32.5 （五）岁

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at the Deer Park in the Eastern Garden of the Jeta Grove in the country of Śrāvastī, together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikṣus.

At that time, on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the World-Honored One was sitting on a seat in the open air, surrounded by the assembly of bhikṣus. The Buddha said to Ānanda, "Now, quickly strike the gong in the open air. Because today is the fifteenth day of the seventh month, the day for receiving the summer retreat."

At that time, Venerable Ānanda knelt on his right knee, joined his palms, and spoke this verse:

Pure eyes are without equal, nothing is not practiced, wisdom
is without attachment, what is called receiving the summer retreat?

At that time, the World-Honored One again replied to Ānanda in verse:

Receiving the summer retreat, the three karmas are pure, the body, speech, and
mind are what is done. Two bhikshus face each other and confess their
shortcomings. They themselves proclaim their names, today the assembly receives the summer retreat
I also receive with a pure mind, only wishing to forgive the faults.

At that time, Ānanda again asked the meaning in verse:

The past Buddhas, pratyekabuddhas, and śrāvakas, are all
the Dharma of the Buddhas? Is it only Śākyamuni?

At that time, the Buddha again replied to Ānanda in verse:

The disciples of the past Buddhas, with pure minds, all practiced the
Dharma of the Buddhas, not just Śākyamuni. The pratyekabuddhas did not have
this Dharma, no years, no disciples. They passed away alone, without companions
and did not teach the Dharma to others. The future Buddha-World-Honored Ones
as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, cannot be calculated. They
will also receive these years, just like the Dharma of Gautama now.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda, having heard these words, was overjoyed and could not contain himself. He immediately ascended the lecture hall, took hold of the bell, and said, "I now strike this drum of faith in the Tathāgata. All the disciples of the Tathāgata should gather here."

At that time, he also spoke this verse:

Subduing the power of Mara's enemies, eliminating all afflictions without remainder, striking
the bell in the open air, the bhikṣus who hear it should
gather. Those who wish to hear the Dharma, to cross the ocean
of birth and death, hearing this wonderful sound, should all gather here.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda had struck the bell and went to where the World-Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and said to the World-Honored One, "Now is the right time. Please command me, World-Honored One, what should I do?"

At that time, the World-Honored One said to Ānanda, "You may sit in order. The Tathāgata will know the time himself." At that time, the World-Honored One sat on a grass seat and said to the bhikṣus, "You should all sit on grass seats."

The bhikṣus replied, "Yes, World-Honored One!" At that time, the bhikṣus each sat on grass seats.

At that time, the World-Honored One silently observed the bhikṣus and then instructed the bhikṣus, "I now wish to receive the annual confession. Do I have any faults among the assembly? Have I not committed any offenses with body, speech, or mind?" Having spoken these words, the bhikṣus remained silent and did not respond. At that time, he again addressed the bhikṣus three times, "I now wish to receive the annual confession. Do I have any faults among the assembly?"

At that time, Venerable Śāriputra rose from his seat, knelt with palms joined, and addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "The bhikṣu assembly observes the Tathāgata to be without any faults of body, speech, or mind. The reason is that the World-Honored One today liberates those who are not liberated, frees those who are not freed, causes those who have not attained parinirvāṇa to attain parinirvāṇa, provides refuge for those who have no refuge, becomes the eyes for the blind, becomes the great physician-king for the sick, is the sole honored one in the three realms without equal, the most honored and supreme one, causes those who have not yet aroused the intention for enlightenment to arouse the intention for enlightenment, awakens those who are not yet awakened among the people, causes those who have not heard the Dharma to hear it, becomes the path for the confused, and always uses the true Dharma. For these reasons, the Tathāgata has no faults among the assembly, and also has no faults of body, speech, or mind."

At that time, Śāriputra addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "I now confess to the Tathāgata. Do I have any faults with the Tathāgata and the assembly of bhikṣus?"

The World-Honored One said, "Śāriputra, you now have no faults of body, speech, or mind. The reason is that your wisdom is unsurpassed. You have various wisdoms, immeasurable wisdoms, boundless wisdoms, incomparable wisdoms, swift wisdom, sharp wisdom, profound wisdom, equal wisdom. You have few desires and are content, delight in quietude, have many skillful means, your mindfulness is not confused, you have the dhāraṇī samādhi, and your faculties are complete. You have accomplished precepts, accomplished samādhi, accomplished wisdom, accomplished liberation, and accomplished the wisdom of liberation. You are courageous and patient, your speech is without fault, you do not engage in unwholesome activities, your mind is orderly, and you do not act rashly. You are like the eldest son of a wheel-turning sage king, who will succeed to the throne and turn the wheel of Dharma. Śāriputra is also like this, turning the unsurpassed wheel of Dharma. The devas, humans, nāgas, yakṣas, māras, and their devas have not turned it before, but what you have spoken now is always in accordance with the meaning of the Dharma and has never contradicted the principles."

At that time, Śāriputra addressed the Buddha, saying, "These five hundred bhikṣus will all receive the full ordination. Are there no faults with these five hundred people with regard to the Tathāgata?"

The World-Honored One said, "I do not blame these five hundred bhikṣus for their physical, verbal, or mental actions. The reason is that Śāriputra is extremely pure in this great assembly, without any faults. Now the lowest-ranking person in this assembly has attained the path of stream-entry and will definitely progress to the irreversible Dharma. For this reason, I do not blame this assembly."

At that time, Tagarasikhin was in this assembly. He immediately rose from his seat, went before the World-Honored One, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "I am now able and willing to discuss something."

The World-Honored One said, "If you wish to speak, now is the right time."

Tagarasikhin then praised the Buddha and the Sangha of monks in front of the Buddha, speaking this verse:

On the fifteenth day of purity, five hundred monks gathered, all bonds
and fetters were released, and there was no more craving. The great
sage king of the wheel was surrounded by ministers, universally throughout the
worlds, in the heavens and the world. The great general, the most
honored among men, became a guide for people, with disciples joyfully following
with the three knowledges and the six supernormal powers. They were all
true sons of the Buddha, without any defilements, able to cut off
the thorns of desire and craving. Today I take refuge in myself.

At that time, the World-Honored One approved of what Tagarasikhin had said. Then Tagarasikhin thought: "The Tathāgata has approved of what I have said today." Joyfully leaping and dancing, unable to contain himself, he immediately rose from his seat, bowed to the Buddha, and withdrew to his original position.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus: "Among my śrāvakas, the foremost disciple in composing verses is none other than Bhikṣu Tagarasikhin. The one who speaks without hesitation is also none other than Bhikṣu Tagarasikhin."

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and upheld it.