SA 108（一〇八） 西

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Śākya village of Devakūṭa.

At that time, many bhikṣus from the west wanted to return to the west for the summer retreat. They went to where the World-Honored One was, bowed their heads at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side.

At that time, the World-Honored One taught the Dharma for them, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting them. Having shown, taught, illuminated, and delighted them in various ways, the many bhikṣus from the west rose from their seats, joined their palms, and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! We, the many bhikṣus from the west, want to return to the west for the summer retreat. We now take our leave."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus from the west, "Have you taken leave of Śāriputra?"

They replied, "We have not taken leave yet."

The Buddha said to the bhikṣus from the west, "Śāriputra has practiced pure conduct. You should take leave of him. It will bring you benefit and happiness for a long time."

At that time, the bhikṣus from the west took leave and were about to depart. Venerable Śāriputra was sitting under a firm tree not far from the Buddha. The bhikṣus from the west went to where Venerable Śāriputra was, bowed their heads at his feet, and sat to one side. They said to Venerable Śāriputra, "We wish to return to the west to enter the rainy season retreat. Therefore, we have come to take leave of you."

Śāriputra said, "Have you taken leave of the World-Honored One?"

They replied, "We have already taken leave."

Śāriputra said, "When you return to the Western lands, in various countries and among various assemblies, they will certainly ask you. Now, having heard the well-spoken Dharma from the World-Honored One, you should well receive, well uphold, well contemplate, and well enter it. Will you be able to fully proclaim it for them without slandering the Buddha? Will you not fall into a position of difficulty when questioned and examined by those assemblies?"

Those bhikṣus said to Śāriputra, "We have come to the Venerable One to hear the Dharma. We only wish that the Venerable One would fully explain it for us out of compassion!"

The Venerable Śāriputra said to the bhikṣus, "The people of Jambudvīpa are intelligent and sharp-witted. Whether they are kṣatriyas, brāhmaṇas, householders, or śramaṇas, they will certainly ask you, 'What does your teacher teach? What does he instruct you with?' You should answer, 'Our teacher only teaches the subduing of desire and greed. This is what he instructs us with.'

They will further ask you, 'In which dharmas do you subdue desire and greed?' You should further answer, 'Our teacher only teaches the subduing of desire and greed in relation to the aggregate of form, the aggregate of feeling, the aggregate of perception, the aggregate of volitional formations, and the aggregate of consciousness. This is how our teacher teaches the Dharma.'

They will further ask, 'What are the faults of desire and greed that the teacher teaches the subduing of desire and greed in relation to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness?' You should further answer, 'If desire, greed, attachment, recollection, and thirst are not severed in relation to form, then when form changes or transforms, one will give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. The same is true for feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness. Seeing that desire and greed have such faults, one subdues desire and greed in relation to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness.'

They will further ask, 'Seeing the severance of desire and greed, what benefits are there that the teacher teaches the subduing of desire and greed in relation to form, feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness?' You should further answer, 'If desire, greed, recollection, attachment, and thirst are severed in relation to form, then when form changes or transforms, one will not give rise to sorrow, lamentation, pain, and distress. The same is true for feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness.'

Venerable ones! If one experiences present happiness, non-suffering, non-obstruction, non-distress, and non-heat due to the causes and conditions of unwholesome dharmas, and is reborn in a good place after the body perishes and life ends, the World-Honored One would never say: 'One should abandon all unwholesome dharmas.' He would also not teach others to cultivate the brahma-practices in the Buddha's teachings, to end suffering. Because one experiences present suffering, obstruction, heat, and distress due to the causes and conditions of unwholesome dharmas, and after the body perishes and life ends, one falls into evil paths. Therefore, the World-Honored One says: 'One should abandon unwholesome dharmas, cultivate the brahma-practices in the Buddha's teachings, equally end suffering, and ultimately reach the end of suffering.'

"If one experiences present suffering, obstruction, heat, and distress due to the causes and conditions of wholesome dharmas, and after the body perishes and life ends, one falls into evil paths, the World-Honored One would never say to uphold wholesome dharmas, to cultivate the brahma-practices in the Buddha's teachings, to equally end suffering, and to ultimately reach the end of suffering. Upholding wholesome dharmas, one experiences present happiness, non-suffering, non-obstruction, non-distress, and non-heat, and after the body perishes and life ends, one is reborn in a good place. Therefore, the World-Honored One praises and teaches others to uphold wholesome dharmas, to cultivate the brahma-practices in the Buddha's teachings, to equally end suffering, and to ultimately reach the end of suffering."

When Venerable Śāriputra spoke this Dharma, the bhikṣus in the west were free from all defilements and attained liberation. When Venerable Śāriputra spoke this Dharma, the bhikṣus rejoiced and paid homage before departing.