1.1 （一）序

The meaning of the four Agamas is the same, and the Madhyamagama first clarifies its meaning, so it is not repeated here. The Ekottara Agama is a comparison of the Dharma, which is arranged in numerical order. The number ends in ten, and it is added one more, so it is called Ekottara. Moreover, each number is increased, so the meaning is increased. As for the Dharma, it often records the precepts and regulations, which are strict and severe, and is the examination and control of the world. The scholars of the mountains and forests and the people of the rivers and seas of foreign countries often savor this in the four Agamas.

There was a foreign monk named Dharmanandi, who was from the country of Dūkha. He left home at a young age and was well-versed in the two Agamas. He recited them daily, and traveled to various countries without leaving any place untouched. In the 20th year of the Jianyuan era of the Qin dynasty, he came to Chang'an. The people of his homeland all praised him. Zhao Wenye, the Governor of Wuzhou, requested him to translate. Buddhanian translated and transmitted, while Tansong took notes. In the summer of the year Jiachen, they began translating and finished the following year in the spring. It was divided into upper and lower parts, with 41 fascicles. The upper part, in 26 fascicles, was complete without any omissions. The lower part, in 15 fascicles, lost its verses. I and Fayu jointly examined and corrected it, while Sengshi and Sengmao assisted in correcting omissions. It was completed in 40 days. In this year, there was the battle of Acheng, with drums beating near the suburbs, while I was fully engaged in this work. I fully possessed the 100 fascicles of the two Agamas, the Vibhāṣā, the Bhavya, and the Saṃghabhadra. These were the five great sutras transmitted. Since the Dharma flowed eastward, the best sutra translators were these. The four Agamas were compiled by 40 arhats, with 10 people composing each part. The verses at the beginning and end were recorded to prevent the Dharma from remaining in the world for a long time and being scattered and lost.

In the past, various sutras were translated in this land, and some of them were included in the two Agamas. Now, each has a new catalog in one fascicle, preserving the original titles and noting their gains and losses, so that those who see the sutras can easily find them. The upper and lower parts together have 472 sutras. In the compilation of these two Agamas by various scholars, there are often precepts. Foreigners do not allow them to be seen by novice monks and laypeople. From now on, I hope we can protect them together, so that they are the same as the precepts. This is the urgent matter in this country. These earnest admonitions should not be lightly heard. Those who have extensive knowledge but do not know how to protect the precepts are the beginning of the scholars' understanding. The original version of the Mahāprajñāpāramitā-sūtra was translated by Kang Mengxiang. He translated the chapter on Mahāprajāpatī, but did not know it was a sutra on precepts. The bhikṣuṇī method is very strict and true, so he cut it out. This is a great shame and a cause for pain. Only those with the power of the Way can see these two sutras. They should be taken to heart. If they are neglected and not taken seriously, I hope my fellow practitioners can beat the drum and attack them.

The seventh immortal
Gautama Buddha, expounded
the supreme path
of sages and
saints. Forever in
the long river
of birth and
death, the World-Honored
One now liberates
the people. The
venerable elder Kāśyapa
and the assembly
of monks, the
wise Ānanda with
immeasurable learning, the
Well-Gone One passed
away, offering relics
From the country
of Kuśinagara to
Magadha, Kāśyapa pondered
the four immeasurables
these sentient beings
fall into the
five paths. The
Perfectly Enlightened One
expounded the path
now departed. Remembering
the skillful teachings
he grieves and
weeps. Kāśyapa contemplates
the original Dharma
how can it
be spread and
remain in the
world? The Most
Honored One spoke
various teachings, comprehensively
embracing them without
losing them. Who
has the power
to collect the
various teachings, the
causes and conditions
of each place?
Now in this
assembly, the wise
Ānanda with immeasurable
learning, immediately strikes
the gavel to
gather the four
assemblies, 84,000 monks
all arhats with
liberated minds, liberated
from bondage and
attachment, dwelling in
the field of
merit. Kāśyapa compassionately
thinks of the
world, adding memories
of the past
kindnesses of the
World-Honored One. The
World-Honored One entrusted
the Dharma to
Ānanda, wishing to
spread the Dharma
and make it
long remain in
the world. How
can it be
passed down without
losing the sequence?
The three asaṃkhyeya
eons of collected
Dharma treasures, may
the four assemblies
in the future
hear the Dharma
and be liberated
from suffering. Ānanda
then declined, saying
"The various teachings
are profound and
numerous, how can
I dare to
expound the teachings
of the Tathāgata?"
Now the venerable
Kāśyapa and the
sages, Maitreya and
Brahmā Śakra and
the four heavenly
kings and the
gods, Maitreya and
Tuṣita came to
gather, with countless
bodhisattvas. Maitreya, Brahmā
Śakra, and the
four heavenly kings
all joined their
palms and said
"All dharmas are
sealed by the
Buddha. Ānanda is
our Dharma vessel
If he does
not wish for
the Dharma to
remain, he will
destroy the teachings
of the Tathāgata
Please keep the
original vow to
save sentient beings
from danger and
difficulty." The Buddha
appeared in the
world with a
short lifespan, his
physical body gone
but his Dharma
body remaining, forever
in the world
without interruption, with
gods and humans
hearing and attaining
the fruit of
the path. Or
there may be
a single teaching
with profound meaning
difficult to uphold
recite, and remember
I will now
collect the single
teaching, each following
the sequence without
losing it. There
may be two
teachings that return
to two, three
teachings that return
to three like
a string of
pearls, four teachings
that return to
four, five teachings

At that time, Venerable Ānanda and the Brahma Heaven, together with the Brahma Kāśyapa Heaven, all came to gather; the Heaven of Free Enjoyment of Manifestations, together with its retinue, all came to gather; the Heaven of Free Enjoyment of Others' Manifestations, together with its retinue, all came to gather; the Tuṣita Heaven King, together with the heavenly hosts, all came to gather; the Yāma Heaven, together with its retinue, all came to gather; Śakra Devānām-Indra, together with the thirty-three heavens, all came to gather; the Heaven King Dhṛtarāṣṭra, together with the Kumbhāṇḍa and others, all came to gather; the Heaven King Virūḍhaka, together with the Piśāca, all came to gather; the Heaven King Virūpākṣa, together with the dragons, all came to gather; the Heaven King Vaiśravaṇa, together with the Yakṣa and Rākṣasa, all came to gather.

At that time, Maitreya Bodhisattva addressed the bodhisattvas of the Fortunate Eon, saying: "You should encourage the sons and daughters of good families to recite, uphold, and widely propagate the supreme Dharma of the Ekottara, so that gods and humans can practice it."

When this was said, the gods, humans, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, mahoragas, kinnaras, and others each said: "We will all together protect these good men and good women who recite, uphold, and widely propagate the supreme Dharma of the Ekottara, so that it will never be cut off."

At that time, Venerable Ānanda said to Udāyin: "I now entrust this Ekottara Āgama to you. Recite and read it well, do not let it be lost. Why is this? Those who slight this supreme sūtra will fall into the ways of ordinary beings. Because, Udāyin, the Ekottara Āgama teaches the thirty-seven factors of the path, and all dharmas arise from it."

At that time, Mahākāśyapa asked Ānanda: "How is it, Ānanda! The Ekottara Āgama is able to give birth to the teachings of the thirty-seven factors of the path, and all dharmas arise from it?"

Ānanda replied: "Indeed, indeed, Venerable Kāśyapa! The Ekottara Āgama gives birth to the thirty-seven factors, and all dharmas arise from it. But let us set aside the Ekottara Āgama. Even within a single verse, the thirty-seven factors and all dharmas are born."

Kāśyapa asked: "In which verse are the thirty-seven factors and all dharmas born?"

At that time, Venerable Ānanda spoke this verse:

Do not do any evil, practice all that is good, purify
one's own mind - this is the teaching of the Buddha.

"The reason is this: 'Do not do any evil' is the basis of all dharmas, and it gives rise to all good dharmas. By giving rise to good dharmas, the mind becomes pure. Therefore, Kāśyapa! The body, speech, and mind practices of the Buddha are always pure."

Kāśyapa asked, "How is it, Ānanda! Does the Ekottara Āgama alone give rise to the thirty-seven factors of enlightenment and all dharmas, or do the other four Āgamas also give rise to them?"

Ānanda replied, "Let it be, Kāśyapa! The meaning of the four Āgamas is fully contained in a single verse, including the teachings of the Buddhas, Pratyekabuddhas, and Śrāvakas. The reason is this: 'Do not do any evil' is the restraint of precepts; the practice of purity is to practice all good; the mind becomes pure by purifying one's own mind; removing false views is the teaching of the Buddhas, eliminating deluded thoughts. How is it, Kāśyapa! If precepts are pure, is the mind not pure? If the mind is pure, it is not deluded; being undeluded, deluded thoughts cease, and the thirty-seven factors of the path are accomplished. By accomplishing the fruits of the path, are they not all dharmas?"

Kāśyapa asked, "How is it, Ānanda! Do you entrust this Ekottara to Udraka alone, without entrusting it to other bhikṣus and all dharmas?"

Ānanda replied, "The Ekottara Āgama is all dharmas, and all dharmas are the Ekottara Āgama. There is no second."

Kāśyapa asked, "Why do you entrust this Ekottara Āgama to Udraka alone, without entrusting it to other bhikṣus?"

Ānanda replied, "Kāśyapa should know that in the past, in the ninety-first kalpa, the Tathāgata Vipaśyin, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One appeared in the world. At that time, this bhikṣu Udraka was named Ikṣuvāyu. At that time, that Buddha entrusted this Ekottara Dharma to him, causing him to recite and read it. After that, in the thirty-first kalpa, there was another Buddha named Śikhin, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One. At that time, this bhikṣu Udraka was named Mokṣuvāyu. The Tathāgata Śikhin also entrusted this Dharma to him, causing him to recite and read it. In that same thirty-first kalpa, the Tathāgata Viśvabhū, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One also appeared in the world. At that time, this bhikṣu Udraka was named Nāgavāyu. He was also entrusted with this Dharma, causing him to recite and read it.

Kāśyapa should know that in this fortunate eon, there was a Tathāgata, an Arhat, a Perfectly Enlightened One named Krakucchanda who appeared in the world. At that time, the bhikṣu Udraka was named Vidyudvāyu. He was also entrusted with this Dharma, causing him to recite and read it. In this fortunate eon, there was another Buddha named Kanakamuni, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One who appeared in the world. At that time, the bhikṣu Udraka was named Divyāyu. He was also entrusted with this Dharma, causing him to recite and read it. In this fortunate eon, there was another Buddha named Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One who appeared in the world. At that time, the bhikṣu Udraka was named Brahmāyu. He was also entrusted with this Dharma, causing him to recite and read it.

Kāśyapa should know that now the Tathāgata Śākyamuni, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One has appeared in the world. Now this bhikṣu named Udraka, although the Śākyamuni Buddha has entered parinirvāṇa, the bhikṣu Ānanda still exists in the world. The World-Honored One has entrusted the Dharma to me in its entirety. I now also entrust this Dharma to Udraka. Why is that? One should observe his vessel and examine his original nature before entrusting the Dharma. Why is that? In the past, in this fortunate eon, there was a Tathāgata, an Arhat, a Perfectly Enlightened One named Krakucchanda, who was accomplished in knowledge and conduct, a Sugata, a knower of the world, an unsurpassed guide who tamed beings, a teacher of gods and humans, a Buddha, a Blessed One, who appeared in the world. At that time, there was a king named Mahādeva who ruled the country according to the Dharma, without any crookedness. His lifespan was extremely long, and he was uniquely handsome, rare in the world. For eighty-four thousand years, he enjoyed himself as a youth. For eighty-four thousand years, he ruled the country as a crown prince according to the Dharma. For eighty-four thousand years, he again ruled the country according to the king's law.

Kāśyapa should know that at that time the World-Honored One was staying in the Amrapālī Grove. After the meal, as was his usual practice, he was walking in the courtyard. I and my attendant, at that time the World-Honored One smiled, emitting five-colored light from his mouth. Having seen this, I knelt before the World-Honored One and said, 'The Buddha does not smile without reason. I wish to hear the reason. The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One would never smile without reason.' At that time, Kāśyapa, the Buddha told me, 'In the past, in this fortunate eon, there was a Tathāgata named Krakucchanda, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who appeared in the world. He also extensively taught the Dharma to his disciples at this place. Furthermore, in this fortunate eon, there was another Tathāgata named Kanakamuni, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who appeared in the world. At that time, that Buddha also extensively taught the Dharma at this place. Next, in this fortunate eon, there was a Tathāgata named Kāśyapa, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, who appeared in the world. The Tathāgata Kāśyapa also extensively taught the Dharma at this place.'

Kāśyapa, at that time I knelt before the Buddha and said, 'May the future Śākyamuni Buddha also extensively teach the Dharma to his disciples at this place. This place will then become the vajra seat of the four Tathāgatas, never ceasing.'

Kāśyapa, at that time Śākyamuni Buddha sat there and said to me, 'Ānanda, in the past, on this seat, there was a king who appeared in the world during the Fortunate Eon, named Mahādeva. For eighty-four thousand years he ruled the country with the Dharma, teaching with virtue. After many years, he told his ministers, "If you see a white hair on my head, please inform me." At that time, the ministers heard the king's order. After many years, they saw a white hair growing on the king's head. They then knelt before the king and said, "Great King, please know that a white hair has grown on your head." The king then told them, "Take a pair of tweezers and pull out the white hair for me to see." At that time, the ministers received the king's order and took a pair of tweezers to pull out the white hair.

The great king, seeing the white hair, then spoke this verse:

Now on my head, white hair has grown, the messenger of
old age has come, it is time to renounce the household life.

I have now enjoyed the blessings of a human being. I should strive for the merits of ascending to heaven. I shall shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, and with firm faith, renounce the household life to study the path and be free from all suffering.

Then King Mahādeva said to his eldest son, Changshou, "Do you know? White hair has grown on my head. I wish to shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, and with firm faith, renounce the household life to study the path and be free from all suffering. You should succeed to my position and govern with the Dharma, without any loss or violation of my teachings, engaging in ordinary people's practices. Because if there are people who violate my words, they will engage in ordinary people's practices. Ordinary people will long dwell in the three evil paths and the eight difficulties." At that time, King Mahādeva bestowed the royal position on the crown prince and gave him treasures. He then shaved his beard and hair, wore the three Dharma robes, and with firm faith, renounced the household life to study the path and be free from all suffering. For eighty-four thousand years, he practiced pure conduct, practiced the four immeasurables of loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, and when his body passed away, he was reborn in the Heaven of Brahmā.

At that time, King Changshou remembered his father's teachings and never let them go. He governed with the Dharma, without any crookedness. Before ten days had passed, he again became a wheel-turning sage king, with the seven treasures complete. The seven treasures are: the wheel treasure, elephant treasure, horse treasure, jewel treasure, jade woman treasure, treasury minister treasure, and military minister treasure. These are called the seven treasures. He also had a thousand sons, brave and wise, able to remove suffering and rule the four directions.

At that time, King Changshou used the previous king's Dharma to make the following verses:

The verse says: "Honoring the Dharma and venerating the honored, Not forgetting the repayment
of past kindness; Also able to cultivate the three karmas, Valued by the wise!

"Having contemplated this meaning, I bestow this Ekottara Agama on the bhikṣu Udraka. Why? All dharmas have their causes and conditions."

At that time, Venerable Ānanda said to Udraka: "When you were a wheel-turning sage king before, you did not lose the king's teachings. Now I entrust this Dharma to you again, not losing the true teachings, do not act like an ordinary person. You should know that if one violates and loses the Tathāgata's good teachings, one will fall into the realm of ordinary people. Why? At that time, King Mahādeva did not attain the state of liberation, did not attain liberation and reach a place of peace and tranquility; although he received the rewards of Brahma Heaven, he still did not reach the ultimate. The Tathāgata's good deeds are called the ultimate place of peace and tranquility, with boundless happiness, respected by gods and humans, and will definitely attain nirvāṇa. Therefore, Udraka! You should uphold this Dharma, recite and read it, do not let it be incomplete."

At that time, Ānanda spoke a verse, saying:

Because of mindfulness of the Dharma, the Tathāgata arises from it; the
Dharma gives rise to perfect enlightenment, the path of pratyekabuddhas and arhats
The Dharma can eliminate all suffering and also produce results; mindful of
the Dharma, not apart from the mind, now and in the future
one will receive its rewards. If one wishes to become a Buddha
just like Śākyamuni; uphold the Tripiṭaka Dharma, without error in the words
and phrases. Although the Tripiṭaka is difficult to uphold, its meaning and
principles are inexhaustible; one should recite the Four Āgamas, which will cut
off the path of gods and humans. Although the Āgamas are difficult
to recite, their meaning is inexhaustible; do not lose the Vinaya, this
is the Tathāgata's treasure. The Vinaya is also difficult to uphold, and
the Āgamas are also so; firmly uphold the Abhidharma, and one will
subdue the techniques of non-Buddhists. Expounding the Abhidharma, its meaning is also
difficult to uphold; one should recite the Three Āgamas, not losing the
words and phrases of the sūtras. The sūtras, Abhidharma, and Vinaya spread
throughout the world; gods and humans can practice them and be born
in a place of peace and tranquility. If there is no sūtra
Dharma, and also no Vinaya; like the blind thrown into darkness, when
will they see the light? Therefore, I entrust this to you, and
also to the fourfold assembly, you should uphold it without contempt for Śākyamuni!

When Venerable Ānanda spoke these words, the earth shook in six ways. The honored gods in the sky held heavenly flowers in their hands and scattered them over Venerable Ānanda and the fourfold assembly. All the gods, dragons, ghosts, spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas were all joyful and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! Venerable Ānanda! Your words, whether superior, middling, or inferior, are all excellent. One should respect the Dharma as you have said. All gods and humans attain accomplishment through the Dharma. If one engages in evil, one will fall into the hells, hungry ghosts, or animal realms."

At that time, Venerable Ānanda roared like a lion among the fourfold assembly, exhorting all people to practice this Dharma. At that time, thirty thousand gods and humans in the assembly attained the purity of the Dharma eye. At that time, the fourfold assembly, gods, and humans, having heard what Venerable Ānanda said, rejoiced and practiced it.