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T1 The Canonical Book of the Buddha’s Lengthy Discourses, Vol. I

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Sutra 5

Lesser Causality

(Dīgha Nikāya 27: Aggañña Suttanta)

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was sojourning in the country of Śrāvastī at Mṛgamātā's lecture hall at the Nunnery of the Eastern Grove, accompanied by one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus. At that time, two brāhmaṇas, with firm faith in their hearts, visited the place of the Buddha, renounced family life, and joined the Buddha's religious path. One was called Vāseṭṭha (Pāli) and the other was Bhāradvāja. At that time, the World-honored One came out of the meditation room and began his meditative walk back and forth on the hall's terrace. Then, having seen the Buddha practicing walking meditation, Vaseṭṭha quickly went to Bhāradvāja and said to him:

Don't you know that the Tathāgata has now come out of the meditation room and has begun his meditative walk? We should go see the Worldhonored One, and we should listen to what the Tathāgata teaches us. Then, as advised by his friend, Bhāradvāja followed Vāseṭṭha to visit the World-honored One and, having venerated the Buddha by bowing their foreheads to his feet, both began to follow the Buddha in the practice of walking meditation.

At that time, the World-honored One said to Vāseṭṭha, "O you two, born

in the brāhmaṇaclass, with firm faith in the Dharma that I teach, have you decided to forsake family life and practice the way?" Vāseṭṭha replied, "Yes,

we have so decided, sir.

The Buddha said to them,

"O you two, when you are practicing the path of religion under my instruction, isn't it likely that other brāhmaṇas will accuse you and make complaints and warnings?" They answered, "Yes, sir,

our renunciation of family life and conversion to the path of practice under the Buddha's guidance will invite such accusations of us, sir. "

The Buddha asked,

"Why do they accuse you?" At once they replied to the Buddha:

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They accuse us, saying,

"Our brāhmaṇaclass is superior while the rest

are inferior; our class is clean and white, while the rest are black and dark; our class is derived from Brahmā, born of his mouth; and as our class realizes pure and genuine emancipation in this present life, the life to come will [therefore] also be pure and genuine. Why do you abandon our pure and genuine class and join the different religion professed by Gautama?" O World-honored One, when they see our renunciation of family life and conversion to the practice of the Buddha's path, they will surely criticize us with these accusations, sir. The Buddha said to Vāseṭṭha:

You may find many people who are as stupid and ignorant as animals and birds. Thus some claim,

"Our brāhmaṇaclass is superior while

the rest are inferior; our class is clean and white while the rest are black and dark; our class is derived from Brahmā, born of his mouth; and as our class realizes pure and genuine emancipation in this present life, the life to come will [therefore] also be pure and genuine. "

O Vāseṭṭha, in the path of the highest truth that I now teach, no such criterion invoking class difference is needed. The path I cultivate does not rely on a mind of self-conceit. The secular world relies on such a criterion, but not my religious salvation. If any śramaṇaor brāhmaṇa relies on the class-status criterion, he cannot realize highest, perfect enlightenment. Only when one casts away the class-status criterion and removes the mind of self-conceit can one realize genuine enlightenment and accept the right Dharma that I teach. People do not like those of inferior backgrounds. The Dharma that I teach does not so discriminate.

The Buddha said to Vāseṭṭha:

Even when the four class divisions are differentiated, I am obliged to say that both good and bad are equally found in all of their members, and the wise praise equally the good while accusing the bad in any of these classes of people. What are the four [classes]? They are first, the kṣatriyas, with royal or warrior status; second, the brāhmaṇas, of priestly or scholarly status; third, the vaiśyahouseholders, who are 212

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farmers and merchants; and fourth, the śūdras, who are destitute or of servile status.

O Vāseṭṭha, listen carefully. Within the kṣatriyaclass there are murderers, thieves, those who commit sexual abuse, speakers of falsehood, double-dealers, speakers of harsh words, frivolous sycophants, those who have covetous minds, those with malicious intent, and those with wrong views. There are also these kinds of wrongdoers among the brāhmaṇaclass, among the vaiśyas, and among the śūdrapeople as well. O Vāseṭṭha, for any wrong action there will be a unfortunate retribution. When one commits an evil action, he will reap an evil retribution. If such causal effect occurs only among those of the kṣatriya, vaiśya,and śūdra classes but not among the brāhmaṇas, then the brāhmaṇas could claim that their class is superior while the rest are inferior; that their class is clean and white while the rest are black and dark; that their class is derived from Brahmā, born of his mouth; and that because their class realizes pure and genuine emancipation in the present life, the life to come will also be pure and genuine. If, however, according to the same principle, for a wrong action there is an evil retribution; that is, if one were to commit an evil action, black and dark in nature, that person will receive an evil retribution equivalent in nature with its action. This also invariably applies equally to those of the brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya,vaiśya,and śūdraclassses, and therefore the brāhmaṇas cannot claim that their class alone is pure and genuine and superior. O Vāseṭṭha, if, on the other hand, within the kṣatriyaclass there are those who abstain from committing murder, theft, sexual abuse, speaking falsehoods, double-talk, using harsh words, frivolous sycophancy, and who do not have a covetous mind, malicious intent, and wrong views, then in a similar manner there are also those who abstain from these wrong deeds among those of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,and śūdra classes. If anyone who belongs to any of these classes should learn the foregoing ten kinds of good deeds and actually put them into practice, good rewards will necessarily follow. If one commits a good and genuine act, he will receive a good reward. If this principle of causal reward applies only to the brāhmaṇapeople and not to kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, or śūdras, then the brāhmaṇas can claim that their brāhmaṇaclass alone 213

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is pure and genuine and superior. If, however, the same principle equally and invariably applies to all four classes, then the brāhmaṇas cannot claim that their class is pure and genuine and superior. The Buddha said to Vāseṭṭha:

Now, we see no difference from others in the manner of childbirth in marriage among the brāhmaṇapeople, yet some of them falsely claim that their brāhmaṇaclass is born from the mouth of the creator Brahmā, is pure and genuine in this life, and will also be pure and genuine in the life to come. My disciples all vary as to their class status and backgrounds, yet even though they come from different classes and backgrounds, they have renounced family life and joined my religion, and have received higher ordination in order to practice the path. If someone asks them,

"What class are you from?"

, they should reply to this question by saying,

"I am a son [or daughter] of the Śākya śramaṇa.

One should also say, of his own initiative:

We śramaṇas are all born from the parental mouth. Born out of our religious conversion, we realize the pure and genuine life [now] and the life to come will also be pure and genuine. The reason is that the name "the great god Brahmā" is a title for the Tathāgata, and the Tathāgata is the Eye of Wisdom of this world, the insight of this world, the Dharma of this world, the Brahmā of this world, the Dharma wheel of this world, the nectar of this world, and the foremost religious master of this world.

O Vāseṭṭha, if one among the kṣatriyapeople devoutly believes in the Buddha, he necessarily believes that the Tathāgata is endowed with the ten supreme titles, such as the one liberated from attachment, the fully enlightened one, and so forth. He who devoutly believes in the Dharma believes that the Dharma of the Tathāgata, subtle and delicate, pure and genuine, should be practiced and exhorted at all times, that it is shown to be the essential nature of nirvana, and that it can be known only by people of insight. It is not the kind of teaching that an ordinary person can fathom. He who devoutly believes in the sangha believes that the members of the sangha are good and honest, have 214

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realized the fruits of the path, and have acquired their own disciples and followers, and, being true disciples of the Buddha, they have accomplished the truth of the Dharma. "Sangha" means realization of the

membership that embodies the discipline, concentration, analytical insight, emancipation, and subsequent insight of emancipation. The sangha consists of those who are spiritually ready for the state of streamenterer, and those who have realized it; those who are ready for the state of once-returner, and those who have realized it; those who are ready for the state of nonreturner, and those who have realized it; those who are ready for the state of arhat, and those who have realized it. Whoever devotedly believes in the sangha should have faith in these, known as the four pairs of people or the eight distinguished persons, the wise and holy disciples of the Tathāgata, worthy of honor and respect as the best field of merit for charity in the world. Therefore when one has devout faith in the efficacy of precepts and discipline and holds steadfastly to them, without slackening, without dropping out in hiatus, without defilement, that person will be one who is praised by the wise as perfectly endowed with goodness and quiescence. O Vāseṭṭha, all people, whether they are members of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclass, should firmly believe in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha and thereby realize the holy precepts and discipline that are upheld by holy disciples.

O Vāseṭṭha, among those of the kṣatriyaclass, there are many who dedicate themselves to the Arhat (i.e., the Buddha) with offerings of food and service, reverence and veneration. In a similar manner, among members of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,and śūdra classes too, there should also be those who dedicate themselves to the Arhat with offerings of food and service, reverence and veneration.

The Buddha said further to Vāseṭṭha:

Now, on the one hand, those kṣatriyas who are related to me as members of the Śākya clan support King Prasenajit of Kośala as their common ancestral monarch with propriety and respect, while, on the other hand, King Prasenajit visits me with offerings of food and service, as well as reverence and veneration. It is not because the king thinks to himself, 215

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"The śramaṇaGautama comes from a powerful clan, whereas I come from a family inferior to his.

" Nor is it because he thinks,

"The śramaṇa

Gautama was born in a family endowed with great wealth and great influential power, whereas I was born in a lowly, impoverished, and uncultured family.

" Nor is it because he makes offerings and service to the Tathāgata that visits me with offerings and service. King Prasenajit views things in reference to the Dharma and clearly recognizes the distinction between what is true and what is false. Because of his conviction he began to develop pure and genuine faith, and now offers his respects to the Tathāgata.

O Vāseṭṭha, I shall now inform you of the ultimate origin of the four class-status differences. At the beginning of this new eon and at the end of the former one, when the preceding eon was totally destroyed, all sentient beings died and were reborn in Light-sound Heaven, where light becomes word. They were physically transformed so as to be able to live on ideas or thoughts as food, emitting light automatically, and flying in midair with supernormal speed. Later on, the surface of the earth changed into water all around. There was no sun, moon, or stars, neither day or night, year or month; total darkness prevailed. Later on, when the water had changed into solid ground, the heavenly beings in Light-sound Heaven naturally lost their merit after their deaths and they came to be born in this new land. Although they were reborn in a different world they still continued to live on thoughts, fly with supernormal speed, their bodies automatically emitting light, and they continued to exist in that new world for some time. They called themselves "sentient beings.

Later on, however, a fountain of sweet water sprang up, just as cream arises from butter or honey springs up from underground. Some of the firstborn, whose natures were imprudent, having seen the fountain quietly thought to themselves, "I shall taste this water to find out

what it is.

" Immediately they stuck their fingers into the fountain and tasted the water, and in this way, having repeated this a few times, they were addicted to the sweetness of the taste and openhandedly indulged themselves, partaking of it with insatiable desire. This kind of attachment, addicted to pleasure, can hardly be ended through a 216

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sense of weariness due to overabundance. Other sentient beings also imitated these beings in tasting the water, and after a few tastes they too were invariably soon addicted to it as well. Even before they felt fully satisfied, because of this diet their bodies became coarse and their flesh became stiff, losing its heavenly subtle color. They no longer had the supernormal speed of flight and were only able to crawl on the surface of the ground. Their bodily light was totally diminished, and heaven and earth were nearly all dark.

O Vāseṭṭha, you should know of the regularity of heaven and earth, such that after the great darkness there will appear the sun, moon, and stars in mid-space; later there will appear day and night and brightness and darkness, respectively; and finally, days, months, and years. At that time the sentient beings ate only from the earth and thus existed a while on the surface of the ground. Whoever ate more of the food developed a sickly complexion with rough and ugly skin, whereas whoever ate less of it continued to bear a pleasant complexion. Varieties of appearance, such as pleasant, ugly, noble, and handsome, all began from that circumstance.

Some of those whose appearance was more handsome than ordinary became conceited and slighted those whose appearance was ugly. In return, those whose appearance was ugly felt jealous and covetous, and hated those whose had a better appearance. The sentient beings began to dispute among themselves. At that time, the sweetwater fountain dried up of its own accord, but the area naturally produced outgrowths upon the ground, which were of pleasant color and taste, good scent and cleanliness, and could be eaten. At that time, the sentient beings continued to live again by partaking of these outgrowths from the ground. Whoever ate [of these outgrowths] excessively lost their good complexion, their skin becoming rough and ugly, while whoever ate less retained their pleasant complexion. The beings who managed to keep their pleasant appearance became conceited and disdained those who looked ugly, while the latter became jealous and covetous and hated the former. The sentient beings thus once again began to dispute among themselves. 217

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At that time the outgrowths ceased to be produced, and in the ground there grew instead coarse, thick outgrowths, some of which had good scent and taste and could be eaten, though these were far fewer in quantity. The sentient beings continued to live again by partaking of these outgrowths from the ground. Whoever ate excessively lost their good complexion, their skin becoming rough and ugly, while whoever ate much less maintained a pleasant complexion. As before, the problem of good or bad with regard to those whose appearance was handsome and those whose appearance was ugly [once again] led to disputes. Then those outgrowths ceased to be produced. In the ground there instead grew a nonglutinous rice crop. Since its grains had no husks but were of good color and taste and were quite edible, the sentient beings again continued to live for some time by partaking of this rice crop. While their subsistence on the rice crop continued in the world, male and female beings were attracted to each other, resulting in the natural arousal of carnal desire and mutual intimate relations. Having seen them together, the others warned them, saying, "What you are

doing is not right. You are excommunicated and driven out of our human community. Come back when the duration of three months has passed. "

The Buddha continued:

What had once been regarded as bad then came to be regarded as good. Those sentient beings learned the pleasure of sexual intercourse, pursued emotion, and fulfilled desire in every way without control, without restriction. Because of their mutual shame they began to construct private houses. This was the beginning of the institution of housing. As they indulged in sexual intercourse, this naturally reinforced their carnal desire to increase in intensity. Thus developed the womb, due to unclean behavior, and this was the functional beginning of the human reproductive organs. At that time, the sentient beings partook of rice grain grown naturally. They harvested it as needed throughout the day, and hence it was never overharvested. Then a lazy person quietly thought to himself, "Harvesting rice for breakfast in the morning and again for dinner in the evening is too much work. I will take at one time enough rice for both 218

Sutra 5: Lesser Causality

meals.

" Later, one of his friends called him to go harvest rice together. The former replied,

"I have [already] harvested enough rice to be used for two meals today. If you wish to harvest, go by yourself. " The man

then thought to himself,

"How cunning he is! He harvested more rice

than he needed for one meal and stored it until it was needed. I too will now harvest and store enough rice for three days. " Thus, that man [harvested and] stored enough rice for three days' meals. Then another man asked him to harvest rice together. He replied, "I have already

harvested and stored the amount I need for three days. If you wish to go harvest rice, go by yourself.

" So this man too thought to himself,

"He is cunning; he harvested enough rice to serve for three days and keeps it in storage. I will try to best him by harvesting and storing enough rice for five days.

" At once he harvested rice to serve for five

days. Soon all the sentient beings tried to outdo the others in harvesting rice. Thus, overharvested, the rice crop became barren and weed-ridden and began to produce husks. Once cut down it did not grow again. The sentient beings were not pleased at all and were worried and bewildered. They thought:

When originally born, I initially lived on thoughts as food, flew with supernormal speed in midair, my body automatically emitted light, and I continued to exist in this world. Later on a sweetwater fountain sprang up. Since it was like cream from butter or honey with its good scent and taste, it was edible and we partook of it together at all times. As things went on in this manner for some time, whoever partook of it more began to look ugly with a bad complexion, whereas those who partook of it less maintained their good appearance and pleasant complexion. Because of this difference in diet, our appearances began to vary as to fair or ugly. We sentient beings thus held different judgments and hated each other. Then the sweetwater fountain dried up all by itself, and some outgrowth from the soil of this land then developed. Since the taste of this outgrowth was endowed with good color, flavor, and scent and it was edible, we began to partake of it again for some time to come. Whoever partook of it more began to look ugly with a bad 219

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I complexion, whereas those who ate less of it maintained their good looks and pleasant complexion. Because of this difference in our diets our complexions began to vary as to fair or ugly. The sentient beings thus held different judgments and hated each other. At that time, the [previous] outgrowth from the ground ceased to grow, replaced instead by a coarse, thick outgrowth. Since some of this outgrowth was of good scent and taste and was edible, we again began to partake of it. Because of this difference in diet, our complexions began to vary as to fair or ugly. The sentient beings thus held different judgments and hated each other. Then that outgrowth ceased to be produced and a nonglutinous rice crop grew instead. Since the grains had no husks, all of us sentient beings again continued to live by partaking of this rice for some time to come. Then some lazy ones among us tried to outdo the others in harvesting it and storing the rice. Thus, overharvested, the rice crop became barren and weed-ridden and began to produce husks, and once cut down it ceased to grow again. What should we do now?

[The sentient beings] then said to each other,

"We should divide the

land for each of us and put up signs [demarcating ownership]. " At

once, they divided the land among different owners and erected signposts on their parcels of land. O Vāseṭṭa, this was the origin of the term "rice paddy, " a plot of

land for cultivating the rice crop. At that time, when the sentient beings established the boundaries for the respective plots of land assigned to them, the thought of stealing the crops belonging to others gradually developed. Having seen such behavior, the other sentient beings said, "What you have done is not good. Your conduct is wrong because even though you have your own plot of land you steal others' crops. From now on you should not do such a thing.

" Yet there was no end to the

thought of theft among those sentient beings. Nor was there an end on the part of other sentient beings of accusing those who had misbehaved. Sometimes they punished those who had misbehaved by striking them and reporting to the others,

"This man, who has his own plot of land,

has stolen things belonging to others.

" The accused, on the other hand,

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also reported to the others,

"This man struck me.

" At that time, having

seen such disputes, everyone was distressed and they said: The sentient beings are deteriorating morally, just as a rolling stone [degrades], and because of such wrong actions the defilement of filth has developed in this society. This is the cause of birth, old age, illness, and death, and the effect of the suffering of defilement is to fall into the three evil courses of life. These disputes arose because of the parceled lands of rice crops. We would be better off if we elected someone as our leader and let him deal with these disputes. He should protect those who are worthy of protection and punish those who should be punished. Every member of the community shall give a portion of their rice harvest as payment for the service undertaken by the appointed person in dealing with these disputes. Then they chose someone from among themselves who was tall and physically imposing, handsome in appearance, and who projected an aura of authority. They said to him,

"We wish you to become our leader

as elected by us, equal voters, to protect those who need protection, punish those who should be punished, and leave alone those whose lives need not be interrupted. We shall collect a portion of each of our rice harvests for your stipend.

" The person thus chosen by the members

of the community listened to the people's words, took on the role of chieftain, and dealt with the various disputes, while the community collected a portion of each member's rice harvest and provided it to their leader. The [leader] consoled the public with good words. Having heard his words, the people greatly rejoiced and praised him, "Very

good, mahārāja("great king").

This was the origin of the title of "king" in the human world. Because the king ruled his citizens in reliance on the right Dharma, he was called a kṣatriya. This was the very beginning of the kṣatriya class in the human world.

There was one person among the members of the community who thought to himself,

"Household life is a great danger; it is a poisonous thorn. I should abandon my household and stay in the mountain forests, practicing austerity in a secluded place.

" This man thus renounced

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I household life, entered the mountain forests, and practiced contemplation in total quietude and silence. When the proper time came, he picked up an almsbowl and went to a nearby village for an almsround. On seeing him, the people willingly offered him food and praised him with delight, "Very good, sir. You courageously renounced family life to reside in the mountain forests, practicing austerity in total silence, in order to free yourself from all kinds of evil influences.

" This was the origin of

the word brāhmaṇain human society. Among these brāhmaṇas there were some who did not enjoy the life of meditation and contemplation in a secluded place, so they returned to ordinary society, making a profession of learning and reciting sutras, and thus said of themselves, "I

am a nonpractitioner of meditation.

" Because of this, people called such

a person a "nonpracticing brāhmaṇa.

" When such a person lives among

ordinary people he is called an ordinary human brāhmaṇa. Thus there came to be the brāhmaṇaclass in human society.

Among the sentient beings there were some types of people in human society who enjoyed conducting business and amassing riches and wealth. Because of this activity, people called them vaiśya,householders. Again, among the people there were those who excelled in various activities such as engineering, craftsmanship, and so on, and they were the producers of many things. Because of this, there came to be the name śūdra, craftsman.

O Vāseṭṭha, I have now explained the four kinds of classes, but there was another, fifth classification, called śramaṇa. The reason that this term came to be used, Vāseṭṭha, is that among the kṣatriyas there was a man who disliked his own family's profession, shaved his hair and beard, donned the robe of a mendicant, and practiced austerity. This was the beginning of the word śramaṇa. Regardless of whether one is of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclass, therefore, when he does not wish to pursue his duty or profession, shaves his hair and beard, dons the mendicant robe, and practices austerity, he is to be regarded as a śramaṇa.

O Vāseṭṭha, if someone of the kṣatriyaclass physically commits a wrong action, verbally commits a wrong action, or volitionally commits a wrong action, when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends 222

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he is bound to receive the retribution of suffering. In like manner, if someone of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclasses commits wrong physical, verbal, or volitional actions, then when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends he is bound to receive the retribution of suffering.

O Vāseṭṭha, if someone of the kṣatriyaclass performs good physical, verbal, or volitional actions, when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends he is bound to receive the reward of happiness. In like manner, if someone of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclasses performs good physical, verbal, or volitional actions, then when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends he is bound to receive the reward of happiness.

O Vāseṭṭha, if someone of the kṣatriyaclass commits a good or bad action physically, verbally, or mentally, when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends he is bound to receive one of two types [of result]: either the reward of happiness or the retribution of suffering. In like manner, if someone, whether he is of the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclass, commits good or bad physical, verbal, or mental conduct, when his body comes to dissolution and his life ends he is bound to receive either the reward of happiness or the retribution of suffering. If someone of the kṣatriyaclass shaves his hair and beard, dons the mendicant robe, and practices the path, and if he is engaged in the practice of the seven auxiliary practices of enlightenment, it will not be long before he realizes the path. Why is that so? When someone of the kṣatriya class decides to wear the mendicant robe, renounce family life, and practice foremost austerity, he is certain to experience directly in the present life the exhaustion of the cause of birth and death, the accomplishment of the practice of austerity, the accomplishment of what should be done [for religious salvation], and freedom from further rebirth. In the same way, when someone, whether he belongs to the brāhmaṇa, vaiśya,or śūdraclass, decides to shave his hair and beard, wear the mendicant robe, and practice the seven auxiliary practices of enlightenment, it will not be long before he realizes the path. Why? Because if he wears the mendicant robe, renounces family life, and practices foremost austerity, he is certain to experience directly in the present life 223

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Sutra 6. The Universal Ruler’s Practice

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I the exhaustion of the cause of birth and death, the accomplishment of the practice of austerity, the accomplishment of what should be done [for religious salvation], and freedom from further rebirth. O Vāseṭṭha, those śramaṇas who come out of those four different classes and are destined to realize insight and practice in perfect accordance, and thereby attain the ultimate state of arhatship, should indeed be regarded as primary among the five classes of people. The Buddha said to Vāseṭṭha, "The god Brahmā uttered the following verse:"

Among all the sentient beings, The kṣatriyas are superior

In their decisive renunciation of class status. They are foremost in the human world In regard to their capacity Of matching insight and practice. The Buddha said to Vāseṭṭha: What this Brahmā god said is good, it is not misleading. What this Brahmā god understood is not wrong, it is not a mistaken meaning. I shall now immediately approve his statement. Why? Because as Tathāgata I am ready to assert the same statement. Among all the sentient beings, The kṣatriyas are superior

In their decisive renunciation of class status. They are foremost in the human world In regard to their capacity Of matching insight and practice. At that time, the World-honored One completed the foregoing exhortation. Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja realized freedom from the influence of defilements and attained the state in which their minds were totally liberated. Having listened to the Buddha's teaching, the two were delighted with the teaching and followed it.

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Sutra 6

The Universal Ruler's

Practice

(Dīgha Nikāya 26: Cakkavati-sīhanāda Suttanta)

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was sojourning in the communities of the Mātulā country (in Magadha), and after a leisurely journey accompanied by one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples, he arrived at the country of Mātulā. At that time, the World-honored One said to his disciples: You should make yourself your [own] lamplight, make the Dharma your lamplight, but you should not make anything else your lamplight. Rely on yourself as your refuge and rely on the Dharma as your refuge, but do not rely on anything else as your refuge. What do you think this means, O bhikṣus, to say that you should make yourself your [own] lamplight, make the Dharma your lampight, but not make anything else your lamplight, and that you should make yourself your refuge, make the Dharma your refuge, but not make anything else your refuge? Here, each bhikṣushould observe his inner body or inner senses in concentration; he should exert himself with no slackening, be mindful of his observations and keep them in memory, and thereby remove worldly desires and worries. In observing his outer body or outer senses, and also observing both the inner and outer body, each bhikṣushould exert himself with no slackening, be mindful of his observations, and keep them in memory, and thereby remove worldly desires and worries. It is the same with observing one's sense perception, intellect, psychophysical aggregation of elements, and analytical introspection. This is what I mean when I say that each monk should make himself his [own] lamplight, make the Dharma his lamplight, but not make anything else his lamplight, and to make himself his refuge, make the Dharma his refuge, but not make anything else his refuge. Any practitioner who steadfastly keeps the above principle cannot be deceived even by the Evil One, and that practitioner's merit will increase every day. Why is that so? 225

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I Once, during a period in the immemorial past, there was a king, Daḷhanemi (Pāli) by name, who was of the kṣatriyaclass, anointed on his head, and duly enthroned. He became the holy cakravartin,the universal ruler who turns the golden wheel, and he ruled all four quarters of the continent. The king spontaneously ruled the continent in reliance on the Dharma and was endowed with the seven extraordinary treasures: first, the heavenly wheel; second, the white elephant; third, the dark blue horse; fourth, the divine gem; fifth, the jadelike queen; sixth, the gentleman householder; and seventh, the military commander. He had one thousand sons, courageous and valiant, who could defeat any adversary and enabled peace to prevail spontaneously everywhere without the use of weapons.

King Daḷhanemi thus ruled for a long time, but finally he was approaching the end of his life. Then the golden wheel suddenly left its usual position, hovering in midair. The official in charge of the golden wheel at once reported this to the king,

"Your majesty, the

golden wheel has now moved away from its usual position in midair, sir.

" Having heard this report, the king thought to himself: I once heard from some learned elders that when the golden wheel changes its position it means that the king's life span is near its end. Though I have already enjoyed extraordinary rewards foremost among men, I aspire to a heavenly happiness through further expediency. I should have the prince enthroned as the ruler of all the quarters of the continent, except for a village that I may spare for my barber, and have him shave my hair and beard. I will don the three mendicant robes, go forth from family life, and practice the path of religion.

Then King Daḷhanemi at once summoned the prince and said to him: I wonder if you know this. I was told by some learned elders that when the golden wheel changes its position, the king's life span is close to its end. Though I have already enjoyed extraordinary rewards foremost among men, I aspire to a heavenly happiness through further expediency. Now, I am going to shave my hair and beard, wear the 226

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three mendicant robes, renounce family relations, and practice the path of religion. I entrust to your rule the four quarters of the continent. You should exert yourself in inquiring after the populace and assisting them in their well-being and the security of their possessions. The prince accepted all the instructions the king left for him. Thereupon, King Daḷhanemi shaved his hair and beard, donned the three robes, and renounced family life for the practice of the path. After seven days had passed since the king's renunciation of household life, the golden wheel suddenly disappeared. The official in charge of the wheel reported this to the new king: "Your majesty, the golden wheel has suddenly disappeared, sir.

" The king was not pleased and at once visited the [former] king Daḷhanemi and said to him, "O father-king, the golden wheel

has suddenly disappeared, sir.

" Daḷhanemi replied to his son:

Do not be worried or displeased. This golden wheel is no longer [my] possession. When you have accomplished your rule with exertion, according to the right Dharma that is to be upheld by the holy ruler, you should bathe in scented warm water on the full-moon night, the fifteenth of the month, and ascend to the top of the Su dharma-sabhā hall surrounded by the palace ladies. The golden wheel will [then] spontaneously appear before you. The golden wheel has a thousand spokes, rich in color and splendor. It was built by a heavenly master and does not belong to the human world. The son asked his father, the [former] king,

"What is the right Dharma

of the holy king cakravartin, sir? O father-king, please tell me what I should do, sir.

" The [former] king said to his son:

Dear king, you should commit yourself to making the Dharma your reliance, uphold it and let it accompany you as your assistance; you should pay respect and reverence to the Dharma and honor it, carefully evaluate its practical application, make the law primary, and thus protect the right Dharma. Again, you should teach the palace ladies according to the Dharma, and also keep a protective watch over them; you shall instruct the princes, ministers, fellow officials, and all bureaucratic members as well as various people, śramaṇas 227

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I and brāhmaṇas, and keep a protective watch over all of them, even down to the level of birds and animals.

The king said again to his son:

Again, if you find within your territorial confines some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who faithfully carry out pure and true conduct, who exert themselves without slackening in the removal of self-conceit, who uphold perseverance and benevolence and with self-motivation practice in solitary seclusion, realizing quiescence and nirvana; and who, having removed their avarice and desire, help others remove their avarice and desire; and, having removed their hatred and anger, help others remove their hatred and anger as well as to remove their delusion; who on meeting with passion are yet unaffected by it, on meeting with evil are yet unaffected by it, on meeting with delusion are yet free from it, on meeting with something with which to become attached they remain unattached to it; who on meeting with something upon which to dwell are not drawn to it and on meeting with something with which to be occupied do not become preoccupied with it; who are honest in their physical, verbal, and volitional deeds; who are pure and genuine in their physical deeds, verbal expressions, and mental thoughts, as well as in right thought; who never weary of compassion and wisdom; who are satisfied with their food and robes and know how to be content; who go with an almsbowl on alms rounds, blessing the donors who offer charity—if you find such practitioners, endowed with all of the foregoing virtues, you should visit them from time to time and question them:

As to the disciplines that one practices, what is good and what is bad? What should and should not be regarded as committing an offense? With what should one associate and with what should one not associate? What should one do and not do? What kind of principles should one apply in implementing policy in order to secure happiness for a long time? After asking these questions, you should evaluate their answers in your mind and execute whatever should be done and abandon whatever 228

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should not be done. If there are elderly people without children, the state should provide for them. When those who are covetous, impoverished, destitute, and lowly come to take things, you should refrain from rejecting them. You should not change the ancient laws that have existed in the state. These are the major principles that the universal ruler, worthy of turning the golden wheel, should practice. May you respectfully accept these principles and carry them out. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

Having listened to his father's instructions, the new universal ruler carried out his practice of governance in compliance with his father's admonitions. Later, on the fifteenth day [of the month], the full-moon day, he bathed in scented warm water and ascended to the top of the Sudharma-sabhā hall, surrounded by the palace ladies. The treasured wheel then suddenly appeared before the king of its own accord. The wheel had a thousand spokes, rich in color and splendor. It was built by a heavenly master and was not of this world. It was made of genuine gold and had a diameter of thirty-two feet. The universal ruler quietly thought to himself:

I once heard from my virtuous elder the following words: "When a king of the kṣatriyarace, anointed on his head and thus duly enthroned, bathes in scented warm water on the full-moon day, the fifteenth of the month, and ascends to the top of the pavilion, surrounded by the palace ladies, then at that moment the golden wheel will appear before him spontaneously. The wheel, rich in color and splendor, has a thousand spokes. It was built by a heavenly master and does not belong to this world. It is made of genuine gold and has a diameter of thirty-two feet. Thereupon, the king is called the cakravartin,or the one who turns the sacred wheel. "

I see this wheel before me, but who knows if it really works? I should now test this wheel treasure.

Then the king cakravartincalled the four divisions of the army to assemble. He faced the golden wheel directly, and rearranging his garment to expose his right shoulder and kneeling with his right knee 229

40a

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I touching the ground, he rubbed the wheel with his right hand and said to the wheel,

"Let the wheel turn itself toward the east, turning as it should, without losing regularity.

" The wheel at once began to roll

toward the east. King Mahāsudarśana followed after the wheel, leading the four divisions of his army. As the golden wheel rolled forward the four guardian gods were in charge of guiding it. Wherever the wheel stopped, the king stopped his chariot.

At that time, having seen the great king approaching, the rulers of the small countries in the eastern regions prepared a golden bowl filled with silver grains and a silver bowl filled with golden grains, sapproached the king, and, with their heads bowed, said to him: Welcome, great king. The eastern countries are now blessed with an abundance of harvests and produce, the people are prosperous, the nature of the populace is friendly and harmonious, and all are filial to their parents and loyal to their rulers. O holy ruler, your majesty is recommended to govern these lands through offices established here. We shall closely attend your majesty and will execute your commands as you wish, sir.

At that time, King Mahāsudarśana replied to the rulers of the small countries:

Enough, dear wise kings, your offerings have already been appreciated by me. Your majesties rule these countries on the basis of the right Dharma, so that neither injustice nor wrong action can take place in your countries. I say that these two principles embody my governance.

After listening to his exhortation, the kings of the small countries accompanied King Mahāsudarśana on his inspection tour until they reached the eastern ocean The great king then proceeded toward the south, then to the west, then to the north, and in whatever direction the wheel rolled they followed. The kings of the small countries in these regions all abnegated their dominions for the sake of the great ruler, just as the eastern rulers had done.

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At that time, King Mahāsudarśana, having made a complete round of the four oceans following the golden wheel, educated the populace in the path of morality, provided security in their lives, and then returned to his own country. The golden wheel continued to hover in midair above the palace gate. Rejoicing by dancing and leaping, King Mahāsudarśana said, "This treasure, the golden wheel, is truly my blessing. Now I am truly the universal ruler who turns this sacred wheel. " This

is called the realization of the first treasure, the golden wheel. Since that time, the king ruled the continent for the full duration of his life. The golden wheel then suddenly shifted its position from where it had been before. The official in charge of the golden wheel at once reported this event to the king: "Your majesty, the golden wheel has now moved away from its usual position, sir.

" Having heard this report,

the king thought to himself:

I once heard from some learned elders that when the golden wheel changes its position it means that the king's life span is near its end. Though I have already enjoyed extraordinary rewards foremost among men, I aspire to a heavenly happiness through further expediency. I will have the prince enthroned as ruler of all the [four] quarters of the continent, except for a village I will spare for my barber, who will shave my hair and beard. Wearing the three mendicant robes, I will go forth from family life and practice the path of religion. Then the king at once summoned his prince and told him: I wonder if you know of this. I was told by some learned elders that when the golden wheel changes its position the king's life span is near its end. Though I have already enjoyed extraordinary rewards foremost among men, I aspire to a heavenly happiness through further expediency. Now I am going to shave my hair and beard, don the three mendicant robes, renounce family relations, and practice the path of religion. I shall entrust to your rule the four quarters of the continent. You should exert yourself in inquiring after the populace and assisting them in their well-being and the security of their possessions.

231

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I The prince accepted all the instructions the king left for him. Thereupon, King Daḷhanemi shaved his hair and beard, donned the three robes, and renounced family life for the practice of the path. When seven days had passed since the king's renunciation of household life, the golden wheel suddenly disappeared. The official in charge of the wheel reported this to the new king,

"Your majesty, the golden wheel has

suddenly disappeared, sir.

" The king was not worried and he did not

immediately go visit his father, the king. The father-king then suddenly passed away.

Before the new king, the preceding six cakravartinrulers had handed down the principles of governance from one to another and ruled the continent on the basis of the right Dharma. But the new king of the present time relied solely on his own principles and did not rely on the ancient principles for governing the continent. As a result, his reign became unfair and unjust and the entire continent under the heavens was filled with grievances and protests. The land was damaged, its productivity diminished, and the populace declined. A brāhmaṇaminister visited the king and advised him: Your majesty, know that the land has now been damaged, its productivity has been diminished, and the populace has declined, sir. Your majesty, we have still some people who, being learned and knowledgeable, know the history of the past and present, and in addition they know the legacy of the previous king's governance. Why not summon them and listen to what they advise, sir? They can reply directly to your majesty.

Thereupon, the king invited the retainers and questioned them about the legacy of the previous king's governance. These wise and knowledgeable men answered his questions in detail. Following their advice, the king adopted the ancient principles of governance in an effort to protect the world through the Dharma. But he could not extend the reign's service and protection either to elderly people who were without support or to those who lived in abject poverty and destitution. The citizens of the country became increasingly impoverished and finally began committing various crimes of mutual encroachment and 232

Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice seizure by violence, and theft and robbery became more frequent than ever. Then an accuser, hoping to regain his possessions, brought a criminal before the king, asserting: "This man is a thief, sir. Please punish him.

" The king questioned the [accused] man, "Did you really commit

theft?" He replied,

"Yes, sir. I am poor, destitute, and unable to survive. Hence, I could not help doing it, sir. " The king provided the man with

some money from his treasury, admonishing him, "With this you should

support your parents and rescue your family. From now on, do not commit theft.

Some of those who heard this story then deliberately committed theft, and the king also gave them money from his treasury. Thus, again, when someone was robbed of his possessions, in the hope of regaining his losses he brought the robber before the king, asserting, "This man

robbed me, sir. Please, punish him. " The king questioned the accused, "Did you really commit robbery?" He replied, "Yes, sir. I am poor, destitute, starved, and cannot otherwise survive, sir. I could not help it, sir. "

The king then provided the man with some money from his treasury and admonished him,

"With this, you should support your parents and rescue your family, and from now on do not commit robbery. "

Having heard that the king gave money to a man who had committed robbery, some again openly plundered others' possessions. Those who had been robbed, hoping to regain their losses, brought the criminals before the king, saying: "This man is a robber, sir. Please punish him. "

The king questioned them,

"Did you really commit robbery?" and they replied,

"Yes, sir. I am poor, destitute, starved, and I could not otherwise survive, sir. I could not help it, sir. " The king, however, thought to himself: I saw a dire state of poverty and destitution in those earlier cases of robbery, and thought that if some means were granted these people then their criminal behavior would end. Yet it seems that having heard about the earlier cases from one another, some of these miscreants have imitated the others and criminal behavior has increased. The way I have tried to rectify this situation is no longer working. Therefore, I should now have this man bound on a wooden rack, issue an announcement of his execution to the public on every street 233

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I corner, and then have him transported in a carriage from the city to the wilderness for execution. This might prevent future occurrences of robbery.

The king thus ordered his aides to have the man chained and pulled all around the city streets, accompanied by the sound of drumming and the announcement of his crime, and then had him transported out of the city and executed in the wilderness.

Then the people all knew,

"Whoever steals will be caught by the

king's forces, pulled through the streets with his crime announced to the citizens, and then executed in the wilderness. " The news spread

by word of mouth,

"If anyone commits robbery, their fate will be exactly like that of the criminal who has been executed.

" In this situation, the

people began to equip themselves with various weapons in order to protect themselves, such as fighting sticks, knives, swords, and bows and arrows, and they began injuring, murdering, attacking, plundering, and violently robbing one another.

From the time of this king poverty and destitution became a part of human society for the first time; because of poverty and destitution, for the first time there came to be crimes of theft and robbery; because of robbery or plunder, for the first time there occurred armed conflict; because of armed conflict, for the first time there occurred murders; and because of murder the people suffered from bad complexions and exhaustion and their life spans decreased. At that time, the human life span was as long as forty thousand years. Thereafter, it quickly shortened and the average person's life span became twenty thousand years. The age of people then became limited, they met untimely deaths, and suffered unhappiness. Then those suffering people began to have passion for sexual indulgence and insatiable material desire and contrived fraudulent ways to steal others' things. The sentient beings of that time indeed underwent the depredations of poverty and destitution, robbery and theft, armed conflict and murder, one after another, rapidly and frequently.

Human life span was now decreased to ten thousand years. During the age when the life span was reduced to ten thousand years, the sentient 234

Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice

beings were also engaged in robbery and theft. When an accuser brought a criminal before the king in the hope of regaining his lost possessions, and appealed to him,

"This man robbed me, may the king punish him,

and the king then questioned the criminal,

"Have you really robbed?"

the criminal replied,

"No, sir.

" Thus, the vice of speaking falsehoods

arose in human society. At that time, because of poverty and destitution many sentient beings were engaged in criminal acts of robbery and theft. Because of robbery by bandits, there occurred armed conflict. Because of armed conflict, murders occurred; because of murders, the insatiable desire for material goods and sexual indulgence occurred; because of insatiable desire for material goods and passion for sexual indulgence, the vice of falsehood occurred; because of the vice of falsehood, human life span rapidly decreased down to one thousand years. During the period when the life span was one thousand years, three wrong verbal behaviors arose for the first time: deceptive speech, verbal abuse, and sycophancy, or flattering words. These wrong behaviors spread widely. As a result, the human life span was reduced to five hundred years of age. During the period when the life span was five hundred years, there arose three other wrongdoings: immoral sexual behavior, avarice, and erroneous views. These three wrong behaviors spread widely. As a result human longevity futher decreased to three or two hundred years. The present people of our age live only up to a hundred years of age, only a few people live beyond one hundred while the majority live less than that.

In this manner, wrongdoings arose and spread without end and human life span decreased further, eventually down to ten years of age. During the period when human life span is ten years, only five months after birth a female would be of marriageable age. The society of this time would not know of items such as butter, cooking oil, molasses, raw sugar, or any foods of various sweet tastes. The rice grains or rice crop would turn to grass and weeds. Clothing made of silken fabric, silk brocade, twilled fabric, cotton, or white wool, all well known in the present age, would be unknown to those sentient beings. They would make only a rough woven cloth of woolen yarn for wrapping around their upper bodies. 41a

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I 41b

At that time, the ground would be covered with all kinds of thorny plants and the number of all kinds of poisonous insects such as mosquitoes and gadflies, as well as flies and lice, snakes and vipers, and bees and maggots would multiply. Well-known precious materials, such as gold, silver, lapis lazuli, jade, and pearls, would all sink deep down underground, and only clay, rocks, sand, and gravel would surface. In that age, sentient beings would not have heard of the ten good deeds for a long time. Only the ten bad deeds would prevail and overwhelm their society. There would be no name that refers to any of the good laws or norms of conduct. Indeed, how could these people discipline themselves with good conduct when there is no idea of good whatsoever? The sentient beings of that age would commit all kinds of wretched, hideous crimes.

They would not be filial to their parents, nor would they pay respect to their teachers and elders, nor would they be loyal, nor would they have any sense of commitment. Thus only treacherous and unprincipled people would be praised, in exact contrast to the present day, where respect and reverence accrue only to those who are filial to their parents, respectful toward teachers and elders, loyal and faithful, and who practice the disciplines according to the principle of righteousness and morality. The sentient beings of that age would indeed commit the ten evil deeds and thus fall into evil courses of life. Whenever people meet they would wish to kill one another, just as a hunter today would wish to kill deer when encountering a group of them. The earth would be filled with ditches and pits, creeks and torrential mountain rivers, deep valley crevices, and the terrain would mostly be desert with scarcely any people; it would be extremely frightening to travel throughout the land. In that time, whenever an armed conflict or uprising occurred people would fashion spears and lances out of plants and wood, and mutual slaughter and killing would begin and spread widely for seven days. Then some wise one would escape far away from the killing grounds and hide in a pit or cave, and with his mind filled with fear, he would utter words of friendly love,

"If you do not injure me, I too

shall not injure you.

" Eating fruit and the roots of grass and trees, he would maintain his life for seven days. Finally, emerging from the 236

Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice

shelter and finding someone who had survived, he would exclaim in joy,

"You have not been killed!" and the two would rejoice and congratulate each other. Such joy may be compared to the parents' joy when their child has been separated from them for some time but they finally find him and are reunited. The person in question would feel exactly like that, and [the survivors] would mutually congratulate each other. They would then return to their homes, only to find that many of their relations had died.

Again, for seven days, they would cry in sorrow, wailing and mourning. Having passed the initial seven days like this, upon meeting each other and other survivors, once again they would congratulate one another and enjoy and rejoice in their survival. They would then think to themselves,

"Our accumulation of evil causes is extensive. Because of this, we have met the disaster of all our relations having died and our households reduced to nothing. Now we should practice good together. What kind of good deeds do we need to do? It must be the principle of not taking life.

" At that time, all sentient beings would be

determined to cherish friendly love and not kill each other. Under this circumstance, the life span of sentient beings would rapidly increase from ten to twenty years.

The people of this period, whose life span is only twenty years, would think to themselves,

"We have upheld the practice of good, namely not

taking life, so our life spans have increased to twenty years. Now we should practice still more good. What kind of good should we practice? We have already upheld not killing, hence it should now be the principle of not stealing.

" Having thus practiced the principle of not stealing, their life spans would be able to increase to forty years. The people of this period would then think to themselves,

"Because of our practice

of an additional good principle, we have been able to lengthen our life spans. Now we should increase the number of good principles again. What kind of good should we practice? It should be not to indulge in immoral sex.

" Thus, whoever refrained entirely from wrong sexual conduct would to have his life span extended to eighty years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

of our practice of another good principle we have lengthened our life 237

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I 41c

spans. Now we should increase the number of good principles again. What kind of good should we practice? It should be not to speak falsehood. " Thus, whoever refrained entirely from speaking false words would have their life span extended to one hundred and sixty years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

of our practice of another good principle, we have lengthened our life spans. Now we should increase the number of good principles. What kind of good should we practice? It should be not to speak deceptively. "

Thus whoever refrained entirely from deceit would have their life span extended to three hundred and twenty years.

The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

" Thus whoever has refrained entirely from speaking abusive words would have their life span extended to six hundred and forty years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

" Thus, whoever refrained entirely from false flattery would have their life span extended to two thousand years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

circumstance, whoever refrained entirely from being greedy and practiced liberal charity would have their life span extended to five thousand years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

" Thus, whoever refrained entirely from

being jealous and practiced friendly love would have their life span extended to ten thousand years.

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The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

of our practice of another good principle we have lengthened our life spans. Now we should increase the number of good principles. What kind of good should we practice? It should be not to insist on an erroneous perception but to practice right perception. " Thus, whoever practiced right perception and entirely refrained from erroneous perception would have their life span extended to twenty thousand years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

Thus, whoever entirely abandoned these three wrongdoings would have their life span extended to forty thousand years. The people of this period would then think to themselves, "Because

" Thus, whoever was

filial to his parents and respectfully served his teachers and elders would have their life span extended to eighty thousand years. When the human life span increases to eighty thousand years, a woman would be married for the first time at the age of five hundred years. [Even though] at that time there would be nine causes of sickness for humans (cold, heat, hunger, thirst, excretion, urination, desire, covetousness, and aging), the ground would be smooth, even, and orderly with no ditches or pits, no barren hills or wastelands, no thorny trees or plants. There would not be any mosquitoes or gadflies, snakes or vipers, or poisonous insects, and clay, rocks, and gravel would turn to lapis lazuli. The population would increase and there would be no limit to the degree of bountiful produce of all kinds of crops for each member of society, even those of the lowest classes. At that time, eighty thousand large cities would be built. Since cities and villages would be close to one another the sound of the roosters crowing in the morning would be heard from one town to the next.

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At that time, there will appear a buddha. He will be called Maitreya Tathāgata, well endowed with the ten supreme titles, such as Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened, and so forth, just as the present Tathāgata is endowed with all these titles. He will directly accomplish his ultimate experience before the gods Indra and Brahmā, the Evil One [Māra] and his retainers, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas, just as I have accomplished the ultimate experience before the gods Indra and Brahmā, the Evil One and his retainers, śramaṇas, and brāhmaṇas. This future buddha will teach the doctrine of his Dharma. His teaching will be lovely at the beginning, lovely in the middle, and lovely at the end; his words will be endowed with the well-matched meaning and subjective sense; and he will carry out the practice of pure and genuine austerity. It shall be just as my words of teaching today are true and right at the beginning, in the middle, and at the end, well endowed with meaning and sense, and just as I have engaged in the practice of pure and genuine austerity. His disciples will be innumerable, thousands of tens of thousands, just as I have today innumerable disciples. The people of that age shall call his disciples the sons and daughters of Maitreya, just as my disciples today are called the sons and daughters of the Śākya. The king of that age shall be called Suṃkha, a kṣatriyaanointed on his head for enthronement. This universal king will rule the four quarters of the continent on the basis of the principle of the right Dharma. There will be no other king who can contest his rule and he will be endowed with the seven treasures of the golden wheel, the white elephant, the dark blue horse, the divine gem, the jadelike queen, the householder gentleman, and the military commander. The king will have a thousand children, courageous and valiant, who will repulse any adversaries or invaders. Thus all four quarters of the continent will pledge respectful allegiance, causing no wars, and peace will naturally prevail everywhere.

At that time, the holy ruler cakravartinwill erect a streamer post made of precious gems, with a circumference of one hundred twenty feet and eight thousand feet tall, embellished with a thousand varieties of colors. There will be a hundred corners on the top of the tower post, each corner divided into three branches, from which hang streamers woven out of precious metal threads and studded with various precious 240

Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice

gems. After it is completed, the holy ruler will dismantle the tower. The entire structure will be donated to the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas as well as to those who are in poverty, and thereafter the cakravartinwill shave his head, don the three robes, renounce family life, engage in the practice of the highest path, and will directly experience in the present life the exhaustion of the cause of birth and death, the accomplishment of the practice of austerity, the accomplishment of what should be done [for religious salvation], and freedom from further birth. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

You should practice good as strictly as possible. When one practices good norms his life span will increase, his complexion improves, and he will enjoy his life in peace and happiness. You may acquire abundant treasures and will be endowed with the power of authority. As successive rulers complied with the ancient rules of the cakravartin, their life spans increased, their complexions improved; they enjoyed their lives in peace and happiness; and they were endowed with abundant riches and treasures and vested with the power of authority. It is the same with the bhikṣus. You should practice good. Your life span will increase, your complexion will improve, and you will enjoy lives of peace and happiness. How can a bhikṣuincrease his life span? Each bhikṣushould rely on the practice of concentration motivated by desire, applying his effort, without slackening, to the cessation of dispositional forces and to the practice of the supernormal power thereby attained. In a similar manner, one should rely on the practice of concentration motivated by endeavor, motivated by mind, and motivated by thought, applying his effort, without slackening, to the cessation of dispositional forces and to the practice of the supernormal powers thereby attained. This is called the extension of one's religious life.

How can the bhikṣus increase their good appearance? If a bhikṣuis well endowed with the precepts and disciplines he will realize the manner and aura of authority. He experiences great fear over even a minor offense, learns all the precepts and complies with all of them equally, and satisfies all of them meticulously. This is the bhikṣu's realization of increased good appearance.

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I How can the bhikṣus enjoy lives of peace and happiness? A bhikṣu should abandon sexual desire and abandon such wrong passion. He realizes the first meditative state of absorption in which there is an awareness of an object and an act of examining, while the sense of joy and bliss increase through removal of the cause of birth (i.e., reaching the supramundane sphere). Next, eliminating the awareness of an object and the subjective act of its examination, with increasing tranquility or self-confidence, continually applying concentration of the mind, he proceeds to the second meditative state of absorption in which there is neither the awareness of an object nor a subjective act but the sense of joy and bliss predominate in the arising state of concentration. Next, with the fading away of the sense of joy but dwelling in a sense of equanimity, fully aware of subtler bliss, he reaches the third meditative state of absorption in which one experiences the mindfulness and bliss sought by a wise and holy practitioner. Next, transcending both pain and pleasure, removing sorrow and joy, he realizes the fourth meditative state of absorption in which there is neither pain nor pleasure but an increase in the state of equanimity that consolidates pure and genuine mindfulness. This is the bhikṣu's realization of a life of peace and happiness.

How can a bhikṣube endowed with abundant riches and treasures? A bhikṣulearns and practices the mind of friendly love, first by permeating his mind of friendly love infinitely in one direction, then likewise in the remaining three directions. Thus he extends his immeasurable mind of benevolence universally in all directions, neither divided nor bound to limitation. Casting away various feelings of hatred, leaving no ill-will in his mind, the bhikṣuenjoys the state of tranquility and silence, compassion and tenderness. He also completes the remaining three practices: the immeasurable mind of compassion, the immeasurable mind of sympathetic joy, and the immeasurable mind of equanimity. This is the bhikṣu's realization of abundant riches and treasures. How can the bhikṣus be endowed with the power of authority? A bhikṣusees the noble truth of suffering as it really is, and likewise sees as they really are the remaining three [noble truths]—[the truth of] the cause of suffering, [the truth of] the cessation of suffering, and [the 242

Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice

truth of] the path to the cessation of suffering. This is the bhikṣu's realization of the power of authority. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

I have observed all kinds of holders of supernormal power, but none of them surpasses the power of the Evil One [Māra]. Yet a bhikṣuwho has annihilated the influences of defilement has power that is superior to that of the Evil One.

At that time, having listened to the Buddha's exhortation, the bhikṣus rejoiced, respectfully received it, and carried it out. [End of Sutra 6: The Universal Ruler's Practice] 243

Nguồn: BDK America — English Tripiṭaka (bdkamerica.org).