6.
The Discourse on the Son of Asibandhaka
358.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Nāḷandā in Pāvārika's mango grove.
Then Asibandhakaputta the headman approached the Blessed One;
having approached, he paid respect to the Blessed One and sat down to one side.
Seated to one side, Asibandhakaputta the headman said this to the Blessed One -
"The brahmins, venerable sir, of the western lands, carrying water-pots, wearing garlands of moss, descending into water, tending the fire.
They raise up the dead, the departed, they inform them, they make them enter heaven.
But is the Blessed One, venerable sir, the Worthy One, the Perfectly Enlightened One, able to act in such a way that the whole world, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world?"
"Well then, headman, I will ask you a question about this very matter.
As it pleases you, so you should answer it."
"What do you think, headman, suppose here a man were one who kills living beings, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisive speech, speaks harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, has a mind of ill-will, and holds wrong view. A great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'May this man, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world.' What do you think, headman, would that man, because of the requesting of that great crowd of people, or because of their praising, or because of their circumambulating with joined palms, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"Just as, headman, a man might throw a large broad stone into a deep lake. A great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'Rise up, dear broad stone, float up, dear broad stone, float up to dry land, dear broad stone.' What do you think, headman, would that broad stone, because of the requesting of that great crowd of people, or because of their praising, or because of their circumambulating with joined palms, rise up, or float up, or float up to dry land?" "No, Venerable Sir." "So too, headman, whatever man is one who kills living beings, takes what is not given, engages in sexual misconduct, speaks falsehood, speaks divisive speech, speaks harsh speech, engages in idle chatter, is covetous, has a mind of ill-will, and holds wrong view. Even though a great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'May this man, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world' - yet that man, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell.
"What do you think, headman, suppose here a man were one who abstains from killing living beings, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from divisive speech, abstains from harsh speech, abstains from idle chatter, is non-covetous, has a mind without ill-will, and holds right view. A great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'May this man, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell.' What do you think, headman, would that man, because of the requesting of that great crowd of people, or because of their praising, or because of their circumambulating with joined palms, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell?" "No, Venerable Sir."
"Just as, headman, a man might plunge a pot of ghee or a pot of oil into a deep lake and break it. There, whatever gravel or potsherds there might be, they would go downwards; but whatever ghee or oil there might be, that would go upwards. A great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'Sink down, dear ghee and oil, settle down, dear ghee and oil, go down, dear ghee and oil.' What do you think, headman, would that ghee and oil, because of the requesting of that great crowd of people, or because of their praising, or because of their circumambulating with joined palms, sink down, or settle down, or go down?" "No, Venerable Sir." "So too, headman, whatever man is one who abstains from killing living beings, abstains from taking what is not given, abstains from sexual misconduct, abstains from lying, abstains from divisive speech, abstains from harsh speech, abstains from idle chatter, is non-covetous, has a mind without ill-will, and holds right view - even though a great crowd of people, having come together and assembled, might request him, praise him, circumambulate him with joined palms - 'May this man, upon the body's collapse at death, be reborn in a realm of misery, an unfortunate realm, a nether world, in hell' - yet that man, upon the body's collapse at death, would be reborn in a fortunate realm, in a heavenly world." When this was said, Asibandhakaputta the headman said this to the Blessed One - "Excellent, venerable sir! Etc. From this day forth, may he remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life." The sixth.