The Translation

[F.181.a]

1.1Homage to all the buddhas and bodhisattvas!

1.2Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavān was dwelling in Śrāvastī, in Prince Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park, together with a great monastic assembly of one thousand two hundred and fifty monks and with thirty-two thousand bodhisattvas. He was venerated, revered, honored, and worshiped by the fourfold community, as well as by the king, ministers, townsfolk, and citizens.

1.3At that time in Śrāvastī there lived a poor city-dweller named Surata. He had unshakable faith in the Buddha, unshakable faith in the Dharma, and unshakable faith in the Saṅgha. He held to the five basic precepts and adhered to the ten virtuous actions. Being kind, he was equanimous toward all sentient beings. Being compassionate, he was indefatigable. Being joyful, he reveled in and longed for the bliss of Dharma. Being impartial, he was unmoved by happiness or suffering. He was dedicated to the pursuit of unsurpassable, perfect awakening, and was perfected through previous practice. Through skillful means, he brought sentient beings to full maturity, despite being considered poor.

1.4Śakra, lord of the gods, beheld the poor city-dweller Surata with his divine eye, whose clarity surpasses any human’s. Śakra perceived that he had few desires, that he was content, that he had ethical discipline and was morally upright, that his mind was unperturbed, that he always wore a smile, that he did not judge others for their mistakes, [F.181.b] that he cared for the mental welfare of all sentient beings, that he was not covetous, that he acted mindfully, that he was content, easily fulfilled, and easily sated, that he had good intentions, that he was not deceitful, that he was not conceited, that he was eloquent, that he was respectful, that he continually observed the eight precepts, that he carried a bowl made of leaves in his hands, that he slept on a grass mat, that he wore tattered garments, that he would not take things he chanced upon, that he would share his food no matter its quality, that he had regard for the Tathāgata at all times, that he wanted to hear the Dharma, that he was inspired by various parables, and that when sentient beings saw him, they were happy.

1.5Seeing this, Śakra, lord of the gods, thought to himself, “Let me examine whether this poor city-dweller’s moral resolve is firm.” He then emanated a crowd of people who abused and rebuked the poor city-dweller Surata with offensive words. Surata patiently tolerated their threats, even as they brandished clumps of earth, sticks, and blades; he was neither irritated, nor gave rise to malicious thoughts.

1.6Śakra, lord of the gods, then emanated another crowd in front of Surata. With kind words, they said to him, “We would like to help you. If you wish, we will exterminate all the enemies who threaten you.”

1.7“Friends, don’t say such things!” replied Surata. “Even if those people were to cut my body into a hundred pieces, I still would not think badly of them. Friends, in the various worlds, there are two types of beings, the virtuous and the nonvirtuous. The virtuous ones have happy rebirths, and the nonvirtuous ones have miserable rebirths. Therefore, since I don’t even want to get angry with them, how could I harm them physically?”

1.8Surata then spoke these verses:

1.13Then, on another occasion, Śakra, lord of the gods, showed Surata a heap of jewels and gold and said, “Surata, use these to make donations and make merit! Get some clothes and jewelry! Why should you be poor and wretched?”

1.14“Friends,” said Surata, “because I performed evil deeds in the past toward sentient beings with my body, speech, and mind, I am now considered poor. Therefore, I don’t want to take what is not given to me.”

1.15“Surata, now is the time to be living happily!” Śakra insisted. “Why are you thinking of the world beyond?”

1.16“Friend,” replied Surata, “living for the sake of this life is the way of childish beings. The wise live for the sake of their next life. Those who are possessed by desire, possessed by hatred, possessed by delusion, and possessed by lust take what is not given to them, whereas the wise are not covetous. Those who live for the sake of hoarding take what is not given to them, whereas the wise do not hoard. Those who hold concepts of ‘mine’ and who are possessive take what is not given to them, whereas the wise do not hold concepts of ‘mine’ and are not possessive. Those who focus on their bodies and vitality take what is not given to them, whereas the wise do not focus on their bodies and vitality. [F.182.b] Those who are not satisfied and not contented take what is not given to them, whereas the wise know satisfaction and contentment. Those who live impurely take what is not given to them, whereas the wise live purely. Those who do not have insight into karma take what is not given to them, whereas the wise have insight into karma. Those who live for the sake of harming others take what is not given to them, whereas the wise live for the sake of not harming others. Those who do not have loving attitudes take what is not given to them, whereas the wise have loving attitudes. Those whose minds are polluted by the four wrong views take what is not given to them, whereas the minds of the wise are not wrong. Moreover, may the poor heed these verses!

1.21Then, on another occasion, Śakra, lord of the gods, emanated another person who brought a pile of gold to Surata and said, “Hey Surata, I’ve brought this gold for you. I’m in the midst of a dispute with someone and only you can act as my witness. You need to be my witness!”

1.22Surata replied, “Give it up, my friend! Don’t say that! I don’t want to lie. My friend, lying would deceive not only myself and others, but the noble ones as well. Lying ruins one’s reputation. Lying makes one untrustworthy and unpleasant. [F.183.a] Lying makes one despicable. Lying torments one’s mind. My friend, lying gives one bad breath. Lying makes one’s body feeble. Lying makes one despised by the gods. My friend, lying steals away one’s roots of virtue. Lying dulls one’s memory. Lying blocks one’s path to fortunate rebirths. My friend, noble ones do not engage in lying. Lying makes one’s speech distasteful among truthful people. Lying is criticized by the wise. Lying is the root of all sins. Lying severs the fulfillment of one’s religious observances at the root. Lying is the root of all miserable rebirths.”

1.23The poor city-dweller Surata then spoke these verses:

1.28Unable to get Surata to lie, the person emanated by Śakra went away.

Then Śakra, lord of the gods, said to the goddess Sunlight and the asura Śacī,

1.29“You two go test whether this practitioner of religious observances and austerities indulges in sensual gratification or if he truly doesn’t strive for pleasure!”

1.30At daybreak, the asura Śacī and the goddess Sunlight went to where Surata was staying and spoke to him sweetly, “Wake up, Surata! [F.183.b] We’re here to serve you. Surata, behold our perfect bodies! Behold the curves, luster, and shapeliness of our bodies. Behold our bodies, anointed with unguents and adorned with ornaments, garments, and accessories! Behold how we exude the bloom of youth! Surata, behold our well-formed, perfect bodies, the kind that will please you.”

1.31Seeing them, Surata said, “You two serve those in hell, the realms of animals, and Yama’s realm, but not those in the god or human realms. I see your bodies as illusory and dream-like. I see your bodies as being like foam, bubbles, and mirages. I see your bodies, anointed with sandalwood ointment, as covered in soggy flesh. I see your ornaments and garments as illusions that deceive the eyes. I see your youthfulness as impermanent and subject to change. Since I see all that to be meritless, I feel no attraction to you. You two serve those whose minds are like monkeys and those whose minds are like women’s, but you can’t serve those whose minds are protected by mindfulness.

1.32“Sisters, those who rely on desire are ugly. Those who rely on desire smell foul. Those who rely on desire are rotten. Those who rely on desire suffer greatly. Those who rely on desire are barred from all happiness. Those who rely on desire will frequent the hells, animal realms, and Yama’s realm. Those who rely on desire will remain in miserable rebirths. Those who rely on desire will resort to fighting, disputing, and quarreling. Those who rely on desire will have to live in disharmony and become trapped. Those who rely on desire develop misconceptions. [F.184.a] Those who rely on desire will maintain their propensities for continued existence. Those who rely on desire are very deluded, completely deluded, and thoroughly deluded. Those who rely on desire are fully oppressed, very oppressed, and extremely oppressed. Those who rely on desire are thoroughly tormented, very tormented, and entirely tormented. Those who rely on desire pursue nonvirtue and degrade their virtue. Those who rely on desire plant the roots of nonvirtue. Those who rely on desire are completely trapped in an impenetrable fog of nonvirtue. Those who rely on desire are intimate with rākṣasīs, with those who have ugly bodies, and with piśācīs. Those who rely on desire will have relations with cattle, donkeys, dogs, pigs, camels, elephants, horses, sheep, and foxes. Those who rely on desire will rely on degenerate people. Those who rely on desire will rely on people who entirely forsake discipline, study, and acts of generosity. Those who rely on desire forsake religious observances and ascetic practices. Those who rely on desire are completely careless. Those who rely on desire greatly increase their mental afflictions. Those who rely on desire create many obstacles.”

1.33The poor city-dweller Surata then spoke these verses:

1.41The asura Śacī and the goddess Sunlight then went back to Śakra, lord of the gods, and spoke this verse:

1.43Thereupon Śakra, lord of the gods, came to the poor city-dweller Surata and spoke this verse:

1.45Surata responded:

1.48Śakra said:

1.50On another occasion, the poor city-dweller Surata found a priceless and precious gem. He thought to himself, “Assuredly, I should give this precious gem, the finest in Jambudvīpa, to the poorest person in Śrāvastī.” He went to the city and announced, “I will give this gem to the poorest among you.”

1.51A crowd of neglected poor people gathered there and called out, “We are poor, so give it to us!”

“You are not poor!” countered Surata. “But there is someone else in Śrāvastī who is exceedingly poor, so I will give it to that person.”

1.52The crowd asked, “Who?”

“It is King Prasenajit,” replied Surata.

1.53“Don’t say that!” the crowd retorted. “King Prasenajit is rich and wealthy with vast resources, whereas we are poor and neglected.”

1.54Surata responded:

1.57Then the poor city-dweller Surata, carrying the precious gem and accompanied by the crowd, went to where King Prasenajit was administering his royal duties.

1.58At that time, as a penalty for some minor infractions, King Prasenajit had seized the possessions of some five hundred eminent merchants and householders who were from good families.

1.59The poor city-dweller Surata offered the king the precious gem and said, “Great king, I’ve found this priceless and precious gem whose worth matches that of all Jambudvīpa, [F.185.b] and I thought that I would give it to the poorest person in Śrāvastī. I think you are the poorest among everyone here. Therefore, O King, please accept it!”

1.60Thereupon King Prasenajit became nervous and embarrassed, and he asked the poor city-dweller Surata, “Surata, how am I even poorer than you?”

Surata replied, “O Your Majesty, it is true. You are poorer than me.”

1.61“In what way am I poor?” asked the king.

Surata then spoke these verses:

1.70King Prasenajit became agitated and demanded of the poor city-dweller Surata, “Surata, who could attest, on your behalf, that I am poor and you are rich?”

1.71“Your Majesty,” replied Surata, “haven’t you heard that the thus-gone, worthy, completely perfect Buddha is dwelling here in Śrāvastī?”

“I’ve heard this, but have yet to see him,” said the king.

1.72“Your Majesty, he has become the eye for all beings, including the gods!” said Surata. “He has become the authority. He could attest on my behalf.”

“Go invite the Tathāgata and I will hear what he has to say,” said the king.

1.73Surata replied:

1.85Thereupon the poor city-dweller Surata paid homage by touching his head to the Bhagavān’s feet and circumambulated him seven times. Then he said, “Bhagavān, while wandering about Śrāvastī, [F.187.a] I found a priceless, precious gem. I decided to give it to the poorest person in Śrāvastī. I determined that King Prasenajit is the poorest, because no matter how much he plunders, he is never satisfied; he seeks riches again and again, yet it is never enough. He is never satisfied with the possessions of others; he harms those already suffering and quickly uproots the happiness of others. He leads the poor to ruin and subjugates the wealthy. He has gone completely mad! Having determined that he is completely bound by the wealth of his kingdom and by his cravings, I offered him the gem but he didn’t accept it. He asked, ‘Who could attest, on your behalf, that I am poor and you are rich?’ Therefore, O Bhagavān‍—who is impartial to all sentient beings, who never turns away from them, and who is without obstinacy, impurity, and enmity‍—Bhagavān, please tell us clearly if what I have said is true!”

1.86The Bhagavān then said, “Great king, you think yourself rich based on the resources of your kingdom that you have acquired in this life, such as gold, jewels, pearls, lapis lazuli, conch shells, crystals, corals, gold powder, silver, horses, elephants, chariots, infantry, cavalry, storehouses, and treasuries. Great king, Surata thinks himself rich based on his generosity, discipline, self-restraint, forbearance, gentleness, ethical discipline, religious observances, ascetic practices, conscientiousness, virtuous practices, frugality, kindness, compassion, joy, equanimity, [F.187.b] devotion to the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṅgha, faith, ethical discipline, learning, acts of generosity, wisdom, sense of shame, modesty, stability, and vows. Great king, suppose that all the people under your authority became wealthy like you. Even added together, the mound of their collective merit could not match one hundredth the merit that Surata accumulates by walking seven steps with his discipline, learning, religious observance, ascetic practices, and conscientiousness alone. It is incomparable.”

1.87“Bhagavān,” said Prasenajit, “finding people like him, with such vast qualities, living in our land is a great discovery!”

1.88The Bhagavān replied, “Great king, there are many people with these vast qualities in your land.”

1.89King Prasenajit then spoke these verses to Surata:

1.95Surata, a child of the lineage, then made a request of the Bhagavān: “Bhagavān, it is not enough for the great assembly of people gathered here merely to see you. Therefore, Bhagavān, please offer them whatever teachings will make their encounter with the Tathāgata meaningful!”

1.96The Bhagavān replied, “Surata, if a child of the lineage possesses these four dharmas, he or she will clearly see the Tathāgata. What are the four? Conviction, faith, regret, and reverence are the four. Whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata.

1.97“There is another set of four: generating the intention for unsurpassable, perfect awakening while gazing at the form body of the Tathāgata and wishing, ‘May I become like him’; generating the special and pure intention because the Tathāgata is trustworthy; generating the intention to teach the Dharma to all sentient beings until they are completely liberated; and generating the intention to uphold the supreme Dharma so that the continuity of the lineage of the Three Jewels is maintained. Whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata.

1.98“There is still another set of four: seeing form as detached ; seeing sensations, perceptions, formations, and consciousnesses as detached ; seeing the four elements as space-like; and seeing the sense spheres to be like empty cities. Whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata.

1.99“There is still another set of four: the purity of the self because there is no self; the purity of a sentient being because there is no sentient being; the purity of a living being because there is no living being; and the purity of a person because there is no person. Whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata. [F.188.b]

1.100“There is still another set of four: the divine eye that is uncontrived; the wisdom eye that is all-pervasive; the dharma eye that discriminates; and the buddha eye that is fully aware. Whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata.

1.101“There is still another set of four: because all phenomena are not objective, the component of ethics is pure; because all phenomena are equal, the component of concentration is pure; because transcendent gnosis is internalized, the component of wisdom is pure; because the liberation of that gnosis is seen, the component of the gnosis seeing liberation is pure. Surata, child of the lineage, whoever possesses these four will clearly see the Tathāgata.”

1.102Then, having brought joy to that great assembly of people with this sermon, the Bhagavān flew into the sky like the king of geese, accompanied by his retinue.

1.103King Prasenajit of Kośala said to the child of the lineage, Surata, “Surata, when you go to see the Tathāgata, please let me know! I will come with you to see the Tathāgata.”

1.104“Great king, I will do so,” replied Surata. “I will take you and your retinue‍—your wives, heirs, ministers, and the rest‍—to see the Tathāgata.

1.105“Great king, bodhisattvas do not act for their own benefit alone; instead, they are resplendent when surrounded by a grand retinue.”

1.106“Surata, what is the retinue of a bodhisattva?” asked the king.

1.107Surata replied, “All sentient beings are the retinue of a bodhisattva for the sake of training and maturing them. Great king, bodhicitta, which motivates others toward awakening so that they do not desire other vehicles, is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, [F.189.a] the special intention to discipline crooked beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, inexorable resoluteness is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.

1.108“Great king, the generosity that matures miserly beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the ethical discipline that matures unethical beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the tolerance that matures beings with harmful intentions is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the diligence that matures lazy beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the concentration that matures distracted beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the wisdom that matures unwise beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.

1.109“Great king, the kindness that is equanimous toward all sentient beings is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the compassion that does not wane with the vicissitudes of cyclic existence is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the joy that delights in and seeks the bliss of the Dharma is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the equanimity that is free of attachment and aversion is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.

1.110“Great king, the four means of gathering disciples that bring all beings to maturity are also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, accumulating all the various roots of virtue that purify buddhafields is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the emptiness, signlessness, and wishlessness that completely overcome all demonic machinations are also the retinue of a bodhisattva. [F.189.b]

1.111“Great king, the truthfulness and gentleness that make one’s words respectable are the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the refusal to blame and disparage others that perfects one’s eloquence is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.

1.112“Great king, accumulating the tools necessary to preserve one’s learning is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, reverence for one’s masters and preceptors for the sake of learning is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the learning that allows one to fully grasp the supreme Dharma is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, a full grasp of the supreme Dharma that causes one to master the teachings of all tathāgatas is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.

1.113“Great king, dwelling in a forest, which perfects all of one’s roots of virtue, is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, a pure livelihood that inspires the faithless to faith is also the retinue of a bodhisattva. Great king, the conscientiousness that causes one to achieve the factors conducive to awakening is also the retinue of a bodhisattva.”

1.114King Prasenajit then rejoiced; he felt great joy. Filled with such boundless joy, he offered Surata one thousand pairs of finely woven upper and lower garments, worthy of a king, as religious robes.

1.115“Great king,” said Surata, “you seek to venerate and make offerings to me! Although the king may want to give all that to me, I don’t want clothes that would make me hold conceptions of ‘mine’ or make me possessive. I already have rags sewn together from a hundred patches of tattered cotton. Great king, during the hot season, when I leave these rags hanging on a branch for one, two, ten, or a hundred days, no one steals them, [F.190.a] and no one becomes covetous. I just leave them there without worrying about them, and there they remain. Great king, I don’t want any clothes that would make me hold conceptions of ‘mine’ or make me possessive. Great king, bodhisattvas only possess those clothes for which they have no desire and which will not give rise to desire in others.”

1.116The king replied, “Surata, if you won’t accept these pairs of finely woven upper and lower garments, please, out of sympathy for me, at least tread on them with your feet!”

1.117Saying, “Your Majesty, I’ll do as you wish,” Surata trod on them with his feet and returned to the king.

1.118“Surata, what should I do with these pairs of finely woven upper and lower garments that have been beneath your feet?” asked the king.

1.119“Great king,” replied Surata, “give them away to the poor and naked.”

1.120The king said, “Yes, I will do as you say,” and entrusted the matter to his attendants, who carried out his order.

1.121Those poor people, who received and put on those pairs of finely woven upper and lower garments, were immediately moved to repay Surata’s kindness. Then, due to the blessing of the Buddha and the power of Surata’s aspiration, they heard these verses from the sky:

1.124Sometime later, Surata, a child of the lineage, and King Prasenajit with his retinue of queens, ministers, and entourage, as well as the men, women, boys, and girls of Śrāvastī and hundreds of other creatures, went to see the Bhagavān.

1.125Between Śrāvastī and Prince Jeta’s Grove, Śakra, lord of the gods, emanated a large, well-decorated pavilion that was vast, towering, and beautiful to behold; it was a beautifully adorned palace that resembled Vaijayanta, his palace in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three. [F.190.b] At the center of the palace he emanated a wish-fulfilling tree, in front of which he emanated a well-proportioned lion throne fit for the Bhagavān, one that was beautiful to behold and covered with hundreds of thousands of divine, finely woven cotton cloths. Finally, he emanated sixty thousand seats for bodhisattvas.

1.126Twelve thousand goddesses, such as the asura Śacī, came bringing flowers, incense, perfumes, flower garlands, ointments, and divine sandalwood powders, while playing cymbals and drums. Since they were Surata’s attendants, they ornamented the Bhagavān’s lion throne. Knowing that this great assembly of people was coming, the Bhagavān emerged from the monastery and sat down on the prepared seat, surrounded by bodhisattvas and śrāvakas.

1.127Then, the gandharva Pañcaśikha said to the goddess Sunlight, “Kind lady, come here! As an act of service to Surata, please worship the Tathāgata with string instruments and melodious songs!”

1.128The goddess Sunlight together with some five hundred goddesses then sang these verses of praise accompanied by string instruments:

1.137Surata, a child of the lineage, then approached the Bhagavān along with the great crowd of people. Surata bowed his head to the Bhagavān’s feet and sat to one side. King Prasenajit said to Surata, a child of the lineage, “Please sit here!” and personally offered him a well-prepared seat, which Surata accepted. King Prasenajit and his retinue also bowed their heads to the Bhagavān’s feet and took their seats.

1.138Thereupon, some of the gods who were unfamiliar with Surata, a child of the lineage, wondered to themselves, “Why has this shabbily dressed poor man received such abundant honors?”

1.139Śakra, lord of the gods, told those gods, [F.191.b] “Friends, don’t belittle him! I have seen for myself the great qualities possessed by this child of the lineage. Friends, just sit down for now! You will see the display of qualities this child of the lineage possesses.”

1.140Realizing what those gods were thinking, Surata, a child of the lineage, made a request to the Bhagavān: “Bhagavān, please teach us the means that bodhisattvas display to bring sentient beings to maturity and the means they display to bring them to gnosis!”

1.141The Bhagavān then emitted light rays from his body. When the light rays reached Surata, his body became over a hundred thousand times more beautiful than the perfect body of Śakra, the lord of the gods. Those gods were thunderstruck and rained flowers upon Surata.

1.142Then the Bhagavān replied to Surata, a child of the lineage, “Surata, whenever bodhisattvas have adamantine power, they feign to be lowly for the sake of bringing sentient beings to maturity. And even when they have little power, they feign to be supreme, also for the sake of bringing sentient beings to maturity. This is their display. Immersed in gnosis, they feign ignorance, and even when feigning ignorance, their knowledge is keen. This is their display. With their physical and moral conduct, they inspire faith in those without gnosis. Showing all types of conduct, they reveal miracles to those with gnosis. This is their display. By constantly mastering their minds, they are revered by Brahmā despite manifesting as poor and destitute, and when maintaining their supreme display, they are still revered by ordinary beings. This is their display. For the sake of attracting sentient beings, they teach the poor and destitute. For the sake of inspiring sentient beings to renounce the world, they appear as renunciants, despite possessing vast wealth. This is their display.”

1.143Thereupon, venerable Ānanda asked the Bhagavān, [F.192.a] “Bhagavān, what good deeds has Surata, a child of the lineage, done for the sake of awakening?”

1.144The Bhagavān answered, “Ānanda! Surata, a child of the lineage, has venerated millions of buddhas. He has been perfected through previous practice. He has attained the three forbearances. He has attained eloquence. He is artful with his extraordinary powers. He is skilled in bringing sentient beings to maturity. By being poor and destitute, he disciplines sentient beings.”

1.145“Bhagavān,” asked Ānanda, “how many sentient beings has this poor and destitute man disciplined?”

1.146The Bhagavān replied, “Ānanda, he has brought many hundreds of thousands of gods to the maturity of unsurpassable and perfect awakening. He has done the same for an equal number of human beings.”

1.147“Bhagavān,” asked Ānanda, “how will he become an unsurpassable, perfect, and completely awakened buddha? How will his buddhafield be arrayed? What will his name be?”

1.148The Bhagavān replied to venerable Ānanda with these verses:

1.167As soon as the Bhagavān had made this prophecy about Surata, a child of the lineage, the trichiliocosm shook in six ways as divine flowers, powders, garments, and ornaments rained down. The entire retinue offered their garments to Surata, a child of the lineage. Many hundreds of merchants, householders, and brahmins were went forth as renunciants.

1.168Thereupon Surata said to the Bhagavān, “Please permit me to go forth in the tradition of the Dharma and Vinaya that you have taught so well.”

1.169The Bhagavān then raised his hand and blessed Surata, a child of the lineage, upon his head. The moment the Bhagavān touched his head, Surata, a child of the lineage, transformed into a monk wearing saffron robes.

1.170Then the Bhagavān said to venerable Ānanda, “Ānanda, there are five degenerations: the degeneration of time, the degeneration of sentient beings, the degeneration of place, the degeneration of lifespan, and the degeneration of mental afflictions. [F.193.b] In the time of these degenerations, and following my perfect awakening, no one should be disciplined in ways other than how Surata has been disciplined.

1.171“Ānanda, I don’t tame sentient beings of the Sahā world system with the Vinaya of the buddhas. Ānanda, I tame sentient beings with fears and warnings of becoming poor and destitute, or of taking lower rebirths. Ānanda, if in this world system I taught and gave instructions about the Dharma from a Buddha’s point of view, not one sentient being would be tamed and no Dharma would be realized. Therefore Ānanda, just as Surata and I tame sentient beings, so should you. Ānanda, there will be many sentient beings who will gain faith and realization; by hearing this Dharma discourse they will find faith and practice accordingly.”

1.172When the Bhagavān finished speaking, venerable Ānanda, the bodhisattva Surata, the other bodhisattvas, the monks, Śakra, lord of the gods, King Prasenajit, and the gods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas of the world rejoiced and praised what the Bhagavān had said.

1.173This concludes Surata’s Questions, the twenty-seventh of the one hundred thousand sections of of the Dharma discourse known as The Noble Great Heap of Jewels.