SA 916（九一六） 说何论

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Good Clothing Mango Grove in the village of Nala.

At that time, the headman of the Kṣatriya clan, a disciple of the Nirgranthas, came to where the Buddha was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and sat to one side.

At that time, the World-Honored One said to the headman, "What do you want to discuss? What did Nirgrantha Jñātiputra say?"

The headman said, "That Nirgrantha Jñātiputra said, 'Those who kill all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there; likewise, those who steal, engage in sexual misconduct, and speak falsehoods all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there.'"

The Buddha told the headman, "If it is as Nirgrantha Jñātiputra said, those who kill all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there, then there would be no sentient beings falling into the hells. Headman, what do you think? Which sentient beings have the intention to kill at all times? At what time do they have the intention not to kill? Up to what time do they have the intention to speak falsehoods, and at what time do they have the intention not to speak falsehoods?"

The headman said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! People have the intention to kill and speak falsehoods for a short time during the day and night, but for a long time they do not have the intention to kill or speak falsehoods."

The Buddha told the headman, "If it is so, then would there not be no one falling into the hells? As Nirgrantha said: 'Those who kill all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there. Up to those who speak falsehoods are also like this.' Headman! That great teacher appeared in the world, awakened, contemplated, entered the state of contemplation, and abided. On the ground of ordinary beings, he spoke for himself, contemplated as he pleased, and taught his disciples in this way: 'Those who kill all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there. Up to those who speak falsehoods are also like this.' His disciples, if they believe his words, say: 'Our great teacher knows what he knows, sees what he sees, and can teach his disciples like this: "Those who kill all fall into the hells, because of their many actions they are led there." We have had the intention to kill, steal, engage in sexual misconduct, and speak falsehoods, and we will fall into the hells.' They attain such views, and do not abandon those views, do not dislike those actions, do not awaken to those regrets. In future lives, they do not abandon killing, up to not abandoning speaking falsehoods. Their liberation of mind is not fulfilled, and their liberation of wisdom is also not fulfilled. Because their liberation of mind is not fulfilled and their liberation of wisdom is not fulfilled, they slander the noble ones with wrong views. Because of the causes and conditions of wrong views, when their bodies perish and their lives end, they are born in the evil destinies, in the hells. Thus, headman! There are causes and conditions for afflictions in sentient beings, and there are causes and conditions for afflictions in sentient beings' actions.

Headman! The Tathāgata, the Arhat, the Perfectly Enlightened One, the One with Perfect Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One, the Tamer of Men, the Teacher of Gods and Men, the Buddha, the World-Honored One appears in the world, always reproaching sentient beings for killing, praising not killing; reproaching stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech, praising not stealing, not sexual misconduct, and not false speech. He always uses this Dharma to teach the Shravakas, causing them to remember, enjoy, believe, and respect, saying: 'Our great teacher knows what he knows, sees what he sees, reproaches killing, praises not killing, up to reproaches false speech, praises not false speech. From the past until now, because of our ignorance and lack of wisdom, we have had the intention to kill. Because of this, we now repent.' Although he cannot make them not commit those actions, still because of this repentance, in future lives they will be able to avoid killing, up to avoiding stealing, sexual misconduct, and false speech. They will also be able to fully attain liberation of mind and liberation of wisdom. Having fully attained liberation of mind and liberation of wisdom, they will not slander the sages, and will accomplish right views. Because of the causes and conditions of right views, they will be born in the good destinies, in the heavens. Thus, headman! There are causes and conditions for the purification of sentient beings' afflictions and actions.

"Headman! Those Shravakas of great learning study thus: 'Observing the arising of mind, whether it is killing or not killing, throughout the day and night.' If there is a mind to kill, they should repent and not be like that. If there is no mind to kill, they have no enmity or hatred, and give rise to joy. Having given rise to joy, joy arises. Having given rise to joy, the mind rests in tranquility. Having the mind rest in tranquility, one experiences bliss. Having experienced bliss, the mind becomes concentrated. Having the mind become concentrated, the Shravakas of the noble ones, with minds full of loving-kindness, without enmity or jealousy, without anger or resentment, vast and immeasurable, fully abide in the right concentration of one direction; two directions, three directions, up to four directions, the four intermediate directions, above and below, the entire world, with minds full of loving-kindness, without enmity or jealousy, without anger or resentment, vast and immeasurable, well cultivated, filling all directions, fully abiding in the right concentration."

At that time, the World-Honored One took a small amount of soil with his fingernails and said to the headman of the Kshudra clan, "What do you think, headman? Is the soil on my fingernails more, or is the earth more?"

The headman said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! The soil on the fingernails is very little, while the earth is immeasurable and countless."

The Buddha told the headman, "Just as the soil on the fingernails is very little, and the earth is immeasurable in number, likewise, when the mind is accompanied by loving-kindness, cultivated and practiced much, all limited actions are like the soil on the fingernails, unable to take away or cause to abide. Likewise, stealing is countered with a compassionate mind, sexual misconduct is countered with a joyful mind, false speech is countered with a mind of equanimity, and it cannot be compared."

When this was said, the headman of the knife-maker clan was free from defilements and attained the pure Dharma eye. The headman saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, realized the Dharma, knew the Dharma, penetrated deeply into the Dharma, was free from doubts, did not rely on others, and was not led by others. He attained fearlessness in the true Dharma and Vinaya. He rose from his seat, arranged his robes, touched his right knee to the ground, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha, "I am liberated, World-Honored One! I have crossed over, World-Honored One! I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of monks, for as long as I live as a lay devotee. World-Honored One! It is like a person seeking light, taking a horse's tail as a wick for a lamp, trying to blow it into flame, but never getting any light, only exhausting themselves in vain, and the lamp never being lit. I was also like this, seeking wisdom, but associating with the foolish Nirgrantha Jains, practicing with the foolish, uniting with the foolish, and serving the foolish, only exhausting myself in vain, not attaining wisdom. Therefore, I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha again. From now on, I will have little faith, respect, love, and mindfulness for those foolish, unskillful, and unwise Nirgrantha Jains, and will now distance myself from them. Therefore, I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha for the third time, and will be a lay devotee for as long as I live, purifying my mind."

At that time, the headman of the knife-maker clan, having heard the Buddha's teaching, rejoiced and followed it with joy, paid homage, and departed.