དག་བ་དང་མ་དག་བའ་ལས་ཀྱ་རྣམ་པར་སྨན་པ་བསྟན་པའ་མད 1

1

Thus did I hear at one time. The Blessed One was teaching the Dharma while residing in Śrāvastī, in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, surrounded by countless bodhisattvas and many divine and human followers.³

It was then that, for the benefit of many beings, Nanda⁴ asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, presently in this world, among beings sharing similar types of rebirths,⁵ some are beautiful while others are ugly; some are powerful while others are weak; some are rich while others are poor; some are afflicted while others are at ease; and some are mighty while others are wicked.⁶

“Their voices are dissimilar and their words unalike. Some die at the age of one hundred, while others die at the age of thirty, or even ten.⁷ Some have lovely faces yet are poor, while others are ugly yet rich. Some among the wicked are talented, while others within the high class are untalented.⁸ Some are afflicted yet have long lives, while others are happy yet have short lives.

“Some encounter misfortune upon performing good deeds, while others perform nonvirtuous actions and have them turn into meritorious benefits. ⁹ Some are of fair complexion yet are cross-eyed, while others are dark in tone yet full of luster.¹⁰ Some are short and small yet possess courage, while others are big and tall yet work as servants. Some have many children, while others are childless.¹¹ ¹² Some always roam about outside and are constantly hungry, while others stay inside palaces and leisurely enjoy themselves with food and clothing.¹³

“Some are poor in their youth yet rich and mighty in their old age.