Translator’s Note: The Chinese title of this sutra is “Xing Qi Xing Jing” (興起行經). This heading is difficult to translate directly into English, but it can roughly be broken down into “xing qi” (emerge, arise, initiate) and “xing” (do, action, movement). The combination of these words is somewhat ambiguous in Chinese but can generally be understood as causes and conditions.
A note in the original Chinese text states that it is “also called ‘Yan Jie Su Yuan Jing’ (嚴誡宿緣經, Earnest Exhortation Based on Past Karma).” Therefore, I have decided to use this alternative title in the translation.
Translated in the Later Han Dynasty by the Foreign Tripiṭaka Master Kang Mengxiang
The so-called Mount Kunlun is located at the center of the vast earth of Jambudvipa. This mountain is entirely made of precious jewels and is surrounded by five hundred caves, each crafted from gold, and inhabited by five hundred Arhats. Outside the mountain is the Anavatapta Spring, which encircles the mountain. Inside the mountain is a flat area, with the spring located in the center of this flat land. The banks of the spring are paved with gold, and there are four beast heads from which water flows. Each beast head spins around the spring once before returning to its original direction, and the water eventually flows into the four great oceans. The water flowing from the elephant-shaped mouth is the Yellow River. Each side of the spring measures twenty-five yojanas, with a depth of three goruta—one goruta is equivalent to seven miles. In the spring, there is a golden platform, with each side of the platform measuring one yojana. On the platform, there is a golden lotus flower, its stem made of seven types of precious jewels. The Tathāgata and five hundred Arhats often hold a precept ceremony on this platform on the fifteenth day of each month. Because Śāriputra asked the Buddha about the karmic causes of ten matters in a past life, for the next fifteen days, the Buddha spoke to the disciples about the cause of each matter, one by one, until the ninth time. The reason the ten questions were answered only nine times is because the karmic retribution from the wooden spear must be repaid in the human realm, and the Buddha wanted to show that the karmic causes from past lives cannot be escaped. Furthermore, in the Anavatapta Spring, only beings without defilements or obstacles can move freely. Ananda was the only one specially invited by the Tathagata. The reason the Buddha explained these things in such detail to Śāriputra is that He wished to guide various nāgas to liberation.
Heard like this: At one time, the Buddha was in the land of Magadha.
For the benefit of sentient beings, he was dwelling in the Bamboo Grove.
The Buddha told the bhikṣus and the Arhats with supernormal power,
“Each of you should bring the food you have received through alms-begging, and come together to Anavatapta Spring.”
They passed through a brahmin land, where the people were clearly divided by caste.
The Buddha led the bhikṣus there to beg for food together.
The five hundred bhikṣus descended through the air by means of supernormal power.
Surrounded by the Sangha of bhikṣus, the World-Honored One arrived at the Great Anavatapta Spring and sat among them.
After the World-Honored One finished eating, the bhikṣus then ate.
While they were eating, the great earth shook violently. The bhikṣus asked the World-Honored One, “Why is the great earth shaking?”
The bhikṣus asked the World-Honored One, “Why is this great earth moving?”
Out of compassion for sentient beings, the World-Honored One then explained,
“In hell there is a sinner who committed many extremely cruel evil deeds.
More than a thousand ghosts and spirits cut through his two great ribs.
They work without ceasing for even a moment, and their axes are burning red-hot.
Exhausting all their strength, they cut for a full thousand years before they can sever them.”
The bhikṣus asked, “What offense did he commit that led to such suffering?
These ribs are so large that they can cause the great earth to shake.”
“This person was originally a worldly man. He always delighted in violating the wives of others.
Because he was greedy for sensual desire, he also killed people whose faith was pure.
Because of karmic causes from a former life, he received this enormous body,
and more than a thousand ghosts and spirits continuously cut through his two ribs.”
After the World-Honored One had said this, the Buddha asked the fourfold assembly of disciples,
“What causes and conditions do you have? Each of you may speak for yourselves.”
Śāriputra, the great disciple endowed with supernormal powers,
who was able to inherit and turn the Dharma Wheel, asked the World-Honored One,
“The World-Honored One is unequaled. There is nothing he does not know, and nothing he has not heard.
May the World-Honored One himself tell of the various causes and results from former lives.
There was a woman named Sundarī who slandered you without cause, hoping to obtain benefit.
What were the causes and conditions by which she slandered the venerable one without any reason?
The Buddha and the five hundred bhikṣus were slandered by a person named Śāmīvatī.
What were the causes and conditions for this?
Why did you have a headache? When your relatives were killed, all your joints ached.
You also suffered from stiffness in the back. A wooden spear pierced your foot.
Devadatta hurled a great rock, crushing your big toe.
What were the causes and conditions for all these?
A young and talkative woman carried a wooden basin and pretended to be pregnant,
coming before the great assembly to slander you without cause.
Again, in the land of Vīraṇa, for three months you ate horse grain, yet no royal preceptor or brahmin came to invite you.
What were the causes and conditions for this?
In a remote region, you practiced austerities for a full six years,
meditating until your breathing almost ceased and your body became extremely thin and weak. What were the causes and conditions for this?”
The World-Honored One began to speak: “Śāriputra, listen carefully.
I will now, to the best of my ability, tell you of the actions and causes and conditions of former lives.”
Section One: The Past Cause of Sundarī
Heard like this.
At one time, the Buddha was at the Great Anavatapta Spring together with five hundred great bhikṣus. They were all Arhats, possessing the six supernormal powers. Their renown was illustrious, their features were proper and beautiful, and each had distinct characteristics. They were not tall and not short, not white and not black, not fat and not thin. Their skin color was like the red lotus, and they were all able to control their own minds, with only one bhikṣu as an exception. Who was he? He was Ānanda.
Śāriputra rose from his lotus seat, arranged his robes, bared his right shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the lotus seat, faced the Buddha, joined his palms, and asked the World-Honored One, “The World-Honored One sees nothing that he does not see, hears nothing that he does not hear, and knows nothing that he does not know. The World-Honored One has no equal. All evils have already been extinguished, and all good qualities are universally complete. All devas, nāgas, spirits, emperors, ministers, people, and all sentient beings wish to receive your deliverance. Does the World-Honored One still have any unresolved causes and effects today? May the Buddha himself speak of these causes, so that devas and human beings and sentient beings, having heard them, may understand. On the basis of what cause did the slander involving Sundarī arise? Again, on the basis of what cause were the World-Honored One and the five hundred Arhats slandered by Śāmīvatī? On the basis of what cause did the World-Honored One have a headache? On the basis of what cause did the World-Honored One suffer pain in his joints? On the basis of what cause did the World-Honored One have stiffness in his back? On the basis of what cause did a wooden spear pierce the World-Honored One’s foot? On the basis of what cause did Devadatta throw down a stone from a cliff? On the basis of what cause did a talkative woman, among an assembly of those with outflows and those without outflows, hide a wooden basin beneath her clothing, come forward to slander you, and say, ‘Why do you not attend to your own household affairs, but instead concern yourself with other people’s idle matters? I am now about to give birth and need ghee.’ On the basis of what cause, in the village of Vīraṇa, did you and the five hundred bhikṣus eat horse grain? On the basis of what cause, in a distant place, did you practice austerities for six years and declare that you were about to become a Buddha?”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “Return to your lotus seat. I will explain for you the various causes and conditions from former lives.” Śāriputra immediately returned to his original seat. The great nāga king Anavatapta heard that the Buddha was going to explain the law of cause and effect. Filled with joy and delight, he immediately made for the Buddha a canopy of interlaced seven treasures. From within the canopy, sandalwood and powdered incense were scattered down, and their fragrance pervaded the entire place of practice. Innumerable devas, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas all came before the Buddha, joined their palms, paid homage, and stood surrounding him.
The Buddha then said to Śāriputra, “In the distant past, long ago, in the city of Benares, there was a performer of juggling arts named Clear-Eyes. He was skilled at singing and gambling. At that time there was a woman named Deer-Appearance, whose features were beautiful and whose adornment was flawless. Clear-Eyes went to Deer-Appearance and said to her, ‘Let us go out together to the woods, find a fine place, and amuse ourselves together.’ The woman replied, ‘We may.’ Deer-Appearance returned, put on splendid clothing, and came to the home of Clear-Eyes. Clear-Eyes prepared a fine carriage, rode together with Deer-Appearance, left the city of Benares, and arrived in the woods, where they amused themselves together.
“After one day and one night had passed, Clear-Eyes saw that she was wearing splendid clothing, and a greedy thought arose in his mind. He thought, ‘I will kill this woman and take her clothing.’ He further thought, ‘After killing her, how should I conceal the corpse?’ At that time, in those woods, there was a Pratyekabuddha named Favor-Tranquil, not far from where they were. Clear-Eyes further thought, ‘Each morning this Pratyekabuddha enters the city to beg for food. I can kill Deer-Appearance, bury the corpse at his dwelling place, take the clothing, and return home. Who could know that I did it?’ On the next morning, the Pratyekabuddha entered the city as usual to beg for food. Clear-Eyes seized the opportunity to kill Deer-Appearance, removed her clothing and took it away, buried the corpse at the dwelling place of Favor-Tranquil, leveled the ground as it had been before, and then drove the carriage into the city through another city gate.
“At that time, the king of the land of Benares was named Vanda. The people in the city discovered that Deer-Appearance was missing, and so they reported this to the king. The people told the king, ‘Deer-Appearance has disappeared.’ The king then summoned his ministers and ordered them to visit every household in the city in search of her. The ministers accepted the command and searched according to the order, but they could not find her in the city. They then went outside the city again and saw many birds flying about in the woods. The people then thought, ‘The city has already been searched everywhere. There must be another reason. We should go over there and look.’ They immediately went there, arrived before the dwelling place of Favor-Tranquil, searched, and found the corpse. The ministers said to Favor-Tranquil, ‘You have already committed an impure act. Why did you also kill someone?’ The Pratyekabuddha remained silent and gave no answer. They questioned him in this way three times, yet the Pratyekabuddha still did not answer. The hands and feet of Favor-Tranquil were stained with earth. This was due to causes and conditions from a former life, and therefore he remained silent and made no reply.
“The ministers then bound Favor-Tranquil’s hands behind his back, beat him, and interrogated him. At that time, a tree spirit revealed half of his body and said to the people, ‘Do not beat this man.’ The ministers said, ‘Why should we not beat him?’ The spirit said, ‘This is not his deed. He would never do such a thing.’ Although the ministers heard the spirit’s words, they were unwilling to believe them. They took this Favor-Tranquil directly to the king and reported to the king, saying, ‘This practitioner has committed an impure act and then killed her.’ When the king heard these words, he cried out in anger and said to the ministers, ‘Look at this practitioner. He has committed an unlawful act. Should this be so?’ The king ordered the ministers, ‘Quickly bind him to the back of a donkey, beat drums and parade him through the streets, then take him out through the southern gate of the city. Nail him beneath a tree, impale him on a stake, and gather archers to shoot him. If he does not die, cut off his head.’ The ministers accepted the command, quickly bound him to the back of a donkey, and beat drums as they displayed him through the streets. When the people in the city saw this scene, they were all astonished. Some believed it to be true, and some did not believe it. The people gathered to watch, crying out and grieving.
“At that time, Clear-Eyes was hiding within a ruined wall. When he heard the voices of the people discussing the matter, he secretly looked out through a crack in the wall and saw Favor-Tranquil bound with his hands behind his back on the donkey, while the people followed after him as he was taken along. He thought, ‘This practitioner is innocent and has been wrongly accused, and he is about to face death. He has no desire. I am the one who killed Deer-Appearance. It was not this practitioner. I should take death upon myself and let this practitioner live.’ After Clear-Eyes thought this through, he rushed out from the ruined wall, ran toward the crowd, and called out loudly to the officials, saying, ‘Do not let this practitioner suffer. Deer-Appearance was not killed by the practitioner. I killed her. Please release this practitioner and bind me instead. Punish me according to my offense.’ The officials were all astonished and said, ‘How could you suffer punishment in another person’s place?’ They immediately untied the Pratyekabuddha, seized Clear-Eyes, and bound his hands behind his back as they had done before. These officials all bowed to the Pratyekabuddha and apologized, saying, ‘We were foolish and ignorant, and we wrongfully accused the practitioner though he was innocent. We beg you, with a mind of great compassion, to forgive our offense, and not to let us undergo such grave retribution in the future.’ They said this three times, but Favor-Tranquil the Pratyekabuddha remained silent and gave no answer.
“The Pratyekabuddha thought, ‘I can no longer enter the city of Benares to beg for food. I should enter Nirvāṇa here before all these people.’ The Pratyekabuddha then rose into the air before the people. In the air he flew back and forth, sitting, lying down, and standing. From below his waist smoke issued forth, while above his waist flames blazed up. At times, below his waist flames blazed up, while above his waist smoke issued forth. Or from his left side smoke issued forth, while from his right side flames blazed up. Or from his left side flames blazed up, while from his right side smoke issued forth. Or from the front of his abdomen smoke issued forth, while from his back flames blazed up. Or from the front of his abdomen flames blazed up, while from his back smoke issued forth. Or below his waist flames blazed up, while above his waist water issued forth. Or below his waist water issued forth, while above his waist flames blazed up. Or from his left side flames blazed up, while from his right side water issued forth. Or from his left side water issued forth, while from his right side flames blazed up. Or from the front of his abdomen water issued forth, while from his back flames blazed up. Or from the front of his abdomen flames blazed up, while from his back water issued forth. Or from his left shoulder water issued forth, while from his right shoulder flames blazed up. Or from his left shoulder flames blazed up, while from his right shoulder water issued forth. Or from both shoulders water issued forth. Or from both shoulders flames blazed up. Then his whole body issued smoke, his whole body blazed with flames, and his whole body issued water. In this way, in the air, he burned his body and attained Nirvāṇa. At that time, the people grieved and wept. Some repented, and some bowed in homage. They collected his relics and built a stūpa at the crossing of the four main roads.
“These officials then took Clear-Eyes to King Vanda and said, ‘This man killed Deer-Appearance. It was not the practitioner who killed her.’ The king then became angry at these officials and said, ‘Why did you report a false matter before, saying that the practitioner had killed someone? Now you say it was not he. This has caused me to become one who speaks falsely and to have wrongfully accused the practitioner.’ The officials reported to the king, ‘At that time, we questioned the practitioner many times, asking why he had killed someone. At that time, the practitioner remained silent and did not answer. Moreover, his hands and feet were covered with earth. Therefore, we thought he had killed her.’ The king then ordered the officials, ‘Bind this man to the back of a donkey and take him to the south of the city. First pierce him through with a long spear, then set him upright on a piece of wood. Gather archers to shoot him. If he does not die, cut off his head.’ The officials accepted the command and immediately bound him to the back of a donkey. After beating drums and parading him through the whole city, they went out through the southern gate of the city and arrived beneath a tree. They pierced him through with a long spear and fixed him on the wood, gathered archers to shoot him, and then cut off his head.”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “Do you know who Clear-Eyes was at that time? He was I myself. Śāriputra, do you also know who Deer-Appearance was? She is Sundarī today. Śāriputra, do you know who King Vanda was at that time? He is the person who now investigated the cause of Sundarī’s death. Śāriputra, at that time I killed Deer-Appearance and wrongfully accused the Pratyekabuddha. Because of this offense, for countless thousands of years I was tormented in hell and suffered on the trees of swords. For countless thousands of years I transmigrated in the animal destiny. For countless thousands of years I suffered in the hungry ghost destiny. The residual offense from that time remained, and even though I have now become a Buddha, I still underwent the slander involving Sundarī.”
Then the Buddha spoke a verse concerning the causes and conditions of former lives:
“In the past I was named Clear-Eyes, and was a performer of miscellaneous arts.
The Pratyekabuddha was named Favor-Tranquil. Though he had no fault, I caused him to suffer.
He possessed conduct that was truly pure, yet he was disturbed and troubled by the people,
Insulted and bound, and they even wished to drive him out of the city.
When I saw this Pratyekabuddha being insulted and bound,
A mind of compassion arose in me, and I caused him to obtain release.
Because of these causes and conditions, I long endured the sufferings of hell.
The residual offense left from that time has now again brought slander upon me.
I now have no further rebirth to follow; in this life there will be an end.
Therefore in this life there is still one instance of Sundarī’s slander.
Cause and effect can never be escaped, nor will they disperse into empty space.
One should guard the three kinds of causes and conditions, and never violate them at any time.
I myself have become the honored Buddha, the leader of the three realms.
Therefore I speak of the causes and conditions of former lives here in the Great Anavatapta Spring.”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “Look at me, the Tathāgata. All evil actions have already been eliminated, and all good actions have already been fulfilled. I can deliver devas, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, emperors, ministers, and people. Flying insects and crawling worms can all obtain deliverance and reach the peaceful state of the unconditioned. Although I have such merit, I still cannot completely avoid the causes and conditions of former lives. How much more so, then, for those foolish people who have not yet attained the Way. If they cannot properly govern their own body, speech, and mind, what will become of them?”
The Buddha said to Śāriputra, “You should learn this, and so should the other Arhats and all sentient beings. You should protect the three precepts of the body, the four precepts of speech, and the three precepts of the mind. Śāriputra, you should learn these and spread them to all people.”
When the Buddha spoke these words, Śāriputra, the five hundred Arhats, the great nāga king Anavatapta, devas, nāgas, ghosts and spirits, gandharvas, asuras, garuḍas, kiṃnaras, and mahoragas, having heard the Buddha’s teaching, all accepted it with great joy and practiced it.
Dharma Torch 