40.9 （九）

Thus have I heard:

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

At that time, King Prasenajit ordered his ministers, "Quickly prepare a jeweled chariot with feathered wheels. I wish to go to where the World-Honored One is to pay respects and inquire about his well-being."

At that time, the great king left the city and went to where the World-Honored One was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and sat to one side. At that time, the Tathāgata was surrounded by countless people and was teaching the Dharma. At that time, the seven Nigantha disciples, the seven naked ascetics, the seven black Brahmins, and the seven naked Brahmins passed by not far from the World-Honored One.

At that time, King Prasenajit saw these people passing by not far from the World-Honored One. He then said to the Buddha, "Looking at these people passing by without stopping, they all have few desires and are content. They have no family or occupation. In this world, the arhats are the foremost. The reason is that among the people, they practice extreme asceticism and do not crave material gain."

The World-Honored One said, "Great King! You have not yet recognized the true arhat. Being naked and exposed does not mean one is an arhat. Great King! You should know that these are not true practices. You should contemplate the changes of the past. You should also contemplate who is worthy of intimacy, who is intimate, who is worthy of closeness, and who is close. The reason is that in the distant past, there were seven Brahmins who studied together in one place. They were very old and wore grass as clothing. They ate fruits and nuts. They gave rise to various wrong views and each thought, 'By upholding this practice of asceticism, we will become great kings in the future, or seek to be Śakra, Brahmā, or the Four Heavenly Kings.'

At that time, there was a teacher named Asita, who was the grandfather of these Brahmins. Knowing the thoughts in the minds of these Brahmins, he descended from the Brahma Heaven and came to where the seven Brahmins were. At that time, the teacher Asita removed his heavenly attire, took on the form of a Brahmin, and was walking in the open air. At that time, the seven Brahmins saw Asita walking from afar. They were filled with anger and said, 'What kind of lustful person is this, walking in front of us Brahmins who practice purity? We should now use ash to curse him and destroy him.' The seven Brahmins then scooped up water with their hands and sprinkled it on him. The Brahmin cursed, 'You should now quickly become ash and earth!' However, the Brahmin became even more angry, and the teacher's complexion became even more dignified. The reason is that compassion can extinguish anger. At that time, the seven Brahmins then thought, 'Are we not going to regress from our precepts? When we just gave rise to anger, that person became even more dignified on his own.'

At that time, the seven people then spoke this verse to the teacher of the gods:

Are you a god, a gandharva, a rakshasa, or
a ghost? What is your name? We wish to know.

At that time, the teacher Asita immediately replied in verse:

I am not a god, gandharva, rakshasa, or ghost
I am the celestial teacher Asita. This is my body.

'I know what you are thinking in your heart, so I have come down from the Brahma Heaven. The Brahma Heaven is extremely far from here, and the body of Sakra is also like that. The Wheel-Turning Sage King is also unattainable. You cannot become Sakra, Brahma, or the Four Heavenly Kings through this ascetic practice.'

At that time, the celestial teacher Asita spoke this verse:

The mind has various thoughts, and the external appearance is coarse and
rough. But diligently cultivate right views and stay away from evil paths
The mind precepts are pure in practice, and the oral conduct is
also so. Stay away from evil thoughts, and you will definitely be
reborn in heaven.

At that time, the seven Brahmins asked the celestial teacher, 'Are you really the celestial teacher?' He replied, 'Yes. But now Brahmins do not attain rebirth in heaven by going naked; they may not attain rebirth in the Brahma heaven by practicing austerities. Also, it is not by exposing the body and practicing various austerities that one is reborn there; one is reborn in heaven by concentrating the mind and not letting it move. You cannot be reborn there by what you practice.' 'Great King! Consider this meaning. It is not by going naked that one is called an Arhat. Ordinary people who want to know the true person, this is not the case. However, the true person can distinguish the practices of ordinary people. Also, ordinary people cannot know the practices of ordinary people, but the true person can know the practices of ordinary people. But you, Great King, should know that you should know this by skillful means, not just now. You should observe it like this. Thus, Great King! You should learn it by skillful means.'

At that time, King Prasenajit said to the World-Honored One, "What the Tathāgata has said is indeed wonderful! It is not something that ordinary people can understand. However, there are many affairs of state, and I wish to return to my abode."

The Buddha said to the king, "The king should know the right time."

At that time, the king immediately rose from his seat, bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One, and then withdrew.

At that time, King Prasenajit, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.