43.1 （一）马血

Thus have I heard:

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

When the heavenly being Horse Blood was not yet a human, he went to where the World-Honored One was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and stood to one side. At that time, the heavenly being said to the World-Honored One, "Just now, I had this thought: 'Can one walk across this world?' I now ask the World-Honored One: Can one walk across the world?"

The World-Honored One said, "What meaning do you have in asking this?"

The heavenly being said to the Buddha, "Once, I went to where the Brahma Heaven was. At that time, the Brahma Heaven saw me coming from afar and said to me, 'Welcome, heavenly being Horse Blood! Here is the realm of non-action, without birth, aging, sickness, death, end, beginning, sorrow, worry, suffering, and distress.' At that time, I also thought, 'Is this the path to nirvana? Because in nirvana there is no birth, aging, sickness, death, sorrow, worry, suffering, and distress. Is this the farthest edge of the world? If it is the farthest edge of the world, is this world something that can be walked across?'"

The World-Honored One said, "What kind of spiritual powers do you have now?"

The heavenly being said to the Buddha, "It is like a strong man skilled in archery, whose arrow goes unimpeded. My spiritual powers are like this now, unobstructed in any way."

The World-Honored One said, "I will ask you now, and you can answer as you wish. Suppose there are four men skilled in archery, and each of them shoots in the four directions. If someone comes and wants to catch all the arrows from the four directions and prevent them from falling to the ground, what do you think, heavenly being? Would this person be extremely quick and able to prevent the arrows from falling to the ground?

Heavenly being, you should know that there is a heavenly being named Swift-footed in front of the sun and moon, whose speed in coming and going surpasses that of these men. The sun and moon palaces move even faster than this. Compared to the speed of those men, heavenly beings, and the sun and moon palaces, the speed of the Thirty-three Heavens is even faster; compared to the speed of the Thirty-three Heavens, the speed of the Lustrous Heavens is even faster. In this way, the spiritual powers of the various heavens are not mutually comparable. Even if you now have these spiritual powers like those of the various heavens, from one eon to a hundred eons, you still cannot exhaust the boundaries of the world. The reason is that the extent of the earth's regions is immeasurable.

Heavenly being, you should know that in the past, long ago, I was once a sage named Horse Blood, with the same name as you. My desire and love were already exhausted, and I could fly through the sky without obstruction. At that time, my spiritual powers were different from those of humans. In the time it takes to snap one's fingers, I could gather all the arrows from the four directions and prevent them from falling. At that time, with these spiritual powers, I thought, 'Can I now use these spiritual powers to reach the boundaries of the world?' I then traveled the world but could not reach its limits. After my life ended, I advanced in virtue, cultivated practices, and attained buddhahood. Sitting under the king of trees, I contemplated the events of my past experiences as a sage, thinking, 'With these spiritual powers, I still could not reach the limits of the world. With what spiritual power can I reach the limits?' At that time, I further thought, 'I must follow the eightfold path of sages in order to reach the limits of birth and death.'

What is meant by riding the eightfold path of sages? Namely, right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Heavenly being, you should know that this is called the eightfold path of sages, which can reach the limits of the world. All the past buddhas as numerous as the sands of the Ganges who reached the limits of the world used this eightfold path of sages to reach the limits of the world; even the future buddhas who will appear in the world will use this eightfold path of sages to reach the limits.

At that time, the World Honored One then spoke this verse:

Walking without reaching the end, one can reach the limits
of the world. The earth element is immeasurable, not within
the reach of supernatural powers. Ordinary people's conceptual minds give
rise to confusion within it, not distinguishing the true Dharma
they wander in the five paths. The eightfold path of
sages is used as a boat and ship, practiced by
all buddhas to reach the limits of the world. Even
the future buddhas, such as Maitreya, will also use the
eightfold path to reach the limits of the world. Therefore
the wise should cultivate this noble path, practicing it day
and night, they will reach the state of non-conditioning.

At that time, the Heavenly Son of Horse Blood heard the Tathāgata speak of the eightfold noble path and, right there on his seat, all his defilements were exhausted and he attained the purity of the Dharma eye. At that time, the Heavenly Son immediately bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and then departed. At that time, the Heavenly Son immediately scattered various fine heavenly flowers over the Tathāgata on that very day and then spoke this verse:

Wandering in birth and death for a long time, wanting to cross
the world, the eightfold noble path of sages, not knowing and not
seeing. Now I have seen the truth and also heard the eightfold
path, I can reach the limits and the place where all buddhas have gone.

At that time, the World-Honored One approved what the Heavenly Son had said. The Heavenly Son, seeing that the Buddha had approved it, immediately bowed at the feet of the World-Honored One and then withdrew.

At that time, the Heavenly Son, having heard what the Buddha said, joyfully received and practiced it.