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

Sutra 29. Lohitya

austerity was complete; that which must be done [for religious salvation] was accomplished; and, having realized the ultimate state of arhatship, for him there was no more birth.

At that time, having heard the Buddha's teaching, Poṭṭhapāda was delighted to receive it and reverentially carried out what the Buddha taught. [End of Sutra 28: Poṭṭhapāda]

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Lohitya

(Dīgha Nikāya 12: Lohicca Suttanta)

Thus have I heard. Once, when the Buddha was visiting the communities of the country of Kauśala, accompanied by one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus, he stopped overnight in a śiṃśapāforest north of a brāhmaṇavillage called Sālavatikā. A brāhmaṇacalled Lohitya resided in a grove of śālatrees in the village, which was well populated and prosperous because King Prasenajit had granted it to the brāhmaṇaas a fief, exempting it from taxation. Lohitya was from a pure family line of seven generations and was never slighted by anyone in society. He was thoroughly versed in the three ancient collections of hymns (Vedas) and had detailed knowledge of the various brāhmaṇascriptures, as well as a comprehensive command of the subtleties of secular literature. He was also well trained in reading the physiognomy of magnanimous personalities, in divining good and bad omens, and in conducting ceremonial proceedings and sacrificial rites. On that occasion, the brāhmaṇawas duly informed:

The śramaṇaGautama, son of the Śākya clan, having renounced domestic life and realized the ultimate spiritual goal, has been visiting the communities of the country of Kauśala and has [now] reached the śiṃśapāforest. Gautama's good name is renowned and [his accomplishment] has been proclaimed everywhere, in all lands under the sky, as worthy of the ten supreme titles, namely, One Perfected in Practice, One Liberated from Attachment, Perfectly Enlightened One, and so on. Among all the gods and humans, as well as all the evil ones and their lord, and the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas too, he alone has directly experienced the realization of enlightenment and teaches others [how to realize it]. When he expounds on the Dharma his words are good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end. All the words he utters are invariably endowed with 141

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true meanings and real essences, and are in accord with his practice of pure and genuine austerity.

"Everyone should visit this sage and pay him their respects, " the brāhmaṇa

said to himself.

"I must now go and see him along with the others. "

With these thoughts, the brāhmaṇaleft the village and soon arrived at the śiṃśapāforest. After greeting the Buddha with a bow, he took a seat to one side. Thereupon, the Buddha taught him the Dharma, imparting instruction, benefit, and delight.

Having heard the teaching, the brāhmaṇasaid,

"Sir, may I request that

the World-honored One and the members of the sangha accept my invitation for almsfood tomorrow.

"

The World-honored One remained silent, accepting the invitation. Observing the Buddha's silence, the brāhmaṇaunderstood that his invitation had been accepted. He arose from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and then departed for home.

Shortly after leaving the Buddha's resting place, Lohitya erroneously thought to himself:

Many śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas acquire precious knowledge and receive a lofty spiritual experience, but they should not try to teach others about what they acquired or experienced. If they keep those realizations to themselves there is no need to teach others. It would be like destroying an old prison only to build another one anew, which would be worthless and wrong. The brāhmaṇareturned to the śālagrove and prepared various dishes of food and drink throughout the night. When the meal was ready, he said to his barber,

"Take this message to the śiṃśapāforest and tell the śramaṇa Gautama,

'Everything is ready, sir.

'"

The barber soon reached the resting place of the Buddha and, after venerating him, conveyed the message. The World-honored One put on his outer robe, and with almsbowl in hand walked to the śālagrove accompanied by one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus. On the way, the barber, who had stayed in close attendance to the Buddha, rearranged his outer clothing to bare his right elbow and respectfully joined his palms together. Then he kneeled with his left knee on the ground and said to the Buddha: 142

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Not long after leaving the Buddha's resting place, the brāhmaṇaLohitya had the misconception that śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who acquire precious knowledge and receive a lofty spiritual experience should not try to teach others about what they acquired or experienced. If they keep those realizations to themselves there is no need to teach others. It would be like destroying an old prison only to build another one anew, which would be worthless and wrong. May I request that the World-honored One relieve [the brāhmaṇaLohitya] of this wrong view.

The Buddha replied,

"That is a minor offense that can be removed very

easily.

"

With that, the World-honored One arrived at the brāhmaṇa's house and took his seat at the place that had been made ready. Then the brāhmaṇa served the Buddha and the members of the sangha various dishes from his own hands. When the meal was finished, the bowls were cleaned and rinsing water was served. The brāhmaṇabrought out a small cushion and sat down before the Buddha. The Buddha said to Lohitya:

Not long after you left my place last night, you had the misconception that śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who acquire precious knowledge and receive a lofty spiritual experience should not try to teach others about what they acquired or experienced. If they keep those realizations to themselves there is no need to teach others, as the attempt would be worthless and wrong. Now is this really what you thought?

Lohitya replied,

The Buddha said:

"Yes, it is, sir.

"

You should not entertain such a mistaken view. Why? Because what you thought applies only to three kinds of [faulty] teaching. You may find some guidance in these examples.

What are the three kinds of [faulty] teaching? Those who shave their hair and beard, put on the three robes [of a mendicant], renounce domestic life, and apply themselves to the practice of austerity should eradicate all defilements in this life and advance on the path to realizing the insight that transcends ordinary existence. The first example of [faulty] teaching is by those who neither eradicate defilements in this life nor acquire the 143

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insight that transcends ordinary existence, yet they presume to teach students without having completed their own realization. Students will not respect such a teacher, nor will they offer him due service. Because of this, this type of teacher and his students should merely reside together and rely on someone else's guidance.

O Lohitya, those students may say,

"O teacher, since you have shaved

your hair and beard, donned the three robes, renounced domestic life, and applied yourself to the practice of austerity, you should have eradicated all defilements and realized the insight that transcends ordinary existence. However, you have not been able to do so, and you have been teaching us without having completed your own realization.

"

Thus, those students will not respect [that teacher], nor will they offer him due service as their teacher, and both teacher and students will merely be residing together.

The Buddha said:

O Lohitya, this is like destroying an old prison only to build another one anew. It is a corrupt way to proceed and one should take caution, because it bears on how the rules of the Vinaya discipline and the precepts of the wise and saintly disciples are observed in both timing and deportment. Again, the Buddha said to Lohitya:

The second type of [faulty] teaching is by those who have shaved their hair and beards, put on the three robes of a mendicant, renounced domestic life, and applied themselves to the practice of austerity, but they have not yet been able to eradicate all defilements even though they have managed to gain some degree of understanding regarding the insight that transcends ordinary existence. They still teach students without having completed their own realization. Again, a teacher and students in such a situation should merely reside together and rely on someone else's guidance. O Lohitya, these students may say,

"Our teacher has shaved his hair

and beard, donned the three robes, renounced domestic life, and applied himself to the practice of austerity. He should have eradicated defilements and realized the insight that transcends ordinary existence, but he has not been able to eradicate all defilements. Although he has gained some degree 144

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of understanding regarding the insight that transcends ordinary existence, he has been teaching us without having eradicated all defilements, and this has caused us to not respect him or offer him due service, and we are all merely residing together.

"

The Buddha said:

This is like walking behind another person and rubbing that person's back with your hand. It is a corrupt way to proceed and one should take caution, because it bears on how the rules of the Vinaya discipline and the precepts of the wise and saintly disciples are observed in both timing and deportment.

Again, the Buddha said:

The third type of [faulty] teaching is by those who have shaved their hair and beards, put on the three robes of a mendicant, renounced domestic life, and applied themselves to the practice of austerity, but they have not yet been able to eradicate all defilements even though they have managed to gain some degree of understanding regarding the insight that transcends ordinary existence. Still they teach students without having completed their own realization. The students, however, respect the teacher and offer him due service, and teacher and students reside together. O Lohitya, those students may say,

"Our teacher has shaved his hair

and beard, donned the three robes, renounced domestic life, and applied himself to the practice of austerity, and he should have eradicated defilements and realized the insight that transcends ordinary existence, but he has not been able to eradicate all defilements. Even though he has gained some degree of understanding regarding the insight that transcends ordinary existence, he has been teaching us without having eradicated all defilements. However, we still respect him and offer him due service as our teacher, and thus we reside together.

"

The Buddha said:

O Lohitya, this is like neglecting the field where one should be sowing seeds and going off to weed another field. It is a corrupt way to proceed and one should take caution, because it bears on how the rules of the 113c

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Vinaya discipline and the precepts of the wise and saintly disciples are observed in both timing and deportment.

O Lohitya, there is just one supreme World-honored One in this world, [and not two.] Before his appearance in the world there can be no upheaval. Why is the World-honored One exceptional and supreme? The Tathāgata appears in this world as one who is totally free from defilement and perfectly enlightened, and so on. He has acquired the three kinds of supernormal knowledge that annihilates ignorance and allows the illumination of insight, eliminating all forms of darkness and delusion to realize the total eradication of defilements and reveal the great light of the Dharma. Why? Because this fundamental realization can only be achieved through constant endeavor without any slackening, and through freedom from all worldly mentality, practice in seclusion, diligent mindfulness, and mental concentration. O Lohitya, the truth is that there can be no upheaveal in this world without the appearance of the supreme World-honored One. O Lohitya, there are four results (phala) in the life of a śramaṇa. What are the four? They are the saintly states of the stream-enterer (srotaāppana), once-returner (sakṛdāgāmin), nonreturner (anāgāmin), and arhat. What do you think, O Lohitya? Suppose that one could realize the fruits of the four saintly states by listening to a discourse on the Dharma; and suppose also that someone interrupts the discourse, saying "Stop this talk about the Dharma,

" and the teacher obeys and stops teaching. Would anyone listening to the discourse attain the intended result? Lohitya answered,

"No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again,

rebirth in heaven?"

Lohitya answered,

"No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again:

"Without attaining the result, can one attain

So the person who stops the teacher's discourse on the Dharma cannot attain the result, and his [or her] rebirth in heaven becomes impossible. Would such a mind be considered good or evil?

Lohitya answered "Sir, it is an evil mind.

"

The Buddha asked again,

"When someone with a mind that is not good

is reborn, is it into a good destiny or an evil one?" 146

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Lohitya answered,

[The Buddha continued:] "He will be born into an evil course of life, sir. "

O Lohitya, it it as if someone were to say to King Prasenajit, "The king

should alone enjoy all the wealth of the lands and states that he rules, and should not share any of it with others. " What do you think, O Lohitya? If the king agreed with this advice he would cut off all the grants he has made to others, wouldn't he? Lohitya answered,

"Yes, sir. He would do that. "

[The Buddha asked again,] "Would a mind that would terminate all grants and gifts to others be regarded as a good mind or an evil one?" Lohitya answered,

"It is a mind that is up to no good, sir. "

[The Buddha] asked again, "With a mind that is not good, would one be born into a good destiny or an evil one?" Lohitya answered,

"They will be born into an evil course of life, sir. "

The Buddha said to Lohitya: It is just the same with someone who stops his teacher's discourse on the Dharma, especially when those who are listening to the teaching are intended to realize the four results of the life of a śramaṇa. Now, if someone obstructs a teacher's discourse by saying "Stop this talk about the Dharma, "

and the teacher obeys and stops teaching, does anyone listening to the discourse attain the intended result? Lohitya answered,

"No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again, rebirth in heaven?" Lohitya answered,

"No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again: "Without attaining the result, can one attain So the person who stops the teacher's discourse on the Dharma cannot attain the result and his rebirth in heaven becomes impossible. Would such a mind be considered good or evil? Lohitya answered,

"Sir, it is an evil mind. "

The Buddha asked again, "When someone with a mind that is not good is reborn, is it into a good destiny or an evil one?" 114a

147

Lohitya answered,

[The Buddha continued:] "He will be born into an evil course of life, sir. "

O Lohitya, if someone says to you, "The property that belongs to the village of Sālavatikā is your fief [granted by the king]. You alone should enjoy it, as it is only for your own use and not for others. What good does it do to give anything to others?" What do you think, O Lohitya? If you were to follow this advice you would stop all gifts and payments to others, wouldn't you?

[Lohitya] replied, "Yes, I would.

"

[The Buddha] asked again, "When someone advises another person to terminate all gifts and payments to others, is that a good or evil mind?" [Lohitya] replied, "It is an evil mind, sir. "

[The Buddha] asked again, "With a mind that is not good, would one be born into a good destiny or an evil one?" Lohitya answered,

"They will be born into an evil course of life, sir. "

[The Buddha continued:] It is just the same with anyone who stops the discourse of a Dharma teacher, especially when there are others listening to the discourse in order to attain the fruit of the four saintly states. If the teacher allows the disruption [and stops the discourse], will the listeners reach the goal of the four saintly states? [Lohitya] replied, "No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again, "If the listeners cannot attain the fruit of the saintly states, will they be reborn in heaven?" [Lohitya] replied, "No, sir.

"

[The Buddha] asked again, "When someone stops a Dharma discourse and prevents others from attaining the fruit of the saintly states, and thus from rebirth in heaven, is that a good or evil mind?" [Lohitya] replied, "An evil mind, sir. "

[The Buddha] asked again, "With a mind that is not good, would one be born into a good destiny or an evil one?" Lohitya answered,

"He will be born into an evil course of life, sir. "

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At that moment, the brāhmaṇasaid to the Buddha: O World-honored One, I take my refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. As I wish to become a lay devotee, may Your Reverence accept me as a lay devotee in the right Dharma. From this moment until the dissolution of the body at the end of life, I will refrain from taking life, I will refrain from taking what is not given, I will refrain from indulging in sexual pleasure, I will refrain from speaking falsehoods, and I will refrain from ingesting intoxicants.

The Buddha completed his discourse on the Dharma. The brāhmaṇa Lohitya, having heard the Buddha's teaching, was delighted to receive it and reverentially carried out what the Buddha taught. [End of Sutra 29: Lohitya]

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Sutra 30

A Buddhist Cosmology

(No Parallel in Dīgha Nikāya)

Article 1: The Land of

Jambudvīpa

Thus have I heard. Once, when the Buddha was visiting the city of Śrāvastī, accompanied by one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus, he stayed at the Kareri-kuṭikā cloister of Anāthapiṇḍika Monastery in Prince Jeta's Grove. After the morning almsround a few of the bhikṣus met in the lecture hall to talk, saying:

Venerables, it is beyond our imagining how and why this world could be slated for destruction and then reconstruction. What will become of the myriad homes of sentient beings?"

The World-honored One was meditating in seclusion but through his supernormal power of crystal-clear hearing he overheard the discussion among the bhikṣus gathered in the lecture hall. He immediately got up from his seat in the Kareri-kuṭikā cloister, went to the lecture hall, and took his place. Though he already knew [what they had been talking about], the World-honored One asked, "O bhikṣus, what have you been discussing?"

The bhikṣus recounted their discussion to the Buddha: Sir, we were meeting after the day's meal and someone asked, "Venerables,

it is beyond our imagining how this world could be slated for destruction and then recreation. What will become of the myriad homes of sentient beings?"

At that, the World-honored One said:

Very good, very good. Those who renounce domestic life take up two kinds of practice: first, silent introspection as practiced by the wise and 151

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saintly disciples, and second, analysis of religious doctrine. As you have met in this hall, you must not only follow the meditation practice of the wise and saintly disciples but also discuss and debate doctrinal issues. O bhikṣus, would you like to hear the Tathāgata's recollection of the creation and destruction of this world and the fate of the lands and communities where sentient beings reside?

The bhikṣus replied,

"Yes, O World-honored One. We are eager to hear

your account. Anything you reveal will be gratefully received and we shall observe it carefully.

"

The Buddha said,

"Listen attentively, you must retain what I say and keep it in mind. I will give you the very core of the matter. "

With that, the Buddha began his discourse:

The sun and moon regularly pass over the four continents and illuminate them, [as we have always experienced]. Yet there are a thousand worlds just like this [in the universe]. In these worlds there are a thousand suns and moons passing over a thousand lofty Mount Sumerus, as well as four thousand smaller lands and four thousand larger lands, four thousand oceans and four thousand greater oceans, four thousand nāgas (dragons) and four thousand greater nāgas, four thousand garuḍas (mythological bird) and four thousand greater garuḍas, four thousand evil paths and four thousand greater evil paths, four thousand kings and four thousand greater kings, and seven thousand great trees, eight thousand great hells, ten thousand great mountains, a thousand lords of Yama, a thousand appearances of the four guardian gods, a thousand occurrences of the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods (Trāyastriṃśa), a thousand Yama Heavens, a thousand Tuṣita Heavens, a thousand Nirmāṇarati Heavens, where the residents enjoy pleasures of their own creation, a thousand Paranirmitavaśavartin Heavens, where the inhabitants enjoy pleasures created by others, and a thousand Brahmā Heavens. Together, all these make up the small universe, which consists of a thousand such worlds.

[Now,] there is also a larger universe, consisting of a thousand of these small universes, called the middle universe. [In addition,] there is a great universe that consists of a thousand middle universes. This is called the triple thousand-great universe (sanqian taqian shijie). All of the great 152

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universe [that comprises many thousands of middle and small universes] undergoes the cycle of creation and destruction, and each locality where sentient beings reside is called a buddha land (buddha-kṣetra). The Buddha continued:

The depth of this great earth is one hundred and sixty-eight thousand yojanas23 and its circumference is beyond measure. The earth rests on a layer of water three thousand and thirty yojanas deep, whose circumference is immeasurable. The water rides over a layer of airy wind that is six thousand and forty yojanas deep with an immeasurable circumference. O bhikṣus, the depth of the great ocean is eighty-four thousand yojanas and its circumference is immeasurable. The part of Mount Sumeru that is submerged in the ocean is eighty-four thousand yojanas deep, and the part that rises above the ocean's surface into the atmosphere is eighty-four thousand yojanas high. The base of the mountain adheres to a foundation of very hard earth. On the mountain's summit no rough or uneven terrain can be found and many varieties of trees grow, emitting exquisite fragrance that permeates the forest. A number of wise and saintly hermits live in this forest, which is [also] the abode of the great god Yama. A layer of pure gold sand runs through the foundation of the mountain, and on its four sides, rising as high as seven hundred yojanas, are hillocks in the variegated hues of seven kinds of precious stones, which gradually fall away in a long curve to reveal the expanse of the ocean beyond. The pathway on Mount Sumeru is a stairway strewn with seven precious stones. At its broadest, on the lower slope of the mountain, it is sixty yojanas wide. On both sides of the pathway are sevenfold walls made of precious stones, embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees. The golden wall is endowed with silver gates, the silver wall with golden gates, the quartz wall with lapis gates, the lapis wall with quartz gates, the ruby wall with agate gates, the agate wall with ruby gates, and the emerald wall with gates decorated with many kinds of precious stones. The railings are similarly decorated: the golden railing is ornamented with ropes made of silver, the silver railing with ropes made of gold, the quartz railing with ropes made of lapis, the lapis railing with ropes made of quartz, the ruby railing with ropes made of agate, the agate 153

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railing with ropes made of rubies, and the emerald railing with a variety of precious stones. Over these railings are hung decorative nets strung with various ornaments. From the golden net hangs a silver bell; from the silver net hangs a golden bell; from the lapis net hangs a quartz bell; from the quartz net hangs a lapis bell; from the ruby net hangs an agate bell; from the agate net hangs a ruby bell; and from the emerald net hangs a bell inlaid with various precious stones.

The golden trees have golden trunks and branches and silver flowers and fruit. The silver trees have silver trunks and branches and golden flowers and fruit. The quartz trees have quartz trunks and branches and lapis flowers and leaves, while the lapis trees have lapis trunks and branches and quartz flowers and leaves. The ruby trees have ruby trunks and branches and agate flowers and leaves, while the agate trees have agate trunks and branches and flowers and leaves made of rubies. The emerald trees have emerald trunks and branches and flowers and leaves made of a variety of precious stones.

Each of the seven walls has four gates, protected by barriers. Each wall, topped with a pavilion and veranda, encloses a bathing pond and pleasure garden filled with foliage and flowers made of precious treasures. The trees standing in lines are also made of precious treasures, and bear flowers and fruit in abundance. Exquisite fragrance arises in all directions, pleasing everyone. Wild ducks and hawks; mandarin ducks, both male and female; and a host of innumerable rare birds sing harmoniously together. The pathway on the middle slope of Mount Sumeru is forty yojanas wide. Here too, on both sides, are sevenfold walls made of precious stones, embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, seven lines of trees, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as below. On the upper slope the pathway is twenty yojanas wide, with sevenfold walls made of precious stones on either side, embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, seven lines of trees, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as below. The Buddha [continued] his discourse to the bhikṣus:

Along the pathway on the lower slope lives a bird called the garuḍa. On the middle slope lives a deity called Mālādhāra, and on the upper slope 154

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lives the deity Sadāmatta. The foothills [around the mountain] are fortytwo thousand yojanas high, and the palaces of the four guardian gods [located] on them are ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees adorned with bells made of precious stones, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as before.

On top of Mount Sumeru are the palaces of the thirty-three gods, also ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, with golden walls and silver gates, and silver walls and golden gates, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as before. Beyond this, one yojana higher, is the palace of the god Yama. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of the gods of Tuṣita Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Nirmāṇarati Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven. Beyond this, one yojana higher, is the palace of Brahmakāyika Heaven.

Between Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven and Brahmakāyika Heaven is the palace of the lord of the evil ones, Māra, an area of sixty thousand yojanas surrounded by sevenfold walls with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, and so on, with innumerable birds singing harmoniously together, just as before.

Beyond the Brahmakāyika Heaven, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Ābhāsvara Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Śubhakṛtsna Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Anabhraka Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Puṇyaprasava Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Asaṃjñisattva Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Bṛhatphala Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Abṛha Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Atapa Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Sudṛśa Heaven. Beyond this, one yojana higher, is the palace of Sudarśana Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, is the palace of Akaniṣṭha Heaven. Beyond this, one yojanahigher, are the gods of Ākāśānantyāyatana Heaven, the gods of Vijñānānantyāyatana Heaven, the gods of Ākiṃcanyāyatana Heaven, and the gods of Naivasaṃjñānāsaṃjñāyātana Heaven. All of this constitutes the abodes of 155

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sentient beings who are confined to their respective realms. All sentient beings are inherently subject to the law of birth, old age, illness, and death, they invariably acquire a configuration of the five psychophysical elements, and thus they receive nothing more nor less than an existential becoming. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

To the north of Mount Sumeru is a land called Uttarakuru, a square area measuring ten thousand yojanas on each side. The faces of the people there also are square, reflecting the shape of their land. To the east of Mount Sumeru is a land called Pūrvavideha, which is round with a radius of nine thousand yojana. The faces of the people there also are round, reflecting the form of their land. To the west of Mount Sumeru is a land called Aparagodānīya, shaped like a half moon, with a radius of eight thousand yojana. The faces of the people there similarly reflect the form of their land. To the south of Mount Sumeru is a land called Jambudvīpa, which is narrower in the south and broad and open in the north, measuring seven thousand yojanas in length and breadth. The faces of the people of Jambudvīpa also reflect the form of their land. In the northern sky above Mount Sumeru a golden source of light illuminates the northern region. In the eastern sky above Mount Sumeru a silvery source of light illuminates the eastern region. In the western sky above Mount Sumeru a quartz source of light illuminates the western region. In the southern sky above Mount Sumeru a source of light made of lapis illuminates the southern region. In the northern land of Uttarakuru there is a great tree called Mango, with a diameter of seven yojanas, rising to a height of one hundred yojanas, whose branches and leaves spread out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. In the eastern land of Pūrvavideha there is a great tree called Jielanfou, with a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. In the western land of Aparagodānīya there is a great tree called Jinti, with a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. Under this tree there is a rock tower one yojanahigh, on which is carved an image of cattle. In the southern land of Jambudvīpa there is a great tree called Jambu, with a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one 156

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hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. The trees of the garuḍaking and of the nāga king are called Julishanpoluo, and each has a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. The asuraking also has a tree, called Shanhua, with a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. The tree in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven is called Zhoudu, with a diameter of seven yojanas, a height of one hundred yojanas, and branches and leaves spreading out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. Near Mount Sumeru there is a mountain called Qutoluo, whose height, length, and breadth all measure forty-two thousand yojanas. The foothills of this mountain extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of eighty-four thousand yojanas from Mount Sumeru, and the area between them is filled with many water lilies, including blue (utpala), pink (padma), red (kumuda), and white (puṇḍarīka) varieties, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance. Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Yishatoluo, whose height, length, and breadth all measure twenty-one thousand yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of forty-two thousand yojanas from Mount Qu, and the area between them is filled with many water lilies, including blue, pink, red, and white varieties, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance. Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Shuchentoluo, with a height of one thousand yojanas and a length and breadth of two thousand yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of twenty-one thousand yojanas from Mount Yisha, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

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Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Sudarśana, with a height of six thousand yojanas and a length and breadth of six thousand yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of twelve thousand yojanas from Mount Shuchen, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Mashishang, with a height of three thousand yojanas and a length and breadth of three thousand yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of sixty thousand yojanas from Mount Sudarśana, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Nimintoluo, with a height of twelve hundred yojanas and a length and breadth of twelve hundred yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of three thousand yojanas from Mount Mashi, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Diaofu, with a height of six hundred yojanas and a length and breadth of six hundred yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of twelve hundred yojanas from Mount Nimin, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

Not far from this mountain is another mountain, called Jingangwei, with a height of three hundred yojanas and a length and breadth of three hundred yojanas. The foothills of this mountain also extend far and wide 158

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and glitter with the variegated colors produced by the seven kinds of treasure. This mountain is located at a distance of six hundred yojanas from Mount Diaofu, and the area between them is filled with four varieties of water lilies, with reeds, pine trees, and bamboo growing among them, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance.

Not far from this mountain is a great ocean. On the northern shore of this ocean is a great tree called Jambu, with a diameter of seven yojanas, rising to a height of a hundred yojanas, with branches and leaves spreading out in all directions to a distance of fifty yojanas. There is a [vast] expanse of land in the neighborhood of this tree, where there are groves of [many] kinds of trees, such as mango trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; yenpotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; śālatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; tāla(palm) trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; nadoluotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; weinan trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; weinütrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; nannütrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; sannatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; sandalwood trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; quchouluotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; bonapoluotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; piluotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; xiangnatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; weilitrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; anshiliutrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; weigantrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; helileitrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; pixilei trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; amoleitrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; and natrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas.

[There are also] ganzhe(sugar cane) spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; reeds spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; bamboo spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; śālatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; muguaplants spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; damuguaplants spreading 159

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over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; jietuoflower trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; zhanpotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; poluoluotrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; xiumonatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; poshitrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; duoluolitrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; jiayatrees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas; and grape trees spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas. Beyond these many kinds of groves and far out to the horizon, the ground is covered by innumerable ponds, each spreading over a length and breadth of fifty yojanas and filled with pink, red, and white lotus blossoms, with poisonous snakes among them. Beyond these ponds lies a vast expanse consisting of a great lake called Udyāna (Youzhanna). Under the surface of the water in this lake is the passageway used by the cakravartin (universal ruler), measuring twelve yojanas wide. On both sides of this road are sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure. When the cakravartinappears in the land of Jambudvīpa the water automatically recedes so that the expanse of the passageway stands [ready to be used].

Not far from this lake is a mountain called Youzhan. The mountain is beautiful and filled with luxuriant vegetation, abundant flowers and fruit, and much exquisite fragrance. All the different kinds of birds and animals, without exception, live here. Not far from Mount Youzhan is another mountain, called Suvarṇavarṇa ("Golden Wall"), which has eighty thousand caves in which eighty thousand royal elephants reside. These elephants have white hides and multicolored heads, and each has six tusks and gold fillings in their teeth.

Beyond this mountain is another mountain, called Himalaya ("Snow Mountain"), five hundred yojanas in length and breadth, which plunges into the sea along its eastern and western edges to a depth of five hundred yojanas. Within the interior of this snowy mountain is a treasure mountain twenty yojanas high, as well as [several] hills that are a hundred yojanas high. On top of the snowy mountain is a lake known as Anavatapta, with a length and breadth of fifty yojanas, and spotlessly clean, transparent, 160

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and pure water. Leading into [the lake] are stone terraces made from the seven kinds of treasure, protected by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all shining with the variegated colors of the seven kinds of treasure. The railings are multihued: the golden railing is decorated with silver ropes, the silver railing with golden ropes, the quartz railing with lapis ropes, the lapis railing with quartz ropes, the ruby railing with agate ropes, the agate railing with ropes of rubies, and the emerald railing with ropes of various precious stones. Ornamental nets are draped over these railings; the golden net has a pendant silver bell, the silver net has a golden bell, the lapis net has a quartz bell, the quartz net has a lapis bell, the ruby net has an agate bell, the agate net has a ruby bell, and the net made of emeralds has a bell inlaid with various precious stones.

The golden tālatree has golden roots and branches and silver leaves, flowers, and fruit. The silver tālatree has silver roots and branches and golden leaves, flowers, and fruit. The quartz tree has quartz roots and branches and lapis leaves, flowers, and fruit, while the lapis tree has lapis roots and branches and quartz leaves, flowers, and fruit. The ruby tree has ruby roots and branches and agate leaves, flowers, and fruit, while the agate tree has agate roots and branches and ruby flowers, leaves, and fruit, and the emerald tree has emerald roots and branches and leaves, flowers, and fruit made of various precious stones. Around Anavatapta Lake are pleasant pavilions amid bathing ponds, many kinds of flowers blooming in thick layers, and many different kinds of flourishing trees with distinctive leaves, flowers, and fruit, all filling the air with exquisite fragrance, and many different kinds of rare birds singing harmoniously together. The bottom of Anavatapta Lake is golden sand. Stairways made from the seven kinds of treasure enter the four sides of the lake: the golden stairway is lined with silver ropes, the silver stairway is lined with golden ropes, the lapis stairway is lined with quartz ropes, the quartz stairway is lined with lapis ropes, the agate stairway is lined with ruby ropes, the ruby stairway is lined with agate ropes, and the emerald stairway is lined with ropes made of various precious stones. All around the lake are [continuous] railings; the four kinds of water lilies show their blue, yellow, red, and white blossoms, and their variegated colors compose the image 161

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of a wheel, with the roots forming the center. The roots emit sap as white as milk and sweet as honey. Again, around the lake are pleasant pavilions set amid bathing ponds and pleasure gardens, with many kinds of flowers blooming in thick layers, and many different kinds of trees with distinctive leaves, flowers, and fruit.

To the east of Anavatapta Lake the Ganges River flows from the mouth of a cow, and with its five hundred tributaries enters the eastern sea. To the south of the lake the Indus River flows from the mouth of a lion, and with its five hundred tributaries enters the southern sea. To the west of the lake the Pochahe River flows from the mouth of a horse, and with its five hundred tributaries enters the western sea. To the north of the lake the Situohe River flows from the mouth of an elephant, and with its five hundred tributaries enters the northern sea. In Anavatapta Palace there is a [pentagonal] pavilion with five pillars, where the nāgaking has always lived. The Buddha continued:

Why is [the lake] called Anavatapta? What does this name mean? Every nāgaking in Jambudvīpa suffers from three kinds of trouble, except for the nāgaking of this lake, who alone does not suffer from any trouble. What are the three? First, the nāgakings in the [southern] land of Jambudvīpa suffer from hot wind and sand that burns their skin and flesh, even down to the bone and marrow, when it comes into contact with their bodies, causing excruciating pain. Only the nāgaking of Anavatapta Lake has no trouble of this kind. Second, evil winds sometimes tear through the palaces of the nāgakings, stripping away their fine clothing and exposing their naked bodies, to their embarrassment. Only the nāgaking of Anavatapta Lake has no trouble of this kind. Third, the nāgakings constantly fear the giant garuḍa's predatory raids on their palaces at times when they are vulnerable; their horror at the thought of being seized and eaten by this bird is most intense, leaving them in anguish. Only the nāgaking of Anavatapta Lake has no trouble of this kind, because garuḍas that try to enter the lake all perish. Hence, the lake is called Anavatapta, which in Chinese means "absence of feverish agony.

"

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

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To the right of Snow Mountain is a city called Vaiśālī, and there are seven dark hills north of this city. Lying north of these hills is Fragrant Mountain, where the sounds of music, song, and dance are always heard. There are two caves in that mountain; one is called Noon and the other Forenoon, and they have been furnished with seven heavenly treasures. [The air in the caves is] soft and gentle, fragrant and pure, like the touch of a heavenly garment. The master of music, king of all gandharvamusicians, accompanied by an orchestra of five hundred [musicians], resides in these caves. To the north of the two caves is the king of śālatrees, called Shanju, surrounded by eight thousand trees spreading out in all directions. Under this majestic śālatree the king of the royal elephants, also called Shanju, abides. His powerful body is white and he can fly through the air and go everywhere. [When he appears] the hairs on his ruddy head shine with variegated colors, and his golden teeth contrast with his six tusks. This [elephant] king has a retinue of eight thousand royal elephants, who reside in the forest of eight thousand trees.

To the north of Shanju is a grand bathing pond called Motuoyan, fifty yojanas long and wide, around which eight thousand smaller ponds are arranged in a circle. The water in the pond is spotlessly clean and cool. [The pond] is surrounded by stone terraces made from the seven kinds of treasure, with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure. The gold railing is ornamented with silver ropes, the silver railing with golden ropes, the quartz railing with lapis ropes, the lapis railing with quartz ropes, the ruby railing with agate ropes, the agate railing with ropes made of rubies, and the emerald railing with ropes made of various precious stones. Ornamental nets adorned with a variety of bells hang over the railings. The gold net has a pendant silver bell, the silver net has a golden bell, the lapis net has a quartz bell, the quartz net has a lapis bell, the ruby net has an agate bell, the agate net has a ruby bell, and the emerald net has a bell inlaid with various precious stones.

The gold trees have golden roots and branches and silver leaves, flowers, and fruit. The silver tree has silver roots and branches and golden leaves, flowers, and fruit. The quartz tree has quartz roots and branches and lapis leaves, flowers, and fruit, while the lapis tree has lapis roots and branches 163

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and quartz leaves, flowers, and fruit. The ruby tree has ruby roots and branches and agate leaves, flowers, and fruit, while the agate tree has agate roots and branches and ruby leaves, flowers, and fruit. The emerald tree has emerald roots and branches and leaves, flowers, and fruit made of various precious stones.

At the bottom of Anavatapta Lake is golden sand. Stairways made from the seven kinds of treasure enter the four sides of the lake: the golden stairway is lined with silver ropes, the silver stairway with golden ropes, the lapis stairway with quartz ropes, the quartz stairway with lapis ropes, the agate stairway with ruby ropes, the ruby stairway with agate ropes, and the emerald stairway with ropes made of various precious stones. All around the lake are [continuous] railings; the four kinds of water lilies show their blue, yellow, red, and white blossoms, and their variegated colors compose the image of a wheel, with the roots forming the center. The roots emit sap as white as milk and sweet as honey. Again, around the lake are pleasant pavilions set amid bathing ponds and pleasure gardens with many kinds of flowers blooming in thick layers and cool shade provided by many different kinds of trees with distinctive leaves, flowers, and fruit, and innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together. The royal elephant king Shanju, wishing to visit the great pond to bathe and play, extends that wish to his retinue, and eight thousand elephants in turn become aware of the thought,

"King Shanju is thinking of us; we

need to see him.

" So the eight thousand elephants array themselves before their king. The elephant king then walks to Motuoyan Pond accompanied by his retinue of eight thousand. Some hold a canopy over the king to shade him, while others cool him with a fan, and still others play music to lead the procession. At the pond, the elephant king Shanju regally enters the water and, together with his company, enjoys a performance of royal music and dance. Some of the elephants wash his trunk while others cleanse his mouth, head, tusks, ears, stomach, back, tail, and feet. Some go off to pluck the roots of flowers, which they wash and offer to the king to eat. Others gather flowers and scatter them over the king. The elephant king Shanju, having bathed and fed and enjoyed the royal entertainment with his company, now leaves the water and stands on the bank, facing the tree called Shanju, his abode. All eight thousand elephants 164

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enter the pond to bathe, feed, and frolic with each other before lining up to follow their king. The elephant king, accompanied by attendants before and after, then returns to the tree called Shanju. As before, some elephants hold a canopy to shade the king, while others cool him with a fan, and still others play music to lead the procession. Returning to the tree, the elephant king now sits, lies down, or walks about as he pleases. The other elephants retire to their respective trees to sit, lie down, or walk about as they please. Among those eight thousand trees, some are as large as eight xin, 24

while others measure ten to fifteen xin,but only the śālatree of the elephant king Shanju is as large as sixteen xin.When the leaves of the eight thousand śālatrees fall to the ground, the wind rises and carries them outside the forest. And when the eight thousand elephants urinate and excrete, ghostly yakṣas carry those deposits out of the forest.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The elephant king Shanju has indeed gained meritorious blessings to this extraordinary degree. Even though it is only an animal, even an elephant is capable of receiving such uncommon rewards because of its [previous] merit. Article 2: The Land

of Uttarakuru

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

In the land of Uttarakuru there are many mountains, and many pleasure gardens with pavilions and bathing ponds alongside. Flowers bloom in profusion and the trees and plants, thriving in the cool, clean air, produce abundant fruit and flowers. Among them are many varieties of birds, singing harmoniously together. Many streams flow gently through these mountains without strong currents, and myriad flowers hang down from the bank to the water's surface as the river flows calmly and expansively. Trees shade both banks of the stream, their branches heavy with fruit and flowers. The ground is covered with soft grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades of grass] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, with a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate scent like jasmine (poshijia). When you step on the grass your foot sinks 165

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down about four inches and the grass springs back after you lift your foot. Yet the ground has no unseen bumps or depressions and is as level as the surface of the palm of your hand.

O bhikṣus, on each of the four sides of the land of Uttarakuru there is an Anavatapta Lake. Each lake is one hundred yojanas long and wide, with spotlessly clean, transparent, and pure water. The lakes are surrounded by stone terraces made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together. The features of these lakes are indeed no different than those of the grand pond of Motuoyan. From the four lakes issue four rivers, each ten yojanas in breadth, flowing gently with no turbulence. Myriad flowers reach down from the bank as the river flows by, calmly and expansively. Both the riverbanks are shaded by trees, their branches heavy with fruit and flowers. The ground is covered with soft grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, with a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate scent like jasmine. When you step on the grass your foot sinks down about four inches yet the grass springs back when you removes your foot. Yet the ground has no unseen bumps or depressions and is as level as the surface of the palm of your hand.

There are no mountain torrents or ditches, no pits or dark holes, no thorny plants or unexpected tree stumps or trunks, no insects such as mosquitoes or gadflies, no water lizards or snakes, no bees or grubs, no dangerous beasts such as leopards or tigers. The ground is naturally fertile, pure, and without any pebbles or stones. The negative and positive forces [of nature] are harmonized, and so too are the four seasons gentle and peaceful, neither [too] cold or hot. The land is free of storms and various misfortunes and is everywhere fertile and abundant, without filth or defilement or even a single clod of flying dirt, as if the ground had been brushed with the finest oil.

In the absence of winter and summer many varieties of grasses grow year around. Trees and plants grow luxuriously and produce abundant fruit and flowers. The ground is covered with soft grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, with a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate 166

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scent like jasmine. When you step on the grass your foot sinks down about four inches yet the grass springs back when you lift your foot. Yet the ground has no unseen bumps or depressions and is as level as the surface of the palm of your hand.

In that land rice grows naturally, without husks or any need for seeding. It appears like piles of tiny white flowers and is permeated with all good flavors, like the food of the Trāyastriṃśa gods. In that land there is a cooking pot that emits heavenly fragrance and a magical gem (maṇi), known as yanguang,that will heat any pot placed over it and automatically stop when the meal is cooked, without need for a fire or for any handling. In that land there is also a kind of tree, known as qugong, with such thickly layered foliage that no rain can leak through, and the people of that land know to take shelter under it overnight.

There are trees as tall as seventy li,

25 with abundant flowers and fruit

and a beguiling scent. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, emitting [an exquisite] fragrance. Some trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li, and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, emitting [an exquisite] fragrance.

There are trees as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that provide cloth. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of cloth. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when their fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of cloth.

There are trees as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that provide curios. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of ornaments. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li, and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of ornaments.

There are trees as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that provide flower garlands. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging various garlands. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce 167

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abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of flower garlands.

There are trees as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that provide a variety of vessels. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of vessels. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging various vessels. There are trees as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that produce a variety of nuts. As each fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of nuts. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruits, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of nuts.

There are trees, as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit that provide musical instruments. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of musical instruments. Some of the trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of musical instruments. In that land there is a lake known as Sudarśana, one hundred yojanas long and wide, with spotlessly clean, transparent, and pure water. The lake is surrounded by stone terraces made from the seven kinds of treasure, with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together. At the north end of the lake there is a tree known as Mango (anmoluo), with a circumference of seven liand a height of one hundred li.Its branches and leaves spread out in all directions to a distance of fifty li. From the eastern side of the lake the Shandao River flows out, expanding to a width of one yojana. The river flows ever gently, showing no sign of turbulence. Myriad flowers hang down from the bank to touch the river's surface as the water flows by, calmly and expansively. Both riverbanks are shaded by trees, their branches heavy with fruit and flowers. The ground is covered with soft grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, and 168

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a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate scent like jasmine. When you step on the grass your foot sinks down about four inches yet the grass springs back when you lift your foot. Yet the ground has no unseen bumps or depressions and is as level as the surface of the palm of your hand.

Richly decorated boats ply the river. When the people of that land wish to bathe and play in the water they leave their clothing on the bank, board a boat, and, after bathing and playing midstream, they cross the river [to the other side] and don any pieces of clothing they may come upon without bothering to retrieve [their own clothes that they had left behind]. When they [first] come to the trees with a beguiling scent, they bend over to collect whatever scented powder they like and spread it over their bodies. Next, on coming to the trees that provide cloth, they bend over to pick up whatever kinds of cloth they like and wind it around their bodies freely. Next, reaching the trees that provide curios, they bend over to pick up the curios they like and display them on their bodies. Next, on coming to the trees that provide flower garlands, they bend over to pick up whatever garlands they like and drape them around their heads. Next, on coming to the trees that provide vessels, they bend over to pick up whatever vessels they like [and use them] to carry [things]. Next, on coming to the trees that produce nuts, they bend over to pick up different kinds of nuts, both to savor their taste or to extract their oils. Next, on coming to the trees that provide musical instruments, they bend over to pick up whatever instruments they like to play, tune them accordingly, and proceed to play. Singing in good voice with musical accompaniment, they go on to find a grove where they can stop to enjoy their amusements for a day or two, or even up to a week. After all, when they leave the grove they have no particular home to which to return. From the southern side of Sudarśana Lake the Miaoti River flows out, from the western side the Miaomi River flows out, and from the northern side the Guangying River flows out, just as always. To the east of the lake is a pleasure garden, also called Sudarśana, one hundred yojanas long and wide, around which are seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees. The mix of colors it presents is due to the seven kinds of treasure used to build it.

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On the four sides of this garden are large gates ringed by seven railings, all made from the seven kinds of treasure. Inside, the garden is immaculate—there are no hidden thorns among the vines and the ground is even, with no bumps, holes, or pitfalls. There are no mosquitoes or gadflies, flies, fleas, or lice; no water lizards, snakes, bees, grubs, or threatening beasts such as leopards and tigers.

The ground is fresh, naturally fertile, and without any stones or pebbles. Both the malignant and beneficial influences [of nature] are in harmony, and so are the four seasons. The land is gentle and peaceful, not [too] hot or cold, always free of any kind of trouble, and fruitful and abundant without any sign of filth or defilement, as if the ground had been covered with balm. In the absence of winter or summer grasses grow year round, and plants and trees spread profusely, producing lavish quantities of flowers and fruit. The ground is covered with a carpet of soft grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, and a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate scent like jasmine. When you step on the grass your foot sinks about down four inches but the grass springs back when you lift your foot. Yet the ground has no unseen bumps or depressions and is as level as the surface of the palm of your hand. In that land rice grows naturally without husks or any need for seeding. It appears like piles of tiny white flowers and is permeated with all good flavors, like the food of the Trāyastriṃśa gods. In that land there is a cooking pot that emits heavenly fragrances, and a magical gem, known as yenguang,that will heat any pot placed over it and automatically stop when the meal is cooked, without need for a fire or any handling. In that land there is also a kind of tree, known as qugong,with thickly layered foliage that no rainfall can leak through, and the people of that land know to take shelter under it overnight.

There is also a tree as tall as seventy li,with abundant flowers and fruit and a beguiling scent. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, emitting [an exquisite] fragrance. Some of these trees are as high as sixty, fifty, or forty li,and even the smallest of them reaches five li.All the trees produce abundant flowers and fruit, and when the fruit ripens the skin opens by itself, emitting an [exquisite] fragrance. And so on, as already described, including a kind of tree that provides musical instruments. 170

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The people of that land come to the garden and enjoy amusements for a day or two, or even up to a week. There is no guard in the Sudarśana pleasure garden. Those who come to the garden freely enjoy their time there and then depart. South of Sudarśana Lake is a garden called Mahāsudarśana, to the west of the lake is a garden called Yuluo, and to the north of the lake is a garden called Denghua. All of these are similar to what has already been described.

In that land, during the middle and late watches of the night, or whenever required, the nāgaking causes fresh clouds to waft up and permeate the sky, with rainshowers falling like drops of nectar to the herds of cattle below. The liquid itself is rich, blending eight distinct tastes. Just as a garland maker scatters water over his flowers to keep them fresh and prevent withering, the water does not linger on the ground in puddles, so muddy roads cannot form. When it stays clear and there is no rain during the night, a bright moon traverses the sky, causing cool breezes to rise from the ocean. Clean and pure, each breeze gently caresses one's body, creating a most delightful sensation.

The land is well populated and prosperous. When people wish to cook a meal they put some rice in a pot and place a yanguonggem beneath it. The heat rising from the gem automatically stops when the rice is cooked. Anyone who comes along, even if the pot's owner is absent, can share the meal since the food is never used up. When the owner is present, those who also wish to partake are welcome to do so. The cooked rice is as appealing as a cluster of tiny white flowers, permeated with all good flavors, like the food of the Trāyastriṃśa gods. All those who eat this food remain free from illness, never succumb to exhaustion, and are very vigorous, with a gentle and pleasant appearance. Again, the residents of that land all look the same in both bodily and facial features, resembling young people of twenty years of age in Jambudvīpa. Their teeth are even, without any gaps, and clean and white. Their hair is dark blue, not discolored by dirt or filth, and they wear their hair shoulder-length, neither long nor short. If a man of that land desires a woman, he gazes intently at her but does not accost her. If the woman then follows him to a nearby grove or garden, the trees will refuse to give them shelter and shade if the couple's bloodlines are too closely related. 119a

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Consequently, the two would then [separate] and go their respective ways. If the couple is not too closely related so that an intimate relationship would be incestuous, however, the tree branches shield them from public sight. After enjoying conjugal union for a day or two, or as long as a week, the two will depart and go their respective ways. If the woman becomes pregnant the baby will be delivered within seven or eight days. Regardless of whether the baby is male or female, the mother will leave the child at a major crossroads and depart. People passing by will clean out the baby's mouth with a finger and give it sweet milk, and after seven days the child will have matured to adulthood. A male will join the group of men, and a female will join the group of women. Even when someone dies there are no cries of lamentation. The dead body is ornamented and placed at a major crossroads, and after doing this the people go away. Then a bird called youweichanjiacollects the corpse and transports it to another region. Also, when the people of that land relieve themselves, the ground automatically opens to receive it, and closes over it again when they have finished. The residents of that land do not remember others with affection, nor do they save anything [for an emergency, or the like]. Their life span is always predetermined, and when they die they are invariably reborn in a heaven. Why do the people of that land have a predetermined life span? It is because their birth in the land of Uttarakuru is the result of having practiced the ten norms of moral conduct. This practice gave them all life spans of exactly a thousand years, and every member of the society is equal in that respect. Now, someone who murders another human being will fall into an evil course of life, while those who have refrained from committing murder will be born into a good course of life. In a similar manner, those who commit theft or sexual abuse, or who speak harshly or deceptively, or speak falsehoods, and those who indulge in frivolous sycophancy while harboring wrong views, a covetous frame of mind, and malicious intent are bound to fall into an evil course of life [after death]. On the other hand, those who have been born into a good course of life who have refrained from murder, theft, and sexual abuse, and from speaking harshly and deceptively, or speaking falsehoods, and have not indulged in frivolous sycophancy while harboring wrong views, a covetous frame of mind, and malicious intent, are bound to be born in the land of Uttarakuru after the 172

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dissolution of their bodies at the end of life, and they are predetermined to live exactly one thousand years. Because of this, the people of that land all have equal life spans.

Again, one who is covetous, stingy, and does not give alms will fall into an evil course of life after death. Those who are open-minded and free from parsimony, and who offer alms liberally, will enter a good course of life after death. Those who liberally give alms to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas and engage in charitable acts on behalf of the destitute, beggar children, and the ill, who are covered with sores or who have succumbed to various difficulties, providing them with clothing, food, transportation, flower garlands, incense, and a couch, blanket, or shelter, and who also offer oil lamps and candles and build commemorative towers (stupas) and shrines, are all bound to be born in the land of Uttarakuru after the dissolution of their bodies at the end of life, and they are predetermined to live a thousand years, no more and no less. Hence the people of that land are totally equal in their life spans.

Why is that land called Uttarakuru? It is because the people there are superior [to all other human beings]. While they do not receive the ten norms as their vow of precepts, their behavior is naturally in accord with these ten normative standards, and thus they are certain to be born in a heavenly domain after the dissolution of their bodies at the end of life. Because of this, the people in that land are called Uttarakuru. What is the meaning of this term? Of the three continents [besides Jambudvīpa], this land surpasses the others and so is called Uttarā, which in the Indian language means "highest. "

Article 3: The Universal Ruler

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The universal ruler (cakravartin) who turns the sacred wheel in this world is endowed with four supernormal blessings and seven treasures. What does it mean to say that the universal ruler is endowed with seven treasures? The seven treasures are (1) the golden wheel, (2) the white elephant, (3) the dark blue horse, (4) the divine gem, (5) the jadelike queen, (6) the [gentleman] householder, and (7) the military commander. 173

119c

How did the universal ruler come to use his first treasure, the golden wheel? When the cakravartinfirst appeared in the land of Jambudvīpa he was from the kṣatriyaclass and his head was anointed with sacred water for the throne. He bathed in scented water on the full moon day, the fifteenth of the month, and ascended to the top of a pavilion surrounded by the palace ladies. The sacred wheel, with a thousand spokes of rich color and splendor, then appeared of its own accord before the king. It was built by a heavenly master and did not belong to the human world. Made of genuine gold, it had a diameter of thirty-two feet. Seeing it, the king quietly thought to himself,

"I once heard from my

virtuous elders the following words: 'When a king of the kṣatriyaclass, anointed on his head for the throne, takes a scented bath 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 of its own accord. The wheel has a thousand spokes of rich color and splendor. 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, 'one who

turns the sacred wheel.

' Now I see this wheel before me, but who knows

if it really works. I should now test this golden treasure wheel. "

The 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 on the ground, he rubbed the wheel with his right hand and said to it, "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. Leading the four divisions of his army, King Mahāsudarśana followed it. As the golden wheel rolled forward the four 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. [When the king arrived] they stepped forward to approach him and, with heads bowed, said,

"Welcome, great king. The eastern countries are blessed with an abundance of harvests and produce, the people are prosperous, the nature 174

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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, the cakravartinreplied to the rulers of the small countries, "Enough, dear wise kings, your offerings are already appreciated by me. Your kingships rule these countries on the basis of the right Dharma, so that neither injustice nor wrong action can take place in your countries. May your kingships adhere to the vow of not taking life, and do not permit any of your subjects to commit murder, theft, or sexual abuse, or speak harshly or deceptively, or to speak falsehoods, or to indulge in frivolous sycophancy while holding wrong views, a covetous frame of mind, and malicious intent. I say that these [ten] principles encapsulate my governance. "

After listening to his exhortation, the kings of the small countries accompanied him on his inspection tour until they reached the eastern ocean. Next, the great king proceeded toward the south, then to the west, and then to the north; in whatever direction the wheel rolled the [king and his army] 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.

The land of Jambudvīpa, renowned for its fertile soil, produced many precious things. In a vast expanse of forest where the waters ran pure and clean, the golden wheel delineated the boundaries of a territory measuring twelve yojanas from east to west and ten yojanas from north to south. During the night heavenly gods built a city protected by seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all adorned with the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together. Having measured the city structure, the golden wheel marked out an area within it that measured four yojanas from east to west and two yojanas from north to south. Once again, during the night heavenly gods built a royal palace with sevenfold walls embellished with the seven kinds of treasure and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as before. When the palace was completed the golden wheel hovered in midair above the palace gate, poised [in readiness] but not turning. Rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed, 175

120a

"This treasure, the golden wheel, is indeed a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel.

" This is called the realization of the

first treasure, the golden wheel.

How did the king come to use his second treasure, the white elephant? Early in the morning when the cakravartinwas seated in the main hall of the palace, the white elephant suddenly appeared before him of its own accord. The color of its hair was pure white, the seven parts of its body (four feet, two shoulders, and neck) were well developed and proportional, and it could fly in midair. It had variegated colors on its neck and its six delicate tusks were studded with pieces of real gold. Seeing the elephant, the king thought to himself,

"This elephant is said to be wise and good-natured. If it is well trained it can serve me as a mount for riding. " He immediately set

about to see if the elephant could be trained and found that it was capable for all training. Wishing to take his first morning ride, the cakravartin mounted the elephant, went out of the capital, made a round of all four oceans, and had already returned to the palace by breakfast time. Rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed,

"This white elephant is

indeed a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel. "

This is called the realization of the second treasure, the white elephant. How did the king come to use his third treasure, the dark blue horse? Early in the morning when the cakravartinwas seated in the main hall of the palace, the horse suddenly appeared before him of its own accord. Its body was dark blue but its long mane and tail were red. Its head and neck were like those of an elephant, and it could fly in midair. Seeing this treasure of a horse, the king thought to himself, "This horse is said to be wise

and good-natured. If it is well trained it can serve as my steed. " He immediately set about to see if the horse could be trained and found that it was capable for all training. Then, wishing to take his first morning ride, the king mounted the horse, went out of the capital, made a round of all four oceans, and returned to the palace by breakfast time. Rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed,

"This dark blue horse is indeed

a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel. " This is

called the realization of the third treasure, the dark blue horse. How did the king come to use his fourth treasure, the divine gem? Early in the morning when the cakravartinwas seated in the main hall of 176

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the palace, the divine gem suddenly appeared before him of its own accord. Its quality and color were clear and transparent, and it was spotless. Seeing this divine gem, the king thought to himself,

"This gem is very appealing

and mysterious at the same time; it is said to be able to illuminate an area as wide as this entire palace compound when a light is shined upon it. "

Then, wishing to test the gem himself, the cakravartinimmediately mustered the four divisions of his army and placed the gem on top of a flagpole. As he carried the flagpole out of the city in the darkness, the gem emitted a ray of light that illuminated the entire army as if it were daylight. Rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed,

"This treasure of a gem

is indeed a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel. "

This is called the realization of the fourth treasure, the divine gem. How did the king come to be served by his fifth treasure, the jadelike queen? When the queenly treasure suddenly appeared before the king, he saw that she was beautiful, with a fine complexion, and she was neither too tall nor too short, neither stout nor thin, her skin was neither too light nor too dark, her features neither hard nor soft, and her body was able to remain warm in winter and cool in summer. A sandalwood scent emerged from the roots of her hair, enveloping her body, and the fragrance of a blue lotus emanated from her mouth. Her words and manner of speech were invariably gentle and her demeanor was calm; she never failed to awake before the king or to stay awake until he fell asleep. The king had realized purity [by extinguishing defilements] so he was totally free from attachment and did not obsess about her in his mind even for a moment; how much less would he have approached her physically [as an object of sexual desire]. Rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed, "This treasure, the jadelike queen, is indeed a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel.

" This is called the realization of the

fifth treasure, the jadelike queen.

How did the king come to be assisted by his sixth treasure, the gentleman householder? When the householder suddenly appeared before the king of his own accord, the royal storehouses were automatically filled with immeasurable riches and treasures. This person had been endowed with special vision due to his past merit, namely, the ability to see any treasure buried underground, no matter to whom it belonged. He did not 177

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take the treasure owned by some, while turning over to the king's treasury any treasure that had no owner. The householder came to the king and said,

"O great king, please do not think about paying me any stipend. I am able to manage by myself, sir. " The king decided to test the well-bred treasurer and arranged an excursion on a pleasure boat. While aboard, the king said to the gentleman householder, "I am in need of some pieces of gold. Provide them at once.

" The treasurer replied,

"O great king, give

me some time to go ashore.

" Pressing him further, the king said, "I cannot

stop this boat. I need the golden treasure right away. " Hearing the king's

urgent order, the householder knelt and dipped his right hand into the water. A succession of urns filled with treasure arose from the water, following his hand upward just like insects clinging to tree branches. Then the other treasurers all joined in, dipping their hands into the water to draw up an equal amount of immeasurable riches, so that the boat was soon filled with treasure. The gentleman householder then asked, "Your

Majesty needed some gold pieces before; how much more will you need, sir?" The cakravartinreplied,

"That is enough. I do not need any more. I only wished to test your ability. Your service is much appreciated. " On

hearing the king's words, the householder returned all the treasure to the water. Then, rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed, "This treasure of a householder is indeed a blessing! Now I am truly the one who turns the sacred wheel. " This is called the realization of the sixth treasure, the householder.

How did the king come to be assisted by his seventh treasure, the military commander? When the brilliant, decisive military commander, whose expertise in strategy was equaled by his valor and strength, suddenly appeared before the king, he said, "Great king, may Your Majesty be free from worry. When you wish to attack any country, sire, I shall willingly accomplish it.

" The cakravartindecided to test him at once and mustered the four divisions of the army. He said to his general, "Make sure the

entire army is ready for battle. Those who have not come out should assemble; those who have already come can be dismissed. Those who are untrained should prepare themselves for battle; those who are ready can be dismissed. Let those who are here on duty return home, and let those who are already at home remain there. " Upon hearing the king's words, 178

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the military commander promptly assembled those who had not come forth and released those who had already assembled; he began to train those who were ill prepared and released those who were already qualified. Those who were on duty he let return home, and those who had already gone home were allowed to remain there. Then, rejoicing, leaping and dancing, the cakravartinexclaimed,

"This treasure, my military commander, is a

blessing! Now I am now truly the one who turns the sacred wheel. "

What are the four blessings that pertain to the universal ruler? First, as the universal king, he has longevity and will never meet with an early death; in this, no one can match the king. Second, he has a strong physical body and never contracts illness; in this, no one can match the king. Third, he has a most handsome appearance; in this, no one can match the king. Fourth, his storehouses are filled with treasure; in this, no one can match the king. The foregoing are the seven treasures and four blessings that pertain to the universal ruler.

After a time, the cakravartinhad his carriage prepared for a visit to the royal park grove. He said to his charioteer,

"Proceed deliberately while

driving the carriage. I wish to ascertain whether the kingdom is safe and our citizens are at ease.

" At the same time, those who saw the king asked

his attendant,

"Please drive slowly, for we wish to see the face of the holy ruler.

" The great cakravartinwas as attentive to the well-being of his people as to their material needs, just as a father is concerned for his children, and the people felt affection toward the king as if he were their father. They presented all sorts of rare items to the king, saying, "May Your Majesty

accept this" and "May this be of use to Your Majesty. " The king would

always reply,

"Bring me no more precious items, my dear subjects. I have my own treasures. You should keep these things for yourselves. "

When the cakravartinis in command of the land of Jambudvīpa, the terrain is even, having neither thorny plants nor pits or ditches, nor any bumpy protrusions at all. There are no poisonous creatures such as mosquitoes, gadflies, bees, grubs, flies, fleas, snakes, or water lizards. Sand and rocks, forming inscriptions, automatically sink into the ground, while gold, silver, and precious gems rise to the surface. The four seasons are harmonized into a gentle calm state that is neither hot nor cold. The soil is soft and malleable, with no filth or defilement. As if bathed in oil, it is 179

121a

clean and pure, with a rich luster and no pollution at all. The earth [here] will be the same when the cakravartinrules this world. The springwater that flows out of the ground is clean and pure and will never dry up, producing fields of soft grass that stay green throughout the year, summer and winter.

Plants and trees grow profusely, producing lavish quantities of flowers and fruits. The ground is covered with a carpet of grass, moistened by dew so that [the blades] all turn to the right with the softness of a heavenly garment, and a sheen like the colors of a hummingbird and a delicate scent like jasmine. When you step on it your foot sinks down about four inches and yet the grass springs back when you lift your foot. Rice grows naturally without husks and is permeated with all good flavors. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that produce a beguiling scent. As each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, emitting [an exquisite] fragrance. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that provide cloth; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of cloth. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that provide ornaments; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging a variety of curios. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that provide flower garlands; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging various flower garlands. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that provide a variety of vessels; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of vessels. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that produce a variety of nuts; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging different kinds of nuts. There are trees with abundant flowers and fruit that provide musical instruments; as each fruit ripens its skin opens by itself, discharging various musical instruments. When the cakravartinrules the world, the nāgaking of Anavatapta Lake causes heavy clouds to rise and permeate the sky after midnight, and rainshowers to fall to the cattle being herded below. The abundant rainwater, blending eight distinct tastes, falls everywhere. And just as a garland maker scatters water over his flowers to keep them fresh without withering, the copious rain causes the grasses and trees to grow luxuriantly, without any standing water to form puddles or muddy roads. When it stays clear [without any rain during the night], a bright moon traverses 180

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the sky, causing cool breezes to rise from the ocean. Clean and pure, each breeze gently caresses one's body, creating a most delightful sensation. When the cakravartinrules the world, the land of Jambudvīpa is blessed with an abundant harvest of every crop (lit.,

"five kinds of grain"), the

people enjoy growth and prosperity, with universal affluence and wealth without deficiency. So long as the cakravartingoverns justly there is never a cause of grievance. When the king himself adheres to the ten norms of moral conduct, his subjects will also cherish right views and uphold the ten normative standards. And when, after a long time, the king finally succumbs to illness and reaches the end of life, like a man who has enjoyed his food perhaps a little more than necessary, making it a little less suited to his body, he passes away and is reborn in Brahmā Heaven. Thereupon, the treasured [jadelike] queen, the [gentleman] householder, and the military commander lead all the people of the land in the cakravartin's funeral rite, conducted with music and dance. They cleanse the king's body with warm scented water, cover it with [new] cotton cloth, and wrap it in a shroud as long as five hundred pairs of garments. Then they put the body into a golden coffin, pour sesame oil over it, and seal the coffin inside an iron vault, which is enclosed within a sandalwood vault, then covered with incense and cremated. [After retrieving the ashes,] the people erect a commemorative tower, built out of the seven treasures, at each major crossroads, filling an area measuring one yojanalong and wide with the variegated colors of the seven kinds of treasure. On each of the tower's four sides is a single gate protected by a barrier made from the seven kinds of treasure, and from each side an open space extends as far as five yojanas in length and breadth. The tower walls are sevenfold, with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees. The golden wall is endowed with silver gates, the silver wall with golden gates, the quartz wall with lapis gates, the lapis wall with quartz gates, the ruby wall with agate gates, the agate wall with ruby gates, and the emerald wall with gates decorated with many kinds of precious stones. The railings are similarly decorated: the golden railing is hung with ropes made of silver, the silver railing with ropes made of gold, the quartz railing with ropes made of lapis, the lapis railing with ropes made of quartz, the ruby railing with ropes made of agate, the agate railing with ropes made 181

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of rubies, and the emerald railing with a variety of precious stones. Over these railings decorative nets, on which various ornaments are attached, are suspended. From the golden net hangs a silver bell; from the silver net hangs a golden bell; from the lapis net hangs a quartz bell; from the quartz net hangs a lapis bell; from the ruby net hangs an agate bell; from the agate net hangs a ruby bell; and from the emerald net hangs a bell inlaid with a variety of precious stones.

The golden trees have silver flowers and fruit. The silver trees have golden flowers and fruit. The quartz trees have lapis flowers and leaves, while the lapis trees have quartz flowers and leaves. The ruby trees have agate flowers and leaves, while the agate trees have flowers and leaves made of rubies. The emerald trees have flowers and leaves made of various precious stones.

Each of the seven walls has four gates, protected by barriers. Each wall, topped with a pavilion and veranda, encloses a flowing spring with a bathing pond and a pleasure garden filled with a variety of flowers and trees laden with abundant fruit. Exquisite fragrance arises in all directions, and a host of rare birds sing harmoniously together.

When the commemorative tower is complete the treasured [jadelike] queen, the [gentleman] householder, and the military commander, together with all the people of the land, pay their respects with a variety of offerings and [simultaneously] engage in charitable acts without distinction, providing food to those who lack food, clothing if they need clothing, and even [offering] the treasured horses and elephants of the deceased cakravartinif they need transportation, each according to their own wish. These are the supernormal blessings and merits ascribed to the universal cakravartin. Article 4: The Hells

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

There are eight thousand worlds surrounding the four continents, and these eight thousand worlds are further surrounded by a great ocean. Around this ocean is a great mountain [range] made of diamonds, and beyond it looms a second great diamond [range]. The region between them is dark and hidden; even heavenly gods like the sun and moon are 182

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unable to illuminate there despite their great brightness. In that darkness are eight great hells, each containing sixteen smaller hells. The first great hell is called Conscious Recovery; the second is called Black Rope; the third, Compression; the fourth, Screaming; the fifth, Great Screaming; the sixth, Fiery Heat; the seventh, Great Fiery Heat; and the eighth, Unremitting Suffering. In that first hell are sixteen smaller hells, each measuring five hundred yojanas in length and breadth. These minor hells are called (1) Black Sands (coal pit), (2) Boiling Excrement, (3) Five Hundred Nailings, (4) Starvation, (5) Thirst, (6) Copper Cauldron, (7) Copper Cauldrons, (8) Grindstone, (9) Blood and Pus, (10) Fire Tending, (11) River of Ashes, (12) Iron Fetters, (13) Axes and Hatchets, (14) Wolf Pack, (15) Bladed Trees, and (16) Cold and Icy.

Why is the first great hell called Conscious Recovery? Iron nails grow on the hands of the sentient beings who fall into this hell. They use these long and sharp nails to injure and kill each other when they become angry. Tearing at one another, they strip away pieces of flesh and clean off bones, until they eventually collapse as if dead. But when a cool breeze passes over their bodies, the skin and flesh regenerates as they were before. Then these [hell] beings stand up and think,

"I have come back to life,

" and the

others around them say,

"We see that you have come back to life.

" Because

of this, the first hell is called Conscious Recovery. Again, since the sentient beings who fall into this hell [have a tendency to] irritate each other, they take up any knives or swords that may be available and use them to injure or kill. The knives and swords pierce and slice; skin is cut away, flesh is sliced open, bodies are severed and fall insensate to the ground. Yet with cool breezes the skin and flesh regrow and the bodies return to life. Standing up, they think,

"I have come back to life,

"

and others say,

"I see that you have come back to life.

" For this reason,

the first hell is called Conscious Recovery.

Again, when the sentient beings who fall into this hell irritate each other, they seize youyingdaoknives26 intending to injure and kill. The sharp knives pierce and slice; skin is cut away, flesh is sliced open, bodies are severed and fall insensate to the ground. Yet with cool breezes the skin and flesh regrow and the bodies return to life. Standing up, they think, 183

122a

"I have come back to life,

" and others say,

"I see that you have come back

to life.

" For this reason, the first hell is called Conscious Recovery. Again, when the sentient beings who fall into this hell irritate each other, they take up [small] daggers with the intent to injure and kill. The sharp daggers pierce and slice; skin is cut away, flesh is sliced open, bodies are severed and fall insensate to the ground. Yet with cool breezes the skin and flesh regrow and the bodies return to life. Standing up, they think, "I have come back to life,

" and others say,

"I see that you have returned

to life.

" For this reason, the first hell is called Conscious Recovery. (1) Sentient beings who complete their respective periods of punishment emerge from [Conscious Recovery] hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, where a hot wind rages, blowing up clouds of hot black sand. Not only does the sand stick to their bodies, turning them as dark as black clouds, but it sears the skin, eating away the flesh and penetrating to the bone. Now their bodies send up a dark smoke, which revolves around the body and returns back into it, eating at it from within. Malefactors necessarily undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

(2) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Black Sands hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Boiling Excrement, where hot iron balls lie in wait. When malefactors enter the iron balls appear and cannot be evaded; as soon as it touches them the intense heat burns every part of their bodies. The malefactors cannot help opening their mouths, and then the hot balls scald their lips and tongue and throat, down to the stomach. Wherever the iron balls touch them, they eat away [the flesh]. [Moreover,] there are vermin [in that hell] that feed on iron and they gnaw on the bodies, penetrating the bones and marrow. The malefactors experience immeasurable hardship and suffering, but they must undergo this punishment for their past actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. 184

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(3) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Boiling Excrement hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Five Hundred Nailings. When they enter the guards immediately hurl them to the ground. One by one, they are taken and stretched out over hot irons and nails are fastened through their hands and feet and every part of their bodies, numbering five hundred in all. The malefactors scream in agony for there is no end to their distress, but they must undergo this punishment and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (4) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Five Hundred Nailings hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Starvation. When they enter the guards ask,

"Now you are here, what is it you want?" They

reply,

"Sir, we are starving.

" At once the guards throw them down and

stretch their bodies one after another over hot irons; they pull their mouths open with iron hooks and pour in hot iron balls that scald their lips, tongues, and throats, down to their stomachs. Wherever the iron balls touch their bodies they eat away at everything. The malefactors scream in agony, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (5) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Starvation hell and flee in terror, seeking refuge and protection. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Thirst. When they enter the guards ask, "Now you are here, what is it you want?" They each reply, "Sir, I am

thirsty.

" At once the guards throw them down and stretch out their bodies on hot irons; they open their mouths with iron hooks and pour in melted copper that scalds their lips, tongues, and throats, down to their stomachs. Wherever the melted copper touches their bodies, it eats away at everything. The malefactors scream in agony, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

185

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(6) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Thirst hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Copper Cauldron hell. The angry guards glare and seize the offenders by the feet, throwing them into the cauldron. As the liquid in the cauldron comes to a boil, their bodies slowly revolve from the surface down to the bottom and back again, sometimes hovering in the middle, like beans circulating in boiling water until they are cooked. The malefactors, tossed like beans [in hot broth,] scream and howl, crying out in bitter suffering, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (7) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Copper Cauldron hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Copper Cauldrons. The guards, glaring in anger, seize the offenders by the feet and throw them into other cauldrons. As the liquid comes to a boil, their bodies slowly revolve from the surface to the bottom and back again, sometimes hovering in the middle, like beans circulating in boiling water until they are cooked. The malefactors are tossed like beans as they plunge to the bottom and come up again, their hands and feet sometimes appearing at the surface, or their hips and bellies, or sometimes just their heads and faces. The guards use iron hooks to spike the bodies and pull them out, tossing them [from one cauldron] to another. The malefactors scream and howl, crying in bitter suffering, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (8) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Copper Cauldrons hell and flee in terror, seeking refuge and protection. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Grindstone hell, which is five hundred yojanas long and wide. The guards, glaring fiercely, throw the offenders down onto hot stone slabs and slowly stretch them out, using heated boulders to grind their bodies into tiny fragments of flesh and bone, producing torrents of blood and pus. The malefactors scream and howl, crying in extreme bitter 186

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suffering, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (9) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Grindstone hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Blood and Pus, stretching five hundred yojanas long and wide, with boiling springs of blood and pus steaming in the air. The malefactors run wildly through the boiling liquid and their hands and feet, and then their heads, faces, and entire bodies, are consumed by the heat. Ingesting the boiling liquid, their lips, tongues, and throats are scalded, down to their stomachs, and wherever their bodies are touched by the blood and pus [their flesh] boils away. The malefactors must undergo this punishment for their actions, however, and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

(10) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from Blood and Pus hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Fire Tending, five hundred yojanas long and wide, where a gigantic bonfire burns from within. Erupting in flames when they appear, the fire emits intense heat as the offenders are rounded up by fierce guards and forced to pick up hot iron rods to tend the fiery pile. As they work on the fire, they suffer extreme burns not only on their hands and feet but all over their bodies. The heat is excruciating and they cry out in their suffering, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

(11) After undergoing these torments for a long time, they emerge from Fire Tending hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at River of Ashes hell, five hundred yojanas in length, breadth, and depth, where boiling waves of hot ash gush forth, filling the place with putrid air. The sound of the churning waves crashing over them is terrifying, and as they come to the surface the waves turn into iron needles, like eight-inch spearheads. [Moreover,] long swords are lined up on 187

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the riverbank, and wolves and guards lie in wait in a forest of trees whose branches, leaves, and fruit resemble swords and daggers with eight-inch blades. When the malefactors enter the river their bodies sink and float as they are tossed by the waves, and they are pierced repeatedly by the iron spears, which tear open their rotting skin and flesh, releasing torrents of blood and pus. The malefactors scream in agony from the excruciating pain in every part of their bodies, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, they emerge from River of Ashes hell and as they crawl up over the bank, their bodies slashed and grievously wounded, they are met by sharp swords set up on the bank that slice their hands and feet. The guards ask, "Now you are here,

what is it you want?" They reply,

"Sir, we are starving.

" Immediately the

guards strike the offenders down and stretch their bodies one after another over hot irons; they pull their mouths open with iron hooks and pour in molten copper that scalds their lips, tongues, and throats, down to their stomachs. Wherever the molten copper touches their bodies it eats away at everything. Even more, wolves with long, sharp fangs tear off pieces of their flesh and devour them as they watch.

After cooking in the River of Ashes and drinking molten copper, the malefactors, pierced by spears and chewed up by wolves, try to flee. Climbing up trees, they encounter sharp blades pointed down that slice their hands; climbing back down, they find the blades all turned upward, slashing their feet. Swords and daggers pierce their bodies and their skin and flesh falls away, amid a stream of blood and pus, until only sinews hold together the bones of the white skeletons that remain. Then iron birds from the trees peck at their skulls to break them open so they can get at the brains. In excruciating pain, the malefactors scream in agony but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

(12) Returning to the River of Ashes, they sink and float as they are tossed by the waves. Iron spears pierce their bodies again, tearing away the rotting skin and flesh and releasing jets of blood and pus until only white skeletons are left to drift away. But when a cool breeze blows over 188

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them their skin and flesh regenerate as before. Standing up, they immediately flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Iron Fetters, which is five hundred yojanas long and wide. When the malefactors enter hot iron fetters suddenly appear and they are forcibly shackled by the guards. The offenders watch their hands and feet burning down to stumps, as their entire bodies are eaten away. In excruciating pain, they scream in agony but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated.

(13) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Iron Fetters hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Axes and Hatchets, which is five hundred yojanas in length and breadth. When they enter, guards glaring in anger grab the offenders and throw them down on hot irons; with heated axes and hatchets, they chop off their noses and ears, hands and feet, and hack at their bodies. In excruciating pain, the malefactors scream in agony, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (14) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Axes and Hatchets hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the Wolf Pack hell, stretching five hundred yojanas long and wide. When they enter a pack of wolves rushes forward to attack, pulling them down as [they try to] escape. The wolves seize the offenders by their limbs and toss them about viciously, tearing at their flesh and bones while blood and pus pool on the ground. In excruciating pain, the malefactors feel racked in every part of their bodies but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (15) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Wolf Pack hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the hell of Bladed Trees, five 189

123b

hundred yojanas in length and breadth. When they enter they are met by a great storm. Gusts blow through the trees and blade-like leaves fall in a steady stream, severing their hands and feet and piercing every part of their bodies, including their faces and heads, while iron birds swoop down and peck at their eyes. In excruciating pain, the malefactors scream in agony but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. (16) After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Bladed Trees hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at the Cold and Icy hell, stretching five hundred yojanas long and wide. When they enter they are met by a great blast of cold wind that freezes their bodies. As their skin and flesh fall to the ground, the malefactors scream in agony and thereupon their lives come to an end.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The great Black Rope hell contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and is enclosed by a fence separating it from Cold and Icy hell. Why is it called Black Rope? The guards [in that hell] throw the malefactors down and stretch their bodies one after another over hot irons. Shackled with hot iron chains, the bodies are kept in a straight line so that the guards, using hot iron hatchets, can slice all of them into pieces, making up a chain of a hundred thousand parts, just as a craftsman uses a sharp hatchet to shape pieces of wood and rope to form them into a chain. Punished in this manner, the malefactors experience pain and suffering beyond measure, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the Black Rope hell. Again, the guards in this hell throw the malefactors down and stretch their bodies one after another over hot irons. Shackling them with iron chains, the guards saw through their bodies with handsaws, just as a craftsman uses a saw to cut pieces of wood. Punished in this manner, the malefactors experience pain and suffering beyond measure, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying 190

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until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called Black Rope hell.

Again, the guards in this hell throw the malefactors down and stretch their bodies one after another over hot irons. Shackled with hot iron chains, they feel their skin blistering, their flesh burning, their bones melting, and their marrow coming to a boil. Their pain and suffering are beyond measure, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called Black Rope hell.

Again, the guards in this hell suspend hot iron chains, layer upon layer, and hung crosswise as well. They drive the malefactors through these hanging chains, which are tossed by a violent wind. Entangled, the malefactors watch their skin blistering, their flesh burning, their bones melting, and their marrow boiling. Their pain and suffering are beyond measure, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their sins have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called Black Rope hell.

Again, the guards in this hell seize the malefactors and force them to wrap hot iron chains around their bodies and watch as their skin blisters, their flesh burns, their bones melt, and their marrow boils. Their pain and suffering are beyond measure, but they must undergo this punishment for their actions and are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called Black Rope hell. After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors at length emerge from Black Rope hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The great hell of Compression contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and is enclosed by a fence. Why is it called Compression? Because it is a great mountain of rock that splits open to allow offenders to enter, but when they do the two sides suddenly 191

123c

come together, crushing them into bits of flesh and bone, and then reopen, like two wooden clappers that rebound after each strike. Punished in this way, the malefactors experience pain and suffering beyond measure but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Compression. Again, there is a huge iron elephant in this hell that bellows fiercely as it charges. Raging among the offenders, the elephant crushes their bodies into bits of flesh and bone, releasing torrents of blood and pus. In excruciating pain, the malefactors scream in agony but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Compression.

Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders, placing them in a grindstone and crushing their flesh and bones, releasing torrents of blood and pus. Their pain and suffering are beyond measure but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Compression.

Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders, putting them face down over a great rock and using another huge rock to crush their bodies into bits of flesh and bone, releasing torrents of blood and pus. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Compression. Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders, placing them face down in an iron mortar and methodically applying the pestle, beginning at their feet and moving up to their heads, crushing their bodies into bits of flesh and bone and releasing torrents of blood and pus. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Compression. After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Compression hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

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The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The great hell of Screaming contains sixteen minor hells that stretch five hundred yojanas long and wide and are enclosed by fences. Why is it known as Screaming? The guards in this hell seize the offenders and toss them into a huge cauldron, where they burn in boiling water. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Screaming. Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and toss them into a huge iron jar, where they burn in boiling water. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Screaming. Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and stuff them into a small cauldron, where they burn in boiling water. They scream in agony but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Screaming. Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and throw them into a large iron frying pan, where they are repeatedly fried and then boiled. The malefactors scream in agony but they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Screaming.

After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Screaming hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The hell of Great Screaming contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and enclosed by a fence. Why is it known as Great Screaming? The guards in this hell seize the offenders and throw them into a huge cauldron, where they burn in boiling water. 193

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The screaming that erupts is desperate, for the pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Screaming. Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and throw them into an immense iron jar, where they burn in boiling water. The screaming that erupts mounts ever higher because the pain they experience is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Screaming.

Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and throw them into an iron cauldron, where they burn in boiling water. The screaming that erupts mounts ever higher because the pain they experience is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, (124b) it is called the hell of Great Screaming.

Again, the guards in this hell seize the offenders and throw them into a huge frying pan, where they are repeatedly fried and then boiled. The screaming that erupts mounts ever higher because the pain they experience is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Screaming. After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Great Screaming hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The great hell of Fiery Heat contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and enclosed by a fence. Why is it known as Fiery Heat? The guards in this hell take offenders to an iron castle that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. 194

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The malefactors are left here and are slowly incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Fiery Heat. Again, the guards in this hell take the offenders to an iron room that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Fiery Heat.

Again, the guards in this hell take the offenders to an iron tower that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Fiery Heat.

Again, the guards in this hell throw the offenders into a gigantic iron pot that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Fiery Heat. Again, the guards in this hell throw the offenders down onto a flat iron plate whose surfaces glow with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Fiery Heat. After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Fiery Heat hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

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The great hell of Great Fiery Heat contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and enclosed by a fence. Why is it known as Great Fiery Heat? The guards in this hell put the offenders inside an iron castle that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated twice over, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Fiery Heat.

Again, the guards in this hell take the offenders to an iron room that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated twice over, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Fiery Heat. Again, the guards in this hell take the offenders to an iron tower that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated twice over, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Fiery Heat. Again, the guards in this hell throw the offenders into a gigantic iron pot that glows, inside and out, with the heat of the fire burning within. There the malefactors are incinerated twice over, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Fiery Heat. Again, there is a natural firepit in this hell, flanked by two volcanic mountains. The guards seize the offenders, skewer them with an iron rod, and lower them into the firepit. The malefactors are incinerated twice over, their skin and flesh burned away amid mounting pain as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Great Fiery Heat.

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After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time, the malefactors emerge from Great Fiery Heat hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell, and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The great hell of Unremitting Suffering (wujiantadiyu; avīci) contains sixteen minor hells, each of which is five hundred yojanas long and wide and enclosed by a fence. Why is it known as Unremitting Suffering? The guards in this hell seize the offenders, skin them alive from head to toe, and use their flayed skin to lash them to the hot wheels of a chariot, which they drive back and forth across a fiery iron track. Once crushed, the bodies of the malefactors disintegrate into tiny bits of flesh and bone and left scattered along the track. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Unremitting Suffering.

Again, there is a great iron castle in this hell that is besieged [at times] with blazing fires on all four sides. The flames on the eastern side leap over the castle to the western side, and vice versa; the flames on the southern side reach the northern side, and vice versa. Similarly, the flames in the upper stories reach down to the cellar, and the flames in the cellar rise up without cease, leaving nothing untouched. The malefactors within the castle try to flee but they cannot escape and wherever they turn their skin and flesh are devoured by the flames. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Unremitting Suffering. Again, the iron castles in this hell burn from within, like fiery caves. The malefactors trapped within the castles are incinerated, their skin and flesh burned away. The pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented 197

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from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Unremitting Suffering.

Again, after being trapped for some time, the malefactors see the gate to this hell begin to open and they rush toward it, desperate [to escape]. As they run, like a strongman carrying a fiery torch and running against the wind, the joints in their limbs feel as if they are being consumed in flames. But when they reach the gate it suddenly closes and they fall onto a sizzling iron floor. As their skin and flesh are burned away, the pain they experience as their distress mounts is as intense as that of all the worst poisons taken together, yet they are prevented from dying until their offenses have been fully expiated. For this reason, it is called the hell of Unremitting Suffering.

Again, everything the malefactors see in this hell is repulsive, everything they hear is grotesque, everything they smell is offensive, everything they touch is painful, and every passing notion is a malevolent thought. There is no letup in their suffering, not even for as brief a moment as a finger snap. For this reason, it is called the hell of Unremitting Suffering. After undergoing the torments of this hell for a long time the malefactors emerge from Unremitting Suffering hell and flee in terror, seeking to be rescued and protected. Without knowing, however, they are drawn by their past actions and immediately arrive at Black Sands hell and so on, until they reach Cold and Icy hell and subsequently their lives come to an end, just as before.

The World-honored One then continued in verse:

Committing evil physical actions,

And so too evil speech and thought,

One falls into the hell of Conscious Recovery;

Fearing this, your hair stands on end.

When hiding an evil thought, one meets

One's parents, the Buddha, and his saintly disciples, One falls into the Black Rope hell;

The suffering there is beyond imagination.

When one commits nothing but the three evils,

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Without performing any of the three kinds of good, One falls into the hell of Compression; The suffering there is beyond imagination. When one holds malevolent intent in hatred and anger, And is defiled with the blood of one's victims Through many kinds of evil actions, One falls into the hell of Screaming. When one follows various evil views, Bewildered by the bonds of love and lust, Committing abject [bad] deeds out of blindness, One falls into the hell of Great Screaming. Whoever does anything out of passion, Subjecting other sentient beings to the flames, [He or she] falls into the hell of Fiery Heat And suffers there for a long time. Whoever abandons the actions that promote good And the purity that leads to a good end, Committing abject and evil deeds, [That person] falls into the hell of Great Fiery Heat. Whoever commits egregious offenses Creates the power that leads to an evil end And falls into the hell of Unremitting Suffering; The punishments therein are beyond imagination. Conscious Recovery, Black Rope, Compression, Screaming, Great Screaming, Fiery Heat, Great Fiery Heat, Unremitting Suffering: The eight great hells are like caves glowing with fire; Each contains sixteen minor hells for all one's past [evil] actions. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

Between the two diamond mountain [ranges] great gusts of wind called sāṃkhya[occasionally] rage. If a storm were to sweep over the four continents and their eighty thousand territories, it would race through the air 199

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and smash everything into pieces, blasting the very earth and the great mountains, including the greatest mountain of all, Mount Sumeru, as well as everything else up to ten or a hundred liabove the ground, just as when one takes a handful of bran and throws it into the air. Such would be the effect if a great storm were to blow through this world. But the two diamond ranges block [this raging wind] from reaching this world. O bhikṣus, you should know that the two beneficial diamond ranges are the result of the good conduct of sentient beings. Again, the raging winds between the two ranges blow with intense heat and fiery flames. If those winds were to blow through this world, all the sentient beings, as well as the hills, rivers, inlets, oceans, grasses and trees, bushes and forests, would at once shrivel up and burn, just as live grass withers within an hour when it is cut and left under the hot summer sun. The heat from these raging winds would consume everything in like manner. But the two diamond ranges block them from reaching this world. O bhikṣus, you should know that the two beneficial diamond ranges are the result of the good conduct of sentient beings. Again, the raging winds between the two ranges have a putrid smell, like something extremely foul. If these winds were to blow through this world the noxious stench would cause all sentient beings to lose their sight. But the two diamond ranges block them from reaching this world. O bhikṣus, you should know that the two beneficial diamond ranges are the result of the good conduct of sentient beings. Again, between the two ranges are ten hells, called (1) Thick Cloud, (2) Absent Cloud, (3) Hehe (4) Nahe, (5) Bleating Sheep, (6) Sūgandhika, (7) Utpala, (8) Kumuda, (9) Puṇḍarīka, and (10) Padma.

Why is the first hell called Thick Cloud? The bodies of the offenders who fall into this hell grow of their own accord, just as a heavy cloud [forms of its own]. Hence it is called Thick Cloud. Why is the second [hell] called Absent Cloud? The bodies of the offenders in this hell automatically regrow, like flesh that can be consumed. Hence it is called Absent Cloud. Why is the third [hell] called Hehe? The offenders in this hell utter the sound he he when their flesh is pierced. Hence it is called Hehe. Why is the fourth [hell] called Nahe? Because the offenders who suffer from their flesh being pierced have no rescuers, everyone in this hell mutters, 200

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"Nahe("no one") to rely on.

" Hence it is called Nahe. Why is the fifth

[hell] called Bleating Sheep? Here the offenders who suffer from their flesh being pierced try to speak but they are unable to move their tongues and can only utter the sound baaaa.Hence it is called Bleating Sheep. Why is the sixth [hell] called Sūgandhika? Everything in this hell is black, like the color of sūgandhikablossoms. Hence it is called Sūgandhika. Why is the seventh [hell] called Utpala? Everything in this hell is blue, like the color of a blue lotus (utpala). Hence it is called Utpala. Why is the eighth [hell] called Kumuda? Everything in this hell is pink (kumuda). Hence it is called Kumuda. Why is the ninth [hell] called Puṇḍarīka? Everything in this hell is white (puṇḍarīka). Hence it is called Puṇḍarīka. Why is the tenth [hell] called Padma? Everything [in this hell] is red (padma). Hence it is called Padma.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

Take the example of a container that holds sixty-four hu27 of grain. Suppose this container was filled with sesame seeds and you were to remove a single seed from the container every one hundred years. Even when all the seeds have been removed, a malefactor in Thick Cloud hell will not yet have completed the term of his atonement. Now, multiply one term in Thick Cloud twenty times and that equals a single term in Absent Cloud hell. Twenty times a term in Absent Cloud equals a single term in Hehe hell. Twenty times a term in Hehe equals a single term in Nahe hell. Twenty times a term in Nahe equals a single term in Bleating Sheep hell. Twenty times a term in Bleating Sheep equals a single term in Sūgandhika hell. Twenty times a term in the Sūgandhika equals a single term in Utpala hell. Twenty times a term in Utpala equals a single term in Kumuda hell. Twenty times a term in Kumuda equals a single term in Puṇḍarīka hell. Twenty times a term in Puṇḍarīka equals a single term in Padma hell. Twenty times a term in Padma hell is called a median eon, and twenty median eons make up a major eon. Now the fiery heat in Padma is so intense that it can burn the bodies of malefactors even at a distance of one hundred yojanas; at sixty yojanas the malefactors are totally deafened, and at fifty yojanas they are completely blinded, unable to see anything again.

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When the bhikṣuKaukālika slandered the [two great] elders Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana with malevolent intent, he fell into Padma [Hell]. At that moment, the lord of Brahmā Heaven uttered the following verse: Those who are born hold an ax in their mouth And slay others with slanderous speech. Praising someone who should be criticized And criticizing someone who should be praised Are equally evil deeds in speech, And the means of acquiring [multiple] offenses. Although acquiring wealth through treachery Only brings a slight misfortune, Slandering the saintly disciples Must be counted a grave offense. For this, one suffers in Thick Cloud [hell] For a hundred thousand years,

Or forty-one terms in Absent Cloud [hell]. All who slander will receive this retribution As the result of their evil thought and speech. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus: The lord of Brahmā Heaven spoke the truth in his verse, and the buddhas also regard it as true. Now, I, the Tathāgata, who has eradicated all defilements and attained perfect enlightenment, give the same teaching expressed in this verse:

Those who are born hold an ax in their mouth And slay others with slanderous speech. Praising someone who should be criticized And criticizing someone who should be praised Are equally evil deeds in speech, And the means of acquiring [multiple] offenses. Although acquiring wealth through treachery Only brings a slight misfortune, Slandering the saintly disciples Must be counted a grave offense. 202

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For this, one suffers in Thick Cloud [hell]

For a hundred thousand years,

Or forty-one terms in Absent Cloud [hell].

All who slander will receive this retribution

As the result of their evil thought and speech.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

To the south of Jambudvīpa, within the great diamond range, is the palace of the king of the hells [Yamarāja], who rules over an area six thousand yojanas long and wide. The castle consists of seven concentric buildings and is ringed by seven railings, seven ornamental nets, seven lines of trees and so forth, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, just as in the other palatial settings. Thrice each night the king of the hells is confronted with a great copper cauldron that automatically appears before him. When the cauldron appears in the palace the king is terrified and flees the palace grounds in order to get away from it. If he is outside the palace when he sees [the cauldron], he is terrified and returns to the palace, but an imposing guard seizes the king, throws him down on a hot iron, pries his mouth open with an iron hook, and pours molten copper into it. The molten copper scalds his lips, tongue, and throat down to the stomach, eating away at everything. When his atonement is over, the king of the hells resumes his life and once again enjoys his royal status with the palace ladies. The numerous ministers who also enjoy the rewards of their station undergo the same punishment.

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

There are three messengers. What are the three? The first is the messenger of old age, the second is the messenger of illness, and the third is the messenger of death. Any sentient being who has committed evil deeds in thought and speech, as well as with physical actions, falls into the hells at the end of his or her life and the dissolution of the body. The guards in the hells lead them before the king of the hells and report, "It has been

deemed proper by the messengers appointed by the heavens that these people should come to this court. May Your Majesty examine them and seek their response.

"

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The king of the hells asks an offender, "Did you not see the initial messenger?" The offender replies, "No, sir. I did not notice him.

" The king

asks again,

"While you lived among other humans, you must have seen old people whose hair had turned white, whose teeth had fallen out, who had gone blind, whose skin had become loose and wrinkled, whose backs were hunched, and who could walk only with a cane, uttering low moans and groans while their bodies trembled and their spirits declined. Have you not [seen this]?" The offender replies, "Yes, sir. I have seen them.

"

The king asks again,

"Did you think that you too would become like them?" The offender says,

"I was careless and indulgent and it did not occur to me, sir.

" The king replies,

"Since you were careless and indulgent, [as you admit,] you were unable to control your physical, mental, and verbal actions; nor were you able to reform your evil habits or follow good ones. I must inform you about the suffering that results from careless indulgence in life.

" The king goes on,

"Whatever punishment you must

undergo is not due to the fault of your parents, your siblings, the lord of the heavens, your ancestral spirits, your friends, servants, or employees. Nor is it due to the fault of any śramaṇaor brāhmaṇa;it is solely due to your own faults, and so you must now accept the appropriate punishment. "

After asking offenders about the first messenger, the king of the hells questions them in relation to the second heavenly messenger, "Didn't you

see the second messenger?" An offender replies, "No, sir.

" The king asks

again,

"While you lived among other humans, you must have seen people with illnesses so serious that they could only lie on a couch stained with [their own] urine and excretions, unable to sit or stand, completely reliant on the help of others for their food and drink; their hundred joints having become so painful, they moan and groan and shed tears, unable to speak a word. Haven't you seen such people?" The offender replies, "Yes, sir.

"

The king continues,

"Why didn't you think that you too would become like them?" The offender says,

"I was careless and indulgent and it did not occur to me, sir.

" The king replies,

"Since you were careless and indulgent, you were unable to control your physical, mental, and verbal actions; nor were you able to reform your evil habits or follow good ones. I must inform you about the suffering that results from careless indulgence in life.

" The king goes on,

"Whatever punishment you must undergo is not 204

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due to the fault of your parents, your siblings, the lord of the heavens, your ancestral spirits, your friends, servants, or employees. Nor is it due to the fault of any śramaṇaor brāhmaṇa;it is solely due to your own faults, and so you must now accept the appropriate punishment. "

After asking offenders about the second messenger, the king of the hells questions them in relation to the third heavenly messenger, "Didn't

you see the third messenger?" An offender replies, "No, sir.

" The king

asks again,

"While you lived among other humans, you must have seen people die and their physical bodies dissolved as their life ends; their faculties had ceased to function, their bodies as stiff as dried wood, and either thrown onto a cemetery mound to be pecked at by birds or animals, enclosed in a coffin within an external vault, or cremated in fire. Haven't you seen this?" The offender replies,

"Yes, sir, I have.

" The king continues,

"Why didn't you think that you too would become like that?" The offender says,

"I was careless and indulgent and it did not occur to me, sir. " The

king replies,

"Since you were careless and indulgent, you were unable to control your physical, mental, and verbal actions; nor were you able to reform your evil habits or follow good ones. I must inform you about the suffering that results from careless indulgence in life. " The king goes on,

"Whatever punishment you must undergo is not due to the fault of your parents, or your siblings, the lord of the heavens, your ancestral spirits, your friends, servants, or employees. Nor is it due to the fault of any śramaṇaor brāhmaṇa;it is solely due to your own faults, and so you must now accept the appropriate punishment.

"

After taking the offenders through detailed questioning in relation to the three heavenly messengers, the king of the hells hands them over to the guards, who lead them down to a great hell measuring a hundred yojanas long and wide, and an equal depth below the ground. Then the World-honored One uttered the following verse: Four gates are open to the four directions, With all roads and passages leading here. Each hell is enclosed in iron walls,

With an iron net ceiling

And an iron floor.

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Fierce flames blow [into these hells] continually, Each a hundred yojanas in length and breadth, Firmly set, neither tilting nor shaking.

Dark smoke rises in every part of the chamber, Making it hard to see through the bright fiery glow. Sixteen minor hells are attached,

All of them filled with fierce flames,

The heat of which matches the evil actions of the offenders. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

The king of the hells thought to himself, "No sentient being in the world

is free from ignorance and delusion, and therefore he or she commits evil deeds physically, mentally, and verbally. Having done so, when their lives end there is no one, with few exceptions, who is not subject to these kinds of hellish suffering. If the sentient beings in the world would reform their evil habits, however, and control their physical, mental, and verbal actions and thus engage in good conduct, they would enjoy happiness in a heaven after the end of their life, like the heavenly gods. If I should be born a human after my death and come into the presence of the Tathāgata, I would shave my hair and beard under the guidance of the right Dharma, don the three mendicant robes, renounce domestic life, attain pure faith, and engage in the practice of austerity so as to accomplish what must be done [for salvation], acquire insight into the nature of things as they really are, and realize for myself, in this life, the direct experience that there is no more birth for me ever again.

"

Then the World-honored One uttered the following verse: After seeing the heavenly messengers,

If one carelessly continues to indulge in life, He or she accumulates worries and is reborn in a lower state. If one is wise, on seeing the heavenly messengers He or she will cleave to the Dharma of the saintly disciples And refrain from careless indulgence in life. Foreseeing rebirth in old age, illness, and death, One sees that deliverance only comes when there is no rebirth. 206

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By exhausting the cycle of birth, old age, illness, and death, One realizes [eternal] peace and happiness.

By [resolving to] attain the transcendent goal in this life, One overcomes all worries and fears

And is destined to realize final nirvana.

Article 5: Dragons

and Birds

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

There are four kinds of dragons (nāgas). What are the four? (1) Those born from an egg, (2) those born from a womb, (3) those born from moist heat, and (4) those born through transformation. Those are the four ways of birth. There are also four kinds of garuḍas (mythological bird), and they too are born from an egg, a womb, moist heat, or transformation. At the bottom of the great ocean is the palace of the dragon lord Sāgara nāgarāja, which is eighty thousand yojanas long and wide, ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the palaces already mentioned.

Between Mount Sumeru and Mount Khadira are two palaces belonging to the dragon lords called Nanda and Upananda. Each palace, measuring a thousand yojanas long and wide, is ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the palaces already mentioned. To the north of the great ocean is a gigantic tree, called kūṭaśālmali, in which both the lord of the nāgas and the lord of the garuḍas reside. The circumference of this tree is a full seven yojanas; it rises to a height of one hundred yojanas and its branches and leaves extend out as far as fifty yojanas.

To the east of this tree are the palaces of the nāgas born from an egg and the palaces of the garuḍas born from an egg, each measuring six thousand yojanas in length and breadth. Each palace is ringed by sevenfold 207

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walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the other palaces already mentioned. To the south of the kūtaśālmalitree are the palaces of the nāgas and garuḍas born from a womb; each palace is six thousand yojanas long and wide, ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the other palaces already mentioned. To the west of the kūtaśālmalitree are the palaces of the nāgas and garuḍas born from a moist heat, which measure six thousand yojanas in length and breadth. Each palace is ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the other palaces already mentioned. To the north of the kūtaśālmalitree are the palaces of the nāgas and garuḍas born through transformation, each of which is six thousand yojanas long and wide. Each palace is ringed by sevenfold walls embellished with seven railings, seven ornamental nets, and seven lines of trees, all made from the seven kinds of treasure, and so on, with innumerable rare birds singing harmoniously together, as in the other palaces already mentioned.

When a garuḍaborn from an egg wishes to partake of dragon meat, it flies down from an eastern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of two hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] the garuḍafeeds on the flesh of dragons born from an egg as freely as it wishes. However, it cannot catch the other three kinds of dragons. When a garuḍaborn from a womb wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from an egg, it flies down from an eastern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of two hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born from an egg, as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn from a womb wishes to partake of dragons born from a womb, it flies down from a southern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, 208

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creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of four hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on dragons born from a womb, as freely as it wishes. However, it cannot catch dragons born from moist heat or through transformation.

When a garuḍaborn from moist heat wishes to partake of the flesh of a dragon born from an egg, it flies down from an eastern branch of the kūṭa śālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of two hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born from an egg, as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn from moist heat wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from a womb, it flies down from an eastern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of four hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born from an egg as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn from moist heat wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from moist heat, it flies down from a western branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of eight hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born from moist heat, as freely as it wishes. However, it cannot catch dragons born through transformation. When a garuḍaborn through incarnation wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from an egg, it flies down from an eastern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of two hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on dragons born from an egg, as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn through transformation wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from a womb, it flies down from a southern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of four hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on dragons born from a womb, as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn through transformation wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born from moist heat, it flies down from a western branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll 209

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out to a distance of eight hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born from moist heat, as freely as it wishes. When a garuḍaborn through transformation wishes to partake of the flesh of dragons born through transformation, it flies down from a northern branch of the kūṭaśālmalitree and strikes the surface of the ocean with its wings, creating waves on both sides that roll out to a distance of sixteen hundred yojanas. In the trough [of the wave] it feeds on the flesh of dragons born through transformation, as freely as it wishes. The foregoing [describes] the dragons that are eaten by the garuḍas. There are dragons, however, on whom even the garuḍas cannot feed. Who are these dragons? They are Sāgaranāgarāja, Nanda, Upananda, Yina poluo, Titoulaicha, Sudṛśa, Alü, Jiejuluo, Jiapiluo, Aboluo, Jiatu, Qujiatu, Anavatapta, Supratiṣṭhita, Yushanqiebotou, and Dechajia. These are the dragon kings who are not subject to [being consumed by] the garuḍas, and those under their care are free from the fate met by the other dragons. The Buddha said to the bhikṣus:

If a sentient being upholds dragon norms and always observes, in mind and volition, the importance of the rules followed by dragons, that person will be reborn in the dragon world. If a sentient being upholds the norms of garuḍas and always observes, in mind and volition, the importance of the rules followed by garuḍas, that person will be reborn in the world of the garuḍas. If a sentient being upholds the norms of the hare and owl and always observes, in mind and volition, the importance of their rules, that person will [be reborn] into their world. If a sentient being upholds the norms of a dog, cow, deer, or [the norms] of a mute, of Maṇibhadra, the sun and moon, of water, fire, or sacrificial fire, or of various ascetic practices, and if that person also thinks,

"I have upheld the norms of a

mute, of Maṇibhadra, of the sun and moon, of water, fire, and sacrificial fire, and of various ascetic practices, and because of those merits I wish to be reborn in heaven"

—[what do you think?] Is this a wrong view?

The Buddha continued:

I shall explain that the kind of person who upholds the following wrong views is bound to fall [upon rebirth] into one of two places—either in the 210

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hells or the four kinds of [animal] births. Some śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas theorize that "The self and the world are permanent; this view alone is true while the rest is false, " or "The self and the world are impermanent; this view alone is true while the rest is false, " or "The self and the world are both permanent and impermanent; this view alone is true while the rest is false,