179. （一七九）五支物主经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, the householder Pañcaśikha left Śrāvastī in the morning and went to where the Buddha was, wishing to see the World-Honored One and make offerings and pay respects. Pañcaśikha then thought: "Let me put aside going to see the World-Honored Buddha for now. Perhaps he is in meditation or with the venerable bhikṣus. I should now go to a Sāṇḍāmaṇḍika heretic's garden." Thereupon, Pañcaśikha went to a nearby place for recreation and enjoyment, near the Kumbhīra River, and went to a Sāṇḍāmaṇḍika heretic's garden.

At that time, in the Sāṇḍāmaṇḍika heretic's garden, there was a heretic śramaṇa named Vairāṭiputra, who was the leader there, the teacher of the masses, respected by the masses, and the leader of a large assembly of five hundred heretic teachers. He was making a great commotion in the assembly, speaking in various animalistic ways, such as discussing kings, thieves, fighting, food and drink, clothing, women, girls, prostitutes, the world, wrong paths, and the ocean. He was gathering to discuss various animalistic ways. The heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra saw Pañcaśikha coming from afar and admonished his own assembly to be silent, saying: "You all be silent and do not speak. Gather yourselves. This is the disciple of the śramaṇa Gautama, Pañcaśikha. Among the disciples of the śramaṇa Gautama who live in Śrāvastī, there is none greater than Pañcaśikha. Why is that? He delights in silence and praises silence. If he sees this assembly being silent, he may come forward." At that time, the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra, having admonished his own assembly, remained silent himself.

Then Pañcaśikha went to where the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra was, exchanged greetings, and sat to one side. The heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra said: "Pañcaśikha, if there are four things, I establish that one has accomplished goodness, supreme goodness, the unsurpassed person, attained the ultimate truth, and is an upright śramaṇa. What are the four? Not committing evil deeds with the body, not speaking evil words, not engaging in wrong livelihood, and not thinking evil thoughts. Pañcaśikha, if one has these four things, I establish that one has accomplished goodness, supreme goodness, the unsurpassed person, attained the ultimate truth, and is an upright śramaṇa."

Pañcaśikha heard what the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra said, and did not refute it. He rose from his seat and left, thinking: "I will go to the Buddha myself and ask about this meaning." He then went to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and told the Buddha everything that had been discussed with the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra.

The World-Honored One, having heard this, said: "Pañcaśikha, if it is as the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra says, then even an infant child with soft limbs, lying on its back and sleeping, should have accomplished goodness, supreme goodness, the unsurpassed person, attained the ultimate truth, and be an upright śramaṇa. Pañcaśikha, an infant child does not even have the notion of a body, let alone commit evil deeds with the body. It can only move its body. Pañcaśikha, an infant child does not even have the notion of speech, let alone speak evil words. It can only cry. Pañcaśikha, an infant child does not even have the notion of life, let alone engage in wrong livelihood. It can only groan. Pañcaśikha, an infant child does not even have the notion of thought, let alone have evil thoughts. It only thinks of its mother's milk. Pañcaśikha, if it is as the heretic śramaṇa Vairāṭiputra says, then such an infant child has accomplished goodness, supreme goodness, the unsurpassed person, attained the ultimate truth, and is an upright śramaṇa.

Pañcaśikha, if there are four things, I establish that they have accomplished goodness and supreme goodness, but they are not the unsurpassed person, have not attained the ultimate truth, and are not upright śramaṇas. What are the four? Not committing evil deeds with the body, not speaking evil words, not engaging in wrong livelihood, and not having evil thoughts. Pañcaśikha, if there are these four things, I establish that they have accomplished goodness and supreme goodness, but they are not the unsurpassed person, have not attained the ultimate truth, and are not upright śramaṇas. Pañcaśikha, I establish that bodily and verbal karma is morality. Pañcaśikha, I establish that thought is a mental factor that accompanies the mind. Pañcaśikha, I say that one should know unwholesome morality, know from where unwholesome morality arises, know where unwholesome morality is completely extinguished, where it is completely destroyed, and how the noble disciples practice to extinguish unwholesome morality. Pañcaśikha, I say that one should know wholesome morality, know from where wholesome morality arises, know where wholesome morality is completely extinguished, where it is completely destroyed, and how the noble disciples practice to extinguish wholesome morality. Pañcaśikha, I say that one should know unwholesome thoughts, know from where unwholesome thoughts arise, know where unwholesome thoughts are completely extinguished, where they are completely destroyed, and how the noble disciples practice to extinguish unwholesome thoughts. Pañcaśikha, I say that one should know wholesome thoughts, know from where wholesome thoughts arise, know where wholesome thoughts are completely extinguished, where they are completely destroyed, and how the noble disciples practice to extinguish wholesome thoughts.

Pañcaśikha, what is unwholesome morality? Unwholesome bodily action, unwholesome verbal and mental action - this is called unwholesome morality. Pañcaśikha, from where does this unwholesome morality arise? I say that it arises from the mind. What is the mind? If the mind has desire, anger, and delusion, know that unwholesome morality arises from this mind. Pañcaśikha, where is unwholesome morality completely extinguished, where is it completely destroyed? The well-learned noble disciple abandons unwholesome bodily action and cultivates wholesome bodily action, abandons unwholesome verbal and mental action and cultivates wholesome verbal and mental action. This unwholesome morality is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. Pañcaśikha, how do the noble disciples practice to extinguish unwholesome morality? If the well-learned noble disciple observes the internal body as the body, up to observing feelings, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, the noble disciples practice in this way to extinguish unwholesome morality.

Pañcaśikha, what is wholesome morality? Wholesome bodily action, wholesome verbal and mental action - this is called wholesome morality. Pañcaśikha, from where does this wholesome morality arise? I say that it arises from the mind. What is the mind? If the mind is without desire, anger, and delusion, know that wholesome morality arises from this mind. Pañcaśikha, where is wholesome morality completely extinguished, where is it completely destroyed? If the well-learned noble disciple practices morality without attachment to morality, this wholesome morality is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. Pañcaśikha, how do the noble disciples practice to extinguish wholesome morality? If the well-learned noble disciple observes the internal body as the body, up to observing feelings, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, the noble disciples practice in this way to extinguish wholesome morality.

Pañcaśikha, what is unwholesome thought? Thought of desire, thought of anger, thought of harm - this is called unwholesome thought. Pañcaśikha, from where does this unwholesome thought arise? I say that it arises from perception. What is perception? I say that perception is of many kinds, immeasurable kinds, and various kinds of practice, such as thought of desire, thought of anger, and thought of harm. Pañcaśikha, because beings have perceptions of the desire realm, unwholesome thoughts arise, associated with the desire realm. If there is perception, unwholesome thoughts arise because of that perception, associated with the desire realm. Pañcaśikha, because beings have perceptions of the anger and harm realms, unwholesome thoughts arise, associated with the anger and harm realms. If there is perception, unwholesome thoughts arise because of that perception, associated with the anger and harm realms. This unwholesome thought arises from that perception. Pañcaśikha, where is unwholesome thought completely extinguished, where is it completely destroyed? If the well-learned noble disciple, detached from desires, detached from evil and unwholesome dharmas, with initial and sustained thought, has joy and happiness, and attains the first concentration and abides in it, this unwholesome thought is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. Pañcaśikha, how do the noble disciples practice to extinguish unwholesome thought? If the well-learned noble disciple observes the internal body as the body, up to observing feelings, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, the noble disciples practice in this way to extinguish unwholesome thought.

Pañcaśikha, what is wholesome thought? Thought of non-desire, thought of non-anger, thought of non-harm - this is called wholesome thought. Pañcaśikha, from where does this wholesome thought arise? I say that it arises from perception. What is perception? I say that perception is of many kinds, immeasurable kinds, and various kinds of practice, such as thought of non-desire, thought of non-anger, and thought of non-harm. Pañcaśikha, because beings have perceptions of the non-desire realm, wholesome thoughts arise, associated with the non-desire realm. If there is perception, wholesome thoughts arise because of that perception, associated with the non-desire realm. Pañcaśikha, because beings have perceptions of the non-anger and non-harm realms, wholesome thoughts arise, associated with the non-anger and non-harm realms. If there is perception, wholesome thoughts arise because of that perception, associated with the non-anger and non-harm realms. This wholesome thought arises from that perception. Pañcaśikha, where is wholesome thought completely extinguished, where is it completely destroyed? If the well-learned noble disciple, with the cessation of joy, with the cessation of suffering, with the cessation of previous joy and sorrow, without pain, without pleasure, with the purity of equanimity and mindfulness, attains the fourth concentration and abides in it, this wholesome thought is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. Pañcaśikha, how do the noble disciples practice to extinguish wholesome thought? If the well-learned noble disciple observes the internal body as the body, up to observing feelings, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, the noble disciples practice in this way to extinguish wholesome thought.

Pañcaśikha, if the well-learned noble disciple, with wisdom, knows unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the arising of unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the cessation of unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the path leading to the cessation of unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the arising of unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the cessation of unwholesome precepts as they really are, knows the path leading to the cessation of unwholesome precepts as they really are, then unwholesome precepts are completely extinguished and completely destroyed. The noble disciple practices in this way to know unwholesome precepts as they really are. If the well-learned noble disciple, with wisdom, knows wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the arising of wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the cessation of wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the path leading to the cessation of wholesome precepts as they really are, knows wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the arising of wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the cessation of wholesome precepts as they really are, knows the path leading to the cessation of wholesome precepts as they really are, then wholesome precepts are completely extinguished and completely destroyed. The noble disciple practices in this way to know wholesome precepts as they really are. If the well-learned noble disciple, with wisdom, knows unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the arising of unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the cessation of unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the path leading to the cessation of unwholesome thought as it really is, knows unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the arising of unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the cessation of unwholesome thought as it really is, knows the path leading to the cessation of unwholesome thought as it really is, then unwholesome thought is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. The noble disciple practices in this way to know unwholesome thought as it really is. If the well-learned noble disciple, with wisdom, knows wholesome thought as it really is, knows the arising of wholesome thought as it really is, knows the cessation of wholesome thought as it really is, knows the path leading to the cessation of wholesome thought as it really is, knows wholesome thought as it really is, knows the arising of wholesome thought as it really is, knows the cessation of wholesome thought as it really is, knows the path leading to the cessation of wholesome thought as it really is, then wholesome thought is completely extinguished and completely destroyed. The noble disciple practices in this way to know wholesome thought as it really is. Why is that? Because of right view, right intention arises; because of right intention, right speech arises; because of right speech, right action arises; because of right action, right livelihood arises; because of right livelihood, right effort arises; because of right effort, right mindfulness arises; because of right mindfulness, right

Pañcaśikha, when the noble disciple is thus liberated in mind, he knows that all births are exhausted, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, there is no more of this mundane state - he knows it as it really is. This is called the noble disciple who has accomplished the eightfold path of the noble ones and has exhausted the contaminants. He has accomplished ten things. What are the ten? They are right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right liberation. Pañcaśikha, what is the noble disciple who has accomplished the eightfold path of the noble ones? It is right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. Pañcaśikha, what is the one who has exhausted the contaminants and has accomplished ten things? It is right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration, right knowledge, and right liberation. Pañcaśikha, if there are ten things, I declare that he has accomplished the good, the supreme good, the supreme person, and has attained the supreme meaning, the straight path.

The Buddha spoke thus. The five-headed Pañcaśikha and the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced them.