216. （二一六）爱生经

I have heard thus:

At one time, the Buddha was traveling in the country of Śrāvastī, staying at the Jeta Grove Anāthapiṇḍada-ārāma.

At that time, there was a brāhman who had only one son. He loved him deeply, with a gentle and affectionate mind, never tiring of looking at him. Suddenly, the son passed away. After the son's death, the brāhman was so grief-stricken that he could not eat or drink, did not wear clothes or apply perfume. He only went to the charnel ground to cry, remembering where his son used to sleep. Then, the brāhman wandered around and went to where the Buddha was. They exchanged greetings and sat to one side.

The World-Honored One asked, "Brāhman! Now, do your faculties not resemble your own mind?"

The brāhman replied, "How can I now have my faculties dwell in my own mind? Why is that? I had only one son, whom I loved deeply, with a gentle and affectionate mind, never tiring of looking at him. Suddenly, he passed away. After his death, I became so grief-stricken that I could not eat or drink, did not wear clothes or apply perfume. I only went to the charnel ground to cry, remembering where my son used to sleep."

The World-Honored One said, "So it is, brāhman! So it is, brāhman! When love arises, then sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress arise."

The brāhman said, "Gautama! How can you say that when love arises, then sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress arise? Gautama! You should know that when love arises, there is joy and happiness."

The World-Honored One said this up to the third time: "So it is, brāhman! So it is, brāhman! When love arises, then sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress arise."

The brāhman also said this up to the third time: "Gautama! How can you say that when love arises, then sorrow, lamentation, suffering, and distress arise? Gautama! You should know that when love arises, there is joy and happiness."

At that time, the brāhman, having heard the Buddha's words, did not say it was so, but only said it was not so. He then rose from his seat, shook his head, and left.

At that time, in front of the gate of the Jeta Grove, there were many street children playing dice. The brāhman saw this from afar and thought: "In this world, there is none more intelligent and wise than those who play dice. I should now go there and tell them everything that was discussed with Gautama." So the brāhman went to where the many street children were playing dice and told them everything that was discussed with the World-Honored One.

The many street children playing dice heard this and said: "Brāhman! How can you say that when love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress? Brāhman! You should know that when love arises, it gives rise to joy and happiness.

Having heard this, the brāhman thought: "What the dice players say is exactly the same as mine." He nodded his head and left.

Thus, this discussion spread widely and entered the royal palace. King Prasenajit of Kosala heard that the śramaṇa Gautama said: "When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.

He said to Queen Māyā: "I heard that the Gautama said: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.

Queen Māyā, having heard this, said: "Yes, great king! Yes, great king! When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.

King Prasenajit of Kosala said to Queen Māyā: "The teacher's teachings are necessarily the same as the disciple's. The śramaṇa Gautama is your teacher, so he speaks like this. You are his disciple, so you speak like this: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.'"

Queen Māyā said: "Great king! If you do not believe, you can go ask yourself, or you can send someone.

Then King Prasenajit of Kosala said to the brāhman Nālakaṅga: "Go to the śramaṇa Gautama and ask on my behalf if the śramaṇa Gautama is in good health, strong, without illness, and of light and comfortable living. Say this: 'King Prasenajit of Kosala asks if you are in good health, strong, without illness, and of light and comfortable living.' Does the śramaṇa Gautama really say this: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress'? Nālakaṅga, if the śramaṇa Gautama says anything, you should remember and recite it well. Why is that? Such a person will never speak falsely.

The brāhman Nālakaṅga received the king's instructions and went to where the Buddha was. They exchanged greetings and sat to one side. He said: "Gautama! King Prasenajit of Kosala asks if you are in good health, strong, without illness, and of light and comfortable living. Does the śramaṇa Gautama really say this: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress'?"

The World-Honored One said: "Nālakaṅga! I now ask you, answer as you see fit. Nālakaṅga! What do you think? If someone's mother were to die, would that person go mad, their mind greatly confused, take off their clothes and run naked along the road, saying: 'Good people! Have you seen my mother? Have you seen my mother?' Nālakaṅga! From this we can know that when love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress. It is the same for father, brother, sister, and wife. If their wife were to die, that person would go mad, their mind greatly confused, take off their clothes and run naked along the road, saying: 'Good people! Have you seen my wife? Have you seen my wife?' Nālakaṅga! From this we can know that when love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress. Nālakaṅga! Once there was a man whose wife had returned home temporarily. Her relatives wanted to force her to remarry. When she heard about it, she quickly returned to her husband's home and said to him: 'Sir! You should know that my relatives are trying to force you to remarry. What should we do?' Then that man grabbed his wife's arm, took her into the house, and said: 'Let us go to the next world together! Let us go to the next world together!' He then took a sharp knife and killed his wife and himself. Nālakaṅga! From this we can know that when love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress."

The brāhman Nālakaṅga heard what the Buddha said, accepted it well, and recited it. He then rose from his seat, circumambulated the Buddha three times, and left. He returned to King Prasenajit of Kosala and said: "Your Majesty! The śramaṇa Gautama really says this: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.'"

King Prasenajit of Kosala heard this and said to Queen Mallikā: "The śramaṇa Gautama really says this: 'When love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, lamentation, suffering, dejection, and distress.'"

Queen Mallikā said: "Great King! I ask the Great King, please answer as you see fit. What do you think? Do you love the general Vīra?"

He replied: "I truly love him."

Mallikā asked again: "If the general Vīra were to change and become different, what would the king do?"

He replied: "Mallikā, if the general Vīra were to change and become different, I would certainly feel sorrow, weeping, grief, distress, and anguish."

Mallikā said: "From this matter, we know that when love arises, it gives rise to sorrow, weeping, grief, distress, and anguish."

Mallikā further asked: "Does the king love the minister Śrīdatta, the elephant Pāṇḍava, the girl Vārili, the rain-day umbrella, and the countries of Kāśi and Kosala?"

He replied: "Indeed, I love them."

Mallikā further asked: "If the countries of Kāśi and Kosala were to change and become different, what would the king do?"

He replied: "Mallikā! The five sense pleasures and merits that I enjoy are due to those two countries. If the countries of Kāśi and Kosala were to change and become different, I would not even be alive, let alone not give rise to sorrow, weeping, grief, distress, and anguish."

Mallikā said: "From this matter, it is known that when love arises, then sorrow, weeping, grief, distress, and anguish arise."

Mallikā asked the king: "What do you think? Do you love me?"

The king replied: "I truly love you."

Mallikā asked again: "If I were to change and become different one day, what would you do?"

The king replied: "Mallikā! If you were to change and become different one day, I would certainly feel sorrow, cry, be distressed, be troubled, and be tormented."

Mallikā said: "From this, we know that when love arises, it brings about sorrow, crying, distress, trouble, and torment."

King Prasenajit of Kosala said: "Mallikā! From today onwards, the Śramaṇa Gautama is my teacher in this matter, and I am his disciple. Mallikā! I now take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of monks. I only wish that the World-Honored One would accept me as a lay devotee. From today onwards, I take refuge for life, until the end of my life."

The Buddha spoke thus. King Prasenajit of Kosala and Queen Mallikā, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and practiced accordingly.