37.8 （八）

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 Janavasabha went to where the World-Honored One was, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side. Then the Brāhman Janavasabha said to the World-Honored One, "Gautama! What do the Kṣatriyas seek today? What are their practices? What teachings do they adhere to? What do they ultimately accomplish? What do the Brāhmanas seek? What are their practices? What teachings do they adhere to? What do they ultimately accomplish? What do the Kings seek today? What are their practices? What teachings do they adhere to? What do they ultimately accomplish? What do the Thieves seek today? What are their practices? What teachings do they adhere to? What do they ultimately accomplish? What do the Women seek today? What are their practices? What teachings do they adhere to? What do they ultimately accomplish?"

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the Brāhman, "The Kṣatriya caste always likes to fight and argue, has many skills, likes to work, and will not stop until they have accomplished what they want."

The Brāhman asked, "What do the Brāhmanas seek?"

The World-Honored One said, "The Brāhmanas like spells, want to have a home, enjoy quiet places, and aspire to the Brahma Heaven."

He further asked, "What does the king seek?"

The World-Honored One said, "Brāhmanas should know that the king's intention is to obtain state affairs, his mind is on weapons, and he is greedy for wealth and treasures."

"What do thieves seek?"

The World-Honored One said, "The intention of thieves is to steal, their minds are on deceit, and they want to make people unaware of what they do."

"What do women seek?"

The World-Honored One said, "Women's intentions are on men, they crave wealth and treasures, their minds are attached to sons and daughters, and their minds desire freedom."

At that time, the brahman said to the World-Honored One, "Very wonderful! Very extraordinary! You know all these changes as they are, without falsehood. What does the bhikṣu intend to seek today?"

The World-Honored One said, "The precepts and virtues are complete, the mind wanders in the Dharma of the Way, the intention is in the Four Noble Truths, and one wishes to reach nirvāṇa. This is what the bhikṣu seeks."

At that time, the brahman with the afflictions of birth said to the World-Honored One, "So it is, World-Honored One! The intention of the bhikṣu's practice cannot be moved. Its meaning is indeed so, Gautama! Nirvāṇa is extremely blissful. The Tathāgata's explanation is indeed excessive, just like a blind person gaining sight, a deaf person gaining hearing, a person in darkness seeing light. Today the Tathāgata's explanation is also like this, without any difference. I now have many affairs in the country and wish to return to my abode."

The World-Honored One said, "It is time to know." At that time, the brahman with the afflictions of birth immediately rose from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and then departed.

At that time, the brahman with the afflictions of birth, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.