Title of Sutra Five from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Five - The Mirror King 

鏡面王經第五

Jìngmiàn wáng jīng dì wǔ

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Paramaṭṭhakasutta - Chapter 5. The Highest

Discussion: The prose text introducing the Arthapada verse is set in Sravasti where the Buddha and his mendicants are staying. The mendicants attend a discussion meeting held by Brahmans where they witness various Brahman teachers argue and throw insults amongst themselves to who has the proper dharma and path. 

On recounting this to the Buddha, the Buddha tells a story of a past king who summons blind men to his court and gives them the task on working out what they are touching. Unknown to them it is an elephant, each gives a different account (this of course is a famous story in India). The buddha then declares that he was the king in a past life and the Brahmans the blind men. 

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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 (mó) to rub, to press in etc. and 竭 (jié) to exhaust, put great effort into etc.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra Three from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Three - Sundari

須陀利經第三

xū tuó lì jīng dì sān

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Dutthattaksutta - Chapter 3. The Corrupt

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where a woman called Sundari was the the victim of the Brahmans who’s had conspired to discredit the Buddha and his followers by killing her. Before this however she had been told by them to visit the Buddha daily. Soon after they killed her and buried her in the the grounds of Sravasti, after which the people thinking the buddha and his followers had committed the crime refused to give them alms.
Eventually the people released the Buddha and his followers could not have done such a thing based on there good reputation. Thereafter, one of the Brahmans informs on the other Brahmans confessing they had committed the crime and so the Buddha's reputation was fully restored with a visit from King Pasenadi along with apologies.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra Two from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra Two - King Udayana

優填王經第二
Yōutián wáng jīng

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga, Guhatthakasutta - Chapter 2  The Cave

Discussion: The title of the sutra refers to the prose story where King Udayana, visits a buddhist mendicant but becomes angered at his lack of attainments. Being innocent of wrong doing, a spirit deva intervenes and rescues the mendicant. He then relates the events to the Buddha who draws a conclusion that events must have been due to his past life karma.

Bibliography

Title of Sutra One from Yì Zú Jīng

Sutra One - Jié, Greedy King

桀貪王經第一
Jié tān wáng jīng dì yī

Parallel: The Pali Sutta Nipata, Atthakavagga - Chapter 1 Kama Sutta

Discussion: The first sutra in the collection reflects the theme of the prose text by highlighting one of the characters from India, Tān Wáng or Greedy King, who through his greed inflicts suffering upon his people. It also includes the name of the notorious Chinese king Jie, who likewise had a reputation of being greedy and cruel towards his subjects. This inclusion was most likely made to give a frame of reference as to the significance of Tān Wáng for a Chinese context (see Wikipedia Jie of Xia ).

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