Monday 1 March 2021

Title of Sutra Four from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Four - Makara Brahman

摩竭梵志經第四
Mó jié fàn zhì jīng dì sì

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Suddhithara - Chapter 4. The Purified

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where a Brahman named Makara who appears to have died whilst in the Teaching Hall in Sravasti. His followers proclaim that those that simply hear his name or see even his dead body will gain deliverance. This is reported to the Buddha who then gives the following verses of the Arthapada to make his mendicants wiser. 
The Chinese characters 摩竭 that make the up the Brahman's name Makara are, 摩 () to rub, to press in etc. and 竭 (jié) to exhaust, put great effort into etc.