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Viyahapannatti 14.8

English (machine translation) 14.8

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14.8.624

"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between this Ratnaprabhā earth and the Śarkarāprabhā earth?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of incalculable thousands of yojanas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Śarkarāprabhā earth and the Vālukāprabhā earth?" Just the same. Thus up to the Tamā earth and the Adhaḥsaptamī earth.
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Adhaḥsaptamī earth and the non-world?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of incalculable thousands of yojanas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between this Ratnaprabhā earth and the stellar realm?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of seven hundred and ninety yojanas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the stellar realm and the Saudharma and Īśāna heavens?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of incalculable thousands of yojanas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Saudharma and Īśāna heavens and the Sanatkumāra and Māhendra heavens?" Just the same.
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Sanatkumāra and Māhendra heavens and the Brahmaloka heaven?" Just the same.
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Brahmaloka heaven and the Lāntaka heaven?" Just the same.
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Lāntaka heaven and the Mahāśukra heaven?" Just the same. So too between the Mahāśukra heaven and Sahasrāra; so too between Sahasrāra and the Ānata and Prāṇata heavens; so too between the Ānata and Prāṇata heavens and the Āraṇa and Acyuta heavens; so too between the Āraṇa and Acyuta heavens and the Graiveyaka abodes; so too between the Graiveyaka abodes and the Anuttara abodes.
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Anuttara abodes and the Īṣatprāgbhārā earth?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of twelve yojanas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, what is declared to be the unobstructed interval between the Īṣatprāgbhārā earth and the non-world?"
"Gautama, an unobstructed interval of slightly less than one yojana is declared."

14.8.625

"Venerable Sir, when this śāla tree—afflicted by heat, afflicted by thirst, afflicted by the flames of a forest fire—dies at the end of its life, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, right here in the city of Rājagṛha it will be reborn as a śāla tree. There it will be honored, venerated, worshipped, paid respect to, and revered; it will be divine, true, bringing true outcomes, endowed with manifest miracles, smeared with plaster and anointed, and worthy of adoration."
"Venerable Sir, departing immediately from there, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, it will attain liberation in the region of Mahāvideha [...] and make an end of all suffering."
"Venerable Sir, when this sapling of a śāla tree—afflicted by heat, afflicted by thirst, afflicted by the flames of a forest fire—dies at the end of its life, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, right here in the continent of Jambūdvīpa, in the realm of Bharata, at the foot of the Vindhya mountains, in the city of Māheśvarī, it will be reborn as a śālmali tree. There it will be honored, venerated, worshipped, paid respect to, and revered; it will be divine, true, bringing true outcomes, endowed with manifest miracles, smeared with plaster and anointed, and worthy of adoration."
"Venerable Sir, departing immediately from there, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, it will attain liberation in the region of Mahāvideha [...] and make an end of all suffering."

14.8.626

"Venerable Sir, after this young udumbara branch, stricken by heat, stricken by thirst, stricken by the flames of the forest fire, dies in due time, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, it will be reborn right here in Jambūdvīpa island, in the realm of Bhārata, in the city of Pāṭaliputra, as a pāṭalī tree. There, it will be worshipped, revered, honoured, respected, highly esteemed, divine, true, endowed with truthful means, accompanied by miracles, and adorned with paintings and whitewash."
"Venerable Sir, after passing away from that existence without interruption, where will it go? Where will it be reborn?"
"Gautama, in the realm of Mahāvideha it will attain perfection, up to making an end to all suffering."
At that time and in that age, seven hundred disciples of the wandering mendicant Ambaḍa set out during the summer season, in the month of Jyeṣṭhāmūla, along both banks of the great river Gaṅgā, travelling from the city of Kāmpilyapura to the city of Purimatāla.
Then, as those wandering mendicants reached a certain tract of that waterless, desolate, long-distance wilderness, the water previously collected by them was gradually consumed and exhausted.
Then, with their water exhausted, overcome with thirst and not seeing anyone to give them water, those wandering mendicants called out to one another. Having called out, they spoke thus: "Truly, beloved of the gods! As we reached a certain tract of this waterless, desolate, long-distance wilderness, the water previously collected has been gradually consumed and exhausted. Therefore, truly, beloved of the gods, it is better for us to search and seek on every side in this waterless, desolate, long-distance wilderness for someone to give water." Having agreed among themselves to this matter, they searched and sought on every side in that waterless, desolate, long-distance wilderness for someone to give water. Having done so and finding no giver of water, they called out to one another a second time. Having called out, they spoke thus:
"Here, beloved of the gods, there is no giver of water. Truly, it is not permissible for us to take what is not given, or to approve of what is not given. Therefore, even in a time of calamity, let us not take what is not given, nor approve of what is not given, lest our austerities be impaired. Therefore, truly, beloved of the gods, it is better for us to cast aside in a solitary place our triple staffs, water-pots, bowls, skull-vessels, mattresses, hides, hooks, brushes, sacred rings, rosaries, umbrellas, shoes, and red-ochre robes, enter into the great river Gaṅgā, spread a bed of sand, and, emaciated by religious mortification, having renounced food and water, undergoing voluntary death like a felled tree, to dwell not anticipating death." Having agreed among themselves to this matter, they cast aside in a solitary place their triple staffs, water-pots, bowls, skull-vessels, mattresses, hides, hooks, brushes, sacred rings, rosaries, umbrellas, shoes, and red-ochre robes. Having cast them aside, they entered into the great river Gaṅgā, spread a bed of sand, mounted the bed of sand, sat facing east in cross-legged posture, and joining their hands together, placed their cupped palms reverently to their foreheads, and spoke thus:
"Homage to the arhats, up to those who have reached the abode named the state of perfection!
Homage to the ascetic Lord Mahāvīra, up to who desires to attain [the same]!
Homage to the wandering mendicant Ambaḍa, our teacher of Dharma, our instructor of Dharma!
Previously, in the presence of the wandering mendicant Ambaḍa, gross injury to living beings was renounced by us for life, false speech and taking what is not given were renounced for life, all unchastity was renounced for life, and gross possessions were renounced for life. Now, in the presence of the ascetic Lord Mahāvīra, we renounce all injury to living beings for life, we renounce all false speech for life, we renounce all taking what is not given for life, we renounce all unchastity for life, we renounce all possessions for life, we renounce all anger, pride, deceit, greed, attachment, hatred, strife, slander, backbiting, fault-finding with others, dissatisfaction and satisfaction, deceitful untruth, the thorn of wrong view, and all wrongful activity for life. We renounce all eatable, drinkable, chewable, and tasteable food—all four kinds of food—for life.
And as for this body—cherished, beloved, dear, pleasing, delightful, attached, trusted, accepted, highly regarded, approved, like a vessel of jewels—lest cold, lest heat, lest hunger, lest thirst, lest wild beasts, lest thieves, lest biting flies, lest mosquitoes, lest diverse diseases and afflictions born of wind, bile, phlegm, and their combination, and afflictions and hardships touch it, saying: 'This too with my final inhalations and exhalations I renounce,' emaciated by religious mortification, having renounced food and water, undergoing voluntary death like a felled tree, they dwelt not anticipating death."
Then those wandering mendicants skipped many meals through fasting, and having confessed, repented, and attained tranquility, they died in due time and were reborn as gods in the Brahmaloka heaven. There was their destination, there their lifespan, there their rebirth set forth.
"Venerable Sir, how long is the lifespan duration of those gods declared to be?"
"Gautama, a lifespan duration of ten sāgaropamas is declared."
"Venerable Sir, do those gods possess supernatural power, splendour, fame, strength, energy, and manly valour?"
"Yes, they do."
"Venerable Sir, are those gods accomplishers of the other world?"
"Yes, they are."

14.8.627

"Venerable Sir! Many people say this, speak this, declare this, and explain this to one another: 'Indeed, Ambaḍa the parivrājaka takes food in a hundred houses, and stays in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura.' How is this so, Venerable Sir?"
"Indeed, Gautama, that which those many people say, speak, declare, and explain to one another: 'Indeed, Ambaḍa the parivrājaka takes food in a hundred houses, and stays in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura,' this matter is true. I too, Gautama, say this, speak this, declare this, and explain this: 'Indeed, Ambaḍa the parivrājaka takes food in a hundred houses, and stays in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura.'"
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'Ambaḍa the parivrājaka takes food in a hundred houses, and stays in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura'?"
"Gautama! Because of Ambaḍa the parivrājaka's innate goodness, innate tranquility, innate attenuation of anger, pride, deceit, and greed, possession of gentleness and humility, devotion, and tractability, through continuous austerities of fasting for two days at a time, repeatedly raising his arms upwards towards the sun while exposing himself to heat on the sun-facing ground, through auspicious transformation, through praiseworthy intentions, and through purifications of his leśyā, on a certain occasion, with the subsidence-and-destruction of the obscuring karmas, as he carried out investigation, deliberation, search, and inquiry, the power of energy, the power of transformation, and the power of clairvoyance arose in him.
Then, when that power of energy, power of transformation, and power of clairvoyance had arisen in Ambaḍa the parivrājaka, in order to astonish the people, he took food in a hundred houses and stayed in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'Ambaḍa the parivrājaka takes food in a hundred houses, and stays in a hundred houses in the city of Kāmpilyapura.'"
"Venerable Sir, is Ambaḍa the parivrājaka capable of shaving his head and renouncing the household life for homelessness before the Beloved of the Gods?"
"This matter is not so. Gautama! Ambaḍa the parivrājaka is a śramaṇopāsaka who comprehends jīva and ajīva, understands merit and demerit, is skilled in āsrava, saṃvara, nirjarā, action, foundation, bondage, and liberation; he cannot be led away from the Nirgrantha doctrine even by gods, asuras, nāgas, suvarṇas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, kinnaras, kiṃpuruṣas, garuḍas, gandharvas, mahoragas, and the like; in this Nirgrantha doctrine he is free from doubt, free from longing, free from uncertainty, has attained the goal, grasped the goal, inquired about the goal, comprehended the goal, decided the goal, and is dyed with affection and love to his very marrow: ...
...'O long-lived ones, this Nirgrantha doctrine is the truth, this is the supreme truth, the rest is untruth'; observing the complete poṣadha on the fourteenth, eighth, new-moon, and full-moon days; serving the Nirgrantha śramaṇas with pure and acceptable food, drink, delicacies, and savories, with robes, bowls, blankets, and broom-dusters, with medicine and treatment, with loan of stools, wooden planks, bedding, and grass-mats; cultivating his soul through morality, vows, virtues, abstinences, renunciations, poṣadha fastings, and austerities appropriate to his capacity, he lives [as such] and, firm in his vow, will make an end [of all suffering]."

14.8.628

"Venerable Sir, are there non-afflicting gods, non-afflicting gods?"
"Yes, Gautama, there are."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'non-afflicting gods, non-afflicting gods'?"
"Gautama! Each non-afflicting god is able to display divine godly power, divine godly radiance, divine godly glory, and the thirty-two kinds of divine theatrical performance on each single eyelash of each man, and yet he causes not the slightest affliction or harm to that man, nor does he cut his skin; and he would display it so subtly. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'non-afflicting gods, non-afflicting gods.'"

14.8.629

"Venerable Sir, is Śakra, Indra of the gods and King of the gods, able to cut off a man's head with a sword in his hand and put it into a water-pot?"
"Yes, he is able."
"Then how does he do it?"
"Gautama! He would put it in having severed and severed it, having broken and broken it, having struck and struck it, having pulverized and pulverized it, and thereafter he would swiftly reassemble it; and he would not cause that man the slightest affliction or harm, though he cuts the skin; and he would put it in so subtly."

14.8.630

"Venerable Sir, are there Jṛmbhaka gods, Jṛmbhaka gods?"
"Yes, there are."
"For what reason, Venerable Sir, is it said: 'Jṛmbhaka gods, Jṛmbhaka gods'?"
"Gautama! The Jṛmbhaka gods are always joyous and playful, having a nature prone to sensual sport and enchantment. Whichever man should see those gods angry, he would incur great dishonor; whichever man should see those gods pleased, he would attain great fame. For that reason, Gautama, it is said: 'Jṛmbhaka gods, Jṛmbhaka gods.'
How many kinds, Venerable Sir, are the Jṛmbhaka gods declared to be?"
"Gautama! They are declared to be of ten kinds, namely: food-Jṛmbhakas, drink-Jṛmbhakas, garment-Jṛmbhakas, shelter-Jṛmbhakas, bed-Jṛmbhakas, flower-Jṛmbhakas, fruit-Jṛmbhakas, flower-and-fruit-Jṛmbhakas, lore-Jṛmbhakas, and unmanifest-Jṛmbhakas."
"Where, Venerable Sir, do the Jṛmbhaka gods dwell?"
"Gautama! In all the long Vaitāḍhya mountains, the Citra, Vicitra, and Yamaka mountains, and the Kāñcana mountains—there the Jṛmbhaka gods dwell."
"For how long, Venerable Sir, is the lifespan duration of the Jṛmbhaka gods declared to be?"
"Gautama! Their lifespan duration is declared to be one palyopama."
"Truly so, Venerable Sir! Truly so, Venerable Sir!" [Gautama said], and so he remained.

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