• The Collection
  • The Kangyur
  • Discipline
  • Chapters on Monastic Discipline

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སྨན་གྱི་གཞི།

The Chapter on Medicines
Chapter Eleven

Bhaiṣajya­vastu
འདུལ་བ་གཞི་ལས། སྨན་གྱི་གཞི།
’dul ba gzhi las/ sman gyi gzhi
“The Chapter on Medicines” from The Chapters on Monastic Discipline
Vinaya­vastuni Bhaiṣajya­vastu
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Toh 1-6

Degé Kangyur vol. 1 (’dul ba, ka), folios 277.b–311.a; vol. 2 (’dul ba, kha), folios 1.a–317.a; and vol. 3 (’dul ba, ga), folios 1.a–50.a

Translated by the Bhaiṣajyavastu Translation Team
under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha

First published 2021
Current version v 1.0.16 (2022)
Generated by 84000 Reading Room v2.17.7

84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha is a global non-profit initiative to translate all the Buddha’s words into modern languages, and to make them available to everyone.

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co.

Table of Contents

ti. Title
im. Imprint
co. Contents
s. Summary
ac. Acknowledgements
i. Introduction
tr. The Translation
+ 11 chapters- 11 chapters
p. General Summary of the Contents of the Chapter on Medicines
1. Chapter One
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· I. The Authorization of Medicines
· II. Fat
· III. Scabies
· IV. Collyrium
· V. A Man Gone Mad
· VI. Pilinda
· VII. Revata
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. Rice Flour and Guḍa
· B. Barley Flour and Guḍa
· VIII. Sauvīraka
2. Chapter Two
+ 6 sections- 6 sections
· I. Mahāsenā
· II. Flesh
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. Elephant Flesh
· B. Nāga Flesh
· III. Hemorrhoids
· IV. One Who Has a Wind Illness
· V. Pūrṇa
· VI. Agnidatta
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Story of the Two Nāga Kings and King Bimbisāra
· B. The Quarrel between the Brahmin Agnidatta and the Citizens of Rājagṛha
3. Chapter Three
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· I. Rājagṛha
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Disaster of Rājagṛha and Its End
· B. The Epidemic in Vaiśālī
· II. Nālandā
· III. Veṇuyaṣṭikā
· IV. Pāṭali Village
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· A. The Sermon at Pāṭali Village
· B. The Donation by the Brahmin Varśākāra
· C. The Donation of Parasols
· D. A Story of a Former Life of the Buddha: King Mahāsudarśana
· V. The Ganges
· VI. Mahāpraṇāda
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· A. The Appearance of King Mahāpraṇāda’s Pillar
· B. The Former Life of the Monk Bhaddālin
· C. The Prediction of the Appearance of the Buddha Maitreya and the Wheel-Turning King Śaṅkha
· D. The Former Lives of the Buddha Maitreya and the Wheel-Turning King Śaṅkha
· E. The Sermon in Kuṭi Village
· F. The Sermon in Nādikā
· G. The Invitation by Āmrapālī
· VII. Vaiśālī
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· A. The Visit of Āmrapālī
· B. The Visit of the Licchavis
· C. The Sermon to Āmrapālī
· D. The Former Lives of the Licchavis
· E. The End of the Epidemic in Vaiśālī
4. Chapter Four
+ 13 sections- 13 sections
· I. Veṇu
· II. Middle Village
· III. Mithilā
· IV. Videha
· V. Sālā
· VI. The Well
· VII. Bhārgava
· VIII. Kāṣāya
· IX. Crown of the Head
· X. Kanthaka
· XI. Gośālaka
· XII. Pāpā
· XIII. Kuśinagarī
5. Chapter Five
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· I. The Axe
· II. Devadṛśa
· III. Lumbinī
· IV. Kapila
· V. Where There Is Cotton
· VI. Kanakamuni
· VII. Kārṣaka
· VIII. A Robe
· IX. Bath
· X. Sikatin
6. Chapter Six
+ 12 sections- 12 sections
· I. Icchānaṅgalā
· II. Utkaṭā
· III. Saptaparṇa
· IV. Sunrise
· V. Śrāvastī
· VI. Valaya
· VII. Where There Is Ground
· VIII. Lion Village
· IX. New Village
· X. City
· XI. Pīṭha
· XII. Nyagrodhikā
7. Chapter Seven
+ 12 sections- 12 sections
· I. Kimpilā
· II. Ahicchattra
· III. Mathurā
· IV. Rāṣṭrapāla
· V. Hastināpura
· VI. The Great City
· VII. Śrughnā
· VIII. Brahmin Village
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. A Fire Caused by an Old Man from the Śākya Clan
· B. The Former Life of the Old Man
· IX. The City of Kāla
· X. Rohitaka
+ 12 sections- 12 sections
· A. Offerings of the Yakṣa Elephant Power
· B. Departure to the Northern Region
· C. Awakened Power in Heaped Up
· D. Dharma Power in Retuka
· E. Great Cup in the Indus, Feet
· F. Having a Shaved Head and Water Jar
· G. Apalāla
· H. The Nāga Huluḍa
· I. Bhraṣṭolā, Ṛṣi, Āpannaka
· J. Kanthā
· K. In Dhānyapura, Converting the Mother of Best Army
· L. The Potter in Naitarī
· XI. Śādvalā
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Great Yakṣa of Śādvalā
· B. Pālitakūṭa
· XII. Nandivardhana
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· A. Bhavadeva’s, Caṇḍālī’s Seven Sons’, and the Yakṣa Earth-Protector’s Conversion in Nandivardhana
· B. Giving an Image to Nāgas, Aśvaka, and Punarvasuka
· C. Converting Nāḍikā and Naḍadaryā
· D. In the City of Kuntī, the Yakṣiṇī Named Kuntī
· E. Kharjūrikā and the Stūpa Made of Dirt
8. Chapter Eight
+ 9 sections- 9 sections
· I. Ādirājya
· II. Bhadrāśva
· III. Mathurā
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· A. The Prediction about Upagupta
· B. The Former Life of Upagupta
· C. The Brahmin Nīlabhūti
· D. The Obstruction of the Buddha’s Way by a Goddess
· E. The Yakṣa Gardabha
· IV. Otalā Park
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Visit of the Brahmin Otalāyana
· B. Kacaṅgalā
· V. Vairambhya
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· A. The Brahmin in a Park
· B. King Agnidatta’s Offer
· C. Breaking a Hut
· D. A Brahmin Who Abused the Buddha Vipaśyin
· VI. Ayodhyā
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Simile of a Log and the Going Forth of Nanda, the Herdsman
· B. The Former Lives of Nanda and the Frog
· VII. The Ganges
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. Haṃsas, Fish, and Turtles
· B. The Former Lives of the Haṃsas, Fish, and Turtles
· VIII. Hungry Ghosts
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Conversation with the Five Hundred Hungry Ghosts
· B. The Previous Lives of the Five Hundred Hungry Ghosts
· IX. Velāma
9. Chapter Nine
+ 13 sections- 13 sections
· I. Kumāravardhana
· II. Krauñcāna
· III. Aṅgadikā
· IV. Maṇivatī
· V. Sālabalā
· VI. Sālibalā
· VII. Suvarṇaprastha
· VIII. Sāketā
· IX. Rice Soup
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· A. The Peasants’ Going Forth and the Oxen’s Rebirth in Heaven
· B. The Former Lives of the Peasants and Oxen
· C. Toyikā
· X. Śrāvastī
+ 13 sections- 13 sections
· A. A Leprous Beggar Woman’s Offering of Water Used for Boiling Rice
· B. The Offerings by King Prasenajit
· C. The Former Life of King Prasenajit
· D. The Offering of a Lamp by a Beggar Woman
· E. The Question of King Prasenajit: The Offerings Made by the Buddha in His Former Lives
· F. Former Life Stories I
+ 11 sections- 11 sections
· 1. Māndhātṛ
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· a. The Story of King Māndhātṛ
· b. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: The Son of the Head of a Guild
· c. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: A Grain Merchant
· 2. Mahāsudarśana
· 3. Velāma
· 4. Kuśa
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· a. The Story of Prince Kuśa
· b. The Former Life of Prince Kuśa
· 5. Triśaṅku
· 6. Mahādeva
· 7. King Nimi
· 8. Ādarśamukha
· 9. Sudhana
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· a. The Story of King Sudhana
· b. The Story of Prince Sudhana
· 10. Viśvantara
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· a. Viśvantara’s Story I
· b. Viśvantara’s Story II
· 11. Saṃdhāna
· G. Former Life Stories II
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· 1. Bālāha
· 2. A King
· 3. The Snake
· 4. Two Heads
· 5. The Lapwing
· 6. The Parrot
· 7. The Banquet
· 8. The Turtle
· 9. Susena
· 10. Merchants
· H. Former Life Stories III
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· 1. Six Tusks
· 2. The Rabbit
· 3. Parents
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· a. The Story of Śyāma
· b. Breaking Wrong Laws
· 4. Water Born
· 5. Words of the Forest
· 6. The Elephant
· 7. The Nāga
· 8. Dhṛtarāṣṭra
· I. The Bodhisattva as Four Teachers
+ 4 sections- 4 sections
· 1. The Story of the Teacher Sunetra
· 2. The Story of the Teacher Mūkapaṅgu
· 3. The Story of the Teacher Araṇemi
· 4. The Story of the Teacher Govinda
· J. The First Resolution and the First Veneration of a Buddha
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· 5. The Story of King Prabhāsa
· 6. The Story of the Potter Bṛhaddyuti
· K. The Question of King Prasenajit: The Veneration of Past Buddhas
· L. The Question of Ānanda or Section of Many Buddhas
· M. The Insult by the Brahmin Girl Cañcā
· XI. Anavatapta
+ 7 sections- 7 sections
· A. The Buddha’s Visit to Lake Anavatapta
· B. The Contest of Magical Power between Śāriputra and Mahā­maudgalyāyana
+ 6 sections- 6 sections
· 1. A Story of the Present
· 2. A Story of the Past: The Painter and the Mechanic
· 3. A Story of the Past: The Two Painters
· 4. A Story of the Past: The Ṛṣis Śaṅkha and Likhita (1)
· 5. A Story of the Past: The Ṛṣis Śaṅkha and Likhita (2)
· 6. A Story of the Past: The Ivory Carver and the Painter
· C. Verses of the Elders I
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· 1. Kāśyapa
· 2. Śāriputra
· 3. Maudgalyāyana
· 4. Śobhita
· 5. Sumanas
· 6. Koṭīviṃśa
· 7. Vāgīśa
· 8. Piṇḍola
· 9. Svāgata
· 10. Nandika
· D. Verses of the Elders II
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· 1. Yaśas (1)
· 2. Śaivala
· 3. Bakkula
· 4. Sthavira
· 5. The Three
· 6. Yaśas (2)
· 7. Jyotiṣka
· 8. Rāṣṭrapāla
· 9. Svāti
· 10. Jaṅghākāśyapa
· E. Verses of the Elders III
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· 1. Panthaka
· 2. Sarpadāsa
· 3. Aniruddha
· 4. Kāla
· 5. Rāhula
· 6. Nanda
· 7. Dravya
· 8. Upasena
· 9. Bhadrika
· 10. Lavaṇabhadrika
· F. Verses of the Elders IV
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· 1. Madhuvāsiṣṭha
· 2. Hetu
· 3. Kauṇḍinya
· 4. Upālin
· 5. Prabhākara
· 6. Revata
· 7. The Sugata (prose)
+ 10 sections- 10 sections
· a. The Son of a Householder
· b. A Caravan Leader
· c. A Young Brahmin
· d. Bharadvāja
· e. The Cause of the False Slander by Cañcā
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· I) A Brahmin
· II) Mṛṇāla
· f. A Brahmin Who Falsely Accused a Buddha
· g. Uttara
· h. A Physician
· i. The Son of a Fisherman
· j. A Wrestler
· 8. The Sugata (verse)
+ 12 sections- 12 sections
· a. Introduction
· b. Mṛṇāla
· c. A Brahmin
· d. Bharadvāja
· e. The Son of a Householder
· f. A Caravan Leader
· g. The Son of a Fisherman
· h. A Brahmin Who Falsely Accused a Buddha
· i. A Physician
· j. A Wrestler
· k. Uttara
· l. Conclusion
· G. The Invitation by Viśākhā
· XII. Nagarabindu
· XIII. Vaiśālī
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· A. The Invitation by Dhanika and His Family
· B. The Former Lives of Dhanika and His Family
· C. The Rules on Food
10. Chapter Ten
+ 8 sections- 8 sections
· I. The Sick
· II. Foods
· III. Breakfast
· IV. Leftovers
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· A. Alms-Food Obtained Previously
· B. Leftovers Taken by Monks to the Monastery
· C. Leftovers Brought by Laymen
· V. Fruits Growing in the Forest
· VI. Lotus
· VII. Lotus Roots
· VIII. Miṇḍhaka
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· A. The Conversion of Miṇḍhaka
· B. Invitation after Mealtime
· C. The Acceptance of Money
· D. The Acceptance of Guḍa
· E. The Former Lives of the Miṇḍhaka Family
11. Chapter Eleven
+ 5 sections- 5 sections
· I. The Drink Offered by Kaineya Was Received
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. The Conversion of Kaineya and Śaila (Prose)
+ 6 sections- 6 sections
· 1. The Sermon to the Four Great Kings
· 2. The Former Lives of the Four Great Kings
· 3. Kaineya Offers Drinks to the Blessed One
· 4. Śaila and Kaineya Go Forth
· 5. The Instruction by Three Disciples of the Buddha
· 6. The Former Lives of the Three Disciples
· B. The Conversion of Kaineya and Śaila (Verse)
· II. The Town of Kāśi, Barley Porridge
· III. Khādyaka in Pāpā
· IV. Doubts
· V. Foul Foods
+ 2 sections- 2 sections
· A. A Story of the Present about the Great Peacock Charm
· B. Stories of the Buddha’s Former Lives Related to the Great Peacock Charm
ab. Abbreviations
n. Notes
b. Bibliography
+ 3 sections- 3 sections
· 1. A Work Referred to in the Bhaiṣajyavastu
· 2. Works Related to the Bhaiṣajyavastu
· 3. Works Referred to in the Introduction, Notes, etc.
g. Glossary

s.

Summary

s.­1

The Bhaiṣajyavastu, “The Chapter on Medicines,” is a part of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya, the corpus of monastic law of one of the most influential Buddhist schools in India. This chapter deals with monastic regulations about medicines. At the same time, it also includes various elements not restricted to such rules: stories of the Buddha and his disciples, a lengthy story of the Buddha’s journey for the purpose of quelling an epidemic and converting a nāga, a number of stories of the Buddha’s former lives narrated by the Buddha himself, and a series of verses recited by the Buddha and his disciples about their former lives. Thus, this chapter preserves not only interesting information about medical knowledge shared by ancient Indian Buddhist monastics but also an abundance of Buddhist narrative literature.


ac.

Acknowledgements

ac.­1

This text was translated by the Bhaiṣajyavastu Translation Team. Fumi Yao translated the Tibetan text into English and prepared the ancillary materials. Shayne Clarke proofread the translation and ancillary materials.

The translation has been completed under the patronage and supervision of 84000: Translating the Words of the Buddha.


ac.­2

We gratefully acknowledge the generous sponsorship of Leo Tong Chen and his family; Zhang Wei, Li Mo, Zhang Mo Tong and Zhang Mo Lin; (Chi Xian Ren) Mao Gui Rong and Chi Mei; and Joseph Tse 謝偉傑, Patricia Tse 鄒碧玲 and family, in dedication to all eczema sufferers. Their support has helped make the work on this translation possible.


i.

Introduction

i.­1

The Bhaiṣajyavastu, “The Chapter on Medicines,” is the sixth chapter of the Vinayavastu, “The Chapters on Monastic Discipline,” of the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya. The Mūlasarvāstivāda was one of the most influential Buddhist schools in India, and its Vinaya, the corpus of monastic law, is reported to have circulated not only in various parts of the Indian subcontinent but also in Southeast Asia, at least in the late seventh century. When this Vinaya was composed is an unresolved question, and we are presently unable to say more than that the corpus seems to have taken its present shape in the first few centuries of the common era.1


The Translation
The Chapters on Monastic Discipline
The Chapter on Medicines

p.

General Summary of the Contents of the Chapter on Medicines

[V1] [F.277.b]


p.­1
Medicines, Mahāsenā,
Rājagṛha, Veṇu,
Carpenter, Icchānaṅgalā,
Kimpilā, Ādirājya,
Kumāravardhana, Sick People, and Kaineya.
p.­2

The entire chapter is thus summarized.


1.

Chapter One

1.­1

Summary of Contents:

The Authorization of Medicines,
Fat, Scabies, Collyrium,
A Man Gone Mad, Pilinda,
Revata, and Sauvīraka.

I. The Authorization of Medicines

1.­2

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was staying in the Jetavana, in the Park of Anāthapiṇḍada. On that occasion some monks [F.278.a] caught an autumn disease. Because they had caught an autumn disease, they turned pale, became emaciated, lost their strength, and were weakened.

II. Fat

III. Scabies

IV. Collyrium

V. A Man Gone Mad32

VI. Pilinda33

VII. Revata

A. Rice Flour and Guḍa

B. Barley Flour and Guḍa

VIII. Sauvīraka


2.

Chapter Two

2.­1

Summary of Contents:

Mahāsenā, Flesh, Hemorrhoids,
One Who Has a Wind Illness, Pūrṇa,
Agnidatta, be’i ra to,
One Who Has Clouds, and Crows.38

I. Mahāsenā

2.­2

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of Kāśi and arrived in Vārāṇasī. He stayed in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī.


2.­3

A householder named Mahāsena was living in Vārāṇasī. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. His wife’s name was Mahāsenā. Both he and his wife were pious and good and had virtuous dispositions. Mahāsena heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, had arrived in Vārāṇasī, having traveled through the country of Kāśi, and that he was staying in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī. When Mahāsena heard that, he thought, “Although the Blessed One has been invited to my house many times and has had meals, he has never been offered all the requisites. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three months.” [F.284.b]

II. Flesh41

A. Elephant Flesh

B. Nāga Flesh

III. Hemorrhoids

IV. One Who Has a Wind Illness

V. Pūrṇa60

VI. Agnidatta

A. The Story of the Two Nāga Kings and King Bimbisāra108

B. The Quarrel between the Brahmin Agnidatta and the Citizens of Rājagṛha114


3.

Chapter Three

3.­1

Summary of Contents:119

Rājagṛha, Nālandā,
Veṇuyaṣṭikā, Pāṭali Village,120
The Ganges, Massed Cloud,121
Mahāpraṇāda, and Vaiśālī, which is the last.

I. Rājagṛha

A. The Disaster of Rājagṛha and Its End

3.­2

The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying in Kalandaka­nivāpa Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha.


3.­3

When Prince Ajātaśatru was enticed by Devadatta to kill his own father, who was a righteous Dharma king, and crown himself king, he began to perform a number of disrespectful acts toward the Blessed One [F.13.b] and set the elephant Dhanapālaka122 and a fierce dog on the Blessed One in order to kill him.

B. The Epidemic in Vaiśālī126

II. Nālandā131

III. Veṇuyaṣṭikā135

IV. Pāṭali Village

A. The Sermon at Pāṭali Village

B. The Donation by the Brahmin Varśākāra

C. The Donation of Parasols

D. A Story of a Former Life of the Buddha: King Mahāsudarśana144

V. The Ganges145

VI. Mahāpraṇāda149

A. The Appearance of King Mahāpraṇāda’s Pillar150

B. The Former Life of the Monk Bhaddālin151

C. The Prediction of the Appearance of the Buddha Maitreya and the Wheel-Turning King Śaṅkha152

D. The Former Lives of the Buddha Maitreya and the Wheel-Turning King Śaṅkha156

E. The Sermon in Kuṭi Village159

F. The Sermon in Nādikā160

G. The Invitation by Āmrapālī165

VII. Vaiśālī

A. The Visit of Āmrapālī169

B. The Visit of the Licchavis172

C. The Sermon to Āmrapālī

D. The Former Lives of the Licchavis

E. The End of the Epidemic in Vaiśālī178


4.

Chapter Four

4.­1

Summary of Contents:185

Veṇu, Middle Village,
Mithilā, Videha,
Sālā, The Well, Bhārgava,
Kāṣāya, Crown of the Head, Kanthaka,
Gośālaka, Pāpā,
And Kuśinagarī, which is the last.

I. Veṇu

4.­2

Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, let us go to Veṇu Village.”

“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One.

4.­3

Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Vṛji, arrived in Veṇu Village, and he stayed in a śiṃśapā forest to the north of Veṇu Village. At that time a famine broke out, a calamity in which it became difficult for a beggar to find food. The Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, now here a famine has broken out, a calamity in which it has become difficult for a beggar to find food.186 Therefore, monks, those of you who have any acquaintances, who have any allies, who have any friends in the villages of Vṛji near Vaiśālī, should enter the rainy-season retreat there. [F.49.b] I will enter the rainy-season retreat, too, in this Veṇu Village with my attendant monk, Ānanda. None of you should want for almsfood.”

II. Middle Village

III. Mithilā194

IV. Videha205

V. Sālā208

VI. The Well210

VII. Bhārgava213

VIII. Kāṣāya214

IX. Crown of the Head215

X. Kanthaka216

XI. Gośālaka218

XII. Pāpā219

XIII. Kuśinagarī


5.

Chapter Five

5.­1

Summary of Contents:227

The Axe, Devadṛśa, Lumbinī,
Kapila, Where There Is Cotton,
Kanakamuni, Kārṣaka, A Robe,
Bath, Sikatin.228 These are the group of ten.

I. The Axe229

5.­2

The Blessed One stayed in Kalmāṣadamya, a village of the people of Kuru. At that time the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, having known and seen that defilements had been exhausted, I said . . . .” (Here the Sūtra of the Parable of the Axe in the section on the aggregates in the Saṃyuktāgama is to be recited in detail).230

II. Devadṛśa231

III. Lumbinī233

IV. Kapila234

V. Where There Is Cotton

VI. Kanakamuni

VII. Kārṣaka

VIII. A Robe

IX. Bath

X. Sikatin


6.

Chapter Six

6.­1

Summary of Contents:237

Icchānaṅgalā, Utkaṭā,
Saptaparṇa, Sunrise, [F.62.b]
Śrāvastī, Valaya, Where There Is Ground,
Lion Village, New Village,
City, Pīṭha,
And Nyagrodhikā, which is the last.
These twelve cities are explained.

I. Icchānaṅgalā238

6.­2

In Icchānaṅgalā, the Blessed One stayed in the Icchānaṅgalā Forest. At one point the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, I will go into seclusion here for three months.239 No monks should come to me except when someone brings me almsfood or when it is the day of poṣadha, which is held every fifteen days.”

II. Utkaṭā242

III. Saptaparṇa

IV. Sunrise316

V. Śrāvastī331

VI. Valaya

VII. Where There Is Ground

VIII. Lion Village

IX. New Village

X. City340

XI. Pīṭha342

XII. Nyagrodhikā349


7.

Chapter Seven

7.­1

Summary of Contents:353

Kimpilā, Ahicchattra,
Mathurā, Rāṣṭrapāla,
Hastināpura, The Great City,
Śrughnā, Brahmin Village,
The City of Kāla, Rohitaka,
Śādvalā, and
Nandivardhana.
These are correctly explained.

I. Kimpilā354

7.­2

The Blessed One arrived in Kimpilā and stayed in Kimpilā Forest.355


7.­3

Thereupon the Blessed One said to the venerable Kimpila, “O Kimpila, I will teach you to meditate on the four applications of mindfulness. Listen to it well and keep it in mind; I shall teach it.”

II. Ahicchattra

III. Mathurā360

IV. Rāṣṭrapāla366

V. Hastināpura378

VI. The Great City

VII. Śrughnā383

VIII. Brahmin Village386

A. A Fire Caused by an Old Man from the Śākya Clan387

B. The Former Life of the Old Man392

IX. The City of Kāla

X. Rohitaka

A. Offerings of the Yakṣa Elephant Power394

B. Departure to the Northern Region401

C. Awakened Power in Heaped Up409

D. Dharma Power in Retuka413

E. Great Cup in the Indus, Feet415

F. Having a Shaved Head and Water Jar416

G. Apalāla418

H. The Nāga Huluḍa426

I. Bhraṣṭolā, Ṛṣi, Āpannaka430

J. Kanthā432

K. In Dhānyapura, Converting the Mother of Best Army433

L. The Potter in Naitarī434

XI. Śādvalā

A. The Great Yakṣa of Śādvalā

B. Pālitakūṭa

XII. Nandivardhana

A. Bhavadeva’s, Caṇḍālī’s Seven Sons’, and the Yakṣa Earth-Protector’s Conversion in Nandivardhana

B. Giving an Image to Nāgas, Aśvaka, and Punarvasuka440

C. Converting Nāḍikā and Naḍadaryā

D. In the City of Kuntī, the Yakṣiṇī Named Kuntī

E. Kharjūrikā and the Stūpa Made of Dirt


8.

Chapter Eight

8.­1

Summary of Contents:451

Ādirājya, Bhadrāśva,
Mathurā, Otalā Park,
Vairambhya,
Ayodhyā, The Ganges,
Hungry Ghosts, and Velāma.

I. Ādirājya

8.­2

Traveling through the country of Śūrasena, the Blessed One then went to Ādirājya. There the Blessed One said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, in this place King Mahāsammata, who was the first king, was anointed. Therefore, this place was named Ādirājya (first kingship).”452

II. Bhadrāśva

III. Mathurā

A. The Prediction about Upagupta454

B. The Former Life of Upagupta457

C. The Brahmin Nīlabhūti459

D. The Obstruction of the Buddha’s Way by a Goddess

E. The Yakṣa Gardabha

IV. Otalā Park

A. The Visit of the Brahmin Otalāyana476

B. Kacaṅgalā486

V. Vairambhya

A. The Brahmin in a Park

B. King Agnidatta’s Offer496

C. Breaking a Hut521

D. A Brahmin Who Abused the Buddha Vipaśyin524

VI. Ayodhyā

A. The Simile of a Log and the Going Forth of Nanda, the Herdsman525

B. The Former Lives of Nanda and the Frog

VII. The Ganges

A. Haṃsas, Fish, and Turtles

B. The Former Lives of the Haṃsas, Fish, and Turtles

VIII. Hungry Ghosts

A. The Conversation with the Five Hundred Hungry Ghosts

B. The Previous Lives of the Five Hundred Hungry Ghosts

IX. Velāma552


9.

Chapter Nine

9.­1

Summary of Contents:560

Kumāravardhana, Krauñcāna,
Aṅgadikā, Maṇivatī
Sālabalā, Sālibalā,
Suvarṇaprastha, Sāketā
Rice Soup,561 Śrāvastī,
Anavatapta, Nagarabindu,
And Vaiśālī.

I. Kumāravardhana

9.­2

Thereupon the Blessed One arrived in the country of Kumāravardhana, where he said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, in this place a king named Upoṣadha was born and grew up.562 Therefore, this city was named Kumāravardhana.”563

II. Krauñcāna

III. Aṅgadikā

IV. Maṇivatī

V. Sālabalā567

VI. Sālibalā

VII. Suvarṇaprastha

VIII. Sāketā568

IX. Rice Soup574

A. The Peasants’ Going Forth and the Oxen’s Rebirth in Heaven577

B. The Former Lives of the Peasants and Oxen581

C. Toyikā584

X. Śrāvastī

A. A Leprous Beggar Woman’s Offering of Water Used for Boiling Rice598

B. The Offerings by King Prasenajit604

C. The Former Life of King Prasenajit605

D. The Offering of a Lamp by a Beggar Woman610

E. The Question of King Prasenajit: The Offerings Made by the Buddha in His Former Lives613

F. Former Life Stories I618

1. Māndhātṛ620

a. The Story of King Māndhātṛ621

b. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: The Son of the Head of a Guild656

c. A Former Life of King Māndhātṛ: A Grain Merchant661

2. Mahāsudarśana662

3. Velāma668

4. Kuśa672

a. The Story of Prince Kuśa673

b. The Former Life of Prince Kuśa683

5. Triśaṅku685

6. Mahādeva687

7. King Nimi691

8. Ādarśamukha696

9. Sudhana706

a. The Story of King Sudhana707

b. The Story of Prince Sudhana708

10. Viśvantara769

a. Viśvantara’s Story I770

b. Viśvantara’s Story II808

11. Saṃdhāna814

G. Former Life Stories II817

1. Bālāha819

2. A King825

3. The Snake828

4. Two Heads833

5. The Lapwing835

6. The Parrot837

7. The Banquet839

8. The Turtle841

9. Susena842

10. Merchants844

H. Former Life Stories III846

1. Six Tusks848

2. The Rabbit857

3. Parents860

a. The Story of Śyāma861

b. Breaking Wrong Laws864

4. Water Born866

5. Words of the Forest874

6. The Elephant876

7. The Nāga878

8. Dhṛtarāṣṭra880

I. The Bodhisattva as Four Teachers882

1. The Story of the Teacher Sunetra883

2. The Story of the Teacher Mūkapaṅgu884

3. The Story of the Teacher Araṇemi885

4. The Story of the Teacher Govinda895

J. The First Resolution and the First Veneration of a Buddha

5. The Story of King Prabhāsa901

6. The Story of the Potter Bṛhaddyuti903

K. The Question of King Prasenajit: The Veneration of Past Buddhas904

L. The Question of Ānanda or Section of Many Buddhas909

M. The Insult by the Brahmin Girl Cañcā934

XI. Anavatapta938

A. The Buddha’s Visit to Lake Anavatapta939

B. The Contest of Magical Power between Śāriputra and Mahā­maudgalyāyana943

1. A Story of the Present944

2. A Story of the Past: The Painter and the Mechanic947

3. A Story of the Past: The Two Painters950

4. A Story of the Past: The Ṛṣis Śaṅkha and Likhita (1)951

5. A Story of the Past: The Ṛṣis Śaṅkha and Likhita (2)952

6. A Story of the Past: The Ivory Carver and the Painter953

C. Verses of the Elders I957

1. Kāśyapa958

2. Śāriputra961

3. Maudgalyāyana964

4. Śobhita966

5. Sumanas967

6. Koṭīviṃśa969

7. Vāgīśa970

8. Piṇḍola972

9. Svāgata974

10. Nandika976

D. Verses of the Elders II980

1. Yaśas (1)981

2. Śaivala982

3. Bakkula984

4. Sthavira986

5. The Three987

6. Yaśas (2)988

7. Jyotiṣka991

8. Rāṣṭrapāla992

9. Svāti996

10. Jaṅghākāśyapa998

E. Verses of the Elders III1001

1. Panthaka1002

2. Sarpadāsa1004

3. Aniruddha1005

4. Kāla1013

5. Rāhula1015

6. Nanda1017

7. Dravya1019

8. Upasena1020

9. Bhadrika1021

10. Lavaṇabhadrika1022

F. Verses of the Elders IV1024

1. Madhuvāsiṣṭha1025

2. Hetu1026

3. Kauṇḍinya1027

4. Upālin1030

5. Prabhākara1033

6. Revata1034

7. The Sugata (prose)1036

a. The Son of a Householder1037

b. A Caravan Leader1040

c. A Young Brahmin1042

d. Bharadvāja1044

e. The Cause of the False Slander by Cañcā

I) A Brahmin1049

II) Mṛṇāla1050

f. A Brahmin Who Falsely Accused a Buddha1053

g. Uttara1054

h. A Physician1063

i. The Son of a Fisherman1065

j. A Wrestler1066

8. The Sugata (verse)1067

a. Introduction

b. Mṛṇāla

c. A Brahmin

d. Bharadvāja

e. The Son of a Householder

f. A Caravan Leader

g. The Son of a Fisherman

h. A Brahmin Who Falsely Accused a Buddha

i. A Physician

j. A Wrestler

k. Uttara

l. Conclusion

G. The Invitation by Viśākhā

XII. Nagarabindu

XIII. Vaiśālī

A. The Invitation by Dhanika and His Family1075

B. The Former Lives of Dhanika and His Family

C. The Rules on Food


10.

Chapter Ten

10.­1

Summary of Contents:1077

The Sick, Foods,
Breakfast, Leftovers,
Fruits from Forests, Lotus,
Lotus Roots, and Miṇḍhaka.

I. The Sick

10.­2

The following took place in Śrāvastī.


10.­3

There once was a sick monk in Śrāvastī. He requested a doctor, “Sir, prescribe medicine for me.”

Having asked the cause of the disease, the doctor said, “O noble one, have rice soup, and you will recover your health.”

10.­4

“Sir,” he replied, “the Blessed One has not authorized that.”

II. Foods1087

III. Breakfast

IV. Leftovers

A. Alms-Food Obtained Previously

B. Leftovers Taken by Monks to the Monastery

C. Leftovers Brought by Laymen

V. Fruits Growing in the Forest

VI. Lotus

VII. Lotus Roots

VIII. Miṇḍhaka1097

A. The Conversion of Miṇḍhaka

B. Invitation after Mealtime

C. The Acceptance of Money

D. The Acceptance of Guḍa

E. The Former Lives of the Miṇḍhaka Family1112


11.

Chapter Eleven

11.­1

Summary of Contents:1122

The Drink Offered by Kaineya Was Received,1123 The Town of Kāśi, Barley Porridge,1124
Khādyaka in Pāpā,1125 Doubts, and Foul Foods.

I. The Drink Offered by Kaineya Was Received1126

A. The Conversion of Kaineya and Śaila (Prose)

11.­2

The Blessed One was once staying in the dwelling place in Ādumā.

1. The Sermon to the Four Great Kings1127

11.­3

At that time, the ṛṣi Kaineya had his dwelling place in Ādumā and was spending the day on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond.


11.­4

The Blessed One asked himself, “Where should I preach the Dharma to the Four Protectors of the World in order to convert the ṛṣi Kaineya with little effort?” Then the Blessed One understood, “If I preach the Dharma on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond, there he will be converted.”

11.­5

Thereupon the Blessed One entertained mundane thoughts. It naturally occurs that when the buddhas, the blessed ones, entertain mundane thoughts, Śakra, Brahmā, and other gods understand the Blessed One’s thoughts. Great King Vaiśravaṇa asked himself, [F.35.b] “For the sake of what did the Blessed One entertain mundane thoughts?” He then realized, “He wishes to preach the Dharma to us, the Four Protectors of the World.” Having realized this, he ordered Pāñcika,1128 the great general of the yakṣas, “Pāñcika, go and prepare a seat for the Blessed One on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond. Install a guard for the ṛṣi Kaineya so that no one will spoil his luster when there is a large assemblage.”

11.­6

Having installed a guard for the ṛṣi Kaineya on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond, he was preparing a seat for the Blessed One when the sound of many people arose. Because of the noise, the ṛṣi Kaineya stood up and asked the guard, “What is this noise?”

“They are preparing a seat,” he answered.

11.­7

“Is that for me?”

“It is not for you, but for the Buddha, the Blessed One.”

11.­8

“Why are you here?”

“To guard none but you.”

11.­9

“Why?”

“Because there will be a large assemblage.”1129

11.­10

The ṛṣi asked, “Who will guard that śramaṇa Gautama?”

“Who could guard that Blessed One?” answered the guard. “The Blessed One himself is the guard of the world including gods.”

When he heard this, the ṛṣi Kaineya remained silent.

11.­11

The Blessed One then dressed in the morning, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Ādumā for alms. After having begged for food, he had his meal. Afterward he returned, settled his mind, and entered a state of meditation by which he disappeared from Ādumā with the community of monks and appeared on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond. The Blessed One then sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks.

11.­12

Then Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra with many attendants‍—hundreds, thousands, hundreds of thousands of them, all of whom were gandharvas‍—went to the Blessed One, with the front part of his garment filled with divine jewels. [F.36.a] When he arrived, he scattered the divine jewels for the Blessed One, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then sat to the east, attending the Blessed One and the community of monks.

11.­13

Great King Virūḍhaka, too, with many hundreds and thousands‍—hundreds of thousands‍—of attendants, all of whom were kumbhāṇḍas, went to the Blessed One, with the front part of his garment filled with divine pearls. When he arrived, he scattered the divine pearls for the Blessed One, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then sat to the south, attending the Blessed One and the community of monks.

11.­14

Great King Virūpākṣa, too, with many hundreds and thousands‍—hundreds of thousands‍—of attendants, all of whom were nāgas, went to the Blessed One, with the front part of his garment filled with divine utpala, padma, kumuda, puṇḍarīka, and māndāraka flowers. When he arrived, he scattered the divine utpala, padma, kumuda, puṇḍarīka, and māndāraka flowers for the Blessed One, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then sat to the west, attending the Blessed One and the community of monks.

11.­15

Great King Vaiśravaṇa, too, with many hundreds and thousands‍—hundreds of thousands‍—of attendants, all of whom were yakṣas, went to the Blessed One, with the front part of his garment filled with pieces of divine gold. When he arrived, he scattered the pieces of divine gold for the Blessed One, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then sat to the north, attending the Blessed One and the community of monks. [F.36.b]

11.­16

Among those four, those who had their origin in the midlands1130 were two: Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Virūḍhaka; those who had their origin in the borderlands1131 were two: Virūpākṣa and Vaiśravaṇa. Thereupon the Blessed One thought, “If I preach the Dharma in the language of the midlands,1132 only two of them will understand, while the other two will not. If I preach the Dharma in the language of the borderlands,1133 only two of them will understand, while the other two will not. I will now preach the Dharma to two in the language of the midlands and to the other two in the languages of the borderlands.”1134 He said to Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, “Great King, thus the body is destroyed, feelings have become cool, perceptions have ceased, formations have been pacified, and consciousness has disappeared‍—this is the end of suffering.”1135

11.­17

While this teaching device of the Dharma was being preached, the Dharma eye, which is free from dust and stain and with which he could observe every phenomenon, was generated in Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, as well as the hundreds of thousands of gandharvas belonging to the same tribe as he.

11.­18

Thereupon the Blessed One said to Great King Virūḍhaka, “Great King, here, what you see, hear, think, and understand should be only seeing, hearing, thinking, and understanding.”1136

11.­19

While this teaching device of the Dharma was being preached, the Dharma eye, which is free from dust and stain and with which he could observe every phenomenon, was generated in Great King Virūḍhaka, as well as the hundreds of thousands of kumbhāṇḍas belonging to the same tribe as he.

11.­20

Thereupon the Blessed One said to Great King Virūpākṣa, “Therefore, Great King, ine mene dapphe daḍapphe.1137 This is the end of suffering.”1138

11.­21

While this teaching device of the Dharma was being preached, the Dharma eye, which is free from dust and stain and with which he could observe every phenomenon, was generated in Great King Virūpākṣa, as well as the hundreds of thousands of nāgas1139 belonging to the same tribe as he. [F.37.a]

11.­22

Thereupon the Blessed One said to Great King Vaiśravaṇa,1140 “Therefore, Great King, māśā tuṣā saṃśāmā sarvatra virāḍi.1141 This is the end of suffering.”1142

11.­23

While this teaching device of the Dharma was being preached, the Dharma eye, which is free from dust and stain and with which he could observe every phenomenon, was generated in Great King Vaiśravaṇa, as well as the hundreds of thousands of yakṣas belonging to the same tribe as he.

11.­24

Then the Blessed One thought, “Now I am gradually approaching the time to be completely emancipated. To whom should I entrust my teachings before being completely emancipated? If I entrust them to gods, they will not last long, for gods are careless and enjoy much pleasure.1143 But if I entrust them to humans, they will not last long, either, for humans have shorter lives. I will now entrust them to these gods, humans, and the monk Kāśyapa before being completely emancipated.” Having thus thought, he said to Great King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, “Great King, you should protect my teachings in the east after I am completely emancipated.”

11.­25

He said to Great King Virūḍhaka, “Great King, you also should protect them in the south.”

11.­26

He said to Great King Virūpākṣa, “Great King, you also should protect them in the west.”

11.­27

He said to Great King Vaiśravaṇa, “Great King, you also should protect them in the north.”

11.­28

Then the Four Great Kings, their minds pleased, said to the Blessed One, “May everything be as the Blessed One has said! O Blessed One, we will protect them.”

11.­29

Having thus spoken and seen the truths before the Blessed One, they bowed low until their foreheads touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then departed from the Blessed One’s presence. The Blessed One entrusted all his teachings to the venerable Mahākāśyapa and [F.37.b] said to the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, you also should exert yourself in carrying out your duties in accordance with the teachings.”

2. The Former Lives of the Four Great Kings1144

11.­30

The monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “O Honored One, what karma did the Four Great Kings create that matured to cause them to become the Four Great Kings and see the truths in the presence of the Blessed One?”

11.­31

“Monks,” replied the Blessed One, “the actions were performed and accumulated by these ones themselves in other lives, accruing a heap of karma, whose conditions have ripened . . . .

“. . . 
They bear fruit in embodied beings.
11.­32

“Monks, at a certain point in this fortunate eon, when people’s lifespans were twenty thousand years long, there appeared in the world a teacher named Kāśyapa, who was . . . a teacher of gods and humans, a buddha, and a blessed one. At that time, there lived in the great ocean two nāgas named Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa. There were two garuḍas named Aṭṭeśvara and Cūḍeśvara on a kūṭaśālmalī tree. Whenever these two attacked Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa, the two nāgas escaped underground. Later, after Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa had sought refuge in the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and accepted the rules of training, the garuḍas again began to attack these two, but they were obstructed and repulsed, just as wind and water are obstructed and repulsed by Mount Sumeru. The two garuḍas then inquired of them, ‘Sirs, when we attacked you before, you used to escape underground. Why, when we meet you now, are we obstructed and repulsed, just as wind and water are obstructed and repulsed by Mount Sumeru? What is the cause of this?’

11.­33

“Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa [F.38.a] answered, ‘We sought refuge in the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and accepted the rules of training.’

“ ‘If that is the case, we will do so, too,’ said the two garuḍas.

11.­34

“The two garuḍas then went to the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa with the two nāgas. When they arrived, they saw the Four Protectors of the World depart after they had heard the Dharma in the presence of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa. The two garuḍas asked the two nāgas, Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa, ‘Who are those ones departing?’

11.­35

“The two nāgas explained about this in detail, and the two garuḍas replied, ‘If that is the case, we will also seek refuge in the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa, accept the rules of training, and make aspirations.’ The two garuḍas then did seek refuge in the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and accept the rules of training. Śvāsa and Mahāśvāsa had already accepted them before. Then they together threw themselves at the feet of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa and made these aspirations: ‘Just as these Four Protectors of the World, after having heard the Dharma in the presence of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa, saw the truths and departed for their residences, may we also, by this root of merit, become the Four Protectors of the World! May that Blessed One, whom a young brahmin called Uttara was predicted to become1145 by the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa‍—“Young brahmin, you will become a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one called Śākyamuni when people’s lifespans are a hundred years long”‍—preach the Dharma for us on the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond! May we, too, after having heard the Dharma, see the truths and depart for our residences just as they did!’ [F.38.b]

11.­36

“What do you think, monks? The ones who were those four‍—the nāgas and garuḍas‍—are indeed these Four Protectors of the World. That one who was Śvāsa at that time, on that occasion, is indeed this Dhṛtarāṣṭra. That one who was Mahāśvāsa is indeed this Virūḍhaka. That one who was Aṭṭeśvara is indeed this Virūpākṣa. That one who was Cūḍeśvara is indeed this Vaiśravaṇa. Because of the maturation of that karma, namely, their seeking refuge in the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa, accepting the rules of training, and making aspirations at that time, on that occasion, they became the Four Protectors of the World, saw the truths in my presence, and departed for their residences.”

3. Kaineya Offers Drinks to the Blessed One

11.­37

Having heard that Dharma preached, the ṛṣi Kaineya felt greatly pleased and was filled with faith in the Blessed One. The Blessed One knew his thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma, through which the ṛṣi Kaineya penetrated the four truths of the noble ones and actualized the fruit of a never-returner.

11.­38

Thereupon, having acquired faith founded in knowledge, he went to the Blessed One, bringing eight kinds of drinks: namely, coconut drink, banana drink, kola drink, aśvattha drink, udumbara drink, paruṣaka drink, kharjūra drink, and grape drink.1146 When he arrived, he said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, since these eight kinds of drinks are praised and extolled by ancient ṛṣis, may the Blessed One have compassion and accept them.”

11.­39

The Blessed One did have compassion for the ṛṣi Kaineya and accepted the eight kinds of drinks. Having accepted them, he said to the monks, [F.39.a] “Monks, if these eight kinds of drinks have been accepted at the appropriate time (i.e., in the morning), squeezed at the appropriate time, and strained at the appropriate time, and if their formal possession has been taken at the appropriate time, they may be consumed at either the appropriate time or an inappropriate time (i.e., after noon), but they should not be consumed after the first watch of the night has passed.

11.­40

“If these eight kinds of drinks have been accepted at the appropriate time, but squeezed at an inappropriate time, and strained at an inappropriate time, and if their formal possession has been taken at an inappropriate time, they should not be consumed.

11.­41

“If these eight kinds of drinks have been accepted at the appropriate time, squeezed at the appropriate time, but strained at an inappropriate time, and if their formal possession has been taken at an inappropriate time, they should not be consumed.

11.­42

“If these eight kinds of drinks have been accepted at an inappropriate time, squeezed at an inappropriate time, and strained at an inappropriate time, they should neither be consumed after a meal nor after the first half of the night has passed.”1147

4. Śaila and Kaineya Go Forth

11.­43

Thereupon the ṛṣi Kaineya rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal tomorrow.”

11.­44

The Blessed One assented to the ṛṣi Kaineya by remaining silent. Then the ṛṣi Kaineya, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat and departed. The Blessed One also disappeared from the bank of Mandākinī Lotus Pond and went to Ādumā with the community of monks.

11.­45

The ṛṣi Kaineya rose before dawn and said to his family, “Noble ones, get up! Sirs, get up! Cut firewood! Light a fire! Distribute khādyaka!1148 Clean the dining halls!”

11.­46

At that time, a ṛṣi named Śaila, who was a nephew of the ṛṣi Kaineya, was staying in that very house. When the ṛṣi Śaila heard the ṛṣi Kaineya rise before dawn [F.39.b] and speak to his family, he asked the ṛṣi Kaineya, “O ṛṣi, have you invited your fellow ṛṣis? Have you invited King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha or people dwelling around the palace? Or is there any accomplishment of ṛṣis’ dharma that is desired?”

11.­47

“Śaila,” he replied, “I have not invited my fellow ṛṣis. I have not invited King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha or people dwelling around the palace. This is not any accomplishment of ṛṣis’ dharma that is desired, either. But I have invited the community of monks headed by the Buddha for a meal.”

11.­48

When Śaila heard the sound buddha, a sound he had never heard before, the hair on his entire body stood on end.1149 He asked respectfully, “O ṛṣi, who is the Buddha?”

11.­49

“Śaila, there is a son of the Śākyans called śramaṇa Gautama, one who went forth from the Śākyan family into homelessness in true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes. He was awakened to complete and supreme awakening. Śaila, he is the Buddha.”

11.­50

“O ṛṣi,” asked Śaila, “what is the community?”

“Śaila,” the ṛṣi Kaineya replied, “among the sons of kṣatriya families, there are those who went forth from their home into homelessness in true faith, having shaved off their hair and beards and donned saffron robes. Among the sons of brahmin families, vaiśya families, and śūdra families, too, there are those who went forth . . . following the Blessed One, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Awakened One, who had gone forth. Śaila, these are the community. Śaila, I have invited this community and the Buddha that I already mentioned, [F.40.a] namely, ‘the community of monks headed by the Buddha,’ for a meal.”

11.­51

Thereupon, being mindful of the Buddha, the ṛṣi Śaila rose early in the morning and went to the Blessed One with his five hundred attendants. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. Having sat down to one side, the ṛṣi Śaila said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. I will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.” The ṛṣi Śaila and his five hundred attendants then attained monkhood, which belongs to those who have gone forth and have been ordained in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. [B59]

11.­52

Thereupon the ṛṣi Kaineya prepared a pure and fine meal during the night . . . served and satisfied them . . . . When he served the community of monks headed by the Buddha with a meal, he saw Śaila, who had gone forth. He asked him, “Śaila, did you go forth?”

“Yes, I did.”

11.­53

“Well done! Well done, indeed! I will go forth, too, after I have finished serving the meal to the community of monks headed by the Buddha.”

11.­54

Then the ṛṣi Kaineya, with his own hands and in a variety of ways, served and satisfied the community of monks headed by the Buddha with a pure and fine meal. Knowing the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, he took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. Then the Blessed One assigned the rewards of the offerings to him, gave a sermon, and departed.

11.­55

Thereupon the ṛṣi Kaineya, having thrown off everything unnecessary, [F.40.b] went to the Blessed One with his five hundred attendants. When he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. Having sat down to one side, the ṛṣi Kaineya said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. I will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.” The ṛṣi Kaineya with his five hundred attendants then attained monkhood, which belongs to those who have gone forth and have been ordained in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.1150

5. The Instruction by Three Disciples of the Buddha

11.­56

Thereupon the Blessed One undertook the rainy-season retreat in the Parasol mango grove on the bank of the river Prabhadrikā with those thousand monks who had newly gone forth and had been ordained.

11.­57

There, the Blessed One entrusted five hundred monks to the venerable Brāhmaṇa­kapphiṇa, two hundred and fifty to the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, and two hundred and fifty to the venerable Śāriputra. Those who were instructed by the venerable Brāhmaṇa­kapphiṇa abandoned all the defilements and actualized the state of an arhat, those by the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana the fruit of once-returners,1151 and those by the venerable Śāriputra the fruit of stream-entry.

6. The Former Lives of the Three Disciples

11.­58

The monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “How is it, O Honored One, that, although the Blessed One has praised the venerable Śāriputra as the best of those who have great wisdom, and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana as the best of those who have great power and great magical power, those who were instructed by the venerable Brāhmaṇa­kapphiṇa actualized the state of an arhat, those by the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana the fruit of once-returners,1152 and those by the venerable Śāriputra [F.41.a] the fruit of stream-entry?”

11.­59

“Listen, monks,” the Blessed One replied, “how, not only in the present but also in the past, those who were instructed by Brāhmaṇa­kapphiṇa were established in the formless realm, those by Maudgalyāyana in the form realm, and those by Śāriputra in the five kinds of supernormal knowledge.

11.­60

“Monks, there once lived two ṛṣis in the wilderness, each of whom had five hundred attendants. One day, one of those two died. His young brahmins, tormented by pain and despair over parting from their teacher, wandered here and there and came to the other ṛṣi. When he saw them with their eyes full of tears, he asked them, ‘Young brahmins, where did your teacher go?’

11.­61

“ ‘He died.’

“He thought, ‘After my death, my young brahmins will be in the same situation as these ones. I will now accept them.’ He then encouraged them and accepted them.

11.­62

“Later, one day, this ṛṣi also became sick. He had three best pupils, and he entrusted five hundred young brahmins to the first one, two hundred and fifty to the second one, and another two hundred and fifty to the third one. Then, he passed away.

11.­63

“At that point, the one who was entrusted with five hundred instructed them so that they were established in the formless realm; the second who was entrusted with two hundred and fifty instructed them so that they were established in the form realm; and the third who was assigned two hundred and fifty instructed them so that they were established in the five supernormal powers.

11.­64

“What do you think, monks? That ṛṣi who established five hundred young brahmins in the formless realm at that time, on that occasion, [F.41.b] was indeed this monk Kapphiṇa. The one who established two hundred and fifty in the form realm was indeed this monk Maudgalyāyana. The other one who established two hundred and fifty in the five kinds of supernormal knowledge was indeed this monk Śāriputra.

11.­65

“However, monks, those who were instructed by Kapphiṇa are of keen faculties, those by Maudgalyāyana are of mediocre faculties, and those by Śāriputra are of dull faculties. If they had not been instructed by Śāriputra, they would not even have attained the stage of warmth.”

B. The Conversion of Kaineya and Śaila (Verse)1153

11.­66
Just as Kaineya, who had dreadlocked hair,
Expressed his praise of the Buddha,
Everyone should listen in harmony
With their minds filled with faith.
11.­67
One day, in Kaineya’s house,
The Teacher possessing great power
Was invited for a meal
With his disciples.
11.­68
In Kaineya’s house,
The ṛṣi Śaila saw
A meal being prepared.
When he saw that, he asked Kaineya,
11.­69
“Are you having a wedding?
Or have you invited the king or the whole kingdom?
Is this your great offering?
Please answer my question.”
11.­70
“I am not having any wedding,
Nor have I invited the king or the whole kingdom.
I have invited the Buddha,
The best living being, for a meal.”
11.­71
When Śaila heard the sound buddha,
His mind was stirred up.
“What is that buddha, Kaineya?
Please answer my question.”
11.­72
“There is a teacher, a matchless man,
Born into the Śākyan family.
He possesses understanding (buddhi) of all dharmas‍—
Therefore, he is called Buddha.
11.­73
“All conditioned things have a destructible nature.
The Buddha saw the past;
Likewise, he sees the future
And also the present.1154
11.­74
“The omniscient one knows
Everything that may be recognized.
He knows everything and sees everything‍—
Therefore, he is called Buddha.
11.­75
“He has recognized what is to be recognized, [F.42.a]
Has meditated upon what is to be meditated upon,
And has abandoned what is to be abandoned‍—
Therefore, he is called Buddha.
11.­76
“The one at whose birth
The land quaked,
Including its oceans and mountains‍—
To him I make the gesture of supplication and bow.
11.­77
“The one who defeated Māra,
The friend of darkness, with his minions,
And attained the power of a tathāgata‍—
To him I make the gesture of supplication and bow.
11.­78
“The one who went to the city of Vārāṇasī
And turned the wheel of the Dharma
Consisting of twelve elements1155‍—
To him I make the gesture of supplication and bow.
11.­79
“The one who liberated many beings
Bound by the fetters of desire
And tormented by desire and hatred‍—
To him I make the gesture of supplication and bow.”
11.­80
“Where is the Buddha, the Blessed One?
How far from here is that leader?
I will seek refuge from today onward
In the son of the Śākyans, who is like the sun.”
11.­81
“Go, brahmin, and
In that pleasant grove1156 you will
See the Buddha, the supreme one,
Who is like the king of gandharvas,
11.­82
“Whose saffron robe is bright,
Who, golden-colored, emits sun-like rays of light
And looks like heated gold
Or an image made of gold,
11.­83
“Who is like the flower of the sāla tree
And the karṇikāra flower,
Who is like a jeweled pillar
Covered with various jewels.
11.­84
“Well balanced in his height and girth
Like a banyan tree,1157
He illuminates his surroundings
With a fathom-wide halo.
11.­85
“The Muni, who abandoned his magnificent kingdom
Abundant in the objects of desire and pleasure, where his relatives were,
And departed to go forth,
Rejoices in solitude.
11.­86
“Just as a lion on Mount Gandhamādana
Has no fear in the forest,
He speaks without fear like a lion‍—
Brahmin, you will see him, the Buddha.
11.­87
“He smiles, speaks gentle words
With Brahmā’s voice,1158 a sweet voice,
And his voice is like the sound of drums‍—
Brahmin, you will see him, the Buddha.
11.­88
“He is like the disk of the moon,
The clear moon
Surrounded by constellations in the sky‍— [F.42.b]
Brahmin, you will see him, the Buddha.
11.­89
“Just as the sun emitting rays of light
Is beautiful in the sky,
The Buddha, free from darkness, is beautiful‍—
Brahmin, you will see him.
11.­90
“The bull among men, possessed of the ten powers,
Is just like a bull with a hump, the head of its herd,
Standing immovably‍—
Brahmin, you will see him, the Buddha.
11.­91
“Like the sea,
The deep, immeasurable great ocean,
The Buddha, the best of meditators,
Is inconceivable and unsurpassed‍—you will see him.
11.­92
“Like the sun after the dark half of the month,
Which is bright in the sky
Like a mass of burning fire‍—
You will see him, the Buddha Gautama.
11.­93
“Just as a wheel-turning king is
Surrounded by ten million ministers,
The Completely Awakened One,
Who is served by arhats, is beautiful.
11.­94
“Just like the one reigning over the desire realm
And Mahābrahmā, the ruler,
The Muni reigns
Over the worlds of the billionfold universe.
11.­95
“The truths of various kinds of suffering,
The arising of suffering,
The cessation of suffering,
And the path consisting of eight parts‍—
11.­96
“Through the hearing of which one will be pacified,
And will cross the great ocean of suffering‍—
He reveals these truths,
Which taste like pure honey.
11.­97
“He gives wealth to those who lack wealth,
Cures the sick,
Becomes a refuge to those who are hurt,
And liberates beings from suffering.
11.­98
“He shows the safe, straight path
That leads to nirvāṇa
To blinded beings
And foolish ones treading wrong paths.
11.­99
“Humans burnt by desire and hatred
And inflamed by delusion‍—
The Great Muni pacifies them
Just as a large cloud causes rain.
11.­100
“There are none equal to him,
Who possesses excellent appearance, complexion, and power.
His strong body, which is imbued with supreme power,
Is well established just like a rocky mountain.
11.­101
“He is not polluted by acquisition or nonacquisition,
Pleasure or suffering, blame or praise,
Honor or dishonor, [F.43.a]
Just as the lotus blossom is not polluted by water.
11.­102
“He abstains from killing.
He does not desire what is not given.
Speaking truth, leading a pure life,
He is free from backbiting.
11.­103
“He does not speak coarse words
But speaks gently, in a timely way.
He does not seek the objects of desire
But has thoughts of love for people.
11.­104
“He is perfect in seeing correctly
And exercises the power of meditation.
This great meditator with the six kinds of supernormal knowledge
Courses through the sky with his magical power.
11.­105
“He hears the voices
Of various gods and humans
And also knows others’ minds,
Whether they are impure or good.
11.­106
“He knows past lives,
Where he once lived,
And knows beings’ comings and goings,
That is, death and birth.
11.­107
“Having had his impurities exhausted, not retaining any of them,
Pacified and emancipated,
With his faculties and mind pacified,
He is just like a still pond full of water.
11.­108
“If you see him, who is like an excellent sixty-year-old elephant
In a lotus pond,
You, brahmin, who are insatiable,
Will attain joy.
11.­109
“Śaila, the Blessed One is such a one.
His body bears the thirty-two marks
Of a great man,
And his splendor is like a mass of fire.
11.­110
“Even if someone praised
The Protector for a hundred years,
He would not reach the end
Because the Tathāgata is immeasurable.
11.­111
“Brahmin, those who see him
Attain supreme merit.
And those who see him and seek refuge in him
Attain merit superior to that.”
11.­112
Having heard this praise of the Great Muni,
The ṛṣi Śaila was moved
And said to Kaineya,
His mind seeking solitude,
11.­113
“I have never heard
Such praise of a human being.
O Kaineya, according to your explanation,
He is the best in the whole world.”
11.­114
“Just like a merchant seeking wealth,
You should abandon the banner of pride.
Respect and worship him
And thus, brahmin, you will attain joy.”
11.­115
Served by five hundred young brahmins
Who were his pupils, [F.43.b]
The brahmin Śaila went
To the pleasant place of the Buddha’s sojourn.
11.­116
Thereupon the brahmin entered
The dwelling of the king of the Dharma,
Which was abundant in trees bearing blossoms
Just like the gods’ Nandana Grove,
11.­117
Which was solitary and quiet
And visited by flocks of birds,
And which was not haunted by harmful kinnarīs
But was visited by sons of the Śākyans.
11.­118
Having seen the most excellent man,
The one who trains those who have not been trained,
Śaila spoke these words:
“Sir, are you free from illness?”
11.­119
The Buddha, who had a pleasant voice like the kalaviṅka bird,1159
Answered Śaila
With sweet and clear words:
“Indeed, I am free from illness.
11.­120
“Free from stains or evils,
Having cut off all uncertainty,
Liberated, possessed of nothing,
I am untainted and free from rigidity.
11.­121
“Free from dust, I wander the world.
I am pure, clean, and taintless.
Thus, brahmin, I am pure
And have overcome all anger and fear.
11.­122
“Welcome, Śaila.
Sit down on this seat.
Brahmin, are you happy?
Is your body not tired?”
11.­123
“I am happy today because,
O Great Hero, I see you, Great Muni.
My heart is delighted
As if bedecked with adornments.”
11.­124
Having exchanged the proper
Series of pleasantries with him,
The brahmin then sat down,
His mind humble and modest.
11.­125
Having sat down, the brahmin Śaila,
Who was a holder of recitations and mantras
And was familiar with the three kinds of Vedic knowledge,
Observed the Muni’s marks.
11.­126
He saw thirty marks
On the body of the Protector of the World.
Śaila had doubts about the other two,
Namely, the narrow tongue and the private part hidden in a sheath.
11.­127
Having become uncertain and unsettled
About the marks of the Great Muni,
He asked the Perfectly Awakened One,
The descendant of the sun,1160 whose name was truth,
11.­128
“The marks of a Great Muni
Are thirty-two.
I have not seen, O Gautama,
Two of them on your body.1161
11.­129
“O best of men, is your private part [F.44.a]
Hidden in a sheath?
Is your tongue, which is praised as excellent,
Really long?
11.­130
“O Great Muni, by all means
I must be convinced of your long tongue.
Please dart your narrow tongue out of your mouth
And clear up my doubts.
11.­131
“It is seldom that Guides
Appear in the world.
A Great Muni is scarcely met,
Just like the udumbara flower.
11.­132
“We serve the Teacher
Just as thirsty ones seek water in summer,
Hungry ones food,
And sick ones medicines.”
11.­133
The Buddha, who has the melodious voice of a kalaviṅka bird,
Answered Śaila
With sweet and clear words:
“Brahmin, remove your uncertainty.”
11.­134
He covered his whole face
With his long tongue,
So that the tongue
Covered his eyes and ears.
11.­135
And when he, who is skilled in four kinds of magical power,
Displayed it with his magical power,
The brahmin Śaila saw
The Muni’s private part hidden in a sheath.
11.­136
When he was freed from such doubts
About the Great Muni’s marks, and his distress was gone,
Śaila’s mind was pleased
And he uttered the following words:
11.­137
“I have learned from the mantra teachings
Of the thirty-two marks.
All of them appear here on your body,
Perfectly, nothing lacking.
11.­138
“Virtuous, excellent in conduct,
Well born, pleasant to behold,
You are beautiful just like the sun,
In the middle of the community of disciples.1162
11.­139
“What use is the state of a śramaṇa
For you, who are the most praised?
A man like you, bull among men,
Is suitable to be a wheel-turning king,
11.­140
“Possessor of seven treasures
And an army consisting of four divisions.
Be the master of the earth, a king,
And turn the chakra over the earth!”
11.­141
“Śaila, I am a king‍—that is,
The supreme great king of the Dharma.
I turn the chakra of the Dharma
Over this entire earth.
11.­142
“My family is kṣatriya.
I was born into a family of virtue.
Having defeated Māra with his army, [F.44.b]
I attained the most excellent, perfect awakening.
11.­143
“Brahmin, my mindfulness is a chakra.1163
My wisdom is a minister.
A swift horse, which is effort,
Spurred, trots forth delightedly.1164
11.­144
“My best jewel is meditation,
Which illuminates the darkness.
Equanimity is the best elephant, which,
Urged on, runs delightedly.
11.­145
“Just as women are a pleasure for enamored ones,
Brahmin, joy is my pleasure.
Brahmin, my householder is
The fully purified state, which is the best wealth.
11.­146
“With my seven limbs of awakening,
These treasures that surpass the entire world,
I will awaken these humans
Who are blind and asleep.
11.­147
“As I have conquered every direction,
There are none who match me.
The four groups of followers,
Who conquer the mass of defilements, are my children.1165
11.­148
“In the city visited by ancient buddhas,
Which is furnished with a park, which is magical power,
In which a crossroads, which is the path, has been built
And sūtras and jātakas are scattered,
Which is visited by great men,
11.­149
“Which is equipped with the three gates of liberation
And guarded by guards who are mindfulness,
Which fully possesses conscience and a sense of shame,
I, the Tathāgata, the king, dwell.
11.­150
“I fought the battle of the Dharma.
Beating the drum of the Dharma,
I defeated all Māras.
I was anointed as a king for the purpose of awakening.
11.­151
“The immeasurable states of mind, practiced well,
Are my adornments.
The four pure abodes
Prevent defilements.
11.­152
“Having defeated, destroyed,
And scattered other teachings,
I behave rightly,
Giving light to beings in this world.
11.­153
“Maintaining a blissful state,
I cut with the sword of wisdom.
I stand on the base of magical power,
And cessation is my clenched fist.
11.­154
“Conduct is my chariot, which makes a pleasing sound,
And my observation is a charioteer.
Clad in armor, which is patience and gentleness,
I go to the battlefield by practicing the path.1166 [F.45.a]
11.­155
“With a quiver,
Which is the five faculties that destroy obstacles,
And the four kinds of correct relinquishment,
Which kill defilements,
11.­156
“I fought a heroic battle.
Having beaten the drum of the Dharma,
And having defeated Māra with his army,
I was anointed as a king for awakening.
11.­157
“Having defeated ignorance with knowledge,
I crossed the front line of battle,
Where the five aggregates arise and cease.
I was awakened for the awakening of beings.1167
11.­158
“Since I have completely defeated
The worst three thieves in the world
Disturbing humans,
Who are desire, hatred, and delusion,
11.­159
“The power of all supernormal knowledge has arisen in me.
I am an arhat, who is suitable to be a field of merit,
Recipient of offerings
That have grown in a good field.
11.­160
“Having made the best effort,
I defeated impurities.
Having crossed the great flood,
I remain to allow others to cross.”1168
11.­161
“Just as a lion with powerful fangs,
When it meets other beings in the forest,
Whether they are small, medium, or large,
Pounces on them equally,
11.­162
“The lion among humans, the Leader,
The Perfectly Awakened One in the world,
Equally shows the Dharma
To those who are immature, middling, and great.
11.­163
“O Gautama, here may you
Remove my uncertainties, I who am sick!
The best of those who remove pain,
Those who perform surgery, is you.”
11.­164
“Remove your uncertainties!1169
Brahmin, you should be zealous.
It is difficult to see
Celebrated perfectly awakened ones.
11.­165
“The Perfectly Awakened One,
Who is difficult to meet and appears very rarely,
Is me, brahmin;
I am the supreme king of the Dharma.”1170
11.­166
Śaila said to the Tathāgata,
“O Gautama, if you say
That you are the Perfectly Awakened One
And you turn the chakra everywhere,
11.­167
“Who is the general,
The disciple born from the Teacher himself,
Who wisely turns the chakra once turned by you
As you taught?” [F.45.b]
11.­168
“Brahmin, I have a disciple,
A son, who is equal to me in wisdom:
The well-learned Śāriputra,
Also called Upatiṣya.
11.­169
“He is liberated from all the knots,
Peaceful, free from impurities.
Being wise, he turns
The chakra I have turned.”
11.­170
“How wonderful the Buddha and the Dharma are!
How wonderful the perfection of the disciples is!
How wonderful the most excellent three treasures are!
A great marvel has appeared in the world.
11.­171
“Excellent One, approved as
A disciple of yours,
I will drink the essence of the Dharma‍—how great!‍—
And successfully become emancipated.”
11.­172
After his mind was pleased,
Then the brahmin became stirred up.
He said to his attendants,
With his mind seeking solitude,
11.­173
“Listen, sirs, to the words
That the great meditator,
The remover of pain, the seer, has given,
Just as a lion roars in the forest.
11.­174
“Those who wish should follow me;
Those who do not should leave.
I will go forth today
In the teachings of the possessor of the most excellent wisdom.
11.­175
“If one leads this pure life
And practices the path well,
His going forth will be fruitful
For himself, who practices carefulness.”
11.­176
“If you wish to go forth
And be ordained,
O brahmin, we too will go forth,
Cutting off these locks of hair.”
11.­177
With his mind pleased,
Making the gesture of supplication, his ten fingers joined,
With his upper robe draped over one shoulder,
The brahmin Śaila said,
11.­178
“These five hundred young brahmins
Are making the gesture of supplication.
O Great Muni, we all wish to
Go forth and be ordained.”
11.­179
Then, the merciful Teacher,
The compassionate great ṛṣi,
Said, “Come, monks!”
Thus they were ordained.
11.­180
Śāriputra, whose wisdom was great,
Maudgalyāyana, who possessed magical power,
The elder Nandika Kapphiṇa,1171
Who was conversant in eloquence‍—
11.­181
These elders skilled in eloquence [F.46.a]
Instructed them
In the pleasant forest
On the bank of the Prabhadrikā River.1172
11.­182
There, having learned from them the discourse of the Dharma
That was suitable for them,
The monks were soon liberated
And were established in the supreme goal.
11.­183
Having seen such profit and become happy,
They were emancipated in those very lives.
Delighted, they worshiped
The Buddha, leader of the world.
11.­184
They worshiped the excellent Dharma,
The best of assemblies, learning praised by the Victor,
Meditation, giving,
And carefulness.
11.­185
Thus, those who wish for
Profit or majesty for themselves
Should honor the Buddha, the Dharma, and the community
And seek refuge in them.
11.­186
These are praised by the Seer of the Truth
As the true refuges in the world.
They give every kind of happiness
To those who are frightened by harm.
11.­187
Those who wish for liberation should always rely on
The greatest thing consistent with the Dharma,
Which is the teaching of the king of the Dharma,
Descendant of the sun, the Buddha.
11.­188

The verses of Kaineya are completed.

II. The Town of Kāśi, Barley Porridge

11.­189

Thereupon the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kāśi, went to the town of Kāśi.1173 In the town of Kāśi, there were a father and son who had originally been barbers1174 but had gone forth. The son said, “Father,1175 the Blessed One has come to the monastery, having traveled in the country of Kāśi with the community of his disciples. Since the Blessed One and the community of monks are fatigued, let us now invite the Blessed One and the community of his disciples for a meal of barley porridge.1176 And so, will you prepare rice soup1177 or invite the community of monks?”

11.­190

“You should go and invite the community of monks,” said the father. “I will prepare rice soup.”

11.­191

The son then invited the community of monks. The father went to the market, carrying a mirror with him. There he saw the head of a guild, who had long hair and a long beard. When he showed him the mirror, he asked, “O noble one, do you have such a skill?” [F.46.b]

11.­192

“Yes, I do,” he answered.

“If you do, please shave me.”

11.­193

When he began to shave him, the householder fell asleep and woke up when the shaving was done. “O noble one,” he asked, “have you finished shaving?”

“Yes, householder, I have.”

11.­194

He was delighted and said, “O noble one, as I am quite completely satisfied, I will offer you what you most wish.”

He replied, “Since I have invited the community of monks headed by the Buddha for a meal of barley porridge, give me barley porridge.”

11.­195

“Noble one, is such a thing as barley porridge suitable for you?” the householder asked. “I will offer you a fine meal. Go and invite them!”

Having saluted him, he departed.

11.­196

Then the householder prepared a pure and fine meal . . . the Blessed One sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When the fine meal was distributed there, the monks wondered, “Since we have been invited for plain food, how can we accept this fine meal?” They did not accept it. When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “If one is invited for plain food and obtains a fine meal, one can consume it. You should not have any doubts about this.”

11.­197

The Blessed One thought, “The fault that occurred in this case was that monks retain tools related to their families. Thus, a monk should not demonstrate his skill. He should not keep tools related to his family, either. If he keeps them, he becomes guilty of an offense. There are exceptions: a former physician keeping a box of scalpels, a former scribe keeping an ink bottle, and a tailor keeping a needle case.”1178

III. Khādyaka in Pāpā

11.­198

The Blessed One, traveling through the country of Malla, arrived at Pāpā and stayed in the dense forest of Jalūkā near Pāpā. There lived a maternal uncle of the venerable Ānanda, who was a high official of the Mallas named Roca. He was not very pious. When the Mallas in Pāpā1179 heard that the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Malla, had arrived at Pāpā and was staying in the dense forest of Jalūkā near Pāpā, [F.47.a] they began to talk among themselves: “Sirs, we have heard that the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Malla, has arrived at Pāpā and is staying in the dense forest of Jalūkā near Pāpā. Since if each of us offers a meal to the community of monks headed by the Buddha, the others will not have any opportunity, let us make an agreement so that none of us will by himself offer a meal to the community of monks headed by the Buddha, but we will offer a meal together. If one of us offers a meal by himself, a fine of sixty kārṣāpaṇas shall be imposed on him by our community.”

11.­199

Thereupon the Mallas of Pāpā went to the Blessed One together. When they arrived, they bowed low until their foreheads touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then they sat down to one side. When they had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma . . . delighted the Mallas of Pāpā, and then remained silent.

11.­200

Thereupon the Mallas of Pāpā rose from their seats, draped their upper robes over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to our offer of a meal at one of our houses tomorrow.”

11.­201

The Blessed One assented to the Mallas of Pāpā by remaining silent. Then the Mallas of Pāpā, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, praised and were delighted at the words of the Blessed One, bowed low until their foreheads touched the Blessed One’s feet, rose from their seats, and departed.

11.­202

Roca, the high official of the Mallas, remained there. The venerable Ānanda asked him, “Roca, [F.47.b] have you become pious?”

“I have not become pious,” he answered, “but our community made an agreement . . . a fine of sixty kārṣāpaṇas shall be imposed.”

11.­203

“You came to see the Blessed One for fear of a fine!”

“O honored one, precisely so.”1180

11.­204

The venerable Ānanda then took Roca, the high official of the Mallas, to the Blessed One. Upon their arrival, he said to the Blessed One, “O Honored One, this Roca, the high official of the Mallas, does not believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, or the community. May the Blessed One preach the Dharma well so that he will believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the community.”

11.­205

The Blessed One assented to the venerable Ānanda by remaining silent. Then the Blessed One preached the Dharma to Roca, the high official of the Mallas, so that after listening to it, he would believe in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the community. Thereupon Roca, the high official of the Mallas, rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to the Blessed One, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal at my house tomorrow.”

“Roca, I have already been invited by the Mallas of Pāpā.”

11.­206

“May the Blessed One assent, and I will make the Mallas of Pāpā allow this.”

“Roca, if the Mallas of Pāpā allow it, I will thus assent to you.”

11.­207

Thereupon Roca, the high official of the Mallas, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, rose from his seat, departed, and went to see the Mallas of Pāpā. When he arrived, he said to the Mallas of Pāpā, “Sirs, [F.48.a] wait for a while. It will not cause difficulty if I first offer a meal to the Blessed One and the community of monks, and later you also offer a meal to them.”

11.­208

“We invited the community of monks headed by the Buddha first,” they replied. “We do not consent to this.”

11.­209

“If you do not allow this,” he countered, “I will distribute khādyaka1181 and drinks respectively.”

Those who were impious there said, “We do not permit this.”

11.­210

Those who were pious said,1182 “Sirs, since he, being impious, will give offerings to the community, we will give him permission to do so.” Then they did give him permission.

11.­211

He then called together some cooks. “Sirs,” he instructed them, “I will provide every ingredient, so prepare khādyaka with which one would be fully satisfied.” He gave them ingredients including various fragrant materials, and they cooked khādyaka with various fragrances, each serving of which would fully satisfy each person.

11.­212

Thereupon the Mallas of Pāpā prepared a pure and fine meal during the night . . . . The Blessed One sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. Then Roca, the high official of the Mallas, began to distribute khādyaka and drinks, but the monks did not eat because of some doubts. The Blessed One said, “You should ask for the donor’s consent.”

11.­213

The monks asked for the consent of the Mallas of Pāpā. “O noble ones,” they said, “we were deceived by Roca,1183 the high official of the Mallas. Please receive it anyway.”

11.­214

Thereupon Roca, the high official of the Mallas, distributed khādyaka, and the monks were fully satisfied with it. Since the Blessed One had assigned the rewards of the offerings and departed, the food provided by the Mallas of Pāpā was not consumed.

IV. Doubts

11.­215

On another day, [F.48.b] when monks went for alms, brahmins and householders said, “O Buddha, please come! O Dharma, please come! O community, please come! Accept this!”

11.­216

The monks did not accept it because of some doubts. The Blessed One told them, “You should ask, ‘Are you giving it to me or the Blessed One, the best of humans?’ If they say, ‘This is for the Blessed One, the best of humans,’ you should not have it for yourselves. But if they say, ‘Our Buddha is none but you,’ you can accept it. You should not have any regrets about this. Likewise, you should ask, ‘Is this for the Dharma, the best of what is free from desire?’ ‘For the community, the best of assemblies?’ . . . .”

V. Foul Foods1184

A. A Story of the Present about the Great Peacock Charm

11.­217

The following took place in Śrāvastī.


11.­218

A certain householder invited the community of monks headed by the Buddha to a steam bath. At that time, a venerable one named Svāti, who was young, junior, and in his youth, who had newly gone forth and newly been ordained, newly come into this Dharma and Vinaya, thought, “The Blessed One said, ‘Those who give a little, those who give much, those who give excellent things, those who do labor with pleasure, those who are satisfied with a pure mind‍—all of them share merit.’ So, I will now do labor.” He began to chop wood. Then a poisonous snake emerged from a hole in a rotten piece of wood and bit him on the right big toe. He fainted from the poison, fell on the ground, and foamed at the mouth, his face and eyes distorted.

11.­219

Brahmins and householders saw him suffering in such pain and asked each other, “Sirs, which householder’s son is this?”

Some of them answered, “He is So-and-so’s son.”

11.­220

They said, “He went forth among those who are helpless, those śramaṇas who are the sons of the Śākyans. [F.49.a] If he had not gone forth, his family would have treated him.”

11.­221

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Ask a physician what to do and treat him.”

The monks asked a physician what to do, and he answered, “Noble ones, give him some foul food.”

11.­222

When the monks reported this to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “You can give it to him if the physician prescribed it.”

Because the monks did not know what foul food was, they asked the physician. He answered, “Noble ones, since your Teacher, the Blessed One, is omniscient, one who sees everything, he must know.”

11.­223

When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks, the types of foul food are as follows: excrement, urine, ash, and soil. Among these, excrement is that of newly born calves. Urine is that of them too. Ash is that of five kinds of trees, namely, kāñcana, kapītaka, aśvattha, udumbara, and nyagrodha. The soil is that which is dug out from a depth of four fingers from the surface of the ground. These are the types of foul food.”

11.­224

Thereupon the monks gave foul food to the venerable Svāti, but his health did not return. When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Ānanda, can you receive the Great Peacock Charm from me, learn it, protect, guard, and defend the monk Svāti, detoxify the poison, remove the harm, counteract the poison, establish a boundary, and bind the ground?”

“May the Blessed One say it. I will do as I hear.” [B60]

11.­225

Then the Blessed One chanted this Great Peacock Charm: “Homage to the Buddha! [F.49.b] Homage to the Dharma! Homage to the community!

11.­226

“It is like this: amale vimale nirmale maṅgale hiraṇye hiraṇye garbhe bhadre subhadre samanta­bhadre śrī­bhadre sarvārtha­sādhani paramārtha­sādhani sarvānartha­praśamani sarva­maṅgala­sādhani manasi mānasi mahā­mānasi acyute adbhute atyadbhute mukte mocani mokṣaṇi araje viraje amare amṛte amaraṇi brahme brahmāsvare pūrṇe pūrṇamanorathe mukte jīvante,1185 protect Svāti from all harm, fear, and disease, svāhā!”

11.­227

“Certainly, O Honored One.”

Thus, the venerable Ānanda received the Great Peacock Charm and gave a blessing to the monk Svāti, so that the poison disappeared and his health returned.

B. Stories of the Buddha’s Former Lives Related to the Great Peacock Charm

11.­228

The monks, feeling doubtful, asked the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, for clarification, saying: “O Blessed One, it is a great wonder that the Blessed One’s Great Peacock Charm is so beneficial1186 and useful.”

11.­229

“Listen, monks, how, not only in the present but also in the past, when I was one whose body had descended to an unfortunate state of existence, the Great Peacock Charm, the Queen of Charms, was beneficial and useful.

11.­230

“Monks, there once lived a peacock king named Suvarṇāvabhāsa on the southern slope of the Himalaya, the king of mountains. He gave a blessing to himself with this Great Peacock Charm every morning and spent the day, protected by the blessing, then gave a blessing in the evening and spent the night, protected by the blessing.

11.­231

“One day, seized by a strong desire, indulging in the objects of desire, eager for them, intoxicated, stultified, and infatuated, he carelessly wandered together with many forest peahens from one park to another, from one garden to another, from one slope of the mountain to another. When he entered a certain mountain cave, he [F.50.a] was caught there by old enemies‍—foes and adversaries‍—watching by a peacock trap for an opportunity. Having fallen into his antagonists’ hands, he fainted but later came to himself and reflected upon this Great Peacock Charm, namely: Amale vimale nirmale maṅgale hiraṇye hiraṇye garbhe bhadre subhadre samanta­bhadre śrībhadre sarvārtha­sādhani paramārtha­sādhani sarvānartha­praśamani sarva­maṅgala­sādhani manasi mānasi mahā­mānasi acyute adbhute atyadbhute mukte mocani mokṣaṇi araje viraje amare amṛte amaraṇi brahme brahmāsvare pūrṇe pūrṇamanorathe mukte jīvante, protect me from every harm, svāhā!

He then broke the peacock trap and ran away.

11.­232

“What do you think, monks? The one who was that peacock king Suvarṇāvabhāsa at that time, on that occasion, was indeed me. My Great Peacock Charm was beneficial and useful at that time. And it is beneficial and useful now, too.”

“See, O Honored One, how a blessing was given to the monk Svāti with the Blessed One’s charm.”

11.­233

“Listen, monks, how, not only in the present but also in the past, it was so. Monks, once there was a snake charmer in the city of Vārāṇasī. A certain kṣatriya boy was bitten by a snake and died. The snake charmer revived him with this charm.

11.­234

“What do you think, monks? The one who was that snake charmer at that time, on that occasion, was indeed me. The boy at that time, on that occasion, was indeed the monk Svāti.”

11.­235

The Chapter on Medicines is completed.


ab.

Abbreviations

AA Aṅguttara­nikāya-Aṭṭhakathā. Edited by Walleser and Kopp (1924–56).
AG Anavatapta­gāthā.
AKBh Abhidharma­kośa­bhāṣya. Edited by Pradhan = Pradhan 1967.
AKUp Abhidharma­kośopāyikā-ṭīkā. (Section numbers are based on Honjō 1984 and 2014.)
AN Aṅguttara­nikāya = Morris et al. 1885–1961.
AdhvG Adhikaraṇa­vastu. Edited by Gnoli (1978).
Ap Apadāna = Lilley 2000.
BAK Bodhisattvāvadāna­kalpalatā = Chandra Das and Vidyābhūshana 1940.
BHSD Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Grammar and Dictionary. Vol. II Dictionary = Edgerton 1953.
Bhv Bhaiṣajya­vastu.
BhvY Bhaiṣajya­vastu. Japanese translation by Yao = Yao 2013a.
CPD The Critical Pāli Dictionary = Trenckner et al. 1924–92.
Ch. Chinese translation.
ChDas Tibetan English Dictionary = Das 1902.
Crv Carma­vastu.
Cīv Cīvara­vastu.
D Degé xylograph (scanned and published by the Buddhist Digital Resource Center).
DA Dīgha­nikāya-Aṭṭhakathā = Rhys Davids et al. 1968–71.
DN Dīgha­nikāya = Rhys Davids and Carpenter 1890–1911.
DPPN Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names = Malalasekera 1937.
DhpA Dhamma­padattha­kathā = Norman 1906.
Divy Divyāvadāna = Cowell and Neil [1886] 1987.
DĀ Dīrghāgama.
DĀ 35 Ambāṣṭha­sūtra. Edited by Melzer (2010a).
DĀc Dīrghāgama. Chinese translation (Taishō no. 1 Chang ahan jing 長阿含經).
EĀc Ekottarikāgama Chinese translation (Taishō no. 125 Zengyi ahan jing 増壹阿含經).
GBhv The Bhaiṣajya­vastu in the Gilgit manuscript = GMNAI i, 46–134.
GM Gilgit manuscripts of the Vinaya­vastu edited by Dutt = Dutt 1942–50 (page numbers of Bhv, which is in part i, is referred to just with “GM,” and those of other vastus with “GM ii, iii, and iv,” with part numbers).
GMNAI i Gilgit Manuscripts in the National Archives of India: Facsimile Edition vol.