SA 506（五〇六） 帝释

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was staying on a soft, dappled stone in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, not far from the pāri jāta and kuṭaja trees, during the summer retreat, teaching the Dharma to his mother and the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-three. At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana was staying in the Jeta Grove of Anāthapiṇḍada's Park in Śrāvastī.

At that time, the four assemblies went to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, bowed their heads at his feet, and sat to one side. They said to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Do you know where the World-Honored One is staying for the summer retreat?"

Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana replied, "I have heard that the World-Honored One is staying on a soft, dappled stone in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, not far from the pāri jāta and kuṭaja trees, during the summer retreat, teaching the Dharma to his mother and the gods of the Heaven of the Thirty-three."

At that time, the four assemblies, having heard what Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana had said, rejoiced and delighted in it. They each rose from their seats, bowed, and departed.

Then, after the four assemblies had completed the three-month summer retreat, they again went to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, bowed at his feet, and sat to one side. At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana spoke various teachings to the four assemblies, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting them. Having shown, taught, illuminated, and delighted them, he remained silent.

Then the four assemblies rose from their seats, bowed, and said to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana! Know that we have not seen the World-Honored One for a long time. The assembly is very thirsty to see the World-Honored One. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana! If you are not weary, please go on our behalf to the Heaven of the Thirty-three to inquire after the World-Honored One on our behalf, asking if he is free from illness and affliction, if he is at ease, and if he is dwelling in peace. Also tell the World-Honored One that the four assemblies of Jambudvīpa wish to see the World-Honored One, but they do not have the spiritual power to ascend to the Heaven of the Thirty-three to pay homage to the World-Honored One. The Heaven of the Thirty-three has its own spiritual power to come down to the human realm. We only wish that the World-Honored One would return to Jambudvīpa out of compassion." At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana silently accepted.

Then the four assemblies, knowing that Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana had silently accepted, each rose from their seats, bowed, and departed.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, knowing that the four assemblies had left, immediately entered concentration. As he was properly absorbed, in the time it takes a strong man to bend and stretch his arm, he disappeared from Śrāvastī and appeared on a soft, dappled stone in the Heaven of the Thirty-three, not far from the pāri jāta and kuṭaja fragrant trees. At that time, the World-Honored One was teaching the Dharma to the assembly of the Heaven of the Thirty-three, surrounded by countless attendants.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana saw the World-Honored One from afar. He was overjoyed and thought, "Today the World-Honored One is teaching the Dharma to the great assembly of the gods, no different from the assembly in Jambudvīpa.

At that time, the World-Honored One, knowing the thoughts in Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana's mind, said to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Mahāmaudgalyāyana! It is not by my own power. I wish to teach the Dharma to the gods, and they immediately gather. If I wish for them to leave, they immediately return. They come and go according to their own minds.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, withdrew and sat to one side, and said to the World-Honored One, "The various great assemblies of gods have gathered. Among those heavenly beings, are there any who have heard the Dharma taught by the Buddha, World-Honored One, and attained unshakable faith, who, after their bodies perish and their lives end, have been reborn here?"

The Buddha told Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Indeed, indeed. Among the various gods who have gathered here, there are some who have heard the Dharma from their past lives, attained the unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and accomplished the noble precepts. After their bodies perish and their lives end, they have been reborn here."

At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Devas, saw the World-Honored One and Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana praising and speaking to the assembly of devas. He said to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Indeed, indeed. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana! All the various assemblies here are indeed from past lives who have heard the true Dharma, attained the unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and accomplished the noble precepts. After their bodies perish and their lives end, they have been reborn here."

At that time, another bhikṣu saw the World-Honored One, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, and Śakra, Lord of the Devas, speaking well and praising each other. He said to Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana, "Indeed, indeed. Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana! All the various devas who have gathered here are indeed from past lives who have heard the true Dharma, attained the unshakable faith in the Buddha, Dharma, and Sangha, and accomplished the noble precepts. After their bodies perish and their lives end, they have been reborn here."

At that time, a certain deva rose from his seat, arranged his robes, bared his right shoulder, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! I have also attained the unshakable faith in the Buddha, and for that reason I have been reborn here."

Another deva said, "I have attained the unshakable faith in the Dharma."

Some said they had attained the unshakable faith in the Sangha, and some said they had accomplished the noble precepts, and for that reason they had been reborn there. In this way, countless thousands of devas, in the presence of the World-Honored One, each declared and spoke of attaining the Dharma of stream-entry. They all disappeared right in front of the Buddha.

At that time, Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana knew that the heavenly beings had left. He rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, bared his right shoulder, and said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! The four assemblies of Jambudvīpa bow their heads in respect and pay homage at the feet of the World-Honored One, inquiring about the World-Honored One's well-being: 'Are you free from illness and affliction, are you light and at ease, and are you dwelling in peace?' The four assemblies long to see the World-Honored One. They also say to the World-Honored One, 'We in the human realm do not have the divine power to ascend to the Heaven of the Thirty-three to pay homage to the World-Honored One. However, those heavenly beings have great virtue and power and can all come down to Jambudvīpa. We only wish that the World-Honored One would return to Jambudvīpa out of compassion for the four assemblies.'"

The Buddha told Maudgalyāyana, "You may return and tell the people of Jambudvīpa that after seven days, the World-Honored One will return from the Heaven of the Thirty-three to Jambudvīpa, to the city of Sāmkāśya, under the udumbara tree outside the gate.

Venerable Mahāmaudgalyāyana accepted the Buddha's instruction and immediately entered samādhi. In the time it takes a strong man to bend and stretch his arm, he disappeared from the Heaven of the Thirty-three and arrived in Jambudvīpa, where he told the four assemblies, "All of you should know that after seven days, the World-Honored One will return from the Heaven of the Thirty-three to Jambudvīpa, to the city of Sāmkāśya, under the udumbara tree outside the gate.

As promised, after seven days, the World-Honored One descended from the Heaven of the Thirty-three to the udumbara tree outside the gate of the city of Sāmkāśya in Jambudvīpa. Devas, nāgas, ghosts, spirits, and even Brahmā all came down. At that time, this assembly was named the Assembly of the Descent from Heaven.