SA 1307（一三〇七） 边际

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park in the Jeta Grove near Śrāvastī.

At that time, a red horse celestial being of exceptional beauty came to where the Buddha was in the latter part of the night, bowed his head at the Buddha’s feet, and sat to one side. His body’s radiance illuminated Anāthapiṇḍada’s Park.

At that time, the red horse celestial being said to the Buddha, “World-Honored One! Is there a way to go beyond the limits of the world and reach a place where there is no birth, aging, or death?”

The Buddha told the red horse, “There is no way to go beyond the limits of the world and reach a place where there is no birth, aging, or death.”

The red horse celestial being said to the Buddha, “How wonderful! World-Honored One! You have well explained this meaning. As the World-Honored One has said, there is no way to go beyond the limits of the world and reach a place where there is no birth, aging, or death. Why is that? World-Honored One! I remember my past life. I was named Red Horse. I was a non-Buddhist ascetic who attained supernatural powers and was free from desires. I thought at that time, 'I have such swift supernatural feet. Like a strong man shooting an arrow across the shadow of a palm tree, I can climb one Mount Sumeru and reach another Mount Sumeru. I can step on the Eastern Sea and reach the Western Sea.' I then thought, 'I have now accomplished such swift supernatural power. Today, I should seek the limits of the world.' Having thought this, I immediately set out. Except for eating, relieving myself, and reducing sleep, I always walked for a hundred years. I died there and still could not go beyond the limits of the world and reach a place where there is no birth, aging, or death.

The Buddha told the red horse, "I now only speak of the world, the origin of the world, the cessation of the world, and the path leading to the cessation of the world with a body of one fathom. Red Horse Celestial Being! What is the world? It refers to the five aggregates of clinging. What are the five? The form aggregate of clinging, the feeling aggregate of clinging, the perception aggregate of clinging, the volitional formations aggregate of clinging, and the consciousness aggregate of clinging. This is called the world. What is the origin of the world? It refers to the craving for future existence, accompanied by delight and desire, seeking delight in this and that, which is called the origin of the world. What is the cessation of the world? It refers to the complete abandonment, relinquishment, renunciation, exhaustion, absence of desire, cessation, pacification, and cessation of that craving for future existence, accompanied by delight and desire, seeking delight in this and that. This is called the cessation of the world. What is the path leading to the cessation of the world? It refers to the eightfold noble path, namely right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. This is called the path leading to the cessation of the world.

Red Horse! Knowing the world, one abandons the world; knowing the origin of the world, one abandons the origin of the world; knowing the cessation of the world, one realizes the cessation of the world; knowing the path leading to the cessation of the world, one cultivates that path leading to the cessation of the world. Red Horse! If a bhikṣu knows and abandons worldly suffering, knows and abandons the origin of the world, knows and realizes the cessation of the world, and knows and cultivates the path leading to the cessation of the world, Red Horse! This is called reaching the limits of the world and transcending worldly desires.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke the following verses:

Never before have I traveled far, yet I have reached the limits of
the world. Without reaching the limits of the world, one will never end
the limits of suffering. Therefore, the Sage is able to know the limits
of the world, and skillfully understands the limits of the world, establishing all
practices of the Brahmins. Regarding those who equally realize the limits of the
world, this is called the practice of the sages, transcending the world to
the other shore.

At that time, the Heavenly Son of the Red Horse, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully rejoiced, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and then disappeared.