182. （一八二）马邑经

Māyā and Māyā, Gośīrṣa and Gośīrṣa, Gośīrṣa and
Gośīrṣa, the last is for the sake of liberation.

I have heard thus:

Once, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Aṅga, together with a great assembly of bhikṣus. He went to the town of Māyā and stayed at the Māyāvana Monastery, together with the assembly of bhikṣus.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "When people see you as śramaṇas, and when people ask you if you are śramaṇas, do you call yourselves śramaṇas?"

The bhikṣus replied, "Yes, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha again said, "Therefore, you should uphold this. With this śramaṇa, you should learn according to the śramaṇa's way and the brāhmaṇa's way. Having learned according to the śramaṇa's way and the brāhmaṇa's way, you should be a true śramaṇa, not a false śramaṇa. If you receive robes, food and drink, bedding, medicine, and various necessities of life, the offerings you receive will bring great merit, great fruit, great virtue, and great extensive rewards. You should learn in this way.

What is the śramaṇa's way and the brāhmaṇa's way? The body is pure, upright, open, well-guarded, and flawless. Based on this purity, one does not exalt oneself or belittle others, is free from defilement and turbidity, and is praised by all wise and pure practitioners. If you think, 'My bodily conduct is pure, I have accomplished what I should do, I will not learn further, I have already attained virtue and righteousness, and there is nothing higher to do,' bhikṣus! I tell you, do not let the meaning of seeking the śramaṇa path be lost. If you wish to learn further, bhikṣus! If the body is pure, what else should be done? One should learn to have pure verbal conduct, upright, open, well-guarded, and flawless. Based on this pure verbal conduct, one does not exalt oneself or belittle others, is free from defilement and turbidity, and is praised by all wise and pure practitioners.

If you think, 'My bodily and verbal conduct is pure, I have accomplished what I should do, I will not learn further, I have already attained virtue and righteousness, and there is nothing higher to do,' bhikṣus! I tell you, do not let the meaning of seeking the śramaṇa path be lost. If you wish to learn further, bhikṣus! If the body and speech are pure, what else should be done? One should learn to have pure mental conduct, upright, open, well-guarded, and flawless. Based on this pure mental conduct, one does not exalt oneself or belittle others, is free from defilement and turbidity, and is praised by all wise and pure practitioners.

If you think, 'My bodily, verbal, mental, and livelihood conduct is pure, I have accomplished what I should do, I will not learn further, I have already attained virtue and righteousness, and there is nothing higher to do,' bhikṣus! I tell you, do not let the meaning of seeking the śramaṇa path be lost. If you wish to learn further, bhikṣus! If the body, speech, mind, and livelihood are pure, and the sense faculties are well-guarded, what else should be done? Bhikṣus! One should learn to be mindful of going out and coming in, to observe and discern bending, stretching, bowing, and looking up, to have dignified deportment, to wear the saṃghāṭī robe and other robes and carry the alms bowl well, and to be mindful of walking, standing, sitting, lying down, sleeping, waking, speaking, and being silent.

If you think, 'My bodily, verbal, mental, and livelihood conduct is pure, I have well-guarded the sense faculties, I am mindful of going out and coming in, I have accomplished what I should do, I will not learn further, I have already attained virtue and righteousness, and there is nothing higher to do,' bhikṣus! I tell you, do not let the meaning of seeking the śramaṇa path be lost. If you wish to learn further, bhikṣus! If the body, speech, mind, and livelihood are pure, the sense faculties are well-guarded, and one is mindful of going out and coming in, what else should be done? Bhikṣus! One should learn to dwell alone in seclusion, in a place free from affairs, such as under a tree, in an empty and peaceful place, a mountain cave, a stone chamber, an open space, a heap of straw, in a forest, or near a charnel ground. Having gone to a place free from affairs, or under a tree, in an empty and peaceful place, one should spread out a seat mat, sit cross-legged, straighten the body and mind, reflect inwardly, eliminate greed and craving, be free from disputes, and not give rise to greed and craving for others' wealth and possessions, wishing to obtain them. One should purify the mind of greed and craving.

What is a śramaṇa? It means to stop all evil and unwholesome dharmas, all taints and defilements, which are the basis for future existence, are heated and painful, and are the cause of birth, old age, sickness, and death. This is called a śramaṇa.

The Buddha spoke thus. Those bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.