The Sutra in Forty-Two SectionsSutra PrefaceWhen the World Honored One had attained the Way, he thought, "To leavedesire behind and to gain calmness and tranquillity is supreme." Heabided in deep meditative concentration and subdued every demon andexternalist.In the Deer Park he turned the Dharma-wheel of the Four Noble Truthsand took across Ajnata-kaundinya and the other four disciples, who allrealized the fruition of the Way. Then the Bhikshus expressed theirdoubts and asked the Buddha how to resolve them. The World Honored Onetaught and exhorted them, until one by one they awakened and gainedenlightenment. After that, they each put their palms together,respectfully gave their assent, and followed the Buddha instructions.Section 1: Leaving Home and Becoming an ArhatThe Buddha said, "People who take leave of their families and go forthfrom the householder life, who know their mind and penetrate to itsorigin, and who understand the unconditioned Dharma are calledShramanas. They constantly observe the 250 precepts, and they valuepurity in all that they do. By practicing the four true paths, theycan become Arhats."Arhats can fly and transform themselves. They have a life span of vasteons, and wherever they dwell they can move heaven and earth.Superior to the Arhat is the Anagamin. At the end of his life, anAnagamin vital spirit will rise above the nineteenth heaven, and hewill become an Arhat.Superior to the Anagamin is the Sakridagamin, who ascends once,returns once more, and thereafter becomes an Arhat.Prior to the Sakridagamin is the Srotaapanna, who has seven deaths andseven births remaining, and then becomes an Arhat. Severing love anddesire is like severing the four limbs; one never uses them again."Section 2: Eliminating Desire and Ending SeekingThe Buddha said, "Those who have left the home-life and becomeShramanas cut off desire, renounce love, and recognize the source oftheir minds. They penetrate the Buddha profound principles and awakento the unconditioned Dharma. Internally they have no thing to attain,and externally they seek nothing. They are not mentally bound to theWay, nor are they tied to karma. They are free of thought and action;they neither cultivate nor attain certification; they do not passthrough the various stages, and yet they are highly revered. This isthe meaning of the Way."Section 3: Severing Love and Renouncing GreedThe Buddha said, "Shaving their hair and beards, they become Shramanaswho accept the Dharmas of the Way. They renounce worldly wealth andriches. In receiving alms, they accept only what enough. They takeonly one meal a day at noon, pass the night beneath trees, and arecareful not to seek more than that. Craving and desire are what causepeople to be stupid and dull."Section 4: Clarifying Good and EvilThe Buddha said, "Living beings may perform Ten Good Deeds or Ten EvilDeeds. What are the ten? Three are done with the body, four are donewith the mouth, and three are done with the mind. The three done withthe body are killing, stealing, and lust. The four done with the mouthare duplicity, harsh speech, lies, and frivolous speech. The threedone with the mind are jealousy, hatred, and stupidity. Thus these tenare not in accord with the Way of Sages and are called the Ten EvilDeeds. To put a stop to these evils is to perform the Ten Good Deeds."Section 5: Reducing the Severity of OffensesThe Buddha said, "If a person has many offenses and does not repent ofthem, but cuts off all thought of repentance, the offenses will engulfhim, just as water returning to the sea will gradually become deeperand wider. If a person has offenses and, realizing they are wrong,reforms and does good, the offenses will dissolve by themselves, justas a sick person who begins to perspire will gradually be cured."Section 6: Tolerating Evil-doers and Avoiding HatredThe Buddha said, "When an evil person hears about your goodness andintentionally comes to cause trouble, you should restrain yourself andnot become angry or blame him. Then the one who has come to do evilwill do evil to himself."Section 7: Evil Returns to the DoerThe Buddha said, "There was a person who, upon hearing that I observethe Way and practice great humane kindness, intentionally came toberate me. I was silent and did not reply. When he finished abusingme, I asked, 'If you are courteous to people and they do not acceptyour courtesy, the courtesy returns to you, does it not? '"It does, 'he replied. I said, ow you are scolding me, but I do notreceive it, so the misfortune returns to you and must remain with you.It is as inevitable as an echo that follows a sound, or as a shadowthat follows a form. In the end you cannot avoid it. Therefore, becareful not to do evil.'"Section 8: Abusing Others Defiles Oneself

The Buddha said, "An evil person who harms a sage is like one whoraises his head and spits at heaven. Instead of reaching heaven, thespittle falls back on him. It is the same with someone who throws dustagainst the wind. Instead of going somewhere else, the dust returns todefile his own body. The sage can not be harmed. Misdeeds willinevitably destroy the doer."Section 9: By Returning to the Source, You Find the WayThe Buddha said, "Deep learning and a love of the Way make the Waydifficult to attain. When you guard your mind and revere the Way, theWay is truly great! "Section 10: Joyful Charity Brings BlessingsThe Buddha said, "When you see someone who is practicing giving, aidhim joyfully, and you will obtain vast and great blessings."A Shramana asked, is there an end to those blessings? "The Buddha said, "Consider the flame of a single torch. Thoughhundreds and thousands of people come to light their own torches fromit so that they can cook their food and ward off darkness, the firsttorch remains the same. Blessings, too, are like this."Section 11: The Increase in Merit Gained by Bestowing FoodThe Buddha said, "Giving food to a hundred bad people is not as goodas giving food to a single good person. Giving food to a thousand goodpeople is not as good as giving food to one person who holds the FivePrecepts. Giving food to ten thousand people who hold the FivePrecepts is not as good as giving food to a single Srotaapanna. Givingfood to a million Srotaapannas is not as good as giving food to asingle Sakridagamin. Giving food to ten million Sakri dagamins is notas good as giving food to a single Anagamin. Giving food to a hundredmillion Anaga mins is not as good as giving food to a single Arhat.Giving food to one billion Arhats is not as good as giving food to asingle Pratyekabuddha. Giving food to ten billion Pratyekabuddhas isnot as good as giving food to a Buddha of the three periods of time.Giving food to a hundred billion Buddhas of the three periods of timeis not as good as giving food to a single person who is withoutthoughts, without dwelling, without cultivation, and withoutaccomplishment."Section 12: A List of Difficulties and an Exhortation to CultivateThe Buddha said, "People encounter twenty different kinds ofdifficulties: It is difficult to give when one is poor. It isdifficult to study the Way when one has wealth and status. It isdifficult to abandon life and face the certainty of death. It isdifficult to encounter the Buddhist sutras. It is difficult to be bornat the time of a Buddha. It is difficult to be patient with lust anddesire. It is difficult to see fine things and not seek them. It isdifficult to be insulted and not become angry. It is difficult to havepower and not abuse it. It is difficult to come in contact with thingsand have no thought of them. It is difficult to be vastly learned andwell-read. It is difficult to get rid of pride. It is difficult not toslight those who have not yet studied. It is difficult to practiceequanimity of mind. It is difficult not to gossip. It is difficult tomeet a Good and Wise Advisor. It is difficult to see one own natureand study the Way. It is difficult to teach and save people accordingto their potentials. It is difficult to see a state and not be movedby it. It is difficult to have a good understanding ofskill-in-means."Section 13: Questions about the Way and Past LivesA Shramana asked the Buddha, "By what causes and conditions can I knowmy past lives and understand the ultimate Way? "The Buddha said, "Purifying your mind and preserving your resolve, youcan understand the ultimate Way. Just as when you polish a mirror, thedust vanishes and brightness remains, so too, if you cut off desireand do not seek, you then can know past lives."Section 14: Asking about Goodness and GreatnessA Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is goodness? What is the foremostgreatness? "The Buddha said: "To practice the Way and uphold the truth isgoodness. To unite your will with the Way is greatness."Section 15: Asking about Strength and BrillianceA Shramana asked the Buddha, "What is the greatest strength? What isthe utmost brilliance? "The Buddha said, "Patience under insult is the greatest strength,because people who are patient do not harbor hatred, and theygradually grow more peaceful and strong. Patient people, since theyare not evil, will surely gain the respect of others. Then the minddefilements are gone completely, so that it is pure and untainted,that is the utmost brilliance. When there is nothing, from before theformation of the heavens and the earth until now, in any of the tendirections that you do not see, know, or hear; when you have attainedomniscience, that may be called brilliance."Section 16: Casting Aside Love and Attaining the WayThe Buddha said, "People who cherish love and desire do not see the

Way. Just as when you stir clear water with your hand, those who standbeside it cannot see their reflections, so, too, people who areentangled in love and desire have turbidity in their minds, andtherefore they cannot see the Way. You Shramanas should cast asidelove and desire. When the stains of love and desire disappear, youwill be able to see the Way."Section 17: When Light Arrives, Darkness DepartsThe Buddha said, "Those who see the Way are like someone holding atorch who enters a dark room, dispelling the darkness so that onlylight remains. When you study the Way and see the truth, ignorancevanishes and light remains forever."Section 18: Thoughts and So Forth Are Basically EmptyThe Buddha said, my Dharma is the mindfulness that is both mindfulnessand non-mindfulness. It is the practice that is both practice andnon-practice. It is words that are words and non-words, andcultivation that is cultivation and non-cultivation. Those whounderstand are near to it; those who are confused are far away,indeed. It is not accessible by the path of language. It is nothindered by physical objects. If you are off by a hairsbreadth, youwill lose it in an instant."Section 19: Contemplating Both the False and the TrueThe Buddha said, "Contemplate heaven and earth, and be mindful oftheir impermanence. Contemplate the world, and be mindful of itsimpermanence. Contem-plate the efficacious, enlightened nature: it isthe Bodhi nature. With this awareness, one quickly attains the Way."Section 20: Realize that the Self Is Truly EmptyThe Buddha said, "You should be mindful of the four elements withinthe body. Though each has a name, none of them is the self. Since theyare not the self, they are like an illusion."Section 21: Fame Destroys Life RootsThe Buddha said, "There are people who follow emotion and desire andseek to be famous. By the time their reputation is established, theyare already dead. Those who are greedy for worldly fame and do notstudy the Way simply waste their effort and wear themselves out. Byway of analogy, although burning incense gives off fragrance, when ithas burned down, the remaining embers bring the danger of a fire thatcan burn one up."Section 22: Wealth and Sex Cause SufferingThe Buddha said, "People are unable to renounce wealth and sex. Theyare just like a child who cannot resist honey on the blade of a knife.Even though the amount is not even enough for a single meal serving ,he will lick it and risk cutting his tongue in the process."Section 23: A Family Is Worse than a PrisonThe Buddha said, "People are bound to their families and homes to suchan extent that these are worse than a prison. Eventually one isreleased from prison, but people never think of leaving theirfamilies. Don't they fear the control that emotion, love, and sex haveover them? Although they are in a tiger jaws, their hearts areblissfully oblivious. Because they throw themselves into a swamp anddrown, they are known as ordinary people. Pass through the gateway!Get out of the defilement and become an Arhat! "Section 24: Sexual Desire Obstructs the WayThe Buddha said, "Of all longings and desires, there is none as strongas sex. Sexual desire has no equal. Fortunately, it is one of a kind.If there were something else like it, no one in the entire world wouldbe able to cultivate the Way."Section 25: The Fire of Desire BurnsThe Buddha said, "Person with love and desire is like one who carriesa torch while walking against the wind: he is certain to burn hishand."Section 26: Demons from the Heavens Try to Tempt the BuddhaThe heaven spirit offered beautiful maidens to the Buddha, hoping todestroy his resolve. The Buddha said, What have you skin-bags full offilth come here for? Go away, I've got no use for you."Then the heaven spirit became very respectful and asked about themeaning of the Way. The Buddha explained it for him, and heimmediately attained the fruition of Srotaapanna.Section 27: One Attains the Way after Letting Go of AttachmentsThe Buddha said, "Person who follows the Way is like a floating pieceof wood that courses along with the current. If it does not toucheither shore; if people do not pluck it out; if ghosts and spirits donot intercept it; if it is not trapped in whirlpools; and if it doesnot rot, I guarantee that the piece of wood will reach the sea. Ifstudents of the Way are not deluded by emotion and desire, and if theyare not caught up in the many crooked views, but are vigorous in theircultivation of the unconditioned, I guarantee that they will certainlyattain the Way."Section 28: Don Indulge the Wild MindThe Buddha said, "Be careful not to believe your own mind; your mindis not to be believed. Be careful not to get involved with sex;

involvement with sex leads to disaster. After you have attainedArhatship, you can believe your own mind."Section 29: Proper Contemplation Counteracts Sexual DesireThe Buddha said, "Be careful not to look at women, and do not talkwith them. If you must speak with them, be properly mindful and think,I am a Shramana living in a turbid world. I should be like the lotusflower, which is not stained by the mud. ' Think of elderly women asyour mothers, of those who are older than you as your elder sisters,of those who are younger as your younger sisters, and of very younggirls as your daughters. Bring forth thoughts to rescue them, and putan end to bad thoughts."Section 30: Stay Far Away from the Fire of DesireThe Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like dry grass: itis essential to keep it away from an oncoming fire. People whocultivate the Way look upon desire as something they must stay faraway from."Section 31: When the Mind Is Still, Desire Is DispelledThe Buddha said, "There was once someone who was plagued by ceaselesssexual desire and wished to castrate himself. The Buddha said tohim,"To cut off your sexual organ would not be as good as to cut offyour mind. Your mind is like a supervisor: if the supervisor stops,his employees will also quit. If the deviant mind is not stopped, whatgood does it do to cut off the organ?'"The Buddha spoke a verse for him:Desire is born from your intentions.Intentions are born from thoughts.When both aspects of the mind are still,There is neither form nor activity.The Buddha said, this verse was spoken by the Buddha Kashyapa."Section 32: Emptying out the Self Quells FearThe Buddha said, "People worry because of love and desire. That worrythen leads to fear. If you transcend love, what worries will there be?What will be left to fear? "Section 33: Wisdom and Clarity Defeat the DemonsThe Buddha said, "People who cultivate the Way are like a soldier whogoes into battle alone against ten thousand enemies. He dons his armorand goes out the gate. He may prove to be a coward; he may get halfwayto the battlefield and retreat; he may be killed in combat; or he mayreturn victorious. Shramanas who study the Way must make their mindsresolute and be vigorous, courageous, and valiant. Not fearing whatlies ahead, they should defeat the hordes of demons and obtain thefruition of the Way."Section 34: By Staying in the Middle, One Attains the WayOne evening a Shramana was reciting the Sutra of the TeachingBequeathed by the Buddha Kashyapa. The sound of his voice was mournfulas he reflected remorsefully on his wish to retreat in cultivation.The Buddha asked him, "In the past when you were a householder, whatdid you do? " He replied, "I was fond of playing the lute." The Buddhasaid, "What happened when the strings were slack? " He replied, "Theydidn't sound." What happened when they were too tight? " He replied,"The sounds were cut short." What happened when they were tuned justright between slack and tight? " He replied, "The sounds carried." TheBuddha said, "It is the same with a Shramana who studies the Way. Ifhis mind is harmonious, he can attain the Way. If he is impetuousabout the Way, his impetuousness will tire out his body; and if hisbody is tired, his mind will become afflicted. If his mind becomesafflicted, then he will retreat from his practice. If he retreats fromhis practice, his offenses will certainly increase. You need only bepure, peaceful, and happy, and you will not lose the Way."Section 35: When One Is Purified of Defilements, the BrillianceRemainsThe Buddha said,"People smelt metal by burning the dross out of it inorder to make high quality implements. It is the same with people whostudy the Way: first they must get rid of the defilements in theirminds; then their practice becomes pure."Section 36: The Sequence that Leads to SuccessThe Buddha said, "It is difficult for one to leave the evil destiniesand become a human being.Even if one does become a human being, it is still difficult to becomea man rather than a woman.Even if one does become a man, it is still difficult to have the sixsense organs complete and perfect.Even if the six sense organs are complete and perfect, it is stilldifficult for one to be born in a central country.Even if one is born in a central country, it is still difficult to beborn at a time when there is a Buddha in the world.Even if one is born at a time when there is a Buddha in the world, itis still difficult to encounter the Way.Even if one does encounter the Way, it is still difficult to bringforth faith.

Even if one brings forth faith, it is still difficult to resolve onemind on Bodhi.Even if one does resolve one mind on Bodhi, it is still difficult tobe beyond cultivation and attainment."Section 37: Staying Mindful of Moral Precepts Brings Us Close to theWayThe Buddha said, "My disciples may be several thousand miles away fromme, but if they remember my moral precepts, they will certainly attainthe fruition of the Way. If those who are by my side do not follow mymoral precepts, they may see me constantly, but in the end they willnot attain the Way."Section 38: Birth Leads to DeathThe Buddha asked a Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " Hereplied, "Few days." The Buddha said, "You have not yet understood theWay."He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " Thereply was, "The space of a meal." The Buddha said, "You have not yetunderstood the Way."He asked another Shramana, "How long is the human life span? " Hereplied, "The length of a single breath." The Buddha said, "Excellent.You have understood the Way."Section 39: The Buddha Instructions Are Not BiasedThe Buddha said, "Students of the Buddha Way should believe in andaccord with everything that the Buddha teaches. When you eat honey, itis sweet on the surface and sweet in the center; it is the same withmy Sutras."Section 40: The Way Is Practiced in the MindThe Buddha said, "Shramana who practices the Way should not be like anox turning a millstone. Such a one walks the Way with his body, buthis mind is not on the Way. If the mind is concentrated on the Way,what further need is there to practice? "Section 41: A Straight Mind Gets Rid of DesireThe Buddha said, "One who practices the Way is like an ox pulling aheavy load through deep mud. The ox is so extremely exhausted that itdares not glance to the left or right. Only when it gets out of themud can it rest. The Shramana should regard emotion and desire asbeing worse than deep mud; and with an undeviating mind, he should bemindful of the Way. Then he can avoid suffering."Section 42: Understanding that the World Is IllusoryThe Buddha said, "I look upon royalty and high positions as upon thedust that floats through a crack.I look upon treasures of gold and jade as upon broken tiles.I look upon fine silk clothing as upon cheap cotton.I look upon a great thousand-world universe as upon a small nutkernel.I look upon the waters of the Anavatapta Lake as upon oil used toanoint the feet.I look upon the door of expedient means as upon a cluster of jewelscreated by transformation.I look upon the Unsurpassed Vehicle as upon a dream of gold andriches.I look upon the Buddha Way as upon flowers before my eyes.I look upon Dhyana samadhi as upon the pillar of Mount Sumeru.I look upon Nirvana as upon being awake day and night.I look upon inversion and uprightness as upon six dancing dragons.I look upon impartiality as upon the one true ground.I look upon the flourishing of the teaching as upon a tree bloomingduring four seasons."