6 （六）转轮圣王修行经

Thus have I heard:

Once, the Buddha was traveling in the human realm of Māraheṣu, gradually arriving in the country of Mālu with a group of 1,250 bhikṣus.

At that time, the World-Honored One told the bhikṣus, "You should burn yourselves, burn the Dharma, and not be burned by others; you should take refuge in yourselves, take refuge in the Dharma, and not take refuge in others. How should bhikṣus burn themselves, burn the Dharma, and not be burned by others; take refuge in themselves, take refuge in the Dharma, and not take refuge in others? Here, bhikṣus contemplate the body internally, diligently and tirelessly, with mindfulness and non-forgetfulness, eliminating worldly greed and sorrow; contemplating the body externally, contemplating the body internally and externally, diligently and tirelessly, with mindfulness and non-forgetfulness, eliminating worldly greed and sorrow. Contemplating feelings, mind, and dharmas are also like this. This is called bhikṣus burning themselves, burning the Dharma, and not being burned by others; taking refuge in themselves, taking refuge in the Dharma, and not taking refuge in others.

Those who practice like this cannot be disturbed by Māra, and their merits increase day by day. Why is this? Long ago, in the distant past, there was a king named Firm Mindfulness, of the kṣatriya water-sprinkled head class, who became a wheel-turning sage king, ruling the four continents. At that time, the king ruled freely by the Dharma, outstanding among humans, with the seven treasures complete: first, the golden wheel treasure; second, the white elephant treasure; third, the dark horse treasure; fourth, the divine jewel treasure; fifth, the jade woman treasure; sixth, the householder treasure; seventh, the military commander treasure. He had a thousand sons, brave and valiant, able to subdue enemies without resorting to weapons, naturally bringing peace. After a long reign, the king's golden wheel treasure suddenly left its original place in the sky. The wheel keeper quickly went to inform the king: 'Great King! You should know that now the wheel treasure has left its original place.' When King Firm Mindfulness heard this, he thought: 'I have heard from the elders of the past that if the wheel treasure of a wheel-turning sage king moves, the king's life is short. I have already enjoyed human blessings and happiness. I should make further arrangements to enjoy heavenly blessings and happiness. I shall appoint a crown prince to rule the four continents, and separately grant a fief to the tonsure master. I shall shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, and leave home to cultivate the path.'

At that time, King Firm Mindfulness immediately ordered the crown prince, saying: 'Do you know? I have heard from the elders of the past that if the golden wheel of a wheel-turning sage king leaves its original place, the king's life is short. I have already enjoyed human blessings and happiness. I should make further arrangements to enjoy heavenly blessings and happiness. I now wish to shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, leave home to cultivate the path, and entrust the four continents to you. You should be diligent and care for the people and things.' At that time, the crown prince accepted the king's instructions. Then, King Firm Mindfulness immediately shaved his beard and hair, wore the three Dharma robes, left home to cultivate the path.

After the king left home for seven days, the golden wheel treasure suddenly disappeared. The wheel keeper went to inform the king: 'Great King! You should know that now the wheel treasure has suddenly disappeared.' The king was displeased and went to King Firm Mindfulness. Upon arrival, he said to the king: 'Father King! You should know that now the wheel treasure has suddenly disappeared.' At that time, King Firm Mindfulness replied to his son: 'Do not be worried and displeased. This golden wheel treasure is not your father's possession. You should diligently practice the righteous Dharma of a sage king. After practicing the righteous Dharma, on the fifteenth day of the month, when the moon is full, bathe in fragrant water, surrounded by court ladies, ascend to the Dharma Hall, and the divine golden wheel will naturally appear. The wheel has a thousand spokes, with complete radiant colors, crafted by celestial artisans, not existing in the world.'

The son said to the father king: 'What is the righteous Dharma of a wheel-turning sage king? How should it be practiced?' The king told his son: 'One should rely on the Dharma, establish the Dharma, respect and honor the Dharma, observe the Dharma, take the Dharma as the foremost, and protect the righteous Dharma; one should also teach the Dharma to the court ladies, and protect and instruct the princes, ministers, officials, and all the people, including śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas, down to birds and beasts, all of whom should be protected and instructed.'

"He further told his son: 'Also, in your territory, there are śramaṇas and brāhmaṇas who practice purity, are endowed with merit, are diligent and tireless, are free from arrogance, are patient and kind, practice in solitude, rest in solitude, attain nirvāṇa in solitude, eliminate greed themselves and teach others to eliminate greed; eliminate anger themselves and teach others to eliminate anger; eliminate delusion themselves and teach others to eliminate delusion. They are not defiled by defilements, not evil in evil, not foolish in foolishness, are attached to what is attachable, dwell in what is dwellable, and live in what is livable. Their physical actions are straightforward, their verbal expressions are straightforward, their mental thoughts are straightforward; their physical actions are pure, their verbal expressions are pure, their mental thoughts are pure, their mindfulness is pure, their kindness and wisdom are inexhaustible, they are content with their robes and food, they beg for alms with their bowls, and they bring blessings to sentient beings. If there are such people, you should frequently visit them, ask them about their practices at any time, what is good and what is bad, what is an offense and what is not an offense, who is worthy of friendship and who is not, what should be done and what should not be done, and what Dharma should be practiced to experience happiness for a long time. After you have asked, observe with your mind, and do what is appropriate. In the country, there are orphans and the elderly who should be supported; if the poor and destitute come to take [from you], do not be disobedient. There are old customs in the country that you should not change. This is the Dharma practiced by the wheel-turning sage kings. You should follow it.'"

The Buddha told the bhikṣus: "At that time, the wheel-turning sage king, having received his father's instructions, practiced accordingly. Later, on the full moon day of the fifteenth, he bathed in fragrant water, ascended to the high palace, surrounded by court ladies, and the naturally-occurring wheel treasure suddenly appeared before him. The wheel had a thousand spokes, complete with radiant colors, crafted by celestial artisans, not of this world, made of pure gold, with a diameter of four zhang. At that time, the wheel-turning sage king silently thought to himself: 'I have heard from the elders of the past that if a kṣatriya king of the water-sprinkled lineage, on the full moon day of the fifteenth, bathes in fragrant water, ascends to the jeweled palace, surrounded by court ladies, and a naturally-occurring golden wheel suddenly appears before him, with a thousand spokes, complete with radiant colors, crafted by celestial artisans, not of this world, made of pure gold, with a diameter of four zhang, then he is called a wheel-turning sage king. Now that this wheel has appeared, could it be so? Now I should test this wheel treasure.'"

"At that time, the wheel-turning sage king immediately summoned the four divisions of troops, faced the golden wheel treasure, bared his right arm, touched the ground with his right knee, and again stroked the golden wheel with his right hand, saying: 'Turn towards the east according to the Dharma, do not violate the usual principles.' The wheel then turned east. At that time, the king immediately led the four divisions of troops to follow behind. There were four divine guides in front of the golden wheel treasure. Wherever the wheel stopped, the king would halt his carriage. At that time, the kings of the small countries in the east saw the great king arrive. They came to the king's place with a golden bowl filled with silver grains and a silver bowl filled with golden grains, bowed their heads, and said: 'Welcome, great king! This land in the east is rich and prosperous, with a flourishing population. The people are kind and gentle, filial, loyal, and obedient. We only wish that the sage king would rule here. We will provide servants and attendants, and accept what is due.' At that time, the wheel-turning sage king said to the small kings: 'Stop! Stop! All of you are already making offerings to me. You should only rule with the right Dharma, do not be biased or unjust. Do not let there be any unrighteous conduct in the country. This is called my rule.'"

"At that time, the small kings, having heard this instruction, followed the great king on a tour of the countries, reaching the eastern seacoast. Then they proceeded to the south, west, and north, wherever the wheel went. The kings of those countries each offered their lands, just like the small countries in the east. At that time, the wheel-turning sage king, having followed the golden wheel on a tour of the four seas, enlightened and comforted the people with the Dharma, and returned to his own country. At that time, the golden wheel treasure hovered in the sky above the palace gate. The wheel-turning sage king joyfully said: 'This golden wheel treasure is truly a good omen for me. I am now truly a wheel-turning sage king. This is the accomplishment of the golden wheel treasure.'"

"After the king had ruled for a long time, the golden wheel treasure suddenly left its original place in the sky. The one in charge of the wheel quickly went to inform the king: 'Great King! You should know that now the wheel treasure has left its original place.' When the king heard this, he thought to himself: 'I have heard from the elders of the past that if the wheel treasure of a wheel-turning sage king moves, the king's life is not long. I have already enjoyed the blessings of humans. I should make further arrangements to enjoy the blessings of the heavens. I shall appoint a crown prince to rule the four continents, and separately grant a fief to the tonsure master, allowing him to shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, and leave home to practice the Way.'"

At that time, the king immediately ordered the crown prince and said to him: 'Do you know? I have heard from the elders of the past that if the golden wheel treasure of a wheel-turning sage king leaves its original place, the king's life is not long. I have already enjoyed the blessings of humans. I shall make further arrangements to enjoy the blessings of the heavens. Now I wish to shave my beard and hair, wear the three Dharma robes, leave home to practice the Way, and entrust the four continents to you. You should strive to care for the people and the land.' At that time, the crown prince having received the king's instructions, the king then shaved his beard and hair, wore the three Dharma robes, and left home to practice the Way. After seven days had passed since the king left home, the golden wheel treasure suddenly disappeared. The one in charge of the golden wheel went to inform the king, saying: 'Great King! You should know that now the wheel treasure has suddenly disappeared.' When the king heard this, he did not worry about it, and also did not go to ask the father king's intention. At that time, the father king suddenly passed away.

From this point on, six wheel-turning sage kings all succeeded each other, ruling with the right Dharma. Only this one king ruled the country on his own, not following the old laws. His rule was not just, and the people complained. The territory declined, and the people withered. At that time, a brāhman minister went to inform the king, saying: 'Great King! You should know that now the territory is declining, and the people are withering, unlike before. The king now has many knowledgeable people in the country, who are wise and well-versed, clear about the past and present, and know the methods of governance of the former kings. Why not summon them and ask what they know? They will surely answer.' At that time, the king immediately summoned the ministers and asked about the way of governance of the former kings. At that time, the wise ministers fully answered with the matter. The king, having heard their words, immediately implemented the old governance, protecting the world with the Dharma. However, he was unable to rescue the orphaned and elderly, and provide for the destitute.

At that time, the people of the country became increasingly poor and destitute, and they began to encroach upon and rob each other. Thieves became rampant. Those who were caught were brought before the king and said: 'This person is a thief. Please punish him.' The king then asked: 'Did you really commit theft?' They replied: 'It is true! We are poor and hungry, unable to support ourselves, so we became thieves.' At that time, the king immediately took out treasury goods to supply them, and told them: 'Use these goods to support your parents and take care of your relatives. From now on, do not steal again.' Other people heard that those who became thieves were given wealth by the king, so they also went out to rob others' belongings. Again, they were caught by the watchmen and brought before the king, who said: 'This person is a thief. Please punish him.' The king again asked: 'Did you really commit theft?' They replied: 'It is true! We are poor and hungry, unable to support ourselves, so we became thieves.' At that time, the king again took out treasury goods to supply them, and again told them: 'Use these goods to support your parents and take care of your relatives. From now on, do not steal again.'

Again, some people heard that those who became thieves were given wealth by the king, so they also went out to rob others' belongings. Again, they were caught by the watchmen and brought before the king, who said: 'This person is a thief. Please punish him.' The king again asked: 'Did you really commit theft?' They replied: 'It is true! We are poor and hungry, unable to support ourselves, so we became thieves.' At that time, the king thought: 'Those who became thieves before, I saw them as poor and gave them wealth, thinking it would stop them. But other people heard about it and followed suit, and thieves became more and more rampant, like this without end. Should I now rather shackle these people, parade them through the streets, and then take them out of the city to be executed in the wilderness, to warn later people?'

At that time, the king ordered his attendants to arrest and shackle them, beat the drum and proclaim it throughout the streets and alleys, and then take them out of the city to be executed in the wilderness. The people of the country all knew that those who became thieves were arrested and shackled by the king, paraded through the streets, and executed in the wilderness. At that time, the people spoke to each other, saying: 'If we become thieves, we will also be like this, no different from them.' Then, the people of the country, in order to protect themselves, began to make weapons, swords, bows and arrows, and attacked and robbed each other. From this time on, the king began to have poverty, and with poverty came robbery, with robbery came weapons, with weapons came killing, and with killing came a haggard complexion and a short lifespan. At that time, people lived for exactly forty thousand years, but later it decreased to twenty thousand years. However, among those beings, some had a lifespan, some had premature death, some had suffering, and some had happiness. Those who had suffering gave rise to thoughts of sexual misconduct and greed, and devised many means to scheme for others' possessions. At that time, the beings became poor and robbed, and the use of weapons and killing became more and more rampant. The lifespan of people decreased further, to ten thousand years.

At the age of ten thousand years, beings again robbed each other. They were caught by the watchmen and brought before the king, who said: 'This person is a thief. Please punish him.' The king asked: 'Did you really commit theft?' They replied: 'I did not!' Then they deliberately told lies in the assembly. At that time, those beings, due to poverty, engaged in robbery. Because of robbery, there were weapons. Because of weapons, there was killing. Because of killing, there was greed and sexual misconduct. Because of greed and sexual misconduct, there was lying. Because of lying, their lifespan decreased further, to one thousand years. At the age of one thousand years, the three evil verbal actions first arose in the world: one, divisive speech; two, harsh speech; three, frivolous speech. These three evil actions became more and more rampant, and the lifespan of people decreased further to five hundred years. At the age of five hundred years, beings again gave rise to three evil actions: one, unlawful sexual desire; two, unlawful greed; three, wrong views. These three evil actions became more and more rampant, and the lifespan of people decreased further to three hundred and two hundred years. Now, the lifespan of people in my time is up to one hundred years, with few living longer and many dying younger.

In this way, the evil deeds continue, and the lifespan decreases further. It will be reduced to ten years. At the age of ten years, girls will be married at the age of five. At that time, in the world, the names of butter, oil, rock candy, and black rock candy, and all delicious flavors will no longer be heard. Rice and wheat will turn into weeds. The famous garments of silk, brocade, satin, and white wool will no longer be seen. Coarse woolen thread will be used as the best clothing. At that time, this land will give rise to many thorns, mosquitoes, flies, lice, snakes, scorpions, bees, and poisonous insects. Gold, silver, lapis lazuli, pearls, and precious gems will all disappear into the ground, and pottery, stones, sand, and gravel will appear on the ground.

At that time, beings will never again hear the name of the ten wholesome deeds, but only the ten unwholesome deeds will fill the world. At that time, there will be no name for wholesome dharmas. How can those people cultivate wholesome practices? At that time, beings will be able to do extreme evil, not filial to their parents, not respecting their teachers and elders, not loyal and righteous, but rather rebellious and unrighteous. They will then be respected. Now, those who can cultivate wholesome practices, be filial to their parents, respect their teachers and elders, be loyal and righteous, and practice in accordance with the Way are respected. At that time, beings will cultivate the ten unwholesome deeds a lot, and fall into evil paths a lot. When beings see each other, they always want to kill each other, just like hunters seeing a herd of deer. At that time, this land will have many ditches, ravines, deep valleys, and vast areas with few people. Traveling will be fearful. At that time, there will be an uprising of weapons and warfare. Holding grass and wood, they will all become spears and swords. For seven days, they will turn against each other and kill.

At that time, the wise ones will flee far into the forests and rely on ditches and ravines. For seven days, they will be fearful and speak kind words, 'You do not harm me, I do not harm you.' Eating the seeds of grass and trees to sustain their lives, after seven days they will emerge from the mountains and forests. At that time, those who survive will be able to see each other and rejoice, saying, 'You are not dead? You are not dead?' It is like parents having only one child, seeing each other after a long separation, rejoicing immensely. Those people will also rejoice like this, rejoicing in each other, and then inquiring about their families. The dead will be many. They will grieve and wail for seven days, crying and facing each other. After seven days, they will again rejoice and entertain each other for seven days. They will then think to themselves, 'We have accumulated evil extensively, thus experiencing this difficulty. Our relatives have died and our families have been destroyed. Now we should cultivate some wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not kill living beings.'

At that time, all beings will have compassionate minds and will not harm each other. Then the lifespan and appearance of beings will increase. Those who are ten years old will live to be twenty years old. The people of that time will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds and not harmed each other, our lifespan has been extended to twenty years. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not steal.' Having cultivated not stealing, their lifespan will be extended to forty years. The people of that time will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not engage in sexual misconduct.' Then those people will all not engage in sexual misconduct, and their lifespan will be extended to eighty years.

The people of eighty years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not speak falsely.' Then those people will all not speak falsely, and their lifespan will be extended to one hundred and sixty years. The people of one hundred and sixty years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not engage in divisive speech.' Then those people will all not engage in divisive speech, and their lifespan will be extended to three hundred and twenty years. The people of three hundred and twenty years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not speak harshly.' Then those people will all not speak harshly, and their lifespan will be extended to six hundred and forty years.

The people of six hundred and forty years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not engage in frivolous speech.' Then those people will all not engage in frivolous speech, and their lifespan will be extended to two thousand years. The people of two thousand years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not be stingy and greedy.' Then those people will all not be stingy and greedy, but practice giving, and their lifespan will be extended to five thousand years. The people of five thousand years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should not be jealous and cultivate wholesome deeds with a compassionate mind.' Then those people will all not be jealous, cultivate wholesome deeds with a compassionate mind, and their lifespan will be extended to ten thousand years.

The people of ten thousand years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should practice right views and not give rise to inverted views.' Then those people will all practice right views and not give rise to inverted views, and their lifespan will be extended to twenty thousand years. The people of twenty thousand years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should eliminate the three unwholesome dharmas: namely, unwholesome desire, unwholesome greed, and wrong views.' Then those people will all eliminate the three unwholesome dharmas, and their lifespan will be extended to forty thousand years. The people of forty thousand years will think, 'Because we have cultivated wholesome deeds, our lifespan has been extended. Now we should cultivate even more wholesome deeds. What wholesome deeds should we cultivate? We should be filial to our parents and respect our elders.' Then those people will be filial to their parents and respect their elders, and their lifespan will be extended to eighty thousand years.

The people of eighty thousand years will have girls who are five hundred years old before they are married. At that time, people will have nine kinds of illnesses: cold, heat, hunger, thirst, defecation, urination, desire, gluttony, and old age. At that time, this great earth will be level and smooth, without ditches, pits, thorns, or brambles, and there will be no mosquitoes, flies, snakes, or poisonous insects. The stones and sand will turn into crystal, and the people will be prosperous, with abundant and cheap grains, and boundless happiness. At that time, there will be eighty thousand great cities, with villages and towns close to each other, where the crowing of roosters can be heard. At that time, there will be a Buddha who appears in the world, named Maitreya Tathāgata, Arhat, Perfectly Enlightened One, perfect in all ten titles, just as the present Tathāgata is perfect in all ten titles. He will personally realize and attain in this world, among the gods, Śakra, Brahmā, Māra, or Māra's followers, monks, brahmins, gods, and humans, just as I have personally realized and attained in this world, among the gods, Śakra, Brahmā, Māra, or Māra's followers, monks, brahmins, gods, and humans. He will teach the Dharma, with good beginning, middle, and end, complete in meaning and taste, and pure in the practice of the holy life, just as I teach the Dharma today, with good beginning, middle, and end, true in meaning and taste, and pure in the practice of the holy life. He will have countless millions of disciples, just as I have hundreds of disciples today. At that time, the people will call his disciples 'Sons of Compassion,' just as my disciples are called 'Sons of Śākya.'

"At that time, there will be a king named Śikhin, a kṣatriya anointed on the head, a wheel-turning sage king, ruling the four continents, governing with the right Dharma, with all submitting without resistance. He will be endowed with the seven treasures: the golden wheel treasure, the white elephant treasure, the dark horse treasure, the divine jewel treasure, the jade woman treasure, the householder treasure, and the military commander treasure. The king will have a thousand sons, brave and heroic, able to repel foreign enemies. The four directions will respect and obey, without the need for military force, naturally enjoying peace. At that time, the sage king will erect a great jeweled banner, sixteen yojanas in circumference, a thousand yojanas in height, adorned with a thousand kinds of colors. The banner will have a hundred branches, each branch having a hundred twigs, woven with jeweled threads, interspersed with various treasures. Then, the sage king will destroy this banner and offer it to śramaṇas, brāhmaṇas, and the poor in the country. Only then will he shave his beard and hair, put on the three Dharma robes, leave home to cultivate the path, cultivate the unsurpassed practice, personally realize and attain in this present life, with the end of birth and death, the establishment of the holy life, the accomplishment of what is to be done, and not accepting future existence."

"The Buddha told the monks, "You should diligently cultivate good practices. By cultivating good practices, your lifespan will be extended, your complexion will improve, you will be peaceful and happy, your wealth and treasures will be abundant, and your power and influence will be complete. It is like the kings who follow the old Dharma of the wheel-turning sage king, and their lifespan is extended, their complexion improves, they are peaceful and happy, their wealth and treasures are abundant, and their power and influence are complete. The monks are also like this. They should cultivate good dharmas, and their lifespan will be extended, their complexion will improve, they will be peaceful and happy, their wealth and treasures will be abundant, and their power and influence will be complete.

How do monks extend their lifespan? Such monks cultivate the concentration of desire, diligently and tirelessly, extinguishing the practice and accomplishing the divine feet; cultivating the concentration of vigor, intention, and contemplation, diligently and tirelessly, extinguishing the practice and accomplishing the divine feet. This is called extending one's lifespan. What is meant by monks improving their complexion? Here, monks are fully endowed with precepts and discipline, and accomplish dignified conduct. Seeing even minor faults, they give rise to great fear and equally learn all precepts, fully and completely. This is called improving the complexion of monks. What is meant by monks being peaceful and happy? Here, monks cut off desire and remove unwholesome dharmas, with perception and contemplation, joy and happiness arising from separation, practicing the first dhyāna; eliminating perception and contemplation, internally joyful and delighted, concentrating the mind, without perception or contemplation, joy and happiness arising from concentration, practicing the second dhyāna; abandoning joy and guarding the mind, not being distracted, knowing the happiness of the body, sought by the sages, protecting and practicing with joy, practicing the third dhyāna; abandoning suffering and happiness, first eliminating joy and sorrow, neither suffering nor happy, protecting and contemplating purity, practicing the fourth dhyāna. This is called the peaceful and happy state of monks.

"What is meant by monks being rich in wealth and treasures? Here, monks cultivate the mind of loving-kindness, filling one direction, and the same for the other directions, pervading everywhere, boundless, removing all grudges and hatred, with no ill-will in their minds, peacefully and gently enjoying themselves. The same is true for the minds of compassion, joy, and equanimity. This is called being rich in wealth and treasures of monks. What is meant by monks being fully endowed with power and influence? Here, monks truly know the noble truth of suffering, and the same for the truths of origin, cessation, and the path. This is called being fully endowed with power and influence of monks."

The Buddha told the monks, "I now look everywhere and see that there is no one more powerful than the power of Mara. However, a monk who has exhausted the taints can overcome him." At that time, the monks heard what the Buddha said and joyfully practiced it.