Asibandhakaputta

1338 IV. The Book of the Six Sense Bases

(Saḷāyatanavagga)

6 Asibandhakaputta

            On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nālandā in Pāvārika'sMango Grove. Then Asibandhakaputtathe headman approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: "Venerable sir, the Brahmins of the western region-those who carry around water pots, wear garlands of water plants, immerse themselves in water, and tend the sacred fire-are said to direct a dead person upwards, to guide him along, and conduct him to heaven. But the Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, is able to bring it about that with the breakup of the body, after death, the entire world might be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world."

            "Well then, headman, I will question you about this. Answer as you see fit. What do you think, headman? Suppose there is a per­son here who destroys life, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsely, speaks divisively, speaks harshly, chatters idly, one who is covetous, full of ill will, and holds wrong view. Then a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around him, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate him making rev­erential salutations, saying: 'With the breakup of the body, after death, may this person be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world.' What`, do you think, headman? Because of the prayers of the great crowd of people, because of their praise, because they circumambulate him making reverential saluta­tions, would that person, with the breakup of the body, after death, be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world?"

            "No, venerable sir."

            "Suppose, headman, a person would hurl a huge boulder into a deep pool of water. Then a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around it, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate it making reveren­tial salutations, saying: 'Emerge, good boulder! Rise up, good boulder! Come up on to high ground, good boulder!' What do you think, headman? Because of the prayers of the great crowd of people, because of their praise, because they circum­ambulate it making reverential salutations, would that boulder emerge, rise up, and come up on to high ground?"

            "No, venerable sir."

            "So, too, headman, if a person is one who destroys life ... and holds wrong view, even though a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around him ... still, with the break­up of the body, after death, that person will be reborn in a state of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell.

            "What do you think, headman? Suppose there is a person here who abstains from the destruction of life, from taking what is not given, from sexual misconduct, from false speech, from divisive speech, from harsh speech, from idle chatter, one who is not cov­etous, without ill will, who holds right view. Then a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around him, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate him making reverential salutations, saying: 'With the break­up of the body, after death, may this person be reborn in a state of misery, in a bad destination, in the nether world, in hell.' What do you think, headman? Because of the prayers of the great crowd of people, because of their praise, because they circumambulate him making reverential salutations, would that person, with the breakup of the body, after death, be reborn in a state of misery ... in hell?"

            "No, venerable sir."

            "Suppose, headman, a man submerges a pot of ghee or a pot of oil in a deep pool of water and breaks it. Any of its shards or fragments there would sink downwards, but the ghee or oil would rise upwards. Then a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around it, and they would send up prayers and recite praise and circumambulate it making reveren­tial salutations, saying: 'Sink down, good ghee or oil! Settle, good ghee or oil! Go downwards, good ghee or oil!' What do you think, headman? Because of the prayers of the great crowd of people, because of their praise, because they circumambulate it making reverential salutations, would that ghee or oil sink down or settle or go downwards?"

            "No, venerable sir."

            "So, too, headman, if a person is one who abstains from the destruction of life ... who holds right view, even though a great crowd of people would come together and assemble around. him ... still, with the breakup of the body, after death, that person will be reborn in a good destination, in a heavenly world."

            When this was said, Asibandhakaputta the headman said to the Blessed One: "Magnificent, venerable sir! From today let the Blessed One remembers me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life."