The original translator is unknown and is now cataloged in the Eastern Jin records.
Thus have I heard:
At one time, the Buddha was in the country of Vaiśālī. When it came to the time for eating, he entered the city to beg for alms. At that time, in the city of Vaiśālī, there was a son of a Licchavī family, named Virasena (in the language of Qin the meaning is “Brave Army”). Just as the heavenly sons and the goddesses entertain one another, at that time the prince spent the whole day in the palace entertaining with the maidens, indulging in sensual desires like the devas.
Then the Buddha, with his all-knowing wisdom, hearing the music arising from the palace, spoke to Ānanda: “I know this prince, who is attached to the pleasures of the five desires, will not live long: after seven days, he will surely abandon his relatives and pleasures and will certainly die. Ānanda, if this man does not renounce sensual pleasures and does not go forth from the household life, after death he may perhaps fall into hell.”
At that time, Ānanda, respectfully upholding the Buddha’s teaching, for the sake of benefiting this prince, went to his house. At that time the prince, having heard that Ānanda was outside, came out to pay him homage, and out of reverence invited Ānanda to enter and sit inside. After sitting for a while, the prince then, with a heart of respect, spoke to Ānanda: “Good indeed! A good friend has come; now is the proper time. Now that I see you, I leap with joy. Your name is Joy, and now you ought to instruct me, tell me the Dharma taught by the Buddha, and bring me joy.” At that time the prince requested this three times. Ānanda, wishing to bring about great benefit, remained silent and said nothing.
The prince again said: “Videhamuni, the Great Sage! You benefit all beings; why now do you bear resentment, keeping silent and saying no words, not telling me even a little?”
Then the third instructor, the holder of the treasury of Buddha’s teachings, the benefiter of the world, sorrowfully spoke: “You now listen carefully! After seven days you will meet your end. If in the midst of these pleasures of the five desires you do not awaken, and do not go forth from the household life, after death you may perhaps fall into hell. The Buddha is the All-Knowing One, one whose words are true and correct, and has predicted it thus for you. It is like fire burning things—it never shoots forth in vain. You must carefully contemplate!”
At that time the prince, having heard these words, was greatly distressed and terrified, sorrowful and joyless, and accepted Ānanda’s instruction: “I ought to go forth, but I beg permission to enjoy pleasures for six more days. On the seventh day, I will bid farewell to my family and certainly go forth.” Ānanda agreed.
On the seventh day, the prince, because of fear of birth and death, requested the Buddha to go forth. The Buddha then permitted it. After practicing and upholding the pure precepts for one day and one night, he passed away. When the cremation was completed, the venerable Ānanda together with his retinue went to inform the Buddha, saying: “World-Honored One! This bhikṣu Virasena has now passed away. Where has his consciousness been reborn?”
At that time, the Buddha, the World-Honored One, the Teacher of gods and men, the All-Knowing One, with the great Brahmā-voice surpassing the wondrous sounds of thunder-drums and kalaviṅka birds, with eight kinds of tones, told Ānanda: “This bhikṣu Virasena, because of fear of birth and death and the suffering of hell, renounced desire and went forth. Because he upheld the pure precepts for one day and one night, after leaving this world, he was born in the Heaven of the Four Great Kings as the son of the Northern King Vaiśravaṇa, freely enjoying the pleasures of the five desires, attached to the pleasures of the five desires, delighting with many maidens, with a life span of five hundred years. When the five hundred years were finished, at the end of his life he was reborn in the Heaven of the Thirty-Three as the son of Śakra, fully enjoying the supreme heavenly pleasures of the five desires, delighting with heavenly maidens at will, for a life span of one thousand years. When that life was finished, he was reborn in the Heaven of Yama as the son of King Yama, freely enjoying the heavenly pleasures of form, sound, fragrance, taste, and touch, the pleasures delightful to the mind. After enjoying the heavenly life for two thousand years, at the end of that life he was reborn as the son of the king of Tuṣita Heaven, freely enjoying the pleasures of the five desires, his eyes beholding desired forms, his mind naturally satisfied, constantly discoursing in Dharma speech and wisdom of liberation, with a heavenly life span of four thousand years. After the four thousand years were completed, at the end of his life he was reborn as the son of the king of the Heaven of Enjoying Own Creation, enjoying all kinds of wondrous pleasures of the five desires, transforming and manifesting as he wished among maidens, delighting as he pleased, for eight thousand years. When the eight thousand years were completed, at the end of that life he was reborn in the Heaven of Enjoying Others’ Emanations, as the son of the heavenly king. The pleasures of this sixth heaven cannot be compared with those of the five heavens below. Being born there, he enjoys the supreme pleasures, the treasury of all delights. While enjoying such pleasures, the mind becomes deeply intoxicated. He fully enjoys all kinds of supreme wondrous pleasures for sixteen thousand years. In this way, he enjoys pleasures and circulates seven times within the Six Desire Heavens. This Virasena, because of the cause of going forth for one day and one night, for the full measure of twenty kalpas will not fall into hell, hungry ghosts, or animal destinies, but will constantly be born among gods and men, naturally enjoying the fruits of merit. Finally, among humans, he will be born in a wealthy and joyous household, with abundant treasures and riches. After reaching maturity, when his faculties have ripened, because of fear and disgust for the calamities of birth, aging, sickness, and death, he will become weary of the world and go forth, shaving off his hair and beard, wearing the Dharma robe, diligently cultivating with vigor, upholding the four deportments, constantly practicing right mindfulness, contemplating the five aggregates as suffering, empty, and non-self, understanding the Dharma of dependent arising, and will become a Pratyekabuddha, named Virudi. At that time, he will emit great light, causing many humans and gods to give rise to wholesome roots, enabling countless beings to plant the causes and conditions of the three vehicles of liberation.”
At that time Ānanda, joining his palms, addressed the Buddha: “World-Honored One! If someone permits another to go forth; or if there is one who has gone forth, and he fulfills what is needed for him, how much merit will he obtain? And if there is someone who destroys another’s cause for going forth, what karmic retribution will he receive? May the World-Honored One fully and in detail reveal this!”
The Buddha told Ānanda: “Even if you were to spend a full one hundred years asking me about this matter, and I, with inexhaustible wisdom, without drinking or eating, were to speak extensively to you about the merits of this person for the full one hundred years, still it could not be exhausted. This person will always be born among gods and humans, constantly becoming a king, enjoying the pleasures of the heavens and the human realm. If there is someone who, within this Dharma of the śramaṇas, enables another to go forth, or who helps to bring about the causes and conditions of going forth, then throughout saṃsāra he will always enjoy happiness. Even if I were to speak of his merit for one hundred years, it could not be exhausted. Therefore, Ānanda, if you, for one hundred years, with your full life span, were to ask me, and I, until the time of my Nirvāṇa, were to speak of this merit, still it likewise could not be exhausted.”
The Buddha told Ānanda: “If someone destroys another’s cause and condition for going forth, then it is as though he has plundered the inexhaustible treasury of good fortune and merit, and has destroyed the causes of the thirty-seven factors aiding enlightenment and of Nirvāṇa. If there is someone who wishes to destroy the cause and condition of going forth, he ought to carefully contemplate this matter. Why is this so? Because, due to this sinful karma, he will fall into hell, constantly becoming blind, without eyes, undergoing extreme suffering; if he is reborn as an animal, he will often be born blind; if he is born among hungry ghosts, he will often be born blind. In the sufferings of the three evil destinies, it will take a long time before he can be released. If he is reborn as a human, in the mother’s womb, from the moment of conception, he will be blind. If you, for one hundred years, were to constantly ask about this principle, and I, for one hundred years, with inexhaustible wisdom, were to speak of this retribution, it still could not be fully spoken. In the four destinies, from birth he will constantly be blind, and I would never record that such a person would attain liberation. Why is this so? All of it is because of destroying the cause of going forth.
“Or again, one ought to have accomplished boundless merit, but because he destroyed such wholesome causes and conditions, he bears immeasurable sinful retribution, because he obstructed the cause of going forth. In this pure mirror of wisdom, which is meant for the sake of liberation in wholesome Dharma, if he sees someone going forth, upholding pure precepts, and proceeding toward liberation, yet he destroys that person’s going forth and creates obstacles—because of this cause, he is born constantly blind, not seeing Nirvāṇa; this is due to destroying the cause of going forth. One ought always to contemplate the twelve links of dependent arising such as ignorance and delusion, and thereby attain liberation; but because he has destroyed another’s wisdom-eye, and because of destroying the cause of going forth which obscures the wisdom-eye, from life to life he is constantly blind, without eyes, not seeing the three realms; this is due to obstructing the cause of going forth. One ought to see the five aggregates and the twenty kinds of self-views, and thereby enter the right path of humans; but because of destroying the cause of going forth and destroying right view, wherever he is born, he is constantly blind, not seeing the right path. One ought, by going forth, to see all dharma-collections, the abodes of wholesome Dharma, and ought to contemplate the pure Dharma-body of the Buddhas; but because of destroying the wholesome cause of going forth, wherever he is born, he is constantly blind, unable to behold the Dharma-body of the Buddha. By going forth one ought to be complete in the appearance of a śramaṇa, and with upholding of precepts become a pure field of merit, planting the cause of the Buddha-path; but because of destroying the going forth, in wholesome Dharma all hope is cut off. Because of this sinful cause, in life after life he is constantly blind; this is due to destroying the cause of going forth. By going forth one ought to clearly contemplate all body and mind as suffering, impermanent, not-self, and impure; but to destroy another’s going forth, creating obstacles for him, is to destroy this very eye. Because of destroying this very eye, he does not see the Four Paths, the Four Foundations of Mindfulness, the Four Right Efforts, the Four Bases of Supernormal Power, the Five Faculties, the Five Powers, the Seven Factors of Enlightenment, the Eightfold Path—these roads that lead to the city of Nirvāṇa. Because of this sinful cause, wherever he is born he is constantly blind, not seeing even such pure wholesome dharmas as emptiness, formlessness, and wishlessness, nor the road that leads to the city of Nirvāṇa.
“Therefore, the wise, knowing about this matter of going forth, they should accompnish this wholesome Dharma and should not destroy the causes and conditions of wholesome Dharma, thereby incurring such retribution. Whoever destroys and obstructs the causes and conditions of others’ going forth as śramaṇas with right view, will in the end never be able to behold the city of Nirvāṇa, and wherever he is born he will constantly be blind.
“If there is someone who, in other worlds, for the full span of one hundred kalpas, goes forth and upholds pure precepts, and if there is someone who, here in Jambudvīpa, goes forth and upholds precepts even for only one day and one night, or even for but a moment, going forth in purity, then the merit of that hundred-kalpa going forth and upholding precepts, compared with the latter, does not even reach one-sixteenth part.
“If there is someone who, in perverse disorder, commits incest, defiling his sisters or daughters, who in places where intercourse ought not be done, forced to do it, and who gives rise to miserliness and jealousy, the karmic retribution among these is beyond measure. Yet if there is one person who can properly contemplate, give rise to the thought of going forth, and wish to abandon all evils, but another destroys this person’s cause and condition of going forth and prevents his wish from being fulfilled, then the sinful karmic cause of this is more than hundredfold beyond the retributions mentioned before.”
At that time Ānanda again spoke to the Buddha: “World-Honored One! This Virasena, who planted wholesome roots and was born in honored places to enjoy blessings and happiness—is this because of wholesome deeds in past lives, or is it only because of the merit of going forth in this one day and one night that he receives such abundant reward?”
The Buddha told Ānanda: “You should not investigate the past causes and conditions. It is precisely because of this one day and one night of pure going forth that these wholesome roots enable him to enjoy blessings in the Six Desire Heavens seven times, to enjoy the happiness of saṃsāra for twenty kalpas. Finally, when born among humans, he will be reborn into a household of blessings and happiness. After reaching maturity, when his faculties have ripened, because of fear of the sufferings of birth, aging, sickness, and death, he will go forth and uphold precepts, and become a Pratyekabuddha.”
The Buddha told Ānanda: “Now I will give you a parable; you must listen carefully! Suppose in the Four Continents—Eastern Pūrvavideha, Southern Jambudvīpa, Western Aparagodānīya, and Northern Uttarakuru—there were Arhats filling them, as numerous as stalks in a rice or hemp forest. If there were someone who, for the full span of one hundred years, wholeheartedly made offerings to these Arhats—clothing, food, medicine, dwellings, bedding—and after their Nirvāṇa erected stūpas and temples for them, adorning with various treasures, flowers, fragrances, jeweled garlands, banners, canopies, musical instruments, suspending various precious bells, sprinkling fragrant water, praising them with various gāthās, and making offerings in all these ways—if there were someone who, for the sake of Nirvāṇa, goes forth and receives precepts, even for only one day and one night, the merit thereby would surpass that of the former by more than sixteenfold. Because of this reason, virtuous men should go forth and uphold pure precepts. Virtuous men! Whoever is in need of merit, whoever seeks wholesome Dharma, whoever himself receives the Buddha’s teaching, should not obstruct the causes and conditions of going forth, but should apply effort and skillful means to encourage and bring it to fulfillment.”
At that time, when the great assembly heard the Dharma spoken by the Buddha, all without exception became weary of the world and went forth to uphold precepts. Some attained Srotāpanna up to Arhatship; some planted wholesome roots for Pratyekabuddhahood; some aroused the unsurpassed Bodhicitta. All were filled with joy, and with heads bowed in reverence they accepted and practiced accordingly.
Dharma Torch 