Deep Commentary

The Buddha delivered this teaching at the Jeta Grove concerning the lay follower Culla Kala. Similar to the previous story of Kala, a thief threw a stolen bundle at his feet. The pursuers mistook Culla Kala for the thief and were about to beat him. Fortunately, some courtesans passing by witnessed the event and testified to his innocence, saving him from harm. Upon hearing this from the monks, the Buddha explained that Culla Kala was saved not only by the witnesses but fundamentally by his own innocence. Beings suffer in lower realms due to their own unwholesome karma, but through wholesome deeds, they save themselves and attain heavenly realms or Nirvana.

The Avatamsaka Sutra states that all phenomena are created by the mind. Wrong actions stem from a deluded mind, while virtuous actions arise from a pure mind. Thus, all suffering and joy are self-created. The Buddha, having transformed delusion, realized his inherent true mind—a potential we all possess. The verse emphasizes personal responsibility: no one else can purify or bind us. If we fail to transform unwholesome thoughts, suffering follows. True practice lies in continuous self-reflection and abandoning evil intentions. As the verse of Kassapa Buddha summarizes: "Refrain from all evil, cultivate the good, and purify your mind; this is the teaching of the Buddhas." Ultimately, both hell and Nirvana reside within our own minds.