Chapter Two

2.1Summary of Contents:

I. Mahāsenā

2.2The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of Kāśi and arrived in Vārāṇasī. He stayed in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī.

2.3A householder named Mahāsena was living in Vārāṇasī. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. His wife’s name was Mahāsenā. Both he and his wife were pious and good and had virtuous dispositions. Mahāsena heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, had arrived in Vārāṇasī, having traveled through the country of Kāśi, and that he was staying in the Deer Park at Ṛṣivadana near Vārāṇasī. When Mahāsena heard that, he thought, “Although the Blessed One has been invited to my house many times and has had meals, he has never been offered all the requisites. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three months.” [F.284.b]

2.4He went to the Blessed One, and when he arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder Mahāsena praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. He rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites for three months: namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick.”

2.5The Blessed One assented to the householder Mahāsena by remaining silent. The householder Mahāsena again praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. He bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, then rose from his seat and departed.

2.6The Blessed One together with the community of monks was then provided by the householder Mahāsena with the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, for three months. The householder Mahāsena always rose at dawn, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and visited the monks. There was a monk who was ill, seriously ill, afflicted with a painful illness. [F.285.a] The physician told him, “Drink meat broth.” At that time, the householder Mahāsena went to that monk. When Mahāsena arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the monk, and he asked, “Noble one, what did the physician prescribe for you?”

2.7“The physician said to drink meat broth,” replied the sick monk.

Then the householder Mahāsena went to his own house and said to his wife, “Since the physician told Master So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare it and give it to him.”

2.8The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: “Nobody may kill beings. Whoever kills any living being will be severely punished.” Therefore, the girl could not get meat in the market even with the money.

2.9When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder Mahāsena, the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, “Since we have offered the community of monks headed by the Buddha all the requisites, it would not be good if a monk dies because of a lack of medicine.” She took a sharp knife, entered the house, cut off some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said, “Girl, make broth from this flesh and take it to the noble one So-and-so.”

2.10The girl took the broth to him, and the monk consumed the broth and recovered his health. [B23] The monk knew that the householder’s wife had served him with her own flesh in that way and thought, “It is not appropriate for me to be lying down after consuming what was given with faith. Now I will exert myself in order to attain what I have not attained, realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have not actualized.” He then became diligent. Exerting himself, endeavoring and striving, he came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving five cycles; [F.285.b] overthrew all conditioned states by nature subject to degradation, decline, dispersal, and destruction; abandoned all defilements; realized the state of an arhat; and became an arhat. He was free from desire for the three realms‍—one for whom a lump of dirt was equal to gold, for whom space was equal to the palm of his hand, who accepted being cut by an adze and being anointed with sandal paste as the same, and whose knowledge had shattered the eggshell of ignorance. He attained knowledge, supernormal knowledge, and discerning wisdom; he turned his back on worldly profit, desires, and honors; and he became an object of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra.

2.11There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. Early the next morning, the Blessed One dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and, surrounded by a group of monks, went to the house of the householder Mahāsena, followed by the community of monks. When the Blessed One arrived, he sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the householder Mahāsena, “Householder, the householder’s wife Mahāsenā is nowhere to be seen. Where is she?”

“Blessed One, she is in the innermost apartment because she cannot move.”

2.12The majesty of the buddhas, the blessed ones, is inconceivable. The Blessed One exercised his magical power so that her wound healed and her own color, skin, and hair returned. Faith then having arisen in the householder Mahāsena’s wife, she appeared at the door and touched the Blessed One’s feet. [F.286.a] The Blessed One asked, “Why has this householder’s wife experienced the power of a bodhisattva?”

2.13She spoke this verse in reply:

2.14The householder Mahāsena then knew that the community of monks headed by the Buddha had sat down in comfort, and with his own hands he served and satisfied them with a pure and fine meal. When, with his own hands, he had served and satisfied them in a variety of ways with a pure and fine meal, and knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, the householder took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. Then the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena. After having instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder Mahāsena in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One rose from his seat and departed.

2.15Then the Blessed One went to the monastery and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, human flesh is the worst of all kinds of flesh. Therefore, monks should not eat human flesh. If a monk eats human flesh, he becomes guilty of a sthūlātyaya offense. I will now establish rules of customary behavior for an elder monk of the community. [F.286.b] If flesh is offered, an elder monk of the community should ask, ‘What flesh is this?’ If the elder monk of the community cannot, the second elder monk should ask. If the elder monk of the community does not act in accordance with the established rules of customary behavior, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

2.16All of the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “How is it, O Honored One, that the householder Mahāsena’s wife served this monk with her own flesh, and, in dependence upon Mahāsenā, this monk abandoned all the defilements and actualized the state of an arhat?”

2.17“Listen well, monks,” the Blessed One replied, “and bear in mind how, not only in the present but also in the past, she served this monk with her own flesh, and how this monk actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. I will tell you about it.

2.18“A long time ago, monks, there was a householder named Mahāsena who lived in Vārāṇasī, and his wife’s name was Mahāsenā. At that time, a brahmin schoolteacher was teaching brahmanical mantras to five hundred sons of brahmins. Faith in the brahmin having arisen in the householder Mahāsena, he offered all the requisites to him and his attendants. The householder Mahāsena honored the brahmin and his attendants.

2.19“The householder always used to rise at dawn and look after the sick. A young brahmin then became seriously ill, afflicted with a painful illness. The physician told him, ‘Drink meat broth.’ Then the householder Mahāsena went to the young brahmin. When he arrived, he bowed and asked, ‘Young brahmin, what did the physician prescribe for you?’

2.20“ ‘The physician told me to drink meat broth,’ the young brahmin replied.

“Then the householder Mahāsena [F.287.a] went to his own house and said to his wife, ‘Since the physician told the young brahmin So-and-so to drink meat broth, prepare it and give it to him.’

2.21“The householder Mahāsena’s wife handed money to a girl and sent her to the market. However, the king’s son was born on that day, and the following prohibition was proclaimed with the ringing of bells: ‘Nobody may kill beings. Whoever kills any being will be severely punished.’ Therefore, the girl could not get meat in the market even with the money.

2.22“When the girl reported this matter in detail to the householder Mahāsena’s wife, the householder Mahāsena’s wife thought, ‘Since we have offered this brahmin and his attendants all the requisites, it would not be good if a young brahmin dies because of a lack of medicine.’ She took a sharp knife, entered the house, cut off some flesh from her thigh, handed it to the girl, and said, ‘Girl, make broth from this flesh and take it to the young brahmin So-and-so.’

2.23“The girl took it to him and the young brahmin consumed it and recovered his health. The young brahmin knew that the householder’s wife had served him with her own flesh in that way and thought, ‘It is not appropriate for me to be lying down after consuming what was given with faith. Now I will endeavor to attain what I have not attained, realize what I have not realized, and actualize what I have not actualized.’ He then went to a quiet place and actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge.

2.24“What do you think, monks? The one who was the householder Mahāsena’s wife at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this householder Mahāsena’s wife. The one who was the young brahmin at that time, on that occasion, was indeed this monk. She then served this monk with her own flesh and he, in dependence upon her, actualized the five kinds of supernormal knowledge. [F.287.b] Now, too, she served this monk with her own flesh, and this monk, in dependence upon her, abandoned all defilements and actualized the state of an arhat.

2.25“Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

II. Flesh41

A. Elephant Flesh

2.26The following took place in Śrāvastī.

2.27At a certain time all the elephants of King Prasenajit of Kosala had died. Since a famine had broken out, brahmins and householders started to eat elephant flesh. Early in the morning, the group of six monks dressed, took their bowls and their robes, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. When they entered a house where a householder was cooking elephant flesh in a pot, the householder’s wife said, “Noble ones, we have nothing to offer you. Please leave.”

2.28“Is there something cooking in this pot?” asked the monks.

“Noble ones, this is elephant flesh. Do you eat elephant flesh?”

“Our lives depend on you. If you eat it, please give it to us, too.”

2.29She then offered the elephant flesh to them. When they had gone out with their bowls full, they were seen by the other monks who were going for alms. When the other monks saw the group of six monks, they asked them, “O group of six, if your bowls are full, what’s in them?”

“We have some elephant flesh,” they replied.

2.30“Do you eat elephant flesh?”

“Venerables, a famine has broken out. If we cannot get anything else, should we die of hunger?” [F.288.a]

2.31When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “Monks, since all the king’s elephants have died, if the king hears that you ate elephant flesh, will he not think, ‘Because the noble ones eat elephant flesh, my elephants have died,’ because there are gods, nāgas, humans, and other nonhuman creatures who have faith in you? Monks should not eat elephant flesh. If a monk eats elephant flesh, he becomes guilty of an offense. Horse flesh is the same as elephant flesh.”

B. Nāga Flesh

2.32The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying on the bank of Ṛṣi Gargā Pond in the country of Campā.

2.33The nāga of Campā was pious and good and had a virtuous disposition. On the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he left his abode, practiced the eightfold abstinence, illuminated the place, expanded his body, and gave it to others. He never harmed or frightened any beings in the world.

2.34Since a famine had broken out, people who had lost their livelihoods, namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a living properly, and people making a living improperly, started to cut off pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them.

2.35Early in the morning the group of six monks dressed, took their bowls and their robes, and entered the town for alms. When they entered a house where a householder was cooking nāga flesh in a pot, the householder’s wife said, “Noble ones, we have nothing to offer you. Please leave.”

2.36“Is there something cooking in this pot?” asked the monks.

“Noble ones, this is nāga flesh. Do you eat nāga flesh?”

“Our lives [F.288.b] depend on you. If you eat it, please give it to us, too.”

2.37She then offered the nāga flesh to them. Most of the other people then started to eat nāga flesh too, thinking, “Even the noble ones eat it.” At that time, the wife of the nāga of Campā thought, “Because even these noble ones eat nāga flesh, most people now eat it too. How long does my husband have to bear his pain? I will ask the Blessed One.”

2.38Then the wife of the nāga of Campā, after the first watch of that night, went to the Blessed One, showing her noble figure. When she arrived, she bowed down until her forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then she sat down to one side. At that time, the figure of the wife of the nāga of Campā radiated light, the vast splendor of which filled the entire neighborhood of Ṛṣi Gargā Pond. After she sat down, the wife of the nāga of Campā said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, my husband is pious and good and has a virtuous disposition. On the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he leaves his abode, practices the eightfold abstinence, and gives his body to others. He never harms or frightens any beings in the world. Since a famine has broken out, people who have lost their livelihoods, namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a living properly, and people making a living improperly, cut off pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them. The noble ones saw this and they too started to eat the flesh. Because the noble ones eat it, most people have also started to cut it off and eat it. How long does my husband have to bear his pain? Alas, Blessed One, please have compassion and devise some reason for the noble ones to resolve not to eat nāga flesh.” [F.289.a]

2.39The Blessed One assented to the wife of the nāga of Campā by remaining silent. The wife of the nāga of Campā, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, bowed down until her forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet and then disappeared from that very place. Then, when the night had passed, the Blessed One sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. When he had sat down, the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, last night the wife of the nāga of Campā came to me after the first watch of the night, showing her noble figure. When she arrived, she bowed down until her forehead touched my feet, and then she sat down to one side. At that time, the figure of the wife of the nāga of Campā radiated light, the vast splendor of which filled the entire neighborhood of Ṛṣi Gargā Pond. After she had sat down, the wife of the Nāga of Campā said to me, ‘Honored One, my husband is pious and good and has a virtuous disposition. On the eighth and the fourteenth days of every month, he leaves his abode, practices the eightfold abstinence, and gives his body to others. He never harms or frightens any beings in the world. Since a famine has broken out, people who have lost their livelihoods, namely, herdsmen, shepherds, herb gatherers, wood gatherers, people making a living properly, and people making a living improperly, cut off pieces of the nāga’s flesh and eat them. When they began to eat the flesh, the noble ones also started to eat it. Because the noble ones also eat the flesh, most people have also started to cut it off and eat it too. How long does my husband have to bear his pain? Alas, Blessed One, please have compassion and devise some reason for the noble ones to resolve not to eat nāga flesh.’ [F.289.b] I assented to the wife of the nāga of Campā by remaining silent, and the wife of the nāga of Campā, knowing that I had assented by remaining silent, bowed down until her forehead touched my feet and then disappeared from that very place. Now the gods also criticize, insult, and disparage the monks who ate the nāga flesh, saying, ‘Those monks, the sons of the Śākyans, have fallen away from the virtuous dharmas.’ This incident is not good, not appropriate. Therefore, monks, monks should not eat nāga flesh. If a monk eats nāga flesh, he becomes guilty of an offense.”

III. Hemorrhoids

2.40The Blessed One was once traveling through the country of Magadha and arrived at Rājagṛha. He stayed in Kalandaka­nivāpa Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha.

2.41When King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha heard that the Buddha, the Blessed One, was traveling through the country of Magadha, had arrived at Rājagṛha, and was staying in Kalandaka­nivāpa Bamboo Grove near Rājagṛha, he thought, “Although I have invited the Blessed One many times and the Blessed One has had meals, he has never been offered all the requisites for three months. Now I will offer the Blessed One all the requisites for three months, and I will also send Jīvaka, the chief physician.”

2.42The king went to the Blessed One displaying royal treasures and great royal power. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha. [F.290.a] After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the king in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months.”

2.43The Blessed One assented to King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha by remaining silent. King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the community of monks was provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha with all the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months.

2.44When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One together with the community of disciples had been provided by King Śreṇya Bimbisāra of Magadha with all the requisites, along with Jīvaka, the chief physician, for three months, he thought, “He is an anointed kṣatriya king, and I am also an anointed kṣatriya king. His chief physician is Jīvaka, and my chief physician is Ātreya. [F.290.b] So, I will offer the Blessed One together with the community of disciples all the requisites, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, when the Blessed One comes to Śrāvastī.”

2.45The Blessed One stayed at Rājagṛha during the rainy season. When the three months of the rainy season had passed, he finished mending his robes, took his bowl and his robe, and traveled through the country toward Śrāvastī, surrounded by a group of monks and followed by the community of monks. In due course, the Blessed One, traveling through the country, arrived in Śrāvastī and stayed in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

2.46When King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the Blessed One, traveling through the country of Kosala, had arrived in Śrāvastī and was staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, he left Śrāvastī and went to the Blessed One. When the king arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted King Prasenajit of Kosala. After he had instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted him in a variety of ways through talk consistent with the Dharma, the Blessed One remained silent. Then King Prasenajit of Kosala rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt on his right knee, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said, [F.291.a] “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of the requisites, namely, robes, almsfood, bedding and seats, and medicines for the sick, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.”

2.47The Blessed One assented to King Prasenajit of Kosala by remaining silent. King Prasenajit of Kosala, knowing that the Blessed One had assented by remaining silent, rose from his seat, bowed down until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. The Blessed One together with the community of monks was provided by King Prasenajit of Kosala with all the requisites, along with Ātreya, the chief physician, for three months.

2.48King Prasenajit of Kosala always rose at dawn, bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and visited the sick monks.

2.49At that time, a monk had hemorrhoids and turned pale, became emaciated, lost his strength, and was weakened. King Prasenajit of Kosala saw him and asked, “Noble one, why have you turned pale, become emaciated, lost your strength, and been weakened?”

“Your Majesty, I have hemorrhoids,” answered the monk.

2.50The king then ordered Ātreya, the chief physician, “Treat this monk.”

“Certainly, Your Majesty,” Ātreya replied.

2.51Because Ātreya was impious, he did not treat the monk. Later, the king saw the monk again and asked him, “Noble one, were you not treated by Ātreya?”

“I was not, Your Majesty,” answered the monk.

2.52Then the king became enraged. He summoned Ātreya by messenger and warned, “If you treat this monk, all will be fine. But if you do not, I will curtail your allotment.”

2.53Ātreya, who was naturally impious, himself became very angry and thought, [F.291.b] “His Majesty will curtail my allotment because of this shaven-headed śramaṇa.” Ātreya tied the monk up at the gate of the Jetavana and began surgery. The monk, growing afraid, fearful, and hurt, and experiencing acute, intolerable, and unpleasant pain, wondered to himself, “Does the Blessed One not observe me afraid, fearful, and hurt?”

2.54There is nothing, even in the slightest, that the buddhas, the blessed ones, do not know, see, comprehend, or understand. When the Blessed One, spurred by great compassion, went there, Ātreya, the chief physician, saw the Blessed One arrive. Upon seeing him, Ātreya, fiercely angry, called out to the Blessed One, “Come here, śramaṇa, son of a slave woman‍—look at your disciple’s anus cut open!”

2.55Then the Blessed One left, returned to the monastery, and sat on the seat prepared for him. When he had sat down, the Blessed One smiled.

2.56It naturally occurs that whenever the buddhas, the blessed ones, smile, rays of blue, yellow, red, and white light emanate from their mouths. Some of the rays stream downward and some stream upward.

2.57Those rays that stream downward go to the hells of Reviving, Black Cord, Being Crushed, Scream, Great Scream, Heat, Intense Heat, Incessant, Blisters, Burst Blisters, Aṭaṭa, Hahava, Huhuva, Water Lily , Lotus , and Great Lotus. They alight on and cool those in the hot hells and alight on and warm those in the cold hells. [F.292.a] Thus, each of the various pains of those beings in hell ceases. When those beings think, “Sirs, have we died here and been reborn elsewhere?” the blessed ones send an emanation to engender their faith. Seeing it, they think, “Sirs, we have not died here and been reborn elsewhere. Each of our various pains ceased on account of the power of this being we have never seen before.” Their minds filled with faith in the emanation, they exhaust the karma that led them to experience the hells and are reborn among gods and humans as vessels for seeing the truths.

2.58Those rays that stream upward go to the gods attendant on the Four Great Kings, the Thirty-Three Gods, the gods of Yāma, Tuṣita, Nirmāṇarati, and Para­nirmita­vaśa­vartin, the gods attendant on Brahmā, and the gods of Brahma­purohita, Mahābrahman, Parīttābha, Apramāṇābha, Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha, Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Abṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana , and Akaniṣṭha. They resonate with the words “impermanent,” “subject to suffering,” “empty,” and “selfless,” and they proclaim these two verses:

2.61Then the rays of light, [F.292.b] after unfurling through the worlds of the great billionfold universe, later return to the Blessed One. The rays disappear into the space behind the Blessed One when the Blessed One intends to explain actions of the past. They disappear into the space in front of the Blessed One when the Blessed One intends to explain the future. They disappear into the soles of his feet when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth in the hells. They disappear into his heels when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as an animal. They disappear into his big toe when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a hungry ghost. They disappear into his knees when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a human. They disappear into his left palm when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning king of power. They disappear into his right palm when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a wheel-turning king. They disappear into his navel when the Blessed One intends to explain rebirth as a god. They disappear into his mouth when the Blessed One intends to explain the awakening of a disciple. They disappear into the circle of hair between his eyebrows when the Blessed One intends to explain the awakening of a self-awakened one. They disappear into the crown of his head when the Blessed One intends to explain complete and perfect awakening.

2.62The rays of light then circled the Blessed One three times and disappeared into the soles of his feet. The venerable Ānanda made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said:

2.64And Ānanda then spoke these verses:

2.67“Ānanda,” said the Blessed One, “that is exactly it! Tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened ones do not smile without cause or condition. Ānanda, Ātreya, the chief physician, is degenerate and will meet an untimely end. He said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the Tathāgata, who has had no fault in his conduct since he assumed Mahāsammata’s lineage. In seven days Ātreya will die, vomiting blood. With the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings. Therefore, monks, you should not treat Ātreya or others like Ātreya with respect. You should not surgically remove hemorrhoids. Treatment for hemorrhoids should be done in two ways: mantras and medicines. If a monk surgically removes hemorrhoids or treats Ātreya or others like Ātreya with respect, the monk becomes guilty of an offense.”

2.68The monk died from the particular harm done by Ātreya. The ministers reported to King Prasenajit, “Your Majesty, Ātreya said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the Blessed One and that monk died of the particular harm done by Ātreya.”

2.69The king was then very much enraged and shouted to his ministers, “Sirs, I have renounced Ātreya, the chief physician. [F.293.b] Go!”

2.70“Your Majesty,” said the ministers, “why would you want to kill he who is already dead? The Blessed One predicted, ‘In seven days he will die, vomiting blood. With the destruction of his body, he will be reborn among the hell beings.’ ”

“Then banish him from my country,” ordered the king.

2.71The ministers banished Ātreya and he went to a country called Sāketā. The gods living in Sāketā greatly reviled him: “You stupid man, why should you who has said ‘son of a slave woman’ to the protector of the three realms stay here?” And so they expelled Ātreya. Then he went to Vārāṇasī. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Vaiśālī. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Campā. Then, having been expelled from there, he went to Rājagṛha. Then, having been expelled from there, he dwelt under a tree. Then, having been expelled from there by the gods living in the tree, Ātreya went to the shores of a river, a lake, and a pond. Even there he could not find an opportunity to stay and thought, “Although even foxes find opportunities to stay on this continent of Jambu, I have nowhere to stay even under a tree, at a lake, or at a pond.” Then, the fierce agony arose for him in which one dies vomiting blood. As soon as he died, he was reborn in the great hell of Incessant.

2.72Then the Blessed One spoke these verses about that incident:

IV. One Who Has a Wind Illness

2.76The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once traveling through the country of Kāśi and stayed overnight in a town where the boundary had not been fixed. There the Blessed One caught a wind illness. The venerable Ānanda thought, “Although I have attended to the Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.” He went to a physician and said, “Sir, since the Blessed One has a disease like this, prescribe medicine for him.”

2.77“Noble one,” said the physician, “have him eat the three spices boiled with a good amount of ghee, and he will recover his health.”

Then the venerable Ānanda himself prepared and cooked the food and offered it to the Blessed One.

2.78The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, what is this?”

Ānanda said, “Honored One, I thought, ‘Although I have attended to the Blessed One at my own discretion many times, I have never asked a physician for advice. Now I will ask a physician for advice.’ When I consulted a physician, he said, ‘Noble one, have him eat the three spices boiled with a good amount of ghee, and he will recover his health.’ So I myself prepared and cooked it.”

2.79“Ānanda, where did you make it?”

“Within the boundary.”

2.80“Where did you put it?”

“Within the boundary.”

2.81“Who cooked it?”

“I did, [F.294.b] within the boundary.”

2.82“Ānanda, what was cooked within the boundary and was left within the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked within the boundary and was left outside the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the boundary and was left within the boundary should not be eaten. What was cooked outside the boundary and was left outside the boundary may be eaten. Ānanda, what was cooked by a monk, whether within the boundary or outside the boundary, should not be eaten in any situation.”

The Blessed One concluded, “What was cooked by a monk should not be eaten in any situation.”

2.83A householder living in Śrāvastī went to the Blessed One. When the householder arrived, he bowed down until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the Blessed One, through talk consistent with the Dharma, instructed, inspired, encouraged, and delighted the householder. After he had … delighted him in a variety of ways … the Blessed One remained silent. Then the householder rose from his seat, draped his upper robe over one shoulder, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and said to him, “May the Blessed One together with the community of monks assent to my offer of a meal at my house tomorrow.” … Then the householder let the Blessed One know the time by messenger: “Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is ready.”

2.84Early in the morning the community of monks dressed, took their bowls and their robes, and [F.295.a] went to the house of the householder. The Blessed One refrained from going for almsfood.

2.85The buddhas, the blessed ones, refrain from going for almsfood for five reasons. What are the five? Wishing to look after the sick, wishing to look after the living quarters, wishing to go into seclusion, wishing to teach the Dharma to the gods, and wishing to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the disciples. In this case, the Blessed One refrained from going for almsfood because he wished to establish a rule of training in the Vinaya for the disciples.

2.86The venerable Ānanda was in charge of receiving almsfood for the Blessed One. He was there given boiled rice, which was not fully cooked, and he thought, “It has not been long since the Blessed One recovered, and this rice is not fully cooked. So, if he has this rice, his illness may return. Although the Blessed One has not authorized cooking such food, it is probable that this situation will lead him to authorize cooking it.” Ānanda took a pitcher, poured water into the boiled rice, and cooked it until it was done. Then he offered the boiled rice to the Blessed One.

2.87The buddhas, the blessed ones, ask though they already know. The Buddha, the Blessed One, asked the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, does the entire community have the same boiled rice as this?”

“No, they do not, Honored One. Theirs is not fully cooked.”

2.88“Then where did it come from?”

When Ānanda related to the Blessed One in detail what had happened, the Blessed One said, “Good, good, Ānanda! [F.295.b] You know even what I have not authorized. On account of that, I authorize monks to receive boiled rice that is not fully cooked and to cook and eat it.”

2.89After the Blessed One said “monks may receive boiled rice that is not fully cooked and cook and eat it,” the group of six monks received raw rice and began to cook and eat it.

2.90When the monks reported this matter to the Blessed One, the Blessed One said, “You may receive, cook, and eat boiled rice, one third of which is cooked. You may receive and eat vegetables, flowers, fruits, fish, and meat after their color changes. You may receive, boil, and drink liquids such as milk when they have been boiled two or three times. You should not have any regrets about consuming such things. If you consume them in other ways, you become guilty of an offense.”

V. Pūrṇa60

2.91The Buddha, the Blessed One, was once staying in the Jetavana, in the Park of Anāthapiṇḍada.

2.92At that time a householder named Bhava was living in a city called Sūrpāraka. He was rich and had great wealth and many possessions, with holdings both vast and extensive. He possessed wealth equal to that of Vaiśravaṇa, rivaling that of Vaiśravaṇa. Bhava took a wife from a family of equal rank, and Bhava and his wife played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and thus the wife conceived a child. After eight or nine months, a boy who was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold was born. At the birth, the householder held a great celebration for twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, he asked, “What name shall we give this boy?”

2.93His kinsmen [F.296.a] suggested, “Since this boy is the son of the householder Bhava, let us name him Bhavila.” Thus the boy was named Bhavila.

2.94Then the couple again played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, and another boy was born and named Bhavatrāta.

And then again a boy was born to the householder and was named Bhavanandin.

2.95Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness and spoke very harsh words, and thus his wife and sons abandoned him. He had a servant girl, and she thought, “Although my master won possessions through hundreds of thousands of means, he now has an illness and was abandoned even by his wife and sons. If I give up on my master, that would not be appropriate for me.”

2.96She went to a physician and asked, “Master, do you know the householder Bhava?”

“Yes, I do. What happened to him?”

2.97“He has such-and-such kind of illness, and he was abandoned by his wife and sons. Prescribe medicine for him.”

2.98“You said he was abandoned by his wife and sons. Then who attends to him?” asked the physician.

2.99“I attend to him. Please prescribe inexpensive medicine.”

The physician prescribed it, saying, “This is his medicine.”

2.100Then the servant girl, taking some food for Bhava from her own provisions and also taking some from the house, attended to him, and he recovered his health. Bhava thought, “I was abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to this girl. I should do something for her in return.” Bhava said to her, “Girl, I was abandoned by my wife and sons and I owe my life to you. So I will give you whatever you most want. Tell me what you want.”

2.101“Master, [F.296.b] if you are satisfied with me, I would like to have sex with you.”

Bhava said, “What is the use of our having sex? I will give you five hundred kārṣāpaṇas and liberate you from servitude.”

2.102“Master, I am nothing but a slave whether I am far from here or in the next life,” she replied. “If I have sex with you, Master, I am not a slave.”

Bhava, knowing she would insist, said, “Girl, tell me when the time is right and you are fertile.”

2.103Later, when the time was right and she was fertile, she told him. Then the two, the householder Bhava and the servant girl, enjoyed themselves together, and she conceived a child. From the very day the child was conceived, all the wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava became abundant and fulfilled. After eight or nine months, a boy was born. He was well proportioned, attractive, and pleasant to behold, with a golden complexion, his head like a parasol, long arms, a broad forehead, eyebrows that meet, a prominent nose, and every major limb and minor appendage of his body complete. From the time he was born, all the wealth and all the business of the householder Bhava again became abundant and fulfilled. At the birth, the householder held a great celebration for twenty-one days and, to give the baby a name, … “Let us name him Pūrṇa (Fulfilled).” Thus the boy was named Pūrṇa.

2.104The boy Pūrṇa was entrusted to eight nursemaids: two nursemaids to change his diapers … (The passage should be recited in detail, up to:) He grew quickly like a lotus shooting up in a pond. When Pūrṇa grew up, he was taught letters, calculation, numbers, counting by hand, [F.297.a] and how to deal with loans and two different types of deposits, and he became fully learned in eight kinds of analysis: the analysis of land, the analysis of cloth, the analysis of jewels, the analysis of wood, the analysis of elephants, the analysis of horses, the analysis of boys, and the analysis of girls. He also mastered other kinds of analysis and reading, and became one whose actions are clear.

2.105Later, the householder Bhava made his sons get married one by one, beginning with Bhavila. The sons were so attached to their own wives that they abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten with physical beauty alone. Therefore, the householder Bhava was plunged into grief, resting his cheek on his hand. His sons noticed him and asked, “Father, why are you plunged into grief, resting your cheek on your hand?”

2.106“Sons,” he replied, “I did not get married until I had a hundred thousand pieces of gold. You have abandoned the family business and settled down, smitten with physical beauty alone. After my death, my family will be full of misery. How could I not be plunged into grief?”

2.107Bhavila, taking off his jeweled earrings and putting on wooden earrings (dārukarṇikā), promised, “I will not put on jeweled earrings until I acquire a hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

2.108The next one, putting on lac earrings (stavakarṇikā), made the same promise.

Then the third one, putting on lead earrings (trapukarṇikā), made the same promise too.

2.109Although they had been known by the names Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and Bhavanandin, those names disappeared, and they came to be known by the names Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin.

2.110When the three sons took to the great ocean carrying merchandise, Pūrṇa said, “Father, I will take to the great ocean, too.”

His father replied, “Son, [F.297.b] because you are a child, you should stay here and do what needs to be done in the store.”

2.111And so Pūrṇa stayed. His elder brothers returned, having been successful on their voyage. After they were fully rested, they said, “Father, please calculate the value of our merchandise.” Their father calculated the value and found that each of the three sons had acquired a hundred thousand pieces of gold.

2.112Pūrṇa had also lawfully earned more than a hundred thousand pieces of gold. He threw himself at his father’s feet and said, “Father, please calculate the money I earned at the store, too.”

2.113“Son, you have remained here,” replied his father. “What is there to calculate for you?”

“Father, at any rate, please calculate it and you will understand,” said Pūrṇa.

2.114His father calculated it and found that there were, except for the capital, more than a hundred thousand pieces of gold obtained properly. The householder Bhava, being pleased and delighted, thought, “This creature appears to be one who has the great power of merit. Just remaining here, he has acquired a hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

2.115Later, the householder Bhava caught an illness. He thought, “After my death, my sons will go their separate ways. So I must devise a plan to keep them together.” He said to them, “Sons, prepare firewood.” When the sons had prepared firewood, he said, “Kindle a fire.” When the sons had kindled a fire, he said, “Pull out, one by one, the pieces of wood.” When the sons had pulled out, one by one, the pieces of wood, the fire was extinguished. He asked, “Sons, did you see that?”

“We did, father,” said his sons.

2.116Bhava then recited a verse:

2.117“Sons, after my death, [F.298.a] you should not listen to the words of women.

2.118The sons, except for Bhavila, went elsewhere. Bhavila stayed and his father said to him, “Son, whatever happens, you should not abandon Pūrṇa. He has the great power of merit.” Then Bhava passed away, saying:

2.120The sons decorated his bier with blue, yellow, red, and white cloth, performed a great ceremony, carried the body to the charnel ground, and cremated it. Then, having assuaged their grief, they said to one another, “When our father was alive, we depended on him for our livelihoods. But now he is dead. If we now abandon the family business and settle down, the family will dissolve and we will be reproached by our kinsmen. So let us go abroad carrying merchandise.”

2.121Pūrṇa said, “Then I will go, too.”

“You should stay here and do what needs to be done in the store,” said the brothers. “Only we three will go.” The three brothers then went abroad carrying merchandise. Pūrṇa, entrusted with all the other responsibilities, stayed behind. [B24]

2.122It is commonplace that in a wealthy family each member of the family is given money for everyday expenses. The wives of the three elder brothers sent their female slaves to Pūrṇa to receive the money for everyday expenses. But since Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, [F.298.b] businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, the female slaves did not find an opportunity to receive the money for everyday expenses. After the guests had stood up and left, the female slaves were then given the money for that day. When the female slaves returned late, they were scolded: “Hey, girl, why are you so late?”

2.123“Pūrṇa was surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, and his brightness was blazing like the light of the sun,” they replied. “When everyone else had stood up and left, we were given the money.”

“Such a thing occurs when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house,” remarked the wives.

2.124The wife of Bhavila asked her female slave, “Why are you so late?”

When the female slave had explained the matter in detail, the wife of Bhavila said, “Thank you. You should go when you know the time is right.”

2.125Because the female slave knew when the time was right and went then, she quickly received the money. The other female slaves took a long time. They asked the first one, “How did you come back so quickly?”

2.126She explained everything, and the other female slaves began to go to Pūrṇa with her. Pūrṇa was again surrounded by merchants, businessmen, caravan leaders, and servants, and when they left, he gave the female slave of Bhavila’s wife the day’s money. The other two female slaves also quickly obtained the money. Their mistresses asked, “How is it that you came back so quickly this time?”

2.127They said, “May the eldest mistress be free from illness. When her female slave goes, Pūrṇa gives the money to her. So we go with her.”

Unable to bear it, the two wives again remarked, [F.299.a] “Such a thing occurs when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house.”

2.128Later, Bhavila, Bhavatrāta, and Bhavanandin returned from the great ocean, joyfully, having succeeded on their voyage. Bhavila asked his wife, “Good lady, did Pūrṇa protect you well?”

“He was as good to me as a brother or a son,” she replied.

2.129When the other two husbands asked their wives the same, the wives remarked yet again, “These are things that occur when sons of slave women come into power in someone’s house.”

The two brothers thought, “Women usually split friends apart.”

2.130Later, immediately after the store of cloth from Kāśi was opened, Bhavila’s son came, and Pūrṇa dressed him with a piece of cloth from Kāśi. The wives of the two younger brothers saw the cloth and asked, “Child, who gave you this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

2.131Having seen such cloth, the other wives also sent their own sons. But, unfortunately for them, the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed and only the store of rough cloth was open, and so Pūrṇa dressed them in rough cloth. Seeing this, the wives of the two younger brothers complained to their husbands, “Did you see that? He gives cloth from Kāśi to one while he gives rough cloth to the others.”

2.132The husbands answered, “That is definitely because when the boys arrived the store of cloth from Kāśi was closed, but the store of rough cloth was open.”

“Give it more thought,” said their wives.

2.133Later, when the store of śarkarā was opened, Bhavila’s son came and got a bowl full of śarkarā. [F.299.b] When Bhavila’s son returned home carrying the śarkarā, the wives of the younger brothers saw him and asked, “Child, who gave you this?”

“Uncle gave it to me,” answered the child.

2.134The two wives also sent their own sons. But unfortunately for them, the store of śarkarā was closed and only the store of guḍa was open. Since they came when only the store of guḍa was open, they got guḍa. “Did you see that?” the wives complained again. “Pūrṇa gives śarkarā to the one while he gives guḍa to the others.”

2.135Having seen all that, the wives tried to alienate their husbands from one another in order to split up the household. The two younger brothers discussed the matter together: “Since our household has been ruined for good, we should divide it.”

2.136One suggested, “Let’s call our eldest brother.”

The other replied, “For the time being, let’s consider how to divide the household ourselves.”

2.137The two then considered it independently and thought, “One will take what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there is in the store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa. If our eldest brother takes what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, we will be able to live on what there is in the store and what there is abroad. And if our eldest brother takes what there is in the store and what there is abroad, we will be able to live on what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, and we will also be able to torment Pūrṇa.”

2.138Thus the two brothers discussed the matter. They went to Bhavila and said, “Since our family relations have dissolved, we are going to divide the household.”

“I think we should do this after we have carefully analyzed the situation,” Bhavila replied, “because it is usually women who break up households.”

2.139“We have already analyzed the situation,” said the other two, [F.300.a] “so we are going to divide the household.”

“Then call five arbitrators,” said Bhavila.

2.140“Why do we need five arbitrators when we have already figured out the division of the household?” asked the two brothers. “One will take what there is in the house and what there is in the farm, another will take what there is in the store and what there is abroad, and the third will take Pūrṇa.”

2.141“Why do you not give Pūrṇa his share?” asked Bhavila.

“Who gives a share to the son of a slave woman?” the other two answered. “Not only that, he himself is one of the things we have apportioned. If you want Pūrṇa, take him.”

2.142Bhavila thought, “Father ordered me: ‘You should not abandon Pūrṇa even if you part with your entire estate.’ So I should take Pūrṇa.” He then said, “If that is how it is, then I will provide for Pūrṇa.”

2.143The brother who took possession of what there was in the house and what there was in the farm went quickly to the house and called out, “Sister, get out of here!”

When Bhavila’s wife stepped out, he shouted, “Don’t come back again!”

2.144“Why?”

“Because we have divided what belongs to the household.”

2.145The brother who took possession of what there was in the store and what there was abroad went quickly to the store and called out, “Pūrṇa, come down!”

When Pūrṇa came down, the brother said, “You cannot go up to the store anymore.”

2.146“Why?”

“We divided the household. What there is abroad and what there is in the store are mine.”

2.147“Give me my share,” said Pūrṇa.

The brother retorted, “Why should we give a share to you, the son of a slave woman? Not only that, you yourself are one of the things we have apportioned. You have been taken by our eldest brother.”

2.148When Bhavila’s wife went with Pūrṇa to the house of a kinsman, her children [F.300.b] began to cry from hunger. She implored him, “Pūrṇa, give my children something to eat.”

2.149“Give me a kārṣāpaṇa,” said Pūrṇa.

“You earned a hundred thousand pieces of gold,” she replied. “Do you not have something for the children to eat?”

2.150“How could I have known that your family would come to be needy like this?” said Pūrṇa in return. “If I had known that, I would have prepared hundreds of thousands of gold pieces.”

2.151It is commonplace for women to carry a few brass coins wrapped in the hems of their garments. Bhavila’s wife gave Pūrṇa a brass coin and said, “Bring something to eat.”

2.152Taking the coin with him, Pūrṇa went to the market, where he saw a man carrying a bundle of wood that had been cast ashore by the ocean waves. The man was shivering with cold, and Pūrṇa asked him, “Say, why are you shivering like this?”

“I don’t know,” answered the man, “but I grow cold like this whenever I carry this bundle of wood even briefly.”

2.153Pūrṇa, who was learned in the analysis of wood, began to analyze the wood and found in it a piece of gośīrṣacandana. He asked the man, “Say, how much would you sell this for?”

“For five hundred kārṣāpaṇas.”

2.154Pūrṇa took the bundle of wood, extracted the piece of gośīrṣacandana, went to the market, sawed it into four pieces, sold just the sawdust for a thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and gave the man five hundred kārṣāpaṇas, saying, “Since Bhavila’s wife is staying at such-and-such a house, take this bundle of wood there and say that Pūrṇa sent it.”

2.155When the man had brought the wood and told her what happened, Bhavila’s wife, beating her breast, cried out, “So did Pūrṇa also lose his mind after he lost his estate? I sent him to find something to be cooked. [F.301.a] Instead, he sent something to kindle a fire with, but nothing to be cooked!”

2.156Later, the king of Sūrpāraka came down with a serious fever and was semiconscious. The physician prescribed gośīrṣacandana for him, and so the ministers began to look for gośīrṣacandana. They heard talk in the market and went to Pūrṇa. The ministers asked him, “Do you have gośīrṣacandana?”

“I do.”

2.157“How much would you sell it for?”

“For a thousand kārṣāpaṇas.”

2.158The ministers bought the gośīrṣacandana for a thousand kārṣāpaṇas, and when they anointed the king with it, he recovered his health. The king thought, “What sort of house has gośīrṣacandana in it?” The king asked his ministers, “Where did this come from?”

“From Pūrṇa, Your Majesty,” answered the ministers.

2.159“Call Pūrṇa here.”

A messenger went to Pūrṇa and told him, “Pūrṇa, His Majesty will speak with you.”

2.160Pūrṇa wondered, “Why would the king speak with me?” He then thought further, “Since he recovered his health on account of gośīrṣacandana, he would speak with me about gośīrṣacandana. So I should take all the gośīrṣacandana with me.”

2.161Pūrṇa wrapped three pieces of gośīrṣacandana with cloth, held another piece in his hand, and went to the king. The king asked, “Pūrṇa, do you have any gośīrṣacandana?”

“Your Majesty, here it is,” Pūrṇa answered.

2.162“What is the price of this?”

“A hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

2.163“Do you have any more?”

“I do, Your Majesty,” Pūrṇa said, showing him, one by one, the three other pieces of gośīrṣacandana. The king ordered his ministers, “Pay Pūrṇa four hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

2.164“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “give me three hundred thousand. I will present one to Your Majesty as a gift.”

The king gave three hundred thousand pieces of gold to Pūrṇa and said, “Pūrṇa, I am pleased with you. [F.301.b] So, tell me whatever you most want and I will give it to you.”

2.165“Your Majesty, if you are pleased with me, I would ask to stay in your country without being harmed by anyone.”

The king ordered his ministers, “Sirs, from now on, you should not give orders to Pūrṇa even if you give orders to princes.”

2.166Later, five hundred merchants came to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on their voyage on the great ocean. The guild of merchants in Sūrpāraka made a private agreement: “None of us should go alone to the foreign merchants. If someone goes alone, a fine of sixty kārṣāpaṇas shall be imposed. We should gather our merchandise together.”

2.167One of them said, “We should call Pūrṇa, too.”

“What is the use of calling that poor man?” asked another.

2.168At that time Pūrṇa went out and heard that five hundred merchants had come to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on their voyage on the great ocean. Pūrṇa, without entering the city, went to the foreign merchants and asked, “Sirs, what are these goods?”

“They are this and that,” they answered.

2.169“What is their price?”

“Caravan leader, wherever you go you only ask questions.”

2.170“Even so, tell me the price,” Pūrṇa insisted.

The merchants priced the goods at one million, eight hundred thousand pieces of gold. Pūrṇa said, “Sirs, here are three hundred thousand pieces of gold for a deposit. This merchandise is mine. I will pay the balance when I get home.”

2.171“Please do so,” they said, and Pūrṇa paid three hundred thousand pieces of gold as a deposit, placed his own seal on the merchandise, and departed.

2.172Later, the guild of merchants sent servants, telling them, “Go see what goods there are.”

2.173They went and asked, “What are these goods?”

“They are this and that.”

2.174“Our [F.302.a] treasury and warehouse are full of such things.”

“Whether full or not, these goods have already been sold,” said the foreign merchants.

2.175“To whom did you sell them?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

2.176“You must have made a great profit if you sold it to Pūrṇa.”

The merchants said, “You would not pay even for full price what he paid as a deposit.”

2.177“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

2.178“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

The servants went back and reported to the guild of merchants, “Those goods have already been sold.”

2.179“To whom?”

“To Pūrṇa.”

2.180“They must have made a great profit if they sold it to Pūrṇa.”

“You would not pay even for full price what he paid as a deposit.”

2.181“How much did he pay as a deposit?”

“Three hundred thousand pieces of gold.”

“He must have stolen the gold from his brothers.”

2.182They called Pūrṇa and said, “Pūrṇa, why did you take the merchandise when the guild of merchants had an agreement: ‘None should take the merchandise alone, but only the guild of merchants should take it’?”

2.183“Sirs,” he replied, “when you made the agreement, did you tell me or my brothers? You made the agreement without me. You alone should keep it.”

2.184The guild of merchants then became angry. They seized Pūrṇa and placed him in the sun so that he would pay sixty kārṣāpanas. The king’s men witnessed this and told the king.

“Sirs, summon them,” ordered the king.

2.185When the king’s men had summoned the merchants, the king asked them, “Sirs, why did you seize Pūrṇa and place him in the sun?”

“Your Majesty, we did so because the guild of merchants had an agreement that none should trade by themselves, but he engaged in trade by himself.”

2.186“Your Majesty,” said Pūrṇa, “please ask them whether they told me or my brothers when they made the agreement.” [F.302.b]

“Sirs, Pūrṇa’s claim is fair,” said the king.

2.187The merchants were ashamed, and they freed Pūrṇa.

Later, when the king needed an item, he summoned the guild of merchants and ordered them, “Sirs, since I need such-and-such an item, present it to me.”

2.188“Your Majesty, Pūrṇa has it,” they replied.

“Since I cannot order him,” said the king, “buy it from him and present it to me.”

2.189The merchants sent a messenger to Pūrṇa, who told him, “The guild of merchants calls you.”

“I will not go,” answered Pūrṇa.

2.190Then all the members of the guild of merchants assembled, went to Pūrṇa’s house, stood at the door, and sent him a message: “Pūrṇa, the guild of merchants is at your door. Come out!”

2.191When Pūrṇa came out arrogantly, with pride and haughtiness, the guild of merchants said, “Caravan leader, please sell your merchandise at the price you paid for it.”

“If I sell my merchandise at the price I paid for it, I would surely be such a great merchant, wouldn’t I?” said Pūrṇa.

2.192The merchants replied, “Sell it at twice the price and the guild of merchants will be honored.”

“The guild of merchants should be honored,” thought Pūrṇa. He then sold it at twice the price of one million, five hundred thousand.

2.193After Pūrṇa hid the remaining money in his house, he thought, “How can I fill a vessel with dew drops? I will take to the great ocean.” In order to take to the great ocean, he issued a proclamation in the city of Sūrpāraka with the ringing of bells: “Sirs, merchants living in the city of Sūrpāraka, listen! The caravan leader Pūrṇa will take to the great ocean. Whoever among you who wants to take to the great ocean with the caravan leader Pūrṇa, free from taxes, duties, and boatman’s fees, should prepare your merchandise to carry across the great ocean.” [F.303.a]

2.194Five hundred merchants prepared their merchandise to carry across the great ocean. Then the caravan leader Pūrṇa, after performing rituals that bring good fortune, blessings, and well-being, took to the great ocean with his retinue and the five hundred merchants, and then returned to the city of Sūrpāraka, having succeeded on his voyage.

2.195Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and returned, having succeeded on each voyage.

Everywhere it was said, “Six times Pūrṇa took to the great ocean and returned, having succeeded on each voyage.” Then, the merchants of Śrāvastī came to the city of Sūrpāraka bearing their merchandise. After they were fully rested, they went to the caravan leader Pūrṇa. When they arrived, they said, “Caravan leader, let us leave for the great ocean.”

2.196“Sirs,” Pūrṇa replied, “have any of you ever seen or heard of anyone who, six times, returned from the great ocean after succeeding on each voyage, and was going a seventh time?”

2.197“Pūrṇa, we came a long way to see you. If you do not go, we will not go either because you are the authority,” the merchants said.

Pūrṇa thought, “Although there is no wealth at all that I need, I will go for the sake of these people.” Then Pūrṇa left for the great ocean together with the merchants.

2.198At dawn the merchants recited the Udāna , Pārāyaṇa , Satyadṛś , Sthaviragāthā , Sthavirīgāthā , Śailagāthā , Munigāthā , and Arthavargīya Sūtras . Pūrṇa heard them and said, “Sirs, you are singing good songs.”

2.199“Caravan leader,” they replied, “these are not songs.”

“Then what are they?”

“They are the words of the Buddha.”

2.200When Pūrṇa heard the sound buddha, a word he had never heard before, the hairs in every pore of his body stood on end. Pūrṇa asked reverently, [F.303.b] “Sirs, who is the Buddha?”

2.201The merchants explained, “There is a son of the Śākyans, a śramaṇa of the Gautama family, who went forth from his home into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off his hair and beard and donned saffron robes. He awoke to supreme, complete awakening. Caravan leader, he is the Buddha.”

2.202“Sirs, where is that blessed one now?”

“Caravan leader, he is staying in Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.”

2.203Keeping this in mind, Pūrṇa took to the great ocean together with them and came back, having succeeded on his voyage.

2.204His brother Bhavila thought, “He is tired from continually traveling the great ocean. He should get married.” He then asked Pūrṇa, “Tell me, which daughter of which merchant, businessman, or caravan leader shall I request for you?”

“I do not want an object of desire,” Pūrṇa replied. “If you allow it, I will go forth.”

2.205“You did not go forth when we were not engaged in the family business. Why do you go forth now?” asked Bhavila.

“It was not appropriate then,” replied Pūrṇa. “It is appropriate now.”

Bhavila, knowing he would insist, allowed Pūrṇa to go forth.

2.206“Brother,” said Pūrṇa, “there is much danger and little to gain on the great ocean. Many people take to it but only a few of them return. So you should never take to the great ocean. You have abundant wealth gained properly, while your brothers have what was gained improperly. So you should not live with them if they ask you to live together.”

2.207Pūrṇa went to Śrāvastī with a servant. He stayed in the park of Śrāvastī and sent his servant as a messenger to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada, saying, “Householder, the caravan leader Pūrṇa is staying in the park of Śrāvastī, hoping to meet you.” [F.304.a]

2.208Anāthapiṇḍada thought, “He must have come in a carriage, having grown tired of traveling by boat.” Then Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Say, how much merchandise has he brought with him?”

“What merchandise? He came only with me, a servant.”

2.209“It would not be appropriate for me to invite that important person to my house without honoring him,” thought Anāthapiṇḍada. So, he invited Pūrṇa to his house with great honor: he offered him a massage, let him bathe, and gave him food. When they sat down, talking pleasantly, Anāthapiṇḍada asked, “Caravan leader, what is the purpose of your coming here?”

“Householder, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

2.210Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada stretched his upper body, raised his right hand, and spoke an inspired utterance: “O Buddha, O Dharma, O Saṅgha! O well-taught Dharma! A great person like this, abandoning a great many relatives and friends and full treasuries and warehouses, now wishes to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya.”

2.211Then the householder Anāthapiṇḍada took the caravan leader Pūrṇa to the Blessed One. At that time the Blessed One was teaching the Dharma, seated before an audience of many hundreds of monks. When the Blessed One saw the householder Anāthapiṇḍada coming with a gift, he said to the monks, “Monks, the householder Anāthapiṇḍada is coming with a gift. For the Tathāgata, there is no gift equal to this, a person to be tamed.” [F.304.b]

2.212The householder Anāthapiṇḍada bowed low until his forehead touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then he sat down to one side together with the caravan leader Pūrṇa. When Anāthapiṇḍada had sat down, he said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, the caravan leader Pūrṇa wishes to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. May the Blessed One let him go forth and ordain him.”

2.213The Blessed One assented to the householder Anāthapiṇḍada by remaining silent. Then the Blessed One said to the caravan leader Pūrṇa, “Come, monk, lead the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed One said this, Pūrṇa’s hair fell out and he was clad in his outer robe, with but a week’s worth of hair and beard, his bowl and pitcher in his hand, and standing like a monk who had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

2.215At another time, the venerable Pūrṇa went to the Blessed One. When Pūrṇa arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, the venerable Pūrṇa implored the Blessed One, “Blessed One, please preach to me a condensed Dharma so that after I have listened to the condensed Dharma from the Blessed One, I will come to dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself toward myself. If I dwell alone, in solitude, carefully and diligently, directing myself toward myself, I will, in this life, by my own supernormal knowledge, actualize and accomplish the supreme end of the pure life for which the sons of noble families go forth from their homes into homelessness with true faith, having shaved off their hair and beards [F.305.a] and donned saffron robes, and I will understand, ‘My births have been exhausted. The pure life has been lived. What is to be done has been done. I will not know another existence after this one.’ ”

2.216When the venerable Pūrṇa had finished speaking, the Blessed One said to him, “Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it was good that you said this: ‘Please preach to me a condensed Dharma . . . . I will not know another existence after this one.’ Therefore, listen well and keep this in mind and I will preach to you.

2.217“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and rejoices in, welcomes, clings to, and remains attached to them, joy will arise in he who rejoices in, welcomes, clings to, and remains attached to them. If there is joy, the joy will turn into delight and pleasure. If there is delight and pleasure, it will turn into clinging. If there is clinging, it will turn into a fetter. A monk who has come to have delight, clinging, and fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

2.218“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and [F.305.b] mental objects to be cognized by the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows these objects … he is said to be far from nirvāṇa.

2.219“Pūrṇa, there are visual objects to be cognized by the eye that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk sees these visual objects and does not rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them, joy will not arise in he who does not rejoice in, welcome, cling to, or remain attached to them. If there is no joy, there will be no delight or pleasure. If there is no delight or pleasure, there will be no clinging. If there is no clinging, there will be no fetter. If there are no fetters, a monk who has neither delight, nor clinging, nor fetters, Pūrṇa, is said to be near nirvāṇa.

2.220“Pūrṇa, there are auditory objects to be cognized by the ear, olfactory objects to be cognized by the nose, gustatory objects to be cognized by the tongue, tangible objects to be cognized by the body, and mental objects to be cognized by the mind that are attractive, desirable, delightful, pleasing to behold, and connected with desire, and that give rise to clinging. If a monk knows these objects … he is said to be near nirvāṇa.

2.221“Pūrṇa, since I have entrusted you with this condensed instruction, then where do you want to dwell? Where do you want to live?”

“Honored One, since the Blessed One has entrusted me with this condensed instruction, I would like to go to Śroṇāparāntaka.”

2.222“Pūrṇa, [F.306.a] the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce, impetuous, rough, abusive, short tempered, and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse, ridicule, and disparage you with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, what will you think?”

2.223“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka directly abuse, ridicule, and disparage me with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they abuse, ridicule, and disparage me with bad, coarse, and intolerable words, they do not strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt.’ ”

2.224“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with their hands or with clods of dirt, what will you think?”

2.225“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with their hands or with clods of dirt, they do not strike me with sticks or swords.’ ”

2.226“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike you with sticks or with swords, what will you think?”

2.227“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka strike me with sticks or with swords, I will think, ‘Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. Although they strike me with sticks or with swords, they do not take my life.’ ”

2.228“Pūrṇa, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are fierce … and disparaging. Pūrṇa, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka [F.306.b] attempt to take your life, what will you think?”

2.229“Honored One, if the people of Śroṇāparāntaka attempt to take my life, I will think, ‘Among the Blessed One’s disciples there are those who, because of this purulent body, are grieved and ashamed and self-loathing, and who cut themselves with swords, ingest poison, hang themselves, or throw themselves from a cliff to their deaths. Therefore, ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are proper. Ah, the people of Śroṇāparāntaka are intelligent. They liberate me from this purulent body with little trouble.’ ”

2.230“Good, good, Pūrṇa! Pūrṇa, it is good that you who possess such patience and gentleness are able to dwell in Śroṇāparāntaka. Pūrṇa, go and liberate those who have not been liberated. Release those who have not been released. Relieve those who have not been relieved. Emancipate those who have not been emancipated.”

2.231The venerable Pūrṇa praised and rejoiced in the words of the Blessed One. The venerable Pūrṇa then bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and he departed from the Blessed One’s presence.

2.232After that night had passed, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Śrāvastī for alms. He took a meal of almsfood in Śrāvastī and returned after the meal. He put in order the bedding and the seat he had used, took his bowl and his robe, and set out for Śroṇāparāntaka. [F.307.a] Traveling through the country, he arrived in due course at Śroṇāparāntaka.

2.233Then, early in the morning the venerable Pūrṇa dressed, took his bowl and his robe, and entered Śroṇāparāntaka for alms.

2.234A hunter, carrying his bow and arrows and going to hunt deer, saw Pūrṇa and thought, “It is inauspicious that I saw this shaven-headed śramaṇa.”

When the hunter, his bow drawn, charged at the venerable Pūrṇa, the venerable Pūrṇa caught sight of him. Upon seeing him, Pūrṇa removed his upper robe and said, “Shoot this, sir, since I entered this place for the sake of this that is hard to fill up,” and then he spoke this verse:

2.236The hunter thought, “This mendicant has such patience and gentleness. Why should I shoot him with an arrow?” When he thought thus, the hunter’s mind was filled with faith in the venerable Pūrṇa. Then the venerable Pūrṇa preached the Dharma to him and established him in the refuges and the rules of training. The venerable Pūrṇa also made five hundred other huntsmen lay brothers and five hundred women lay sisters. Five hundred monastery buildings were offered to him, and hundreds of couches, stools, cushions, pillows, and square blankets were also offered. After three months had passed, the venerable Pūrṇa actualized with his body the threefold knowledge and became an arhat. He was free from desire for the three realms; … and he [F.307.b] became an object of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra.

2.237Later, the two brothers of Dārukarṇin, having consumed and exhausted their possessions, came to Dārukarṇin and said, “Since that creature who was our misfortune has left our home, come, let us live together.”

2.238“Who is that creature that you say was our misfortune?” asked Dārukarṇin.

“Pūrṇa, of course.”

2.239“He is not a creature who brings misfortune; rather, he brought good fortune to my home.”

Dārukarṇin’s two brothers said, “Whether good fortune or misfortune, come, let us live together.”

2.240“Your wealth was not gained properly while mine was gained properly,” replied Dārukarṇin. “Because of this difference, we cannot live together.”

2.241“The son of a slave woman took to the great ocean many times and helped you gain your possessions, which you spend and boast about. How were you able to take to the great ocean?” asked Dārukarṇin’s two brothers.

2.242Dārukarṇin, his pride hurt by his two brothers, thought, “I will take to the great ocean, too.” Having thought this … Dārukarṇin took to the great ocean. His ship was driven by a tail wind to a forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, this is the forest of gośīrṣacandana. So, choose and take wood from here.”

2.243At that time, there was a yakṣa named Maheśvara, who was master of the forest of gośīrṣacandana, and he was away at a meeting of yakṣas. The merchants began to cut down the gośīrṣacandana trees with five hundred axes. When a yakṣa named Apriya saw the gośīrṣacandana trees being cut down with the five hundred axes, he went to the yakṣa Maheśvara and said to him, “Sir, please be informed [F.308.a] that the forest of gośīrṣacandana is being destroyed by five hundred axes. Thus, please do your duty, or what you ought to do.”

2.244Then the yakṣa Maheśvara canceled the meeting of yakṣas, and, unable to bear it, caused a violent storm and set out for the forest of gośīrṣacandana.

The guide said, “Sirs, merchants of the continent of Jambu, listen. Since this is the very thing that is known as the fear of a great storm, think of a countermeasure.”

2.245Then the merchants were frightened, terrified, dejected, and, with the hairs in every pore of their bodies standing on end, started to beg the gods for help, saying:

2.248Dārukarṇin stood undisturbed. The merchants asked him, “Caravan leader, why do you stand undisturbed while we are in intolerable pain and fear?”

2.249“Sirs,” replied Dārukarṇin, “my younger brother told me, ‘Brother, there is much danger and little to gain on the great ocean. Many people driven by desire take to it but only a few of them return. So, you should never take to the great ocean.’ I disobeyed my younger brother’s words and took to the great ocean. So what can I do now?”

2.250“Who is your younger brother?”

“He is Pūrṇa.”

2.251“Sirs,” said the merchants, “the noble one Pūrṇa has the great power of merit. Let us seek refuge in him.”

Then they all, with one voice, exclaimed, “Homage to the noble one Pūrṇa! [F.308.b] Homage, homage to the noble one Pūrṇa!”

2.252Gods who were delighted with the venerable Pūrṇa then went to him. When they arrived, they said to the venerable Pūrṇa, “Noble one, your elder brother feels intolerable pain and fear. Please consider rescuing him.”

2.253The venerable Pūrṇa considered this, and entered a meditative state by which, directing his mind, he disappeared from Śroṇāparāntaka and appeared seated with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship in the great ocean. The storm was then turned back as if it had struck Mount Sumeru and was thwarted. The yakṣa Maheśvara thought, “Though, in the past, ships that were hit by a storm were tossed like a piece of cotton and broken apart, now the storm has been turned back as if it had struck Mount Sumeru and was thwarted. What was the cause of that?”

2.254The yakṣa Maheśvara looked around and then discovered the venerable Pūrṇa seated with his legs crossed on the edge of the ship. When the yakṣa Maheśvara had discovered the venerable Pūrṇa, he asked, “Noble one Pūrṇa, why do you harass me?”

2.255“O you whose nature is to grow old, why do I harass you?” asked the venerable Pūrṇa in return. “You are harassing me. Had I not attained a number of good qualities like these, you would have killed my brother, and only his name would have remained.”

2.256“Noble one,” replied Maheśvara, “I am protecting this gośīrṣacandana for the wheel-turning king.”

“Sir, what do you think?” asked the venerable Pūrṇa. “Which is greater, a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, or a wheel-turning king?”

2.257“Noble one, has the Blessed One appeared in the world?”

“He has.”

“If so, then fill your ship that is not yet full.”

2.258Their lives having been saved, the minds of the merchants were then filled with faith in Pūrṇa. [F.309.a] They filled the ship with gośīrṣacandana, set out again, and arrived in due course at the city of Sūrpāraka.

2.259Pūrṇa then said to his brother, “Since your treasures belong to the one by whose name you, having succeeded on your voyage, were able to return, you should distribute them to these merchants. With this gośīrṣacandana, I will build a palace garlanded with sandalwood for the Blessed One.”

2.260Dārukarṇin distributed his treasures to the merchants. The venerable Pūrṇa then began to build a palace with a hall of gośīrṣacandana. He called the craftsmen together and asked them, “Sirs, would you like to take five hundred kārṣāpaṇas every day or take one viḍālapada of gośīrṣacandana dust?”

“Noble one,” they replied, “we would like to take one viḍālapada of gośīrṣacandana dust.”

2.261The palace garlanded with sandalwood was then quickly built and made clean. The wood chips and remaining dust of gośīrṣacandana were crushed into powder and smeared on the palace walls.

2.262Pūrṇa reconciled with his eldest brother and his other two brothers and said, “Invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal.”

2.263“Noble one Pūrṇa, where is the Blessed One?”

“In Śrāvastī.”

2.264“How far is that?”

“To Śrāvastī, it is more than one hundred yojanas.”

2.265“We will ask His Majesty for permission.”

“You should do so.”

2.266The brothers went to the king and said, “Your Majesty, we would like to invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal. Please help us.”

“Excellent, I will do so.”

2.267The venerable Pūrṇa then went up to the roof, looked in the direction of the Jetavana, dropped to his knees, scattered flowers, burned incense, made a layman hold a golden pitcher, [F.309.b] and began to pray:

2.269Then the flowers, by the awakened power of the buddhas and the divine power of the gods, formed the shape of a flower pavilion, and that flower pavilion came to abide at the elders’ dwelling in the Jetavana. The smoke of the incense was woven together like a cloud. The water assumed the shape of a lapis lazuli vessel. Since the venerable Ānanda was familiar with omens, he made the gesture of supplication and asked the Blessed One, “Honored One, where is this invitation from?”

“From Sūrpāraka, Ānanda.”

2.270“Honored One, how far is Sūrpāraka from here?”

“More than a hundred yojanas, Ānanda. Go and give this order to the monks: ‘Those who, among you, will go to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal there tomorrow should take a counting stick.’ ”

2.271“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda, and he took the counting sticks and sat down before the Blessed One. The Blessed One and the monks who were the most venerable of the elders took counting sticks.

2.272At that time, the venerable elder Pūrṇa, who was an elder from Kuṇḍopadāna and had been liberated through wisdom, was sitting in the assembly. When the venerable elder Pūrṇa also tried to take a counting stick, the venerable Ānanda spoke this verse to him:

2.275Although the venerable elder Pūrṇa had been liberated through wisdom, he had not attained magical power. Therefore he asked himself, “Why am I disheartened by lack of magical power even like that of the non-Buddhist ascetics when I have searched for the whole collection of defilements within myself, discarded all the defilements, abandoned them, and driven them away?”

2.276The venerable elder Pūrṇa exerted his vigor and gave rise to magical power. He stretched his arm, which was like the trunk of an elephant, and took a counting stick before the venerable Ānanda passed a counting stick to a third elder, and the venerable elder Pūrṇa spoke this verse:

2.279On that occasion the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, this is the best of my monks, the best of my disciples for taking a counting stick for offerings. The elder Pūrṇa, who is an elder from Kuṇḍopadāna, is the best of those who take a counting stick.”

2.280Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, go and say to the monks, ‘Though I have said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your virtue and not hiding your evil,” those among you who have attained magical power should go by means of that power to the city of Sūrpāraka and have a meal, because there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ”

2.281“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Ānanda to the Blessed One, and he said to the monks, “Venerables, the Blessed One said, ‘Though I have said, “Monks, you should live not displaying your virtue and not hiding your evil,” … because there are non-Buddhist ascetics in the city.’ ” [F.310.b]

2.282The king had beautified the city of Sūrpāraka by removing stones, pebbles, and gravel, sprinkling sandalwood water, setting out sweet-smelling censers, hanging many silk tassels, and scattering flowers around the city.

2.283There were eighteen gates around the city of Sūrpāraka, and the king had seventeen sons. At each surrounding gate a prince stood with the highest majesty. At the largest gate stood the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, with the great majesty of kings, together with the venerable Pūrṇa, Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin.

2.284The king then saw those handing out leaves, those handing out grass, and those handing out receptacles coming by means of their magical power and asked, “Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One coming?”

2.285Pūrṇa replied, “This is not the Blessed One but rather those handing out leaves, those handing out grass, and those handing out receptacles.”

2.286At that time the monks who were the most venerable of the elders came by practicing dhyāna, and the king again asked, “Reverend Pūrṇa, is the Blessed One coming?”

“No,” Pūrṇa replied. “They are the monks who are the most venerable of the elders who have come by practicing dhyāna.”

2.287A lay brother then spoke this verse:

2.289Then the Blessed One [F.311.a] washed his feet outside the monastery, entered inside, sat on the prepared seat, stretched his back, and focused his mind on a point in front of himself. When the Blessed One put his foot down with a specific intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six ways. This great earth quaked, quaked furiously, and quaked absolutely furiously. It roared, roared furiously, and roared absolutely furiously. When the eastern side rose, the western side sank. When the western side rose, the eastern side sank. When the southern side rose, the northern side sank. When the northern side rose, the southern side sank. When the periphery rose, the middle sank. When the middle rose, the periphery sank. The king asked Pūrṇa, “Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

2.290Pūrṇa answered, “Because the Blessed One put his foot down with a specific intention in the perfume chamber, the great earth quaked in six ways.”

2.291The Blessed One then emanated a ray of light colored like the radiance of gold, by which the continent of Jambu blazed like molten gold. Again the king stared in surprise and asked, “Noble one Pūrṇa, what is this?”

Pūrṇa answered, “Great King, the Blessed One emanated a ray of light colored like the radiance of gold.” [V2] [F.1.b] [B25]

2.292The Blessed One then went to Sūrpāraka together with five hundred arhats, himself tamed and his assembly tamed, himself pacified and his assembly pacified.

2.293A god who lived in the Jetavana followed the Blessed One, holding a branch of vakula with which he provided shade for him. The Blessed One knew the god’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature, preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him, and caused him to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. When the god had heard the Dharma, he leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and actualized the fruit of stream-entry.

2.294There then lived in another place about five hundred widows, and they saw the Blessed One, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man, illuminated by the eighty minor marks, [F.2.a] ornamented with a fathom-wide halo, and beautiful like a moving mountain of jewels whose light surpasses a thousand suns. As soon as the five hundred widows saw him, great faith in the Blessed One arose in them.

2.295It is commonplace that when beings who possess the cause of having accumulated roots of merit look at the Buddha for the first time, they experience far greater pleasure than that of those who have practiced tranquility of mind for a dozen years, those who gain a son after having been childless, those who look upon treasure after having been poor, or those who are anointed as king after having longed for kingship.

2.296After that, the Blessed One knew that it was the right time to train the widows, and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. The women bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then they sat down to one side. The Blessed One knew their thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and nature … and they actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After seeing the four truths of the noble ones, they spoke an inspired utterance three times: “Honored One, what the Blessed One has done for us is what has never been done for us by our mothers, our fathers, a king, gods, our husbands, our kinsmen and relatives, ancestral spirits, śramaṇas, or brahmins. [F.2.b] You have dried up the ocean of blood and tears, liberated us from the mountain of bones, shut the gate to inferior states of existence, opened the gates to liberation and heaven, and placed us among gods and humans. O Honored One, we have been exalted, truly exalted! Since we seek refuge in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community of monks, may the Blessed One accept us as lay sisters.”

2.297They rose from their seats, made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One, and implored the Blessed One, “O Blessed One, please give us something to worship.”

2.298The Blessed One then cut off his hair and nails by means of his magical power and gave his hair and nails to the widows. They built a stūpa for the hair and nails of the Blessed One. After that, the god who lived in the Jetavana planted a vakula tree along the stūpa’s circumambulatory path, and then the god who lived in the Jetavana said to the Blessed One, “Blessed One, I will stay here, worshiping this stūpa.”

2.299The god who lived in the Jetavana stayed there. Some people named the place the widows’ stūpa, and other people named it the circumambulatory path of the vakula. Monks who worship the stūpa worship the place even now.

2.300The Blessed One then departed. At that time, there lived five hundred ṛṣis in a hermitage. Since the hermitage was abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, the ṛṣis were intoxicated with those things and were without worries. The Blessed One then knew that it was the right time to train the five hundred ṛṣis and went to the hermitage. When the Blessed One arrived, with his magical power he destroyed the flowers and fruits of the hermitage, dried up the water, dug up the meadow, and smashed the residence to pieces. The ṛṣis were then plunged into grief, resting their cheeks on their hands. [F.3.a]

2.301The Blessed One asked, “Why are you plunged into grief?”

“Blessed One,” they replied, “after you, a human field of merit, came here, we were placed in a grievous situation.”

2.302The Blessed One then asked, “Ṛṣis, why was the hermitage, which was abundant in flowers, fruits, and water, ruined? Shall I make the hermitage as it was before?”

“Blessed One, please do so.”

2.303The Blessed One then ceased his magical power, and the hermitage became as it had been before. Thus, the five hundred ṛṣis were very much astonished, and their minds were filled with faith in the Blessed One. The Blessed One knew their thinking, proclivities, dispositions, and natures, and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. When the five hundred ṛṣis had heard the Dharma, they actualized the fruit of a never-returner and achieved magical power. They then made the gesture of supplication to the Blessed One and said, “Honored One, we wish to go forth and be ordained monks in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya. We will lead the pure life in the presence of the Blessed One.”

2.304Then the Blessed One, using the “Come, monk” formula of ordination, said, “Come, monks, lead the pure life.” As soon as the Blessed One said this, their hair fell out and they were clad in their outer robes, with but a week’s worth of hair and beards, their bowls and pitchers in their hands, standing like monks who had been ordained a hundred years earlier.

2.306Exerting themselves, endeavoring and striving, they came to understand saṃsāra’s ever-revolving five cycles, overthrew all conditioned states … and the five hundred ṛṣis became objects of veneration, respect, and praise for the gods including Indra and Upendra. The ṛṣi who was their leader said, “Blessed One, I deceived many people in this guise. I will go forth after making the people’s faith arise.”

2.307Then the Blessed One, surrounded, in the shape of a half-moon, by the five hundred ṛṣis and monks who had been monks from the beginning, soared with them into the air from there using his magical power, and arrived in due course at Mount Musalaka.

2.308At that time there lived a ṛṣi on Mount Musalaka named Vakkalin. He saw the Blessed One, who was fully ornamented with the thirty-two marks of a great man . . . . As soon as Vakkalin saw the Blessed One, his mind was filled with faith in the Blessed One. When Vakkalin’s faith had arisen, he thought, “Now I will descend from the mountain and go to meet the Blessed One. The Blessed One may pass through here out of consideration for people to be trained. Therefore, I will now throw myself off the mountain.”

2.309Thinking thus, Vakkalin threw himself from the top of the mountain. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, have a watchful nature, the Blessed One caught him with his magical power. The Blessed One knew his thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for him. When Vakkalin had heard the Dharma, he actualized the fruit of a never-returner and achieved magical power. Then Vakkalin said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, I wish to go forth and be ordained a monk in the well-taught Dharma and Vinaya . . . .” [F.4.a]

2.310Then the Blessed One, saying “Come, monk,” . . . .

2.311Then the Blessed One said to the monks, “Monks, it is he, the monk Vakkalin, who is the best of the monks who were emancipated by faith.”

2.312After that, the Blessed One, surrounded by a thousand monks, performing miracles, went to the city of Sūrpāraka. The Blessed One thought, “If I enter from one gate, those who are at the other gates will be disappointed. Thus, I will enter by using my magical power.”

2.313So the Blessed One entered the city of Sūrpāraka from the sky using his magical power. Then the king, the ruler of Sūrpāraka, and the venerable Pūrṇa, Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin, as well as the seventeen princes, went to the Blessed One along with the attendants of each one and hundreds of thousands of other beings.

2.314After that, the Blessed One, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of beings, went to the palace garlanded with sandalwood and sat on the seat prepared for him in front of the community of monks. Since the large crowd could not see the Blessed One, the crowd started to destroy the palace garlanded with sandalwood. The Blessed One thought, “If the palace garlanded with sandalwood is destroyed, such destruction will decrease the donors’ merit. Now I will transform this palace into a palace made of crystal.” The Blessed One transformed the palace into a palace made of crystal so that the large crowd could see the Buddha’s body without obstructions blocking the view.

2.315The Blessed One knew the audience’s thinking, proclivities, [F.4.b] dispositions, and natures, and so preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. When the audience had heard the Dharma, hundreds of thousands of beings attained great excellence. Some generated the roots of merit of liberation, some generated the roots of merit of penetration, some actualized the fruit of stream-entry, some the fruit of a never-returner, and some went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat. Some generated the intention for the awakening of disciples, some the intention for the awakening of a self-awakened one, and some the intention for complete and supreme awakening.

2.316Most of the audience became absorbed in the Buddha, devoted to the Dharma, and inclined to the Saṅgha.

2.317Dārukarṇin, Stavakarṇin, and Trapukarṇin then prepared a pure and fine meal, arranged seats, set up a jeweled pitcher, and let the Blessed One know the time by messenger: “Honored One, the time has arrived. May the Blessed One know that the meal is ready.”

2.318At that time there lived in the great ocean two nāga kings named Kṛṣṇa and Gautama. They both thought, “Since the Blessed One is preaching the Dharma in the city of Sūrpāraka, let’s go to listen to the Dharma.” Then they both, along with five hundred nāga attendants, departed for the city of Sūrpāraka, creating five hundred rivers flowing toward the city. Since the buddhas, the blessed ones, have a watchful nature, the Blessed One thought, “If these two nāga kings, Kṛṣṇa and Gautama, come to the city of Sūrpāraka, they will ruin the country.” The Blessed One then said to the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, [F.5.a] “Maudgalyāyana, accept the alms requiring haste by the Tathāgata. Why, Maudgalyāyana? Because there are five kinds of alms requiring haste. What are the five? The almsfood of temporary visitors, of those who are setting forth on a journey, of sick people, of those attending the sick, and of monks responsible for monastic property.”

2.319In this situation, the Blessed One intended that the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana would be the monk who was responsible for monastic property.

2.320The Blessed One soared up into the air from there, using his magical power. The two, the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, went to the nāga kings Kṛṣṇa and Gautama. When the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had arrived, the Blessed One said, “Lords of nāgas, you should be attentive to the city of Sūrpāraka, and you should not destroy the country.”

2.321“Honored One,” said the nāga kings, “we have come here with faith, because of which we never harm any beings, even ants, to say nothing of the people living in the city of Sūrpāraka.”

2.322After that, the Blessed One preached the Dharma to the nāga kings Kṛṣṇa and Gautama, the hearing of which caused them to seek refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, and to accept the rules of training.

2.323When the Blessed One had begun his meal, each nāga thought, “Ah, may the Blessed One drink my water!”

The Blessed One thought, “If I drink water from only one individual, it will disappoint the others. Therefore, I must devise a plan to drink the water of everyone.”

2.324Then the Blessed One instructed the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, “Maudgalyāyana, go and bring water from the very point where the five hundred rivers meet.”

2.325“Certainly, O Honored One,” replied the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, and he filled a bowl with water at the very point where the five hundred rivers met and returned to the Blessed One, bringing the water with him. When he arrived, the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana offered the bowl of water to the Blessed One, [F.5.b] and the Blessed One accepted the water and drank it.

2.326The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana thought, “The Blessed One once said, ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do because they nourish their children, raise them, bring them up, feed them, and teach them everything on the continent of Jambu. Even if a son should try to carry his parents, his mother on one shoulder and his father on the other, for a hundred years; if he should give them the earth’s jewels, pearls, lapis lazuli, glass, coral, silver, gold, agate, amber, ruby, and shells; or if he should put his parents in a position of power, the son cannot truly help or sufficiently repay his father and mother with such efforts. If a person motivates his parents to have complete faith, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads them to stand safely in their faith when they do not have faith; if he motivates them to have completely good conduct when they have disordered conduct; if he motivates them to be completely generous when they are ungenerous; if he motivates them to have complete intelligence, and leads them to, leads them to enter into, and leads them to stand safely in their intelligence when they have disordered intelligence, he comes to truly help and repay his father and mother with just such efforts.’ Since I have not yet repaid my mother, now I will consider where my mother has been reborn.”

2.327When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana considered this, he found that she had been reborn in the Marīcika world. Then he observed by whom she should be trained and found that it was the Blessed One. He thought, “Since I have come here from a distance, I will by all means tell this to the Blessed One.” The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana said to the Blessed One, “Honored One, the Blessed One once said, ‘Monks, fathers and mothers do what is quite difficult to do.’ [F.6.a] My mother has been reborn in the Marīcika world and she is one who should be trained by the Blessed One. May the Blessed One have compassion and train her.”

2.328“Maudgalyāyana, by whose magical power shall we go there?” asked the Blessed One.

“By mine, Blessed One.”

2.329Then the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana departed, stepping on the summit of Mount Sumeru, and arrived in the Marīcika world after seven days.

2.330When she, Bhadrakanyā, saw the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana from a distance, she was delighted, and she went to him and said, “Ah, I see my son after so long! Ah, I see my son after so long!”

2.331Then a large crowd asked, “Sirs, how is this girl the mother of this mendicant who is so old?”

“Sirs,” replied the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana, “this woman bore this body of mine. Thus, she is my mother.”

2.332The Blessed One knew Bhadrakanyā’s thinking, proclivity, disposition, and nature, and preached the Dharma that was appropriate for her and that caused her to penetrate the four truths of the noble ones. When Bhadrakanyā had heard the Dharma, she leveled the twenty high peaks of the mountain chain of the false view of individuality with the vajra of knowledge and actualized the fruit of stream-entry. After she had seen the truths, she spoke an inspired utterance three times: “…you placed me among gods and humans.” Again, she said:

2.336“I am exalted, truly exalted. Since I seek refuge in the Blessed One, the Dharma, and the community, may you accept me as a lay sister. From today onward, I embrace my faith as one who seeks refuge throughout my life. Blessed One and Mahā­maudgalyāyana, please assent to my offer of a meal today.”

2.337The Blessed One assented to Bhadrakanyā’s request by remaining silent, and Bhadrakanyā understood the Blessed One’s assent. Then Bhadrakanyā knew that the Blessed One and the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had sat down in comfort, and with her own hands she served and satisfied them with a pure and fine meal. When she had, with her own hands, served and satisfied them in a variety of ways with a pure and fine meal, knowing that the Blessed One had finished his meal and washed his hands and his bowl, she took a low seat and sat before the Blessed One in order to hear the Dharma. The Blessed One then preached the Dharma to Bhadrakanyā. When the venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana had taken the Blessed One’s bowl and washed it, the Blessed One said, “Maudgalyāyana, shall we go?”

2.338“Blessed One, let us go.”

“By whose magical power?”

2.339“The Blessed One’s, please.”

“Then think about the Jetavana.”

2.340“Blessed One, have we already arrived there?”

“We have arrived, Maudgalyāyana.”

2.341The venerable Mahā­maudgalyāyana was astonished and asked, “Blessed One, what is the name of this magical power?”

“Maudgalyāyana, [F.7.a] it is called manojavā (“swift as thought”).”

2.342“Honored One, I had not known that the Buddha’s magical power was so profound. If I had known, I would never have turned my mind from the goal of complete and supreme awakening, even if my body had broken into pieces like grains of sesame. Now I am like firewood that has burned out, and I have no more opportunity.”

2.343All the monks, feeling doubtful, inquired of the Buddha, the Blessed One, the one who severs all doubts, “Honored One, what karma did the venerable Pūrṇa create that matured to cause his birth in a family that was rich and had great wealth and many possessions? What karma did he create, because of which he was born from a female slave’s womb, went forth, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat?”

2.344“Monks,” the Blessed One replied, “the actions were performed and accumulated by the monk Pūrṇa himself, accruing a heap of karma. The conditions have ripened, and they approach him like a flood, inevitably. Who else but Pūrṇa would experience the actions that he himself performed and accumulated? Monks, actions performed and accumulated do not mature in the earth element, the water element, the fire element, or the wind element, which are outside the body. Virtuous and nonvirtuous actions performed and accumulated like this mature in the aggregates, elements, and sense spheres.

2.346“Monks, once, in this fortunate eon, when people’s lives were twenty thousand years long, there appeared in the world a teacher named Kāśyapa, who was a tathāgata, an arhat, a perfectly awakened one, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a sugata, world knowing, a supreme tamer of people to be tamed, a teacher of gods and humans, [F.7.b] a buddha, and a blessed one. He stayed near the city of Vārāṇasī.

2.347“In the teachings of that buddha this Pūrṇa went forth, became well acquainted with the three divisions of the canon, and came to serve as the monk entrusted with the monastery’s business according to the rules. After a little while, an arhat became responsible for monastic property. When he started to clean the monastery, a wind arose and blew the dust hither and thither. The arhat thought, ‘I shall wait for a while until the wind has died down.’

2.348“Then the monk entrusted with the monastery’s business saw that the monastery was unclean; fiercely angry, he spoke harshly: ‘Which son of a slave woman is responsible for monastic property?’

2.349“The arhat thought, ‘Since this person is angry, I shall wait for a while and make him understand later.’ After the monk’s anger subsided, the arhat went to him and asked, ‘Do you know who I am?’

“ ‘I do,’ said the monk. ‘You and I went forth in the teachings of the Perfectly Awakened One Kāśyapa.’

2.350“ ‘That is true,” said the arhat, ‘but I have finished what should be done by a mendicant. While I have been released from all bondage, you performed the action of speaking harshly because you remain bound by all bonds. Confess your sin as a sin and hence the action will diminish, waste away, and disappear.’

2.351“The monk confessed his sin as a sin. Hence, although he had been doomed to be born in hell and become the son of a female slave, he was not born in hell but was born in a female slave’s womb for five hundred lives. And now, in his last life, he was also born in a female slave’s womb.

2.352“And because he had served the community, he was born into a family that was rich and had great wealth and many possessions. And because he was well acquainted with the aggregates, elements, [F.8.a] sense spheres, and dependent origination through recitation and repetition, he went forth in my teaching, abandoned all the defilements, and actualized the state of an arhat.

2.353“ Therefore, monks, the maturation of entirely negative actions is entirely negative; the maturation of entirely positive actions is entirely positive; the maturation of those that are mixed is mixed. Therefore, monks, henceforth you should abandon entirely negative and mixed actions, and you should seek entirely positive actions. Monks, that is how you must train.”

2.354Thus spoke the Blessed One, and the monks rejoiced in and praised what the Blessed One had said.

VI. Agnidatta

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

2.355The following took place in Rājagṛha.

2.356At that time, there lived in Rājagṛha two nāga kings named Valguka and Giri. Because of their power, five hundred hot springs were always flowing, the fountains, lakes, and ponds never dried up, and the gods brought rain at the appropriate times. Therefore, the harvest was exceedingly abundant.

2.357After the Blessed One had converted the two nāga kings Nanda and Upananda, they both came every day from the terrace of Mount Sumeru to serve the Blessed One. The nāga kings Valguka and Giri thought, “While these nāga kings Nanda and Upananda come every day from the terrace of Mount Sumeru to serve the Blessed One, it is not good that we, living in this very place, do not serve the Blessed One. Therefore, let us serve the Blessed One, too.”

2.358They went to the Blessed One, and when they had arrived, they bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and then they sat down to one side. When they had sat down to one side, [F.8.b] the Blessed One preached the Dharma that was appropriate for them. After they had heard the Dharma, they sought refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha and accepted the rules of training. Once they had sought refuge in the Blessed One and accepted the rules of training, their bodies and the amount of food they needed for their bodies greatly increased. They both went to the Blessed One, and when they had arrived, they bowed low until their foreheads touched the feet of the Blessed One, and said, “Blessed One, when we sought refuge in the Blessed One and accepted the rules of training, our bodies and the amount of food we needed for our bodies greatly increased. Blessed One, if the Blessed One would authorize it, we will enter the great ocean.”

2.359“Lords of nāgas,” replied the Blessed One, “since you are living in the land of the king, ask the king for permission.”

The two considered this and stayed there, saying, “The Blessed One means that he does not give us permission.”

2.360The nāga kings Valguka and Giri were always dressed as gods if they went to see the Blessed One at night, and as householders if they went by day. Dressed as householders, they both served the Blessed One every day.

2.361Whenever King Bimbisāra went to see the Blessed One, the king, who was proud of his status as a kṣatriya, always sent his retainer ahead, saying, “There must not be anyone who does not stand up when he sees me.” Once, he sent a retainer, saying, “Hey, go and see who is serving the Blessed One.”

2.362The retainer went and saw two householders. He thought, “Since these two people are living in the land of His Majesty, why would they not stand up at the sight of His Majesty?” [F.9.a] He said to the king, “Your Majesty, there are two householders, and they are living in the very land of Your Majesty.”

2.363King Bimbisāra thought, “Why would those two people not stand up at the sight of me? Therefore, I shall go.” Then he went to the Blessed One.

2.364When the nāga kings Valguka and Giri saw King Bimbisāra, they asked the Blessed One, “Blessed One, if King Bimbisāra comes, to which should we show respect, the king or the Dharma?”

2.365“Nāga kings, show respect to the Dharma,” replied the Blessed One. “Thus the buddhas, the blessed ones, also respected the true Dharma. The arhats also respected the Dharma.” He then spoke these verses:

2.369The two did not stand up, and the king found this unbearable. He requested, “May the Blessed One preach the Dharma.”

2.370The Blessed One spoke these verses:

2.372The king thought, “Because these two householders came, the Blessed One [F.9.b] interrupted my hearing of the Dharma.” He rose from his seat, bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and departed. When he had departed, he instructed his ministers, “Sirs, when those two householders depart from the presence of the Blessed One, order them both to leave my land.”

2.373When they had both bowed low until their foreheads touched the Blessed One’s two feet and departed, the ministers ordered them, “This was uttered from His Majesty’s lips: ‘You two must not live in my land.’ ”

“Certainly,” they both answered.

2.374The nāga kings then thought, “We both obtained without difficulty the very thing for which we had long hoped.” They then caused a great flood and entered a small valley. Then from the small valley they entered a large valley, from the large valley a small river, from the small river a large river, and from the large river the great ocean. When they entered the great ocean, their bodies and the amount of food they needed for their bodies again greatly increased.

2.375Later, the five hundred hot springs and the fountains, lakes, and ponds in Rājagṛha became smaller, depleted, and dried up, and the gods did not bring rain at the appropriate times. Therefore, there was a very poor harvest, a famine, and fear, and it was difficult for beggars in the wilderness to find food. The king thought, “In this Rājagṛha there once lived the nāga kings Giri and Valguka. Thanks to their power, five hundred hot springs were always flowing, the fountains, lakes, and ponds never dried up, the gods brought rain at the appropriate times, and therefore the harvest was abundant. But now the five hundred hot springs, fountains, lakes, and ponds have become smaller, depleted, and dried up, [F.10.a] and the gods have not brought rain at the appropriate times. Therefore, there has been a very poor harvest, a famine, and fear, and it is difficult for beggars in the wilderness to find food. Did the nāga kings Giri and Valguka die? Were they taken away by the king of birds, the garuḍa? Were they captured by a snake charmer? Perhaps they have run away frightened. Still, since the Buddha, the Blessed One, is omniscient, one who sees everything, I shall now ask the Blessed One this question.”

2.376He went to the Blessed One, and when he arrived, he bowed low until his forehead touched the Blessed One’s feet, and then he sat down to one side. When he had sat down to one side, King Bimbisāra explained the matter in detail to the Blessed One.

2.377“Great King,” said the Blessed One, “neither has died, nor have they been taken away by the king of birds, the garuḍa, nor been captured by a snake charmer, and they have not run away frightened. But you yourself, who are the king, banished them from your land.”

2.378“Blessed One, I have never seen either of them, let alone banished them from my land.”

“Great King, I will remind you. Great King, do you remember banishing two householders from your land?”

2.379“Blessed One, I remember that.”

“Those two people were the nāga kings Giri and Valguka.”

2.380“Honored One, where are they now?”

“They have gone to the great ocean.”

2.381“My land will be ruined!”

“Great King, beg the two of them for forgiveness, and your land will not be ruined.”

2.382“How should I beg them for forgiveness when they are in the great ocean?”

“On the eighth and fourteenth days of the month, they both come dressed as householders to bow low until their foreheads touch my feet. At that time, I will make a sign. Then you should beg them for forgiveness.”

2.383“Blessed One, should I throw myself at their feet, [F.10.b] or should I not throw myself at their feet?”

“No, reach out your hand and say, ‘O nāga kings, forgive me,’ and you will be forgiven.”

2.384The king was sitting patiently when the two nāga kings arrived. Just as they both came dressed as householders into the presence of the Blessed One, the king also came. And when the Blessed One made a sign, the king reached out his hand and said, “O you two nāga kings, please forgive me.”

2.385“Great King, you are forgiven.”

“If I am forgiven, please return.”

2.386“Great King, since we sought refuge in the Blessed One and accepted the rules of training, our bodies and the amount of food we need for our bodies have increased. If we come here with our present body size, even the whole country of Magadha would not be able to accommodate us.”

2.387“Then the country of Magadha will be ruined!”

“It will not be ruined.”

2.388“Why will it not?”

“Have two palaces built for us and offer worship every six months, and we will make our attendants stay there and gather together at the time of worship.”

2.389The king did as he had been told. The two nāga kings made their attendants stay there, and the nāga kings received his worship themselves.

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

2.390Later, when their attendants were living in idleness, wicked nāgas took the opportunity to cause hail. In Rājagṛha, there was a brahmin who was familiar with a charm against hail, and he stopped the hail each time. The people living in the country of Magadha gave him an allotment.

2.391There was another brahmin named Agnidatta in the southern region who was also familiar with a charm against hail. He heard that there was a country in the northern region named Powerful over which a king named Best Army ruled, that there was the residence of a nāga king named Sundara in that country, [F.11.a] and that there was a medicine that had great potency and surpassed any other medicine. He decided to go there in order to get the medicine. He departed and in due course he arrived at Rājagṛha, where he stayed in the residence of the first brahmin who had the charm against hail. Then, when it hailed a lot, the brahmin who had originally lived there was unable to stop the hail and, at a loss, was going in and out of the house again and again. The brahmin Agnidatta asked him, “Sir, why are you going in and out of the house again and again?”

2.392“Because I cannot stop the great hail, my son,” said the first brahmin.

“I shall stop it.”

“That would be good, my son.”

2.393Agnidatta placed a spell on some water and sprinkled the water, whereupon the cloud broke into a hundred pieces and dispersed. The brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha were very surprised and went to the brahmin’s house, bringing gifts. “Sir,” they said, “the people in Rājagṛha are rejoicing. Please accept our gifts.”

2.394“Why?”

“Because you stopped the great hail.”

2.395“I did not stop the hail,” he told them, “this brahmin did.”

They went to the brahmin Agnidatta and said, “O young brahmin, please remain here and we shall give you an allotment.”

2.396“In that case, I shall live here.”

So, he lived there. He stopped the hail with the charm and for a while it never hailed. The brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha said to each other, “Sirs, since it does not hail thanks to our own merits, why should we give him an allotment?” They stopped giving the allotment.

2.397The brahmin Agnidatta then stopped using his charm and went to the country of Powerful , and later it started to hail again. The people went to the brahmin who had originally lived there and asked him, “Sir, where is the young brahmin?”

2.398He replied, “Since you did not treat him with respect, he has left.”

“Sir, if he comes back, please let us know.”

“I shall do so.”

2.399Agnidatta went in due course to King Best Army. Upon his arrival, he wished King Best Army victory [F.11.b] and long life and said, “Your Majesty, there is a nāga king named Sundara in your land, and there is a medicine named immediate effect in his residence. Your Majesty, please tell me where he is, and I will offer you a portion of the medicine.”

2.400“O brahmin,” said the king, “since the nāga king Sundara is fierce, he will certainly defeat you.”

“Your Majesty, for the time being I have the power of a charm and the power of medicine. If the continent of Jambu were to be filled with nāgas like the nāga king Sundara as densely as a thicket of sugarcane or a thicket of reeds, a single hair of mine would not be moved by the nāgas, much less so by the nāga king Sundara alone. By the way, is there any citizen of Your Majesty who is to be executed?”

2.401“Yes, there is, brahmin.”

“Your Majesty, please summon him here and make him tell me where the residence of the nāga king is.”

2.402The king then summoned the man and ordered him, “Hey, tell this brahmin where the residence of the nāga king Sundara is.”

2.403“Certainly, Your Majesty,” replied the man to the king, and he departed, guiding the brahmin. Then, after having traveled for some distance, the man halted and said to the brahmin, “Brahmin, do you see that green forest rising up over there?”

2.404“Yes, I do.”

“That is the residence of the nāga king Sundara.”

2.405Agnidatta went there and bound the medicine called immediate effect in a bundle, brought it to the country of Powerful , and gave King Best Army his portion of the medicine. He arrived in due course at Rājagṛha and stayed at the house of the original brahmin. Then, when the brahmin had called together the brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha, they brought offerings and said, “O young brahmin, please remain here. We shall give you an allotment.”

2.406Agnidatta replied, “Since you did not treat me with respect, I will not remain.”

They started to insist that he stay, entreated him, made a promise, and provided him with sustenance.

2.407Since people in the world desire prosperity and abhor decline, Agnidatta [F.12.a] took a wife from a family of equal rank, and he and she played, made love, and enjoyed themselves. Thus, a boy was born, and Agnidatta named his son Mountain . When the couple again played, made love, and enjoyed themselves, a girl was born, and Agnidatta named his daughter Hail . The name of the brahmin’s wife was Free from the Cycle. The name of his son’s wife was Lightning .

2.408Agnidatta thought, “What is the use of my stopping the hail each and every time? I will use a charm to block it for a long time.” Because he used a charm to block the hail for a long time, it did not hail.

2.409The brahmins and householders in Rājagṛha said to each other, “Sirs, since it does not hail thanks to our own merits, why should we give him an allotment?” They stopped giving the allotment. The brahmin, out of jealousy, had not taught the words of the charm even to his son, and, attached to his life of ease, he had neither recited the charm nor kept the medicine dry, whereupon he forgot the words of the charm and found the medicine rotten because it had not been dried.

2.410Agnidatta, who had once trusted the brahmins and the householders in Rājagṛha but again began to quarrel with them, visited the residences of non-Buddhist ascetics and the forests of ascetics here and there and asked them, “Sirs, is there any means to attain all that I want and seek?”

2.411On those occasions, one said, “Enter into a fire”; another one said, “Take poison”; another one said, “Throw yourself from a cliff”; and another one said, “Tie a rope around your neck and hang yourself from the bough of a tree.” All of them thus taught a means of death, not a means of going forth.

2.412He went to the Bamboo Grove and saw a monk [F.12.b] and asked him, “Noble one, is there any means to attain all that I want and seek?”

“Go forth in the presence of the Blessed One,” said the monk.

2.413“What will I do there?”

“You should, throughout your life, lead the pure life and be engaged in dhyāna and recitation. If you attain omniscience in this present life, you will have arrived at the end of your suffering. On the other hand, should you die with your fetters remaining, you will attain all that you want and seek.”

2.414“Noble one, if I cannot do that, is there any other means?”

“Invite the community of monks headed by the Buddha and offer a meal.”

2.415“Please tell me another way in case I cannot do that either.”

“Invite the four great disciples who are like a wish-fulfilling vase, offer them a meal, and make an aspiration, and you will attain all that you want and seek.”

2.416“Noble one, I can do that. I will.”

He invited the four great disciples who are like a wish-fulfilling vase, offered them a meal, and made this aspiration: “May this root of merit cause Sundara to die and disappear from the state of a nāga and allow me be born there, and after that do harm to the people of Rājagṛha!”

2.417His wife asked him, “My dear, what aspiration did you make?”

“I made an aspiration that this root of merit might cause Sundara to die and disappear from the state of a nāga and allow me to be born there, and after that do harm to the people of Rājagṛha.”

2.418“Good. May I become your wife when you get your wish!”

His son said, “May I become your son, too!”

2.419His daughter said likewise, “May I become your daughter, too!”

And his son’s wife said likewise, “May I become your son’s wife, too!”

2.420When they entered an old house [F.13.a] and slept, rain fell from a cloud of five colors, and they were all killed, crushed by a falling wall. After the nāga Sundara had died, they were born there with sixty thousand attendant nāgas. The nāga who had been Agnidatta in his former life then became known as Sundara, too. His wife’s name became Free from the Cycle, his son’s name Mountain , his daughter’s name Hail , and his son’s wife’s name Lightning .

2.421It is natural that male nāgas and female nāgas remember three things just after birth: where they died, where they were reborn, and by what action. The nāga observed that he had died in the human world. Where was he born? In the midst of nāgas. By what karma? By the force of an aspiration. For what purpose? For the purpose of doing harm to the people in Rājagṛha.

2.422He asked himself, “Which causes greater suffering to people, doing harm to crops that have just sprung up, or to crops that have not yet sprung up?” He saw that doing harm to crops that have not yet sprung up would do less damage than doing harm to crops that have just sprung up. He ordered his attendants, “Sirs, now cause all the crops in the country of Magadha to grow with rain today.” They caused all the crops to grow. Then he, with his sixty thousand attendants, caused rain as thick as the shafts of a plough, which looked as if it would carry away everything down to the last straw. Because of this, the people said to each other, “This nāga carried away even the straw.” The nāga’s name thus became Apalāla (Without a Straw).