37. Campā （三七）瞻波经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was wandering in Campā, by the side of the Ganges River.

At that time, on the fifteenth day of the month, when the World-Honored One was about to give the Dharma talk on the liberation of the mind, he sat on a prepared seat in front of the assembly of monks. After the World-Honored One had sat down, he immediately entered concentration and observed the minds of the assembly with his mind-reading knowledge. Having observed the minds of the assembly, he remained silent until the first watch of the night.

Then a certain monk rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One! The first watch of the night has already passed. The Buddha and the assembly of monks have been sitting here for a long time. I only wish that the World-Honored One would speak on the liberation of the mind." At that time, the World-Honored One remained silent and did not reply.

Then the World-Honored One again remained silent and sat until the middle of the night. That monk rose from his seat again, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One! The first watch of the night has already passed, and the middle watch is about to end. The Buddha and the assembly of monks have been sitting here for a long time. I only wish that the World-Honored One would speak on the liberation of the mind." The World-Honored One also remained silent and did not reply.

Then the World-Honored One again remained silent and sat until the last watch of the night. That monk rose from his seat three times, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One! The first watch of the night has already passed, and the middle watch is also over. The last watch is about to end, and dawn is approaching. It will not be long before dawn breaks. The Buddha and the assembly of monks have been sitting here for a very long time. I only wish that the World-Honored One would speak on the liberation of the mind."

At that time, the World-Honored One told that monk, "In this assembly, there is a monk who has already become impure." At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana was also in the assembly. Then Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana thought, "For which monk did the World-Honored One say that there is one monk in this assembly who has already become impure? I should enter the samādhi of suchness and use the wisdom of knowing the minds of others in the samādhi of suchness to observe the minds of the assembly." Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana then entered the samādhi of suchness and used the wisdom of knowing the minds of others in the samādhi of suchness to observe the minds of the assembly. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana then knew for which monk the World-Honored One had said that there was one monk in this assembly who had already become impure.

Then Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana rose from his samādhi, went before that monk, took him by the arm, and led him out, opening the door and placing him outside. "Fool, go far away! Do not stay here! You are no longer allowed to join the assembly of monks. From now on, you are not a monk." He closed the door and returned to where the Buddha was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and said, "World-Honored One! The monk for whom the World-Honored One said that there was one monk in this assembly who had already become impure, I have already expelled. World-Honored One! The first watch of the night has already passed, and the middle watch is also over. The last watch is about to end, and dawn is approaching. It will not be long before dawn breaks. The Buddha and the assembly of monks have been sitting here for a very long time. I only wish that the World-Honored One would speak on the liberation of the mind."

The World-Honored One said, "Mahāmaudgalyāyana! That foolish person will incur great sin for disturbing the World-Honored One and the assembly of monks. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the Tathāgata were to speak on the liberation of the mind in an impure assembly, that person's head would burst into seven pieces. Therefore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! From now on, you should speak on the liberation of the mind. The Tathāgata will no longer speak on the liberation of the mind. Why is that? Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the great ocean, from the bottom to the top, gradually widens, evenly balanced, and forms the shore, its water is always full and never overflows. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! My true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. It is gradually practiced, gradually studied, gradually exhausted, and gradually taught. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If my true Dharma and Vinaya are gradually practiced, gradually studied, gradually exhausted, and gradually taught, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the tides of the great ocean never miss their time, my true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. For bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, I establish precepts. The noble sons will not violate the precepts until the end of their lives. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If my true Dharma and Vinaya establish precepts for bhikṣus, bhikṣuṇīs, upāsakas, and upāsikās, and the noble sons will not violate the precepts until the end of their lives, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the waters of the great ocean are very deep and bottomless, and extremely vast and boundless, my true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. The dharmas are very deep, very deep and bottomless, and extremely vast and boundless. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the dharmas of my true Dharma and Vinaya are very deep, very deep and bottomless, and extremely vast and boundless, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the waters of the great ocean are salty and all have the same taste, my true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. They have the taste of desirelessness, the taste of awakening, the taste of cessation, and the taste of the path. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If my true Dharma and Vinaya have the taste of desirelessness, the taste of awakening, the taste of cessation, and the taste of the path, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the great ocean is full of many precious treasures, countless rare and wonderful things, and various precious gems, the precious treasures are called gold, silver, crystal, lapis lazuli, maṇi jewels, pearls, jade, white shells, carnelian, coral, tiger-eye, agate, mother-of-pearl, red stones, and crystal balls. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! My true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. They are full of many precious treasures, countless rare and wonderful things, and various precious gems. The precious treasures are called the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If my true Dharma and Vinaya are full of many precious treasures, countless rare and wonderful things, and various precious gems, and the precious treasures are called the four foundations of mindfulness, the four right efforts, the four bases of supernormal power, the five faculties, the five powers, the seven factors of awakening, and the eightfold noble path, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the great ocean is the abode of great beings, and the names of the great beings are asuras, gandharvas, rākṣasas, fish, makaras, turtles, alligators, varāha, timi, timiṅgala, and timiṅgalatimis. Furthermore, the great ocean is very wonderful and extraordinary, with beings whose bodies are a hundred yojanas, two hundred yojanas, three hundred yojanas, up to seven hundred yojanas, all dwelling in the ocean. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! My true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. The assembly of noble beings and great beings all dwell within it. The names of the great beings are arhats, those who aspire to arahantship, non-returners, those who aspire to non-returning, once-returners, those who aspire to once-returning, stream-enterers, and those who aspire to stream-entry. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the assembly of noble beings and great beings all dwell within my true Dharma and Vinaya, and the names of the great beings are arhats, those who aspire to arahantship, non-returners, those who aspire to non-returning, once-returners, those who aspire to once-returning, stream-enterers, and those who aspire to stream-entry, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the great ocean is pure and does not accept corpses. If there is someone who dies, the wind blows them to the shore overnight. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! My true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. The assembly of noble ones is pure and does not accept corpses. If there are people who are not diligent, who are evil, who claim to be celibate but are not, who claim to be monastics but are not, even if they follow among the assembly of noble ones, they are far from the assembly of noble ones, and the assembly of noble ones is also far from them. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If the assembly of noble ones in my true Dharma and Vinaya is pure and does not accept corpses. If there are people who are not diligent, who are evil, who claim to be celibate but are not, who claim to be monastics but are not, even if they follow among the assembly of noble ones, they are far from the assembly of noble ones, and the assembly of noble ones is also far from them, this is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

Furthermore, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Just as the great ocean in Jambudvīpa has five great rivers, namely the Ganges, the Yāmuna, the Sarabhū, the Aciravatī, and the Mahī, all of which flow into the great ocean, and the dragon water rains down from the sky into the great ocean, falling like chariot wheels, but none of this water can cause the great ocean to increase or decrease. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! My true Dharma and Vinaya are also like this. If a kṣatriya youth shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, leaves home out of faith, becomes homeless, and studies the path, and attains the liberation of the unshakable mind, and dwells having realized it for himself, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! The liberation of the unshakable mind does not increase or decrease in my true Dharma and Vinaya. Similarly, if a brahmin, vaiśya, or śūdra youth shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, leaves home out of faith, becomes homeless, and studies the path, and attains the liberation of the unshakable mind, and dwells having realized it for himself, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! The liberation of the unshakable mind does not increase or decrease in my true Dharma and Vinaya. Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If in my true Dharma and Vinaya a kṣatriya youth shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, leaves home out of faith, becomes homeless, and studies the path, and attains the liberation of the unshakable mind, and dwells having realized it for himself, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! The liberation of the unshakable mind does not increase or decrease in my true Dharma and Vinaya. Similarly, if a brahmin, vaiśya, or śūdra youth shaves off his hair and beard, puts on the yellow robe, leaves home out of faith, becomes homeless, and studies the path, and attains the liberation of the unshakable mind, and dwells having realized it for himself, Mahāmaudgalyāyana! The liberation of the unshakable mind does not increase or decrease in my true Dharma and Vinaya. This is called an unprecedented teaching in my true Dharma and Vinaya.

The Buddha spoke thus. The Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana and the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha said, and they were delighted and carried it out.