SA 592（五九二） 须达

Thus have I heard:

At one time the Buddha was staying in the cold forest near the charnel ground in Rājagṛha.

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada had a small matter to attend to in Rājagṛha, and stayed overnight at the elder's house. At night, he saw the elder instructing his wife, children, servants, and workers, saying: "You all get up, break firewood to light a fire, cook rice and make pastries, prepare various flavors, and decorate the hall.

The elder Anāthapiṇḍada, seeing this, thought: "What is this elder doing? Is he marrying off a daughter or taking a wife? Is he inviting guests, the king, or ministers?" Having thought this, he then asked the elder: "What are you doing? Are you marrying off a daughter or taking a wife? Are you inviting guests, the king, or ministers?"

At that time, the elder replied to the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, saying: "I am not marrying off a daughter or taking a wife, nor am I inviting the king or ministers. I only wish to invite the Buddha and the bhikṣus to make offerings."

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada, having heard the name of the Buddha for the first time, was greatly delighted in his heart, and all the pores of his body were filled with joy. He asked the elder: "What is the name of the Buddha?"

The elder replied: "There is a śramaṇa named Gautama, a son of the Śākya clan. He shaved his beard and hair, put on the kāṣāya robe, and with right faith left home to study the path. He attained anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi. This is called the Buddha."

The elder Anāthapiṇḍada said: "What is called the Saṃgha?"

The elder said: "If a Brahmin shaves his beard and hair, puts on the kāṣāya robe, with right faith leaves home for the non-home, and follows the Buddha in leaving home; or if a Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, or Śūdra good man shaves his beard and hair, puts on the kāṣāya robe, with right faith leaves home for the non-home, and follows the Buddha in leaving home, this is called the Saṃgha. Today I invite the Buddha and the Saṃgha present to make offerings."

The elder Anāthapiṇḍada asked the elder: "Can I now go and see the World-Honored One?"

The elder replied: "You stay here. I invite the World-Honored One to come to my house. You can see him here."

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada single-mindedly contemplated the Buddha that night and was able to sleep. Before dawn, he suddenly saw the light and thought it was already light. He wanted to leave his house and go to the city gate. When he reached the city gate, it was only the second watch of the night. The city gate had not yet opened. The king's family had a rule that they would wait for distant messengers to come and go until the first watch of the night was over, then the city gate would be closed. At the end of the middle watch, the gate would be opened again, so that travelers could come and go early.

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada saw the city gate open and thought: "It must be that the night has passed and the gate is open." He went out of the city gate following the light. After leaving the city gate, the light disappeared and it became dark again. The elder Anāthapiṇḍada was frightened and his body hair stood on end. He wondered if it was a person or a non-human, or a treacherous person, who wanted to frighten him. He then wanted to return.

At that time, a heavenly spirit was dwelling beside the city gate. The heavenly spirit then emitted its own light, from the city gate to the cold forest cemetery, illuminating everywhere. It told the elder Anāthapiṇḍada: "You should go forward. You will attain victory. Do not retreat."

At that time, the heavenly spirit spoke a verse, saying:

One hundred good horses, one hundred catties of gold, one
hundred mule carts and horse carts, each with one hundred
carriages, various precious treasures loaded on them, planted good roots
in past lives, and obtained such a reward. If a
person with a reverent mind takes a step towards the
Buddha, it is one-sixteenth of the merit, surpassing the merit
of the previous.

"Therefore, elder, you should advance and not retreat!" He then spoke a verse:

A great dragon elephant in the snowy mountains, adorned with pure gold
with large tusks, to give such an elephant to a person, is
not as good as the merit of going towards the Buddha, one-sixteenth of it.

"Therefore, elder, you should quickly advance and obtain great benefit, not retreat." He then spoke a verse:

The women of the country of King Puśya, numbering a
hundred, adorned with various wonderful jewels and necklaces, to give
them away like this, is not as good as the
merit of taking a single step towards the Buddha, one-sixteenth of it.

"Therefore, elder, you should quickly advance and obtain the victory, not retreat."

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada asked the heavenly spirit, "Wise one! Who are you?"

The heavenly spirit replied, "I am the great youth Mahāmaudgalyāyana, a good friend of the elder. I gave rise to a mind of respect towards Venerable Śāriputra and Mahāmaudgalyāyana. Due to this merit, I was reborn in the heavens and am in charge of this city gate. Therefore, I told the elder, 'You should only advance, and be careful not to retreat. Advancing will bring benefits, not retreating.'"

At that time, the elder Anāthapiṇḍada thought, "The Buddha's appearance in the world is no small matter; hearing the true Dharma is also no small matter. Therefore, the heavenly spirit encourages me to advance and go see the World-Honored One." The elder Anāthapiṇḍada followed the light and went to the Śītavana charnel ground.

At that time, the World-Honored One was walking in the open air outside his room. The elder Anāthapiṇḍada saw the Buddha from afar, and went before him. He greeted him with the etiquette of a layperson, saying, "How is it, World-Honored One? Did you sleep well?"

At that time, the World-Honored One replied in verse:

Brahmins attain nirvana, which is truly peaceful and blissful, unstained
by desires and attachments, completely liberated without remainder. Cutting off
all hopes and desires, taming the burning mind, the mind
attains tranquility and cessation, peacefully and blissfully resting in cessation.

At that time, the World-Honored One took Anāthapiṇḍada and entered the room, took his seat, and focused his mind. The World-Honored One then taught him the Dharma, showing, teaching, illuminating, and delighting him. The World-Honored One said, "All phenomena are impermanent. One should perform meritorious deeds of giving, upholding precepts, and being reborn in heaven. The taste of desire, the suffering of desire, and the liberation from desire are meritorious deeds of detachment."

Anāthapiṇḍada heard the Dharma, saw the Dharma, attained the Dharma, entered the Dharma, and understood the Dharma. He transcended all doubts, did not rely on others' faith, and was not liberated by others. He entered the true Dharma and Vinaya, and his mind attained fearlessness. He then rose from his seat, adjusted his robes, bowed to the Buddha, placed his right knee on the ground, joined his palms, and said to the Buddha, "I am liberated, World-Honored One! I am liberated, Well-Gone One! From this day forth, for as long as I live, I take refuge in the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha of monks. I am a lay devotee. Please bear witness to me."

At that time, the World-Honored One asked Anāthapiṇḍada, "What is your name?"

The elder said to the Buddha, "My name is Sudatta. Because I always give to the poor and needy with hardship, people call me Anāthapiṇḍada."

The World-Honored One further asked, "Where do you reside?"

The elder said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One! In the human realm of Kosala, there is a city called Śrāvastī. I only wish that the World-Honored One would come to Śrāvastī. I will provide for you for as long as I live, with robes, food and drink, dwellings, bedding, and medicine for illness."

The Buddha asked the elder, "Is there a monastery in Śrāvastī?"

The elder said to the Buddha, "No, World-Honored One!"

The Buddha told the elder, "You should establish a monastery there for the monks to come and stay."

The elder said to the Buddha, "If the World-Honored One comes to Śrāvastī, I will build a monastery and dwelling places for the monks to come and stay." At that time, the World-Honored One silently accepted the invitation.

At that time, the elder knew that the World-Honored Buddha had silently accepted the invitation. He rose from his seat, bowed his head at the Buddha's feet, and left.