43.4 （四）提婆达

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was at the Karanda Bamboo Grove in the city of Rajagriha, together with a great assembly of five hundred bhikshus.

At that time, Devadatta, having lost his supernatural powers, was daily provided with five hundred cauldrons of food by Prince Ajatasatru. Then many bhikshus heard that Devadatta had lost his supernatural powers and was being supported by Ajatasatru. They went together to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet, and sat to one side. Then the many bhikshus said to the Buddha, "Devadatta is extremely powerful and is now being supported by King Ajatasatru, who sends him five hundred cauldrons of food every day."

At that time, the World Honored One, having heard these words, told the bhikshus, "Do not have this thought, coveting the offerings to the bhikshu Devadatta. That foolish person will perish because of those offerings. Because, bhikshus, Devadatta left home to study, but did not fulfill his wishes.

Bhikshus, you should know that it is like a person leaving his village, holding a sharp axe, going to a big tree, with the intention of wanting the big tree, but when he arrives at the tree, he returns with branches and leaves. This bhikshu is also like this. He covets offerings and, because of those offerings, praises himself and disparages others. The practices of a bhikshu will not fulfill his wishes. Because of those offerings, he does not seek skillful means and arouse a courageous mind, like that person seeking treasures but not obtaining them, being abandoned by the wise.

"If there is a bhikshu who, having obtained offerings, does not praise himself or disparage others, but sometimes speaks to others, saying, 'I am a person who upholds the precepts, while he is a person who violates the precepts.' The wishes of the bhikshu will not be fulfilled, like a person who abandons the root and returns home with a branch. The wise, having seen this, will say, 'Although this person returns home with a branch, he does not know the root.' This bhikshu is also like this. Having obtained offerings, he upholds the precepts and practices pure conduct, and cultivates samadhi. With this samadhi mind, he praises himself to others, saying, 'I have attained samadhi, while others do not.' The Dharma that the bhikshu should practice will also not be fulfilled. It is like a person seeking solid wood, going to a big tree, hoping for the solid wood, abandoning the branches and leaves, and taking the root to return home. The wise, having seen this, will say, 'This person distinguishes the root.' Now this bhikshu is also like this. He arouses offerings, upholds the precepts, does not praise himself, nor disparages others, and cultivates samadhi. It is also like this. Gradually practicing wisdom. Wisdom is the foremost in this Dharma. The bhikshu Devadatta did not attain wisdom and samadhi in this Dharma, nor did he fully possess the Dharma of precepts and discipline."

A bhikshu addressed the World-Honored One, saying, "Why does Devadatta not understand the Dharma of precepts and discipline? He has accomplished spiritual powers and practices, and has this wisdom. Why does he not understand the Dharma of precepts and discipline? Wisdom leads to samadhi, and samadhi leads to precepts and discipline."

The World-Honored One said, "The Dharma of precepts and discipline is a worldly constant; the accomplishment of samadhi is also a worldly constant; the spiritual powers of flying are also a worldly constant; the accomplishment of wisdom is the foremost meaning."

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

By attaining the spiritual powers through meditation, one may reach the highest, but it
is not ultimate. Without attaining the state of non-conditioning, one will fall back into
the five desires. Wisdom is the highest, without worries or concerns. After a long
time, one will attain the equal view and cut off the existence of birth and death.

"Bhikṣus, you should know that through this method, you can know that Devadatta does not understand the Dharma of precepts and discipline, nor does he understand wisdom and the practice of samādhi. You bhikṣus should not be like Devadatta, who is attached to material gain and honor. Material gain and honor lead one to an evil state, not to a good destination. If one is attached to material gain and honor, one will practice wrong views, leaving behind right views; practice wrong conduct, leaving behind right conduct; practice wrong speech, leaving behind right speech; practice wrong action, leaving behind right action; practice wrong livelihood, leaving behind right livelihood; practice wrong effort, leaving behind right effort; practice wrong mindfulness, leaving behind right mindfulness; practice wrong concentration, leaving behind right concentration. Therefore, bhikṣus! Do not give rise to the mind of material gain and honor, restrain it from arising; for the mind of material gain and honor that has already arisen, seek means to extinguish it. Thus, bhikṣus! You should train in this way."

"I will now expound this subtle and wonderful Dharma." More than sixty bhikṣus abandoned their Dharma robes and returned to lay life, while more than sixty bhikṣus attained the exhaustion of taints, the purity of the Dharma eye, and the exhaustion of all defilements.

At that time, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said, and joyfully received and practiced it.