English
He does so for the welfare of beings. Even if he kills, He does so for the welfare of beings. Even having struck, O great king, The Tathāgata provides only welfare for beings. Even having thrown down, He provides only welfare for beings. Even having killed, He provides only welfare for beings. Just as, O great king, Parents, even having struck or thrown down, Provide only welfare for their children. Even so, O great king, The Tathāgata, even if he strikes, Does so for the welfare of beings; Even if he throws down, He does so for the welfare of beings; Even if he kills, He does so for the welfare of beings. Even having struck, O great king, The Tathāgata provides only welfare for beings; Even having thrown down, He provides only welfare for beings; Even having killed, He provides only welfare for beings. By whatever means The growth of virtue for beings occurs, By those very means He provides only welfare for all beings. If, O great king, Devadatta had not ordained, Remaining a householder, Having done much evil karma leading to hell, For countless hundreds of thousands of eons, Going from hell to hell, From ruin to ruin, He would have experienced much suffering." , the Fortunate One, knowing this, out of compassion, ordained Devadatta, thinking, 'For one who has gone forth in my Dispensation, suffering will come to an end.' Out of compassion, he made heavy suffering light. Just as, great king, a powerful man, strong in wealth, fame, glory, relatives, and might, makes light a heavy punishment imposed by the king on his relative or friend, through his great trustworthiness and capability, even so, great king, the Fortunate One, having ordained Devadatta, who was experiencing suffering for hundreds of thousands of crores of aeons, made heavy suffering light through his capability in the power of virtue, concentration, wisdom, and liberation. Or just as, great king, a skilled physician and surgeon makes a serious illness light through the power of strong medicine, even so, great king, the Fortunate One, out of his knowledge of the disease, having ordained Devadatta, who was experiencing suffering for hundreds of thousands of crores of aeons, made heavy suffering light through the power of his compassion and the strong medicine of the Dhamma. Would the Fortunate One, great king, by making Devadatta's great suffering into little suffering, incur any demerit?" "Not any, venerable sir, would he incur any demerit, not even as much as a gaddūhana." "This reason too, great king, accept as true, for which reason the Fortunate One ordained Devadatta. Hear further, great king, another reason for which the Fortunate One ordained Devadatta. Just as, great king, they might seize a criminal, a wrongdoer, and show him to the king, saying, 'This, O king, is a criminal, a wrongdoer; inflict upon him whatever punishment you wish.' And the king might say to them, 'Well then, men, take this criminal outside the city and execute him at the place of execution.' 'Yes, O king,' they would reply to the king, and taking him outside the city, they would lead him to the place of execution. And some man, who had received a boon from the king, who had obtained fame, wealth, and possessions, whose word was accepted, and who was powerful, might see him. the doer of his will, having compassion for him, would say to those men thus: ‘Enough, sirs, why do you cut off his head? Therefore, sirs, cut off his hand or his foot and save his life. I will answer for him before the king.’ They, by the word of that powerful man, would cut off the hand or foot of that thief and save his life. Now, O great king, would that man, acting thus, be a doer of service to that thief?” “He is a giver of life, venerable sir, that man to that thief. When life is given, what is there that is not done for him?” “But as for the pain of cutting off hands and feet, would he incur any demerit through that pain?” “That thief, venerable sir, experiences the painful feeling due to his own doing. But the giver of life would not incur any demerit.” “Even so, O great king, the Blessed One, out of compassion, ordained Devadatta, thinking: ‘The suffering of one ordained in my Dispensation will have an end.’ And Devadatta’s suffering, O great king, did have an end. Devadatta, O great king, at the time of his death— ‘With these bones, to that foremost person, the God of gods, the charioteer of men to be tamed; the all-seeing, adorned with a hundred marks of merit, I go for refuge to the Buddha with my life.’ “He went for refuge, clinging to life. Devadatta, O great king, after a kappa divided into six parts had passed, in the first part, split the Sangha. Having suffered in hell for five parts, he will be released from there and become a Paccekabuddha named Aṭṭhissara. Now, O great king, would that Blessed One, acting thus, be a doer of service to Devadatta?” “The Tathāgata, venerable Nāgasena, is a giver of all to Devadatta. Since the Tathāgata will lead Devadatta to Paccekabodhi, what is there that the Tathāgata has not done for Devadatta?” “But, O great king, as for Devadatta’s experiencing painful feeling in hell after splitting the Sangha, would the Blessed One incur any demerit from that cause?” incur demerit?” “No, venerable sir. Devadatta burns in hell for an eon due to what he himself did, venerable sir. The Teacher, who brings an end to suffering, does not incur any demerit.” “This reason too, great king, you should accept as true, for which reason the Blessed One ordained Devadatta. Listen further, great king, to another reason, for which reason the Blessed One ordained Devadatta. Just as, great king, a skilled physician or surgeon, when treating a wound afflicted by wind, bile, phlegm, a combination of humors, seasonal changes, improper care, or an accidental injury, a wound covered with putrid, foul-smelling pus, with an internal splinter, deep-seated, full of pus and blood, anoints the mouth of the wound with a harsh, sharp, caustic, bitter medicine to bring it to a head. After it has come to a head and become soft, he cuts it open with a knife, then burns it with a probe. After it is burned, he applies caustic salt, anoints it with medicine for the wound to heal, for the patient to attain well-being. Now, great king, does that physician or surgeon anoint with medicine, cut with a knife, burn with a probe, or apply caustic salt with an ill will?” “No, venerable sir. He performs those actions with a benevolent mind, desiring well-being.” “And from the painful sensation that arises for him due to the performance of the medicinal treatment, does that physician or surgeon incur any demerit on that account?” “Venerable sir, the physician or surgeon performs those actions with a benevolent mind, desiring well-being. How could he incur demerit on that account? That physician or surgeon, venerable sir, is bound for heaven.” “Just so, great king, out of compassion, the Blessed One ordained Devadatta for the release from suffering. Listen further, great king, to another reason, for which reason the Blessed One ordained Devadatta. Just as, great king, if a man were pierced by a thorn, and another man, desiring his welfare, desiring his well-being, were to cut all around it with a sharp thorn or a knife, or with blood flowing out, he would extract that thorn. Now, O great king, does that person extract that thorn wishing him ill?" "No, venerable sir, that person, venerable sir, extracts that thorn wishing him well, wishing him safety. If, venerable sir, he were not to extract that thorn, he would either meet death thereby, or suffering as if unto death." "Just so, O great king, the Tathāgata, out of compassion, ordained Devadatta for release from suffering. If, O great king, the Blessed One had not ordained Devadatta, Devadatta would have been tormented in hell for hundreds of thousands of crores of aeons, in a succession of existences." "One who was going with the stream, venerable Nāgasena, the Tathāgata made Devadatta go against the stream. Devadatta, who had gone astray, he set on the path. To Devadatta, who had fallen into a precipice, he gave a foothold. Devadatta, who had gone to a difficult place, the Tathāgata raised to an even place. And these, venerable Nāgasena, are reasons, these are causes, which cannot be shown by anyone else, except by one as wise as you." The Third Question on Devadatta's Ordination. 4. The Question on the Earth's Trembling. 4. "Venerable Nāgasena, this too was spoken by the Blessed One: 'These, monks [these, Ānanda], are eight causes, eight conditions for the appearance of a great earthquake.' This is a complete statement. This is an exhaustive statement. This is a direct statement. There is no other ninth cause for the appearance of a great earthquake. If, venerable Nāgasena, there were another ninth cause for the appearance of a great earthquake, the Blessed One would have declared that cause too. But since, venerable Nāgasena, there is no other ninth cause for the appearance of a great earthquake, it was not declared by the Blessed One. Yet, this ninth cause is seen for the appearance of a great earthquake: that when King Vessantara gave a great gift, the great earth trembled seven times. If, venerable Nāgasena, there are only eight causes, eight conditions for a great earthquake..." for its appearance. Therefore, the saying that when King Vessantara gave a great gift, the great earth quaked seven times, that is false. If when King Vessantara gave a great gift, the great earth quaked seven times, then the saying that there are eight causes, eight conditions for the appearance of a great earthquake, that too is false. This problem, with two horns, is subtle, difficult to unravel, blinding and profound. It has come to you. It cannot be resolved by another of ordinary wisdom, except by one as wise as you.” “This was spoken, great king, by the Blessed One: ‘There are, monks, these eight causes, eight conditions