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

Sutra 7

Pāyāsi's Dialogue

(Dīgha Nikāya 23: Pāyāsi Suttanta)

At one time, Kumara-Kāśyapa was leisurely traveling through the country of Kośala together with five hundred bhikṣus and arrived at the village of Śvetavyā. Kumara-Kāśyapa then stayed in a forest of śiṃśapātrees to the north of the village. There happened to be a brāhmaṇa, Pāyāsi by name, who resided in this village. The village was prosperous with bountiful harvests, populous, and full of luxuriant trees. King Prasenajit had granted the brāhmaṇa Pāyāsi the village as a special fief and exempted it from tax collection. The brāhmaṇaalways held an unusual view of life and taught it to others: "There is no world after death, nor is there rebirth, nor even any reward for good or bad deeds done in this world.

"

The people of Śvetavyā village, having heard that Kumara-Kāśyapa had arrived at the śiṃśapāforest together with five hundred bhikṣus from the country of Kośala, said to each other:

This bhikṣuKumara-Kāśyapa is renowned for his realization of the state of arhatship. Being a bhikṣuof advanced, senior rank, learned and erudite in stature, he can respond to anyone with his sagacity, intelligence, and eloquence, and he is especially good at doctrinal debate. It would be great if we could see him.

The people of the village then visited the bhikṣuevery day in due order. At that time Pāyāsi was watching the villagers from the top of a high tower as they proceeded one after another in groups, but he was unable to see where they were going. He asked his attendants, who were holding parasols over him on each side,

"Where and why are these people forming groups and

going one after another?" The attendants replied:

We were told that the bhikṣuKumara-Kāśyapa, with five hundred bhikṣus, has been traveling through the country of Kośala and just arrived at the śiṃśapāforest. We have also heard that being a bhikṣu 245

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I of advanced, senior rank, learned and erudite in stature, he can respond to anyone with his sagacity, intelligence, and eloquence, and that he is especially good at doctrinal debate. These people are forming groups and going, one after another, to see the bhikṣuKāśyapa, sir. Thereupon, the brāhmaṇasaid to his attendants: Go quickly to these villagers and tell them, "Wait awhile. Pāyāsi will

come with you to see the bhikṣu. Why? [I wish to know] if the bhikṣu is a fool, because he is deceiving the people by asserting that there is an afterlife, that there will be rebirth, or that there will be retribution for good or bad conduct, whereas in actuality there is neither afterlife, nor rebirth, nor reward for good or bad deeds. "

As instructed, the messenger at once ran after the villagers and told them, "I am conveying to you that the brāhmaṇaasks you to wait awhile, because he wishes to go with you to see the bhikṣu. " The villagers replied,

"Certainly,

that is splendid. If he comes here, we shall go together. "

The messenger returned and reported to Pāyāsi, "The villagers are waiting

for you, sir. If you wish to go with them, you may go. " The brāhmaṇacame

down from the high tower, had his attendant drive the carriage, and surrounded by villagers in front as well as behind, proceeded toward the śiṃśapāforest. Having reached the forest, he descended from the carriage, proceeded on foot, approached the place of Kāśyapa, and, after exchanging greetings with him with a bow, withdrew to one side to take his seat. Some of the villagers, brāhmaṇas and householders, venerated the bhikṣuand then sat; some greeted him with a bow and sat; others announced their names and sat; some respectfully joined their palms together and sat; and some quietly sat down without saying anything.

Thereupon, the brāhmaṇaPāyāsi said to Kumara-Kāśyapa, "I am obliged

to question you. Can you spare me some time for my questions?" Kāśyapa replied,

"Let me first hear your question. Then I will know if I can [give you some time].

"

The brāhmaṇasaid,

"Now, as to my own view of life, I hold that there is neither afterlife, nor rebirth, nor reward for good or bad action. What is your theory, sir?" Kāśyapa replied:

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I shall question you now, and please reply accordingly, as you wish. Now, do the sun and moon above us belong to this human world or another world? Are they heavenly things or human things? Pāyāsi answered,

"The sun and moon belong to the other world and not to this world. Heavenly things are not human things. "

Kāśyapa said,

"According to your reply, there is necessarily another world; there is also rebirth, as well as the moral retribution of good and bad. "

The brāhmaṇasaid:

Although you assert that there is another world, rebirth, and reward and retribution of good and bad, my reply to your previous question, that the sun and moon belong to the other world, leads to my theory that these three (i.e., afterlife, rebirth, and reward or retribution for good or bad) are impossible.

Kāśyapa asked,

"Do you have some causal reasons by which to know that there is neither afterlife, nor rebirth, nor reward or retribution for good or bad actions?"

The brāhmaṇareplied,

Kāśyapa asked,

"I have some reason for ascertaining my theory. "

"On what causal reason do you assert that there is no afterlife?"

The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, I have some relations and friends who are suffering because they have encountered some calamities and also because they have been ill. I visited and asked them,

"Some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas

respectively teach their different doctrines, such as 'Whoever is guilty of committing murder, enegaging in theft, immoral sex, double-dealing, harsh words, false speech, frivolous sycophancy, or who have a covetous mind, malicious intent, or wrong views will fall into hell when his body dissolves and his life ends.

' I cannot believe this kind of thing

from the outset, because I have never known anyone who, after death, returned to tell us where his [new] life is. If someone were to return after death and tell me where he has been, then I will certainly believe it. Now, you have done all ten kinds of wrongdoings, just as I have done. If the teaching of the śramaṇais correct, when you die you will 247

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I 43b

fall into the great hell. I will believe decisively whatever you say. When you actually find hell, return to tell me and let me know about it. Then I will definitely believe it.

"

O Kāśyapa, after someone died he did not return, even today. He was my close relation and certainly would not lie to me. The fact that he has not returned to let me know [about the afterlife] means that there is no such afterlife.

Kāśyapa responded:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I shall now give you an analogy to help you understand. For instance, people such as thieves or robbers always contrive cunning schemes in violation of the king's law. When such a person is caught redhanded, with clear evidence, he is brought before the king and charged: "This man committed robbery. May your majesty punish him. " The king then orders

his aides,

"Chain him to the wooden rack, pull him all around the city streets, announcing his crime to the public, then transport him out of the city and hand him over to the executioner.

" Thus, as instructed, the

king's aides carry out the order and finally transfer the criminal to the executioner. The criminal speaks in an insinuating voice to the guards, "You should let me go. I must go see my family in order to say goodbye. After that, I will return here.

" What do you think, O brāhmaṇa, would

that guard agree to let him go?

The brāhmaṇareplied,

Kāśyapa continued:

"No, he would not.

"

There are many people like this criminal in the world, and no guard would let such a person go. How much more so with someone like your kinsman, who committed all ten kinds of wrongdoing and was predestined for hell after his body dissolved and his life ended. The hellish guards are merciless, nonhuman; they are in the world of the dead, distinct from the world of the living. If your kinsman had spoken to those guards in an insinuating voice,

"Please let me go for a while.

I will return to the living world and see my relations in order to say 248

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goodbye, and then return here,

" what do you think—would those guards have let him go?"

The brāhmaṇasaid,

Kāśyapa continued:

"No, sir.

"

If you compare both cases, it would be sufficient for you to know that it is reasonable [that there is such an afterworld]. Why do you insist on a delusion that leads to a wrong view [that there is no afterlife]? The brāhmaṇacountered,

"Although you assert that there is an afterlife by referring to such an analogy, I would still say that there is no such world after death.

"

Kāśyapa asked again,

"Do you have any other reason on the basis of which you know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied,

"I have another reason to infer that there is no afterlife.

"

Kāśyapa asked,

"What is the reason?"

The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, one of my relations was seriously ill. I visited him and said to him,

"Some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas respectively teach their different doctrines, saying that there is an afterlife, such that whoever has abstained from committing murder, engaging in theft, immoral sex, double-dealing, harsh words, false speech, frivolous sycophancy, and who does not have a covetous mind, malicious intent, and wrong views will be born among heavenly beings after his body dissolves and his life ends. I cannot believe this kind of thing from the outset, because I have never known anyone who, after death, returned to tell us where his [new] life is. If someone was to return after death and tell me where he has been, I will certainly believe it. Now, you are my close relation and have maintained all ten kinds of good deeds. If the teaching of the śramaṇais correct, after death you will surely be reborn in the heavenly world. I will believe decisively whatever you say, and if it is apparent that you have received the reward of heavenly birth, return to tell me and let me know about it. Then I shall believe it. "

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I O Kāśyapa, after his death he has not returned, even now. He was my close relation and certainly would not lie to me. The fact that he has not returned to let me know [about the afterlife] means that there is no such afterlife.

Kāśyapa again said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I shall now make an analogy to help you understand. For instance, a man fell into a deep latrine and his entire body sank up to his neck. The king ordered his attendants to pull him out, take a bamboo spatula and scrape the filth off of his body three times, wash his body with bean soap and wood ash, then bathe his body with scented warm water, apply scented powder and various incense to his body, have a barber wash his hair and beard, and then wash his body again, three more times. After having his body cleansed with scented warm water, scented powder applied to his body, clothed in a renowned upper garment; and having allowed him to enter the palace and enjoy all the flavors of good food and games and amusements, would he then return to the latrine? The brāhmaṇareplied,

"No, he would not. That was a filthy and smelly

place. Why would he return to such a place?"

Kāśyapa said:

It would be the same with heavenly beings. This Jambudvīpa continent is smelly and filthy and impure. The heavenly beings are far distant, one hundred yojanas above us, and yet they can sense human odors and smell human waste. O brāhmaṇa, one of your relations or friends, well endowed with the ten kinds of good deeds, was necessarily born among the gods and is now enjoying the best of all pleasures through the five senses. So how could he think of returning to this world, which is like a lavatory?

The brāhmaṇareplied.

"He could not, sir.

"

Kāśyapa said again,

"If you compare both cases, it is self-evident. Why do you insist on delusion and cherish a wrong view?" The brāhmaṇa, however, argued,

"Though you assert that there is an

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afterlife on the basis of the foregoing analogy, I still insist that there is no such world after death.

"

Kāśyapa again asked,

"Do you have any other reason on the basis of which you also know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied,

"I have another reason to infer that there is no afterlife.

"

Kāśyapa asked,

"What is that reason?"

The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, someone among my relations was been seriously ill and was about to die. I visited him and said to him, "Some śramaṇas and

brāhmaṇas respectively teach their different doctrines, asserting that there is an afterlife such that whoever has abstained from committing murder, enaging in theft, sexual indulgence, false speech, or ingesting intoxicants will be born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. " I cannot believe this

kind of thing from the outset, because I have never seen anyone who, after death, returned to tell us in which course of life he has been. If someone were to return after death and tell me where he has been, I will certainly believe it. Now, you are my close relation and you have upheld well the five precepts, so [according to the teaching of the śramaṇa] you will be born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven after death. I will believe decisively whatever you say, and if it is apparent that you have received the reward of heavenly birth, return to tell me and let me know about it. Then I will believe it.

"

O Kāśyapa, after his death he has not returned, even now. He was my close relation and certainly would not lie to me. The fact that he has not returned to let me know [about the afterlife] means that there is no such afterlife.

Kāśyapa replied:

One hundred years on earth is only a single day and night in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven. In this manner, thirty days make up a month, twelve months make a year, and the life span of the residents of Trāyastriṃśa Heaven is said to be one thousand years. O brāhmaṇa, your close relation who upheld the five precepts was necessarily reborn in that heaven 251

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I when his body dissolved and his life ended. But suppose that after being born in that heaven he thought to himself, "Since I have been

born here for the first time, I should enjoy my stay here for a few days. "

If he then comes back to report to you about his experience, would he be able to find you here?

The brāhmaṇareplied.

"No, he would not. It would already be long after the time of my death. How could he find me?" Still, Pāyāsi insisted, "I cannot

believe your story. Who could come down from Trāyastriṃśa Heaven and tell you that there is such a heaven and that the life span there is such-andsuch?" Kāśyapa said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of metaphors. I shall now make another analogy for you to help you understand. For instance, a man who has been blind since his birth cannot know the difference between the five colors of blue, yellow, red, white, and black, nor could he know by sight the rough or fine surface of objects or the length or size of objects, nor could he see the sun or moon, the shapes of the stars, or hills or ditches. Someone asks him,

"What are the five colors

of blue, yellow, red, white, and black?" The blind person replies, "There

are no such five colors, nor is there anything, rough or fine, long or short, nor is there anything such as sun, moon, the shapes of stars, or hills and ditches.

" O brāhmaṇa, would his answer be correct?

[Pāyāsi] replied:

No, it is not correct, because we know that there are actually five different colors, blue, yellow, red, white, and black, [and that there are] rough or fine and long or short objects, [and that] the sun, moon, the shapes of the stars, and hills and ditches exist, even though he denies their existence.

Kāśyapa continued:

You are also like this blind man. The life span of the residents of Trāyastriṃśa Heven is real and not unreal. But you deny it just because you have not seen it yourself.

252

Sutra 7: Pāyāsi's Dialogue The brāhmaṇasaid,

"Though you assert that there is an afterlife, I still cannot believe it.

"

Kāśyapa again asked the brāhmaṇa, "On the basis of what other reason do you know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, among the people of the village that I received as my fief there are some who have committed robbery. The villagers caught one thief redhanded and, with clear evidence, they brought him before me, demanding,

"This man committed robbery. Please punish him. " I

replied,

"Tie him up, put him into a large cauldron, set its lid tightly and seal it thickly with mud, so that nothing leaks out. " I ordered men

to surround the cauldron and build a fire underneath it. At that time I wished to test if the person's spirit could escape from the cauldron and I walked around it, followed by my retainers, but I did not see any evidence of the person's spirit coming out from that cauldron. Nor did I see any spirit coming or going when I examined the interior by opening the lid. For this reason, I came to know that there is no afterlife. Kāśyapa continued:

Now I shall question you. Answer me if you can, in any way you wish. O brāhmaṇa, when you rest and fall asleep on the high floor of your residence, have you ever dreamed of mountain forests and rivers, park groves and bathing ponds, country villages and city streets? He answered,

"Yes, I have.

"

Kāśyapa again asked him,

"O brāhmaṇa, when you dream, do your family and members of your household guard you closely for your safety?" [Pāyāsi] answered,

"Yes, they do.

"

[Kāśyapa] again questioned him: "O brāhmaṇa, do your household members see your spirit of consciousness going and coming?" The brāhmaṇaanswered,

"No, they don't.

"

Kāśyapa said:

You cannot see the spirit of living consciousness going and coming. How much less could you see the spirit of a dead man. You should not try to observe the destined afterlife in reference to actual phenomena 253

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I appearing before your eyes. O brāhmaṇa, the bhikṣus reduce the time of sleep during the hours before and after midnight, and without slackening they exert themselves to be mindful of the auxiliary disciplines of the path and exercise supernormal vision through the power of concentration. It is through this supernormal vision that they see the destinies of sentient beings in terms of having died here and having been born there, dying there and being born here, having lived a long life or a short life, having had a good or bad complexion, beautiful or ugly features, having acquired rewards from good or bad deeds, and having entered good or bad courses of life. You should not try to see through ordinary human eyes that are defiled. You deny it because your human vision cannot penetrate the courses of life to which sentient beings are respectively destined. O brāhmaṇa, because of this, you should know that there is necessarily an afterlife.

The brāhmaṇasaid,

"Though you assert that there is an afterlife by making an analogy, according to my view, an afterlife is still impossible. "

Kāśyapa again said to the brāhmaṇa,

"Do you have any other reason on

the basis of which you know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Yes, I do.

"

Kāśyapa asked,

"What is the reason?"

The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, among the people of the village that I received as my fief, some committed robbery. The villagers caught one thief redhanded, and with clear evidence, they brought him before me, demanding, "This man committed robbery. Please punish him.

" I ordered my aides

to tie him up and skin him alive, and [while this was being done] I sought to find the spirit of his consciousness but I could not find it. I also ordered my aides to cut open the flesh and I looked there to find the spirit of consciousness, but again I could not find it. I also ordered my aides to sever the sinews and I sought to find the spirit of consciousness between the bones, but still I could not find it. I also ordered my aides to crush the bones and squeeze the marrow out and I sought to find the spirit of consciousness within the marrow, but again I could not find it. For this reason, I know that there is no afterlife. 254

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Kāśyapa again said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I will now give another analogy to help you understand. Once in the immemorial past there was a country where the land was barren and ruined, and could no longer be used for normal cultivation. Then a group of merchants with five hundred carriages passed through that land. There was a brāhmaṇawho always stayed in the forest to conduct the fire rite in service to the fire god. All the traveling merchants stopped to rest overnight and departed early the next morning. The brāhmaṇathought to himself,

"Last night, many merchants stayed in the forest and they departed early this morning. They might have left some things behind. I shall just go and see.

" At once he went to the place where they had

camped. He found nothing left behind, but there was a small child, as young as a year old, sitting alone. The brāhmaṇathought to himself, "I cannot bear to see this child die before my eyes. I must take this child to my place to raise him.

" So he picked up the child and returned

to his place to rear the child. The child grew quickly and grew to be some ten years of age.

At that time the brāhmaṇa,wishing to go to town for some minor reason, said to the boy,

"I must leave on some business and will be

gone from here for a while. You should guard this fire and never let it be extinguished. If the fire happens to go out, you should use this drill to bore wood and make fire by friction, kindling it into flames again. "

Having instructed the boy in detail, the brāhmaṇaleft the forest on his journey. After his departure, however, the boy indulged in his pastimes and forgot to tend the fire as frequently as he should have. The fire eventually went out. Returning from his play, the boy noticed that the fire had gone out and, distressed, he thought to himself, "What I have

done is not good. When my father left he instructed me in detail how to guard this fire and prevent its extinction. But I indulged in my pastimes and allowed the fire to go out. What should I do now?" At once, the boy tried to rekindle the fire by blowing on the embers, but he could not find the fire there. He cut wood with a hatchet, seeking fire, but he could not find it inside the wood. Then he chopped up some wood and pounded it in a mortar, but he still could not get fire. 255

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I At that time the brāhmaṇareturned from town and entered the forest. He said to the boy,

"I instructed you before to guard the fire. I hope that the fire has not gone out.

" The boy replied,

"While I was playing

I failed to guard it at times; the fire is extinct, sir. " The brāhmaṇaasked

him,

"In what way have you tried to make fire?" The boy replied, "Since fire comes from wood, I split wood with a hatchet, but I could not obtain it. I also chopped up wood and pounded it in the mortar, but I could not obtain fire there either, sir. " Thereupon, the brāhmaṇa

picked up the drill to bore wood and made fire by friction, piling sticks on it for kindling. He then told the boy,

"When you wish to make a

fire you should do so in this manner. You cannot get fire by splitting wood or pounding it.

"

O brāhmaṇa, you too are like that boy, lacking a proper way. By skinning a dead corpse, and so forth, you seek the spirit of consciousness. Concerning sentient beings, you cannot know it just by looking at the actual phenomena before your human eyes. O brāhmaṇa, the bhikṣus reduce the time of sleep during the hours before and after midnight, and exert themselves without slackening to be mindful of the auxiliary disciplines of the path and exercise supernormal vision through the power of concentration. It is through this supernormal vision that they see the destinies of sentient beings in terms of their having died here and having been born there, dying there and being born here, having lived a long or short life, having had good or bad complexion, beautiful or ugly features, having acquired rewards or retribution from good or bad deeds, and having entered good or bad courses of life. You should not try to see through ordinary human eyes that are defiled. You deny it because your human vision cannot penetrate the courses of life in which sentient beings are respectively destined. O brāhmaṇa, because of this, you should know that there is necessarily an afterlife. The brāhmaṇasaid,

"Though you assert that there is an afterlife by quoting an analogy, according to my view, an afterlife is still impossible. "

Kāśyapa again asked the brāhmaṇa,

"Do you have any other reason on

the basis of which you also know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Yes, I do.

"

Kāśyapa asked,

"What is that reason?"

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The brāhmaṇareplied:

O Kāśyapa, among the people of the village that I received as my fief there are some who committed robbery. The villagers caught one thief redhanded, and with clear evidence they and brought him before me, demanding,

"This man committed robbery. Please punish him.

" I

instructed my aides to measure the man's weight on a scale. When they completed the measurement of the criminal's weight, I further instructed them,

"Take him away and execute him through the easiest means, but do not damage the skin or flesh.

" He was executed without any damage

to his body. I instructed my aides to measure the weight of the corpse, which resulted in an indication that the corpse was heavier than the living body.

O Kāśyapa, when the criminal was measured while still alive and the spirit of consciousness was still in his body, his physical complexion was pleasant and good, he was able to talk, and his body was also lighter. After death, however, with the spirit of his consciousness gone, with no particular complexion, and speechless, the corpse turned out to be heavier than the living body. Because of this, I know that there is no afterlife.

Kāśyapa said to the brāhmaṇa:

Now I shall question you. Answer me if you can, in any way you wish. O brāhmaṇa, your experience is comparable to the case in which men measure the weight of iron ore. First, they measure it while it is cool, and then they measure it after it has been heated. Why is iron lighter when it is heated, becoming bright and pliable? Why is it heavier when it is cold and has become dark, hard, and rigid? The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Heated iron is bright in color, pliable, and lighter, whereas cooled iron has no bright color, is rigidly hard, and is heavier. "

Kāśyapa said:

Human beings are also like this. When a person is alive he has color in his complexion and his body is flexible, but after death the body loses color and becomes stiff and heavier. Because of this, you should know that there is necessarily an afterlife.

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

"Though you assert that there is an afterlife by quoting an analogy, according to my view, an afterlife is still impossible. "

Kāśyapa again asked the brāhmaṇa,

"Do you have any other reason on

the basis of which you also know that there is no afterlife?" The brāhmaṇareplied:

I had a relation who became ill, [and when his illness] became critical I visited him and spoke with him. When I helped him lie down on his right side, the movement of his eyes, his limbs stretching and bending, and even his speech was just the same as when he was well. Again, when I helped him turn onto his left side , the turning and twisting of his body, the stretching and bending of his limbs, his eyes' movement, and even his speech were all ordinary. Then he died. Again I had some men turn his body over to lay it with the right side down and then back the other way, with the left side down. I observed [the body] carefully but it did not stretch or bend, there was no eye movement, and there was no speech. Because of this, I know that there is necessarily no afterlife. Kāśyapa said again to the brāhmaṇa:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I shall now give another analogy to help you understand. Once there was a country where the sound of the conch shell was never heard. At that time a skillful conch horn player reached that country and, entering a [border] village, he blew the conch horn three times and then set the conch shell on the ground. Having heard the sound, the villagers, men and women, were all surprised and asked among themselves, "What

was that sound? It was both soft and pleasant and yet thoroughly clear!" The man pointed at the conch shell on the ground and said, "It was the

sound of this thing.

" Then the village people touched the shell with their hands, saying,

'O you, make a sound, make a sound!" The shell

did not make any sound at all. The owner of the conch shell picked it up and blew it three times, then set it back down on the ground. The villagers said,

"The beautiful sound we heard was not because of this shell's power. It is due to the hands that support it, the mouth that blows air into it, and the air blown through it that it thereby makes a sound. "

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A human being is also like this. If he has a span of life still to live and posesses consciousness, and is breathing in and breathing out, he should be able to stretch or bend his body, look at things by moving his eyes, and speak. On the other hand, when his life span is exhausted and his consciousness is gone, neither breathing in nor breathing out, he can neither stretch nor bend his body, nor move his eyes, nor speak. Kāśyapa thus said to the brāhmaṇa, "You should abandon your wrong

view. You should not prolong your suffering and bring yourself distress. "

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"I cannot abandon my theory, because from the time of my birth I have continued to intone and repeat it for a long time. Why should I now abandon it?"

Kāśyapa said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I will now give another analogy to help you understand. Once in the immemorial past there was a country in a frontier region that had been mostly deserted by people. There were two friends in that country; one was called "Wise" and the other was called "Fool. " They said to each other,

"I am your friend; I will go out of the city with you and we shall seek our fortune together.

" Thus they traveled together. They came to an open space [in a village] and saw a heap of hemp that had been thrown away. Wise talked to Fool and they decided that they would both take the hemp. Carrying packs of hemp on their backs, they passed the next village and saw another pile of discarded hemp thread. Wise said, "This

hemp thread is well made, lightweight and of fine texture. We should pick it up.

" The other fellow, however, said, "I am already carrying a

load of hemp, bound tightly and fixed into a pack; I cannot throw it away.

" The wise one at once threw away his load of hemp and picked up the hemp thread as his new load. Again both proceeded on their way and they next found a pile of hemp cloth. The wise one said,

"This hemp cloth is well made, lightweight and of fine texture. We should pick it up. " The other fellow,

however, said,

"I am already carrying a load of hemp bound tightly and fixed into a pack; I cannot throw it away. " Thus, the wise one threw

down his load of hemp thread and picked up a new load of hemp cloth. 259

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I 45c

Again they proceeded onward and then found a pile of cotton cloth. The wise one said,

"Cotton cloth is costly, and this cloth is well made, lightweight, and of fine texture. We should pick it up. " The other fellow

said,

"I am already carrying a load of hemp bound tightly and fixed into a pack; I carried it for a long distance, so I cannot throw it away. "

Thus, only the wise one discarded his hemp cloth and picked up the new load of cotton cloth. They proceeded in this manner, coming upon a pile of cotton thread, next a pile of white cotton blankets, then a pile of copper, silver, and finally gold.

"The wise one said,

"If there is no gold, we should pick up silver;

if no silver, we should pick copper, and so forth; we should pick up hemp thread, and if there is no hemp thread, as the last choice, we should pick up the hemp material. This village is located above a pile of amassed gold treasure. You should throw away the hemp. I too will throw away my silver. Both of us should pick up this gold and carry it on our backs on our return.

" The other fellow, however, said,

"I am

already carrying a load of hemp, bound tightly and fixed into a pack; I cannot throw it away. If you wish to pick up the gold, go ahead. " The

wise one threw away his silver, picked up the gold, and carried it on the return home. The wise one's relatives, having seen the gold treasure he was carrying, were delighted and welcomed his return. The wise one who carried a load of gold was also delighted to see his relatives and to be welcomed on his return. On the other hand, the relatives of the foolish man who returned with a load of hemp were not pleased, nor did they come out to welcome him back. Thus, the one who had carried the hemp felt even more regret and distress. O brāhmaṇa,you should now abandon your obstinate insistence and wrong view. Do not increase your suffering for such a long time. Do not be the foolish man who carried the hemp material, whose obstinate nature was firm to the extent that he did not pick up the gold but continued to carry the hemp material all the way back. He wasted his energy for nothing, his relations were displeased, and his poverty persisted for a long time, thus increasing his distress and suffering. The brāhmaṇasaid:

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I cannot abandon this view of mine after all, because I have been teaching others from this point of view. When the kings of all the other regions hear my name, without exception, they know me as the one whose view of life is that there is no afterlife. Again Kāśyapa said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I shall now quote another analogy to help you understand. Once in the immemorial past there was a country in a frontier region that had been mostly deserted by the people. A group of merchants, driving a thousand carriages, were traveling through the region, but they did not have enough water and grain, firewood, and grass. The leader of the merchants thought to himself,

"Since we have too many accompanying members, and we do not have sufficient water or grain, firewood, or grass, we shall divide the caravan into two parts. " The first caravan

departed as the advance party. The leader of this party saw a huge, tough-looking man, red-eyed, dark-faced, his body smeared witth mud, approaching from the far distance. The leader asked him, "From

where have you come?" The man replied, "I have come from the last

village, where you are heading.

" Again the leader asked,

"Is there

adequate water, grain, firewood, and grass available in that village?" The man replied,

"The place I came from had plenty of water, grain, firewood, and grass. There is no scarcity. During my journey there was a heavy rainstorm and the area should be abundant with water as well as firewood and grass.

" He also told the merchant,

"If you are

hauling grain and grass in your carriages you should discard all of it. Since everything is plentiful where you are going, why should you travel with heavy carriages?"

The leader of the advance party then said to the merchants in the caravan,

"I saw a man who approached from the direction in which we are going. I asked this man, who had red eyes, a dark face, and a mud-smeared body,

'Where have you come from?' The man replied, 'I have come from the last village, where you are going on your path. '

Again I asked him,

'Is there enough water, grain, firewood, and grass 261

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I 46a

available in that place?' He replied, 'Everything is plentiful there. '

He also said to me,

'A while ago, I encountered a rainstorm on my way and the area should be abundant with water as well as firewood and grass.

' In addition, he further told me, 'If you are carrying grain

and grass in the carriages you should discard it all. Since everything is plentiful where you are going, why should you drive heavy carriages?' You should discard all of the grain and grass here, and we will travel through with lightened carriages. " Proceeding onward,

they did not see any water or grass for a whole day, a second day, a third, and so forth, until a seventh day had passed. The merchants became trapped in a desert marsh, or quicksand, and they were devoured by evil spirits.

Later on, the second party also departed, continuing their journey. The leader of this caravan also saw a man approaching from the direction in which they were headed. He was red-eyed, dark-faced, and had a mud-smeared body. The merchant leader asked him, "Where have

you come from?" The man replied, "I have come from the last village, where you are going.

" Again I asked him,

"Is there enough water, grain, firewood, and grass available in that village?" He replied, "Everything

is plentiful there.

" He also said,

"A while ago I encountered a rainstorm on my way and the area should be abundant with water as well as firewood and grass. " Moreover, he told me,

"If you are carrying grain and grass in the carriages you should discard it all here. Since everything is plentiful there, why should you drive heavy carriages?"' Then the merchant leader said to his caravan members, "I have seen

a traveling man who told me 'If you are carrying grain and grass in the carriages you should throw all of it away. Since everything is plentiful where you are heading, why should you drive heavy carriages?' The merchant leader, however, instead advised the members of the caravan,

"Refrain from discarding the grain and grass. Only when a new supply has been obtained should you throw out the old stuff, because by replacing old with new continuously we may be able to cross this wilderness.

"

Thus, the second caravan went on, driving heavily laden carriages. They did not see water or grass for an entire day, a second day, a third, 262

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and so forth, until a seventh day had passed. On the way they saw scattered all over the ground the skeletons of many people who had been devoured by evil spirits.

O brāhmaṇa, that red-eyed, dark-faced man was a cannibal demon. Those who follow your teaching will receive suffering for a long time to come, just like the victims of that demon. The merchants of the advance party, lacking wisdom, followed the words of the [foolish] leader and perished. O brāhmaṇa, if they had instead heeded the words given through the exertion and insight of those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas and followed their teaching, they would have been safe. Just like the leader of the second caravan, if one is endowed with wisdom he can escape from crisis or danger. O brāhmaṇa, you should abandon your wrong view now. You must not increase the suffering and agony of a long night.

The brāhmaṇareplied:

I cannot abandon my point of view after all. Even if someone comes to reprimand me, this only creates indignation on my part. I cannot abandon my view.

Kāśyapa again said:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I will give another analogy to help you understand. Once in the immemorial past there was a country in a frontier region where the land had been mostly deserted by people. There was a man who was engaged in raising pigs. He visited another village and found dried cow dung in an open public space. At once he thought to himself,

"Here is plenty of cow dung.

Since my pigs are starving, I should wrap this dung in grass and carry it on my head.

" At once, he collected grass, wrapped up the cow dung, and loaded it onto his head. On the way back, however, he encountered heavy rain and the dung melted, running down his body, down to his heels. Seeing him like that, people regarded him as insane, saying, "Smeared with dung, smelling hideous, it would be terrible to carry such a load on one's head even on a sunny day, how much more so the impossibility of carrying such a load on one's head on a rainy day like 263

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I this!" Infuriated, the man spoke angry words at them: "You are stupid, because you don't know how hungry my pigs are. If you knew, you wouldn't laugh at me.

"

O brāhmaṇa, you should abandon your wrong view. You should not invite protracted suffering by upholding your delusion. It is like the foolish man who carries cow dung on his head. Even when people gave him warning he became angry at them instead, pointing to their ignorance!

The brāhmaṇasaid to Kāśyapa:

You people (i.e., śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas) insist on saying that if one does good he will be born in heaven, and in that case his afterlife will be better than the present life. If this is so, you should all commit suicide with a knife, or swallow poison, or bind your bodies and throw yourselves from a cliff. But you seem to be desirous of life, unable to commit suicide. This means that you know that the afterlife is not better than this life.

Kāśyapa continued:

Many wise people acquire their wisdom by way of analogy. I will now give another analogy to help you understand. There once lived a brāhmaṇain Śvetavyā village. He was an established and erudite man, one hundred twenty years of age, and had two wives. One of his wives had a son, while the other had become pregnant for the first time. The brāhmaṇapassed away soon after. The first wife's child said to the second wife,

"My father's wealth should be given to me in its entirety; none should be spared for you.

" The second wife said,

"You should wait

until my baby comes. If it is a boy, the wealth should be divided, and if a baby girl is born I will remarry to obtain wealth for her. " The boy,

however, politely asked her the same thing repeatedly, and the woman replied in the same way as before. The child insisted on asking her for the same thing. The woman then cut open her own body in order to see if her baby was a boy or a girl.

Kāśyapa said to the brāhmaṇa:

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The mother killed herself and [in doing so] she killed her fetus as well. O brāhmaṇa, your suggestion implies a similar case. By killing yourself you would also kill others as well. If the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are well endowed in exertion, good discipline, and the virtue of precepts abide in this world for a long time it will be of greater benefit to this world, since the gods and human beings will thereby be secured under their guidance.

I will give a final analogy to help you understand what disasters may be incurred by holding wrong views. Once there were two gamblers who played dice in the village of Śvetavyā. When the two competed, one of them won; the other who did not do well said to the winner, "Let

us stop playing today. Tomorrow we shall try again to see who is more skillful.

" The man who did not do well returned home and applied poison to the dice and dried them in the sun. The next day, taking the dice with him, he visited the house of the other fellow who had won the day before and said to him,

"Let us compete again to see who is

more skillful.

" To begin the game, the man who did not do well gave the dice to the winner who, on receiving them, licked them to moisten them before casting. Then the man who had poisoned the dice picked them up and moistened them by licking them. The poison began to work in him faster, causing his body to tremble. The one who had poisoned the dice cursed at the other in verse:

I applied poison to the dice.

You licked them without knowing it.

Playing for a short time,

Since you have already touched them,

You will soon know its effect.

Kāśyapa said to the brāhmaṇa:

You should abandon your wrong view. Do not increase the poison of suffering by prolonging your delusion. You are like that dice player who ingested the poison without knowing it. At that time the brāhmaṇasaid to Kāśyapa: 265

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I Venerable, when you gave the analogy of the moon, I already understood it. That I tried to refute your exhortation back and forth has been to examine your rhetorical skill and insight, thereby causing the arising of firm belief in myself. Now I believe what you have said, O Kāśyapa, and I wish for you to be my refuge.

Kāśyapa said,

"Do not make me your refuge. You should take the Highest and Most Venerable One, who is also my own refuge, as your refuge. "

The brāhmaṇasaid,

"I do not know where the Highest and Most Venerable One to whom you refer is at this time.

"

Kāśyapa replied,

"My master, the World-honored One, entered final nirvana not long ago.

"

The brāhmaṇasaid:

If the World-honored One was still alive I would not hesitate, whether close or distant, to visit him directly and venerate him as my refuge. Unfortunately, as I have now heard, the Tathāgata has entered cessation. I will now uphold the Buddha who entered nirvana, the Dharma, and the Sangha as my refuge. O Kāśyapa, please permit me to become a lay devotee of the right Dharma. From now until the end of my life I will uphold the five precepts: abstention from killing life, from stealing, from sexual misconduct, from speaking falsehoods, and from ingesting intoxicants. I will now also offer general charity to all beings. Kāśyapa said to him:

If you kill sentient beings, beat young boys, and then offer charity, this is not pure and genuine charity. Just as thorny plants prevail in a poor land with rocks and shallow soil, there will be no good harvest even if you were to sow seeds or plant trees there. If you kill animals, beat young boys, and offer charity to the sangha while holding a wrong view, neither is this a pure and genuine charity. If, however, you offer general charity, neither killing living beings nor beating children with sticks, but make offerings to the sangha with delight, then there will be a great reward, just as one obtains real fruit by sowing seeds or planting trees in good soil, as they wish.

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The brāhmaṇasaid,

"O Kāśyapa, from now on, I will continue to make offerings to the sangha at all times without fail. "

At that time there was a young brāhmaṇa, Mānava by name, standing behind Pāyāsi. Pāyāsi, looking back at him, said, "I wish to offer universal

charity. Please organize an event to offer charity on my behalf. " Having heard

Pāyāsi's instruction, the young brāhmaṇaorganized and completed the event of universal charity, and then announced, "May Pāyāsi not be rewarded with

any fortune in this life as well as in the hereafter. "

Pāyāsi was informed that when the event of offering charity had been completed the young brāhmaṇahad said,

"May Pāyāsi not be rewarded with

any fortune in this life as well as in the hereafter. " Pāyāsi questioned the

man,

"Did you really say such words?" He replied: Yes, sir. I did indeed make such a wish, sir, because the food prepared for the charity event was of poor quality, and this bad-tasting food was what was offered to the sangha. If the same food were presented before your lordship you would not even touch it, much less partake of it. What was provided is not the kind of food with which one could be pleased or enjoy eating. How could anyone who offers such poor food acquire a good reward in the afterlife, sir? Moreover, your lordship offered robes to the sangha but the clothes were made of hemp. If such clothing were shown to your lordship you would have kicked them away without even touching them, much less wearing them. What has been offered is not the kind of clothing with which one may be pleased or enjoy wearing. How could anyone who offers such poor clothing acquire a good reward in the afterlife, sir? Pāyāsi then said to the young brāhmaṇa, "From now on, please prepare

and offer to the sangha the same kinds of food I eat and clothing of similar quality to what I wear.

"

Thus instructed, the young brāhmaṇathen made offerings to the sangha of exactly the same quality of food and clothing as those enjoyed by Pāyāsi. Thus, the brāhmaṇa,on the basis of his genuine offering, was born in Vimāna Heaven after his body dissolved and his life ended. The brāhmaṇayouth who had organized the event of universal charity was born in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven upon the dissolution of his body and the end of his life. 267

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I At that time, having listened to this teaching, the brāhmaṇaPāyāsi, the young brāhmaṇa, as well as the householders of Śvetavyā village, all rejoiced and respectfully received it and carried it out. [End of Sutra 7: Pāyāsi's Dialogue]

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Sutra 8

Sandhāna

(Dīgha Nikāya 25: Udumbarika-Sīhanāda Suttanta)

Thus have I heard. At one time, the Buddha was sojourning at the Saptaparṇa Cave on Vulture Peak in the city of Rājagṛha, together with one thousand two hundred and fifty disciples. There was a householder, Sandhāna by name, in that city, who enjoyed making an excursion every day to go out of the city and visit the Buddha. One such day, when the householder looked up at the sun's position, he quietly thought to himself:

Now would not be a proper time for me to visit the Buddha. By this time, his holiness is surely retired in a secluded room for his daily contemplation and concentration. The disciple bhikṣus should also be engaged in their practice of quiet meditation. I should instead visit Queen Udumbarikā's pleasure garden set aside for brāhmaṇawanderers. When the proper time comes, I will visit the World-honored One and greet him with devotion and respect, and in addition also visit the bhikṣus to greet them with respect.

At that time, a brāhmaṇa, Nyagrodha by name, was staying in that grove together with five hundred brāhmaṇaascetics. The brāhmaṇaascetics had gathered there and were involved in massive arguments with loud voices on various nonreligious topics, thus passing many hours, all day long. Some argued about matters of state, while others argued about battles and weapons, still others on matters of justice and peace between the states, or on matters of ministers and people, or on such topics as carriages, horses, and excursions to groves and forests, or seating, clothing, food and drink, or about women, or about mountains, oceans, and the carapace of a turtle. They thus spent the whole day doing nothing but talking about such nonreligious matters. The brāhmaṇa Nyagrodha saw from afar the householder Sandhāna approaching them and at once ordered the members of the assembly to be 269

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I quiet, saying,

"The lay disciple of the śramaṇaGautama now coming from outside is the foremost among Gautama's lay devotees. He surely will come here, you should all quiet down.

" Then all the brāhmaṇas stopped talking.

The householder Sandhāna reached the place of the brāhmaṇaNyagrodha, and, after greeting him, sat to one side and said to him: My master, the World-honored One, always enjoys leisure and quietude and does not like noisy confusion like this. He does not act in the way that you do, putting yourself among your disciples who are arguing in loud voices on various nonreligious topics.

The brāhmaṇaresponded to the householder:

ŚramaṇaGautama has never debated with others. [So] how can the public know that the śramaṇais [really] in possession of great insight? Your teacher prefers to stay alone in a secluded place, just like a oneeyed cow that roams alone and onesidedly turns [in a circle] only the part of the grass field that comes into its vision. Your teacher Gautama is like that cow, because he likes to stay alone in an isolated place where no other person is around. If your teacher happens to come here, I shall call him "One-eyed cow.

" He always claims that he has great

insight. [But] with a single word I will surely cause him to be at a loss and pursue him until he surrenders like a turtle withdrawn into its carapace. I say that with a single shot of an arrow it would be no trouble to cause him to be at a loss for a way out.

At that time, the World-honored One was alone in his meditation room and, he heard through his supernormal hearing what the brāhmaṇatold the householder. He at once came out of the Saptaparṇa Cave and traveled to the Udumbarikā Grove. The brāhmaṇasaw the Buddha from a distance approaching the Udumbarikā Grove. He ordered his disciples: All of you, be silent. The śramaṇaGautama seems to be coming here. Neither pay respect to him by standing up, nor venerate him, nor invite him to take a seat. A separate seat [apart from us] can be offered, and as soon as he sits down, you should question him: "O śramaṇaGautama, from the beginning of your career, for what kind of religion have 270

Sutra 8: Sandhāna

you originally taught your disciples so that they may acquire the state of comfort and tranquility and practice moral and religious austerity?" The Buddha eventually reached the grove. Then, unintentionally, the brāhmaṇahimself stood up, received the World-honored One, and uttered the following words of welcome:

O Gautama, welcome. O śramaṇa, welcome. I have seen you for a long time. For what purpose have you come here, sir? Please take a seat here at the front.

The World-honored One at once sat on the seat as invited, and laughed cheerfully. He quietly thought to himself:

These foolish men cannot even uphold their [intended] actions on their own terms. Despite planning a cool reception for me, they have behaved contrary to their intent. It is because, before the Buddha's supernormal power, their minds of ill intent have spontaneously been broken. The householder Sandhāna venerated the Buddha by bowing to his feet and then sat to one side. The brāhmaṇaNyagrodha greeted the Buddha with a bow, then sat on the other side and asked him:

O śramaṇaGautama, from the beginning of your career, upon what religious teaching have you originally instructed your disciples and trained them to acquire the state of comfort and tranquility and to genuinely practice moral and religious austerity? The World-honored One responded to the brāhmaṇa:

Please stop for a moment, O brāhmaṇa. My religious teaching is profound and vast. From the beginning of my career I have guided my disciples on the basis of this teaching and trained them to acquire the state of comfort and tranquility and to genuinely practice moral and religious austerity. It cannot be compared with what you are doing. He continued:

What exactly causes your teacher as well as your disciples (i.e., the 271

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I tradition as a whole) to practice the disciplines of the path to comprise purity as well as impurity? I can explain them exhaustively. Then all five hundred disciples of the brāhmaṇaclamored in raising their voices, saying:

O śramaṇaGautama, you boast of your greatness and supernormal power, to the extent that when you are asked about your teaching, you set aside [the queston] and instead challenge us to explain our teaching! The brāhmaṇaNyagrodha then said to the Buddha,

"Very well, Gautama,

please analyze and explain what you mean by that. "

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa,

"Listen attentively. I shall explain it

for you.

" The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Delighted, sir. I am ready [to listen], sir.

"

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa:

What you practice is entirely base and vulgar. You remove all your clothing and go about naked, covering your front with your hands. You accept food neither from a jug or from a serving vessel, nor do you accept food placed inside the threshold, food placed between two people, food placed between two sticks, food placed between two plates, or food placed near people who are eating; nor will you accept food from a pregnant woman or from a house where there is a dog, or from a house with swarming flies; nor do you accept food for which you have been invited or food from a family with whom another ascetic is acquainted; nor do you accept fish, meat, intoxicants, or anything that has been placed between two cooking vessels (e.g., mortar and pestle). You accept meals and a drinks, and so on, as many as up to seven portions. But when you receive almsfood or helpings you do not go beyond a seventh portion. You partake either one meal a day or a meal every two days or three days, or four, five, or six days, or every seven days. Or else you partake of fruit and potherbs, you drink ricewater froth, eat sesame seeds or hemp grains, or partake of wild rice, cow dung, or antelope dung. Or you eat plant roots, branches, and leaves, or fruit that has fallen to the ground.

You wear any kind of poor-quality clothing, or clothes made of kuśa grass fiber, or bark garments, or you cover your body with grass, or 272

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you wear an antelope hide. You let your hair grow, or cover your body with a net made of hair, or you wear clothing taken from a corpse. Some of you keep your arms lifted at all times, or never sit on a couch or chair but only in a squatting position. Even if you shave your head you keep both moustache and beard. You lay on a bed of thorns or on a floor covered with plant husks, or you lay down naked in cow dung, or you bathe three times a day or three times during the night. You mortify your body with extreme physical pain and suffering. How indeed, O Nyagrodha, are these forms of practice regarded as genuine, pure disciplines?

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"These disciplines are pure and genuine and are

not contrary, sir.

"

The Buddha sid to the brāhmaṇa,

"Though you claim that these forms of

practice are pure and genuine disciplines, I will explain to you why they are morally defiled.

"

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Very well, Gautama, explain why our forms of

practice are morally impure and defiled. I wish to know about it. "

The Buddha continued:

The ascetics engaged in self-mortifying forms of practice invariably entertain an expectation in their mind, thinking, "My ascetic practice

should persuade people to make offerings with respect and admiration [for my austerities].

" This expectation is by nature a moral defilement. Having received an offering, satisfied and reinforced, these extreme ascetics are firmly attached to their extreme forms of practice, neither knowing how it is important to distance oneself from worldly matters, nor knowing what the essential path of salvation is. This wrong orientation is a moral defilement. If they see anyone near them or approaching them from a distance, these extreme ascetics invariably assume their [arduous] practice of meditation, but in the absence of other people they resume their undisciplined behavior, idly sitting or lying about according to their inclination. This is a moral defilement. Even when they hear a precise exposition of their doctrine by others, they do not acknowledge that it is correct. This is a moral defilement. 273

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I When a proper question about their doctrine is presented to them, these extreme ascetics keep their mouths shut and do not answer or explain it. This is a moral defilement.

When they see people making offerings for the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, these extreme ascetics accuse the donors to prevent their acts of charity. This is a moral defilement.

When they see the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas partake of various seed items that regrow as food (i.e., rice grains), these extreme ascetics accuse them. This is a moral defilement.

Even when they receive excess food that is not suitable for them, these ascetics do not offer it to others. When they obtain food that is suitable for them they greedily partake of it all by themselves, neither seeing their own fault of greediness nor knowing that freedom from attachment is essential to salvation. This is a moral defilement. These extreme ascetics praise their own goodness (regarding their acts of self-mortification), and discredit the practices of other schools. This is a moral defilement.

These extreme ascetics commit some of these wrongdoings: injuring life, taking what is not given, engaging in sexual misconduct, engaging in deceptive speech, verbal abuse, using false words, flattery, greediness, jealousy, and wrong views. This is a moral defilement. These extreme ascetics take delight in idleness and forgetfulness of the practice of meditation, acquiring no insight, just like birds and animals. This is a moral defilement.

These extreme ascetics project a lofty air of self-conceit and arrogance. This is a moral defilement. These extreme ascetics not only have neither the virtue of faithfulness, nor of repeated practice, nor of genuine precepts, but they also do not seriously listen to others' admonitions. As they always associate with wrong kinds of people, they continue to do wrong things without ever despising their actions. This is a moral defilement. These extreme ascetics are prone to anger and resentment and they contemplate treacherous schemes against others, trying to show off their views and finding fault with others. They always entertain wrong opinions and agree with one-sided views. This is a moral defilement. 274

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How then, Nyagrodha, can these manners of practice be said to be morally free of blemish?

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"These are morally defiled and cannot be said to be pure and genuine [practices], sir.

"

The Buddha continued,

"Now, in reference to each of those morally defiled forms of practice, I shall explain what the morally pure and genuine nature is. "

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Please explain them one by one, sir.

"

The Buddha continued:

These ascetics should cherish no expectation in their minds and abandon the thought, "My practice should bring me offerings, respect, and admiration.

" This nonanticipatory practice is free from moral defilement. After receiving offerings, these ascetics should not greedily attach themselves to extreme forms of practice.They should become aware of the importance of distancing themselves from worldly matters, knowing what the essential path of salvation is. This right orientation is free from moral defilement.

These ascetics should maintain regularity in the practice of meditation, whether or not other people are present or absent. This form of discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should be delighted when followers of other schools have a correct understanding of their doctrines, and they should readily acknowledge this. This discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should be delighted when an appropriate question is presented and they should openly answer and explain it. This discipline is free from moral defilement. Seeing others offering charity to the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, these ascetics should rejoice in the moral and religious advancement expressed in such acts of charity, instead of discouraging the donors. This discipline is free from moral defilement. Seeing the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who partake of various seed items that regrow as food, these ascetics should not accuse them. This discipline is free from moral defilement. 275

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These ascetics should neither be stingy with excess food that is not suitable for them, nor should they be overwhelmed by greedy attachment when they receive suitable food, thus reflecting upon their own faults and knowing the essential path to salvation. This discipline is free from moral defilement.

These ascetics should not boast of their scrupulousness in practices of self-mortification, nor should they despise the practices of other schools. This discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should not commit any of the ten kinds of wrongdoing: injuring life, taking what is not given, engaging in sexual misconduct, deceptive speech, verbal abuse, false words, flattery, greediness, jealousy, and wrong views. This discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should not be forgetful but diligently engage in the practice of meditation and acquire many levels of insight, not regressing to the state of ignorance, like animals. This discipline is free from moral defilement.

These ascetics should refrain from projecting a lofty air of self-conceit and arrogance. This discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should always enhance the virtues of faithfulness, continuous practice, and genuine precepts; they should listen seriously to others' admonitions, and by associating always with good people never cease to do good things. This discipline is free from moral defilement. These ascetics should neither cherish anger and resentment, nor contemplate treacherous schemes against others, nor show off their own achievements while trying to find fault in others, nor should they entertain wrong opinions along with one-sided views or prejudices. This discipline is free from moral defilement.

Brāhmaṇa, are these forms of practice to be regarded as the way to acquire morally blameless practice?

The brāhmaṇareplied,

"Yes, these should be regarded as the way to

acquire morally blameless practice, sir.

" He further asked the Buddha,

"If

anyone upholds this kind of ascetic practice, is he regarded to have achieved the utmost essence of the practice, sir?"

The Buddha replied,

"No, not yet. This is only the beginning, only the outer bark portion of a tree.

"

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The brāhmaṇasaid,

"May I request you to explain the progressive stages of restraint in the ascetic practice in analogy with a tree. "

The Buddha said,

"Listen carefully. I shall explain it to you. "

The brāhmaṇasaid,

"Yes, sir. I am ready.

"

The Buddha continued:

O brāhmaṇa, each of these ascetics does not himself commit murder nor persuade others to do so; neither does he himself commit theft nor persuade others to do so; neither does he himself commit sexual misconduct nor persuade others to do so; neither does he himself speak falsehoods nor persuade others to do so. Instead he permeates friendly love infinitely in one quarter of the world, then likewise in the remaining three quarters. Thus he extends his immeasurable mind of benevolence universally in all directions, undivided and not bound to limitation. Without enmity, his mind of benevolence permeates throughout the human world, and so do his immeasurable mind of compassion, his immeasurable mind of sympathetic joy, and his immeasurable mind of equanimity [pervade] in a similar manner throughout the human world. These are regarded as the progressive stages of restraint in the tree analogy of ascetic practice. The brāhmaṇasaid to the Buddha,

practice, sir.

"

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa,

to you.

"

"Please explain the essence of ascetic "Listen attentively. I shall explain it The brāhmaṇasaid,

The Buddha continued:

"Yes, World-honored One, I am ready, sir. "

Each of these ascetics neither himself commits murder nor persuade another to do so; neither does he himself commit theft nor persuade others to do so; neither does he himself commit sexual misconduct nor persuade others to do so; neither does he himself speak falsehoods nor persuade others to do so. Instead he permeates friendly love infinitely in one quarter of the world, then likewise in the remaining three quarters. Thus he extends his immeasurable mind of benevolence universally in all directions, undivided and not bound to limitation. Without enmity, his mind of benevolence permeates throughout the human world, and 277

The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I so do his immeasurable minds of compassion, of sympathetic joy, and of equanimity [pervade] in a similar manner throughout the human world. This ascetic becomes aware of things that happened since immemorial past eons, and entirely knows all those events during his initial life, second life, and so forth, up to his innumerable positions in the life cycle. Throughout those periods from the beginning to the end of many eons he himself knows through direct perception: "I was once born in such-and-such a class status, had such-and-such name, ate meals consisting of such-and-such food, lived so-and-so many years of age, and experienced such-and-such happiness and suffering. I was reborn from that state to this one, then reborn from that to this, and in this manner I recollect exhaustively all the things that happened throughout immeasurable numbers of eons. "

This, O brāhmaṇa, is the essential core of ascetic practice that is imperishable.

The brāhmaṇaspoke to the Buddha,

"What is the primary of ascetic practice, sir?"

"

you.

The Buddha replied,

"O brāhmaṇa, listen attentively. I shall explain it to The brāhmaṇasaid,

The Buddha continued:

"Yes, World-honored One, I am ready, sir.

"

Each of these ascetics neither himself commits murder nor does he persuade another to do so; neither himself commits theft nor persuade others to do so; neither himself commits sexual misconduct nor persuades others to do so, neither himself speaks falsehoods nor persuades others to do so. Instead he permeates friendly love infinitely in one quarter of the world, then likewise in the remaining three quarters. Thus he extends his immeasurable mind of benevolence universally in all directions, undivided and not bound to limitation. Without enmity, his mind of benevolence permeates throughout the human world, and so do his immeasurable minds of compassion, of sympathetic joy and of equanimity [pervade] in a similar manner throughout the human world. This ascetic becomes aware of things that have happened since immemorial past eons, and entirely knows all those events during his 278

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initial life, second life, and so forth, up to his innumerable positions in the life cycle, throughout the periods from the beginning to the end of many eons. He also knows through direct perception: "I was once born in such-and-such class status, had such-and-such family name, ate meals consisting of such-and-such food, lived to so-and-so many years of age, and experienced such-and-such happiness and suffering. I was reborn from that state to this one, and reborn from that to this, and in this manner I recollect exhaustively all the things that happened throughout immeasurable numbers of eons.

"

With his pure and genuine heavenly vision he exhaustively perceives and knows the kinds of sentient beings as passing away here and being reborn there, as endowed with good complexions, handsome or ugly, with resulting courses of life due to their good or bad deeds, wherever they fall due to their deeds. Also he knows how some of those sentient beings who committed wrong physical, verbal, and mental deeds, speaking slanderous remarks against the wise and holy and believing in perverse, wrong views, fell into the three evil courses of life when their bodies dissolved and their lives ended. He also knows how other sentient beings who have accumulated good physical, verbal, and mental deeds, who speak no evil against the wise and holy and hold the right view, are born among heavenly gods when their bodies dissolved and their lives ended. Thus, each practitioner, endowed with pure and genuine heavenly vision, perceives [the destinies or fates of] sentient beings, wherever they fall according to their deeds, and there is nothing he cannot see. This is the primary essence of ascetic practice. The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa:

In this foremost primary type of ascetic practice, there is again a superior one, on the basis of which I always teach my disciples (śrāvakas). Their discipline of austerity is based on this superior type of ascetic practice. At that moment all of the five hundred disciples of the brāhmaṇaraised their voices, saying to each other,

"Now the World-honored One seems to

be the highest, foremost venerable, with whom even our teacher cannot be equaled.

"

279

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The Canonical Book of the Buddha's Lengthy Discourses, Volume I Then the householder Sandhāna said to the brāhmaṇa: You said to me before,

"If Gautama comes here, I will call him 'Oneeyed Cow. ' Now that the World-honored One is here, why don't you call him [by that name]? Also, you said before,

"I surely will cause him to

be at a loss with a single word, and pursue him until he surrenders like a turtle withdrawn into its carapace. It will be no trouble for me, with a single shot of an arrow I can surely cause him to be at a loss for a way out.

" Why can you not now, with a single word, cause the Tathāgata to be at a loss?

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa,

a thing before?"

He replied,

"I really said so, sir.

"

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa:

"Do you remember that you said such

Haven't you heard from your brāhmaṇaelders that buddhas and tathāgatas reside alone in forest hermitages and enjoy a secluded location, just as I enjoy a life of seclusion, quite opposite to your way of living in which you enjoy congestion, noisiness, speak of useless matters, and thereby pass the hours of the day?

The brāhmaṇasaid:

Yes, sir. I have heard that the buddhas of the past enjoyed seclusion and quietude and lived their solitary lives in forest hermitages, just as the World-honored One does. It is certainly not like our way of living in which we enjoy congestion and noisiness, speak of useless matters, and thus pass the hours of the day, sir.

The Buddha further said to the brāhmaṇa:

You should keep the following in your mind: the śramaṇaGautama teaches the doctrine of enlightenment well, has himself accomplished self-control and helps others learn self-control, has himself realized mental calmness and helps others calm their minds, has himself crossed the water to reach the yonder shore and helps others cross to the yonder shore, has himself attained liberation of his consciousness and helps 280

Sutra 8: Sandhāna

others liberate their consciousnesses, and has himself realized the ultimate goal of nirvana and helps others realize ultimate nirvana. At that moment, the brāhmaṇarose from his seat, venerated the Buddha by bowing to the Buddha's feet and, holding the Buddha's feet in his hands, he announced his name, saying,

"I am a brāhmaṇa, Nyagrodha by name. I

now venerate the World-honored One by bowing to his feet. "

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa,

"Stop, Nyagrodha. Remain seated,

and just let your liberated mind pay veneration and respect toward me. "

The brāhmaṇa, however, completed a second veneration to the Buddha's feet and then returned to his seat.

The Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa:

You should never say that the Buddha exhorted his doctrine of practice for the sake of material gain. You should not think so. If there is any material donation for [my teaching] I will give all of it to you as charity. The doctrine I have exhorted, subtle and foremost, is set forth for the sake of terminating wrong practices and promoting good ones. Again he said to the brāhmaṇa:

You should never say that the Buddha exhorted his doctrine because he wished to protect his fame and keep his name as a religious master, or because he wished to acquire new converts [from among your disciples] and the members of the sangha. You should not think so. All of your disciples are yours. The doctrine I have exhorted is set forth for the sake of terminating wrong practices and promoting good ones. Again he said to the brāhmaṇa:

You should never say that the Buddha abandoned you in the assembly of bad and ignorant people. You should not think so. As far as those bad and ignorant members are concerned, you should exclude them from your assembly. I have taught only on the essential nature of the good practice.

Again the Buddha said to the brāhmaṇa:

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