SA-2 117（一一七）

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī. At that time, Venerable Mahākāśyapa was staying in a remote place, with grass for his bedding. His robes were worn and faded, and his beard and hair were long. He came to where the Buddha was. At that time, the World-Honored One was surrounded by a great assembly, expounding the Dharma. When the bhikṣus saw Kāśyapa, they all thought, "That Venerable One does not know the proper deportment of a renunciant. His robes are dirty and faded, and his beard and hair are long. His deportment is not complete."

At that time, the World-Honored One knew the thoughts in the minds of the bhikṣus. In order to make them give rise to admiration, he saw Kāśyapa from afar and said, "Welcome, Kāśyapa!" He then divided his seat in half and ordered him to sit together. He thought, "You renounced the householder life before me. Therefore, I invite you to share my seat with me."

When Mahākāśyapa heard this instruction, he was filled with fear and trepidation. He immediately stood up, joined his palms, bowed his head to the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "The World-Honored One is my teacher, and I am his disciple. How can I sit together with the teacher?" He said this a second and a third time.

The Buddha told Kāśyapa, "It is indeed as you say. I am your teacher, and you are my disciple." He then ordered Kāśyapa, "You may sit in the place where you should sit." At that time, Venerable Kāśyapa then followed the Buddha's instruction and spread out his seat to sit.

At that time, the World-Honored One, wishing to increase the disgust and self-reproach of those bhikṣus, and wishing to praise the virtues and respect of Mahākāśyapa, equal to the Buddha, said to the bhikṣus, "I cultivate the concentration of detachment and enter the first dhyāna. I contemplate with thought. Bhikṣu Kāśyapa also wishes to be free from evil and unwholesome thoughts, with perception and contemplation, to enter the first dhyāna. He also wishes to enter the first dhyāna day and night. The second, third, and fourth dhyānas are also like this. If I wish to enter the mind of loving-kindness, the mind without resentment, the mind without affliction, the mind of universal compassion, and the well-cultivated immeasurable mind, in the eastern direction, I have such a mind. In the southern, western, northern directions, the four intermediate directions, and above and below, I also have such a mind. I wish to cultivate this mind day and night. Mahākāśyapa is also like this. He wishes to enter the mind of loving-kindness, the mind without resentment, the mind without affliction, the mind of universal compassion, and the well-cultivated immeasurable mind, in the eastern direction, he has such a mind. In the southern, western, northern directions, the four intermediate directions, and above and below, he also has such a mind. If I cultivate the minds of compassion, joy, and equanimity, I always enter these minds day and night. Mahākāśyapa is also like this. He always enters these minds day and night. If I wish to eliminate affliction and destroy form, remove various perceptions, and enter the infinite space, I also wish to always enter this samādhi day and night. The sphere of consciousness, the sphere of nothingness, and the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception are also like this. I also wish to enter the samādhi of supernatural powers, which can transform one body into countless bodies, and countless bodies back into one body. I wish to observe the directions above and below, enter into stone walls without obstruction, like space, sit and lie in the air like a goose king, walk on land like water, walk on water like land, reach the Brahma heaven with the body, and touch the sun and moon with the hand. If I wish to cultivate this samādhi day and night, Bhikṣu Kāśyapa is also like this. He wishes to enter that samādhi of supernatural powers, which can transform one body into countless bodies, and countless bodies back into one body. He observes the directions above and below, and can enter stone walls with this body without obstruction, like space. He sits and lies in the air like a goose king, walks on land like water, walks on water

At that time, the bhikṣus, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully received and practiced it.