Issue 301

Now, although I have met the Buddha, I still have doubts about their words. How much I wish to be enlightened to the ways and means to perceive and realize the true mind, thereby proving that it transcends production and extinction! All those who have outflows also wish to be instructed on this subject.

King Prasenajit continued. Now, although I have met the Buddha, I still have doubts about their words. The Buddha has come into the world and has come to teach and transform me, but I still have ‘fox-like’ doubts and do not believe the doctrine spoken by the Buddha. Like the saying: ‘a man dies like a lamp goes out’. That’s the end of it. That’s Nirvana. He still feels that people are annihilated when they die and that their ceasing to exist is Nirvana!

Doubts are said to be “fox-like” because the fox-spirit is doubtful by nature. No matter what you say, he doesn’t believe it. For example, when a fox walks across the ice in winter, he takes one step, stops, cocks his ear, and listens, then takes another step and cocks his ear to listen. If he hears the ice cracking, he immediately retreats. He knows that if the ice cracks it is not thick enough and could send him plunging into the river. He is extremely intelligent.

It is also said of an intelligent person, “He’s as smart as a fox-spirit.” He has a lot of doubt in his mind and is apt to argue. He opposes everyone, no matter who, and is always on the defense, like a fox!

How much I wish to be enlightened to the ways and means to perceive and realize the true mind, thereby proving that it transcends production and extinction! All those who have outflows also wish to be instructed on this subject. How can I come to know the genuine doctrine of no production and no extinction and realize my mind which is not produced and not extinguished? Everyone in the assembly who has not obtained the spiritual penetration of the extinction of outflows wishes to understand this doctrine.

To have outflows is to flow into the three realms – into the desire realm, the form realm, and the formless realm. When people flow there, they undergo birth and death. Those who have not ended birth and death are called people with outflows. Now everyone in the assembly wanted to understand the doctrine of no production and no extinction so they could all perceive their true minds, be certified to fruition and attain non-outflow!

The Buddha said to the great king, “Now I ask you, as it is now is your physical body like vajra, indestructible and living forever? Or does it change and go bad?”
“World Honored One! This body of mine will keep changing until it eventually becomes extinct.”
The Buddha said, “Great King! You have not yet become extinct. How do you know you will become extinct?”
“World Honored One! Although my impermanent, changing, and decaying body has not yet become extinct, I observe it now, and every passing thought fades away. Each new one fails to remain, but gradually perishes like fire turning to ashes. This perishing without ceasing convinces me that this body will eventually become completely extinct.”
The Buddha said, “So it is!”

In this section of the text the Buddha asks King Prasenajit whether the king’s body will decay, and the king answers that it will decay completely.

The Buddha said to the great king, “Now I ask you, as it is now is your physical body like vajra, indestructible and living forever? If we just consider your flesh-body, is it as durable as vajra? Is it eternally indestructible like a vajra jewel or a diamond? Or does it change and go bad? In the last analysis, what is it like? Is it possible to destroy it? Tell me!”

“World Honored One! This body of mine will keep changing until it eventually becomes extinct.” Upon hearing the Buddha’s question, King Prasenajit replied without hesitation, “World Honored One, this body of mine will eventually go completely bad. Eventually it will be finished, that is for certain!”

In answer, the Buddha said, “Great King! You have not yet become extinct. You aren’t dead yet; how do you know that in the future you will die? You haven’t become extinct yet, so what enables you to know that you will keep changing until you become extinct? Tell me. How does it happen that you know so much doctrine?”

King Prasenajit replied, “World Honored One! Although my impermanent, changing, and decaying body has not yet become extinct, although it is not dead yet, this body of mine is not eternal, but at best will last only eighty or ninety years. At the very most it won’t last more than a hundred years.” So, it’s not a long-term body.

I observe it now – “Observe” means that he contemplated it in general and in detail, inside and outside, from front to back, and close up and from a distance. “I look at others and look at myself. Other people die and I am the same as they are. Hence, I observe it this way, it’s external. Now I’m not observing outside, I’m observing the present thoughts. I regard my mind within.”

“Every passing thought fades away. Each new one fails to remain,” Sees that each thought perishes as the next thought arises. The one replaces the other and is replaced by the next in turn. A thought does not remain forever.

As a new thought comes up, the one preceding it disperses, and none can last eternally. They are just like waves. They seem like waves which arise endlessly, one wave upon the next. They are continually changing and dying out.

“But gradually perishes like fire turning to ashes.” It is the same as when incense is lit. The ashes fall and the fire reappears, but then, after a short while, the ashes once again cover the fire.

The ashes represent the old; the fire is the new. But the new is continually, unendingly turning to ashes. The ashes fall bit by bit and turn into dust and disappear.

“This perishing without ceasing convinces me that this body will eventually become completely extinct.” So, I am absolutely certain without any question,” says King Prasenajit, “that in the future my body will return to extinction.”

The Buddha said, “So it is!” Shakyamuni Buddha tells the king that he has explained it correctly. Every passing thought fades away and this body will eventually become completely extinct.

“Great King! At your present age you are already old and declining. How do your appearance and complexion compare to when you were a youth?”
“World Honored One! In the past when I was young my skin was moist and shining. When I reached the prime of life, my blood and breath were full. But now in my declining years, as I race into old age, my form is withered and wizened and my spirit dull. My hair is white and my face is in wrinkles and I haven’t much time remaining. How can I be compared to how I was when I was full of life?”

Although the Buddha agreed with King Prasenajit’s explanation, he still had questions to ask.

Great King! At your present age you are already old and declining. You’re already old, and your face is now wrinkled, your beard white, your hair snowy. The marks of decay are appearing. How do your appearance and complexion compare to when you were a youth?

“Complexion” refers to the color of his face, “appearance” refers to the features. “Is there any difference between your features as they are now and as they were when you were young? Has there been any change?” the Buddha asks King Prasenajit.

The king answered, “World Honored One! In the past when I was young my skin was moist and shining.” This refers to when he was a child, and his skin was moist and shining. “When I reached the prime of life, my blood and breath were full.” He felt that his body was full of energy, vitality, and very strong!

It is said that a child had a longing admiration for his parents. Sometimes children are spoiled, act out, and are not very obedient to their parents, and the parents indulge them. “Skin” here refers to the surface of the skin as well as to the subcutaneous region between the skin and the flesh. Children’s cheeks are rosy and shining.

“But now in my declining years, as I race into old age,” he has reached the point where his body no longer helps him out. ‘Declining’ means getting old. Like if the wall has fallen, it’s called a ruin. ‘Declining years’ means that he is old. The body is oppressive and nags at him to move somewhere else. It will soon be unlivable. The old age that King Prasenajit is racing towards refers to the age of seventy or more. Basically, the character「耋」means when a person reaches the age of sixty; and 「耄」when one is eighty years old. Didn’t Emperor Yao say, “At eighty I turn to rest?” Because he was over eighty years old, he got lazy and didn’t want to keep looking after the governmental affairs of the country.

It is said that there are three restrictions on the superior person. “When one is young and the blood and breath are restless, the restriction is on sex.” Young people should restrict sex, restrict sexual desire. If you do not, you will cause your body to lose its health and strength. “When one is in one’s prime and the blood and breath are strong, the restriction is on fighting.”

You should not spend all your time picking quarrels. If someone hits you, move back a step. Don’t fight with people. “When one is old and the blood and breath are on the decline, the restriction is on acquiring things.” “Acquiring things” means being insatiably greedy. Old people should not be greedy about acquiring things.

“My form is withered and wizened and my spirit dull,” He was dried up and sagging and he couldn’t remember anything. It was not as it was in his youth, when he could remember everything very clearly. “Dull” means that he wasn’t clear about things; he was a bit eccentric, a bit senile, but he was not insane.