38. The Householder Ugga (1) （三八）郁伽长者经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in Vesali and staying in the Great Forest.

At that time, the elder Ugra was attended by only women, and he left Vesali with the women in front. In the middle of the Great Forest of Vesali, he only entertained with female music, enjoying himself like a king. Then the elder Ugra became greatly intoxicated with alcohol and abandoned the women. He went to the Great Forest. The elder Ugra, greatly intoxicated with alcohol, saw from afar the World-Honored One in the forest, upright and beautiful, like the moon among the stars, shining brightly, dazzling like a golden mountain, endowed with the marks of a great person, majestic and dignified, with his faculties tranquil and undisturbed, having accomplished self-control, with his mind at peace and silent. Having seen the Buddha, he immediately sobered up. When the elder Ugra had sobered up, he went to the Buddha, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side.

At that time, the World-Honored One taught the Dharma for him, inspiring him with longing and bringing about joy. Using immeasurable skillful means, he taught the Dharma for him, inspiring him with longing and bringing about joy. Having done so, according to the way of the Buddhas, he first spoke the Dharma of uprightness, which delights the listener. He spoke about giving, about precepts, and about the Dharma of rebirth in the heavens. He criticized desire as a calamity and saṃsāra as impure. He praised the wonderful state of being desireless and the purity of the factors of the path. Having spoken this Dharma for him, the Buddha knew that he had a joyful mind, a complete mind, a pliant mind, a patient mind, a superior mind, a one-pointed mind, a mind free from doubt, a mind free from hindrances, and the ability and strength to receive the true Dharma. He then spoke to him the essential teachings of the true Dharma, as all Buddhas do. The World-Honored One then taught him about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. At that time, the elder Ugra saw the four noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, just as white cloth is easily dyed. The elder Ugra was also like this. While sitting, he saw the four noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path.

Then the elder Ugra, having seen the Dharma, attained the Dharma, realized the pure Dharma, cut off doubts, crossed over perplexity, had no other masters, no longer followed others, was free from hesitation, had attained the fruit of realization, and had gained fearlessness in the World-Honored One's teachings. He then rose from his seat, bowed to the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One! I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of bhikṣus. I only wish that the World-Honored One would accept me as a lay devotee. From this day forward, I take refuge for my entire life, until the end of my days. World-Honored One! From this day forward, I will follow the World-Honored One for the rest of my life, taking the five precepts with the practice of Brahma-conduct as the foremost.

Having taken the five precepts with the practice of Brahma-conduct as the foremost from the World-Honored One for the rest of his life, the elder Ugra bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed. Returning to his home, he immediately gathered all the women and said to them, "Do you know? I have taken the five precepts with the practice of Brahma-conduct as the foremost from the World-Honored One for the rest of my life. If you wish to stay here, you may stay and practice giving and making merit. If you do not wish to stay, you may return to your own homes. If you wish to be married, I will marry you off.

Then the eldest wife said to the elder Ugra, "If you have taken the five precepts with the practice of Brahma-conduct as the foremost from the Buddha for the rest of your life, then you may give me to so-and-so.

The elder Ugra then called the man and, holding the eldest wife's arm with his left hand and a golden water pot with his right hand, said to the man, "I now give you my eldest wife as your wife.

Upon hearing this, the man was greatly terrified, his body hair standing on end, and he said to the elder Ugra, "Elder, do you want to kill me? Do you want to kill me?"

The elder replied, "I will not kill you, but I have from the Buddha taken the five precepts, with the Brahma conduct as the foremost, for as long as I live. Therefore, I give you my eldest wife as your wife." The elder Ugra had already given his eldest wife, and when he was about to give and when he gave, he had no regret.

At that time, the World-Honored One was surrounded by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of great assemblies, among whom he praised the elder Ugra, saying that the elder Ugra had eight unprecedented dharmas.

Then, a bhikṣu, having passed the night at dawn, put on his robe, took his alms bowl, and went to the house of the elder Ugra. The elder Ugra saw from afar the bhikṣu coming, immediately rose from his seat, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms towards the bhikṣu, and said, "Venerable one, welcome! Venerable one, you have not come here for a long time. Please sit on this seat." At that time, the bhikṣu immediately sat on the seat. The elder Ugra bowed at the bhikṣu's feet, then sat to one side.

The bhikṣu said, "Elder, you have good benefits and great merits. Why is that? It is because the World-Honored One, surrounded by immeasurable hundreds of thousands of great assemblies, praises among them that the elder Ugra has eight unprecedented dharmas. Elder, what are those dharmas?"

The elder Ugra replied to the bhikṣu, "Venerable one, the World-Honored One did not say anything different. However, I do not know why the World-Honored One said it. But please listen, Venerable one, I have a dharma. Once, the World-Honored One was dwelling in the great forest near Vaiśālī. Venerable one, at that time, I was only attended by women, and I was the first to leave Vaiśālī. In the great forest between Vaiśālī and the forest, I only played music for women, entertaining like a king. Venerable one, at that time, I was greatly intoxicated by drinking alcohol, and I left the women to go to the great forest. Venerable one, at that time, I was greatly intoxicated, and I saw from afar the World-Honored One in the forest, upright and beautiful, like the moon among the stars, shining brightly, dazzling like a golden mountain, with perfect marks and majestic spiritual power, with calm faculties, without any obstruction, accomplished in taming and pacifying the mind, and silent. Having seen the Buddha, I immediately sobered up. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, after I sobered up, I went to see the Buddha, bowed my head at his feet, and sat to one side. The World-Honored One taught the Dharma for me, inspiring and uplifting me, bringing about joy. With immeasurable skillful means, he taught the Dharma for me, inspiring and uplifting me, bringing about joy. Having done so, like the way the Buddhas first teach the correct Dharma, which delights the listeners, he spoke about giving, precepts, and the Dharma of rebirth in the heavens, criticizing desire as a calamity and saṃsāra as impure, praising the wonderful state of being desireless and the purity of the factors of the path. After the World-Honored One taught me such a Dharma, the Buddha knew that I had a joyful mind, a complete mind, a pliant mind, a patient mind, an excellent mind, a one-pointed mind, a mind without doubt, and a mind without afflictions, and that I had the ability and strength to receive the true Dharma. That is, like the way the Buddhas teach the essential true Dharma, the World-Honored One then taught me about suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. At that time, I immediately saw the four noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path, while sitting there, just as white cloth is easily dyed into color. Venerable one, it was the same for me. While sitting there, I immediately saw the four noble truths of suffering, its origin, its cessation, and the path. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, having seen the Dharma, attained the Dharma, realized the pure Dharma, cut off doubts, crossed over perplexity, having no other teacher, not following others, without hesitation, having already attained the fruits of the path, I attained fearlessness in the World-Honored One's teachings. Venerable one, at that time, I immediately rose from my seat, bowed my head at the Buddha's feet, and said: 'World-Honored One, I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of bhikṣus. I only wish that the World-Honored One would accept me as an upāsaka, from this day forward, taking refuge for as long as I live, until the end of my life. World-Honored One, from today onward, I will follow the World-Honored One, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and upholding the five precepts for as long as I live.' Venerable one, if I follow the World-Honored One, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and uphold the five precepts for as long as I live, I have never known to violate the precepts. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, having followed the World-Honored One, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and upheld the five precepts for as long as I live, I bowed my head at the Buddha's feet, circumambulated him three times, and departed. Returning to my home, I gathered all the women and said to them: 'Do you know? I have followed the World-Honored One, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and upheld the five precepts for as long as I live. If you wish to stay here, you may stay and practice giving and making merit. If you do not wish to stay, you may return to your own homes. If you wish to be married, I will marry you.' Then the eldest wife came to me and said: 'If you have followed the Buddha, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and upheld the five precepts for as long as you live, then you may give me to so-and-so.' Venerable one, I then called that man, took the eldest wife's arm with my left hand, held a golden water pot with my right hand, and said to the man: 'I now give the eldest wife to you as your wife.' Having heard this, the man was greatly terrified, his body hair standing on end, and he said to me: 'Elder, do you want to kill me? Do you want to kill me?' Venerable one, I said to him: 'I do not want to kill you. Rather, I have followed the Buddha, taking the Brahma-conduct as the foremost, and upheld the five precepts for as long as I live. Therefore, I am giving the eldest wife to you as your wife.' Venerable one, having already given the eldest wife, and giving her now, I have no regret at all. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, when I go to the Sangha's garden, if I first see a bhikṣu, I pay homage to him. If that bhikṣu is walking, I also follow him in walking. If he is sitting, I also sit to one side. Having sat, I listen to the Dharma. He teaches the Dharma to me, and I also teach the Dharma to him. He asks me about matters, and I also ask him about matters. He answers me about matters, and I also answer him about matters. Venerable one, I have never remembered disrespecting elder bhikṣus of the upper, middle, or lower ranks. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, when I am giving alms to the assembly of bhikṣus, the gods dwelling in the sky tell me, 'Elder, this is an arhat, this is one who is heading towards arahantship, this is a non-returner, this is one who is heading towards non-returning, this is a once-returner, this is one who is heading towards once-returning, this is a stream-enterer, this is one who is heading towards stream-entry, this is diligent, this is not diligent.' Venerable one, when I am giving alms to the assembly of bhikṣus, I have never remembered having a discriminating mind. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, when I am giving alms to the assembly of bhikṣus, a god dwells in the sky and tells me, 'Elder, there is a Tathāgata, an Arhat, a Perfectly Enlightened One, a World-Honored One who well preaches the Dharma, and the Tathāgata's noble assembly well practices it.' Venerable one, I do not believe that god, I do not desire to please that god, I do not hear from that god, but I myself have pure knowledge, knowing that there is a Tathāgata, an Arhat, a Perfectly Enlightened One, a World-Honored One who well preaches the Dharma, and the Tathāgata's noble assembly well practices it. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

"Venerable one, I do not only have this dharma. Furthermore, Venerable one, the Buddha has spoken of the five lower fetters: sensual desire, ill will, holding to rules and rituals, doubt, and ignorance. I see none of these five that would bind me to return to this world and enter a womb. Venerable one, I have this dharma."

The bhikṣu exclaimed, "Elder, if you have this dharma, it is very wonderful and extraordinary!"

The Elder Ugra said to the bhikṣu, "May the Venerable one take a meal here."

The bhikṣu, for the sake of the Elder Ugra, silently accepted the invitation. The Elder Ugra, knowing that the bhikṣu had silently accepted, immediately rose from his seat, personally served water for washing, and offered various abundant and delicious food and drink, personally serving and pouring, until he was satisfied. After finishing the meal and putting away the dishes, he personally served water for washing. Then he took a small seat and sat separately to listen to the Dharma. The bhikṣu spoke the Dharma for the Elder, inspiring him with longing and bringing about joy. Having used immeasurable skillful means to speak the Dharma for him, inspiring him with longing and bringing about joy, he rose from his seat and left, going to where the Buddha was. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and told the Buddha in detail about the original discussion he had with the Elder Ugra.

Then the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "It is for this reason that I praise the Elder Ugra for having eight unprecedented qualities."

The Buddha spoke thus. The bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.