Buddha: His Life, his Doctrine, his Order c8.s1.t5.23

Language: English

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"But when the king of Magadha, Seniya Bimbisâra, had instructed the eighty thousand village elders in the laws of the visible world, he dismissed them and said: Friends, ye have now been instructed by me in the rules of the visible universe; go now and approach him, the Exalted One; he, the Exalted One, will instruct you in the things of the hereafter." Then the eighty thousand village elders went to the mountain Gijjhakûta (vulture peak). At that time the venerable Sâgata was on duty with the Exalted One. The eighty thousand village elders went on to where the venerable Sâgata was; when they had come up to him, they said to the venerable Sâgata: "Here come eighty thousand village elders, sire, to see the Exalted One. Come, sire, vouchsafe to us to see the Exalted One." "Tarry here a while, my friends, that I may announce you to the Exalted One." Then vanished the venerable Sâgata from the steps (at the entrance to the monastery) in the presence of the eighty thousand village elders, and before their eyes rose up in the presence of the Exalted One and spoke to the Exalted One: "The eighty thousand village elders are come hither, sire, to see the Exalted One.

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Sire, let the Exalted One be pleased to do what he now thinks right for the occasion." "Then place a seat for me, Sâgata, in the shadow of the monastery." "Yes, sire," replied the venerable Sâgata to the Exalted One, took a stool, vanished before the face of the Exalted One, came up again before the face of the eighty thousand village elders and before their eyes on the steps, and prepared a seat in the shadow of the monastery. Then the Exalted One went out of the monastery and took a seat on the stool which had been set for him in the shadow of the monastery. Then the eighty thousand village elders approached to where the Exalted One was; when they had come up to him they bowed themselves before the Exalted One and sat down near him. But the eighty thousand village elders directed their thoughts to the venerable Sâgata alone, and therefore not to the Exalted One. Then the Exalted One knew in his mind the thoughts of the eighty thousand village elders, and said to the venerable Sâgata: "Come, Sâgata, show yet greater marvels of superhuman ability." "Yes, sire," the venerable Sâgata answered the Exalted One, rose up into the air, and walked on high in the atmosphere, stood, descended, sat down, emitted smoke and flames, and vanished. When the venerable Sâgata had exhibited in various ways, on high in the atmosphere, such marvels of superhuman power, he bowed his head at the feet of the Exalted One, and said to the Exalted One: "My master, sire, is the Exalted One;

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I am his disciple; my master, sire, is the Exalted One; I am his disciple." Thereupon thought the eighty thousand village elders: "truly this is glorious, truly it is wonderful: if the disciple is so exceedingly mighty and exceedingly powerful, what will the Master be!" and they directed their thoughts to the Exalted One alone and not to the venerable Sâgata. Then the Exalted One knew in his mind the thoughts of the eighty thousand village elders, and preached to them the word according to the law, as it is: the discourse on giving, the discourse on uprightness, the discourse on the heavens, the corruption, vanity, impurity of desires, the glory of being free from desire. When now the Exalted One perceived that their thoughts were prepared, susceptible, free from obstructions, elevated, and directed towards him, he preached to them what is pre-eminently the teaching of the Buddhas, suffering, the origin of suffering, the removal of suffering, the way to the removal of suffering. As a clean garment, from which all impurity is removed, wholly absorbs within itself the dye, so opened in these eighty thousand village elders, as they sat there, the pure moteless eye of the truth: whatever is subject to the law of origination, all such is subject to the law of decease.

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And discerning the doctrine, having pierced through to the doctrine, knowing the doctrine, sinking themselves in the doctrine, overcoming doubt, free from vacillation, having penetrated to knowledge, needing nothing else in their faith in the Master's doctrine, they spoke to the Exalted One thus: "Excellent, sire, excellent, sire; as a man, O sire, straightens that which is bowed down, or uncovers the hidden, or shows the way to one who has gone astray, or shows a light in the darkness, so that he who has eyes may be able to see the forms of things, even so has the Exalted One proclaimed the doctrine in manifold discourses. We, O sire, take our refuge with the Exalted One, and with the Doctrine and with the Order of his disciples: may the Exalted One receive us as his lay disciples, for from this day henceforth we have taken our refuge with him as long as our life endures."