:: 5. Conversion of Suprabuddha, the Leper. ::
1. Once the Exalted One was staying near Rajagraha, in the bamboo grove, at the squirrels' feeding-ground. 2. Now there lived in Rajagraha at that time a certain man, who was a leper, named Supprabuddha, a poor, wretched, miserable creature.
3. And it happened at that time that the Exalted One was sitting there in the midst of a great multitude, teaching the Dhamma.
4. And Supprabuddha, the leper, saw from afar the multitude gathered together, and at the sight he thought, " Without a doubt an alms-giving of food, both hard and soft, is toward yonder. Suppose I draw near to yonder crowd, I might get there something to eat, food soft or hard."
5. So Supprabuddha, the leper, drew near that crowd, and he beheld the Exalted One sitting there amid a great crowd, preaching the Norm. So, seeing the Exalted One he thought: "No. There is no alms-giving here of food. It is Gotama the Samana preaching the Dhamma in the assembly. Suppose I were to listen to his teaching."
6. So he sat down at one side, thinking, " I too will listen to the teaching."
7. Now the Exalted One, reading with His thought the thoughts of that whole gathering, said to Himself, " Who, I wonder, of these present, is able to grasp the Truth?" Then He saw Supprabuddha, the leper, sitting in the crowd : and at the sight of him He knew, " This one can grasp the Truth."
8. So for the sake of Supprabuddha, the leper, the Master preached a sermon, dealing in due order with these topics. On alms-giving, on the holy life, and on the heaven-world : and He pointed out the meanness and vileness of sensual desires and the profit of freedom from the asavas.
9. Now when the Exalted One saw that the heart of Supprabuddha, the leper, was softened, pliant, set free, elated, and full of faith, then He set forth to him the Dhamma most excellent of the Buddha, to wit, suffering, the cause of suffering, the ceasing of suffering, and the path.
10. Then, just as a white cloth, free from stains, is ready to receive the dye, even so in Supprabuddha, the leper, as he sat there in that very place, arose the pure stainless insight of the Truth, the knowledge that whatsoever hath a beginning, that also must have an end. And Supprabuddha, the leper, saw the Truth, reached the Truth, perceived the truth, plunged into the Truth, crossed beyond doubting, was freed from all ques-tionings, won confidence, and needing nothing further, being established in the Master's teaching, sprang up from his seat and drew near to Him, and there he sat down at one side.
11. So seated he said to the Exalted One, " Excellent, O Lord Excellent, O, Lord, just as if, Lord, one should lift up the fallen, discover the hidden, point out the way to one bewildered, show a light in the gloom, saying, ' Now they who have eyes to see can see shapes,' even so in diverse ways has the Exalted One expounded the truth. I, even I, Lord, do go for refuge to the Exalted One, to the Norm and to the Order of Brethren. May the Exalted One accept me as His follower, as one who from this time forth even to life's end has gone to refuge in Him."
12. Thereupon Supprabuddha, the leper, being taught, established, roused, and made happy by the Exalted One's pious talk, praised and welcomed His words, gave thanks and rose up from his seat, saluted the Exalted One by the right, and went away.
13. Unfortunately it came to pass that a young calf flung the leper Supprabuddha down and gored him to death.
1. Once the Exalted One was staying near Rajagraha, in the bamboo grove, at the squirrels' feeding-ground. 2. Now there lived in Rajagraha at that time a certain man, who was a leper, named Supprabuddha, a poor, wretched, miserable creature.
3. And it happened at that time that the Exalted One was sitting there in the midst of a great multitude, teaching the Dhamma.
4. And Supprabuddha, the leper, saw from afar the multitude gathered together, and at the sight he thought, " Without a doubt an alms-giving of food, both hard and soft, is toward yonder. Suppose I draw near to yonder crowd, I might get there something to eat, food soft or hard."
5. So Supprabuddha, the leper, drew near that crowd, and he beheld the Exalted One sitting there amid a great crowd, preaching the Norm. So, seeing the Exalted One he thought: "No. There is no alms-giving here of food. It is Gotama the Samana preaching the Dhamma in the assembly. Suppose I were to listen to his teaching."
6. So he sat down at one side, thinking, " I too will listen to the teaching."
7. Now the Exalted One, reading with His thought the thoughts of that whole gathering, said to Himself, " Who, I wonder, of these present, is able to grasp the Truth?" Then He saw Supprabuddha, the leper, sitting in the crowd : and at the sight of him He knew, " This one can grasp the Truth."
8. So for the sake of Supprabuddha, the leper, the Master preached a sermon, dealing in due order with these topics. On alms-giving, on the holy life, and on the heaven-world : and He pointed out the meanness and vileness of sensual desires and the profit of freedom from the asavas.
9. Now when the Exalted One saw that the heart of Supprabuddha, the leper, was softened, pliant, set free, elated, and full of faith, then He set forth to him the Dhamma most excellent of the Buddha, to wit, suffering, the cause of suffering, the ceasing of suffering, and the path.
10. Then, just as a white cloth, free from stains, is ready to receive the dye, even so in Supprabuddha, the leper, as he sat there in that very place, arose the pure stainless insight of the Truth, the knowledge that whatsoever hath a beginning, that also must have an end. And Supprabuddha, the leper, saw the Truth, reached the Truth, perceived the truth, plunged into the Truth, crossed beyond doubting, was freed from all ques-tionings, won confidence, and needing nothing further, being established in the Master's teaching, sprang up from his seat and drew near to Him, and there he sat down at one side.
11. So seated he said to the Exalted One, " Excellent, O Lord Excellent, O, Lord, just as if, Lord, one should lift up the fallen, discover the hidden, point out the way to one bewildered, show a light in the gloom, saying, ' Now they who have eyes to see can see shapes,' even so in diverse ways has the Exalted One expounded the truth. I, even I, Lord, do go for refuge to the Exalted One, to the Norm and to the Order of Brethren. May the Exalted One accept me as His follower, as one who from this time forth even to life's end has gone to refuge in Him."
12. Thereupon Supprabuddha, the leper, being taught, established, roused, and made happy by the Exalted One's pious talk, praised and welcomed His words, gave thanks and rose up from his seat, saluted the Exalted One by the right, and went away.
13. Unfortunately it came to pass that a young calf flung the leper Supprabuddha down and gored him to death.
No comments:
Post a Comment