While the Blessed Buddha was journeying and passing through Kāśī, he arrived at a place and smiled. As is natural, when blessed buddhas smile, blue, yellow, red, white, maroon, crystalline, and silvery rays of light emerge from their mouths, some streaming downwards and some streaming upwards.
EN
Those that streamed downwards proceeded to the hell realms of Sañjīva, Kālasūtra, Saṅghāta, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Tapana, Pratāpana, Avīci, Arbuda, Nirarbuda, Aṭaṭa, Hahava, Huhuva, Utpala, Padma, and Mahāpadma. Alighting on and cooling those in the hot hells and alighting on and warming those in the cold hells, these rays of light interrupted the various harms inflicted on those hell realm beings, prompting the denizens of hell to think, “Gentlemen, what is this? Have we died, moved on, and taken birth elsewhere?”
EN
To engender faith in them, the Blessed One sent an emanation which, when they saw it, prompted them to think, “Gentlemen, we have not died and moved on, nor have we been born elsewhere. Rather, the various harms inflicted on us have been interrupted by a being we have never seen before.”
EN
Through the faith they felt in the emanation, the karma that led them to experience the hell realms was exhausted and they took rebirth as gods or humans, forms in which they became fit vessels for the truth.
EN
Those rays of light that streamed upwards reached the gods of Cāturmahārājika, Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartina, Brahmakāyikā, Brahmapurohita, Mahābrahman, Parīttābha Apramāṇābha Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Abṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha. Resonating with the words “impermanence,” “subject to suffering,” “empty,” and “selfless,” the rays of light proclaimed these two verses:
EN
“Take action! Go forth! Apply yourself to the Buddha’s teachings! As an elephant does a mud hovel, Destroy Yama’s minions! He who with great care Trains in the Dharma and Vinaya Abandons the cycle of rebirth And ends suffering once and for all!”
EN
The rays of light then unfurled through the worlds of the great billionfold universe, so that they would, in the future, be drawn into the Blessed One’s sphere. If the Blessed One was about to foretell actions of the past, the rays of light would fade into the space behind the Blessed One. If the Blessed One was about to foretell actions of the future, the rays of light would fade into the space before the Blessed One. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a hell realm being, the rays of light would fade into the soles of his feet. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as an animal, the rays of light would fade into his ankle. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a spirit, the rays of light would fade into his big toe. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a human, the rays of light would fade into his knee. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a reign as a powerful king of the world, the rays of light would fade into the palm of his left hand. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a reign as a king of the world, the rays of light would fade into the palm of his right hand. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a god, the rays of light would fade into his navel. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a śrāvaka’s awakening, the rays of light would fade into his mouth. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, the rays of light would fade into the tuft of hair at his brow. If the Blessed One was about to foretell unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening, the rays of light would fade into the uṣṇīṣa at his crown.
EN
The rays of light then circled the Blessed One three times and faded into the soles of his feet. The venerable Ānanda then pressed his palms together and said to the Blessed One, “Reverend, not without cause or condition do tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened buddhas smile. If so, reverend, what then has caused you to smile? What condition has occasioned it?” And then he asked again in verse:
EN
“A mass made brilliant by a thousand colors Emerged from your mouth, Illuminating every direction, So why bother with a parasol? Not brazen, nor dejected, nor self-satisfied, You have become a buddha, the best of beings, A victorious tamer of enemies. Not without cause Do you flash a smile white like a conch or lotus root. Your mind thus knows when the time is right to proclaim. Leader among sages! Sovereign among ascetics! For your disciples who doubt, Dispel their uncertainty with words Reliable, sublime, and virtuous. Steady as a mountain or the salty sea, Lord buddhas do not smile accidentally. Steady as you are, this group is eager to hear The reason for your smile.”
EN
The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, it is like this. Not without cause or condition do tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened buddhas smile. Ānanda, a great many sinister men here have violated a great many nuns by bodily forcing themselves upon them. For this, when they die, they will pass from this life to be reborn among the denizens of hell.”
EN
A monk then went to where the Blessed One was, pressed his palms together and bowed, appealing to him in these words: “Reverend, I am one of the many sinister men who have bodily and forcibly violated nuns.”
EN
“Fool, have you really committed this act?”
EN
“Reverend, indeed I have.”
EN
The Blessed One then decreed to the monks, “Monks, a person who has violated a nun will not take root in this Dharma and Vinaya. Therefore, monks, you must banish from this Dharma and the Vinaya those persons who have violated a nun. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, you should ask, ‘You have not violated a nun, have you?’ If you allow going forth without asking this, a breach occurs.”
While the Blessed Buddha was journeying and passing through Kāśī, he arrived at a place and smiled. As is natural, when blessed buddhas smile, blue, yellow, red, white, maroon, crystalline, and silvery rays of light emerge from their mouths, some streaming downwards and some streaming upwards.
EN
Those that streamed downwards proceeded to the hell realms of Sañjīva, Kālasūtra, Saṅghāta, Raurava, Mahāraurava, Tapana, Pratāpana, Avīci, Arbuda, Nirarbuda, Aṭaṭa, Hahava, Huhuva, Utpala, Padma, and Mahāpadma. Alighting on and cooling those in the hot hells and alighting on and warming those in the cold hells, these rays of light interrupted the various harms inflicted on those hell realm beings, prompting the denizens of hell to think, “Gentlemen, what is this? Have we died, moved on, and taken birth elsewhere?”
EN
To engender faith in them, the Blessed One sent an emanation which, when they saw it, prompted them to think, “Gentlemen, we have not died and moved on, nor have we been born elsewhere. Rather, the various harms inflicted on us have been interrupted by a being we have never seen before.”
EN
Through the faith they felt in the emanation, the karma that led them to experience the hell realms was exhausted and they took rebirth as gods or humans, forms in which they became fit vessels for the truth.
EN
Those rays of light that streamed upwards reached the gods of Cāturmahārājika, Trāyastriṃśa, Yāma, Tuṣita Nirmāṇarati, Paranirmitavaśavartina, Brahmakāyikā, Brahmapurohita, Mahābrahman, Parīttābha Apramāṇābha Ābhāsvara, Parīttaśubha Apramāṇaśubha, Śubhakṛtsna, Anabhraka, Puṇyaprasava, Bṛhatphala, Abṛha, Atapa, Sudṛśa, Sudarśana, and Akaniṣṭha. Resonating with the words “impermanence,” “subject to suffering,” “empty,” and “selfless,” the rays of light proclaimed these two verses:
EN
“Take action! Go forth! Apply yourself to the Buddha’s teachings! As an elephant does a mud hovel, Destroy Yama’s minions! He who with great care Trains in the Dharma and Vinaya Abandons the cycle of rebirth And ends suffering once and for all!”
EN
The rays of light then unfurled through the worlds of the great billionfold universe, so that they would, in the future, be drawn into the Blessed One’s sphere. If the Blessed One was about to foretell actions of the past, the rays of light would fade into the space behind the Blessed One. If the Blessed One was about to foretell actions of the future, the rays of light would fade into the space before the Blessed One. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a hell realm being, the rays of light would fade into the soles of his feet. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as an animal, the rays of light would fade into his ankle. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a spirit, the rays of light would fade into his big toe. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a human, the rays of light would fade into his knee. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a reign as a powerful king of the world, the rays of light would fade into the palm of his left hand. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a reign as a king of the world, the rays of light would fade into the palm of his right hand. If the Blessed One was about to foretell rebirth as a god, the rays of light would fade into his navel. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a śrāvaka’s awakening, the rays of light would fade into his mouth. If the Blessed One was about to foretell a pratyekabuddha’s awakening, the rays of light would fade into the tuft of hair at his brow. If the Blessed One was about to foretell unsurpassed, complete and perfect awakening, the rays of light would fade into the uṣṇīṣa at his crown.
EN
The rays of light then circled the Blessed One three times and faded into the soles of his feet. The venerable Ānanda then pressed his palms together and said to the Blessed One, “Reverend, not without cause or condition do tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened buddhas smile. If so, reverend, what then has caused you to smile? What condition has occasioned it?” And then he asked again in verse:
EN
“A mass made brilliant by a thousand colors Emerged from your mouth, Illuminating every direction, So why bother with a parasol? Not brazen, nor dejected, nor self-satisfied, You have become a buddha, the best of beings, A victorious tamer of enemies. Not without cause Do you flash a smile white like a conch or lotus root. Your mind thus knows when the time is right to proclaim. Leader among sages! Sovereign among ascetics! For your disciples who doubt, Dispel their uncertainty with words Reliable, sublime, and virtuous. Steady as a mountain or the salty sea, Lord buddhas do not smile accidentally. Steady as you are, this group is eager to hear The reason for your smile.”
EN
The Blessed One replied, “Ānanda, it is like this. Not without cause or condition do tathāgatas, arhats, perfectly awakened buddhas smile. Ānanda, a great many sinister men here have violated a great many nuns by bodily forcing themselves upon them. For this, when they die, they will pass from this life to be reborn among the denizens of hell.”
EN
A monk then went to where the Blessed One was, pressed his palms together and bowed, appealing to him in these words: “Reverend, I am one of the many sinister men who have bodily and forcibly violated nuns.”
EN
“Fool, have you really committed this act?”
EN
“Reverend, indeed I have.”
EN
The Blessed One then decreed to the monks, “Monks, a person who has violated a nun will not take root in this Dharma and Vinaya. Therefore, monks, you must banish from this Dharma and the Vinaya those persons who have violated a nun. If someone wishing to go forth approaches any of you, you should ask, ‘You have not violated a nun, have you?’ If you allow going forth without asking this, a breach occurs.”
Sutraya