SA-2 187（一八七）

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was at Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī. At that time, the elder Sudatta was gravely ill. When the World-Honored One heard of his serious illness, he put on his robe in the morning, took his alms bowl, and went to his house. When the elder Sudatta saw the Buddha coming from afar, he tried to rise, but the Buddha said to the elder, "You need not rise." At that time, the World-Honored One sat down on a separate seat. The Buddha said to the elder, "Is your illness bearable? Is the treatment effective, not increasing?"

The elder said to the Buddha, "The present suffering is very difficult to bear. The pain I feel is gradually increasing. The pain is pressing and very unbearable. It is like a strong man tying a rope around the head of a weak person and pulling and twisting it. My headache is also like this. It is like a butcher opening a cow's belly with a sharp knife and stirring its internal organs. My abdominal pain is also like this. It is like two strong men holding a very weak and sick person and roasting them over a fire. My body is also hot and painful like this."

The Buddha said to the elder, "You should now generate indestructible faith in the Buddha, the Dharma, the Sangha, and the precepts."

The elder said, "As the Buddha has said, I also possess the four indestructible faiths."

The Buddha said to the elder, "Based on the four indestructible faiths, you should now cultivate the six recollections. You should recollect the Buddha's virtues, remember the ten epithets of the Buddha: Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Men, Teacher of Gods and Men, Buddha, Blessed One. This is called recollecting the Buddha. What is recollecting the Dharma? The Dharma taught by the Tathāgata is supreme and wonderful, equal to rejoicing in goodness, obtaining benefits in the present, and attaining realization, free from all afflictions, not choosing the time, able to lead to good destinies. It is revealed in the present, and even the wise know it for themselves. This is called recollecting the Dharma. What is recollecting the Sangha? One should always recollect the virtues of the Sangha, the Tathāgata's noble Sangha, which has attained perfection, prescribes medicine according to the illness, and practices the true path in stages, not exceeding the limits, and follows the Buddha's teachings. The fruits of the stream-enterer, the path to the stream-enterer, the fruits of the once-returner, the path to the once-returner, the fruits of the non-returner, the path to the non-returner, and the fruits of the arhat, the path to the arhat, are called the Tathāgata's śrāvaka Sangha. Fully endowed with precepts, concentration, wisdom, liberation, and the knowledge and vision of liberation, invited by others, such a Sangha should be respectfully bowed to and paid homage to. This is called recollecting the Sangha. What is recollecting the precepts? Recollecting one's own practice of fulfilling the precepts, the pure precepts, the flawless precepts, the unbroken precepts, the unpunctured precepts, the pure precepts, the unstained precepts, the precepts not seeking material things, the precepts that are pleasing to the wise, and the precepts that are beyond reproach. Then one should recollect oneself. This is called recollecting the precepts. What is recollecting giving? Recollecting one's own practice of giving, I have obtained good benefits. One should be free from stinginess and practice giving, with an unattached mind, able to let go of everything. When giving, one should give with one's own hands, always delighting in giving, without weariness, with a fully developed mind of giving. When there are requests, one should always open up and share. This is called recollecting giving. What is recollecting the gods? One should always protect the mind and recollect the six desire heavens, and recollect the stream-enterers and once-returners born in those six heavens."

Sudatta said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! As the Buddha has said, I have already fully cultivated the six recollections." Sudatta said to the Buddha, "I only wish that the World-Honored One would take a meal here." The Buddha silently accepted the invitation. When it was time, Sudatta the elder prepared various delicacies for the Tathāgata, all complete and pure and fragrant. Having prepared the offerings, he joined his palms towards the Buddha and said, "The World-Honored One's appearance in the world is difficult to encounter." The Buddha spoke various teachings to the elder, showing, teaching, benefiting, and delighting him, then rose from his seat and departed.

After Sudatta the elder, when the Buddha had left, his body was destroyed and his life ended that night, and he was reborn in the heavens. Having been reborn in the heavens, he immediately returned to where the Buddha was. The light and color of Sudatta the heavenly son doubled as usual, illuminating the Jetavana Grove, all becoming greatly bright. He bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and spoke a verse:

This Jetavana Grove is still here, the abode of sages
and saints, the forest and ponds are very peaceful and
quiet. The Dharma Master dwells within it, I now give
rise to joy and delight. Faith, precepts, concentration, wisdom, and
right livelihood can purify. If one can cultivate such superior
practices, it is not through family lineage or wealth that
one can attain this. The wise Śāriputra, peacefully upholding the
precepts, delights in the empty place, most supreme and incomparable.

The Buddha told the heavenly being, "So it is! So it is!" At that time, the World-Honored One then spoke a verse:

Faith, precepts, concentration, wisdom, and right livelihood can purify
It is not through family lineage or wealth that
one can attain this. The wise Śāriputra, peacefully upholding
the precepts, delights in the empty place, most supreme and incomparable.

Prince Sudatta, having heard the Buddha's teaching, was delighted and bowed his head in reverence. He then disappeared from his seat and returned to his heavenly palace.

At that time, before dawn, the World-Honored One entered the lecture hall, arranged his seat, and sat down. He told the bhikṣus, "Last night a god came to me with a radiance twice as bright as usual. His light illuminated Jetavana, making it very bright. After paying homage at my feet, he sat to one side and spoke this verse:

This Jetavana Grove is still here, the abode of sages
and saints, the forest and ponds are very peaceful and
quiet. The Dharma Master resides within it, I am now
filled with joy and delight. Faith, precepts, concentration, wisdom, and
right livelihood can purify. If one can cultivate these, one
will attain the supreme state. It is not through family
or wealth that one can attain this. The wise Śāriputra
peacefully upholding the precepts, delights in solitude and tranquility, unsurpassed and incomparable.

At that time, Venerable Ānanda was behind the Tathāgata. Hearing the god speak the verse, he said to the Buddha, "This must be the elder Sudatta who has been reborn in heaven. That is why he has come back to praise Śāriputra."

The Buddha said, "Indeed! Indeed! Sudatta, having been reborn in heaven, came to me and spoke these verses."

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