Acchariyaabbhutasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 123

Incredible and Amazing · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Buddhabhagavā near Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane Anāthapiṇḍika'sanāthapiṇḍikassa monasteryārāme.

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Then after the meal, on return from almsround, several mendicants sat together in the assembly hall and this discussion came up among them: “It’s incredible, reverends, it’s amazing! The Realized One has such psychic power and might! For he is able to know the Buddhas of the past who have become completely quenched, cut off proliferation, cut off the course, finished off the cycle, and passed beyond all suffering: ‘Such is the birth, names, clans, conduct, teachings, wisdom, meditation, and freedom of those Blessed Ones.’ When they said this, Venerable Ānanda said, “The Realized Ones are incredible, reverends, and they have incredible qualities. They’re amazing, and they have amazing qualities.” But this conversation among those mendicants was left unfinished.

thenAtha indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā in the late afternoonsāyanhasamayaṁ from retreatpaṭisallānā come outvuṭṭhito to the assembly hallyenupaṭṭhānasālā there he approachedtenupasaṅkami; having approachedupasaṅkamitvā spread outpaññatte on the seatāsane sat downnisīdi.
having sat downNisajja indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
what“kāya nownuttha, mendicantsbhikkhave, just nowetarahi by talkkathāya sitting togethersannisinnā, whatkā andca thenpana yourvo intermediate talkantarākathā left unfinishedvippakatā”ti?
here“Idha, venerable sirbhante, ouramhākaṁ after the mealpacchābhattaṁ returned from almsroundpiṇḍapātapaṭikkantānaṁ in the assembly hallupaṭṭhānasālāyaṁ sitting togethersannisinnānaṁ gatheredsannipatitānaṁ this intermediate talkayamantarākathā aroseudapādi:
wonderful‘acchariyaṁ, friendāvuso, amazingabbhutaṁ, friendāvuso, of the Tathāgatatathāgatassa great powermahiddhikatā great mightmahānubhāvatā, whereyatra indeedhi indeednāma the Tathāgatatathāgato pastatīte Buddhasbuddhe fully extinguishedparinibbute proliferation cut offchinnapapañce paths cut offchinnavaṭume round endedpariyādinnavaṭṭe passed beyond all sufferingsabbadukkhavītivatte he will knowjānissati—
of such birthevaṁjaccā thosete Blessed Onesbhagavanto wereahesuṁ thusitipi, of such nameevaṁnāmā …… of such clanevaṅgottā …… of such virtueevaṁsīlā …… of such teachingevaṁdhammā …… of such wisdomevaṁpaññā …… of such dwellingevaṁvihārī …… of such liberationevaṁvimuttā thosete Blessed Onesbhagavanto wereahesuṁ thusitipī’ti. thusEvaṁ when spokenvutte, venerable sirbhante, venerableāyasmā Ānandaānando to usamhe this he saidetadavoca:
wonderful‘acchariyā indeedceva, friendāvuso, Tathāgatastathāgatā endowed with wonderful qualitiesacchariyadhammasamannāgatā andca;
amazingabbhutā indeedceva, friendāvuso, Tathāgatastathāgatā endowed with amazing qualitiesabbhutadhammasamannāgatā andcā’ti.

Then in the late afternoon, the Buddha came out of retreat, went to the assembly hall, sat down on the seat spread out, and addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, what were you sitting talking about just now? What conversation was left unfinished?” So the mendicants told him what they had been talking about. The Buddha said,

thisAyaṁ indeedkho ourno, venerable sirbhante, interim talkantarākathā unfinishedvippakatā; thenatha Blessed Onebhagavā arrivedanuppatto”ti.
thenAtha indeedkho Blessed Onebhagavā venerableāyasmantaṁ Ānandaānandaṁ addressedāmantesi:
therefore“tasmātiha thattaṁ, Ānandaānanda, morebhiyyoso in measuremattāya let appearpaṭibhantu of the Realized Onetathāgatassa incredibleacchariyā amazing qualitiesabbhutadhammā”ti.

“Well then, Ānanda, say some more about the incredible and amazing qualities of the Realized One.”

in the presence“Sammukhā thismetaṁ, sirbhante, of the Buddhabhagavato heardsutaṁ, in the presencesammukhā learnedpaṭiggahitaṁ:
mindful‘sato awaresampajāno, Ānandaānanda, the being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the host of joyful godstusitaṁ bodykāyaṁ was rebornupapajjī’ti.
whateverYampi, sirbhante, mindfulsato awaresampajāno the being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the host of joyful godstusitaṁ bodykāyaṁ was rebornupapajji thisidampāhaṁ, sirbhante, of the Buddhabhagavato incredibleacchariyaṁ amazing qualityabbhutadhammaṁ I rememberdhāremi.

“Sir, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening was reborn in the host of joyful gods.’ This I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.

in the presenceSammukhā thismetaṁ, venerable sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato heardsutaṁ, in the presencesammukhā learnedpaṭiggahitaṁ:
mindful‘sato awaresampajāno, Ānandaānanda, the being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the host of joyful godstusite in the bodykāye he remainedaṭṭhāsī’ti.
this tooYampi, venerable sirbhante, mindfulsato awaresampajāno the being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the host of joyful godstusite in the bodykāye he remainedaṭṭhāsi this too Iidampāhaṁ, venerable sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato an incredibleacchariyaṁ amazing qualityabbhutadhammaṁ I rememberdhāremi.

I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening remained in the host of joyful gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.

in the presenceSammukhā thismetaṁ, venerable sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato learnedsutaṁ, in the presencesammukhā receivedpaṭiggahitaṁ:
for the whole of that life‘yāvatāyukaṁ, Ānandaānanda, being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the Tusitatusite hostkāye remainedaṭṭhāsī’ti.
this tooYampi, venerable sirbhante, for the whole of that lifeyāvatāyukaṁ being intent on awakeningbodhisatto in the Tusitatusite hostkāye remainedaṭṭhāsi this Iidampāhaṁ, venerable sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato incredibleacchariyaṁ amazing qualityabbhutadhammaṁ I rememberdhāremi.

I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘For the whole of that life, the being intent on awakening remained in the host of joyful gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.

in the presenceSammukhā thismetaṁ, sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato heardsutaṁ, in the presencesammukhā receivedpaṭiggahitaṁ:
mindful‘sato awaresampajāno, Ānandaānanda, being intent on awakeningbodhisatto from the host of joyful godstusitā, from the bodykāyā having passed awaycavitvā mother's wombmātukucchiṁ was conceivedokkamī’ti.
and whichYampi, sirbhante, mindfulsato awaresampajāno being intent on awakeningbodhisatto from the host of joyful godstusitā from the bodykāyā having passed awaycavitvā mother's wombmātukucchiṁ was conceivedokkami this too Iidampāhaṁ, sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato incredibleacchariyaṁ amazing qualityabbhutadhammaṁ I rememberdhāremi.

I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘Mindful and aware, the being intent on awakening passed away from the host of joyful gods and was conceived in his mother’s womb.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.

in the presenceSammukhā thismetaṁ, sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato heardsutaṁ, in the presencesammukhā receivedpaṭiggahitaṁ:
when‘yadā, Ānandaānanda, the being intent on awakeningbodhisatto from Tusitatusitā from the bodykāyā having passed awaycavitvā his mother’s wombmātukucchiṁ he is conceivedokkamati,
thenatha with its godssadevake in the worldloke with its Mārassamārake with its Brahmāssabrahmake with its ascetics and brahminssassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā for the populationpajāya with its gods and humanssadevamanussāya immeasurableappamāṇo magnificentuḷāro lightobhāso in the worldloke appearspātubhavati surpassingatikkammeva of the godsdevānaṁ the glory of the godsdevānubhāvaṁ.
even those whichYāpi thosetā interstellarlokantarikā gloomaghā uncoveredasaṁvutā darkandhakārā utter darknessandhakāratimisā, where even theseyatthapime moon and suncandimasūriyā so mightyevaṁmahiddhikā so powerfulevaṁmahānubhāvā with their lightābhāya make no impressionnānubhonti even theretatthapi immeasurableappamāṇo magnificentuḷāro lightobhāso in the worldloke appearspātubhavati surpassingatikkammeva of the godsdevānaṁ the glory of the godsdevānubhāvaṁ.
even those whoYepi theretattha sentient beingssattā rebornupapannā even theytepi by that lighttenobhāsena one anotheraññamaññaṁ they recognize each other—othersañjānanti—aññepi it seemskira, sirsbho, there aresanti sentient beingssattā reborn hereidhūpapannāti.
and thisAyañca ten-thousandfolddasasahassī galaxylokadhātu shakessaṅkampati rockssampakampati tremblessampavedhati immeasurableappamāṇo andca magnificentuḷāro lightobhāso in the worldloke appearspātubhavati surpassingatikkammeva of the godsdevānaṁ the glory of the godsdevānubhāvan’ti.
which tooYampi, sirbhante …pe……pe… this too Iidampāhaṁ, sirbhante, of the Blessed Onebhagavato an incredible qualityacchariyaṁ an amazing qualityabbhutadhammaṁ I rememberdhāremi.

I have learned this in the presence of the Buddha: ‘When the being intent on awakening passes away from the host of joyful gods, he is conceived in his mother’s womb. And then—in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. Even in the boundless gloom of interstellar space—so utterly dark that even the luminosity of the moon and the sun, so mighty and powerful, makes no impression—an immeasurable, magnificent light appears, surpassing the glory of the gods. And even the sentient beings reborn there recognize each other by that light: “So, it seems other sentient beings have been reborn here!” And this ten-thousandfold galaxy shakes and rocks and trembles. And an immeasurable, magnificent light appears in the world, surpassing the glory of the gods.’ This too I remember as an incredible quality of the Buddha.

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