31.1 （一）增上

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, the Brāhman Jīvaka went to where the World-Honored One was, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side. The Brāhman then said to the World-Honored One, "Living in seclusion in a cave is very difficult! Being alone and walking alone is very difficult to concentrate on."

The World-Honored One said, "So it is, Brāhman! As you say, living in seclusion in a cave is very difficult! Being alone and walking alone is very difficult to concentrate on. Because in the past, before I attained Buddhahood, when I was practicing the bodhisattva path, I always thought like this: 'Living in seclusion in a quiet cave is very difficult! Being alone and walking alone is very difficult to concentrate on.'"

The Brāhman said to the Buddha, "If there are sons of noble families who, with firm faith, leave home to study the path, now the Śramaṇa Gautama is the foremost, benefiting many. He is a guide for those who follow him."

The World-Honored One said, "So it is, Brāhman! As you say, 'If there are sons of noble families who, with firm faith, leave home to study the path, I am the foremost, benefiting many. I am a guide for those who follow them.' If they see me, they all feel ashamed and go to the mountains and forests to live in secluded places. At that time, I think like this: 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who practice impure conduct and live in secluded places. Their impure conduct is in vain and not the true practice. They fear unwholesome dharmas. But now my conduct is not impure, and I live in secluded places. Those who practice impure conduct and live in secluded places are not like me. Because now my conduct is pure. The arhats who practice pure conduct enjoy living in secluded places. I am the foremost.' In this way, Brāhman! I observe my own pure conduct and enjoy living in secluded places, and I am even more delighted.

At that time, I thought like this: 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who practice impure conduct in mind and life, and live in secluded places. Although they have this practice, it is not true. They are all fully equipped with unwholesome dharmas. This is not mine. Because now my conduct in body, speech, mind, and life is pure. There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who practice pure conduct in body, speech, mind, and life, and enjoy living in secluded and pure places. That is mine. Because now my conduct in body, speech, mind, and life is pure. The arhats who practice pure conduct in body, speech, mind, and life enjoy living in secluded places. I am the foremost.' In this way, Brāhman! When my conduct in body, speech, mind, and life is pure, and I live in secluded places, I am even more delighted.

At that time, I thought like this: 'This is what the śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas fear. They live in secluded places and fear unwholesome dharmas. But now I am completely fearless, living in secluded places without people. Those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have a fearful mind and live in secluded places are not mine. Because now I am completely fearless, living in secluded places and playing by myself. Those who have a fearful mind and live in secluded places are not mine. Because now I am free from suffering and affliction, not the same as them.' In this way, Brāhman! When I observe this meaning, I am fearless and even more delighted.

There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who slander others and praise themselves. Although they live in secluded places, they still have impure thoughts. But now, Brāhman! I do not slander others or praise myself. Those who praise themselves and slander others are not mine. Because now I am without arrogance. The sages who are without arrogance are the foremost. When I observe this meaning, I am even more delighted.

There are śramaṇas who seek for gain and cannot rest. But now I do not seek for gain. Because now I do not seek from others, and am also content. Among those who are content, I am the foremost. When I observe this meaning, I am even more delighted.

There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are lazy in mind and do not diligently cultivate secluded places. They are not mine. Because now I have a courageous mind, and am not lazy in the middle. Among the sages who have a courageous mind, I am the foremost. When I observe this meaning, I am even more delighted.

At that time, I also thought like this: 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are forgetful and live in secluded places, although they have this practice, they still have evil and unwholesome dharmas. But now I am not forgetful. If there are people who are forgetful, they are not mine. Among the sages who are not forgetful, I am the foremost.' Now that I observe this meaning, I am even more delighted to dwell in seclusion.

At that time, I also thought like this: 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas whose minds are distracted and unstable, and they have evil and unwholesome dharmas, together with evil conduct. But now my mind is never distracted, always single-minded. Those whose minds are distracted and unstable, they are not mine. Because my mind is always single-minded. If there are sages whose minds are single-minded, I am the foremost.' Now that I observe this, although dwelling in seclusion, I am even more delighted.

At that time, I also thought like this: 'There are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who are ignorant and dark like a flock of sheep. They have evil and unwholesome dharmas. They are not mine. But now I am always wise and not ignorant, dwelling in seclusion. If there are such practitioners, they are mine. Now I have accomplished wisdom. Among the sages who have accomplished wisdom, I am the foremost.' Now that I observe this meaning, although dwelling in seclusion, I am even more delighted.

When I was dwelling in seclusion, if trees were uprooted and birds and beasts fled, I thought at that time: 'This is a forest of great fear.' At that time, I also thought: 'If fear comes, I will seek a means to prevent it from coming again.' If fear came while I was walking, I would not sit or lie down, but would first remove the fear before sitting. If fear came while I was standing, I would neither walk nor sit, but would first remove the fear before sitting. If fear came while I was sitting, I would not walk, but would first remove the fear before sitting. If fear came while I was lying down, I would neither walk nor sit, but would first remove the fear before lying down.

Brahmin, you should know that there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who do not understand the Dharma day and night. I now say that they are extremely foolish and deluded. But, brahmin, I understand the Dharma day and night, and have a courageous mind. I am not false, my mind is not confused, I am always single-minded, without thoughts of desire, with mindfulness, contemplation, joy, and happiness, dwelling in the first dhyāna. This, brahmin, is my first mind, which delights in the present life. If one removes mindfulness and contemplation, has inner joy, and has a single mind, without mindfulness or contemplation, with concentration, joy, and happiness, dwelling in the second dhyāna; this, brahmin, is my second mind, which delights in the present life. I myself observe and know that there is no desire for mindfulness within, and I experience the happiness of the body, which is hoped for by the sages. With mindfulness and happiness, dwelling in the third dhyāna; this, brahmin, is my third mind. If one further removes happiness and suffering, and has no more joy or sorrow, no suffering and no happiness, with pure mindfulness, dwelling in the fourth dhyāna; this, brahmin, is my fourth supreme mind, which I myself observe and know, dwelling in the mind.

When I was dwelling in seclusion, I had these four supreme minds. With this samādhi mind, pure and flawless, also without afflictions, I attained fearlessness and self-knowledge of the affairs of countless past lives. At that time, I remembered the affairs of my past lives, one life, two lives, three lives, four lives, five lives, ten lives, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred lives, a thousand lives, the eons of formation and destruction, all clearly distinguished: I was once born there, with such-and-such a name, eating such-and-such food, experiencing such-and-such suffering and happiness, passing away from there and being born here, dying here and being born there. The causes and conditions, the beginning and end, were all clearly understood.

Brahmin, you should know that in the first part of the night, I attained the first illumination, removed ignorance, and had no more darkness. My mind delighted in seclusion and I was self-aware. Again, with a samādhi mind that was flawless and also without afflictions, my mind was concentrated and I attained fearlessness. Again, I knew the birth and death of sentient beings. I further used the heavenly eye to observe the classes of sentient beings, those who are born and die, with good or bad appearances, in good or bad destinies, whether good or bad, according to their good or bad actions, all clearly distinguished. Those sentient beings who act badly with the body, speak badly, and think badly, who slander the sages, always harbor wrong views, and are associated with wrong views, upon the destruction of the body and the end of life, are born in hell. Those sentient beings who act well with the body, cultivate good actions with the mouth, and cultivate good actions with the mind, who do not slander the sages, always cultivate right views, and are associated with right views, upon the destruction of the body and the end of life, are born in good places in the heavens. Again, with the heavenly eye that is pure and flawless, I observed the classes of sentient beings, those who are born and die, with good or bad appearances, in good or bad destinies, whether good or bad, according to their original actions, all clearly knowing them.

Brahmin, you should know that in the middle part of the night, I attained the second illumination, had no more darkness, and was self-aware, delighting in seclusion. Again, with a samādhi mind that was pure and flawless, also without afflictions, my mind was concentrated and I attained fearlessness. I attained the mind that exhausts the taints, and knew this suffering as it really is, not falsely. When I attained this mind at that time, the taints of desire, existence, and ignorance were liberated from the mind. Having attained liberation, I attained the knowledge of liberation: 'Birth and death are exhausted, the practice of the Brahma way is established, what was to be done is done, I will not again experience rebirth,' knowing it as it really is.

"Brahmin, you should know that in the last part of the night, I attained the third illumination, had no more darkness. How is it, Brahmin? Is there any thought in you that the Tathāgata has a mind of desire, anger, or delusion, and has not yet exhausted it in a secluded place? Brahmin, do not view it like this. The reason is that the Tathāgata today has forever eliminated the taints, always delights in seclusion, and is not in the human realm. However, I today contemplate this meaning and delight in a secluded place. What are the two? Again, I roam in a secluded place and also liberate countless sentient beings."

At that time, the Brahmin who had given rise to taints said to the Buddha, "It is for the sake of sentient beings, to compassionately liberate all." The Brahmin again said to the Buddha, "Stop, stop! The World-Honored One's words are too much. It is like a hunchback finding relief, a lost one finding the path, a blind person finding eyesight, and being in darkness and seeing light. Thus, the Shakyamuni Buddha has spoken the Dharma with countless skillful means. I now take refuge in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha. From now on, I will uphold the five precepts and no longer take life. I am a lay devotee."

At that time, the Brahmin who had given rise to taints heard the Buddha's teachings and joyfully accepted them.