Life of the Buddha

The Relative Value of One's Life and the Precepts

(T25.155c26-156a15 [fasc.13])

Question: If it is not a case of my being attacked, then
the thought of killing may be put to rest. If, however, one has been
attacked, overcome by force, and is then being coerced [by imminent
peril], what should one do then?
Reply: One should weigh the relative gravity [of the
alternatives]. If someone is about to take one's life, one [should]
first consider whether the benefit from preserving the precept is more
important or whether the benefit from preserving one's physical life is
more important and whether breaking the precept constitutes a loss or
whether physical demise constitutes a loss.
After having reflected in this manner one realizes that
maintaining the precept is momentous and that preserving one's physical
life is [relatively] unimportant. If in avoiding [such peril] one is
only [able to succeed in] preserving one's body, [then] what [advantage]
is gained with the body? This body is the swamp of senescence, disease
and death. It will inevitably deteriorate and decay. If, [however],
for the sake of upholding the precept, one loses one's body, the benefit
of it is extremely consequential.
Furthermore, one [should] consider [thus]: "From the past on up
to the present, I have lost my life an innumerable number of times. At
times I have incarnated as a malevolent brigand, as a bird, or as a
beast where I have lived merely for the sake of wealth or profit or all
manner of unworthy pursuits. Now I have encountered [a situation where
I might perish] on account of preserving the pure precepts. To not
spare this body and sacrifice my life to uphold the precepts would be a
billion times better than and [in fact] incomparable to safeguarding my
body [at the expense of] violating the prohibitions." In this manner
one decides that one should foresake the body in order to protect [the
integrity] of the pure precepts.

[The Butcher's Son and the Killing Precept]

For example, there once was a man who was a srota- aapanna born
into the family of a butcher. He was on the threshhold of adulthood.
Although he was expected to pursue his household occupation, he was
unable to kill animals. His father and mother gave him a knife and a
sheep and shut him up in a room, telling him, "If you do not kill the
sheep, we will not allow you to come out and see the sun or the moon or
to have the food and drink to survive."
The son thought to himself, "If I kill this sheep, then I will
[be compelled to] pursue this occupation my entire life. How could I
commit this great crime [simply] for the sake of this body?" Then he
took up the knife and killed himself. The father and mother opened the
door to look. The sheep was standing to one side whereas the son was
[laying there], already expired.
At that time, when he killed himself, he was born in the
heavens. If one is like this, then this amounts to not sparing [even
one's own] life in safeguarding [the integrity of] the pure precepts.

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End Notes:

A srota- aapanna is a first- stage arhat, otherwise known as a "stream-
winner."

Utpalavar.naa Bhikshuni and the Drunken Brahman

(T25.161a27-b23 [fasc.13])
Then again, although among the Buddhadharma's monastics there
are those who may break the precepts and fall into offenses, once the
corresponding retribution has been undergone they gain liberation. This
is as exemplified in The Sutra on the Jaataka of the Bhik.su.nii
Utpalavar.naa wherein it states:

When the Buddha was in the World, this bhikshuni gained the six
superknowledges and arhatship. She made a practice of going into the
households of the aristocracy wherein she constantly praised the
practice of leaving the homelife. She spoke to the wives and daughters
of the nobility, saying, "Sisters, you can leave behind the home life."

The aristocratic wives and daughters would reply, "We are young
and strong. Our countenances and physical forms are full and beautiful.
It would be a difficult think to uphold the precepts. It might happen
that we would break the precepts."

The Bhikshuni replied, "Just go ahead and leave home anyway. If
it happens that you [end up] breaking the precepts then you break them."

They responded, "If we break the precepts we'll fall into the
hells. How can you tell us that they can be broken?"

[Utpalavar.naa] replied, "If it happens that you end up falling
into the hells, then you fall."

The wives and daughters of the nobility all laughed at this,
saying, "When one falls into the hells one undergoes punishment. How
can you tell us that we can go ahead and fall?"

The Bhik.su.nii replied, "I recall that in a previous life I was
an actress who put on all sorts of costumes and played traditional
parts. There were times when I would put on the robes of a bhikshuni in
order to amuse the audience. On account of these causes and conditions,
at the time of Kaashyapa Buddha I was actually able to become a
bhikshuni. However, on account of my aristocratic birth and beauty I
became arrogant and then broke the restrictive prohibitions. On account
of the offenses of breaking the precepts I fell into the hells wherein I
underwent all manner of punishment as retribution.

When I had finished undergoing retribution for those offenses I
was able to encounter Shaakyamuni Buddha and leave home again, whereupon
I gained the six superknowledges and the way of the arhat. For this
reason, one should be aware that if one leaves home and takes the
precepts, although one may eventually break the precepts, still, on
acount of the causes and conditions inhering in taking the precepts one
gains the way of arhatship. If one merely does evil things but yet does
not have the causes and conditions of the precepts, one will not gain
the Way. Thus, in the past I have fallen into the hells in many
lifetimes. Upon coming forth from the hells, I would become an evil
person and when this evil person died, I would go right back into the
hells again and in every case I gained nothing whatsoever as a result."

Now, on account of this, we can verify and thus know that if one
merely leaves home and takes the precepts, although one may eventually
break the precepts, still, on account of these causes and conditions,
one becomes able to realize the fruition of the Way."

Then again, this is exemplified by that time when the Buddha
dwelt in Jetavana and a drunken brahman came to the Buddha and requested
to become a bhikshu. The Buddha ordered Aananda to administer tonsure
and outfit the man in Dharma robes. When [the brahman] awoke from his
enebriation he was startled and amazed that he had suddenly turned into
a bhikshu. Then he ran off. Thereupon, the other bhikshus asked the
Buddha, "Why did the Buddha permit this drunken brahman to become a
bhikshu?"

The Buddha replied, "Even in innumerable aeons, this brahman has
never thought to leave the homelife. Now, on account of his
enebriation, he briefly generated a feeble intention to do so. On
account of these causes and conditions, he will later be able to leave
behind the homelife and gain the Way."

From all sorts of reasons such as these, [we can see that] the
benefit of leaving the home life is that it brings about an immeasurable
number of fine qualities as a result.

Losaka- tisya's Near- Starvation

(T25.278b28- c13 [f.30])
When it is stated that, "[the bodhisattva] who wishes to fulfill
the wishes of all beings [should study the Prajnaparamita]," this refers
to those beings for whom it is appropriate that they should gain such
fulfillment. In fact, the bodhisattva's own mind has no boundaries.
The fruits of his meritorious qualities are also beyond measure. It is
solely on account of the thick obstacles created by beings' immeasurable
number of asamkhyeya kalpas of offenses that they may be unable to
obtain [fulfillment of those wishes].
Take for example Sariputra's disciple, the bhikshu Losaka-
tisya. He was one who upheld the precepts and was vigorous and relied
upon almsfood for sustenance. However, he once went six days and yet
was not able to receive any alms. When it came to the seventh day he
had reached the point where he did not have much longer to live. There
was a fellow cultivator of the Way who acquired almsfood and brought it
to him. But a bird suddenly stole it away.
After that, Sariputra told Maudgalyayana, "Employ your great
spiritual powers to guard some of this almsfood and thus make sure that
he is able to get it." Then Maudgalyayana took the food straightaway
and gave it to Losaka- tisya. However, when the food had almost reached
his mouth, it changed into mud.
Next, Sariputra acquired some more almsfood and personally took
it and gave it to him. But then Losaka- tisya's mouth spontaneously
closed tightly shut. Finally, the Buddha came and, bringing food, gave
it to him. On account of the causes and conditions of the Buddha's
immeasurable amount of merit he was able to cause him to take
nourishment. Then, after this bhikshu had eaten, his mind was suffused
with delight and his faith and reverence were redoubled. The Buddha
told the bhikshu, "Conditioned dharmas are all characterized by
suffering." Then the Buddha explained the four holy truths for his
benefit. The bhikshu immediately achieved the ending of outflows, and
having gained comprehension, realized the way of the Arhat. However,
there do exist beings possessed of only very scant merit whose offenses
are even more extreme than this whom even the Buddha himself is not able
to rescue.