The Man and the Rākṣasa's Floating Bag

At that time, the bodhisattva Kāśyapa said to the Buddha: "World-Honored One, the Tathāgata has already been freed from every illness, every affliction and suffering entirely removed, with nothing left to fear. World-Honored One, every being carries four poisoned arrows, which are the very cause of illness. What are these four? Craving, anger, delusion, and pride. Where there is a cause of illness, illness arises from it — feverish lung disease from craving, choking and vomiting from rising breath, skin eruptions, a mind thrown into confusion, dysentery and hiccupping, difficulty urinating, pain in the eyes and ears, a swollen back and distended belly, madness, wasting away, possession by evil spirits. Every buddha, every world-honored one, is entirely free of every such illness of body and mind. For what reason, then, does the Tathāgata today turn to instruct Mañjuśrī, saying: 'My back aches now — you should teach the Dharma for the great assembly in my place'? There are two causes and conditions through which one comes to be free of illness. What are these two? First, compassion for every being; second, giving medicine to the sick. The Tathāgata, in ages past, has already, throughout countless millions of kalpas, cultivated the bodhisattva path, forever speaking words of loving-kindness, benefiting beings so that they need not suffer, giving every kind of medicine to the sick — for what reason, then, does he now say of himself that he is ill?

"World-Honored One, when there is a sick person in the world, he sits or lies restlessly, unable to settle anywhere; he may call for food and drink, or instruct his household on the management of their affairs. Why, then, does the Tathāgata lie silent, teaching his disciples, the śrāvakas, none of the pāramitā of moral discipline, none of the dhyānas and liberations, none of the samāpattis, none of the right endeavors? For what reason does he not teach this very profound scripture of the Great Vehicle? Why does the Tathāgata not use his own countless skillful means to teach the great Kāśyapa, this elephant-king among humankind, and every great being, so that they never turn back from unsurpassed, complete awakening? Why does he not correct those wicked monks who keep and hoard every kind of improper possession? The World-Honored One, in truth, has no illness at all — why, then, does he lie silent, upon his right side?

"Every bodhisattva, whenever he gives medicine to the sick, gives entirely of the wholesome root thereby obtained to beings, dedicating it together toward the wisdom of all modes, for the sake of removing beings' own afflictive hindrance, karmic hindrance, and retributive hindrance. The afflictive hindrance is craving, anger, delusion, wrath, entanglement and covering, agitation, envy, stinginess, deceit, flattery, shamelessness and lack of conscience, the pride of pride, the pride of the inferior, overweening pride, the pride of self, wrong pride, arrogance, heedlessness and haughtiness, resentment and contentiousness, a crooked livelihood and obsequiousness, feigning what one is not, seeking gain through gain, seeking wrongfully and seeking too much, showing no reverence, refusing instruction, keeping company with wicked friends, an insatiable craving for gain, entanglements hard to loosen, desire for what is wrongfully desired, craving for what is wrongfully craved, the view of a fixed self, the view of existence and the view of non-existence, constant yawning and drowsiness, restless discontent, a craving appetite for food and drink, a mind clouded and confused, a mind given over to distracting notions, unwholesome reflection, much wrongdoing in body and speech, a fondness for excessive talk, faculties dull and clouded, speech given largely to falsehood, and being forever covered over by thoughts of desire, of malice, and of harm — this is called the afflictive hindrance. The karmic hindrance is the five heinous crimes, the gravest illness of wrongdoing. The retributive hindrance is being born in hell, among the animals, or among the hungry ghosts, slandering the true Dharma, or becoming an icchantika — this is called the retributive hindrance. These three hindrances together are called the great illness. And every bodhisattva, cultivating bodhi throughout countless kalpas, gives medicine to the sick of every kind, forever making this vow: that beings may forever cut off this grave illness of the three hindrances.

"Furthermore, World-Honored One, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivates bodhi, giving medicine of every kind to the sick, he forever makes this vow: that beings may forever cut off every illness, and come to accomplish the Tathāgata's own body of vajra. He further vows that every one of the countless beings may become a king among wondrous medicines, cutting off every grave illness of wrongdoing; he vows that beings may obtain the agada medicine, whose power is able to remove every one of the countless poisons there is. He further vows that beings, never turning back from unsurpassed, complete awakening, may swiftly come to accomplish the unsurpassed medicine of buddhahood, dissolving the very poisoned arrow of every affliction. He further vows that beings, diligently cultivating with all energy, may accomplish the Tathāgata's own vajra mind, becoming a subtle and wondrous medicine that heals every illness, never giving rise, in anyone, to a thought of contention. He also vows that beings may become a great medicinal tree, healing every grave illness of wrongdoing. He further vows that beings, drawing out the poisoned arrow, may come to accomplish the Tathāgata's own unsurpassed light. He further vows that beings may enter the Tathāgata's own great medicine of wisdom, the subtle and secret treasury of the Dharma. World-Honored One, the bodhisattva, in this way, has already, throughout countless hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of kalpas, made these very vows, that beings may be entirely free of illness — for what reason, then, does the Tathāgata today proclaim that he himself is ill?

"Furthermore, World-Honored One, when there is a sick person in the world, unable to sit up or rise, to bend or straighten, to move about, unable to take food or drink, unable even to swallow water, and unable, further, to instruct and admonish his own children, or manage his household affairs — at such a time, his parents, wife and children, brothers, relatives, and friends all form, of this person, the thought that he must surely die. World-Honored One, the Tathāgata today is just the same, lying upon his right side, saying nothing at all — and the foolish people of this Jambudvīpa will surely think to themselves: 'The Tathāgata, the Perfectly Awakened One, must now be about to enter nirvāṇa,' giving rise to a thought of his utter extinction. Yet the Tathāgata's own nature, in truth, never finally enters nirvāṇa at all. Why is this? Because the Tathāgata abides permanently, without change — and it is for this very reason that he should not say, 'My back now aches.'

"Furthermore, World-Honored One, when there is a sick person in the world whose body has grown emaciated and weak, lying flat or on his side, confined to his own bed — at such a time, his own household comes to regard him with contempt and disdain, giving rise to the thought that he must surely die. The Tathāgata today is just the same: he will surely be treated with contempt by every one of the ninety-five heterodox schools, who will give rise to the thought that he is impermanent. Those heterodox teachers will surely say: 'He is no match for us — for our own nature is permanent, whether we speak of mastery, of time, or of the atom, each of these abides permanently, without any change; but the ascetic Gautama is swept along by impermanence, a thing subject to change.' It is for this very reason, World-Honored One, that you should not today lie silent, upon your right side.

"Furthermore, World-Honored One, when there is a sick person in the world whose four great elements grow excessive or deficient, thrown out of balance with one another, exhausted and utterly spent, he is thereby unable to sit up or rise as he wishes, confined to his own bed. The Tathāgata's own four great elements are never anything but perfectly balanced, his bodily strength complete, never weak or exhausted at all. World-Honored One, the strength of ten small oxen does not match that of one large ox; the strength of ten large oxen does not match that of one blue-black ox; the strength of ten blue-black oxen does not match that of one ordinary elephant; the strength of ten ordinary elephants does not match that of one wild elephant; the strength of ten wild elephants does not match that of one two-tusked elephant; the strength of ten two-tusked elephants does not match that of one four-tusked elephant; the strength of ten four-tusked elephants does not match that of one white elephant of the Himalayas; the strength of ten Himalayan white elephants does not match that of one fragrant elephant; the strength of ten fragrant elephants does not match that of one blue-black elephant; the strength of ten blue-black elephants does not match that of one yellow elephant; the strength of ten yellow elephants does not match that of one red elephant; the strength of ten red elephants does not match that of one white elephant; the strength of ten white elephants does not match that of one mountain elephant; the strength of ten mountain elephants does not match that of one utpala elephant; the strength of ten utpala elephants does not match that of one kumuda elephant; the strength of ten kumuda elephants does not match that of one puṇḍarīka elephant; the strength of ten puṇḍarīka elephants does not match that of one human wrestler; the strength of ten human wrestlers does not match that of one prākhaṇḍin; the strength of ten prākhaṇḍins does not match that of one eight-armed Nārāyaṇa; and the strength of ten Nārāyaṇas does not match the strength of a single joint of one bodhisattva at the tenth abiding-stage. In every ordinary person, the body's own joints do not quite meet one another. In a human wrestler, the ends of the joints meet fully. In the body of a prākhaṇḍin, every joint connects. In the body of Nārāyaṇa, the ends of every joint interlock. In a bodhisattva at the tenth abiding-stage, every joint and bone is bound together like coiled dragons — and this is why a bodhisattva's own strength is the very greatest there is. When the world first comes into being, from the very edge of the vajra foundation there arises a vajra seat, reaching up to the bodhi tree at the seat of enlightenment; and once the bodhisattva is seated there, his mind at once attains the ten powers. The Tathāgata should not now be like a small infant — a small infant, foolish and without wisdom, unable to say anything at all, is for this very reason free to lie however he wishes, without anyone reproaching him for it.

"The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, possesses great wisdom, illuminating everything; he is the very dragon among humankind, possessed of great, majestic virtue; he has accomplished the unsurpassed sage's own supernormal powers, forever cutting through the net of every doubt, having already drawn out the poisoned arrow, moving and resting with perfect composure, complete in every dignified bearing, having attained fearlessness in every respect. Why, then, does he now lie upon his right side, causing every god and human to grieve and suffer?"

At that time, the bodhisattva Kāśyapa spoke this verse before the Buddha:

"Gautama, great and holy in virtue, please rise, and expound the wondrous Dharma —
you should not, like a small child, or one who is ill, remain lying upon your bed.

Tamer of gods and humans, reclining here between these paired trees —
foolish, lowly, ordinary people, seeing this, will surely say you must be entering nirvāṇa.

Not knowing the Vaipulya scriptures, the Buddha's own exceedingly profound conduct,
not seeing the subtle and secret treasury, they are like the blind, unable to see the path.

Only the bodhisattvas — Mañjuśrī, and others like him —
are able to understand this profound teaching, like a skilled archer striking his mark.

Every world-honored one of the three times has great compassion as his very root —
where, then, is this great compassion now?

Were there no great compassion, this could not be called Buddha at all;
were the Buddha truly to enter nirvāṇa, this could not be called permanent at all.

I ask only that the unsurpassed, honored one take pity, and accept our request,
for the benefit of all beings, and to subdue every heterodox teacher."

At that time, the World-Honored One, his heart steeped in great compassion, knowing every being's own particular thought, wishing to accord with what would ultimately benefit them, at once rose from his reclining position and sat in full lotus posture. His countenance grew radiant and joyful, like a mass of molten gold; his face and features were dignified and beautiful, like the moon at its very fullest; his whole form was pure, free of every stain and defilement, and he sent forth a great light, filling the whole of empty space. This light blazed forth, surpassing hundreds of thousands of suns, illuminating the buddha-worlds of the east, south, west, and north, and the four intermediate directions, above and below, bestowing upon beings the very torch of great wisdom, causing every dark cloud of ignorance to be entirely dispelled, and establishing hundreds of thousands of millions of nayutas of beings securely in a mind of bodhi that never turns back. At that time, the World-Honored One's mind held not a trace of doubt, and, like the lion king himself, he adorned his own body with the thirty-two marks of a great being and the eighty minor characteristics. From every single pore upon his body, a lotus flower emerged, each flower subtle and wondrous, each bearing a thousand petals, of purest golden color, its stem of lapis lazuli, its stamens of vajra, its receptacle of rose quartz, its form vast and perfectly round, like a cart-wheel — and every one of these lotus flowers sent forth light of every different color: blue, yellow, red, white, violet, and crystalline.

This light, in every ray, reached without exception into the Avīci hell, the hell of thought, the hell of the black rope, the hell of crushing assembly, the hell of screaming, the hell of great screaming, the hell of scorching heat, and the hell of great scorching heat — and the beings within these eight hells, forever pressed by every suffering there, being boiled, roasted by fire, hacked and pierced, flayed and stripped — upon encountering this very light, every such suffering was entirely extinguished, without exception, and they found peace, coolness, and boundless happiness. Within this light, the Tathāgata's own secret treasury was proclaimed, teaching that every being possesses buddha-nature; and these beings, hearing this, at once ended their lives there and were reborn among gods and humans. The light reached, further, into the eight cold-ice hells — the hell of Apapa, the hell of Aṭaṭa, the hell of Araraḥ, the hell of Ababa, the hell of Utpala, the hell of Padma, the hell of Kumuda, and the hell of Puṇḍarīka — and the beings within these, forever pressed and tormented by the suffering of cold, their bodies splitting apart, shattering, tearing at one another — upon encountering this light, every such suffering was likewise entirely extinguished, and their bodies at once found a comfortable, gentle warmth. Within this light, the Tathāgata's own secret treasury was likewise proclaimed, teaching that every being possesses buddha-nature; and these beings, hearing this, at once ended their lives there and were reborn among gods and humans. At that time, throughout this realm of Jambudvīpa and every other world, every hell was thereby left entirely empty, with no being left to receive its punishment — excepting only the icchantika. The hungry ghosts, tormented by hunger and thirst, their own hair wound about their bodies, had not, throughout hundreds of thousands of years, once heard even the word for water — yet, upon encountering this light, their hunger and thirst were at once removed. Within this light, the Tathāgata's own profound and secret treasury was likewise proclaimed, teaching that every being possesses buddha-nature; and these beings, hearing this, at once ended their lives there and were reborn among gods and humans, leaving every hungry ghost's own realm likewise entirely empty — excepting only those who slander the Vaipulya scriptures of the Great Vehicle. The animals, forever killing and devouring one another, upon encountering this light, had their every hostile thought entirely extinguished. Within this light, the Tathāgata's own secret treasury was likewise proclaimed, teaching that every being possesses buddha-nature; and these beings, hearing this, at once ended their lives there and were reborn among gods and humans — and, at that very time, the animal realm too was thereby emptied out — excepting only those who slander the true Dharma.

Within each and every one of these lotus flowers there was a single buddha, his own halo a full fathom across, his golden form gleaming brilliantly, subtle, wondrous, dignified, unsurpassed and beyond compare, his body adorned with the thirty-two marks and eighty minor characteristics. Some of these world-honored ones sat, some walked, some lay down, some stood still; some sent forth the sound of rolling thunder, some poured down rain, some sent forth flashes of lightning, some stirred up the wind; some sent forth smoke and flame, their bodies like a mass of fire; some manifested mountains of the seven treasures, ponds, springs, rivers, mountain forests and trees; some manifested lands of the seven treasures, cities, towns, villages, palaces and houses; some manifested elephants, horses, lions, tigers, wolves, peacocks, phoenixes, and every kind of bird; some manifested, for every being throughout Jambudvīpa, a vision of hell, of the animal realm, and of the hungry ghosts; some manifested the six heavens of the desire realm. Some world-honored ones taught the many faults of the aggregates, elements, and sense-fields; others taught the Four Noble Truths; others taught the causes and conditions of every dharma; others taught that every karma and affliction arises through cause and condition; others taught self and no-self; others taught the two dharmas of suffering and bliss; others taught permanence and impermanence; others taught purity and impurity. Some world-honored ones expounded, for the bodhisattvas, the practice of the six pāramitās; others taught the merit attained by the great bodhisattvas; others taught the merit attained by every buddha, every world-honored one; others taught the merit attained by the śrāvakas; others taught according with the single vehicle; others taught the accomplishment of the path through the three vehicles. Some world-honored ones sent forth water from their left side and fire from their right; some manifested their own first birth, their going forth, their sitting beneath the bodhi tree at the seat of enlightenment, their turning of the wondrous wheel of the Dharma, and their entering of nirvāṇa; some world-honored ones gave the lion's own roar, causing those in this very assembly to attain the first fruit, the second, the third, up to the fourth fruit; others taught the countless causes and conditions for departing from birth and death.

At that time, every being throughout this Jambudvīpa, upon encountering this light, found that the blind could see form, the deaf could hear sound, the mute could speak, the lame could walk, the poor obtained wealth, the stingy became able to give, the wrathful found a compassionate heart, and the faithless came to faith. In this world, at that time, not a single being cultivated any evil dharma at all — excepting only the icchantika.

At that time, every god, nāga, spirit, gandharva, asura, garuḍa, kiṃnara, mahoraga, rākṣasa, kumbhāṇḍa, umāda, apasmāra, human, and non-human, all together, with a single voice, exclaimed: "Excellent, excellent! Unsurpassed, honored one of the heavens, so greatly beneficial to all!" Having spoken these words, they leapt with joy, some singing, some dancing, their bodies swaying with delight. They scattered every kind of flower upon the Buddha and the Saṅgha — heavenly utpala flowers, kumuda flowers, padma flowers, puṇḍarīka flowers, māndārava flowers, great māndārava flowers, mañjūṣaka flowers, great mañjūṣaka flowers, and flowers of delight, great delight, fragrance, great fragrance, pleasing scent, great pleasing scent, beloved sight, great beloved sight, dignified beauty, and foremost dignified beauty. They further scattered every kind of incense — aloeswood, tagara, sandalwood, saffron, every blended fragrance, and incense gathered from the seashore — and further offered heavenly jeweled banners, pennants, and canopies, heavenly music of zither and flute, mouth-organ and lute, harp, drum, and horn, in offering to the Buddha, and spoke this verse:

"I now bow my head to the one of great diligence, the unsurpassed, perfectly awakened one, honored among the two-footed,
known by neither the great assembly of gods nor of humans — only Gautama himself is able to fully understand it.

World-Honored One, in ages past, for our own sake, you cultivated ascetic practice throughout countless kalpas —
how, then, could you suddenly set aside your own original vow, and, in a single moment, relinquish your life, wishing to enter nirvāṇa?

No being is able to see this secret treasury of every buddha, every world-honored one —
and it is for this very cause and condition that they find it so hard to escape, turning through birth and death, falling into evil destinies.

As the Buddha himself has taught, every arhat is bound, without exception, to arrive at nirvāṇa —
but this exceedingly profound domain of the Buddha's own conduct, who among ordinary, lowly, and foolish people could ever know it?

You give the dharma of nectar to every being, wishing to cut off every affliction —
and whoever has drunk of this very nectar will never again undergo birth, old age, illness, and death.

The Tathāgata, the World-Honored One, has thereby healed hundreds of thousands, countless beings,
causing every one of their grave illnesses to be entirely dissolved, with nothing left behind.

The World-Honored One long ago already set aside every illness and suffering, and is for this reason called the seventh buddha —
we ask only that you, today, rain down the rain of the Dharma, moistening the very seed of our own merit."

For this very reason, the great assembly, together with gods and humans, having made this request, fell silent and waited.

As this verse was spoken, every buddha within the lotus-flower receptacles, from Jambudvīpa all the way up to the Pure Abodes, heard it entirely.

At that time, the Buddha said to the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Excellent, excellent, good son! You have already fully accomplished wisdom of this exceedingly profound and subtle kind, never to be destroyed by any māra or heterodox teacher. Good son, you have already come to abide securely, never to be shaken by any wicked, evil wind. Good son, you have already accomplished the eloquence of one who delights to speak, having already made offerings to countless buddhas, world-honored ones, as numerous as the sands of the Ganges, in ages past — and it is for this very reason that you are able to question the Tathāgata, the Perfectly Awakened One, about a meaning such as this. Good son, I myself, in ages past, throughout countless, boundless hundreds of millions of nayutas, of hundreds of thousands, of millions of kalpas, have already removed the very root of illness, and departed forever from ever lying down in sickness. Kāśyapa, in countless asaṃkhyeya kalpas past, there appeared in the world a buddha named Unsurpassed Victor, Tathāgata, Worthy of Offerings, Perfectly and Fully Awakened, Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, Well-Gone, Knower of the World, Unsurpassed, Tamer of Beings, Teacher of Gods and Humans, Buddha, World-Honored One — and this buddha taught his own śrāvakas this very Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Great Vehicle, opening it up, distinguishing it, and revealing its meaning. I myself, at that time, was likewise a śrāvaka under that buddha, receiving and upholding this very Mahāparinirvāṇa, reciting it fluently, copying out the scripture, and, at length, opening it up and distinguishing it for the sake of others, explaining its meaning — and, through this very wholesome root, I dedicated it toward unsurpassed, complete awakening. Good son, from that time to this, I have never once had any wicked, afflictive karmic condition, never fallen into an evil destiny, never slandered the true Dharma, never become an icchantika, never received a eunuch's body, or a body without sexual organs, or with both, never turned against my own parents, never killed an arhat, never destroyed a stūpa or corrupted the Saṅgha, never drawn the Buddha's own blood, never committed one of the four gravest offenses. From that time onward, my body and mind have been at peace and ease, free of every affliction. Kāśyapa, I now, in truth, have no illness whatsoever. Why is this? Because every buddha, every world-honored one, has long ago already departed forever from every illness.

"Kāśyapa, it is because these beings do not know the secret teaching of the Vaipulya Great Vehicle that they suppose the Tathāgata to be truly ill. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is the lion among humankind, the Tathāgata, in truth, is not a lion at all — a statement of this kind is itself the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is the great dragon among humankind — I myself have already, throughout countless kalpas, forever set aside that very deed. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is a human, or a god, I myself, in truth, am neither human nor god, nor am I a spirit, a gandharva, an asura, a garuḍa, a kiṃnara, or a mahoraga; I am not a self, not a life, not something to be nourished and raised, not a human person; I am neither an agent nor a non-agent, neither a receiver nor a non-receiver, neither a world-honored one nor a śrāvaka, neither one who teaches nor one who does not teach. Every statement of this kind is entirely the Tathāgata's own secret teaching.

"Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is like the great ocean, like Sumeru, king of mountains, the Tathāgata, in truth, is not of a salty flavor, nor the same as a mountain of stone — know that this statement, too, is the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is like the puṇḍarīka lotus, I myself, in truth, am not a puṇḍarīka lotus at all — a statement of this kind is itself the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is like a parent, the Tathāgata, in truth, is not a parent at all — a statement of this kind is likewise the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is a great ship's captain, the Tathāgata, in truth, is not a ship's captain at all — a statement of this kind is likewise the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is like a caravan's leader, the Tathāgata, in truth, is not a caravan's leader at all — a statement of this kind is likewise the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is able to subdue Māra, the Tathāgata, in truth, harbors no wicked mind at all, wishing to make another submit — a statement of this kind is entirely the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, when it is said that the Tathāgata is able to treat a festering boil, I myself, in truth, am not a physician who treats boils at all — a statement of this kind is likewise the Tathāgata's own secret teaching.

"Kāśyapa, it is as I have already taught before: 'Should any good son or good daughter be well able to cultivate and discipline his own deeds of body, speech, and mind, then, at the moment he gives up his own life, though his relatives may take up his own corpse, whether burning it with fire, casting it into a great body of water, or abandoning it among the graves, where foxes, wolves, and birds of prey compete to devour it, his own mind, thought, and consciousness will nonetheless at once be reborn in a wholesome destiny. Yet this very mental process, in truth, neither comes nor goes, and arrives nowhere at all — it is truly only a succession of resembling states, one following upon another, its own character never actually differing.' A statement of this kind is itself the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. Kāśyapa, my speaking of illness now is likewise just the same — this too is the Tathāgata's own secret teaching. This is why I turned to instruct Mañjuśrī: 'My back aches now — you should teach the Dharma for the fourfold assembly in my place.' Kāśyapa, the Tathāgata, the Perfectly Awakened One, in truth has no illness at all; his lying upon his right side is likewise no final entering into nirvāṇa at all. Kāśyapa, this Mahāparinirvāṇa is itself the exceedingly profound meditative absorption of every buddha — a meditative absorption of this kind is not within the domain of any śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha at all.

"Kāśyapa, as for what you asked earlier — why does the Tathāgata recline without rising, without calling for food or drink, without instructing his household on the management of their affairs? Kāśyapa, the very nature of empty space likewise has no sitting or rising, no calling for food or drink, no instructing a household on the management of its affairs; it likewise has no coming or going, no birth or death, no youth or age, no emerging or vanishing, no injury or breaking, no bondage or liberation; it neither speaks of itself nor of another, neither understands itself nor another; it is neither at ease nor ill. Good son, every buddha, every world-honored one, is just the same, exactly like empty space — how, then, could there ever be any illness or suffering in him at all?"

"Kāśyapa, there are three kinds of person in the world whose illness is hard to treat: first, one who slanders the Great Vehicle; second, one who commits one of the five heinous crimes; third, the icchantika. These three illnesses are the very gravest in the world, and none of them can be treated by any śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva at all. Good son, it is like an illness that is certainly fatal, hard to treat — whether or not one has an attendant to nurse the patient, and whatever medicine one might give, an illness of this kind is certainly incurable, and one may know without doubt that such a person will surely die. Good son, these three kinds of person are just the same: whether any śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, or bodhisattva teaches the Dharma to them, or does not, none of them is able to cause such a person to give rise to the mind of unsurpassed, complete awakening.

"Kāśyapa, it is like a sick person who, having an attendant to nurse him and the right medicine given, may be cured — but who, lacking any of these three things, cannot be cured. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas are just the same: having heard the Dharma from a buddha or a bodhisattva, they are thereby able to give rise to the mind of unsurpassed, complete awakening — it is not that they could give rise to this mind without ever hearing the Dharma at all. Kāśyapa, it is likewise like a sick person who may be cured whether or not he has an attendant to nurse him, whether or not he is given the right medicine. There is likewise a certain kind of person who is just the same: whether he encounters a śrāvaka or not, a pratyekabuddha or not, a bodhisattva or not, a tathāgata or not, whether he hears the Dharma or not, he naturally comes to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening of himself. This refers to a person who, whether for his own sake, or another's, or out of fear, or for personal gain, or out of flattery, or even to deceive another, copies out this very Mahāparinirvāṇa, receives and upholds it, recites it, makes offerings to it and reveres it, and explains it for the sake of others."

"Kāśyapa, there are five kinds of person who, with regard to this Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Great Vehicle, still have a place of 'sickness-conduct' — unlike the Tathāgata. What are these five? The first has cut off the three fetters, attaining the fruit of stream-entry, no longer falling into hell, among the animals, or among the hungry ghosts, and, passing seven more times through the human and heavenly realms, forever cuts off every suffering and enters nirvāṇa. Kāśyapa, this is called the first person's place of sickness-conduct — such a person will, in a future age, after eighty thousand kalpas, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. Kāśyapa, the second person has cut off the bonds of the three fetters, and thinned out craving, anger, and delusion, attaining the fruit of once-returning, called 'one coming and going,' forever cutting off every suffering and entering nirvāṇa. Kāśyapa, this is called the second person's place of sickness-conduct — such a person will, in a future age, after sixty thousand kalpas, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. Kāśyapa, the third person has cut off the five lower fetters, attaining the fruit of non-returning, never coming back to this world again, forever cutting off every suffering and entering nirvāṇa — this is called the third person's place of sickness-conduct. Such a person will, in a future age, after forty thousand kalpas, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. Kāśyapa, the fourth person has forever cut off craving, anger, and delusion, attaining the fruit of arhatship, his affliction entirely exhausted, entering nirvāṇa — though not, like the solitary rhinoceros, walking a path entirely alone — this is called the fourth person's place of sickness-conduct. Such a person will, in a future age, after twenty thousand kalpas, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. Kāśyapa, the fifth person has forever cut off craving, anger, and delusion, attaining the path of the pratyekabuddha, his affliction entirely exhausted, entering nirvāṇa — truly walking the path of the solitary rhinoceros, entirely alone — this is called the fifth person's place of sickness-conduct. Such a person will, in a future age, after ten thousand kalpas, come to accomplish unsurpassed, complete awakening. Kāśyapa, this is called the fifth person's place of sickness-conduct — unlike the Tathāgata at all."

At that time, the Buddha said to the bodhisattva Kāśyapa: "Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should, with regard to this Mahāparinirvāṇa, single-mindedly reflect upon five kinds of conduct. What are these five? First, noble conduct; second, pure conduct; third, heavenly conduct; fourth, infant-like conduct; fifth, sick conduct. Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva should forever cultivate and practice these five kinds of conduct — and there is, further, one conduct that is the Tathāgata's own conduct, namely this Mahāparinirvāṇa of the Great Vehicle itself.

"Kāśyapa, how does the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivate noble conduct? Should a bodhisattva-mahāsattva, whether from a śrāvaka or from the Tathāgata himself, come to hear this Mahāparinirvāṇa, and, having heard it, give rise to faith, he should, once he has faith, reflect in this way: 'Every buddha, every world-honored one, possesses the unsurpassed path, possesses the great, true Dharma, the great assembly's own true conduct, and further possesses the Vaipulya scriptures of the Great Vehicle. I shall now, for the sake of delighting in and earnestly seeking the scriptures of the Great Vehicle, set aside my beloved wife and children, my household, the house I dwell in, gold, silver, and every precious treasure, subtle and wondrous ornaments, incense, flowers, music, male and female servants, young and old alike, elephants, horses, and carriages, cattle, sheep, chickens, dogs, pigs, and every such possession.' He then thinks further: 'Household life is cramped and confined, like a prison, and every affliction arises on account of it. The homeless life is vast and open, like empty space, and every wholesome dharma grows and increases on account of it. Should I remain a householder, I could never, for the whole of my life, purely cultivate pure conduct — I should now shave my head and beard, and go forth to study the path.' Having thought this, he resolves: 'I shall now, without fail, go forth and cultivate the unsurpassed, true path of bodhi.' When a bodhisattva wishes to go forth in this way, the heavenly Māra Pāpīyas gives rise to great distress, saying: 'This bodhisattva will surely wage a great battle against me once more.' Good son, but where, in truth, would such a bodhisattva ever wage battle against anyone at all? At that time, the bodhisattva goes at once to a monastery, and, seeing the Tathāgata and the Buddha's own disciples, their conduct complete, their faculties tranquil, their minds gentle, pure, and still, goes at once to their own place and seeks to go forth, shaving his head and beard, and donning the three Dharma robes. Having gone forth, he upholds the precepts, his conduct never lacking, moving and resting with perfect composure, transgressing in nothing at all — and, even toward the smallest offense, his heart gives rise to dread, his mind guarding the precepts as firmly as vajra.

"Good son, it is like a person carrying an inflated floating bag, wishing to cross the great ocean. There is, at that time, within the ocean, a rākṣasa demon, who at once begs this person for his own floating bag. Hearing this, the person thinks to himself: 'Should I give this to him now, I would surely sink and die.' He answers: 'Rākṣasa, you may as well kill me — you shall not have this floating bag.' The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot give me the whole of it, then grant me at least half.' The person still refuses to give it. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you will not grant me half, I beg you, then, to give me a third of it.' The person refuses. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot even do this, then give me as much as would fit in the palm of a hand.' The person refuses. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot even give me that much, then I, now starving and desperate, pressed by every suffering, beg you to save me with even as much as a single mote of dust.' The person answers: 'What you now ask is, in truth, not very much at all — yet I am only now about to cross this ocean, and do not know how near or far the way ahead may be. Should I give even this much to you, the air would gradually leak out, and how, then, could I ever survive the peril of this great ocean? I might well, midway, sink into the water and die.' Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, upholding the precepts, is just the same, guarding his own floating bag exactly as that man crossing the ocean did.

"When a bodhisattva guards the precepts in this way, the many wicked rākṣasas of affliction constantly say to him: 'You should trust me — I would never deceive you. Only break the four gravest precepts, and keep the rest — through this very cause and condition, you shall find peace and ease, and attain nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva should, at such a time, say this in reply: 'I would rather uphold these very precepts and fall into the Avīci hell than ever transgress them and be reborn in heaven instead.' The rākṣasa of affliction says further: 'If you cannot break the four gravest precepts, then break one of the offenses requiring temporary suspension — through this very cause and condition, you shall find peace and ease, and attain nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva should likewise not follow these words. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot commit an offense requiring temporary suspension, then you may at least deliberately commit an offense of gross wrongdoing — through this very cause and condition, you shall find peace and ease, and attain nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva, at such a time, likewise does not follow this. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot commit an offense of gross wrongdoing, then you may commit an offense requiring forfeiture — through this very cause and condition, you may find peace and ease, and enter nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva, at such a time, likewise does not follow this. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot commit an offense requiring forfeiture, then break an offense of simple expiation — through this very cause and condition, you shall find peace and ease, and attain nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva, at such a time, likewise does not follow this. The rākṣasa says further: 'If you cannot commit an offense of simple expiation, then I beg you, at least, to transgress an offense of wrongful conduct — through this very cause and condition, you may find peace and ease, and enter nirvāṇa.' The bodhisattva, at such a time, thinks to himself: 'Should I now commit even an offense of wrongful conduct, and fail to confess it openly, I would then be unable to cross to the far shore of birth and death, and attain nirvāṇa at all.' The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, with regard to even the smallest of these disciplinary rules, guards them with a mind as firm as vajra. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva upholds the four gravest precepts and the offense of wrongful conduct with equal reverence and firmness, without any difference at all. Should a bodhisattva be able to hold to this so firmly, he thereby fully possesses the five roots of every precept — namely, the precept of purity in the very root of a bodhisattva's own karmic action, the precept of purity in every accompanying circumstance before and after, the precept of purity in awareness that guards against every wicked thought, the precept of purity in mindfulness that protects right recollection, and the precept of dedication toward unsurpassed, complete awakening.

"Kāśyapa, this bodhisattva-mahāsattva has, further, two kinds of precept: first, the precept received through worldly instruction; second, the precept attained through the true Dharma. Should a bodhisattva attain the precept of the true Dharma, he will never commit evil at all; the precept received through worldly instruction is obtained only through the formal procedure of announcement and threefold motion. Furthermore, good son, there are two kinds of precept: first, the precepts grave by their own nature; second, the precepts that avoid what the world finds shameful. The precepts grave by their own nature are the four gravest precepts."

"As for the precepts that avoid what the world finds shameful: never engaging in trade; never using light weights or small measures to cheat others; never taking another's property by relying on someone else's power or influence; never binding or destroying another's success out of malice; never lying about in bed once the day has dawned; never engaging in landholding, farming, planting, or running a household business or shop; never keeping elephants, horses, carriages, cattle, sheep, camels, donkeys, chickens, dogs, monkeys, peacocks, parrots, jīvaṃjīvaka birds, or the kokila bird, jackals, wolves, tigers, leopards, cats, civets, pigs, or any other wild beast; never keeping young boys or girls, grown men or women, male or female servants; never keeping gold, silver, lapis lazuli, crystal, pearls, coral shell, agate, coral, jade, or any other treasure; never keeping red copper, white pewter, brass vessels, fine woolen rugs or blankets, or garments trimmed with fur; never keeping grain of any kind — wheat, barley, beans, millet, rice, or sesame, whether raw or cooked — or the utensils for preparing them; always taking only a single meal, never a second; whether begging for alms or eating within the community, always knowing when he has had enough, never accepting a special invitation apart from the community; never eating meat, never drinking wine, never eating any of the five pungent, strong-smelling plants at all — and it is for this reason that his own body carries no foul odor, and he is forever revered, honored, and praised with offerings by every god and every person in the world — eating only enough to satisfy himself, never taking more than he needs. The clothing he receives is only enough to cover his body; in every movement, he always keeps his three robes and his bowl close at hand, never once setting them aside, as a bird never parts from its own two wings. He keeps no roots, stems, cuttings, grafts, or seeds for planting; he keeps no hoard of treasure, whether gold or silver; he never makes use of food and drink stores, fine clothing and ornaments, a high and spacious bed, an ivory or golden bedframe, or woven fabric of every mixed color to sit upon; he keeps no fine, soft mats of any kind; he does not sit upon a rug of elephant or horse hide; he does not spread fine, soft, exquisite garments upon his bed to lie on, nor does he place two pillows at either end of his bed, nor does he keep a fine, red-lacquered pillow, or one filled with yellow wood shavings. He never watches contests between elephants, horses, chariots, soldiers, men, women, cattle, sheep, buffalo, chickens, pheasants, or parrots, nor does he deliberately go to watch a military review; he should never deliberately listen to the blowing of conches, the beating of drums and horns, the sound of zither and lute, of pipe and flute, of harp and song, or any kind of music, except in offering to the Buddha. He never watches games of chance, board games, dice, wrestling matches between lions or elephants, checkers, gambling, ball games, stone-throwing, arrow-pitching, tug-of-war, the eight-path game, or any kind of frivolous entertainment at all. He never reads palms, feet, or faces to divine another's fortune; he never practices divination with a mirror and claws, with milfoil stalks, with willow branches, with a begging bowl, or with a skull; nor does he gaze up at the stars in the sky, except to relieve drowsiness. He never carries messages back and forth for a royal household, speaking this person's words to that one, and that one's words to this. He never flatters or fawns, sustaining himself through a crooked livelihood; nor does he speak of the affairs of kings and ministers, of thieves and warfare, of food and territory, of famine and terror, or of abundance and peace. Good son, this is what is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's own precepts for avoiding what the world finds shameful. Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, holding firmly to these restraining precepts, keeps them with the very same, undivided reverence as the precepts grave by their own nature."

"Good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having received and upheld precepts of this kind, makes this vow: 'I would rather cast this very body into a deep pit of blazing, fierce fire than ever transgress the precepts established by every buddha of the past, future, and present, and engage in impure conduct with a kṣatriya woman, a brāhmaṇa woman, or a householder's wife.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have my body wrapped entirely around with burning-hot iron than ever dare, with a body that has broken the precepts, to receive the robes of a faithful donor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather swallow a ball of burning-hot iron with this very mouth than ever dare, with a mouth that has broken the precepts, to eat the food and drink of a faithful donor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather lie this body down upon burning-hot iron than ever dare, with a body that has broken the precepts, to receive the bedding and furnishings of a faithful donor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have my body pierced by three hundred spears than ever dare, with a body that has broken the precepts, to receive the medicine of a faithful donor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather cast this body into a burning-hot iron cauldron than, having broken the precepts, receive the house and dwelling of a faithful donor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have this body pounded to pieces with an iron hammer, from head to foot, until it is like fine dust, than, having broken the precepts, receive the reverence and homage of any kṣatriya, brāhmaṇa, or householder.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have burning-hot iron gouge out both my eyes than gaze, with a defiled mind, upon another's attractive form.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have iron awls pierce my whole body through than listen, with a defiled mind, to any pleasing sound.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have a sharp blade cut off my own nose than crave, with a defiled mind, any fragrant scent.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have a sharp blade slice apart my own tongue than crave, with a defiled mind, any delicious flavor.' Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva makes this further vow: 'I would rather have a sharp axe hack this body to pieces than crave, with a defiled mind, any touch at all. Why is this? Because it is through this very cause and condition that a practitioner comes to fall into hell, among the animals, or among the hungry ghosts.' Kāśyapa, this is what is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's own upholding of the precepts. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, having upheld precepts of this kind, gives them entirely to every being. Through this very cause and condition, he vows that beings may uphold the precepts, and attain the pure precept, the wholesome precept, the unbroken precept, the unshattered precept, the precept of the Great Vehicle, the precept that never turns back, the precept in accord, the ultimate precept, fully and completely accomplishing the precept of the pāramitā.

"Good son, when the bodhisattva-mahāsattva cultivates and upholds precepts of this pure kind, he thereby comes to abide at the first unshakable ground. What is meant by the unshakable ground? A bodhisattva abiding within this unshakable ground is unmoved, unfallen, never turns back, and is never scattered. Good son, it is like Mount Sumeru, which even the fiercest cyclone wind at the end of an age cannot move, cause to fall, or scatter. The bodhisattva-mahāsattva, abiding at this ground, is just the same: he is not moved by form, sound, smell, or taste; he does not fall into hell, among the animals, or among the hungry ghosts; he does not turn back to the level of the śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha; he is not scattered by the wicked wind of any heterodox view into pursuing a crooked livelihood. Furthermore, good son, 'unmoved' further means not moved by craving, anger, or delusion; 'unfallen' further means not falling into one of the four gravest offenses; 'never turning back' further means never turning back from the precepts to return to household life; and 'never scattered' further means never being scattered and destroyed by those who oppose the scriptures of the Great Vehicle. Furthermore, good son, the bodhisattva-mahāsattva is likewise never shaken by any māra of affliction, never made to fall by the māra of the aggregates; and, even seated beneath the bodhi tree at the very seat of enlightenment, though the heavenly māra be present, he can never be made to turn back from unsurpassed, complete awakening, nor is he ever scattered by the māra of death. Good son, this is what is called the bodhisattva-mahāsattva's own cultivation of noble conduct.

"Good son, what is meant by 'noble conduct'? Noble conduct is called so because it is the conduct practiced by every buddha and bodhisattva — and this is why it is called noble conduct. For what reason are buddhas and bodhisattvas called noble ones? People of this kind are called noble ones because they possess the noble Dharma, forever contemplating the empty, still nature of every dharma — it is for this very reason that they are called noble ones. Because they possess the noble precepts, they are likewise called noble ones. Because they possess noble concentration and wisdom, they are called noble ones. Because they possess the seven noble treasures — namely, faith, moral discipline, a sense of shame before oneself, a sense of shame before others, extensive learning, wisdom, and renunciation — they are called noble ones. Because they possess the seven factors of noble awakening, they are called noble ones. It is for this very reason that this is also called noble conduct."