198. （一九八）调御地经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in the city of Rājagṛha, staying in the Kalandakanivāpa in the Bamboo Grove.

At that time, the novice monk Aiyanahedi was also wandering in the city of Rājagṛha, staying in a meditation hut in an unoccupied place. At that time, the prince Jīvaka Komārabhacca was strolling around and came to where the novice monk Aiyanahedi was. They greeted each other and sat down to one side. Jīvaka said, "Noble one Achiśana, I wish to ask something. May I ask?"

The novice monk Aiyanahedi said, "Noble prince! Ask what you wish. I will think about it when I hear it."

The prince asked, "Achiśana! Is it true that in this Dharma and Vinaya, a monk who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness?"

The novice monk replied, "Noble prince! It is true that in this Dharma and Vinaya, a monk who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness."

The prince further asked, "Noble Achiśana! Please tell me everything you have heard and memorized, about how a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness."

The novice monk replied, "Noble prince! I am not capable of explaining in detail, according to what I have heard and memorized, about how a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness. Noble prince! If I were to explain to you, according to what I have heard and memorized, about how a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness, you may not understand, and it would be a waste of my effort."

The prince said to the novice monk, "Noble Achiśana! You have not been defeated by others, so why are you retreating? Noble Achiśana! Please explain to me, according to what you have heard and memorized, about how a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness. If I understand, that is good. If I do not understand, I will not ask about the teachings again."

Then the novice monk Aiyanahedi explained to the prince Jibo Xianna, according to what he had heard and memorized, about how a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, practices diligently, and attains single-mindedness.

Then the prince Jibo Xianna said, "Noble Achiśana! It is impossible for a monk in this Dharma and Vinaya, who is not negligent, to practice diligently and attain single-mindedness." Having said this, he immediately got up from his seat and left without taking leave.

Not long after the prince Jibo Xianna left, the novice monk Aiyanahedi went to where the Buddha was, bowed his head in reverence, sat to one side, and told the Buddha everything that had been discussed with the prince Jibo Xianna.

The World-Honored One, having heard this, told the novice monk, "Achiśana! Stop! How can the prince Jibo Xianna know? He is attached to desire, consumed by desire, and burned by desire. If one cuts off desire, desire-love, and the burning of desire, and has no desire-knowledge, no desire-view, and no desire-perception, it is impossible for the prince to know or see this. Why is that? Achiśana! The prince Jibo Xianna always indulges in desire.

Achiśana! It is like the four kinds of taming: taming elephants, taming horses, taming oxen, and taming humans. Among them, two kinds of taming are untamable, while two kinds of taming are tamable. What do you think, Achiśana? If these two untamable tamings are untamed, untamed grounds, and untamed objects of taming, it is impossible. If these two tamable tamings are well tamed, tamed grounds, and objects of taming, it is certain. In this way, Achiśana! Stop! How can the prince Jibo Xianna know? He is attached to desire, consumed by desire, and burned by desire. If one cuts off desire, desire-love, and the burning of desire, and has no desire-knowledge, no desire-view, and no desire-perception, it is impossible for the prince to know or see this. Why is that? Achiśana! The prince Jibo Xianna always indulges in desire.

Achiśana! It is like a large rock mountain not far from a village, without gaps or holes, solid and not hollow, firm and immovable, all combined into one. Suppose there are two people who want to see it. One person quickly climbs the mountain, while the other stays below. The person on the mountain sees good flat ground, gardens, forests, springs, flower ponds, long streams, and rivers on the side of the mountain. Having seen this, the person on the mountain asks the person below, 'Do you see the good flat ground, gardens, forests, springs, flower ponds, long streams, and rivers on the side of the mountain?' The person below replies, 'If I see the mountain, there is no way I would see the good flat ground, gardens, forests, springs, flower ponds, long streams, and rivers on the side of the mountain.' Then the person on the mountain quickly comes down and grabs the person below, quickly taking them up to the top of the rock mountain. Having arrived, the person asks, 'Do you see the good flat ground, gardens, forests, springs, flower ponds, long streams, and rivers on the side of the mountain?' The person replies, 'Now I see it.' The person further asks, 'You said before that there is no way you would see it. Now you say you see it. What do you mean?' The person replies, 'Before, I could not see because I was obstructed by the mountain.' In this way, Achiśana! Stop! How can the prince Jibo Xianna know? He is attached to desire, consumed by desire, and burned by desire. If one cuts off desire, desire-love, and the burning of desire, and has no desire-knowledge, no desire-view, and no desire-perception, it is impossible for the prince to know or see this.

Achiśana! In the past, King Mahādeva had an elephant hunter. The king told him, 'Elephant hunter, for me, capture a wild elephant and bring it here. When you have captured it, inform me.' At that time, the elephant hunter received the king's order and rode the king's elephant into the wild forest. The elephant hunter saw a wild elephant in the wild forest, and having seen it, he caught it and tied it to the neck of the king's elephant. At that time, the king's elephant led the wild elephant out into the open. The elephant hunter then returned to King Mahādeva and said, 'Heavenly King! I have captured a wild elephant and tied it in the open. It is at your disposal.' Having heard this, King Mahādeva said, 'Good elephant trainer! You should now quickly tame this wild elephant, subdue it, and tame it well. When it is well tamed, return and inform me.' Thereupon, the good elephant trainer received the king's order, took a very large staff, placed it on his right shoulder, went to the wild elephant, placed the staff on the ground, tied the wild elephant's neck, restrained its desire for the wild, removed its thoughts of desire for the wild, stopped its fatigue from the wild, made it enjoy the village, and habituated it to love the human realm. The good elephant trainer first gave it food and drink.

Achiśana! If the wild elephant first accepts food and drink from the elephant trainer, the good elephant trainer will think, 'This wild elephant will surely survive. Why is that? This great wild elephant first accepts food and drink.' If the wild elephant first accepts food and drink from the elephant trainer, the good elephant trainer will then speak gentle and pleasant words to it, regarding lying down, rising, going, coming, taking, letting go, bending, and stretching. If the wild elephant follows the good elephant trainer's gentle and pleasant words, regarding lying down, rising, going, coming, taking, letting go, bending, and stretching, then the wild elephant will follow the elephant trainer's instructions. Achiśana! If the wild elephant follows the elephant trainer's instructions, the good elephant trainer will then tie its two front legs, two hind legs, two thighs, two sides, tail, spine, head, forehead, ears, tusks, and nose, and have people hold hooks and stand on its head, with many people holding swords, shields, spears, halberds, axes, and battle-axes standing in front. The good elephant trainer will hold a sharp halberd in hand and say to the wild elephant, 'I will now discipline you, not allowing you to move. Discipline you, do not move.' If the wild elephant follows the elephant trainer's discipline and does not move, not lifting its front legs, not moving its hind legs, not moving its two thighs, two sides, tail, spine, head, forehead, ears, tusks, and nose, then the wild elephant will follow the elephant trainer's instructions and remain still.

Achiśana! If the wild elephant follows the elephant trainer's instructions and remains still, then at that time it will endure swords, shields, spears, halberds, axes, battle-axes, loud calls, and the blowing of conches, the beating of drums, and the striking of bells. If the wild elephant can endure, then at that time it will be disciplined, well disciplined, attain the highest discipline, attain the supreme discipline, the highest speed, the supreme speed, suitable for the king to ride, receive the king's provisions, and be praised as the king's elephant.

Thus it is, Achiśana! When a Tathāgata appears in the world, an Arhat, a fully Enlightened One, perfect in knowledge and conduct, a Sugata, an unsurpassed knower of the world, a supreme charioteer of men to be tamed, a teacher of gods and men, a Buddha, a Blessed One, he knows and sees for himself, and attains and dwells in, the supreme right self-awakening in this world with its gods, Māra, Brahmā, and the generation of recluses and brahmins, and among the classes of gods and men. He teaches the Dharma that is good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, with the right meaning and phrasing, revealing a holy life that is perfectly complete and purified. When the householder's son hears the Dharma taught by the Tathāgata, he gains faith in the Tathāgata's teaching of the Dharma. Having gained faith, he shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, leaves home out of faith, and goes forth to practice the path. Achiśana! At that time, the noble disciple goes out into the open, like a wild elephant. Such a wild elephant delights in and enjoys being in the forest. Achiśana! Such gods and men delight in and enjoy the five sense pleasures: forms, sounds, smells, tastes, and tangibles. The Tathāgata first instructs those monks: 'You should guard the body and life, and guard the speech and mind and life, and be pure.'

If the noble disciple guards the body and life and is pure, and guards the speech and mind and life and is pure, then the Tathāgata further instructs the monks: 'You should contemplate the internal body as body, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas.' If the noble disciple contemplates the internal body as body, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, then these four foundations of mindfulness are in the mind of the noble disciple, binding his mind, restraining his desire for the household life, removing his thoughts of desire for the household life, stopping his weariness with the household life, causing him to delight in the true Dharma, and practicing the noble precepts. Achiśana! Just as the elephant trainer, having received King Kṣatriya's instructions, takes a large staff, puts it on his right shoulder, goes to the wild elephant, puts the staff on the ground, ties the wild elephant's neck, restrains its desire for the wilderness, removes its thoughts of desire for the wilderness, stops its weariness with the wilderness, causing it to delight in villages and towns, and practice loving the human world. In the same way, Achiśana! These four foundations of mindfulness are in the mind of the noble disciple, binding his mind, restraining his desire for the household life, removing his thoughts of desire for the household life, stopping his weariness with the household life, causing him to delight in the true Dharma, and practicing the noble precepts.

If the noble disciple contemplates the internal body as body, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, then the Tathāgata further instructs the monks: 'You should contemplate the internal body as body, and do not think thoughts associated with desire, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, and do not think thoughts associated with unwholesome dharmas.' If the noble disciple contemplates the internal body as body, and does not think thoughts associated with desire, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, and does not think thoughts associated with unwholesome dharmas, then such a noble disciple follows the Tathāgata's instructions. Achiśana! Just as a wild elephant, from the elephant trainer, then with soft and pleasant words, lying down, rising, going, coming, taking, putting down, bending, and stretching, such a wild elephant follows the elephant trainer's instructions. In the same way, Achiśana! If the noble disciple contemplates the internal body as body, and does not think thoughts associated with desire, and so on up to contemplating perception, mind, and dharmas as dharmas, and does not think thoughts associated with unwholesome dharmas, then such a noble disciple follows the Tathāgata's instructions.

If the noble disciple follows the Tathāgata's instructions, then the Tathāgata further instructs the monks: 'You should be free from desire, free from evil and unwholesome dharmas, and attain the fourth dhyāna and abide in it.' If the noble disciple is free from desire, free from evil and unwholesome dharmas, attains the fourth dhyāna and abides in it, then such a noble disciple abides in accordance with the Tathāgata and does not move. Achiśana! Just as a wild elephant, when being tamed by the elephant trainer, does not lift its front foot, nor move its hind foot, nor move its two thighs, two sides, tail, back, head, forehead, ears, tusks, or trunk, such a wild elephant abides in accordance with the elephant trainer and does not move. In the same way, Achiśana! If the noble disciple is free from desire, free from evil and unwholesome dharmas, attains the fourth dhyāna and abides in it, then such a noble disciple abides in accordance with the Tathāgata and does not move.

If the noble disciple abides in accordance with the Tathāgata and does not move, then at that time he is able to endure hunger, thirst, cold, heat, mosquitoes, flies, wind, sun, harsh words, beatings, and pain in the body, even to the point of death. Achiśana! Just as a wild elephant, when abiding in accordance with the elephant trainer and not moving, is able to endure swords, shields, spears, halberds, axes, and high-pitched sounds, as well as the blowing of conches, the beating of drums, and the striking of bells, in the same way, Achiśana! If the noble disciple abides in accordance with the Tathāgata and does not move, then at that time he is able to endure hunger, thirst, cold, heat, mosquitoes, flies, wind, sun, harsh words, beatings, and pain in the body, even to the point of death.

Achiśana! If the noble disciple is able to endure in accordance with the Tathāgata, then at that time he is well-tamed, excellently tamed, supremely tamed, supremely pacified, free from crookedness, evil, fear, ignorance, and flattery, pure, free from defilement, stainless, and without impurities. He is worthy to be called, invited, respected, honored, and truly worshipped, and is a good field of merit for all gods and humans. Achiśana! Just as a wild elephant, when able to endure, is well-tamed, excellently tamed, supremely tamed, supremely swift, worthy to ride for the king, to eat the king's grain, and to be praised as the king's elephant, in the same way, Achiśana! If the noble disciple is able to endure in accordance with the Tathāgata, then at that time he is well-tamed, excellently tamed, supremely tamed, supremely pacified, free from crookedness, evil, fear, ignorance, and flattery, pure, free from defilement, stainless, and without impurities. He is worthy to be called, invited, respected, honored, and truly worshipped, and is a good field of merit for all gods and humans.

"Achiśana! A young wild elephant that dies undisciplined is said to die undisciplined, and a middle-aged or old wild elephant that dies undisciplined is also said to die undisciplined. Achiśana! A young noble disciple who dies undisciplined is said to die undisciplined, and a middle-aged or old noble disciple who dies undisciplined is also said to die undisciplined. Achiśana! A young wild elephant that dies well-disciplined is said to die well-disciplined, and a middle-aged or old wild elephant that dies well-disciplined is also said to die well-disciplined. Achiśana! A young noble disciple who dies well-disciplined is said to die well-disciplined, and a middle-aged or old noble disciple who dies well-disciplined is also said to die well-disciplined."

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