk walked away, saying: "I should not accept offerings from people." The upāsikā replied to him: "Since you already have a mind of remorse, you may accept the offering." The upāsikā spoke again, and the monk accepted it.' The Buddha said: 'Just as when a person recognizes an evil thought as soon as it arises, the offense is extinguished. The monk accepted the offering and incurred no offense.' The Buddha told the disciples: 'If one can contemplate emptiness and restrain the mind for even the span of a finger-snap, one can attain the Way.'

1.65

The Buddha said: 'There was a monk who attained mental concentration while sitting. An upāsaka, seeing that the place where he was sitting was uneven, pulled him up to show him a comfortable spot. Because of this, the upāsaka was unable to attain tranquility for five hundred kalpas. Why? Because he interrupted the monk's meditation on the Way.' The Buddha told the disciples: 'When someone is expounding a scripture, take care never to interrupt in the middle; the offense of interrupting a scripture is unreckonably grave.'

1.66

The Buddha said: 'There was a monk practicing the Way who attained the first dhyāna and said to himself: "I have attained stream-entry. The merit of the first dhyāna leads to rebirth in the seventh heaven with a lifespan of one kalpa." Attaining the second dhyāna, he reckoned himself to have attained sakṛdāgāmin. Through the merit of the third dhyāna, he would be reborn in the fifteenth heaven with a lifespan of eight kalpas. Attaining the fourth dhyāna, he reckoned to himself: "I have attained arhat. Why am I now not reborn in the nineteenth heaven with a lifespan of sixteen kalpas?" Having spoken thus, he then said: "The Buddha was merely speaking with a double tongue." Instantly falling from heaven into hell, without realizing the loss of his heavenly lifespan, he suffered punishment in hell. It is just like a person in the world who obtains rare treasures, and one day a fire breaks out and burns them all up; when a person gives rise to evil thoughts, they wrongfully burn up good thoughts. (In various editions, the text below sakṛdāgāmin lacks the passages on being born in heaven, lifespans in kalpas, and attaining the third dhyāna.)' The Buddha said: 'A person's good and evil follow one another without cessation; only upon attaining the Way does one leave the secular world.'

1.67

The Buddha said: 'Not eating after midday brings five benefits: first, less lust; second, less sleepiness; third, attainment of single-mindedness; fourth, no flatulence; fifth, physical well-being and freedom from illness. For this reason, śramaṇas and practitioners of the Way, knowing these benefits, do not eat. Bathing and rinsing the mouth has three purposes: first, for fear of dirt under the nails; second, scratching an itch as desired; third, killing fleas and mosquitoes. It is also intended to purify the mind, free it from desire, and avoid defiling the scriptures. These merely eliminate external dirt; they cannot eliminate evil thoughts in the mind. For a practitioner, purifying the mind must be the primary foundation. The mind is the root of the Dharma: when the mind is upright, conduct is proper; when conduct is proper, it accords with the Way.'

1.68

The Buddha said: 'In the past, a śrāmaṇera was traveling with his teacher. Seeing gold on the ground, he picked it up silently. He said to his teacher: "Walk quickly, there is no one around here; it is terrifying." The teacher said: "It is only because of the gold that you are afraid." When he threw the gold away, he was no longer afraid. The disciple then bowed to his teacher and said: "It was because of my foolishness and ignorance; now that I have discarded it, I am no longer afraid." The Buddha told the disciples: 'If practitioners crave the Way as the śrāmaṇera craved gold, why should they worry about not attaining the Way!'

1.69

The Buddha said: "There was a monk studying the Way who received sūtras from his master but was not vigorous. His master instructed him to take several pints of cow and horse dung and burn it; by nightfall it had not burned away. The master then took a large rock, held it in the fires of hell, and it immediately turned to ash. The disciple was terrified, knelt long, and asked his master: 'What kind of fire is this?' The master said: 'Because you do not recite the sūtras and practice the Way, after death you will enter hell, where the fires of hell will burn you without passing time.' Thereupon, the monk was frightened and became increasingly vigorous. Hearing one Āgama a day, he attained the way of an arhat." The Buddha said: "Skillful means save people in this manner."

1.70

The Buddha said: "An anāgāmin has three fetters: first, the fetter of delusion; second, the fetter of worldly affection; third, the fetter of views not yet truly realized and not yet extinguished. An anāgāmin is like a flame above a fire; smoke arises, but it can burn nothing. A srotāpanna eliminates eighty-eight fetters; a sakṛdāgāmin eliminates seven fetters; an anāgāmin eliminates three fetters; an arhat has no fetters. A srotāpanna attains stream-entry; a sakṛdāgāmin attains the Way through once-returning; an anāgāmin does not return to the world; an arhat no longer clings. What is meant by attaining stream-entry? It means recognizing suffering. Worldly people do not recognize suffering; a srotāpanna recognizes suffering, a sakṛdāgāmin abandons origin, an anāgāmin knows cessation, and an arhat has completed the practice of the Way. After attaining srotāpanna, it is only after a hundred kalpas that one attains arhatship. Why is that? Only after a hundred kalpas, because a srotāpanna still has ten remaining fetters unsevered, does he not attain arhatship. A srotāpanna merely worries about his own person and fears transgression, not daring to meddle in worldly affairs; the remaining ten fetters of doubt are unresolved, and because they are unresolved he comes to a halt. What a srotāpanna abandons are always five lower fetters: first, the fetter of lust; second, the fetter of ill-will; third, the fetter of practicing [wrong] views; fourth, the fetter of craving merit from precepts; fifth, the fetter of doubt. This also refers to [fetters] from the six [desire] heavens downward, extending to worldly lust, ill-will, craving for the body, wishes, and doubt as the lower fetters. That a srotāpanna sees nidānas means that he does not violate the five precepts; when he is about to die, he would die rather than violate them, whereas other people, seeing an emergency, violate all five nidānas. A srotāpanna severs the old and receives the new; an arhat severs all, both new and old; a bodhisattva exhausts old offenses, and when offenses are exhausted attains the Way, only then knowing impermanence, suffering, and emptiness, non-self and non-way. A man of the Way practicing the Way should not cling to anything. Practicing [as] a srotāpanna, one attains [the fruit of] a srotāpanna; practicing [as] a sakṛdāgāmin, one attains [the fruit of] a sakṛdāgāmin; practicing [as] an anāgāmin, one attains [the fruit of] an anāgāmin; practicing [as] an arhat, one attains [the fruit of] an arhat; practicing [as] a pratyekabuddha, one attains [the fruit of] a pratyekabuddha; practicing [as] a bodhisattva, one attains [the fruit of] a bodhisattva." The Buddha said: "Whatever practitioners do according to their intent, they will receive its recompense, just as a shadow and an echo follow each other."

1.71

The Buddha said: "A pātra has four names: the first name is 'not for luxurious eating'; the second name is 'precept'; the third name is 'reception'; the fourth name is 'compliance'. Thus one obtains merit without blemish; one should receive merit, and by holding the pātra establish the precepts, having no evil thoughts in mind."

1.72

The Buddha said: "As for why an arhat does not eat meat: he calculates that an animal, from head to foot, each part has its own name, and there is no entity named 'meat'. A pratyekabuddha calculates that it is made from the original semen and is impure, and therefore does not eat meat. A Buddha calculates that everything under heaven is empty and has nothing; what exists is immediately extinguished, and what is extinguished is born again, ultimately returning to emptiness, and therefore is devoid of existence." All the disciples, having heard the sūtra, rejoiced, bowed to the Buddha, and departed.

1.73

Sūtra on Various Places, Spoken by the Buddha

English (machine translation)

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