English
‘Wonderful, sirs, amazing, sirs! This ascetic, though seated, had died, and he has come back to life!’ In this way, O Evil One, the venerable Sañjīva came to be known as Sañjīva (the Revived). 508. Then, O Evil One, it occurred to Māra the Wicked: ‘I do not know the coming or going of these bhikkhus, who are virtuous and of good conduct. What if I were to possess brahmins and householders, saying: “Come, you, abuse, revile, anger, and torment these bhikkhus, who are virtuous and of good conduct. Perhaps, being abused, reviled, angered, and tormented by you, their minds might change, so that Māra the Wicked might find an opening.”’ Then, O Evil One, Māra the Wicked possessed brahmins and householders, saying: ‘Come, you, abuse, revile, anger, and torment these bhikkhus, who are virtuous and of good conduct. Perhaps, being abused, reviled, angered, and tormented by you, lest there be a change in my mind, whereby Dūsi Māra might gain an opportunity.” “Then, O Evil One, those brahmins and householders, possessed by Dūsi Māra, abused, reviled, angered, and harassed the virtuous bhikkhus of good conduct, saying: ‘These shaven-headed ascetics, these low-born, dark-skinned, descendants of kinsmen’s feet, saying “We are meditators! We are meditators!” with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, like those feigning sweetness, meditate, ponder, reflect, and contemplate. Just as an owl on a tree branch, seeking a mouse, meditates, ponders, reflects, and contemplates; even so, these shaven-headed ascetics, these low-born, dark-skinned, descendants of kinsmen’s feet, saying “We are meditators! We are meditators!” with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, like those feigning sweetness, meditate, ponder, reflect, and contemplate. Just as a jackal on a river bank, seeking fish, meditates, ponders, reflects, and contemplates; even so, these shaven-headed ascetics, these low-born, dark-skinned, descendants of kinsmen’s feet, saying “We are meditators! We are meditators!” with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, like those feigning sweetness, meditate, ponder, reflect, and contemplate. Just as a cat at a refuse heap, seeking a mouse, meditates, ponders, reflects, and contemplates; even so, these shaven-headed ascetics, these low-born, dark-skinned, descendants of kinsmen’s feet, saying “We are meditators! We are meditators!” with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, like those feigning sweetness, meditate, ponder, reflect, and contemplate. Just as a donkey, freed from its burden, at a refuse heap, meditates, ponders, reflects, and contemplates; even so, these shaven-headed ascetics, these low-born, dark-skinned, descendants of kinsmen’s feet, saying “We are meditators! We are meditators!” with slumped shoulders, downcast faces, like those feigning sweetness, meditate, ponder, reflect, and contemplate.’ “And those people, O Evil One, who at that time passed away, for the most part, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a state of woe, a bad destination, the lower realms, hell.” They fall into hell. 509. Then, O Evil One, the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened One, Kakusandha, addressed the bhikkhus: ‘Indeed, bhikkhus, the brahmins and householders are possessed by Dūsī Māra. Come, you bhikkhus, abuse, revile, provoke, and harass those virtuous ones of good conduct. Perhaps, when they are abused, reviled, provoked, and harassed by you, there might be a change in their minds, so that Dūsī Māra might gain an opening.’ ‘Come, you bhikkhus, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, dwell pervading one direction. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, the entire world, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, dwell pervading. With a mind imbued with compassion... (and so on)... with a mind imbued with appreciative joy... (and so on)... with a mind imbued with equanimity, dwell pervading one direction. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, the entire world, with a mind imbued with equanimity, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, dwell pervading.’ Then, O Evil One, those bhikkhus, thus advised and instructed by the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened One, Kakusandha, whether gone to the forest, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty dwelling, dwelt pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus above, below, across, everywhere, in all ways, the entire world, with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, vast, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will, they dwelt pervading. With a mind imbued with compassion... (and so on)... with a mind imbued with appreciative joy... (and so on)... with a mind imbued with equanimity, they dwelt pervading one direction. Likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth. Thus, they dwelled pervading the entire world— upwards, downwards, across, everywhere, in all ways, with a mind accompanied by equanimity, vast, great, immeasurable, without ill-will, without malevolence. 510. Then, O Evil One, it occurred to Dūsī Māra: “Even doing this, I do not know the coming or going of these monks, virtuous and of good character. What if I were to possess brahmins and householders, saying: ‘Come, you, honor, respect, revere, and worship these monks, virtuous and of good character. Perhaps, as they are honored, respected, revered, and worshipped by you, their minds might change, so that Dūsī Māra might find an opening’?” Then, O Evil One, Dūsī Māra possessed those brahmins and householders, saying: “Come, you, honor, respect, revere, and worship these monks, virtuous and of good character. Perhaps, as they are honored, respected, revered, and worshipped by you, their minds might change, so that Dūsī Māra might find an opening.” Then, O Evil One, those brahmins and householders, possessed by Dūsī Māra, honored, respected, revered, and worshipped the monks, virtuous and of good character. And those people, O Evil One, who died at that time, for the most part, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappeared in a good destination, the heavenly world. 511. Then, O Evil One, the Blessed One Kakusandha, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened One, addressed the monks: “Monks, brahmins and householders have been possessed by Dūsī Māra, saying: ‘Come, you, honor, respect, revere, and worship these monks, virtuous and of good character. Perhaps, as they are honored, respected, revered, and worshipped by you, their minds might change, so that Dūsī Māra might find an opening.’ Come, monks, dwell contemplating impurity, dwell in the body, perceiving revulsion in food, perceiving non-delight in the whole world, perceishing impermanence in all formations. Then, evil one, those bhikkhus, being thus advised, being thus instructed by the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened Kakusandha, whether gone to the forest, or gone to the root of a tree, or gone to an empty dwelling, dwelt in the body perceiving impurity, perceiving revulsion in food, perceiving non-delight in the whole world, perceiving impermanence in all formations. Then, evil one, the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened Kakusandha, having dressed in the morning, taking his bowl and robe, entered the village for alms with Venerable Vidhura as his attendant. Then, evil one, Dūsī Māra, having possessed a certain young boy, took a stone and struck Venerable Vidhura on the head; he split his head. Then, evil one, Venerable Vidhura, with his head split, with blood flowing, followed close behind the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened Kakusandha. Then, evil one, the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened Kakusandha, looked back with a Nāga-like glance – “This Dūsī Māra does not know his limit.” And with that glance, evil one, Dūsī Māra fell from that place and was reborn in the great hell. And that great hell, evil one, has three names: “Having Six Sense-Bases” it is called, “Struck by Stakes” it is called, “To be Experienced Individually” it is called. Then, evil one, the hell-guards approached me and said: “When, good sir, a stake meets a stake in your heart, then you will know: ‘I have been burning in hell for a thousand years.’” So I, evil one, burned in that great hell for many years, many hundreds of years, many thousands of years. Ten thousand years of that very I was cooked in the great hell's heat, experiencing a feeling called 'rising up'. To me, evil one, there was such a body, like that of a human. There was such a head, like that of a fish. 513. What kind of hell was it, where Dūsī was cooked, having assaulted the disciple Vidhura, and the brahmin Kakusandha? There were a hundred iron stakes, all causing individual pain. Such was the hell, where Dūsī was cooked, having assaulted the disciple Vidhura, and the brahmin Kakusandha. Whoever knows this, a monk, a disciple of the Buddha; having assaulted such a monk, Black One, you will go to suffering. In the middle of the lake stand, mansions lasting for an eon; beautiful, emerald-colored, radiant, shining brightly; Apsaras dance there, various, of diverse colors. Whoever knows this, a monk, a disciple of the Buddha; having assaulted such a monk, Black One, you will go to suffering. He who, urged by the Buddha, a monk, while the Sangha watched; Migāra's Mother's Palace, shook with his big toe. Whoever knows this, a monk, a disciple of the Buddha; having assaulted such a monk, Black One, you will go to suffering. He who the Vejayanta Palace, shook with his big toe; supported by psychic power, and stirred the devas. Whoever knows this, a monk, a disciple of the Buddha; having assaulted such a monk, Black One, you will go to suffering. He who in the Vejayanta Palace,