153. （一五三）须闲提经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in Kuru and stayed in the first quiet room of the Brahmans, sitting on a grass seat.

At that time, the World-Honored One, having passed the night, put on his robe and took his alms bowl in the morning, and entered the city of Kanyakubja to beg for food in order. After eating, he returned in the middle of the day, put away his robe and bowl, washed his hands and feet, put his sitting mat on his shoulder, and went to a certain forest to the place for daytime walking. At that time, the World-Honored One entered that forest, went to the foot of a tree, spread out his sitting mat, and sat cross-legged.

Then, the non-Buddhist ascetic Udraka, wandering about in the middle of the day, went to the first quiet room of the Brahmans. The non-Buddhist ascetic Udraka saw from afar in the first quiet room of the Brahmans a grass seat with a place to lie on one side, like a lion's posture, like a śramaṇa's posture, like a brahman's posture. Having seen it, he asked: "In the first quiet room of the Brahmans, who has this grass seat with a place to lie on one side, like a lion's posture, like a śramaṇa's posture, like a brahman's posture?"

The Brahman Udraka replied: "Udraka, there is a śramaṇa Gautama, a son of the Śākya clan, who has renounced his Śākya family, shaved off his hair and beard, put on the saffron robes, with true faith, left home for homelessness, and is practicing the path. He has attained supreme perfect enlightenment. In his first quiet room, there is this grass seat with a place to lie on one side, like a lion's posture, like a śramaṇa's posture, like a brahman's posture."

The non-Buddhist ascetic Udraka said: "Udraka, I cannot see what I have not seen, hear what I have not heard, namely that I have seen the place where the śramaṇa Gautama lies down. Why is that? The śramaṇa Gautama has destroyed the earth. One who has destroyed the earth is of no use."

The Brahman Udraka said: "Udraka, you should not insult the śramaṇa Gautama for this matter. Why is that? The śramaṇa Gautama has much wisdom, the wisdom of a kṣatriya, a brāhman, a householder, and a śramaṇa. If one speaks of wisdom, all attain holy knowledge. Udraka, I want to speak to the śramaṇa Gautama about this matter. Is it possible?"

Udraka said: "Brahman Udraka, if you want to speak, then do as you please. I have no objection. Brahman Udraka, if you see the śramaṇa Gautama, I will also speak this meaning to him. Why is that? The śramaṇa Gautama has destroyed the earth. One who has destroyed the earth is of no use."

At that time, the World-Honored One was in the daytime walking place. With his pure divine ear surpassing that of humans, he heard the Brahman Udraka and the non-Buddhist Udraka discussing this matter together. Having heard it, the World-Honored One then rose from his afternoon meditation and went to the Brahman Udraka's first quiet room. He spread out his sitting mat on the grass seat, crossed his legs, and sat down. The Brahman Udraka saw the World-Honored One from afar in the grove, upright and beautiful like the moon among the stars, shining brightly like a golden mountain, with all the marks and characteristics complete, majestic and majestic, with his faculties calm and collected, without any obstruction, accomplished in taming and subduing, with his mind at peace and silent. Having seen him, he approached the Buddha, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side.

The World-Honored One asked: "Brahman Udraka, did you discuss this grass seat with the non-Buddhist Udraka?"

The Brahman Udraka replied to the World-Honored One: "Yes, Gautama! I also wanted to tell the Shakyamuni about this matter, but the Shakyamuni knew it himself before I could say it. Why is that? Because the Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One knows it.

The World-Honored One discussed this matter with the Brahman Udraka. Later, the non-Buddhist Udraka wandered and went to Udraka's first quiet room. The World-Honored One saw the non-Buddhist Udraka coming from afar and said: "Udraka! If one does not tame the eye faculty, does not guard it closely, and does not cultivate it, one will surely receive suffering as a result. If one tames the eye faculty well, guards it closely, and cultivates it well, one will surely receive happiness as a result. Udraka! Is this not the reason you say that the Shakyamuni has lost ground? To say that the Shakyamuni has lost ground means that he is not useful.

The non-Buddhist Udraka replied to the World-Honored One: "Yes, Gautama!"

Udraka! It is the same with the ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind faculties. If one does not tame the mind faculty, does not guard it closely, and does not cultivate it, one will surely receive suffering as a result. If one tames the mind faculty well, guards it closely, and cultivates it well, one will surely receive happiness as a result. Udraka! Is this not the reason you say that the Shakyamuni has lost ground? To say that the Shakyamuni has lost ground means that he is not useful.

The non-Buddhist Udraka replied to the World-Honored One: "Yes, Gautama!"

The World-Honored One asked: "Udraka, what do you think? If a person has not yet renounced the householder life to practice the path, and their eyes perceive forms, they may have a mind of affection and delight, associated with desire. Later, they shave their hair and beard, put on the saffron robes, leave home out of faith, and practice the path as a homeless one. They perceive forms with their eyes, and see them as they truly are in terms of their arising, cessation, taste, suffering, and exit. Their minds dwell internally and they roam. If they see people who have not yet transcended desire for forms, who are consumed by desire for forms, and who are tormented by passion for forms, and if their eyes perceive forms, they may have a mind of affection and delight, associated with desire. When they see this, they do not approve of it, nor do they delight in it. Udraka, what do you think? If there is such pleasure, arising from affection and forms, and when experiencing that pleasure, one does not approve of it and does not delight in it because of its thinness, can one say anything about it?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama!"

"Udraka, what do you think? If a person has not yet renounced the householder life to practice the path, and their ears perceive sounds, nose perceives smells, tongue perceives tastes, and body perceives tactile objects, they may have a mind of affection and delight, associated with desire. Later, they shave their hair and beard, put on the saffron robes, leave home out of faith, and practice the path as a homeless one. They perceive tactile objects with their body, and see them as they truly are in terms of their arising, cessation, taste, suffering, and exit. Their minds dwell internally and they roam. If they see people who have not yet transcended desire for tactile objects, who are consumed by desire for tactile objects, and who are tormented by passion for tactile objects, and if their body perceives tactile objects, they may have a mind of affection and delight, associated with desire. When they see this, they do not approve of it, nor do they delight in it. Udraka, what do you think? If there is such pleasure, arising from affection and tactile objects, and when experiencing that pleasure, one does not approve of it and does not delight in it because of its thinness, can one say anything about it?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama!"

"Udraka, what do you think? If a person has not yet renounced the householder life to practice the path, and they have a mind of affection and delight associated with the five sense pleasures, later they shave their hair and beard, put on the saffron robes, leave home out of faith, and practice the path as a homeless one. They perceive the five sense pleasures with their body, and see them as they truly are in terms of their arising, cessation, taste, suffering, and exit. Their minds dwell internally and they roam. If they see people who have not yet transcended desire, who are consumed by desire, and who are tormented by passion for the five sense pleasures, and if they perceive the five sense pleasures with their body, they may have a mind of affection and delight, associated with desire. When they see this, they do not approve of it, nor do they delight in it. Udraka, what do you think? If there is such pleasure, arising from desire and desire for the five sense pleasures, and when experiencing that pleasure, one does not approve of it and does not delight in it because of its thinness, can one say anything about it?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama!"

"Udraka, when I had not yet renounced the householder life to practice the path, I obtained the five sense pleasures, which were easy to obtain and not difficult. I had a mind of affection and delight associated with them. Later, I shaved my hair and beard, put on the saffron robes, left home out of faith, and practiced the path as a homeless one. I perceived the five sense pleasures with my body, and saw them as they truly are in terms of their arising, cessation, taste, suffering, and exit. My mind dwelt internally and I roamed. When I saw people who had not yet transcended desire, who were consumed by desire, and who were tormented by passion for the five sense pleasures, and when I perceived the five sense pleasures with my body, I may have had a mind of affection and delight associated with them. When I saw this, I did not approve of it, nor did I delight in it. Udraka, what do you think? If there is such pleasure, arising from desire and desire for the five sense pleasures, and when experiencing that pleasure, one does not approve of it and does not delight in it because of its thinness, can one say anything about me?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama!"

The World-Honored One said: "Udraka, it is like a householder or householder's son who is extremely wealthy and happy, with immeasurable wealth, many livestock, fields, and food, and abundant provisions for living. He obtains the five sense pleasures easily and without difficulty. He practices good conduct with the body, speech, and mind. At the time of death, he does not give up the five sense pleasures with regret. When his body perishes and his life ends, he ascends to a good realm and is reborn in heaven, fully enjoying the five sense pleasures. Udraka, would these gods and god-sons give up the heavenly five sense pleasures and delight in human desires with joy and thoughtfulness?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama! Why is that? Human desires are foul and impure, with a very filthy and evil mind that cannot be directed towards them. They are hateful, contentious, and extremely painful. Gautama, among human desires, heavenly desires are the best, most wonderful, and most supreme. If those gods and god-sons were to give up the heavenly five sense pleasures and delight in human desires with joy and thoughtfulness, it would never happen."

"So it is, Udraka! I have cut off human desires and transcended heavenly desires. I have shaved my head and beard, put on the saffron robes, left home out of true faith, and become a homeless ascetic. I have seen the arising, cessation, taste, suffering, and escape of those five sense pleasures as they truly are, and my mind has been internally pacified. I see people who are not free from desire, who are consumed by desire, who are tormented by desire, who love and delight in the five sense pleasures, who are associated with what is desirable. When I see them, I do not praise them, I do not delight in them. Udraka, what do you think? If there is such pleasure, caused by desire and desire-love, when one enjoys that pleasure, because it is inferior I do not praise it, because it is inferior I do not delight in it. Udraka, is there anything I can say about this?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama!"

The World-Honored One said: "Udraka, suppose a person has leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratching open the sores and holding them over a pit of fire. What do you think, Udraka? If a person with leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratches open the sores and holds them over a pit of fire, could they be cured of the disease, be strong, have all their faculties intact, be free from leprosy, and have a healthy body, returning to its original state?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama! Why is that? If a person with leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratches open the sores and holds them over a pit of fire, the sores will grow more and more, and the original sores will become larger. They would rather take the leprosy as pleasure."

"Udraka, it is like a person with leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratching open the sores and holding them over a pit of fire. In this way, the sores will grow more and more, and the original sores will become larger. They would rather take the leprosy as pleasure. Udraka, in this way, sentient beings who have not yet transcended desire are eaten by the desire-love, burned by the desire-heat, and engage in desire. Udraka, in this way, sentient beings who have not yet transcended desire are eaten by the desire-love, burned by the desire-heat, and engage in desire. In this way, desire will grow more and more, desire-love will become more extensive. They would rather take desire-love as pleasure. If they do not cut off desire, do not transcend desire-love, and engage in desire with an internal mind, it is impossible. Why is that? It is not reasonable to cut off desire, transcend desire-love, and engage in desire."

The World-Honored One said: "Udraka, it is like a king or a minister who obtains the five desires, which are not difficult to obtain. If they do not cut off desire, do not transcend desire-love, and engage in desire with an internal mind, it is impossible. Why is that? It is not reasonable to cut off desire, transcend desire-love, and engage in desire. In this way, Udraka, sentient beings who have not yet transcended desire are eaten by the desire-love, burned by the desire-heat, and engage in desire. Udraka, if sentient beings who have not yet transcended desire are eaten by the desire-love, burned by the desire-heat, and engage in desire, in this way, desire will grow more and more, desire-love will become more extensive. They would rather take desire-love as pleasure. If they do not cut off desire, do not transcend desire-love, and engage in desire with an internal mind, it is impossible. Why is that? It is not reasonable to cut off desire, transcend desire-love, and engage in desire.

"Udraka, it is like a person with leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratching open the sores and holding them over a pit of fire. There is a person who, out of compassion and pity, seeks benefit and well-being, seeks peace and happiness, and gives them appropriate good medicine. After giving them appropriate good medicine, they are cured of their illness, gain strength, and do not lose their faculties. They are freed from leprosy and their bodies are healed, returning to their original state. If they see a person with leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, scratching open the sores and holding them over a pit of fire. Udraka, what do you think? Would that person, upon seeing this, still be delighted and praise it?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama! Why is that? For one who is sick, medicine is needed, but for one who is not sick, it is not needed."

"Udraka, what do you think? If that leper is cured of his illness, gains strength, does not lose his faculties, is freed from leprosy, and his body is healed, returning to its original state, and then two strong wrestlers grab him and hold him over a pit of fire. He panics and dodges, and his body becomes very hot. Udraka, what do you think? Is that pit of fire now hotter, more painful, and more unbearable than before?"

He replied to the World-Honored One: "No, Gautama! The original leprosy, with the body rotting and being eaten by worms, with the sores being scratched open, and being held over a pit of fire, he had a great feeling of pleasure in suffering, his mind was confused, and he had inverted thoughts. Gautama! Now that person is cured of his illness, gains strength, does not lose his faculties, is freed from leprosy, his body is healed, returning to its original state, and he returns to his original place. He has a great feeling of suffering in suffering, his mind is at ease, and he has no inverted thoughts."

"Udraka, it is like a leper whose body is rotting, being eaten by worms, with the sores being scratched open, and being held over a pit of fire. He has a great feeling of pleasure in suffering, his mind is confused, and he has inverted thoughts. In this way, Udraka! Sentient beings are not free from desire, being eaten by the craving for desire, being heated by the heat of desire and engaging in desire. They have a feeling of pleasure in the desire for suffering, their minds are confused, and they have inverted thoughts. Udraka! It is like that person who is cured of his illness, gains strength, does not lose his faculties, is freed from leprosy, his body is healed, returning to its original state, and he returns to his original place. He has a great feeling of suffering in suffering, his mind is at ease, and he has no inverted thoughts. In this way, Udraka! I have a feeling of suffering in the desire for suffering, attaining the truth, and no inverted thoughts. Why is that? Udraka! Past desire is impure, stinking, and disgusting, with a very filthy mind that cannot be directed towards it, with the suffering of hatred and conflict. Future and present desire is also impure, stinking, and disgusting, with a very filthy mind that cannot be directed towards it, with the suffering of hatred and conflict. Udraka! The Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One says that the first benefit is freedom from illness, and the first bliss is nirvāṇa."

The non-Buddhist Udraka said to the World-Honored One: "Gautama! I have also heard from the elders, the venerable ones, the long-practiced ones, and those who have practiced the holy life for a long time, that freedom from illness is the first benefit, and nirvāṇa is the first bliss."

The World-Honored One asked: "Udraka! If you have heard from the elders, the venerable ones, the long-practiced ones, and those who have practiced the holy life for a long time, that freedom from illness is the first benefit, and nirvāṇa is the first bliss. Udraka! What is freedom from illness? What is nirvāṇa?"

Then the non-Buddhist Udraka, whose body was itself the illness, the boil, the arrow, the snake, the impermanent, the suffering, the empty, and the non-self, wiped his body with both hands and said: "Gautama! This is freedom from illness, this is nirvāṇa."

The World-Honored One said: "Udraka! It is like a blind person who hears from a sighted person: 'White and pure, white and pure.' Having heard this, he seeks white and pure. A deceitful person, not seeking benefit and well-being for him, seeking peace and happiness, gives him a dirty and impure garment and says: 'You should know that this is a white and pure garment. You should respectfully receive it with both hands and wear it.' The blind person is delighted and respectfully receives it with both hands, wearing it and saying: 'White and pure, white and pure.' Udraka! Does that person speak from knowing himself, or from not knowing? Does he speak from seeing himself, or from not seeing?"

The non-Buddhist Udraka replied: "Gautama! If it is said like this, it is truly not knowing and seeing."

The World-Honored One said: "So it is, Udraka! It is like a blind person, whose body is sick, a boil, an arrow, a snake, impermanent, suffering, empty, and not a self. Rubbing it with both hands, he says: 'Gautama! This is sickness-free, this is nirvana.' Udraka! You do not even know about sickness-free, how much less can you know and see nirvana? To say that you know and see is utterly impossible. Udraka! The Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One says:

The best benefit is being sickness-free, nirvana is the greatest bliss, the eightfold
path is the path, abiding in the sweet dew of peace and tranquility.

"Those many people all heard it together. When the many non-Buddhists heard this verse, they passed it on to each other but could not understand the meaning. Having heard it, they wanted to seek instruction, but they were all ignorant and deceived each other. They manifested their own bodies, the four great elements, born from parents, nourished by food and drink, always covered, massaged, bathed, endured, destroyed, ground down, and dispersed. Yet they saw the spirit receiving the spirit, conditioned by receiving, there is existence, conditioned by existence, there is birth, conditioned by birth, there is old age and death, conditioned by old age and death, there is sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress. Thus, this life is entirely a mass of great suffering."

Then the non-Buddhist student Sūkaraṇīda rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, put his palms together towards the Buddha, and said, "Gautama! I now have utmost faith in the śramaṇa Gautama! I only wish that Gautama would skillfully teach the Dharma, enabling me to know what is sickness-free and what is nirvana."

The World-Honored One said, "Sūkaraṇīda! If your holy wisdom-eye is not yet pure, I will explain to you about sickness-free and nirvana, but you will not be able to understand, and it will only tire me. Sūkaraṇīda! It is like a blind person who is told by another, 'You should know that this is blue, yellow, red, and white.' Sūkaraṇīda! Can that blind person know blue, yellow, red, and white colors based on what the other person says?"

He replied to the World-Honored One, "No, Gautama!"

So it is, Sūkaraṇīda! If your holy wisdom-eye is not yet pure, I will explain to you about sickness-free and nirvana, but you will not be able to understand, and it will only tire me. Sūkaraṇīda! I will explain to you the wonderful medicine as it is, so that your impure holy wisdom-eye may become pure. Sūkaraṇīda! If your holy wisdom-eye becomes pure, you will then know for yourself what is sickness-free and what is nirvana. Sūkaraṇīda! It is like a blind person who has relatives who, out of compassion, seek to benefit and bring peace and happiness to them, and seek a doctor for their eyes. That eye doctor gives them various treatments, such as inducing vomiting, purging, nasal irrigation, or enemas, or pricking their veins, or causing tears to flow. Sūkaraṇīda! If there is a way to cleanse their two eyes, Sūkaraṇīda! If their two eyes become cleansed, they will then see for themselves what is blue, yellow, red, and white, and see their dirty and impure clothes, and think, 'They are enemies who have long deceived me with dirty clothes,' and then have feelings of hatred. Sūkaraṇīda! That person may then be able to kill them. In this way, Sūkaraṇīda! I will explain to you the wonderful medicine as it is, so that your impure holy wisdom-eye may become pure. Sūkaraṇīda! If your holy wisdom-eye becomes pure, you will then know for yourself what is sickness-free and what is nirvana.

Sūkaraṇīda! There are four kinds of dharmas that can purify the impure holy wisdom-eye. What are the four? Associating with good friends, respecting and serving them, hearing the good Dharma, contemplating it well, and practicing according to the Dharma. Sūkaraṇīda! You should study like this: associating with good friends, respecting and serving them, hearing the good Dharma, contemplating it well, and practicing according to the Dharma. Sūkaraṇīda! You should study like this. Sūkaraṇīda! After associating with good friends, respecting and serving them, you will then hear the good Dharma. After hearing the good Dharma, you will then contemplate it well. After contemplating it well, you will then practice according to the Dharma. After practicing according to the Dharma, you will then know this suffering as it truly is, know the origin of this suffering, know the cessation of this suffering, and know the path to the cessation of this suffering as it truly is.

"How does one know suffering as it truly is? It means knowing the suffering of birth, old age, sickness, death, being with what is disliked, being separated from what is loved, not getting what one desires, and the suffering of the five aggregates. Knowing suffering like this is knowing suffering as it truly is. How does one know the origin of suffering as it truly is? It means this craving, which leads to future existence, accompanied by delight and desire, wandering here and there, namely: craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence. Knowing the origin of suffering like this is knowing the origin of suffering as it truly is. How does one know the cessation of suffering as it truly is? It means the cessation of this craving, which leads to future existence, accompanied by delight and desire, wandering here and there, namely: the cessation of craving for sensual pleasures, craving for existence, and craving for non-existence, without remainder, cut off at the root, made like a palm stump, made unable to arise again in the future. Knowing the cessation of suffering like this is knowing the cessation of suffering as it truly is. How does one know the path leading to the cessation of suffering as it truly is? It means the eightfold noble path, namely: right view, right thought, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. These are the eight. Knowing the path leading to the cessation of suffering like this is knowing the path leading to the cessation of suffering as it truly is."

Having spoken this Dharma, the non-Buddhist Sūkaraṇīda was far removed from dust and defilements, and the Dharma-eye of the Dharma arose for him. Then the non-Buddhist Sūkaraṇīda saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, realized the pure Dharma, cut off doubts, crossed over perplexity, had no other masters, did not follow others, was without hesitation, and abided in the realization of the fruits. He said to the World-Honored One, "World-Honored One! Please allow me to go forth and practice the path, to receive full ordination and become a bhikṣu."

The World-Honored One said, "Welcome, bhikṣu! Practice the holy life."

The non-Buddhist Sūkaraṇīda went forth and practiced the path, received full ordination, and became a bhikṣu. Having gone forth and practiced the path, received full ordination, and become a bhikṣu, Sūkaraṇīda knew the Dharma and attained arahantship.

The Buddha spoke thus. The Venerable Sūkaraṇīda, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.