English
English version: ‘Your brother told me to come and kill your son.’ His younger brother said, ‘I am going to die today, all because of this woman. The master warned me before, that a person living with a lewd person is like holding a torch and walking against the wind. If you don't abandon it early, the fire will burn your hand. It's like honey smeared on a knife, like a hawk chasing a crow, a dog getting dry bones, the flowers and fruits of a tree, beauty is a disaster for the body, the master has deeply warned me about these principles.’ He wept and begged the robber: ‘Please let me live for a year, so that I can attain the Dao (the Way). I am often here, killing each other is not too late.’ The robber said, ‘Now I want to take your son's head back, and you are still talking about a year? Many Daoists (people who cultivate the Way) in the mountains have attained the Dao, I am afraid that you will easily walk away and leave with supernatural powers. Don't say any more, I will grab your head and leave.’ His younger brother pleaded again: ‘I hope you don't kill me immediately, first cut off one of my thighs and put it in front of me.’ The robber then stepped forward, first cut off one of his thighs, and put it in front of him. His younger brother suffered such pain, pain that could not be described. A Deva (god) descended from the sky to the Daoist and said: ‘Don't be afraid, firmly hold your mind; in your previous life, you entered the animal realm, where people slaughtered and cut your flesh, weighed and sold it, not just for one lifetime. You have experienced the hell and hungry ghost realms, the pain has been going on, not just today.’ The monk loudly said to the Deva: ‘Please tell my master with pity, let him know that because my master showed me the way, where is life and death?’ The Deva immediately went to tell his master: ‘Your virtuous disciple, someone wants to kill him, weeping and begging, wanting to see you.’ The master flew to his disciple's place and spoke the sutra (scripture) for him: ‘Even the heavens and Mount Sumeru (the central world-mountain in Buddhist cosmology) will be destroyed, the sea will dry up, and after seven days there will be destruction. There is a wind in the world, its name is Weilán, when Weilán rises, mountains collide with each other, this wind will also be destroyed, let alone your small body, what is it compared to? You should just be mindful of the Buddha. The Buddha often says impermanence, prosperity will surely decline, gathering will surely be separated, glory and wealth are difficult to maintain, and the body is also like this.’ The monk immediately attained the Srotapanna (stream-enterer) path, and another thigh was cut off, again remembering the master's precepts, and attained the Sakadagami (once-returner) path; the robber cut off his left hand, again remembering the master's precepts, and attained the Anagami (non-returner) path; --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
贼断右手，复念师戒，得应真道；便不畏三恶道也，生死自在，无所复畏。 僧大曰：“取树皮来。”即为剥树皮与之。僧大取枝以为笔，自刺身血，书树皮曰：“大兄起居随时安善，二亲在时，以吾累兄。兄不承之，违废亲教，以女色故，骨肉相残，违亲慈教为不孝也。残杀人命为不仁也，杀一畜生其罪不小，况杀应真。吾不中止，兄自招之，念吾有形，可得相杀，善逝寂寞，徒复相害。长别努力，愿崇真道。”曳颈长二尺，语其贼曰：“子断吾头，由泥头也，勿有恐意，吾恐汝等堕地狱中。” 贼前断头，取身上衣被杖屣及钵，持至兄所，衣杖屣钵，皆持与兄，兄以金银重谢其贼。 兄取弟头，为作假形，以头着上，以衣衣之，杖钵及屣，皆着其傍，谓快见曰：“汝婿来归，可问讯之。” 快见大喜，走至其所，见闭目坐，以为思道，妻不敢呼，具作美食，须念道：“觉当饭之。”日中不觉，妻因前曰：“日今已中，恐过时也。”怪其不应，牵衣起之，头便堕地，身皆分散，各在一面，妻即大怖，擗踊呼曰：“子竟坐，吾见残贼乎。”哀愤呼天，摧裂肝心，崩血出口，奄忽而死。戒行清白，难污如空，树心圣范，难动如地，贞净行高，难揆如天。其未终时，诸天咨嗟，豫安所生，迎其魂 现代汉语译本 一个盗贼砍断了他的右手，但他仍然想着他所受持的戒律，最终证得了阿罗汉果位（应真道）；因此他不再畏惧三恶道，生死对他来说是自在的，没有什么可以再让他感到恐惧。 僧大（Sengda，人名）说：‘拿些树皮来。’那人就为他剥了树皮给他。僧大拿树枝当笔，自己刺破身体，在树皮上写道：‘大哥起居安好，双亲在世时，因为我的缘故连累了你。你没有承担起责任，违背了父母的教诲，因为女色的缘故，骨肉相残，违背父母慈爱的教诲是不孝。残杀人命是不仁。杀害一个畜生，罪过尚且不小，更何况是杀害阿罗汉。我如果不阻止你，这些罪过都由你自己承担。你以为我身有形体，就可以杀害，但善逝（Sugata，佛的称号）的法身是寂静的，你这样做只是徒劳地互相伤害。就此长别，希望你努力修行真正的佛道。’说完，他伸出脖子两尺长，对那个盗贼说：‘你砍断我的头，就像砍断泥土做的头一样，不要感到害怕，我担心你们会堕入地狱之中。’ 盗贼上前砍断了他的头，拿走了他身上的衣服、手杖、鞋子和钵，带到他哥哥那里，把衣服、手杖、鞋子和钵都给了他哥哥，他哥哥用金银重重地酬谢了那个盗贼。 哥哥拿走弟弟的头，做了一个假的身体，把头放在上面，用衣服盖住，把手杖、钵和鞋子都放在旁边，对快见（Kuaixian，人名）说：‘你丈夫回来了，你可以去问候他。’ 快见非常高兴，跑到那里，看见他闭着眼睛坐着，以为他在思考佛法，妻子不敢打扰他，准备了丰盛的食物，等待他思考完佛法，‘醒来后就可以吃饭了。’到了中午，他仍然没有醒来，妻子于是上前说：‘现在已经中午了，恐怕要错过吃饭的时间了。’她觉得奇怪，拉他的衣服想扶他起来，头就掉在了地上，身体也散落在各处，妻子非常害怕，捶胸顿足地哭喊道：‘你竟然坐化了，我看见的是残害你的凶手啊！’她悲愤地呼天抢地，肝肠寸断，吐血而死。她的戒行清净，难以玷污，如同虚空一般；她的道心坚定，难以动摇，如同大地一般；她的贞洁高尚，难以衡量，如同天空一般。在她临终的时候，诸天都在赞叹，预先安排了她所要投生的地方，迎接她的灵魂。
English
English version A thief, his right hand severed, still mindful of the precepts he had taken, attained the state of an Arhat (Yingzhen dao); therefore, he no longer feared the three evil destinies, and was free in life and death, with nothing left to fear. Sengda (name of a person) said, 'Bring some bark.' The man peeled some bark and gave it to him. Sengda took a branch as a pen, pierced his own body, and wrote on the bark: 'Elder brother, I hope you are well. When our parents were alive, I burdened you because of my actions. You did not take on the responsibility, violating the teachings of our parents. Because of lust for women, we brothers have turned against each other, violating our parents' loving teachings, which is unfilial. Killing a human life is inhumane. Killing even an animal is a significant sin, let alone killing an Arhat. If I do not stop you, you will bear these sins yourself. You think I have a physical body, so you can kill me, but the Sugata (title of the Buddha) is in peaceful nirvana, and you are only harming each other in vain. Farewell forever, I hope you will diligently cultivate the true Dharma.' After saying this, he stretched out his neck two feet long and said to the thief, 'You are cutting off my head as if it were a head made of clay. Do not be afraid, I fear that you will fall into hell.' The thief stepped forward and cut off his head, took his clothes, staff, shoes, and bowl, and brought them to his brother. He gave the clothes, staff, shoes, and bowl to his brother, who rewarded the thief generously with gold and silver. The brother took his younger brother's head, made a false body, placed the head on top, covered it with clothes, and placed the staff, bowl, and shoes beside it. He said to Kuaixian (name of a person), 'Your husband has returned, you can go and greet him.' Kuaixian was very happy and ran to where he was. Seeing him sitting with his eyes closed, she thought he was contemplating the Dharma. The wife did not dare to disturb him, prepared a lavish meal, and waited for him to finish contemplating the Dharma, 'When he wakes up, he can eat.' By noon, he still had not woken up, so the wife went forward and said, 'It is already noon, I am afraid it is past the time to eat.' She found it strange that he did not respond, pulled his clothes to help him up, and his head fell to the ground, and his body scattered in all directions. The wife was terrified and cried out, beating her chest and stamping her feet, 'You have actually passed away in meditation, and I am seeing the murderer who harmed you!' She cried out to the heavens in grief and indignation, her heart was broken, she vomited blood and died suddenly. Her precepts were pure and difficult to defile, like the empty sky; her mind was firm and difficult to move, like the earth; her chastity was noble and difficult to measure, like the sky. As she was dying, the devas (gods) praised her, and arranged in advance the place where she would be reborn, welcoming her soul. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chinese
灵，处忉利天，忍须臾之淫，获天上难尽之荣。 兄入神室视妇胡为，兄见弟头身分散狼藉，其妇吐血死在一面，兄见弟妻尸死如此，呼曰：“咄咄！吾为逆天，所作酷裂，乃致于此。” 兄即至贼所问其意：“吾弟临没，将有遗言乎？” 贼曰：“有书。”以书见之。书辞恳恻，读书讫竟，五内噎塞，涕泣交撗：“吾违尊亲临亡慈教，骨肉相残，又杀应真，感激而死，死入地狱。” 王及臣民，闻其事变，麾涕泣哽噎，叹述清德，殡葬其弟，四辈立塔，天龙鬼神，侧塞空中，散华烧香，无不伤心。其妻快见，国人葬之，举哀动国，诸天下赞，精进得道，五戒不亏，贞生天上。违佛法教，不孝残圣，死入地狱，烧煮苦毒，其岁难数。 佛便告诸弟子，自斯之后，重相敕励，尚于无欲。 佛说经竟，诸弟子欢喜，作礼而去。 佛说佛大僧大经 现代汉语译本： 灵（指灵魂），处在忉利天（Trayastrimsa，佛教的欲界六天之一），稍微忍受片刻的淫欲，就能获得天上难以穷尽的荣耀。 哥哥进入神室查看妻子为何如此，哥哥看见弟弟头身分离，散落各处，一片狼藉，他的妻子吐血死在一旁。哥哥看到弟媳的尸体如此惨状，呼喊道：‘唉！我真是违逆天道，所作所为残酷暴烈，竟然导致如此下场。’ 哥哥随即到盗贼那里询问弟弟临终时的遗愿：‘我弟弟临死前，有什么遗言吗？’ 盗贼说：‘有书信。’于是把书信给他看。书信言辞恳切悲痛，哥哥读完书信，五脏六腑都像被堵住一样，眼泪纵横交错：‘我违背了父母临终的慈爱教诲，导致骨肉相残，又杀害了阿罗汉（应真），我内心愧疚感激而死，死后必定堕入地狱。’ 国王以及臣民，听闻这件事的变故，都擦着眼泪，哽咽着，叹息称述他的清净德行，为他弟弟举行殡葬，四众弟子为他建立佛塔，天龙鬼神，挤满了天空，散花烧香，没有不伤心的。他的妻子很快就得到了报应，国人为她举行葬礼，举国哀悼，天下人都赞叹他，精进修行而得道，严守五戒而不亏缺，贞洁之人死后便能升到天上。违背佛法教诲，不孝顺父母，残害圣人，死后必定堕入地狱，遭受烧煮等种种痛苦，那时间长得难以计数。 佛陀于是告诫各位弟子，从今以后，要互相勉励，更加看重清心寡欲。 佛陀说完这部经，众弟子都欢喜，行礼后离去。 佛说佛大僧大经
English
English version: The spirit, residing in Trayastrimsa Heaven (忉利天, one of the six heavens of desire in Buddhism), by enduring momentary lust, obtains endless glory in heaven. The elder brother entered the sacred chamber to see what had happened to his wife. He saw his younger brother's head and body scattered in disarray, and his wife vomiting blood, dead on one side. Seeing his sister-in-law's corpse in such a state, the elder brother cried out, 'Alas! I have acted against Heaven, my deeds are cruel and violent, leading to this outcome.' The elder brother then went to the thief to ask about his younger brother's last words: 'Did my younger brother have any last words before his death?' The thief said, 'There is a letter.' He showed him the letter. The words in the letter were earnest and sorrowful. After reading the letter, the elder brother felt choked up, tears streaming down his face: 'I have disobeyed my parents' loving teachings at their death, leading to fratricide, and I have also killed an Arhat (应真). I die with remorse and gratitude, and after death, I will surely fall into hell.' The king and his subjects, hearing of this event, wiped away their tears, choked with sobs, and praised his pure virtue. They held a funeral for his younger brother, and the fourfold assembly erected a stupa for him. Devas (天), Nagas (龙), and spirits (鬼神) crowded the sky, scattering flowers and burning incense, and all were heartbroken. His wife quickly met her retribution, and the people of the country held a funeral for her. The whole country mourned, and all under heaven praised him, for diligently practicing and attaining the Way, upholding the five precepts without fail, and a chaste person is reborn in heaven after death. Disobeying the Buddha's teachings, being unfilial, and harming the saints, after death, one will surely fall into hell, suffering burning and other torments, for a time that is difficult to count. The Buddha then told his disciples, 'From now on, encourage each other, and value desirelessness even more.' After the Buddha finished speaking this sutra, the disciples were joyful, paid their respects, and departed. The Sutra of the Buddha's Greatness and the Sangha's Greatness Spoken by the Buddha (佛说佛大僧大经) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------