24 （二四）坚固经

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying in the Pāvārika Forest near the city of Nālandā, together with a great assembly of 1,250 bhikṣus.

At that time, there was a householder's son named Sthiramati who came to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side. Then the householder's son Sthiramati said to the Buddha, "Excellent! World-Honored One! I only wish that you would now command the bhikṣus to display their supernatural powers and manifest the Dharma of the superior person when brahmins, householder's sons, and householders come."

The Buddha told Sthiramati, "I never teach the bhikṣus to display their supernatural powers and manifest the Dharma of the superior person for brahmins, householders, and elders. I only teach my disciples to contemplate the Way in quietude in empty and secluded places. If they have merit, they should conceal it themselves. If they have faults, they should reveal them themselves."

At that time, the householder's son Sthiramati again said to the Buddha, "I only wish that the World-Honored One would command the bhikṣus to display their supernatural powers and manifest the Dharma of the superior person when brahmins, householders, and elders come."

The Buddha again told Sthiramati, "I never teach the bhikṣus to display their supernatural powers and manifest the Dharma of the superior person for brahmins, householders, and elders. I only teach my disciples to contemplate the Way in quietude in empty and secluded places. If they have merit, they should conceal it themselves. If they have faults, they should reveal them themselves."

At that time, the householder's son Sthiramati said to the Buddha, "I have no doubts about the Dharma of the superior person. But this city of Nandi is prosperous and the people are flourishing. If supernatural powers are displayed here, it will benefit many. The Buddha and the great assembly will greatly spread the teaching of the Way."

The Buddha again told Sthiramati, "I never teach bhikṣus to display their supernatural powers and manifest the Dharma of the superior person for brahmins, householders, and elders. I only teach my disciples to contemplate the Way in quietude in empty and secluded places. If they have merit, they should conceal it themselves. If they have faults, they should reveal them themselves. Why is this? There are three supernatural powers. What are the three? First, supernatural powers; second, observing others' minds; third, instruction. What are supernatural powers? Householder's son! Bhikṣus cultivate immeasurable supernatural powers, able to transform one body into countless, and countless bodies back into one. Whether far or near, mountains, rivers, rocks, and walls are freely unobstructed, like walking in the sky; sitting cross-legged in the sky, like a flying bird; entering and exiting the earth, like in water; walking on water, like on land; emitting smoke and fire from the body, like a great fire mass; touching the sun and moon with the hands, standing to reach the Brahma Heaven. If there are faithful householders who see this bhikṣu displaying immeasurable supernatural powers, standing to reach the Brahma Heaven, they will go to other faithful householders and say, 'I saw the bhikṣu displaying immeasurable supernatural powers, standing to reach the Brahma Heaven.' Those faithful householders will say to the faithful ones, 'I have heard of the Gula spell, which can display such immeasurable transformations, up to standing to reach the Brahma Heaven.'"

The Buddha again told the householder's son Sthiramati, "Those who do not believe will say such words. Is this not slanderous speech?"

Sthiramati said to the Buddha, "This is indeed slanderous speech."

The Buddha said, "For this reason, I do not order the monks to display supernatural transformations. I only teach my disciples to contemplate the path in quietude and seclusion. If they have merits, they should conceal them. If they have faults, they should reveal them. In this way, householder, this is the supernatural power displayed by my monks.

"What is meant by the supernatural power of observing others' minds? Here, a monk displays immeasurable supernatural powers of observation, observing the mental phenomena of sentient beings and being able to recognize their hidden activities. If there are faithful householders who see a monk displaying immeasurable supernatural powers of observation, observing the mental phenomena of others and being able to recognize their hidden activities, they will go to other unfaithful householders and say, 'I have seen a monk displaying immeasurable supernatural powers of observation, observing the mental phenomena of others and being able to recognize their hidden activities.' When those unfaithful householders hear this, they will slander, saying, 'There is a Gandhara spell that can observe others' minds and recognize their hidden activities.' What do you think, householder's son? Is this not slanderous speech?"

The householder's son said, "This is indeed slanderous speech."

The Buddha said, "For this reason, I do not instruct the monks to display supernatural transformations. I only teach my disciples to contemplate the Way in quietude in secluded places. If they have merits, they should conceal them. If they have faults, they should reveal them. In this way, householder's son, this is my monks' display of the supernatural power of observation.

What is the supernatural power of instruction? Householder's son! When the Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One appears in the world, endowed with the ten titles, and personally realizes and teaches the Dharma to gods, humans, Māra, Māra's followers, śramaṇas, and brahmins, with words of superior, middling, and inferior meaning, all truly genuine, with pure meaning and taste, and fully endowed with the holy life. If householders and elders hear it, they gain faith in it. Having gained faith, they contemplate and think, 'It is not suitable for me to live at home. If I live at home, I will be bound by chains and unable to practice the holy life. I would rather now shave my head and beard, wear the three Dharma robes, leave home to cultivate the path, attain all merits, and accomplish the three insights, extinguishing all darkness and giving rise to great wisdom. Why is this? It is because of diligently enjoying solitary seclusion, single-mindedly not forgetting, and what is attained from that.' Householder's son! This is my monks' display of the supernatural power of instruction.

At that time, the householder's son Solid-Virtue addressed the Buddha, saying, "Are there any monks who have accomplished these three supernatural powers?"

The Buddha told the householder's son, "I do not say there are many monks who have accomplished these three supernatural powers. Householder's son! I have a monk in this assembly who contemplates by himself, 'This body is composed of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. How can it be eternally extinguished?' That monk suddenly went to the heavenly realm and approached the Four Heavenly Kings, asking them, 'This body is composed of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. By what means can it be eternally extinguished?'

Householder's son! The Four Heavenly Kings replied to the monk, 'We do not know by what means the four great elements are eternally extinguished. Above us is a heaven called Trayastrimsa, which is the most subtle and has great wisdom. The gods there can know by what means the four great elements are extinguished.' Having heard this, the monk suddenly went to the heavenly realm and approached the Trayastrimsa Heaven, asking the gods there, 'This body is composed of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. By what means can it be eternally extinguished?' The gods of Trayastrimsa replied to the monk, 'We do not know by what means the four great elements are extinguished. Above us is another heaven called Yama, which is the most subtle and has great wisdom. The gods there can know.' He then went to ask them, but they also said they did not know.

In this way, he went up to the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, and the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, and they all said, 'We do not know by what means the four great elements are extinguished. Above us is another heaven, which is the most subtle and has great wisdom. It is called Brahmakāyika. The gods there can know by what means the four great elements are eternally extinguished.' The monk then suddenly went to the Brahma realm and approached the Brahma Heaven, asking, 'This body is composed of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. By what means can it be eternally extinguished?' The Brahma gods replied to the monk, 'We do not know by what means the four great elements are eternally extinguished. Now there is a Great Brahma King who is invincible, ruling over a thousand worlds, wealthy, noble, and most powerful. He can create all things and is the parent of all beings. He can know by what means the four great elements are eternally extinguished.' Householder's son! The monk then asked, 'Where is that Great Brahma King now?' The gods replied, 'We do not know where the Great Brahma is now. In my opinion, he will appear soon.' Not long after, the Brahma King suddenly appeared. Householder! The monk went to the Brahma King and asked, 'This body is composed of the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. By what means can it be eternally extinguished?' The Great Brahma King told the monk, 'I am the Brahma King, invincible, ruling over a thousand worlds, wealthy, noble, and most powerful. I can create all things and am the parent of all beings.' At that time, the monk told the Brahma King, 'I am not asking about this. I am asking about the four great elements: earth, water, fire, and wind. By what means can they be eternally extinguished?'

Householder's son! The Brahma King still replied to the monk, 'I am the Great Brahma King, invincible, up to creating all things and being the parent of all beings.' The monk again said, 'I am not asking about this. I am asking about the four great elements. By what means can they be eternally extinguished?' Householder's son! The Brahma King did this up to three times, but could not tell the monk by what means the four great elements are eternally extinguished. Then the Great Brahma King took the monk's right hand and led him to a secluded place, saying, 'Monk! Now all the Brahma Kings consider me to be the foremost in wisdom, knowing and seeing everything. Therefore, I cannot tell you that I do not know or see by what means these four great elements are eternally extinguished.' He also said to the monk, 'You are very foolish! You have abandoned the Tathāgata and are asking about this among the gods. You should ask about this matter in the presence of the World-Honored One. Remember well what the Buddha says.' He also told the monk, 'Now the Buddha is at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in Śrāvastī. You should go and ask him.'

Householder's son! At that time, the monk suddenly disappeared from the Brahma Heaven. It was like the time it takes a strong man to bend and stretch his arm. He arrived at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in Śrāvastī, came to me, bowed his head at my feet, sat to one side, and said to me, 'World-Honored One! Now these four great elements, earth, water, fire, and wind, by what means are they extinguished?' I then told him, 'Monk! It is like a merchant who releases a trained hawk into the sea. The hawk flies in the four directions, and if it finds land, it will stop there. If there is no land, it will return to the ship. Monk! You are also like this. You went up to the Brahma Heaven and asked about this meaning, but it was not accomplished. Now I will make you accomplish this meaning.' Then he spoke a verse:

By what means are the four great elements, earth, water, fire, and wind, extinguished?
By what means are the coarse and fine, the long and short, the beautiful
and ugly, extinguished? By what means are name and form extinguished, without remainder? The
answer is that consciousness is formless, immeasurable, and self-luminous. When this is extinguished, the
four great elements are extinguished, the coarse and fine, the beautiful and ugly, are
extinguished, and in this, name and form are extinguished, and consciousness is extinguished, and
the rest are also extinguished.

At that time, the householder's son Kṣemaṅkara addressed the Buddha, saying: "World-Honored One! What is the name of this monk? How should we remember it?"

The Buddha told the householder's son: "This monk is named Ārṣabha. You should remember it thus."

At that time, the householder's son Kṣemaṅkara, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.