28.3 （三）手

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying at a shrine in Ārāḍha.

At that time, the elder's son Handāro came out of the city and was walking outside. He gradually came to where the World-Honored One was. Having arrived, he bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and sat to one side. Then the elder's son said to the World-Honored One, "I wonder, did you sleep well last night?"

The World-Honored One said, "Yes, young man! I slept very well."

At that time, the elder's son said to the Buddha, "Now it is the coldest day, with all things withered. Moreover, the World-Honored One is sitting on a grass mat, and the clothes you are wearing are extremely thin. How can the World-Honored One say, 'I slept very well'?"

The World-Honored One said, "Young man, listen carefully! I will now ask you a question, and you can answer as you wish. Suppose there is a house belonging to an elder that is well-maintained, free from wind and dust. In that house, there are beds, blankets, and woolen carpets, all complete. There are four jade maidens with beautiful faces, like peach blossoms, rare in the world, pleasing to the eye without satiation. There is a bright lamp. Would that elder sleep well?"

The elder's son replied, "Yes, World-Honored One! With a good bed to lie on, one can sleep well."

The World-Honored One said, "What do you think, elder's son? If that person sleeps well, would lustful thoughts arise, causing them to be unable to sleep?"

The elder's son replied, "Yes, World-Honored One! If lustful thoughts arise in that person, they will not be able to sleep."

The World-Honored One said, "As for those intense lustful thoughts, the Tathāgata has completely extinguished them without remainder, with no root, and they will not arise again. What do you think, elder's son? If there are thoughts of anger and ignorance, could one sleep well?"

The youth replied, "One cannot sleep well. The reason is because of the three poisons in the mind."

The World-Honored One said, "The Tathāgata now has no such mind, completely extinguished without remainder, and no root. You should know, youth, I will now explain four kinds of sitting. What are the four? There is the sitting of the lowly, the sitting of the gods, the sitting of the Brahmas, and the sitting of the Buddha. You should know, youth, the sitting of the lowly is the sitting of the Wheel-Turning Sage King. The sitting of the gods is the sitting of Śakra Devānām-Indra. The sitting of the Brahmas is the sitting of the Brahma King. The sitting of the Buddha is the sitting of the Four Truths. The sitting of the lowly is the sitting of those who aspire to the stream-enterer. The sitting of the gods is the sitting of those who attain the stream-enterer. The sitting of the Brahmas is the sitting of those who aspire to the once-returner. The sitting of the Buddha is the sitting of the Four Right Efforts. The sitting of the lowly is the sitting of those who attain the once-returner. The sitting of the gods is the sitting of those who aspire to the non-returner. The sitting of the Brahmas is the sitting of those who attain the fruit of the non-returner. The sitting of the Buddha is the sitting of the Four Immeasurables. The sitting of the lowly is the sitting of the desire realm. The sitting of the gods is the sitting of the form realm. The sitting of the Brahmas is the sitting of the formless realm. The sitting of the Buddha is the sitting of the Four Bases of Spiritual Power.

"Therefore, youth, the Tathāgata sits in the sitting of the Four Bases of Spiritual Power, and sleeps well. He does not arise from the minds of desire, anger, and ignorance. By not arising from these three poisonous minds, he attains parinirvāṇa in the realm of nirvāṇa without remainder: the end of birth and death, the establishment of the practice of purity, the completion of what is to be done, and the knowledge that one will not again experience existence. Therefore, son of a householder, I see this meaning, and therefore say that the Tathāgata sleeps well."

At that time, the son of the householder spoke this verse:

It has been a long time since we last met, the brāhmaṇa has
attained parinirvāṇa, having attained the power of the Tathāgata, the one with clear
eyes has attained nirvāṇa. The low seat, the heavenly seat, the brāhmaṇa seat
and the Buddha seat, the Tathāgata fully discerns them, and therefore sleeps well
I take refuge in the most honored among humans, and also in the
most excellent among humans. I am not yet able to know, on what
meditation do they rely?

Having spoken thus, the son of the householder, the World-Honored One assented. At that time, the son of the householder thought: "The World-Honored One has assented. I am extremely joyful and cannot contain myself." He then rose from his seat, bowed his head at the feet, and departed.

At that time, the young boy, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully accepted and practiced it.