Dharma Torch

Translated in the Western Jin Dynasty by Śramaṇa Dharma Torch

Heard like this.

At one time, the Buddha was in the Śrāvastī, in the Jetavana Grove, together with one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus and ten thousand Bodhisattvas.

At that time, in the country of Sūrya, there was a poor man who went through the streets and alleys shaving the heads of children for others. He made an agreement with all who employed him, saying, “When the wheat ripens, each of you shall give me one hu of wheat as payment.” Soon after taking leave of them and going only a short distance, he encountered another employer on the road and followed him back. He then went about asking for the wheat, but that man wanted to give him wine instead. He searched everywhere, yet not a single person returned wheat to him. Thereupon he gave rise to a mind of resentment and said, “When this life of mine comes to an end, may I become a great nāga and destroy this country.” Later, when his lifespan ended, his consciousness was reborn as a nāga. In that country, year after year the winds and rains were out of season, and all the crops were destroyed.

The Buddha, in his mind, felt compassion for the people of that country suffering from famine, and so he sent the bhikṣu Sāgata to go and deliver them. When the nāga saw the bhikṣu arrive, it gave rise to malicious thoughts, wishing to destroy the entire country and to kill Sāgata. Sāgata then transformed his alms bowl, overturning it so that it covered the whole country. The nāga brought down a great rain, thinking the country had already been submerged. By means of the Buddha’s majestic spiritual power, the bhikṣu caused the nāga to see that the people remained safe and as before. The nāga again gave rise to anger and sent down heavy snow. The bhikṣu caught the snow in his bowl. The snowfall was extremely heavy; the bhikṣu gathered it with his hands into one place, piling it up like a mountain.

Thereupon the bhikṣu entered the nāga’s dwelling, and the nāga came out; the bhikṣu followed it out. The nāga went back in, and the bhikṣu again followed it in. In this way they contended back and forth many times, until the nāga was utterly exhausted and then stopped. Kneeling on both knees, it asked, “What deity are you, that you torment me in this way?” The bhikṣu replied, “I am a disciple of the Buddha.” The nāga said, “I wish to take refuge in you.” The bhikṣu answered, “My great teacher is the Buddha, the most honored within the three realms. You should take refuge in him.” The nāga asked, “Where is the Buddha?” The bhikṣu told it, “The Buddha is in Śrāvastī.” The nāga said, “I beg you to allow me to follow you there.” The bhikṣu replied, “If you wish to go, that is most excellent.” Thereupon he placed the nāga inside a bamboo tube.

When the people saw that the bhikṣu had subdued the nāga in this manner, they were all greatly delighted and asked, “What great deity are you, that you are able to subdue this calamity of our country?” The bhikṣu told them, “I am a disciple of the Buddha.” The people asked, “May we behold the Buddha?” The bhikṣu replied, “If you wish to see the Buddha, wait until I return and then we shall speak of it.”

At that time it was nearly midday. On the road the bhikṣu encountered people offering food. Some gave him rice, others gave him wine. The bhikṣu accepted it all, ate the rice and drank the wine, until he became intoxicated and collapsed. He then lay down beneath a tree and fell asleep, while the nāga, the bowl, and the robe were scattered each in a different place.

At that moment the Buddha smiled, and five-colored light issued forth. Ānanda arranged his robe, placed his palms together, and said to the Buddha, “The Buddha does not smile without cause. When he smiles, there must surely be a reason.” The Buddha said to Ānanda, “Have you seen the bhikṣu Sāgata?” Ānanda replied, “I have not seen him.” The Buddha said, “He is now lying beneath a tree over there, drunk.”

At that time, the one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus and the ten thousand Bodhisattvas discussed among themselves, saying, “The bhikṣu Sāgata has already attained Arhatship; why then has he drunk wine and lies there intoxicated?” The Buddha knew that doubts had arisen in the minds of the assembly, and therefore he proclaimed four points: “First, if an Arhat does not enter Samādhi, he cannot know certain matters. Second, he cannot manifest spiritual transformations at will. Third, he cannot compel others to give alms of food. Fourth, there are still worms within the body. Because of these four matters, an Arhat is not equal to the Buddha.” At that time, a Bodhisattva who had originally intended to turn his aspiration toward Arhatship, upon seeing this, made his resolve in the Mahāyāna firm.

The Buddha then dispatched Maudgalyāyana to go to the bhikṣu Sāgata and have him bring the nāga. The nāga bowed with its head and face at the Buddha’s feet. The Buddha then expounded to it the causes and conditions of its past lives. The knots in the nāga’s mind were immediately untied; it received the Five Precepts, practiced the Ten Wholesome Deeds, and at once attained the fruit of Srotāpanna. After bowing to the Buddha, it departed.

At that time, the Buddha expounded the profound, subtle, and refined virtues of the bhikṣu Sāgata. Ānanda placed his palms together and said to the Buddha, “The bhikṣu Sāgata drank wine and lies there intoxicated, yet you declare his virtues to be so profound, subtle, and refined?”

The Buddha told Ānanda, “An Arhat no longer has true hunger or thirst. He relies upon three conditions to manifest the appearance of lying intoxicated. First, the Buddha intends by this to instruct and guide the minds of the Bodhisattvas. Second, he does not wish to go against the intentions of those who give alms. Third, he fears that the many disciples who have not yet attained the Way may in the future incur many faults through drinking wine. Therefore, this matter is used as a most important warning to restrain them. Although the bhikṣu Sāgata drank wine, in reality he was not intoxicated.” When the Bodhisattvas and the fourfold assembly heard the Buddha speak these words, they all rose, arranged their robes, and bowed to the Buddha.

The bhikṣu Sāgata then came forward, knelt on both knees, and said to the Buddha, “The king and the people of the country of Sūrya wish to see you.” The Buddha silently consented. Sāgata thereupon received the Buddha’s intention, and within the time of a finger snap, he returned to the country of Sūrya. When the king and the people saw the bhikṣu, they were all greatly delighted. Some bowed with their heads at his feet, some knelt, and some merely placed their palms together in greeting. The bhikṣu Sāgata told them, “The Buddha will arrive tomorrow.” When the king heard that the Buddha would come, he was greatly pleased. In advance, he had the great roads thoroughly cleaned and extensively arranged canopies along the thoroughfares.

On the following day, the Buddha, together with the one thousand two hundred and fifty bhikṣus, proceeded there, traveling through the air. Lotus flowers naturally supported the Buddha’s feet. The king, his ministers, and the people all held flowers and incense in their hands, went out of the city to receive the Buddha, prostrated themselves fully, and bowed their heads in reverence. When the Buddha and the bhikṣus arrived at the royal palace, lion seats appeared naturally, spread with fine and beautiful carpets, with canopies adorned by the seven precious substances hanging above, interlaced with five-colored ornaments. The king set forth various offerings and personally served food and drink to the Buddha and the Saṅgha. fter the meal, he presented water for washing the hands and made prayers of dedication. The Buddha then explained to the king and the people the full course of the nāga’s past causes and conditions. The minds of the king and the people were opened and resolved; they immediately received the Five Precepts, practiced the Ten Wholesome Deeds, and those who attained the fruits of Srotāpanna, Sakadāgāmin, Anāgāmin, and Arhatship were too numerous to be counted.

When the Buddha had finished speaking this Sūtra, the fourfold assembly, together with devas, nāgas, and spirits, all rejoiced and faithfully practiced in accordance with the teaching.