Three life experiences of the same person (Kaundinya): (Time is in reverse order)
First life experience: Kaundinya was one of the five followers sent by the king to follow Prince Siddhartha's monasticism. After the prince gave up his extreme asceticism, they thought that the prince had retreated from practic and left. When Prince Siddhartha attained the supreme enlightenment under the Bodhi tree and became the Buddha Shakyamuni on earth, he went to Saryeyuan to find these five fellows who had practiced together in the past, and directed his enlightenment to them. After hearing the Buddha's teachings, the five of them turned to the Buddha, became the first five monks, and formed the first Buddhist sangha. After listening to the Buddha's statement, Kaundinya immediately attained the Arahantship and became the first Arahant in the Buddhist Sangha.
Second life experience: Before countless calamities, there was a big country called Vāraṇasi, and at that time there was a king named Kali. At that time, there was a great immortal in the country with a very high level of cultivation, named Ksānti-vādi-rsi (translated as the other side of forbearance), and he stayed in the mountains and forests with five hundred disciples to practice forbearance and humiliation.
One day the king and the minister, the king's wife, and the maid went to the mountains to play. Later, the king felt tired, so he lay down and rested. The maidens went around to admire the flowers and trees, and when they saw Ksānti-vādi-rsi sitting and thinking, they became respectful, scattered flowers on him, and then sat in front of him. On the ground, listen to him.
When the king woke up, he couldn't see all the maidens, so he walked with the four ministers to look for them. Seeing all the maidens were sitting in front of the immortal, he asked the immortal, "Have you already gotten the four emptiness?"
The immortal replied: "No."
The king asked again: "Did you get the Four Immeasurable Hearts?"
The immortal replied: "No."
The king asked again: "Have you got the four meditations?"
The immortal still replied: "No."
The king was furious and said, "You said you didn't get these merits. Then you are just a common man. How can people believe that you are innocent when you are alone in this secret place with these maids?"
Then the king asked the immortal again: "You have been here, who are you? What are you practicing?"
The immortal replied: "I am practicing patience."
The king drew his sword and said to him: "If you are practicing patience, I will try to see if you can really endure the humiliation."
So he cut off both hands of the immortal and asked if the immortal could bear it.
The immortal replied to the king: "Patience."
The king cut off his feet again and asked him again. The immortal still answered the king: "Patience."
The king cut off his ears and nose again, but the immortal's face remained the same and said, "Patience."
At this time, there were six kinds of vibrations in the sky and the earth. Five hundred disciples of the immortal flew into the void, and said to their master: "You have suffered such pain. Have you not forgotten your patience?"
The fairy replied: "My heart has not changed at all."
The king was shocked, and asked the immortal again: "You said you are practicing patience, what do you use to prove it?"
The immortal replied: "If I am really patience and sincerity, then the blood that has flowed out just now will turn into milk, and the body will return to its original state. "After this words, the blood really turned into milk, and the body returned to its original state.
Seeing this proof of forbearance, the king became even more horrified, and said to himself: "I really have no wisdom. I slander and insult the great immortal. I hope you will pity me and accept my confession."
The immortal replied, "Because of the beauty of women, you cut my body with a knife, and my forbearance is still unshakable like the earth. In the future, after I become a Buddha, I will use the knife of wisdom to cut off your greed, angry and foolish."
At that time, the dragons and ghosts in the mountain saw King Kali wronged and hurt the immortal, each of them was very angry, so they raised up clouds, thunder and lightning, and wanted to deal with King Kali and his family.
The immortal raised his head and said to the sky: "I hope you don't hurt them for me."
At that time, after King Kali confessed to the immortals, he often invited the immortals to the palace to receive offerings.
At that time, there were a thousand believers of other religions. They were very jealous when they saw the king treat Ksānti-vādi-rsi so respectfully. So when the immortal was sitting in a hidden place, they sprinkled dirt and dung on him.
When the immortal saw this situation, he made a vow and said: "I practice patience today, and continue to accumulate practice for the benefit of all beings. I will enlighten and become a Buddha in the future. If I achieve Buddhahood, I will use water of wisdom wash away your dust, remove your greed and filth, and make your heart pure forever."
The Buddha said: "You must know that the Ksānti-vādi-rsi at that time was actually me. At that time, King Kali and the four ministers were the five monks including Kaundinya today. At that time, the one thousand people who sprinkled dust to me, is Bhikkhu Uruvelā and other thousand bhikkhus. At that time, when I was practicing patience, I vowed to save them first, so after I became enlightened, these sentient beings could be the first to be free from the pain of life and death circle."
Life experience Three: Long ago there was a 7-year-old Prince Sujati , who escaped with his parents due to a rebellion in the palace.
When the dry food was exhausted on the road, everyone was about to starve to death, and Prince Sujati cut off his own meat for his parents to eat, and persuaded them to leave him and flee to neighboring countries.
While waiting for death, Prince Sujati gifted all the goodness he had done to his parents and sentient beings, and the earth was shaken. God Śakro devānām indrah came to test him when he saw this. Prince Sujati said to the God Śakro devānām indrah , "If the hot iron wheel spins on top of me, I will not retreat from the noble faith", and he also determined to say, "If there is no lying, then my body will recover as before", and then it really recovered as before. God Śakro devānām indrah then admired Prince Sujati, and asked Prince Sujati to teach himself first after achieving enlightenment. God Śakro devānām indrah is the previous life of Kaundinya, Prince Sujati is the previous life of Buddha Shakyamuni, and the Prince Sujati's father and mother are the parents of Buddha Shakyamuni.
'Vimalakirti’ is the transliteration word of Master Kumarajiva, and later, Master Xuanzang is paraphrased as ‘the name without dust’. Vimala is clean and unsullied. Kīrti is fame and fame. Together they are "pure name" and "no dust name".
"Vimalakirti Speaking Sutra" is a "Inconceivable Liberation Method Sutra", translated by Xuanzang Sanzang as "Explanation of the Name Without Dust".
The protagonist in the scriptures is the Vimalakīrti Bodhisattva who was born as a layman: Vimalakirti’s wealth is rich, usually helping the poor, giving alms to monks, and benevolent; and he is not obsessed with appearance. In order to save all living beings, Vimalakirti can talk to the gods and demons, he can also talk to princes and nobles, and even talk to the greedy villagers in brothels and casinos. Once, Vimalakirti said he was sick at home, and Buddha Shakyamuni knew he wanted to take the opportunity to speak. Therefore, the Buddha wanted to send ten disciples, including the Arahants and the Bodhisattvas, to visit. But they all declined the Buddha's dispatch because they had been corrected by the Vimalakīrti. The Buddha then invited Manjushri, who is famous for his wisdom, to visit. Manjusri agreed, and many Bodhisattvas and Arhats accompanied him. During the visit, Manjushri and Vimalakīrti discussed the Dharma. They tried their best in every aspect and scrutiny. Their witty words were like pearls. The words spoken amazed the people around them. Everyone who listened to the lecture admired the two bodhisattvas even more.
The Vimalakīrti wanted to heal the diseases of all living beings. The so-called illness, of course, does not refer to the physical but the spiritual level. And the way to remove the root of disease is to teach sentient beings the "unrestricted method" that can be unbound, so that they can witness the inherent inanimateness of emptiness, that is, to understand that the root of disease is "attachment." The Vimalakīrti lay the public to inquire about the disease, so as to talk about the cause and ask various questions related to it, and then teach the public the "empty aspect" Mahayana Buddhism. His thoughts influenced the Mahayana Buddhism of later generations, especially Zen Buddhism to a considerable extent.
The stories in the "Vimalakirti Sutra" are very strong, such as the goddess scattered flowers, etc. The characters in the story are vivid, imaginative, and full of literary interest. It is a major feature of Mahayana scriptures to induce popular belief in a simple way. Scholars in the Southern and Northern Dynasties loved the Vimalakirti Sutra most. The works of Zhiguai in the Six Dynasties were deeply influenced by the Buddhist doctrines and literary techniques in the Vimalakirti Sutra, reflecting a large number of scenes such as retribution and hell. After reading the "Tao De Jing", Zen Master Seng Zhao said, "Beauty is beautiful, but the ultimate destination of the spirit is still not perfect." Later, he read the "Vimalakirti Sutra" and decided to become a monk. "The Biography of Eminent Monks" records that Zhi Dun taught the "Vimalakirti Sutra" in Shanyin. Wang Anshi wrote a poem entitled "Impressions from Reading the Vimalakirti Sutra": "The body is like a bubble and like the wind. The knife cuts the incense and the incense sticks to the air. Sitting in the world to observe this principle, Vimalakirti has magical powers despite illness." Wang Wei, a famous poet in Tang Dynasty, was influenced by his mother's belief in Buddhism since he was a child. When he became an adult, he would call his own character "Vimalakirti". Therefore, later generations would also call Wang Wei his surname Wang-Vimalakīrti.
The "indiscriminate approach" and thought in the Vimalakirti Sutra deeply influenced Zen's "indiscrimination" thought. That is to say, "There is no difference between movement and stillness, and there is no difference between reality and illusion. Vimalakirti clearly pointed out that all dharma can be summarized as no difference."
If the heart is dirty, then sentient beings are considered dirty. If the heart is pure, then sentient beings are considered pure. The heart is not outside, not inside, and not in the middle. The same is true for sin, and so is Buddhism. None of them exceeded the true suchness. -"The Vimalakīrti Nirdeśa"
Once, when the Buddha was speaking at the place of Kauśāmbi, there was a very strong dispute among the disciples. The disputing people did not give up to each other. The Buddha gathered the people and told them:
"Don't argue, you can't stop it with disputes, only patience can stop it. I hope you all respect the virtue of patience.
"In the past, there was a king in the Kingdom of Kshanti, named the King of Longevity, and the king of his neighboring Kingdom of Kashi was named King of Fanyu. One day, the King of Fanyu led an army to invade the Kingdom of Kshanti, and the King of Longevity led the army to resist the King of Fanyu. As a result, King Longevity captured King Fanyu alive. Instead of killing King Fanyu, King Longevity released him and said to him: "Your life and death are in my hands. I forgive you. You should never rise war again!" King Fanyu was also very happy at the time and thanked him, but not long after he fled back to the country, he raised a large army to avenge the King of Longevity`.
"The King of Longevity thought this way: "Although I can defeat him, he will not admit defeat. It is not difficult for me to defeat him again, but he will never accept it in his heart, and war is an evil act. I want to defeat him, and he wants to defeat me; I want to harm him, and he wants to harm me. He wants to encroach on my country and make his people and my people suffer. How unworthy it is? He wants my country, then I give it to him. I don’t want war and don’t let our people suffer.” The King of Longevity had this idea, so he asked the minister to hand over the affairs of the state to King Fanyu, and he led his queen and prince in a carriage and hide their identity to live in other cities.
"After the King of Longevity gave the country to King Fanyu, he and the queen went to live in King Fanyu's realm instead. He changed his name and changed his surname, dressed in civilian clothes, studied knowledge, learned skills, and walked all over the metropolis. He used music and dance to make friends with people everywhere, and entrusted others to raise his prince.
"Later, King Fanyu learned the information and knew that the King of Longevity had changed his name and changed his surname to live in his own city. He immediately ordered the arrest of the King of Longevity. The general public was very sad when they saw the arrest of the King of Longevity.
The prince of the King of Longevity was named the Longevity Boy. He was fostered elsewhere. He was clever and well-versed. He heard that his father was arrested. He disguised as a woodcutter and came to visit his father. When the King of Longevity saw his son, he said to him as if nothing had happened: "Forbearance! Forbearance! This is filial piety! The cause and effect of resentment cannot be produced, what matters is the great wish of compassion. If you are ferocious and poisonous, you are not my filial son. You should know that the compassion of the Buddhas contains heaven and earth, and there is no difference between resentment and love. I seek the truth, sacrifice myself to save the people, and I am still afraid of not being able to obtain filial piety. If you forge grudges against others because of me and do things contrary to my beliefs, I cannot allow you to have such intentions no matter what. You must remember my words, you should be my filial piety boy."
"The longevity boy couldn't bear to see his father die innocently, but he had no choice but to accept his father's order and escape into a forest to avoid disaster. The wealthy people in Kingdom of Kashi country sympathized with the King of Longevity, hoping to save him from his original innocence. The King Fanyu knew the prestige of the King of Longevity in the hearts of the people, and was very frightened in his heart, so he thought of removing the curse, so he had to behead the King of Longevity.
"After knowing that his father was killed, the longevity boy secretly came to collect his father's corpse in the middle of the night, hid the body with fragrant wood, and prayed for his father sincerely.
"King Fanyu knew that the King of Longevity had a prince named the longevity boy. He was afraid that the longevity boy would come to avenge him, so he was full of fear and could not sleep peacefully. He severely ordered the minister to arrest the longevity boy.
"Tthe longevity boy later changed his surname to enter Kashi City and became a well-known master of skill and music. The nobles loved him very much. One day, when King Fanyu saw him, the king was also very happy, and ordered him to serve in the palace. King Fanyu trusted the longevity boy very much, and even gave him the sword that he wore with him.
"One time, King Fanyu went hunting in a big mountain and lost his way. He lost contact with his entourage, and only the longevity boy followed him. King Fanyu looked for a way, but he couldn't find a way out after searching for a long time. So tired, he rested on the lap of the longevity boy.
"At this time, the longevity boy thought in his heart: "This evil king is an immoral faint king. He killed my innocent father and took away the land of my father. Now, his life is in my hands. It is a godsend. My convenience, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me to take revenge."
"After the longevity boy thought so, he drew his sword and wanted to kill King Fanyu, but at this moment, he remembered his father's legacy, and he put the sword in the sheath again. At this moment, King Fanyu was awakened, and he said to the longevity boy: "Oh! Terrible! Terrible! I was in a dream and saw the longevity boy come to avenge me. He cut off my head with a knife."
"After hearing the words of King Fanyu, the longevity boy said slowly: "Great King! Don't be afraid, I am the longevity boy! To tell you the truth, when you are asleep, I want revenge, but remember My father’s legacy, I put the knife in the scabbard again.”
"King Fanyu hurriedly asked: "What is your father's legacy?"
"Tthe longevity boy said his father's legacy again: "Forbearance! Forbearance! This is called filial piety. Don't bear the cause and effect of resentment, and a hatred heart is the root of all disasters!"
"The King Fanyu asked the longevity boy as if he didn't understand him: "Forbearance! Forbearance! This is what I know, but what does it mean that hatred is the root of all kinds of disasters?"
"Tthe longevity boy replied: "If I kill you, your courtiers will definitely kill me, and my courtiers will definitely kill your courtiers. Killing in this way will never stop. It's better than I forgive you and you forgive me. Only by forbearance can the root of the evil be lifted."
"After the King Fanyu heard this, he was extremely grateful, and he muttered to himself in regret: "I killed the saint, my sin deserves to die ten thousand times!" He told the longevity boy that he was sincerely willing to give the country as a gift to the longevity boy. But the longevity boy said modestly and solemnly: "Your home country belongs to you. You can return my father's land to me."
"The King of Fanyu and the longevity boy found their way back to the city together. On the way, many ministers of King Fanyu greeted him, and King Fanyu tentatively asked them: "I ask you, if you meet the longevity boy, how can you deal with him?"
"These ministers all answered with courage one by one: "Cut off his hand!" "Break his foot!" "Take his life!"
"The King Fanyu pointed to the longevity boy beside him and said, "This is the longevity boy!"
"The ministers were very surprised, and they all drew out their swords, preparing to the longevity boy. "Don't do it! "
The King Fanyu stopped them. He told the ministers all the words of the longevity boy who used virtue to return resentment. The ministers were very moved. The King Fanyu ordered no one to be malicious to the longevity boy in the future.
"The ministers are very happy and admire the way this matter is handled. After returning to the city and entering the palace, King Fanyu invited the longevity boy to take a bath in fragrant soup, dressed him in the king’s costume, and gave up his palace, invited the longevity boy to sit on his golden bed, and finally gave his daughter to the longevity boy as wife, and sent a lot of military carts and horses to escort them back to their own country.
"Bhikkhus! After you heard this, how do you feel in your heart? The King Longevity, the King of the Kingdom of Kshanti, practiced patience, forbearance and compassion by himself, and showed kindness to his enemies. You should work hard in the same way. With your sincere belief, you left your hometown, cut your love and resigned, and came here to explore the truth of the universe and to prove the truth of life. You should practice patience, forbearance, and should admire patience and forbearance; exercise compassion and admire mercy; give grace and benefit to all living beings. The reality of the universe is one in whole, there should be no dispute between you and me! "
The Dharma speaker said nothing and did not show anything. Those who listen to the Dharma have nothing to hear and receive. -"Vimalakirti Sutra"