71. To Pāyāsi （七一）蜱肆经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa was traveling in the country of Kosala with a large assembly of bhikkhus. He went to Sāvatthī and stayed in the Sītavana near the village.

At that time, there was a king named Pāyāsi in Sāvatthī. He was extremely prosperous and happy, with immeasurable wealth and livestock. His industries were innumerable, and he was fully endowed with fiefs, food, and estates. The springs, ponds, grass, and trees of Sāvatthī all belonged to the king, granted to him by King Pasenadi of Kosala.

Then the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī heard that the śramaṇa named Kumara Kāśyapa was traveling in the country of Kosala with a large assembly of bhikkhus. He had come to Sāvatthī and was staying in the Sītavana near the village. It was said that this śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa had a great reputation that was heard in the ten directions. Kumara Kāśyapa was unimpeded in his eloquence and his words were subtle. He was a learned arhat. If one could see this arhat and pay respect and serve him, it would be a great gain. We should go and see this śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa. The brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī each went with their own kind and left Sāvatthī together, going north to the Sītavana.

At that time, King Pāyāsi was on the main hall. He saw from afar the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī each going with their own kind, leaving Sāvatthī together and going north to the Sītavana. Having seen this, he asked his attendant, "Why are the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī each going with their own kind today, leaving Sāvatthī together and going north to the Sītavana?"

The attendant replied, "Your Majesty! The brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī heard that the śramaṇa named Kumara Kāśyapa was traveling in the country of Kosala with a large assembly of bhikkhus. He had come to Sāvatthī and was staying in the Sītavana near the village. It was said that this śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa had a great reputation that was heard in the ten directions. Kumara Kāśyapa was unimpeded in his eloquence and his words were subtle. He was a learned arhat. If one could see this arhat and pay respect and serve him, it would be a great gain. We should go and see this śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa. Your Majesty! That is why the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī each went with their own kind and left Sāvatthī together, going north to the Sītavana.

King Pāyāsi, having heard this, told his attendant, "Go to those brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī and tell them, 'King Pāyāsi says to the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī, "Wait, I will go with you to see that śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa. You are foolish! Do not be deceived by him. There is no afterlife, no beings are born. I see and say that there is no afterlife, no beings are born."'"

The attendant, having received the order, went to those brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī and said to them, "King Pāyāsi says to the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī, "Wait, I will go with you to see that śramaṇa Kumara Kāśyapa. You are foolish! Do not be deceived by him. There is no afterlife, no beings are born. I see and say that there is no afterlife, no beings are born."'"

Having heard this order, the brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī replied to the attendant, "We will do as the king commands."

The attendant returned and reported, "The order of the king has been announced. Those brāhmaṇas and householders of Sāvatthī are waiting for the king. May the king know the time."

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala ordered his charioteer, "Quickly prepare the chariot. I wish to go now."

The charioteer received the order, quickly prepared the chariot, and returned to report, "The chariot is ready. Please do as the king wishes."

Then King Pasenadi of Kosala mounted the chariot and went to where the brahmin householders of Sāketa were. They went together to the Śiṣṭa forest. When King Pasenadi saw Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa in the grove, he alighted from the chariot and approached Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa on foot. They exchanged greetings and sat to one side. The king asked, "Kāśyapa, I wish to ask something. May I?"

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, if you wish to ask, ask. I will think about it after hearing."

Then King Pasenadi asked, "Kāśyapa, I see and say like this: there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings. What do you think, monk Kumāra Kāśyapa?"

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, I ask you, answer as you see fit. What do you think, king? Are the sun and moon of this world or the next world?"

Pasenadi replied, "Though the monk Kumāra Kāśyapa says this, I still see and say like this: there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, is there any greater evil than this?"

Pasenadi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa, there is. Kāśyapa, I have relatives who are sick and suffering. I went to them and said, 'You should know that I see and say like this: there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings. Kāśyapa, there are some ascetics and brahmins who see and say like this: there is an afterlife, there is rebirth of beings. I have never believed what they say. They also say, "If there are sons or daughters who engage in evil deeds, are not diligent, lazy, indolent, jealous, stingy, do not open their hands, are not generous, and are extremely attached to wealth, because of this, when their body perishes and their life ends, they will definitely go to a bad place and be reborn in hell." If what those ascetics and brahmins say is true, then you, my relatives, engage in evil deeds, are not diligent, lazy, indolent, jealous, stingy, do not open your hands, are not generous, and are extremely attached to wealth. If your body perishes and your life ends, you will definitely go to a bad place and be reborn in hell. Then you can come back and tell me, "Pasenadi, the suffering in hell is like this and like that." If that happens, I will see it for myself.' They heard my words and accepted my instructions, but none of them came back to tell me, 'Pasenadi, the suffering in hell is like this and like that.' Kāśyapa, because of this, I think there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, I will ask the king again, and he will answer according to his understanding. If a king's men arrest a criminal and bring him before the king, saying, 'Your Majesty, this person has committed a crime, please punish him,' the king tells them, 'Take him away, tie his hands behind his back, make him ride a donkey, beat a broken drum that sounds like a donkey braying, proclaim it all over the city, take him out through the southern gate, place him under a tall pole, and behead him.' They follow the king's instructions, tie the criminal's hands behind his back, make him ride a donkey, beat a broken drum that sounds like a donkey braying, proclaim it all over the city, take him out through the southern gate, place him under a tall pole, and are about to behead him. As he is about to die, the criminal tells the executioner, 'Please wait a moment, I want to see my parents, wife, children, slaves, and servants, please let me go for a while.' What do you think, Pasenadi, would the executioner release the criminal and let him go for a while?"

Pasenadi replied, "No, Kāśyapa."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, it is the same with the king's relatives. If they engage in evil conduct, are lazy, indolent, jealous, stingy, do not open their hands, are not generous, are extremely attached to wealth, and because of that, when their body breaks up and their life ends, they certainly go to a bad place, to a hell realm. When the hell wardens seize them and torment them severely, they say to the wardens, 'Hell wardens, please wait a moment, do not torment me, I want to go to King Pasenadi for a while and tell him, "It is like this and like that in hell," so that he can see it for himself.' What do you think, Pasenadi, would the hell wardens release the king's relatives and let them come for a while?"

Pasenadi replied, "No, Kāśyapa."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, you should view the afterlife like this, not as seen by the fleshly eye. Pasenadi, if there are monastics and brahmins who have cut off desire, are heading towards the cessation of desire, have cut off anger, are heading towards the cessation of anger, have cut off delusion, are heading towards the cessation of delusion, they see with their purified divine eye, surpassing that of humans, the passing away and rebirth of beings, the beautiful and ugly, the good and bad, going to a good or bad place, according to the deeds of beings, seeing it as it really is."

King Pasenadi said again, "Although the monk Kumāra Kāśyapa says this, I still see and say that there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, is there any other evil greater than this?"

Pasenadi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa, there is another evil. Kāśyapa, I have relatives who are sick and suffering. I went to them and said, 'You should know that I see and say this: there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings. Relatives, there are some ascetics and brahmins who see and say this: there is an afterlife, there is rebirth of beings. I have never believed what they say. They also say this: "If there are men and women who practice well, diligently, without laziness, without jealousy, without stinginess, with open hands, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, because of this, when their body breaks up and their life ends, they will surely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven." If what those ascetics and brahmins say is true, then you, my relatives, practice well, diligently, without laziness, without jealousy, without stinginess, with open hands, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth. If when your body breaks up and your life ends, you will surely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven, then you can come back and tell me, "Pasenadi, heaven is like this and like that." If that is so, then I will see it for myself." They heard my words and accepted my instructions, but none of them came back to tell me, "Pasenadi, heaven is like this and like that." Kāśyapa, because of this, I think there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings.

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, let me give you an analogy. The wise understand the meaning through an analogy. Pasenadi, it's like a cesspit outside a village, deep enough to cover a person's head, full of excrement. And a person falls into it and sinks to the bottom. If someone out of compassion for that person, seeking their welfare and benefit, seeking their peace and happiness, were to carefully pull them out of the cesspit, scrape them with bamboo strips, wipe them with tree leaves, and wash them with warm water. And later, after they have bathed and cleansed themselves, anointed their body with perfume, ascended to the royal palace, and enjoyed the five sense pleasures. What do you think, Pasenadi? Would that person remember the cesspit fondly, praise it, and want to see it again?"

Pasenadi replied, "No, Kāśyapa. If someone else were to remember that cesspit fondly, praise it, and want to see it, I would not love that person. How much less would I remember the cesspit fondly, praise it, and want to see it myself? That is impossible."

"Pasenadi, if a king has a relative who practices well, is diligent, energetic, without jealousy, not stingy or greedy, open-handed, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, and because of that, when their body breaks up and their life ends, they certainly ascend to a good place and are reborn in heaven. Having been reborn in heaven, they enjoy the five heavenly sense pleasures. What do you think, Pasenadi? Would that heavenly prince give up those heavenly five sense pleasures and remember the human five sense pleasures fondly, praise them, and want to see them again?"

Pasenadi replied, "No, Kāśyapa. Why? The human five sense pleasures are a stinking place, impure, very disgusting, not to be approached, not to be loved, coarse and impure. Kāśyapa, compared to the human five sense pleasures, the heavenly pleasures are the best, the highest, the most excellent, the most wonderful, the most supreme. If that heavenly prince were to give up the heavenly five sense pleasures and remember the human five sense pleasures fondly, praise them, and want to see them again, that is impossible."

"Pasenadi, you should view the afterlife like this, not as seen by the fleshly eye. Pasenadi, if there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have cut off desire, are heading towards the cessation of desire, have cut off anger, are heading towards the cessation of anger, have cut off delusion, are heading towards the cessation of delusion, they see with the pure divine eye, surpassing that of humans, the passing away and rebirth of beings, the good-looking and ugly, the good and bad, going to good places and bad places, according to the actions of beings, seeing it as it really is."

King Pasenadi said again, "Although the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks like this, I still see and say like this: There is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, is there any other evil that surpasses this?"

Pasenadi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa, there is another evil. Kāśyapa, I have relatives who are sick and suffering. I went to them and said, 'You should know that I see and say like this: There is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings. Relatives, there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who see and say like this: There is an afterlife, there is rebirth of beings. I have always not believed what they say. They also say like this: "If there are sons and daughters who practice well, diligently, without laziness, without jealousy, not stingy or greedy, open-handed, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, because of this, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will surely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven." If what those śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas say is true, then you, my relatives, practice well, diligently, without laziness, without jealousy, not stingy or greedy, open-handed, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, if when your bodies perish and your lives end, you will surely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven, then you can come back and tell me, "Pasenadi, heaven is like this and like that." If you think in heaven, 'If I go back, what will I get?' The King Pasenadi's family has much wealth, I will give it to you.' They heard my words and accepted my instructions, but none of them came back to tell me, 'Pasenadi, heaven is like this and like that.' Kāśyapa, because of this, I think like this: There is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, the lifespan in heaven is long, while the lifespan in the human realm is short. If a hundred years in the human realm is one day and night in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, then with such a day and night, thirty days make a month, and twelve months make a year, the lifespan in the Heaven of the Thirty-three is one thousand years. What do you think, Pasenadi? If you have relatives who practice well, diligently, without laziness, without jealousy, not stingy or greedy, open-handed, generous, open-minded, giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, because of this, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they will surely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven, and after being reborn in heaven, they will think like this: 'We should first spend one day and night enjoying the five heavenly pleasures, or two, three, four, up to six or seven days enjoying the five heavenly pleasures, and then we should go and tell King Pasenadi, "Heaven is like this and like that." to let him see it directly.' What do you think, Pasenadi? Will you be able to live that long? "

Pasenadi asked, "Kāśyapa, who has come from the afterlife to tell you, 'Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa, the lifespan in heaven is long, while the lifespan in the human realm is short. If a hundred years in the human realm is one day and night in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, then with such a day and night, thirty days make a month, and twelve months make a year, the lifespan in the Heaven of the Thirty-three is one thousand years."'

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pasenadi, listen to my simile. The wise, on hearing a simile, understand its meaning. Pasenadi, it is like a blind person who says, 'There is no black or white color, nor is there seeing black or white color. There is no long or short color, nor is there seeing long or short color. There is no near or far color, nor is there seeing near or far color. There is no coarse or fine color, nor is there seeing coarse or fine color.' Why is that? Because I have never seen or known it, therefore there is no color. Is that blind person's statement true?"

Pasenadi replied, "No, Kāśyapa. Why is that? Kāśyapa, there is black and white color, and there is seeing black and white color. There is long and short color, and there is seeing long and short color. There is near and far color, and there is seeing near and far color. There is coarse and fine color, and there is seeing coarse and fine color. If a blind person says, 'I do not see or know it, therefore there is no color,' then their statement is not true.

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "King Pasenadi is also like the blind. If the king says, 'Who has come from the afterlife to speak? Monk Kumāra Kāśyapa! The lifespan in heaven is long, while the lifespan in the human realm is short. If a hundred years in the human realm is one day and night in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, then with such a day and night, thirty days make a month, and twelve months make a year. The lifespan in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods is one thousand years.'"

King Pasenadi said, "Monk Kumāra Kāśyapa! It is greatly improper to say such a thing. Why is that? Monk Kumāra Kāśyapa! My diligence is like the blind. Kāśyapa! If I know that I and my relatives practice the sublime conduct, diligently, without slacking, without jealousy, and without stinginess, with open hands, generous, open-minded, and giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, and because of that, after the body perishes and life ends, I will definitely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven. Kāśyapa! I should now immediately practice giving, cultivate various meritorious deeds, observe the precepts, and then kill myself with a knife, or take poison, or throw myself into a pit or well, or hang myself. Monk Kumāra Kāśyapa! My diligence should not be compared to that blind person.

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Listen as I give you another analogy. The wise, on hearing an analogy, understand its meaning. Pāyāsi! It is like a brahmin who has a young wife who has just become pregnant, and the brahmin's previous wife already has a son. Then the brahmin suddenly dies. After his death, the brahmin's previous son says to the younger wife, 'Younger wife! You should know that all the wealth in this household should belong to me. There is no need to share it.' The younger wife replies, 'I am pregnant. If it is a boy, you should share it. If it is a girl, all the wealth belongs to you.' The brahmin's previous son then repeats this two or three times, saying, 'All the wealth in this household should belong to me. There is no need to share it.' The younger wife also repeats this two or three times, saying, 'I am pregnant. If it is a boy, you should share it. If it is a girl, all the wealth belongs to you.' Then the younger wife, foolish and ignorant, not understanding, lacking wisdom, wanting to preserve her life but instead harming herself, enters the room and takes a sharp knife to cut open her belly to see if it is a boy or a girl. She is foolish and ignorant, not understanding, lacking wisdom, wanting to preserve her life but instead harming herself and the child in her womb. You should know that Pāyāsi is also like this, foolish and ignorant, not understanding, lacking wisdom, wanting to preserve his life but instead thinking, 'Kāśyapa! If I know that I and my relatives practice the sublime conduct, diligently, without slacking, without jealousy, and without stinginess, with open hands, generous, open-minded, and giving to orphans and the poor, always delighting in giving, not attached to wealth, and because of that, after the body perishes and life ends, I will definitely ascend to a good place and be reborn in heaven, then I should now immediately practice giving, cultivate various meritorious deeds, observe the precepts, and then kill myself with a knife, or take poison, or throw myself into a pit or well, or hang myself. Monk Kumāra Kāśyapa! My diligence should not be compared to that blind person.' Pāyāsi! If a diligent person has a long life, he will attain great merit. If he attains great merit, he will be reborn in heaven and have a long life. Pāyāsi! You should view the afterlife like this, not as seen by the fleshly eye. Pāyāsi! If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have cut off and separated from desire, heading towards separation from desire, cut off and separated from anger, heading towards separation from anger, cut off and separated from

King Pasenadi said again, "Although the monk Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks like this, I still see and say that there is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings.

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Is there any greater evil than this?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa! There is another evil. Kāśyapa! When my relatives are sick and suffering, I go to comfort and care for them, and they also comfort and care for me. But if they die, I go to comfort and care for them, and they no longer comfort and care for me, and I no longer comfort and care for them. Kāśyapa! Because of this, I think there is no rebirth of beings.

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Listen as I give you another analogy. The wise, on hearing an analogy, understand its meaning. Pāyāsi! It is like a person who is skilled in blowing a conch. If in a place where the sound of a conch has never been heard before, he goes there and, in the darkness of night, climbs a high mountain and blows the conch with all his might. Many people who have never heard the sound of a conch before will think, 'What is this sound? It is so wonderful, so extraordinary, so delightful, so pleasant to hear, and so delightful to the mind.' Then those people will go to the person who is skilled in blowing the conch and ask, 'What is this sound? It is so wonderful, so extraordinary, so delightful, so pleasant to hear, and so delightful to the mind.' The person skilled in blowing the conch will drop the conch on the ground and say to the people, 'You should know that this is the sound of the conch.' Then the people will kick the conch with their feet and say, 'Can the conch make a sound? Can the conch make a sound? It is silent and makes no sound.' The person skilled in blowing the conch will then think, 'These people are foolish, ignorant, unintelligent, and lacking in wisdom. Why is that? They want to hear a sound from something that is lifeless.' Then the person skilled in blowing the conch will take the conch, wash it with water, hold it to his mouth, and blow it with all his might. When the people hear it, they will think, 'The conch is wonderful. Why is that? It is because of the hand, the water, the mouth, and the wind that a good sound is produced, filling the four directions.' In this way, Pāyāsi! If a person is alive, he can speak and comfort each other. But when he dies, he can no longer speak and comfort each other. Pāyāsi! You should view the rebirth of beings in this way, not as seen by the fleshly eye. Pāyāsi! If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have cut off desire, are heading towards the cessation of desire, have cut off anger, are heading towards the cessation of anger, and have cut off delusion, are heading towards the cessation of delusion, they will, with their pure divine eye surpassing that of humans, see the death and rebirth of beings, their good and bad forms, whether they are excellent or not, and their going and coming to good and bad places, according to the deeds of those beings, seeing them as they truly are."

King Pāyāsi said again, "Although the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks in this way, I still see and say that there is no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Is there anything worse than this?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa! There is something worse. Kāśyapa! I have a right-hand man who arrests criminals and brings them to me. When they arrive, he says, 'Your Majesty! This person is guilty. Please punish them.' I tell him, 'Take this criminal and weigh them while they are alive. After weighing them, put them back on the ground and strangle them with a rope. After they are dead, weigh them again. I want to know when this person is lightest and most supple, with a pleasant complexion.' He follows my instructions, weighs the criminal while they are alive, puts them back on the ground, strangles them with a rope, and weighs them again after they are dead. While the criminal is alive, they are lightest and most supple, with a pleasant complexion. But after they die, their skin becomes thicker, hard, and not supple, with an unpleasant complexion. Kāśyapa! Because of this, I think there is no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Listen as I give you another analogy. The wise understand the meaning through analogies. Pāyāsi! It's like an iron ball or iron plowshare that is burned all day. At that time, it is extremely light and supple, with a pleasant complexion. But when the fire goes out and it gradually cools, it becomes thicker, hard, and not supple, with an unpleasant complexion. In the same way, Pāyāsi! When a person is alive, their body is extremely light and supple, with a pleasant complexion. But when they die, it becomes thicker, hard, and not supple, with an unpleasant complexion. Pāyāsi! You should view the rebirth of beings like this, not as seen by the flesh eye. Pāyāsi! If there are monastics and brahmins who have cut off desire, are heading towards the cessation of desire, have cut off anger, are heading towards the cessation of anger, and have cut off delusion, are heading towards the cessation of delusion, then with their purified divine eye, surpassing that of humans, they see beings passing away and being reborn, good-looking or ugly, excellent or not, going to a good place or a bad place, according to their deeds. They see this as it really is."

King Pāyāsi said again, "Although the monk Kumāra Kāśyapa says this, I still see and say that there is no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! Is there any greater evil than this?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa! There is another evil. Kāśyapa! I have a right-hand man who arrests criminals and brings them to me. When they arrive, they say, 'Your Majesty! This person has committed a crime, please punish them.' I tell them, 'Take this criminal and turn them upside down in an iron pot or a copper pot, cover their mouth tightly, and light a fire underneath. After lighting the fire, observe the beings entering and exiting, coming and going.' They follow my instructions, take the criminal, turn them upside down in an iron pot or a copper pot, cover their mouth tightly, light a fire underneath, and observe the beings entering and exiting, coming and going. Kāśyapa! I do this in this way, but I do not see beings being born. Kāśyapa! For this reason, I think: There is no rebirth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi! I will ask you something, answer as you see fit. What do you think? If you eat delicious food and take a nap on a bed, have you ever remembered seeing a garden, pond, forest, flowers, fruits, clear springs, and streams in your dreams, and playing and coming and going with all your heart?"

Pāyāsi replied, "I remember it."

Kāśyapa asked again, "When you eat delicious food and take a nap on a bed, do you have any attendants at that time?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Yes, there are."

Kāśyapa asked again, "When you eat delicious food and take a nap on a bed, do those who attend you see you coming and going at that time?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Even a stranger cannot see it, let alone those who attend me."

Pāyāsi, you should view the birth of beings like this, not as seen by the flesh eye. Pāyāsi, if there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have cut off desire, are heading towards the cessation of desire, have cut off anger, are heading towards the cessation of anger, have cut off delusion, are heading towards the cessation of delusion, they use their pure divine eye, surpassing that of humans, to see the death and rebirth of beings, their good and bad forms, whether fine or not, and their coming and going to good and bad places, according to the deeds of those beings, seeing them as they truly are.

King Pāyāsi said again, "Although the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks thus, I still see and say that there are no beings born."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi, is there any other evil that surpasses this?"

Pāyāsi replied, "Yes, Kāśyapa, there is another evil. Kāśyapa, I have a right-hand man who arrests criminals and brings them to me. When they arrive, he says, 'Your Majesty, this person is guilty. Please punish them.' I tell him, 'Take this criminal and peel their skin, cut their flesh, sever their tendons, break their bones, and even reach their marrow, seeking the birth of beings.' He follows my instructions, taking this criminal and peeling their skin, cutting their flesh, severing their tendons, breaking their bones, and even reaching their marrow, seeking the birth of beings. Kāśyapa, I use such means to seek the birth of beings, but I still do not see the birth of beings. Kāśyapa, for this reason, I think: there is no birth of beings."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Pāyāsi, listen as I give you another analogy. The wise, on hearing an analogy, understand its meaning. Pāyāsi, it is like a fire-worshipping ascetic who lives near a road. Not far from him, some merchants spend the night. When the merchants leave early in the morning, they forget a small child. Then the fire-worshipping ascetic gets up early and walks around the place where the merchants stayed. He sees a small child alone and without a guardian. Seeing this, he thinks, 'This child has no one to rely on. If I do not raise him, he will surely die.' He then takes the child back to his place and raises him. As the child grows up, his faculties become complete. At that time, the fire-worshipping ascetic has some minor affairs to attend to in the human realm. The fire-worshipping ascetic then instructs the youth, 'I have some minor affairs to attend to in the human realm. You should tend the fire and be careful not to let it go out. If the fire goes out, you should take this fire drill and seek it out.'

At that time, the fire-worshipping ascetic, having given good instructions, went to the human realm. Later, the youth went out to play, and the fire went out. He returned to seek fire, took the fire drill, and struck the ground, saying, 'Fire, come out! Fire, come out!' But the fire did not come out. He then struck it harder on a stone, saying, 'Fire, come out! Fire, come out!' But the fire still did not come out. When the fire did not come out, he broke the fire drill into ten or a hundred pieces, threw it away, sat on the ground, and said in distress, 'Without fire, what should I do?'

At that time, the fire-worshipping ascetic, having finished his affairs in the human realm, returned to his place. Upon arriving, he asked, 'Young man! Didn't you play around and tend the fire, not letting it go out?' The youth replied, 'Venerable! I went out to play, and the fire went out later. I returned to seek fire. I took the fire drill and struck the ground, saying, "Fire, come out! Fire, come out!" But the fire did not come out. I then struck it harder on a stone, saying, "Fire, come out! Fire, come out!" But the fire still did not come out. When the fire did not come out, I broke the fire drill into ten or a hundred pieces, threw it away, and sat on the ground. Venerable! I sought it like this, but could not get fire. What should I do?'

"At that time, the fire-worshipping ascetic thought, 'This young man is very foolish and ignorant, not understanding well, and lacking wisdom. Why is that? He seeks fire from an ignorant fire drill with such an intention.' Then, the fire-worshipping ascetic took a dry fire drill and fire board, placed them on the ground, and drilled them, and fire immediately came out, becoming more and more intense. He said to the young man, 'Young man! The method of seeking fire should be like this, not like your foolishness and ignorance, lacking wisdom, seeking fire from an ignorant fire drill with such an intention.' Know that Piśuna is also like this, foolish and ignorant, not understanding well, lacking wisdom, seeking the birth of beings in ignorant dead flesh and even bone marrow. Piśuna! You should view the birth of beings like this, not as seen by the flesh eye. Piśuna! If there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who have cut off and are free from desire, heading towards freedom from desire, cut off and are free from anger, heading towards freedom from anger, cut off and are free from delusion, heading towards freedom from delusion, they use their pure divine eye, surpassing that of humans, to see the birth and death of beings, their good and bad appearances, whether fine or not, and their coming and going to good and bad places, according to the deeds of those beings, seeing them as they truly are."

King Piśuna said again, "Although the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks thus, I cannot give up this view, the grasping of desire, anger, fear, and delusion. Why is that? If there are people from other countries who hear this, they will say, 'King Piśuna has held this view for a long time, and it has been defeated, eliminated, and abandoned by the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa.' Kāśyapa! Therefore, I cannot give up this view, the grasping of desire, anger, fear, and delusion."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Piśuna! Listen to my simile. The wise understand the meaning through similes. Piśuna! It is like two friends who leave home to do business. While traveling, they first see a lot of hemp that belongs to no one. One sees it and says to his companion, 'You should know that there is a lot of hemp here that belongs to no one. I want to take it with you, carry it back, and use it for our livelihood.' He then takes a heavy load. On the road, they see a lot of silk thread and silk garments that belong to no one. They also see a lot of silver that belongs to no one. The one who sees it abandons the hemp load and takes the silver to carry himself. On the road, they see a lot of gold that belongs to no one. The one who carries the silver tells the one who carries the hemp, 'You should know that there is a lot of gold here that belongs to no one. You should abandon the hemp, and I will abandon the silver load. I want to take this gold with you, carry it back, and use it for our livelihood.' The one who carries the hemp tells the one who carries the silver, 'This hemp load of mine is already well-prepared and tightly bound. I have carried it from far away. I cannot abandon it. You should know for yourself. Do not worry about me.' Then the one who carries the silver forcibly snatches the hemp load and throws it on the ground, pulling it apart. The one who carries the hemp tells the one who carries the silver, 'You have already pulled apart my load like this. This hemp load of mine is tightly bound and I have carried it from far away. I want to carry this hemp back myself. I will not abandon it. You should know for yourself. Do not worry about me.'

The one who carries the silver then abandons the silver load and takes the gold to carry back. When the one who carries the gold returns, his parents see him carrying gold from afar. Seeing him, they exclaim, 'Welcome, good son! Come quickly, good son! Because of this gold, you will be able to make a living, support your parents, provide for your wife and children, servants, and workers, and also be able to make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, create merit and ascend to the higher realms, with good fruits and good rewards, and be reborn in heaven for a long time.' The one who carries the hemp returns to his home. His parents see him carrying hemp from afar. Seeing him, they scold, 'You criminal comes! You worthless one comes! Because of this hemp, you will not be able to make a living, support your parents, provide for your wife and children, servants, and workers, and also be unable to make offerings to śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, create merit and ascend to the higher realms, with good fruits and good rewards, and be reborn in heaven for a long time.' Piśuna! You should know that it is the same for you. If you do not abandon this view, the grasping of desire, anger, fear, and delusion, you will then experience immeasurable evil and also be despised by many people.

King Piśuna said again, "Although the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa speaks like this, I cannot abandon this view, the grasping of desire, anger, fear, and delusion. Why is that? If people from other countries hear about it, they will say, 'King Piśuna has held this view for a long time. He has been defeated, subdued, and abandoned by the śramaṇa Kumāra Kāśyapa.' Kāśyapa! Therefore, I cannot abandon this view, the grasping of desire, anger, fear, and delusion."

Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa said, "Piśuna! Listen as I give you another analogy. The wise understand the meaning through analogies. Piśuna! It is like merchants traveling with a large group of a thousand carts on a road of famine. Among this large group, there are two leaders. They think, 'How can we escape this danger?' They further think, 'We should divide this large group into two parts, each with five hundred.' The merchants then divide into two parts, each with five hundred. Then one merchant leader leads five hundred carts to the road of famine. This merchant leader always leads the way and sees a person coming from a side road, with wet clothes, a black body, yellow head, and extremely red eyes, wearing a garland of angelica flowers, riding a donkey cart with mud on both wheels. The merchant leader sees him and asks, 'Is there rain on the road of famine? Are there fresh water, firewood, and grass there?' The person answers, 'It has rained heavily on the road of famine. There is plenty of fresh water, firewood, and grass. Sirs! You should abandon the old water, firewood, and grass, lest your carts be exhausted. You will soon find fresh water and good firewood and grass.'

The merchant leader, having heard this, immediately returned to the merchants and told them, 'While I was leading the way, I saw a person coming from a side road, with wet clothes, a black body, yellow head, and extremely red eyes, wearing a garland of angelica flowers, riding a donkey cart with mud on both wheels. I asked him, "Is there rain on the road of famine? Are there fresh water, firewood, and grass there?" He answered me, "It has rained heavily on the road of famine. There is plenty of fresh water, firewood, and grass. Sirs! You should abandon the old water, firewood, and grass, lest your carts be exhausted. You will soon find fresh water and good firewood and grass." Merchants! We should abandon the old water, firewood, and grass. In this way, we will soon find fresh water, firewood, and grass, lest our carts be exhausted.' The merchants then immediately abandoned the old water, firewood, and grass. They traveled for one day but did not find fresh water, firewood, and grass. For two, three, up to seven days, they still did not find fresh water, firewood, and grass. After seven days, they were killed by man-eating ghosts.

The second merchant leader then thought, 'The first merchant leader has already passed through the danger. How can we now escape the danger?' Having thought this, the second merchant leader, with five hundred carts, immediately advanced to the road of famine. The second merchant leader led the way and saw a person coming from a side road, with wet clothes, a black body, yellow head, and extremely red eyes, wearing a garland of angelica flowers, riding a donkey cart with mud on both wheels. The second merchant leader saw him and asked, 'Is there rain on the road of famine? Are there fresh water, firewood, and grass there?' The person answered, 'It has rained heavily on the road of famine. There is plenty of fresh water, firewood, and grass. Sirs! You should abandon the old water, firewood, and grass, lest your carts be exhausted. You will soon find fresh water and good firewood and grass.'

"The second merchant leader, having heard this, immediately returned to the merchants and told them, 'While I was leading the way, I saw a person coming from a side road, with wet clothes, a black body, yellow head, and extremely red eyes, wearing a garland of angelica flowers, riding a donkey cart with mud on both wheels. I asked him, "Is there rain on the road of famine? Are there fresh water, firewood, and grass there?" He answered me, "It has rained heavily on the road of famine. There is plenty of fresh water, firewood, and grass. Sirs! You should abandon the old water, firewood, and grass, lest your carts be exhausted. You will soon find fresh water and good firewood and grass." Merchants! We should not yet abandon the old water, firewood, and grass. If we find fresh water, firewood, and grass, then we should discard them.' They did not abandon the old water, firewood, and grass. They traveled for one day but did not find fresh water, firewood, and grass. For two, three, up to seven days, they still did not find fresh water, firewood, and grass. The second merchant leader, while leading the way, saw the first merchant leader and the merchants killed by man-eating ghosts. Having seen this, the second merchant leader told the merchants, 'You should look at the first merchant leader and the merchants. They are foolish, ignorant, unwise, and lacking in understanding. They killed themselves and also killed others. Merchants! If you want to take the goods of the former merchants, take them as you please.' Know that Piyadassi is also like this. If you want to take this view out of desire, anger, fear, or delusion, and do not let go, you will certainly experience immeasurable evil and be hated by many, just like the first merchant leader and the merchants."

King Piyadassi said again, "Although the monk Kumara Kāśyapa speaks thus, I cannot give up this view, which I have held for a long time. If people from other countries hear about this, they will say, 'King Piyadassi had a view that he held for a long time, but it was defeated, refuted, and abandoned by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa.' Kāśyapa! Therefore, I cannot give up this view, which I have taken out of desire, anger, fear, and delusion.

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Piyadassi, listen as I give another analogy. The wise understand the meaning through analogies. Piyadassi, it is like two people playing a game for a bet of cakes. The first player secretly eats them, one, two, three, or many. The second player thinks, 'Playing with this person, he often deceives me and steals the cakes, one, two, three, or many.' Seeing this, he says to his companion, 'I want to rest now, we can play again later.' Then the second player leaves that place and uses poison to smear the cakes. After smearing them, he returns and says to his companion, 'Come and play.' They play again. The first player secretly eats the cakes again, one, two, three, or many. After eating the cakes, he immediately rubs his eyes, foams at the mouth, and is about to die. Then the second player speaks a verse to the first player:

These cakes are smeared with poison, you greedily eat them without noticing
Sitting here, you are deceived by the cakes, later you will surely suffer.

Piyadassi, you should know that you are also like this. If you do not give up your views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion, you will surely suffer immeasurable evil and be hated by many people, just like the gambler who deceives others with cakes and brings misfortune upon himself.

King Piyadassi said again, "Although the monk Kumara Kāśyapa speaks like this, I cannot give up my views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion. Why? If people from other countries hear about this, they will say, 'King Piyadassi has long held these views, but he has been defeated, subdued, and eliminated by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa.' Kāśyapa, that is why I cannot give up my views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion.

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Piyadassi, listen as I give you another analogy. The wise understand the meaning through analogies. Piyadassi, it is like a pig farmer who, while traveling, sees a pile of manure with no owner. He thinks, 'This manure can feed many pigs. I should take it and carry it back.' He takes it and carries it, but on the way he encounters heavy rain, and the liquid manure spills and stains his body. He still carries it back, never letting go. He will suffer immeasurable evil and be hated by many people. You should know that you are also like this. If you do not give up your views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion, you will surely suffer immeasurable evil and be hated by many people, just like the pig farmer.

King Piyadassi said again, "Although the monk Kumara Kāśyapa speaks like this, I cannot give up my views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion. Why? If people from other countries hear about this, they will say, 'King Piyadassi has long held these views, but he has been defeated, subdued, and eliminated by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa.' Kāśyapa, that is why I cannot give up my views of desire, anger, fear, and delusion.

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Piyadassi, listen as I give you one last analogy. If you understand, that is good. If you do not understand, I will not teach the Dharma any further. Piyadassi, it is like a large pig, the king of five hundred pigs, traveling on a dangerous path. On the way, it encounters a tiger. Seeing the tiger, the pig thinks, 'If I fight it, the tiger will surely kill me. If I run in fear, my relatives will despise me. I do not know what expedient means I can use to escape this danger?' Having thought this, it says to the tiger, 'If you want to fight, then fight. If not, let me pass.' The tiger, hearing this, says to the pig, 'I will let you fight, but I will not let you pass.' The pig then says, 'Tiger, wait a moment while I put on the armor of my ancestors. Then I will fight you.' The tiger, hearing this, thinks, 'He is not my match, let alone the armor of his ancestors?' It then says to the pig, 'Do as you wish.' The pig then returns to its original toilet, rolls around in the filth, smearing its body up to its eyes. It then goes to the tiger and says, 'If you want to fight, then fight. If not, let me pass.' The tiger, seeing the pig, again thinks, 'I have always refrained from eating small insects, out of concern for my teeth. How much less would I approach this stinking pig?' Having thought this, the tiger says to the pig, 'I will let you pass, but I will not fight you.' The pig, having passed, then returns to the tiger and speaks a verse:

Tiger, you have four legs, and so do I. Come
and fight with me. Why are you running away in fear?

At that time, the tiger, having heard this, also spoke a verse in reply to the pig:

Your hair stands on end, you are the lowest of
all animals. Pig, you should quickly leave. Your feces stink unbearably.

At that time, the pig, boasting, spoke another verse:

The countries of Magadha and Anga have heard that I am fighting with
you. Come and fight with me. Why are you running away in fear?

The tiger, having heard this, spoke another verse:

Your whole body is covered with dirt. You, a pig, stink and make
me stink. You want to fight to win. I now give you the victory.

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Pesi, it is the same for me. If you do not give up these views, which are grasping at desire, grasping at anger, grasping at fear, and grasping at delusion, you will bring upon yourself immeasurable evil and be hated by many people, just like that tiger and the pig."

King Pesi heard this and said, "Venerable One! When you first spoke the analogy of the sun and moon, I understood and joyfully accepted it. But I wanted to ask the Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa for even more profound teachings. That is why I asked again and again. I now take refuge in the Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa."

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Pesi! Do not take refuge in me. I take refuge in the Buddha, and you should also take refuge in him."

King Pesi said, "Venerable One! I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of monks. I wish for the Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa to accept me as a lay follower on behalf of the Buddha. From this day forth, I take refuge until the end of my life. Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa! From this day forth, I will practice giving and cultivate merit."

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa asked, "Pesi! When you wish to practice giving and cultivate merit, how many people will you give to? For how long can you do it?"

King Pesi said, "I will give to a hundred or a thousand people, for one day, two days, or up to seven days."

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "If the king practices giving and cultivating merit, giving to a hundred or a thousand people, for one day, two days, or up to seven days, then all the monks and brahmins from all directions will hear that King Pesi has long held a view, which has now been defeated, refuted, and abandoned by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa. Having heard this, they will all come from afar. Within seven days, they will not be able to receive the king's offerings. If they do not receive the king's offerings, the king will have no merit and will not experience long-lasting peace and happiness. King Pesi! It is like a seed that is not broken, not damaged, not split, not cracked, not harmed by wind or sun, and not damaged by water. If it is well stored in the autumn, and then a householder deeply plows good fields, thoroughly prepares the ground, and sows the seeds at the right time, but the rain and moisture are not suitable, what do you think, King Pesi, can that seed grow and increase?"

He replied, "No, it cannot."

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Pesi, it is the same for you. If you practice giving and cultivating merit, giving to a hundred or a thousand people, for one day, two days, or up to seven days, then all the monks and brahmins from all directions will hear that King Pesi has long held a view, which has now been defeated, refuted, and abandoned by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa. Having heard this, they will all come from afar. Within seven days, they will not be able to receive the king's offerings. If they do not receive the king's offerings, the king will have no merit and will not experience long-lasting peace and happiness."

King Pesi asked again, "Venerable One, what should I do?"

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa replied, "Pesi, you should practice giving and cultivating merit, always observing the long fast. If King Pesi practices giving and cultivating merit, always observing the long fast, then monks and brahmins from all directions will hear that King Pesi has long held a view, which has now been defeated, refuted, and abandoned by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa. Having heard this, they will all come from afar. They will all be able to receive the king's offerings. The king will then have merit and will experience long-lasting peace and happiness. Pesi, it is like a seed that is not broken, not damaged, not split, not cracked, not harmed by wind or sun, not damaged by water. If it is well stored in the autumn, and if the householder deeply plows the good field, thoroughly prepares the ground, and sows the seeds at the right time, with timely rain and moisture, what do you think, Pesi, can that seed grow and increase?"

He replied, "It can grow."

Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa said, "Pesi, it is the same for you. If you practice giving and cultivating merit, always observing the long fast, then monks and brahmins from all directions will hear that King Pesi has long held a view, which has now been defeated, refuted, and abandoned by the monk Kumara Kāśyapa. Having heard this, they will all come from afar. They will all be able to receive the king's offerings. The king will then have merit and will experience long-lasting peace and happiness."

Then King Pesi said, "Venerable! From now on, I will practice giving and cultivating merit, always observing the long fast."

At that time, Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa spoke the Dharma for King Pesi, the Sāṃkāśya brahmins and householders, inspiring and uplifting them, bringing them to a state of joy. Having used immeasurable skillful means to speak the Dharma for them, inspiring and uplifting them, bringing them to a state of joy, he remained silent. Then King Pesi, the Sāṃkāśya brahmins and householders, having had the Dharma spoken for them by Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa, inspired and uplifted, brought to a state of joy, rose from their seats, bowed their heads at the feet of Venerable Kumara Kāśyapa, circumambulated him three times, and departed.

Although King Pesi practiced giving and cultivating merit, he was extremely evil and coarse. He gave only a single piece of ginger with bean soup and vegetables, and also gave coarse and shabby cloth. At that time, the kitchen supervisor named Utta was entrusted by King Pesi to make a vow of merit when practicing giving and cultivating merit: "If this giving has any karmic retribution, may King Pesi not receive it in this life or the next." King Pesi heard that Utta, when practicing giving and cultivating merit, was always entrusted to the senior monk to make a vow: "If this giving has any karmic retribution, may King Pesi not receive it in this life or the next." Having heard this, he immediately called and asked: "Utta! Is it true that when you practice giving and cultivating merit, you entrust the senior monk to make a vow: 'If this giving has any karmic retribution, may King Pesi not receive it in this life or the next'? Is it like this?"

Utta replied: "It is true, Your Majesty! Why is that? Your Majesty, although you practice giving and cultivating merit, you are extremely evil and coarse. You give only a single piece of ginger with bean soup and vegetables. Your Majesty, this food is not even suitable to be touched with the hand, let alone eaten by yourself. Your Majesty gives coarse and shabby cloth. Your Majesty, this cloth is not even suitable to be stepped on with the feet, let alone worn by yourself. I respect Your Majesty, but do not value the gifts. Therefore, Your Majesty, I do not wish for the retribution of this shabby giving to be received by the king."

Having heard this, King Pesi said: "Utta! From now on, whatever I eat, you should give me rice to eat, and whatever I wear, you should give me cloth to wear." Thereupon, Utta, from then on, gave the king rice to eat according to what the king ate, and gave him cloth to wear according to what the king wore.

At that time, because Utta was in charge of King Pesi's giving, when his body was destroyed and his life ended, he was reborn in the Heaven of the Four Heavenly Kings. Because King Pesi gave without sincerity, when his body was destroyed and his life ended, he was reborn in the empty palace of the Cotton Tree Forest.

Venerable Upavāna often went to roam in the empty palace of the Cotton Tree Forest. Venerable Upavāna saw King Pesi from afar and asked, "Who are you?"

King Pesi replied, "Venerable Upavāna! Have you heard of King Pesi of Jambudvīpa?"

Venerable Upavāna replied, "I have heard that there is a king named Pesi in Jambudvīpa."

King Pesi said, "Venerable Upavāna, I am the very one, formerly known as King Pesi."

Venerable Upavāna further asked, "King Pesi, you have such views and say, 'There is no afterlife, no rebirth of beings.' How did you come to be born in the empty palace of the small cotton tree forest in the Heaven of the Four Kings?"

King Pesi said, "Venerable Upavāna, I indeed had such views, but they were subdued, eliminated, and abandoned by the venerable monk Kumāra Kāśyapa. If Venerable Upavāna returns to Jambudvīpa, please inform the people of Jambudvīpa: 'When practicing generosity and cultivating merit, one should give with utmost sincerity, give with one's own hands, give in person, give with utmost faith, and give with the knowledge of karma and its results.' Why is this? Do not let the fruits of generosity be like those of King Pesi of Hāstinapura. King Pesi was a generous donor, but because he practiced generosity without utmost sincerity, he was born in the empty palace of the small cotton tree forest in the Heaven of the Four Kings." At that time, Venerable Upavāna silently accepted.

Then, Venerable Upavāna sometimes came down to Jambudvīpa and informed the people of Jambudvīpa: "Give with utmost sincerity, give with your own hands, give in person, give with utmost faith, and give with the knowledge of karma and its results. Why is this? Do not let the fruits of generosity be like those of King Pesi of Hāstinapura. King Pesi was a generous donor, but because he practiced generosity without utmost sincerity, he was born in the empty palace of the small cotton tree forest in the Heaven of the Four Kings."

The Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa spoke thus. King Pesi, the brahmins and householders of Hastināpura, and the monks, having heard the Venerable Kumāra Kāśyapa's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.

The seventh chapter on King Pesi is completed.