Devadahasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 101

At Devadaha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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heSo thusevaṁ together·toward·placesamāhite mindcitte completely·pureparisuddhe completely·cleanpariyodāte not·blemishanaṅgaṇe gone·defilementvigatūpakkilese soft·becomemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbable·attainedāneñjappatte of beingssattānaṁ passing away·rebirth·knowledgecutūpapātañāṇāya mindcittaṁ directsabhininnāmeti.
heSo divinedibbena eyecakkhunā apart·purevisuddhena beyond·gone·humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte seespassati passing awaycavamāne near·being bornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate as·reborn according to deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte forth·knowpajānāti: these‘ime indeedvata dearbhonto beingssattā body·bad conductkāyaduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā speech·bad conductvacīduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā mind·bad conductmanoduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ against·speakerupavādakā wrong·viewmicchādiṭṭhikā wrong·view·chosen deedsmicchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad placeduggatiṁ to the underworldvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ near·goneupapannā. theseIme howevervā butpana dearbhonto beingssattā body·good conductkāyasucaritena endowedsamannāgatā speech·good conductvacīsucaritena endowedsamannāgatā mind·good conductmanosucaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ not·denounceranupavādakā right·viewsammādiṭṭhikā right·view·chosen deedssammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a good placesugatiṁ to heavensaggaṁ worldlokaṁ near·goneupapannā’ti. thusIti divinedibbena eyecakkhunā apart·purevisuddhena beyond·gone·humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte seespassati passing awaycavamāne near·being bornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate as·reborn according to deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte forth·knowpajānāti.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understood how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, they see sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. They understand how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

thus·tooEvampi, O monksbhikkhave, fruitfulsaphalo exertionupakkamo ishoti, with·fruitsaphalaṁ strivingpadhānaṁ.

That too is how exertion and striving is fruitful.

When their mind has become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—they extend it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. They truly understand: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering.’ They truly understand: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements’.

for himTassa thusevaṁ knowingjānato thusevaṁ seeingpassato sensuality·defilement·evenkāmāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati, becoming·defilement·evenbhavāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati, ignorance·defilement·evenavijjāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati.
in the freedVimuttasmiṁ freed·quotation markervimuttamiti knowledgeñāṇaṁ ishoti.
ended‘Khīṇā rebirthjāti, completedvusitaṁ the spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, nothing furthernāparaṁ this state·quotation markeritthattāyā’ti understandspajānāti.
thus·tooEvampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, fruitfulsaphalo exertionupakkamo ishoti, with·fruitsaphalaṁ strivingpadhānaṁ.

Knowing and seeing like this, their mind is freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When they’re freed, they know they’re freed. They understand: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’ That too is how exertion and striving is fruitful.

thus·doctrine-speakerEvaṁvādī, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgatā.
thus·doctrine-speakerEvaṁvādīnaṁ, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgatānaṁ tendasa with·dhammasahadhammikā grounds for praisepāsaṁsaṭṭhānā to·goāgacchanti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā past·done·causepubbekatahetu pleasure·painsukhadukkhaṁ re-·together·feelpaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato in the pastpubbe good·done·kamma-doersukatakammakārī sinceyaṁ nowetarahi just·formevarūpā not·outflowanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā God·creation·causeissaranimmānahetu pleasure·painsukhadukkhaṁ re-·together·feelpaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato by a goodbhaddakena Godissarena creatednimmito sinceyaṁ nowetarahi just·formevarūpā not·outflowanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā circumstance·nature·causesaṅgatibhāvahetu pleasure·painsukhadukkhaṁ re-·together·feelpaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato good·circumstancekalyāṇasaṅgatiko sinceyaṁ nowetarahi just·formevarūpā not·outflowanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā higher·birth·causeabhijātihetu pleasure·painsukhadukkhaṁ re-·together·feelpaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato one reborn in a good classkalyāṇābhijātiko sinceyaṁ nowetarahi just·formevarūpā not·outflowanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of exertion in this lifediṭṭhadhammūpakkamahetu pleasure·painsukhadukkhaṁ re-·together·feelpaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, thus·gonetathāgato one who exerts himself well in this lifekalyāṇadiṭṭhadhammūpakkamo sinceyaṁ nowetarahi just·formevarūpā not·outflowanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.

Such is the doctrine of the Realized One. Saying this, the Realized One deserves praise on ten legitimate grounds. If sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of past deeds, clearly the Realized One has done good deeds in the past, since he now experiences such undefiled pleasure. If sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of God Almighty’s creation, clearly the Realized One was created by a good God, since he now experiences such undefiled pleasure. If sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of circumstance and nature, clearly the Realized One arises from good circumstances, since he now experiences such undefiled pleasure. If sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of the class of rebirth, clearly the Realized One was reborn in a good class, since he now experiences such undefiled pleasure. If sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of exertion in this life, clearly the Realized One exerts himself well in this life, since he now experiences such undefiled pleasure.

The Realized One deserves praise whether or not sentient beings experience pleasure and pain because of past deeds, or God Almighty’s creation, or circumstance and nature, or class of rebirth, or exertion in this life. Such is the doctrine of the Realized One. Saying this, the Realized One deserves praise on these ten legitimate grounds.” That is what the Buddha said. Satisfied, the mendicants approved what the Buddha said.

Devadaha·discourseDevadahasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ first.paṭhamaṁ.

The Devadaha Discourse is finished — the first.

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