185. （一八五）牛角娑罗林经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the country of Nāma-tī-śu, staying at the Gandhakuṭi Monastery.

At that time, the World-Honored One, having passed the night, put on his robe in the early morning, took his alms bowl, entered Nāma-tī-śu to beg for alms, and after eating, went to the Ox-horn Śāla Grove.

At that time, in the Ox-horn Śāla Grove, there were three clansmen who lived together, namely Venerable Aniruddha, Venerable Nandi, and Venerable Kimbila. Their practice was like this: If one of them returned from begging for alms first, he would prepare the bed, fetch water, bring out the foot-washing vessel, place the foot-washing stand and foot-wiping towel, water bottle, and washbasin. If the alms food could be finished, he would finish it. If there was any left, he would cover it in a vessel and put it aside. After eating, he would put away the bowl, wash his hands and feet, put the sitting mat on his shoulder, enter the room, and sit in meditation. If another returned from begging for alms later, if he could finish it, he would finish it. If not enough, he would take the remaining food from before and eat it. If there was any left, he would pour it on a clean place or in water without insects. He would take the alms bowl, wash it, and put it aside. He would put away the bed, pick up the foot-washing stand, put away the foot-wiping towel, and put away the foot-washing vessel, water bottle, and washbasin. He would sweep and sprinkle the dining hall, clean it, put away the robes and bowls, wash his hands and feet, put the sitting mat on his shoulder, enter the room, and sit in meditation. Those Venerables, in the afternoon, if one rose from meditation first, and saw that the water bottle and washbasin were empty, he would go and fetch water. If he could carry it, he would bring it back and put it aside. If he could not, he would beckon a monk with his hand. The two of them would lift it together and put it aside, without speaking to each other or asking each other. Those Venerables gathered once every five days, either to discuss the Dharma or to be in noble silence.

Then the forest keeper saw the World-Honored One coming from afar and stopped him, saying: "Monk! Monk! Do not enter this forest. Why? There are three clansmen in this forest, Venerable Aniruddha, Venerable Nandi, and Venerable Kimbila. If they see you, they may not be pleased."

The World-Honored One said: "Forest keeper! If they see me, they will be pleased, not displeased."

Then Venerable Aniruddha saw the World-Honored One coming from afar and rebuked him, saying: "Forest keeper! Do not rebuke the World-Honored One! Forest keeper! Do not rebuke the Well-Gone One! Why? My Honored One is coming, my Well-Gone One is coming."

Venerable Aniruddha went out to welcome the World-Honored One, taking his robe and bowl. Venerable Nanda prepared a seat for the Buddha, and Venerable Kanthaka fetched water for the Buddha.

Then the World-Honored One washed his hands and feet, sat on the seat prepared by the Venerable One, and asked: "Aniruddha, are you always at ease and without any lack?"

Venerable Aniruddha replied: "World-Honored One! I am always at ease and without any lack."

The World-Honored One further asked: "Aniruddha! How are you at ease and without any lack?"

Venerable Aniruddha replied: "World-Honored One! I think thus: 'I have good benefits and great merits, in that I practice together with such pure conduct.' World-Honored One! I always practice loving-kindness with the body, loving-kindness with speech, and loving-kindness with the mind towards those who practice pure conduct, whether seen or unseen, without any difference. World-Honored One! I think thus: 'I should now abandon my own mind and follow the minds of those virtuous ones.' I then abandoned my own mind and followed the minds of those virtuous ones. I have never had an unloving mind. World-Honored One! In this way, I am always at ease and without any lack."

He asked Venerable Nandi, and the answer was also the same. He further asked Venerable Kimbila: "Are you always at ease and without any lack?"

Venerable Kimbila replied: "World-Honored One! I am always at ease and without any lack."

He asked: "Kimbila! How are you at ease and without any lack?"

Venerable Kimbila replied: "World-Honored One! I think thus: 'I have great benefits and merits, namely, that I practice together with such pure conduct.' World-Honored One! I always practice loving-kindness with the body, seeing and not seeing, being the same without difference, practicing loving-kindness with speech, practicing loving-kindness with the mind, seeing and not seeing, being the same without difference. World-Honored One! I think thus: 'I should now abandon my own mind and follow the minds of those virtuous ones.' I then abandoned my own mind and followed the minds of those virtuous ones. I have never had an unlikable mind. World-Honored One! Thus I am always at ease and without any lack."

The World-Honored One praised: "Excellent! Excellent! Anuruddha! Thus you all are always in harmony, at ease, without dispute, with one mind and one teacher, united like water and milk. Have you attained the supreme human Dharma, with differences and peaceful dwelling?"

Venerable Anuruddha replied: "World-Honored One! Thus we are always in harmony, at ease, without dispute, with one mind and one teacher, united like water and milk, attaining the supreme human Dharma, with differences and peaceful dwelling. World-Honored One! We are separated from desire, separated from evil and unwholesome dharmas, and attain the fourth dhyāna, accomplishing and dwelling in it. World-Honored One! Thus we are always in harmony, at ease, without dispute, with one mind and one teacher, united like water and milk, attaining this supreme human Dharma, with differences and peaceful dwelling."

The World-Honored One praised: "Excellent! Excellent! Anuruddha! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, is there any other supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling?"

Venerable Anuruddha replied: "World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, there is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling. World-Honored One! My mind is filled with loving-kindness, pervading one direction, accomplishing and dwelling in it. Thus in the second, third, and fourth directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below, everywhere, my mind is filled with loving-kindness, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without dispute, extremely vast, extremely great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, accomplishing and dwelling in it. Thus with compassion and joy, my mind is filled with equanimity, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without dispute, extremely vast, extremely great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, accomplishing and dwelling in it. World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, this is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling."

The World-Honored One praised: "Excellent! Excellent! Anuruddha! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, is there any other supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling?"

Venerable Anuruddha replied: "World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, there is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling. World-Honored One! We transcend all perceptions of form, and attain the state of neither perception nor non-perception, accomplishing and dwelling in it. World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, this is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling."

The World-Honored One praised: "Excellent! Excellent! Anuruddha! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, is there any other supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling?"

Venerable Anuruddha replied: "World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, there is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling. World-Honored One! We attain the bases of spiritual power, divine hearing, knowledge of others' minds, knowledge of past lives, and knowledge of the end of birth and death. Our taints are ended, and we have attained the uncontaminated, with the mind liberated through the ending of taints, and the wisdom liberated through the ending of taints. In this very life, we know and see for ourselves, and we have attained the ending of birth and death, the ending of the round of rebirth, the knowledge that is true, the knowledge that is right, the knowledge that is proper, the knowledge that is perfect. World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, this is indeed another supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling."

The World-Honored One praised: "Excellent! Excellent! Anuruddha! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, is there any other supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling?"

Venerable Anuruddha replied: "World-Honored One! Abandoning this dwelling, surpassing it, crossing over it, there is indeed no other supreme human Dharma attained, with differences and peaceful dwelling."

Then the World-Honored One thought: "The places where these noble sons roam are peaceful and blissful. I should now teach the Dharma for them." Having thought this, the World-Honored One taught the Dharma to Venerable Anuruddha, Venerable Nandiya, and Venerable Kimbila, inspiring them with yearning, bringing them to accomplishment and joy. Having taught the Dharma to them with immeasurable skillful means, inspiring them with yearning, bringing them to accomplishment and joy, he rose from his seat and departed. Then Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila saw the World-Honored One off, going as far as was appropriate, and then returned to their dwelling.

Venerable Nandiya and Venerable Kimbila praised Venerable Anuruddha, saying: "Excellent! Excellent! Venerable Anuruddha! We have never heard Venerable Anuruddha speak such words before. We have great supernatural powers, great authority, great merit, and great spiritual power, but Venerable Anuruddha has fully praised us to the World-Honored One.

Venerable Anuruddha praised Venerable Nandiya and Kimbila, saying: "Excellent! Excellent! Venerable Ones! I have also never heard from you venerable ones before that you have such great supernatural powers, great authority, great merit, and great spiritual power. But for a long time I have known your minds with my mind, and you venerable ones have great supernatural powers, great authority, great merit, and great spiritual power. Therefore I have spoken to the World-Honored One in this way.

Then the long-bodied ghost, with an extremely wonderful form and majestic radiance, went to where the Buddha was at dawn, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and said to the World-Honored One: "Great Sage! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Venerable Nandiya, and Venerable Kimbila.

The earth spirit heard what the long-bodied ghost said and let out a loud voice: "Great Sage! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila.

The sound was heard by the sky spirit, the four heavenly kings, the thirty-three heavens, the Yama heavens, the Tuṣita heavens, the Nirmāṇarati heavens, the Paranirmitavaśavartin heavens, and in an instant the sound reached the Brahma heavens: "Great Sage! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila.

The World-Honored One said, "So it is, so it is! Long-bodied ghost! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila. Long-bodied ghost! The earth spirit heard your voice and immediately let out a loud voice: 'Great Sage! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila.' From the earth spirit's voice, the sky spirit, the four heavenly kings, the thirty-three heavens, the Yama heavens, the Tuṣita heavens, the Nirmāṇarati heavens, the Paranirmitavaśavartin heavens, in an instant the sound reached the Brahma heavens: 'Great Sage! The people of the Vajji clan have gained great benefits, for they now have the World-Honored One and the three clansmen, Venerable Anuruddha, Nandiya, and Kimbila.' Long-bodied ghost! If those three clans remember the causes and practices of these three clansmen, they will also gain great benefits for a long time, and be at ease and happy. If the villages, gods, demons, Brahmas, monks, Brahmins, from humans to gods, remember the causes and practices of these three clansmen, they will also gain benefits for a long time, and be at ease and happy. Long-bodied ghost! These three clansmen have such great supernatural powers, great virtue, great blessings, and great spiritual power."

The Buddha spoke thus. The three clansmen and the long-bodied ghost, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.