24. The “Lion’s Roar” of Sāriputta （二四）师子吼经

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 World-Honored One was together with a great assembly of bhikṣus, spending the summer retreat in the country of Śrāvastī. Venerable Śāriputra was also spending the summer retreat in the country of Śrāvastī. Then, after Venerable Śāriputra had completed the summer retreat in the country of Śrāvastī, after three months had passed, having repaired his robes, he put on his robe, took his bowl, went to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and said: "World-Honored One! I have completed the summer retreat in the country of Śrāvastī. World-Honored One! I wish to travel and wander among the people.

The World-Honored One said: "Śāriputra! Go, as you wish. Those who are not liberated should be liberated, those who are not freed should be freed, those who have not attained parinirvāṇa should attain parinirvāṇa. Śāriputra! Go, as you wish.

Then Venerable Śāriputra, having heard the Buddha's words, received them well and upheld them well. He immediately rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed. He returned to his own room, put away his bed and seat, put on his robe, took his bowl, and immediately went out to wander among the people.

Not long after Venerable Śāriputra left, a certain practitioner committed an offense in the presence of the Buddha and said to the World-Honored One: "Today Venerable Śāriputra has slighted me and is wandering among the people.

Having heard this, the World-Honored One told a certain monk: "Go to Śāriputra and tell him, 'The World-Honored One calls you. Not long after you left, a certain practitioner committed an offense in my presence and said, "World-Honored One! Today Venerable Śāriputra has slighted me and is wandering among the people.

The monk, having received the instruction, immediately rose from his seat, paid homage to the Buddha, and departed. Then Venerable Ānanda stood behind the World-Honored One, holding a whisk to attend to the Buddha.

Not long after the monk left, Venerable Ānanda took the key and went to all the rooms. Seeing the monks, he said, "Excellent! Venerables! Quickly go to the lecture hall. Now Venerable Śāriputra will roar like a lion in front of the Buddha. If what Venerable Śāriputra says is profound, the most subtle of all subtleties, if he speaks like this, then you and I will be able to hear it and recite and uphold it well." When the monks heard Venerable Ānanda's words, they all went to the lecture hall.

At that time, a monk went to Venerable Śāriputra and said, "The World-Honored One calls you. Not long after you left, a fellow practitioner in front of me committed an offense and said, 'World-Honored One! Today Venerable Śāriputra has slighted me and is wandering among the people.'"

Then Venerable Śāriputra, having heard this, immediately rose from his seat and returned to the Buddha. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet and sat to one side. The Buddha then said, "Śāriputra! Not long after you left, a fellow practitioner in front of me committed an offense and said, 'World-Honored One! Today Venerable Śāriputra has slighted me and is wandering among the people.' Śāriputra! Did you really slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people?"

Venerable Śāriputra replied, "World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? World-Honored One! It is like a castrated bull that is very patient, gentle, well-trained, and well-tamed. It goes from village to village, from street to street, and wherever it goes, it does no harm. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like a castrated bull, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like a son of a caṇḍāla whose hands have been cut off. His mind is very low. He goes from village to village, from town to town, and wherever he goes, he does no harm. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like the caṇḍāla whose hands have been cut off, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like the earth, which accepts both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. The earth does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like the earth, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like water, which washes both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. Water does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like water, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like fire, which burns both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. Fire does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like fire, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like wind, which blows both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. Wind does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like wind, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like a broom, which sweeps both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. The broom does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like a broom, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like a cloth, which wipes both pure and impure things, such as excrement, urine, snot, and spittle. The cloth does not feel aversion or attachment towards these, nor does it feel shame or embarrassment, nor does it feel remorse. World-Honored One! I am also like this. My mind is like a cloth, without knots, without resentment, without anger, without disputes, extremely vast, very great, immeasurable, well-cultivated, pervading the entire world, and accomplished in wandering. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like an oil bottle with holes all over, filled with oil and placed in the sun, leaking oil everywhere. If a person with eyes comes and stands to one side, they will see this oil bottle with holes all over, filled with oil and placed in the sun, leaking oil everywhere. World-Honored One! I also constantly observe this body with its nine orifices, leaking impurities everywhere. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

"World-Honored One! It is like a young man who bathes and washes, anoints himself with perfume, wears clean white clothes, adorns himself with necklaces, shaves his beard and hair, and wears a flower garland on his head. If he were to have three corpses, a dead snake, a dead dog, and a dead person, blue and swollen, extremely stinking and rotten, with impurities flowing everywhere, tied around his neck, he would feel ashamed and disgusted by the extreme filth. World-Honored One! I also constantly observe this body as a stinking place of impurity, feeling ashamed and disgusted by the extreme filth. World-Honored One! If one does not have mindfulness of the body with regard to the body, then one will slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people. World-Honored One! I have good mindfulness of the body with regard to the body. How could I slight a fellow practitioner and wander among the people? "

Then that bhikkhu rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and said to the World-Honored One: “I repent, World-Honored One! I confess, Well-Gone One! I was foolish, ignorant, unstable, and unskillful. Why is that? It is because I falsely accused the pure and virtuous bhikkhu Sāriputta. World-Honored One! I now repent and wish for your acceptance. Having seen it, I reveal it and will not do it again in the future.”

The World-Honored One said: "So it is, bhikkhu! You really are foolish, ignorant, unstable, and unskillful. Why is that? It is because you falsely accused the pure and virtuous bhikkhu Sāriputta with empty and false words. You are able to repent, see it, reveal it, and not do it again in the future. If one can repent, see it, reveal it, and not do it again in the future, then one will cultivate and grow in the noble Dharma and Vinaya, and will not decline."

Then the Buddha said to Venerable Sāriputta: "You should quickly accept the repentance of that foolish person, so that this bhikkhu does not have his head split into seven pieces right in front of you."

Venerable Sāriputta, out of compassion for that bhikkhu, then accepted his repentance.

The Buddha spoke thus. Venerable Sāriputta and the other bhikkhus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and received them with respect.