Part 21: Sumatinātha’s sermon

When Śakra had become silent after this hymn of praise, the blessed Lord Sumati began a sermon in speech that conformed to all dialects.

“A person who has reached a state suitable for accurate knowledge of right and wrong must not remain here, confused by his own acts. Good treatment of a person—son, friend, wife, etc., all that is the business of another, not in the least one’s own business. Alone a person is born; alone he dies; alone he experiences karma accumulated during another birth. The great wealth that he acquired is consumed by others in common; but he alone is tormented by his own karma in the inside of hell. A creature subject to karma wanders entirely alone repeatedly in this extensive forest of existence terrible with the forest-fire of pain. One might say, ‘Suppose relatives, etc. are not companions of the soul here; but the body is a companion and causes experiencing of pleasure and pain.’ It does not come from a former birth; it does not go to another existence; then how can the body met in (chance) encounter^[1] be a companion?

If there is the thought, ‘Right and wrong, close together, are friends,’ that is not the truth. In mokṣa there is no friendship between right and wrong. Therefore, a creature wanders alone in existence, committing good and bad actions, and experiences good and bad consequences in accordance with them. Alone he gains the highest wealth of mokṣa. Because of the separation from all associations, there is no possibility of a companion. Whatever pain is dependent on existence, whatever happiness arises from mokṣa, alone he experiences that. There is no companion whatever. Just as a man crossing a river alone reaches the other bank in a moment; but does not (do so), if he has articles tied to his chest, hands, feet, etc.; so, indifferent to possessions, wealth, body, etc., alone, self-sufficient, he attains the opposite shore of the ocean of existence. Therefore, abandoning association with creatures in worldly existence, a person must indeed strive alone for mokṣa possessing eternal joy and happiness.”

Many men and women, enlightened by hearing the Lord’s sermon, having become free from affection, took the vow. There were one hundred gaṇabhṛts, Camara, etc. They received the ‘three steps’ from the Lord and made the twelve aṅgas. The Lord stopped preaching at the end of the first division of the day and the chief gaṇabhṛt, seated on the Master’s foot-stool, delivered a sermon. He too stopped preaching at the end of the second period of the day. After bowing to the Lord, the Indras and others went to their respective abodes.

The gaṇabhṛts:

Many men and women, enlightened by hearing the Lord’s sermon, having become free from affection, took the vow. There were one hundred gaṇabhṛts, Camara, etc. They received the ‘three steps’ from the Lord and made the twelve aṅgas. The Lord stopped preaching at the end of the first division of the day and the chief gaṇabhṛt, seated on the Master’s foot-stool, delivered a sermon. He too stopped preaching at the end of the second period of the day. After bowing to the Lord, the Indras and others went to their respective abodes.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Saṃpheṭa (?). I believe all it really means here is ‘met accidentally.’