SA 964（九六四） 出家

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying at the Kalandaka Bamboo Grove in Rājagṛha.

At that time, a renunciant of the Ba-ts'a clan came to where the Buddha was, exchanged greetings with the World-Honored One, and then sat to one side. He said to the Buddha, "Gautama! I wish to ask something. Is there time to explain it for me?" At that time, the World-Honored One remained silent.

The renunciant of the Ba-ts'a clan asked a second and third time, and the Buddha also remained silent a second and third time.

At that time, the renunciant of the Ba-ts'a clan said to the Buddha, "I follow the teachings of Gautama. Why do you remain silent when I ask something?"

At that time, the World-Honored One thought, "This renunciant of the Ba-ts'a clan has been sincere and straightforward for a long time, without deceit or pretense. When he asks questions, it is because he does not know, not to intentionally disturb. I shall now accept his questions with the Abhidharma and Vinaya." Having thought this, he said to the renunciant of the Ba-ts'a clan, "Ask whatever you wish, and I shall explain it for you."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "What do you think, Gautama? Are there good dharmas?"

The Buddha replied, "There are."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Please explain the good and bad dharmas to me, so that I may understand."

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "I will now briefly explain the good and bad dharmas for you. Listen carefully and consider well. Ba-ts'a! Desire is an unwholesome dharma, subduing desire is a wholesome dharma; anger, hatred, and delusion are unwholesome dharmas, subduing anger, hatred, and delusion are wholesome dharmas. Taking life is an unwholesome dharma, refraining from taking life is a wholesome dharma; stealing, sexual misconduct, false speech, divisive speech, harsh speech, idle chatter, greed, hatred, and wrong views are unwholesome dharmas, not stealing, up to right views are wholesome dharmas. This, Ba-ts'a! I have now explained the three kinds of wholesome dharmas and the three kinds of unwholesome dharmas. Thus, the noble disciple truly knows the three kinds of wholesome dharmas and the three kinds of unwholesome dharmas. One who truly knows the ten kinds of unwholesome dharmas and the ten kinds of wholesome dharmas will completely extinguish desire, anger, and delusion. One who completely extinguishes all defiled dharmas will attain liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom. One will know and realize in this very life: 'My birth is ended, the holy life has been established, what was to be done has been done, and I will not experience another existence after this one.'"

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Is there a bhikkhu who, in this Dharma and Vinaya, has exhausted the contaminants, attained liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, and will not experience another existence after this one?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three, but up to five hundred. There are many bhikkhus who, in this Dharma and Vinaya, have exhausted the contaminants, attained liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, and will not experience another existence after this one."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Let's set aside the bhikkhus. Is there a bhikkhuni who, in this Dharma and Vinaya, has exhausted the contaminants, attained liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, and will not experience another existence after this one?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three bhikkhunis, but up to five hundred. There are many bhikkhunis who, in this Dharma and Vinaya, have exhausted the contaminants, attained liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, and will not experience another existence after this one."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Let's set aside the bhikkhunis. Is there a male lay follower who practices the brahma-life and attains liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, having crossed over doubt in this Dharma and Vinaya?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three, but up to five hundred male lay followers. There are many male lay followers who practice the brahma-life and, in this Dharma and Vinaya, sever the five lower fetters, attain the state of a non-returner, and will not be reborn in this world again."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Let's set aside the male lay followers. Is there a female lay follower who practices the brahma-life and attains liberation of mind and liberation through wisdom, having crossed over doubt in this Dharma and Vinaya?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three female lay followers, but up to five hundred. There are many female lay followers who, in this Dharma and Vinaya, sever the five lower fetters, are born in that realm, attain the state of a non-returner, and will not be reborn in this world again."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Let's set aside the monks, nuns, male lay followers, and female lay followers who practice the brahma-life. Is there a male lay follower who enjoys the five desires, but who has crossed over doubt in this Dharma and Vinaya?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three, but up to five hundred. There are many male lay followers who live at home with wives and children, adorned with fragrant flowers, and who keep male and female servants. In this Dharma and Vinaya, they sever the three fetters, and their greed, anger, and delusion are weakened. They attain the state of a once-returner, coming and going once, and ultimately reaching the end of suffering."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Let's set aside the male lay followers. Is there a female lay follower who enjoys the five desires, but who has crossed over doubt in this Dharma and Vinaya?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Not only one, two, or three, but up to five hundred. There are many female lay followers who live at home, raising sons and daughters, enjoying the five desires, adorned with fragrant flowers. In this Dharma and Vinaya, they exhaust the three fetters, attain the state of a stream-enterer, do not fall into the unwholesome destinies, are definitely headed for supreme perfect enlightenment, are reborn seven times among gods and humans, and ultimately reach the end of suffering."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Gautama! If the Śramaṇa Gautama attained perfect enlightenment, and if the monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers who practiced the brahma-conduct, and the male lay followers and female lay followers who enjoyed the five desires, did not attain such merits, then it would not be complete; but because the Śramaṇa Gautama attained perfect enlightenment, and the monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers who practiced the brahma-conduct, and the male lay followers and female lay followers who enjoyed the five desires, attained those merits, it is complete. Gautama! Now I will give an analogy.

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Speak as you wish."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Just as when it rains heavily, the water flows downward, so too is the Dharma and Vinaya of Gautama. Monks, nuns, male lay followers, female lay followers, whether male or female, all follow the flow and head towards nirvāṇa, flowing towards nirvāṇa. How wonderful! The Dharma and Vinaya of the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha are equal. If a renunciant from another path comes to Gautama and seeks to go forth and receive full ordination in the true Dharma and Vinaya, how long does it take before he is allowed to go forth?"

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "If a renunciant from another path comes to the true Dharma and Vinaya and seeks to go forth and receive full ordination, he should stay with his preceptor for up to four months, wearing the robe. This is just a rough limit for people."

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "If renunciants from other paths come to the true Dharma and Vinaya and seek to go forth and receive full ordination, and if they are allowed to go forth after staying with their preceptors for up to four months, then I am able to stay with my preceptor for four months. If I am allowed to go forth and receive full ordination in the true Dharma and Vinaya, I will go forth and receive full ordination in the Dharma of Gautama and practice the holy life."

The Buddha said to Ba-ts'a, "Didn't I previously make a rough limit for people?"

Ba-ts'a said to the Buddha, "Yes, Gautama!"

At that time the World Honored One told the bhikṣus, "You should allow Ba-ts'a to go forth and receive full ordination in the true Dharma and Vinaya."

Ba-ts'a was able to go forth and receive full ordination in the true Dharma and Vinaya, becoming a bhikṣu. Within half a month, he knew, recognized, saw, attained, realized, and realized all that should be known, recognized, seen, attained, realized, and realized in the Tathāgata's true Dharma.

Venerable Ba-ts'a thought, "I have now realized all that should be known, recognized, seen, attained, realized, and realized. I will now go to see the World Honored One."

At that time, Ba-ts'a went to where the World Honored One was, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, stood to one side, and said to the Buddha, "World Honored One! I have realized all that should be known, recognized, seen, attained, realized, and realized in the World Honored One's true Dharma. I only wish that the World Honored One would teach me the Dharma. Having heard the Dharma, I will dwell alone in a quiet place, diligently contemplating and abiding without negligence, contemplating: 'The reason good sons shave their heads and beards, put on the monastic robe, leave home with right faith, practice the path, and know for themselves that they will not be reborn again.'"

The Buddha told Ba-ts'a, "There are two dharmas that, when cultivated and practiced much, are called tranquility and insight. Cultivating and practicing these two dharmas much, one can know the realms and fruits, realize the realms, know the various realms, and realize the various realms. Thus, a bhikṣu who seeks to be free from desire and evil and unwholesome dharmas, and dwells in the fourth dhyāna in full, with loving-kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity, in the sphere of the base of infinite space, the base of infinite consciousness, the base of nothingness, and the base of neither-perception-nor-non-perception, can cause me to exhaust the three fetters and attain the state of a srota-āpanna; with the exhaustion of the three fetters, and the thinning of greed, hatred, and delusion, one attains the state of a sakṛd-āgāmin; with the exhaustion of the five lower fetters, one attains the state of an anāgāmin; with various supernatural powers, the divine eye, divine ear, knowledge of others' minds, knowledge of past lives, knowledge of birth and death, and knowledge of the exhaustion of taints, one attains all of them. Therefore, bhikṣus! You should cultivate the two dharmas, cultivate them much, and cultivate them repeatedly. By cultivating the two dharmas, one can know the various realms, and even exhaust the taints."

At that time, Venerable Ba-ts'a, having heard the Buddha's teaching, joyfully bowed and departed. At that time, Ba-ts'a dwelled alone in a quiet place, diligently contemplating and abiding without negligence, and knew for himself that he would not be reborn again.

At that time, many bhikṣus were adorned and ready to go to the World-Honored One to pay respects and make offerings.

At that time, Ba-ts'a asked the many bhikṣus, "Are you adorned and ready to go to the World-Honored One to pay respects and make offerings?"

The bhikṣus replied, "Yes."

At that time, Ba-ts'a said to the bhikṣus, "Venerable ones! Please convey my words to pay respects to the World-Honored One, inquiring about his well-being, ease, and freedom from illness and distress, and whether he is dwelling in peace and happiness. Say: 'The bhikṣu Ba-ts'a says to the World-Honored One: "I have already made offerings to the World-Honored One, fully served and delighted him, not without delight; I have done all that the Master and disciples should do, made offerings to the Master, and delighted him, not without delight."'

At that time, many bhikṣus went to where the Buddha was, bowed their heads at his feet, and sat to one side. They said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! The Venerable Ba-ts'a bows his head in respect at the feet of the World-Honored One..." up to "...delighted, not without delight."

The Buddha told the bhikṣus, "The devas have already told me, and now you also speak. The Tathāgata has attained the supreme knowledge and vision, and also like the bhikṣu Ba-ts'a, has such virtuous power."

At that time, the World-Honored One gave the first prediction to that bhikṣu Ba-ts'a.

After the Buddha had spoken this sūtra, the bhikṣus heard what the Buddha had said and joyfully practiced it.