Devadahasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 101

At Devadaha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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heSo thusevaṁ composedsamāhite mindcitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte of beingssattānaṁ to knowledge of passing away and rebirthcutūpapātañāṇāya mindcittaṁ directsabhininnāmeti.
heSo divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte seespassati passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte understandspajānāti: these‘ime indeedvata dearbhonto beingssattā by bad bodily conductkāyaduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā by bad verbal conductvacīduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā by bad mental conductmanoduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ denouncersupavādakā having wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhikā choosing to act out of wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a place of lossapāyaṁ to a bad placeduggatiṁ to the underworldvinipātaṁ to hellnirayaṁ rebornupapannā. theseIme howevervā butpana dearbhonto beingssattā by good bodily conductkāyasucaritena endowedsamannāgatā by good verbal conductvacīsucaritena endowedsamannāgatā by good mental conductmanosucaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ not denouncersanupavādakā having right viewsammādiṭṭhikā choosing to act out of right viewsammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, theyte of the bodykāyassa breaking upbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā to a good placesugatiṁ to heavensaggaṁ worldlokaṁ rebornupapannā’ti. thusIti divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena superhumanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte seespassati passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe, in a good placesugate in a bad placeduggate according to their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte understandspajānāti.

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, fruitfulsaphalaṁ 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 even from the defilement of sensualitykāmāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati, even from the defilement of desire to be rebornbhavāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati, even from the defilement of ignoranceavijjāsavāpi mindcittaṁ is freedvimuccati.
in the freedVimuttasmiṁ it is freedvimuttamiti knowledgeñāṇaṁ ishoti.
ended‘Khīṇā rebirthjāti, completedvusitaṁ the spiritual journeybrahmacariyaṁ, donekataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, nothing furthernāparaṁ for this placeitthattāyā’ti understandspajānāti.
thus tooEvampi indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, fruitfulsaphalo exertionupakkamo ishoti, fruitfulsaphalaṁ 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.

holding such a doctrineEvaṁvādī, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onestathāgatā.
of those holding such a doctrineEvaṁvādīnaṁ, monksbhikkhave, of the Realized Onestathāgatānaṁ tendasa legitimatesahadhammikā grounds for praisepāsaṁsaṭṭhānā comeāgacchanti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of past deedspubbekatahetu pleasure and painsukhadukkhaṁ experiencepaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato in the pastpubbe one who has done good deedssukatakammakārī sinceyaṁ nowetarahi suchevarūpā undefiledanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of God Almighty's creationissaranimmānahetu pleasure and painsukhadukkhaṁ experiencepaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato by a goodbhaddakena Godissarena creatednimmito sinceyaṁ nowetarahi suchevarūpā undefiledanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of circumstance and naturesaṅgatibhāvahetu pleasure and painsukhadukkhaṁ experiencepaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato one who arises from good circumstanceskalyāṇasaṅgatiko sinceyaṁ nowetarahi suchevarūpā undefiledanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of the class of rebirthabhijātihetu pleasure and painsukhadukkhaṁ experiencepaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato one reborn in a good classkalyāṇābhijātiko sinceyaṁ nowetarahi suchevarūpā undefiledanāsavā pleasantsukhā feelingsvedanā experiencesvedeti.
ifSace, monksbhikkhave, sentient beingssattā because of exertion in this lifediṭṭhadhammūpakkamahetu pleasure and painsukhadukkhaṁ experiencepaṭisaṁvedenti;
clearlyaddhā, monksbhikkhave, the Realized Onetathāgato one who exerts himself well in this lifekalyāṇadiṭṭhadhammūpakkamo sinceyaṁ nowetarahi suchevarūpā undefiledanāsavā 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.

the Devadaha DiscourseDevadahasuttaṁ finishedniṭṭhitaṁ first.paṭhamaṁ.

The Devadaha Discourse is finished — the first.

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