SA 809（八〇九）福利等

Thus have I heard:

At one time, the Buddha was staying at the Saralī Forest by the Vālukā River in the village of Vajra.

At that time, the World-Honored One spoke to the bhikṣus about the contemplation of impurity, praising the contemplation of impurity, saying: "Bhikṣus, those who cultivate the contemplation of impurity, who cultivate it extensively, attain great fruits and great benefits."

At that time, the bhikṣus, having cultivated the contemplation of impurity, became extremely disgusted with the body. Some killed themselves with knives, some took poison, some hanged themselves with ropes, jumped off cliffs to kill themselves, or asked other bhikṣus to kill them.

There was another bhikṣu who was extremely disgusted with the impurity of the body. He went to the place of the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park and said to the brāhmaṇa's son: "Wise one! If you can kill me, the robe and alms bowl will be yours."

At that time, the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park immediately killed the bhikṣu. Holding the knife, he went to the bank of the Vālukā River to wash the knife. At that time, a māra-deva was dwelling in the sky, praising the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park, saying: "Excellent! Excellent! Wise one! You have attained immeasurable merit. You can cause the śramaṇas and disciples of the Śākya to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated,

At that time, the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park, having heard the praise, increased his evil views and thought: "I am now truly creating great merit and virtue, causing the śramaṇas and disciples of the Śākya who uphold the precepts and have merit to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet liberated, to be liberated, those who are not yet

At that time, there were bhikṣus who were disgusted with the body. They all left their dwellings and said to the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park: "We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not yet attained liberation. You should liberate us. We have not

At that time, the brāhmaṇa's son in the Deer Park immediately killed those bhikṣus with a sharp knife, and continued up to killing sixty people.

At that time, the World-Honored One, on the fifteenth day when the precepts were recited, sat in front of the assembly of monks and said to Venerable Ānanda: "What are the causes and conditions for the gradual decrease and extinction of the bhikṣus?"

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "The World-Honored One taught the bhikṣus to cultivate the contemplation of impurity and praised the contemplation of impurity. After the bhikṣus cultivated the contemplation of impurity, they became extremely disgusted with the body..." and so on, up to "killing sixty bhikṣus. World-Honored One! For this reason, the bhikṣus are gradually decreasing and becoming extinct. I only wish that the World-Honored One would teach other methods, so that the bhikṣus, having heard them, will diligently cultivate wisdom, delight in receiving the true Dharma, and delight in abiding in the true Dharma."

The Buddha told Ānanda: "Therefore, I will now explain in sequence the subtle dwelling, the dwelling that accords with awakening, which can quickly cause the arising and non-arising of evil and unwholesome dharmas to cease, like a heavy rain that can cause the arising and non-arising of dust to cease. In this way, Ānanda! Cultivating the subtle dwelling can cause the arising and non-arising of evil and unwholesome dharmas to cease. Ānanda! What is the subtle dwelling that, when cultivated much, accords with awakening, and can cause the arising and non-arising of evil and unwholesome dharmas to cease? It is the dwelling of mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation."

Ānanda said to the Buddha: "How does one cultivate the dwelling of mindfulness of inhalation and exhalation, which accords with awakening, and can cause the arising and non-arising of evil and unwholesome dharmas to cease?"

The Buddha told Ānanda: "If a bhikṣu relies on a village..." and so on, in detail, up to "he should practice in accordance with the mindfulness of exhalation."

Having spoken this sūtra, the Venerable Ānanda, having heard the Buddha's words, rejoiced and upheld them.