Translated by Śramaṇa Bai Fa Zu of the Western Jin Dynasty
The Buddha was on Vulture Peak with five hundred bhikṣus, all of whom had attained the fruition of Arhatship. In the early morning, the Buddha and the bhikṣus, clad in their robes and carrying their alms bowls, entered the city to beg for alms.
At that time, there lived in the city a wealthy elder. This elder resided in a place of high elevation and dry ground. His residence and upper chambers were splendidly constructed. His dwelling was surrounded by walls, with seven layers of gates set up both inside and out. The elder’s name was Dhanikane. Dhanikane had a son named Śi, who was only sixteen years old. As Dhanikane had passed away, only Śi remained, living alone with his mother.
The Buddha went to Dhanikane’s house to beg for alms. At that time, Śi was staying inside, beyond the third gate. From afar, Śi saw the Buddha approaching, and joy arose in his heart. Śi thought to himself, “How is it that this person is so splendid in appearance, so supremely upright? He is like a luminous pearl of the night, emitting radiance like the sun and the moon. His skin is golden in hue, and his features are as full as the moon on the fifteenth night.”
At that moment, the Buddha arrived at the gate. Śi went in and said to his mother, “I saw someone approaching, extremely upright in appearance—truly, no one in the world could compare with him. Since I was born, I have never seen such a person. He is now at our gate, seeking alms.” Śi said to his mother, “I wish to offer him what he needs.”
Śi’s mother was extremely stingy and was unwilling to give anything. Śi tried to persuade his mother, saying, “All those in the world who are stingy gain no benefit for their bodies. That is no ordinary person—one ought to give alms to him.”
Still, the mother refused. Śi again persuaded her: “The person passing through this place is a guide who rescues the world. Giving alms to him is like a sick person obtaining a good doctor.”
Śi further said, “Even if only for my sake, please give alms to him. This person is renowned throughout the world and is now at our gate.”
Still, the mother remained unwilling to give. Śi repeatedly pleaded with her, to the point that she became furious. The mother said to Śi, “You keep disturbing me—I’m so annoyed. That person is not here for food; he just wants to lure you outside. You are just a child—how could you understand such things? If you continues to insist, I will strike you with a stick, and that will make you stop.”
The Buddha had long known that Śi’s mother was stingy, so he emitted a miraculous light through his majestic power, illuminating within and beyond the seven gates. Śi saw the light emitted by the Buddha, and his heart immediately awakened and was freed. He went again to his mother and said, “Ignorant people who do not understand giving are like blind people falling into a pit of fire. Ignorant people fall into the fire pit precisely because they are blind and have no eyes. People in this world know only stinginess—they harbor evil thoughts, speak evil words, and perform evil deeds with their bodies. Ignorant people do not believe in the Buddha, do not believe in the Dharma, and after death will fall into the realms of hell, animals, or hungry ghosts. If a person can refrain from stinginess, then by performing wholesome actions with the body, speaking kind words, and harboring good thoughts, blessings will naturally continue without end. One with wisdom should offer food to the Buddha. People should often follow those who possess wisdom so that they may gain understanding.”
Śi said to his mother, “If you are unwilling to give alms, then I will go and take my own meal for the day. I won’t eat today—I will offer my own portion of food to him. I beg you, quickly give me my share of the meal. I fear that he may leave without me. Such a person is truly difficult to encounter.”
His mother still refused to give. So Śi went and took the food himself. He carried fine, well-made casual clothing, took the food, and went out to where the Buddha was. Śi stepped forward, bowed with his head and face touching the Buddha’s feet, spread his hands apart, and said to the Buddha, “I have brought my own clothing and food. I wish to offer these to the Buddha.” The Buddha remained silent and did not respond. Śi again said to the Buddha, “The Buddha is the parent of all beings under heaven and should save and liberate us. I beg you to accept this—it will allow me to obtain merit.” After Śi made this request three times, the Buddha accepted the clothing and food he offered. Śi was overjoyed.
The Buddha said to Śi, “You are able to subdue many stingy people. Today you have given clothing and food to the Buddha, and the Buddha shall act in accordance with your wishes.”
Śi was filled with joy and expressed his aspiration to the Buddha: “I do not wish to become the second Śakra, Lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, nor do I wish to become Brahmā, nor to be a wealthy and honored person in the world. I only wish that the Buddha may cause me to obtain radiant wisdom, like the Buddha himself.”
The Buddha said, “Excellent indeed! The aspiration in your heart shall all be fulfilled.”
At that time, Śakra, Lord of the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, was standing behind the Buddha with his palms joined. When he heard Śi’s words, he came to the front beside the Buddha and said to Śi, “You wish to become a Buddha—how extremely difficult that is. Even if you pass through ten kalpas, a hundred kalpas, a thousand kalpas, ten thousand kalpas, or even a hundred million kalpas, you still may not become a Buddha. Today you brought just a small amount of food and clothing to offer to the Buddha, and you think you can become a Buddha? That is impossible.”
Śakra continued, “Even if you brought offerings of the four great treasures equal in size to Mount Sumeru, and even if you showed a heart of compassion toward all beings in the world—if you continued in this way for one hundred thousand kalpas, for a million kalpas, for ten million kalpas—you still would not become a Buddha.”
Śi replied to Śakra, “It is like a craftsman who enters the mountains with an axe, intending to cut wood—he will surely choose the good, straight, and suitable trees before chopping. In the same way,” Śi said, “I don’t even need to offer a single meal or a single garment to the Buddha in order to attain Buddhahood. If I only maintain a heart of goodness and diligently reflect without laziness, I shall certainly attain Buddhahood.”
Śakra advised Śi, “Your vow to become a Buddha is extremely arduous. It would be better to aspire to become Brahmā or Śakra instead.”
Śi replied, “You see this world of Jambudvīpa—even if it were filled with fire, and the flames reached the heavens, and I were thrown into it—I would still resolutely vow to become a Buddha and never cease.”
Śakra responded, “If you fill the world of Jambudvīpa with fire, then wouldn’t all the people, animals, insects, and creeping creatures of the world be killed by you? By going against compassion and harboring evil intentions, you would fall into hell. How then could you become a Buddha?”
Śi answered, “As for the people, the insects, and creeping beings of the world, I entrust them all, with a heart of compassion, to Maitreya Buddha. Maitreya Buddha will naturally rescue and liberate them. My vow to attain the path of Buddhahood shall never stop.”
Śi then said to Śakra, “Though the Brahmā King is indeed exalted and honored, he too must ultimately succumb to impermanence. There is no one who can escape death.”
Śakra joined his palms and replied to Śi, “You harbor a steadfast resolve and persistently seek Buddhahood—surely, you shall attain Buddhahood.”
Śi responded to Śakra, “Do not think that just because you dwell in the heavenly realm, you are superior. There are those even greater than you.”
Śi said, “If I seek Buddhahood with a compassionate heart, diligently and without slackening, then I will certainly attain Buddhahood.” Śakra remained silent.
The Buddha said to Śi, “In the past, you have offered food in support of sixty thousand Buddhas. Your heart has always aspired toward Buddhahood. With a mind of goodness, you have long made offerings to the Buddhas.”
The Buddha continued, “For the next two hundred trillion kalpas, you shall no longer be reborn into the realms of hell, animals, or hungry ghosts.”
The Buddha further said to Śi, “Because you often made offerings to the Buddhas with a compassionate heart, in the future you shall become a Gold Wheel-Turning King, and the kings of one billion small countries will submit to you. You will rule over the four continents, and you will often travel through the skies. All your actions will be in accord with the true Dharma. After your life as a Gold Wheel-Turning King comes to an end, you shall be reborn in the Brahmā Heaven and the Tuṣita Heaven. After completing your life span in the heavens, you shall descend again and become a Gold Wheel-Turning King. After that life ends, you shall again be reborn in the Brahmā Heaven. In this way, ascending and descending, after two hundred trillion kalpas, you will attain Buddhahood. Your name will be Sumekalpa. At that time, you will save and liberate beings in both the heavens and the human world. When you are born on Earth, your radiance will illuminate three thousand Mount Sumerus, and your light will reach the twenty-eight levels of the heavens. The heavens and the earth will quake mightily; day and night will be filled with light. At that time, the human lifespan will be seven hundred billion years. Your body will be three hundred toise tall. In your country there will be twelve thousand cities, each with a circumference of two hundred and forty miles. The gates of these cities will be engraved with the Seven Treasures.
“When you become a Buddha, you will gather many śramaṇas to expound the Dharma. During the first Dharma assembly, six hundred billion śramaṇas will attain Arhatship. In the second Dharma assembly, four hundred billion śramaṇas will attain Arhatship. At that time, there will be no theft among the people in your land. Men and women will be of one mind, and the people will not commit evil. All the painful and bitter evil destinies will be sealed off. In that land there will be no mountains, forests, streams, or valleys—the earth will be entirely flat and level. People will have no illness, no grief, and all will be joyful. The places where people reside will naturally be protected. Rain will fall from the sky three times a day, just enough to settle the dust. Whenever people wish to discuss matters, they will gather together in harmony. In that Buddha land, the summers will not be too hot, the winters not too cold—the temperature will be just right.
“The Dharma hall where you will teach the Buddha-Dharma will be called Nandita. If anyone makes offerings to the Buddha or to Arhats, wishing thereby to attain Buddhahood, or to become a Pratyekabuddha, or an Arhat—they will all be able to attain the path of Buddhahood. One must not fail to seek the wisdom of the Buddha. The worlds of the ten directions are immeasurable, limitless, and without end. The wisdom of the Buddha is also like this—without end. People in the world do not know where they were born from, nor do they know where they will go after death.”
When the Buddha had finished speaking this Śi sūtra, the bhikṣus, and Śakra, Lord of the Heavens, all made reverent obeisance to the Buddha.
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