From:
中阿含經 8 Medium Discourses 8
七日經 The Seven Suns
我聞如是： Thus I have heard:
一時，佛遊鞞舍離，在㮈氏樹園。 One time, the Buddha traveled to Vaiśālī and stayed at the mango grove there.
爾時，世尊告諸比丘： It was then that the Bhagavān addressed the monks,
「一切行無常。 “All things that are conditioned are impermanent.
不久住法速變易法不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
所以者何。 Why is that?
「有時不雨當不雨時，一切諸樹，百穀，藥，木，皆悉枯槁，摧碎，滅盡。 “During times of drought when there’s no rain, all the trees, the hundred grains, and medicinal plants wither, crumble, and disappear.
不得常住。是故，一切行無常。 They can’t always be present; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時二日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when two suns arise in the world.
二日出時，諸溝渠，川流皆悉竭盡。 When two suns arise, gully streams and rivers all dry up.
不得常住。是故，一切行無常 They can’t always be present; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時三日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when three suns arise in the world.
三日出時，諸大江河皆悉竭盡。 When three suns arise, the large rivers all dry up.
不得常住。是故，一切行無常。 They can’t always be present; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時四日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when four suns arise in the world.
四日出時，諸大泉源從閻浮洲五河所出： When four suns arise, the great springs of Jambudvīpa from which five rivers flow all dry up:
一曰恒伽，二曰搖尤那，三曰舍牢浮，四曰阿夷羅婆提，五曰摩企。 the 1. Gaṅgā, 2. Yamunā, 3. [Sarabhū], 4. Ajiravatī, and 5. Mahī.
彼大泉源皆悉竭盡。
不得常住。是故，一切行無常。 They can’t always be present; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時五日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when five suns arise in the world.
五日出時，大海水減一百由延，轉減乃至七百由延。 When five suns arise, the ocean’s water is reduced by a hundred leagues and in turn is reduced by … 700 leagues.
五日出時，海水餘有七百由延，轉減乃至一百由延。 When five suns arise, the remaining 700 leagues of water in the ocean is in turn reduced by … a hundred leagues.
五日出時，大海水減一多羅樹，轉減乃至七多羅樹。 When five suns arise, the ocean’s water is reduced by one palm tree[’s height] and in turn is reduced by … seven palm trees.
五日出時，海水餘有七多羅樹，轉減乃至一多羅樹。 When five suns arise, the remaining seven palm trees of water in the ocean is in turn reduced to … one palm tree.
五日出時，海水減一人，轉減乃至七人。 When five suns arise, the ocean’s water is reduced by one fathom and in turn is reduced by … seven fathoms.
五日出時，海水餘有七人，轉減乃至一人。 When five suns arise, the remaining seven fathoms of water is in turn reduced to … one fathom.
五日出時，海水減至頸，至肩，至腰，至䐀，至膝，至踝。 When five suns arise, the ocean’s water is reduced to neck deep, shoulder deep, waist deep, thigh deep, knee deep, and ankle deep.
有時海水消盡不足沒指。是故，一切行無常。 There’s a time when the ocean’s water is completely gone, and there’s not enough to wet a finger; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時六日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when six suns arise in the world.
六日出時，一切大地，須彌山王皆悉烟起， When six suns arise, smoke rises from the whole earth and Sumeru the king of mountains.
合爲一烟。譬如陶師始爨窖時， It combines into a single cloud of smoke like when a potter first lights his kiln.
皆悉烟起合爲一烟。 Smoke rises from everything [inside it] and combines into a single cloud of smoke.
如是，六日出時，一切大地須彌山王皆悉烟起，合爲一烟。 Thus, when six suns rise, smoke rises from the whole world and Sumeru the king of mountains, and it combines into a single cloud of smoke.
是故，一切行無常。 Therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「復次，有時七日出世。 “Furthermore, there’s a time when seven suns arise in the world.
七日出時，一切大地須彌山王洞燃倶熾，合爲一㷿。 When seven suns arise, the whole world and Sumeru the king of mountains are engulfed in flames, and it combines into a single conflagration.
如是，七日出時，一切大地須彌山王洞燃倶熾，合爲一㷿，風吹火㷿乃至梵天。 Thus, when seven suns arise, the whole world and Sumeru the king of mountains are engulfed in flames and it combines into a single conflagration, a wind blows that conflagration up to the Brahma heavens.
是時晃𦸸諸天始生天者不諳世間成敗，不見世間成敗，不知世間成敗。 The Ābhāsvara gods who are first born in that heaven haven’t heard of the world’s formation and demise, haven’t seen its formation and demise, and don’t know about its formation and demise.
見大火已，皆恐怖毛竪而作是念： When they see that great fire, their hair stands on end in terror, and they think,
『火不來至此耶。 ‘That fire won’t reach us, will it?
火不來至此耶。』 That fire won’t reach us, will it?’
「前生諸天諳世間成敗，見世間成敗，知世間成敗。 “The gods who had been born there previously had heard about the world’s formation and demise, had seen its formation and demise, and knew about its formation and demise.
見大火已，慰勞諸天曰： When they see that great fire, they reassure those gods,
『莫得恐怖。 ‘Don’t be afraid!
火法齊彼，終不至此。』 Fire as a rule is limited to [the desire realm]; it never reaches us here.’
「七日出時，須彌山王百由延崩，散壞，滅盡。 “When seven suns arise, a hundred leagues of Mount Sumeru crumbles and disintegrates completely.
二百由延，三百由延，乃至七百由延崩，散壞，滅盡。 Two hundred, three hundred … seven hundred leagues of it crumbles and disintegrates completely.
七日出時，須彌山王及此大地燒壞，消滅，無餘栽燼，如燃酥油煎熬，消盡，無餘烟墨。 When seven suns arise, Mount Sumeru and this earth are engulfed in flames and burn up without remainder like burning ghee down to nothing, with neither smoke nor ash remaining.
如是，七日出時，須彌山王及此大地無餘烖燼。是故，一切行無常。 Thus, when seven suns arise, Mount Sumeru and this earth burn up without remainder; therefore, all conditioned things are impermanent.
不久住法，速變易法，不可猗法。 They are things that don’t last, that soon change, and that are unreliable.
如是諸行不當樂著，當患厭之。 Such conditioned things must not be objects of attachment, or they will torment a person.
當求捨離，當求解脱。 You must seek separation and liberation from them.
「我今爲汝説須彌山王當崩壞盡。誰有能信。 “Now, I’ve described for you how Mount Sumeru will crumble and disintegrate, but who is there who’d believe it?
唯見諦者耳。 Only those who see truly.
我今爲汝説大海水當竭消盡。誰有能信。 Now, I’ve described for you how the ocean water will dry up completely, but who is there who’d believe it?
唯見諦者耳。 Only those who see truly.
我今爲汝説一切大地當燒燃盡。誰有能信。 Now, I’ve described for you how the whole earth will be burned up, but who is there who’d believe it?
唯見諦者耳。 Only those who see truly.
所以者何。 “Why is that?
「比丘。昔有大師名曰善眼，爲外道仙人之所師宗。 Monks, there once was a great teacher named Sunetra who taught in a tradition of sages from another religion.
捨離欲愛，得如意足。 He abandoned craving and attained the miraculous abilities.
善眼大師有無量百千弟子。 That great teacher Sunetra had measureless hundreds of thousands of disciples.
善眼大師爲諸弟子説梵世法。若善眼大師爲説梵世法時，諸弟子等有不具足奉行法者，彼命終已，或生四王天，或生三十三天，或生㷿摩天，或生兜率哆天，或生化樂天，或生他化樂天。 When he taught them the way of the Brahma world, if his disciples didn’t completely approve of his teaching, then they were sometimes born in the Heaven of the Four Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Yama Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, or the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven when their lives ended.
若善眼大師爲説梵世法時，諸弟子等設有具足奉行法者，彼修四梵室，捨離於欲。彼命終已，得生梵天。 If his disciples did completely approve of his teaching of the way of the Brahma world, they cultivated the four abodes of Brahmā, abandoned their desires, and were born in the Brahma Heaven when their lives ended.
「彼時，善眼大師而作是念： “At the time, that teacher Sunetra thought,
『我不應與弟子等同倶至後世共生一處。 ‘Shouldn’t I and my disciples be born in the same place in a later life?
我今寧可更修増上慈。 Now, I’d better cultivate increasing kindness.
修増上慈已，命終，得生晃𦸸天中。』 After cultivating increasing kindness, I’ll be born among the Ābhāsvara gods.’
彼時，善眼大師則於後時更修増上慈。 Sunetra then cultivated increasing kindness.
修増上慈已，命終，得生晃𦸸天中。 After cultivating it, he was born among the Ābhāsvara gods when his life ended.
善眼大師及諸弟子學道不虚， That path of training of Sunetra and his disciples wasn’t in vain.
得大果報。 They did attain a great result from it.
「諸比丘，於意云何。 “Monks, what you do think?
昔善眼大師爲外道仙人之所師宗捨離欲愛，得如意足者，汝謂異人耶。 Would you say that great teacher Sunetra was someone else who was a teacher in a tradition of sages from another religion, who abandoned craving and attained miraculous abilities?
莫作斯念；當知即是我也。 Don’t think that, for you should know that he was me.
「我於爾時名善眼大師爲外道仙人之所師宗，捨離欲愛，得如意足。 “At the time, I was that great teacher named Sunetra, a teacher from a tradition of sages from another religion who abandoned craving and attained miraculous abilities.
我於爾時有無量百千弟子。 At the time, I had measureless hundreds of thousands of disciples.
我於爾時爲諸弟子説梵世法。我説梵世法時，諸弟子等有不具足奉行法者，彼命終已，或生四王天，或生三十三天，或生㷿摩天，或生兜率哆天，或生化樂天，或生他化樂天。 When I taught them the way of the Brahma world, if my disciples didn’t completely approve of my teaching, then they were sometimes born in the Heaven of the Four Kings, the Trāyastriṃśa Heaven, the Yama Heaven, the Tuṣita Heaven, the Nirmāṇarati Heaven, or the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven when their lives ended.
我説梵世法時，諸弟子等設有具足奉行法者，修四梵室，捨離於欲。彼命終已，得生梵天。 If my disciples did completely approve of my teaching of the way of the Brahma world, they cultivated the four abodes of Brahma, abandoned their desires, and were born in the Brahma Heaven when their lives ended.
「我於爾時而作是念： “At the time, I thought,
『我不應與弟子等同倶至後世共生一處。 ‘Shouldn’t I and my disciples be born in the same place in a later life?
我今寧可更修増上慈。 Now, I’d better cultivate increasing kindness.
修増上慈已，命終，得生晃𦸸天中。 After cultivating increasing kindness, I’ll be born among the Ābhāsvara gods.’
我於後時更修増上慈。 I then cultivated increasing kindness.
修増上慈已，命終，得生晃𦸸天中。』 After cultivating it, I was born among the Ābhāsvara gods when my life ended.
我於爾時及諸弟子學道不虚， That path of training of mine and my disciples wasn’t in vain.
得大果報。 We did attain a great result from it.
「我於爾時親行斯道爲自饒益，亦饒益他，饒益多人，愍傷世間，爲天爲人求義及饒益，求安隱快樂。 “At the time, I and my friends practiced this path by which we benefited ourselves, benefited others, benefited many people, pitied the world, sought both meaning and benefit for gods and humans, and sought peace and happiness.
爾時，説法不至究竟，不究竟白淨，不究竟梵行，不究竟梵行訖。 At the time, I explained a teaching that didn’t reach the ultimate, wasn’t ultimately clean, wasn’t ultimately the religious practice, and wasn’t ultimately the completion of the religious life.
爾時，不離生，老，病，死，啼哭，憂慼，亦未能得脱一切苦。 At the time, I didn’t part with birth, old age, illness, death, lamentation, and sorrow, nor was I freed from all suffering yet.
「比丘，我今出世如來，無所著，等正覺，明行成，爲善逝，世間解，無上士，道法御，天人師，號佛，衆祐。 “Monks, now I have arisen in the world as a Tathāgata, Arhat, and Completely Awakened One, Accomplished in Knowledge and Conduct, Well Gone, Understander of the World, Trainer in the Way and Teaching, Teacher of Gods and People, and I’m called a Buddha and a Bhagavān.
我今自饒益，亦饒益他，饒益多人，愍傷世間，爲天爲人求義及饒益，求安隱快樂。 Now, I benefit myself, benefit others, benefit many people, pity the world, seek both meaning and benefit for gods and humans, and seek peace and happiness.
我今説法得至究竟，究竟白淨，究竟梵行，究竟梵行訖。 Now, I explain a teaching that reaches the ultimate, that’s ultimately clean, that’s ultimately the religious practice, and that’s ultimately the completion of the religious life.
我今已離生，老，病，死，啼哭，憂慼。我今已得脱一切苦。」 Now, I’ve parted with birth, old age, illness, death, lamentation, and sorrow, and I’ve been freed from all suffering.”
佛説如是。 20. Thus did Buddha speak.
彼諸比丘聞佛所説，歡喜，奉行。 Those monks who heard what the Buddha had taught rejoiced and approved.