SA 994（九九四） 婆耆娑灭尽

Thus have I heard:

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

At that time, Venerable Vāgīśa was staying at the Deer Mother’s Lecture Hall in the Eastern Garden in Śrāvastī, suffering from a serious illness. Venerable Pūrṇa was attending to him, providing for his needs.

At that time, Venerable Vāgīśa said to Venerable Pūrṇa, "Go to the World-Honored One and convey my words to him, saying, 'Venerable Vāgīśa bows at the feet of the World-Honored One and inquires about the World-Honored One's well-being, whether he is free from illness and affliction, whether he is light in body and strong, and whether he is dwelling in ease.' Also say, 'Venerable Vāgīśa is staying at the Deer Mother's Lecture Hall in the Eastern Garden, suffering from a serious illness. He wishes to see the World-Honored One but is unable to come to see the World-Honored One. It would be excellent if the World-Honored One would go to the Deer Mother's Lecture Hall in the Eastern Garden to see Venerable Vāgīśa out of compassion.'"

At that time, Venerable Pūrṇa accepted his words and went to the World-Honored One. He bowed at the Buddha's feet, sat to one side, and said, "Venerable Vāgīśa is staying at the Deer Mother's Lecture Hall in the Eastern Garden, suffering from a serious illness. He wishes to see the World-Honored One but is unable to come to see the World-Honored One. It would be excellent if the World-Honored One would go to the Deer Mother's Lecture Hall in the Eastern Garden to see Venerable Vāgīśa out of compassion."

At that time, the World-Honored One silently accepted.

At that time, Venerable Pūrṇa, knowing that the Buddha had accepted, rose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and left.

In the afternoon, the World-Honored One arose from meditation and went to Venerable Vāgīśa. Venerable Vāgīśa saw the World-Honored One from afar and leaned on his bed, about to rise.

At that time, the World-Honored One saw Venerable Vāgīśa leaning on his bed, about to rise, and said, "Vāgīśa! Do not move yourself!" The World-Honored One then sat down and asked Venerable Vāgīśa, "Is your illness tolerable? Are your bodily pains increasing or decreasing?..."

As extensively explained in the previous Yāmaka Sūtra, up to "My illness is getting worse, not better."

The Buddha said to Vāgīśa, "I now ask you, answer me as you wish. Have you attained a mind that is not defiled, not attached, not stained, liberated, and free from all inverted views?"

Vāgīśa said to the Buddha, "My mind is not defiled, not attached, not stained, liberated, and free from all inverted views."

The Buddha said to Vāgīśa, "How have you attained a mind that is not defiled, not attached, not stained, liberated, and free from all inverted views?"

Vāgīśa said to the Buddha, "In the past, my eye consciousness did not pay attention to form, in the future I did not anticipate form, and in the present I was not attached to form. In the past, future, and present, my eye consciousness did not have any desire, love, or thought for form. It has been exhausted, without desire, extinguished, ceased, abandoned, and liberated. The mind is liberated, and therefore not defiled, not attached, not stained, liberated, and free from all inverted views, abiding in right concentration. In the same way, my ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind consciousness, in the past did not pay attention to phenomena, in the future did not anticipate them, and in the present was not attached to them. In the past, future, and present, my mind consciousness did not have any desire, love, or thought for phenomena. It has been exhausted, without desire, extinguished, ceased, abandoned, and liberated. The mind is liberated, and therefore not defiled, not attached, not stained, liberated, and free from all inverted views, abiding in right concentration. May the World-Honored One today, for the last time, benefit me and listen to my verse."

The Buddha said to Vāgīśa, "It is time for you to know!"

Venerable Vāgīśa rose, straightened his body, sat upright, focused his mind in front, and spoke a verse:

I now stand before the Buddha, bowing
in respect and paying homage. I have
attained liberation from all dharmas. I have
thoroughly understood the characteristics of dharmas and
deeply believe and delight in the true
Dharma. The World-Honored One is the Perfectly
Enlightened One, the World-Honored One is the
Great Teacher. The World-Honored One has subdued
the demon Mara, the World-Honored One is
the Great Sage. He has eliminated all
afflictions and liberated all beings. The World-Honored
One has fully awakened to all dharmas
in the world. There is no one
in the world who knows the Dharma
better than the Buddha. Among all gods
and humans, there is none equal to
the Buddha. Therefore, I now bow to
the one of great diligence. I bow
to the foremost among beings, who has
pulled out the thorns of all desires
This is my last time to see
the World-Honored One. I bow to the
Honored One of the Solar Clan, who
will enter parinirvana tonight. With right wisdom
and right mindfulness, he will bind his
body. From tonight, all residual forces will
cease. He will no longer be tainted
by the three realms and will enter
the parinirvana without remainder. Whether suffering, pleasant
or neither, all feelings arise from contact
Now they are all completely severed. Whether
suffering, pleasant, or neither, all feelings arise
from contact. Now they are all completely
known. Whether internal or external, all feelings
of suffering, pleasure, etc. are without attachment
With right wisdom and right mindfulness, he
is bound. In the beginning, middle, and
end, all aggregates are unobstructed. Having already
severed the aggregates, he fully understands all
feelings without remainder. The one who clearly
sees the truth speaks of ninety-one eons
In three eons, there is no emptiness
with the presence of the great sage
The rest are empty, without a place
to rely on, only the terrifying eon
of fear. Know that the great sage
will appear in the world again. He
comforts all gods and humans, opening their
eyes and freeing them from the darkness
of defilements. He reveals and awakens all
beings, causing them to awaken to all
suffering. The suffering of suffering, the origin
of suffering, the cessation of suffering, and
the noble eightfold path leading to the
peace of nirvana. What is difficult to
obtain in the world is now fully
obtained. Being born in the world as
a human, he expounds the true Dharma
According to one's own wishes, leaving behind
defilements and seeking purity, one should single-mindedly
cultivate one's own benefit, not letting it
be fruitless. If it passes in vain
one will give rise to sorrow, approaching
the suffering of hell. Not delighting in
or desiring to receive the true Dharma
as taught, one will remain in saṃsāra
for a long time, with no end to the