SA-2 228（二二八）

Thus have I heard:

Thus have I heard:

At that time, Venerable Śāriputra was sitting in the assembly. He rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, joined his palms towards the Buddha, and said, "World-Honored One! As the Buddha has said: 'I am a brāhmaṇa, who has attained parinirvāṇa and is in my final body. I am the unsurpassed physician who has extracted the poisonous arrow. You are all my sons, born from my mind and mouth. You are my Dharma sons, born from the Dharma and transformed by the Dharma.' We do not see any faults in the Tathāgata's body or speech. Why is that? The World-Honored One can tame the untamed, bring peace to the unpeaceful, give relief to the suffering, and lead those not yet in nirvāṇa to nirvāṇa. The Tathāgata is the knower of the path, the teacher of the path, the expounder of the path, the guide of the path, leading disciples in an unbroken succession. The World-Honored One's teachings are to cultivate the path in stages, always teaching and practicing together, in accordance with the true Dharma, which should always be upheld and cherished. We do not see any faults in the World-Honored One's body, speech, or mind."

Śāriputra said, "World-Honored One! Please speak of any faults in my body, speech, or mind."

The Buddha told Śāriputra, "I do not see any faults in you. Why is that? You, Śāriputra, uphold pure precepts, are learned, have few desires, are content, are far from worldly affairs, enjoy solitude, are diligent, have attained concentration, wisdom, quick wisdom, sharp wisdom, successive wisdom, have great wisdom, discerning wisdom, and have deep wisdom, except for the Tathāgata. No one else's wisdom can match yours. You have accomplished true wisdom, and you teach, benefit, and delight others. Your mind is free from jealousy. When you see others with abilities, you teach, benefit, and delight them, and rejoice and praise them. Whether for the four assemblies of monks, nuns, male lay followers, or female lay followers, you teach the Dharma without weariness. Therefore, now your body, speech, and mind have no faults."

Śāriputra said, "World-Honored One! Do you see any faults in these five hundred monks in their body, speech, or mind?"

The Buddha told Śāriputra, "I do not see any faults in these five hundred monks in their body, speech, or mind. Why is that? These five hundred monks are all arhats, their taints are exhausted, their work is done, they have put down the heavy burden, attained their own benefit, exhausted all bonds, and their minds are liberated with right knowledge. For this reason, I do not see any faults in these five hundred monks in their body, speech, or mind."

Śāriputra again addressed the Buddha, saying, "World-Honored One! You would never criticize their minor faults, and you do not see any faults in these five hundred monks in their body, speech, or mind. World-Honored One! How many of these five hundred monks possess the three insights? How many have attained liberation through both means? How many have attained liberation through wisdom?"

The Buddha said, "Among these monks, ninety monks possess the three insights, one hundred and eighty have attained liberation through both means, and the rest have attained liberation through wisdom."

Śāriputra said, "These five hundred people are free from defilements and impurities, without any corruption, all of them are pure and genuine."

At that time, Vāgīśa was in the assembly and thought, "The Buddha is now in the self-indulgent state. I now wish to speak a verse praising the self-indulgent state." Vāgīśa joined his palms towards the Buddha and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! Please allow me to speak."

The Buddha said, "Vāgīśa! Speak as you wish."

Vāgīśa then spoke a verse, saying:

On this fifteenth day of purity, five hundred bhikṣus dwell together, all having severed the bonds
of afflictions, the great sages who have exhausted future existence. With sincere hearts, they approach the
Pure World Honored One, all attaining liberation and leaving future existence behind. Having severed birth and
death, their tasks are done, their taints exhausted, and they have extinguished agitation and regret. They
have eliminated greed, pride, and the bonds of existence, pulled out the poisoned arrow of craving
and extinguished craving and existence. The lion among humans has left behind all grasping, exhausted the
bonds of existence, and extinguished fear. Like a great sage wheel-turning king, surrounded by a retinue
of ministers, roaming the great earth to the great ocean, it is like a great victory
in battle. The disciples of the unsurpassed merchant leader, all possessing the three knowledges and extinguishing
death, are all true sons of the Buddha, free from defilements and utterly pure. I now
pay homage to the sun-like friend.