Anuruddhasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 127

With Anuruddha · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Idha pana, gahapati, bhikkhu yāvatā dve vā tīṇi vā mahārajjāni mahaggatanti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
Ayampi vuccati, gahapati, mahaggatā cetovimutti.
Idha pana, gahapati, bhikkhu yāvatā samuddapariyantaṁ pathaviṁ mahaggatanti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
Ayampi vuccati, gahapati, mahaggatā cetovimutti.
Iminā kho etaṁ, gahapati, pariyāyena veditabbaṁ yathā ime dhammā nānatthā ceva nānābyañjanā ca.

two or three kingdoms … this land surrounded by ocean. This too is called the expansive release of the heart. This is a way to understand how these things differ in both meaning and phrasing.

Catasso kho imā gahapati, bhavūpapattiyo.
Katamā catasso?
Idha, gahapati, ekacco ‘parittābhā’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parittābhānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
Idha pana, gahapati, ekacco ‘appamāṇābhā’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā appamāṇābhānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
Idha pana, gahapati, ekacco ‘saṅkiliṭṭhābhā’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā saṅkiliṭṭhābhānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
Idha pana, gahapati, ekacco ‘parisuddhābhā’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati.
So kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā parisuddhābhānaṁ devānaṁ sahabyataṁ upapajjati.
Imā kho, gahapati, catasso bhavūpapattiyo.

Householder, there are these four kinds of rebirth in a future life. What four? Take someone who meditates focused on pervading ‘limited luminosity’. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of limited luminosity. Next, take someone who meditates focused on pervading ‘limitless luminosity’. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of limitless luminosity. Next, take someone who meditates focused on pervading ‘corrupted radiance’. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of corrupted luminosity. Next, take someone who meditates focused on pervading ‘pure radiance’. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in the company of the gods of pure luminosity. These are the four kinds of rebirth in a future life.

Hoti kho so, gahapati, samayo, yā tā devatā ekajjhaṁ sannipatanti, tāsaṁ ekajjhaṁ sannipatitānaṁ vaṇṇanānattañhi kho paññāyati no ca ābhānānattaṁ.
Seyyathāpi, gahapati, puriso sambahulāni telappadīpāni ekaṁ gharaṁ paveseyya.
Tesaṁ ekaṁ gharaṁ pavesitānaṁ accinānattañhi kho paññāyetha, no ca ābhānānattaṁ;
evameva kho, gahapati, hoti kho so samayo, yā tā devatā ekajjhaṁ sannipatanti tāsaṁ ekajjhaṁ sannipatitānaṁ vaṇṇanānattañhi kho paññāyati, no ca ābhānānattaṁ.

There comes a time, householder, when the deities gather together as one. When they do so, a difference in their color is evident, but not in their luminosity. It’s like when a person brings several oil lamps into one house. You can detect a difference in their flames, but not in their radiance. In the same way, when the deities gather together as one, a difference in their color is evident, but not in their luminosity.

Hoti kho so, gahapati, samayo, yā tā devatā tato vipakkamanti, tāsaṁ tato vipakkamantīnaṁ vaṇṇanānattañceva paññāyati ābhānānattañca.
Seyyathāpi, gahapati, puriso tāni sambahulāni telappadīpāni tamhā gharā nīhareyya.
Tesaṁ tato nīhatānaṁ accinānattañceva paññāyetha ābhānānattañca;
evameva kho, gahapati, hoti kho so samayo, yā tā devatā tato vipakkamanti, tāsaṁ tato vipakkamantīnaṁ vaṇṇanānattañceva paññāyati ābhānānattañca.

There comes a time when those deities go their separate ways. When they do so, a difference both in their color and also in their luminosity is evident. It’s like when a person takes those several oil lamps out of that house. You can detect a difference both in their flames and also in their radiance. In the same way, when the deities go their separate ways, a difference both in their color and also in their luminosity is evident.

Na kho, gahapati, tāsaṁ devatānaṁ evaṁ hoti:
‘idaṁ amhākaṁ niccanti vā dhuvanti vā sassatanti vā’, api ca yattha yattheva tā devatā abhinivisanti tattha tattheva tā devatā abhiramanti.
Seyyathāpi, gahapati, makkhikānaṁ kājena vā piṭakena vā harīyamānānaṁ na evaṁ hoti:
‘idaṁ amhākaṁ niccanti vā dhuvanti vā sassatanti vā’, api ca yattha yattheva tā makkhikā abhinivisanti tattha tattheva tā makkhikā abhiramanti;
evameva kho, gahapati, tāsaṁ devatānaṁ na evaṁ hoti:
‘idaṁ amhākaṁ niccanti vā dhuvanti vā sassatanti vā’, api ca yattha yattheva tā devatā abhinivisanti tattha tattheva tā devatā abhiramantī”ti.

It’s not that those deities think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever those deities cling, that’s where they take pleasure. It’s like when flies are being carried along on a carrying-pole or basket. It’s not that they think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever those flies cling, that’s where they take pleasure. In the same way, it’s not that those deities think, ‘What we have is permanent, lasting, and eternal.’ Rather, wherever those deities cling, that’s where they take pleasure.”

Evaṁ vutte, āyasmā sabhiyo kaccāno āyasmantaṁ anuruddhaṁ etadavoca:
“sādhu, bhante anuruddha.
Atthi ca me ettha uttariṁ paṭipucchitabbaṁ.
Yā tā, bhante, devatā ābhā sabbā tā parittābhā udāhu santettha ekaccā devatā appamāṇābhā”ti?
“Tadaṅgena kho, āvuso kaccāna, santettha ekaccā devatā parittābhā, santi panettha ekaccā devatā appamāṇābhā”ti.

When he had spoken, Venerable Sabhiya Kaccāna said to Venerable Anuruddha: “Good, Honorable Anuruddha! I have a further question about this. Do all the radiant deities have limited luminosity, or do some there have limitless luminosity?” “In that respect, Reverend Kaccāna, some deities there have limited luminosity, while some have limitless luminosity.”

“Ko nu kho, bhante anuruddha, hetu ko paccayo yena tāsaṁ devatānaṁ ekaṁ devanikāyaṁ upapannānaṁ santettha ekaccā devatā parittābhā, santi panettha ekaccā devatā appamāṇābhā”ti?
“Tena hāvuso kaccāna, taṁyevettha paṭipucchissāmi. Yathā te khameyya tathā naṁ byākareyyāsi.
Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso kaccāna,
yvāyaṁ bhikkhu yāvatā ekaṁ rukkhamūlaṁ ‘mahaggatan’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati, yo cāyaṁ bhikkhu yāvatā dve vā tīṇi vā rukkhamūlāni ‘mahaggatan’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati—
imāsaṁ ubhinnaṁ cittabhāvanānaṁ katamā cittabhāvanā mahaggatatarā”ti?
“Yvāyaṁ, bhante, bhikkhu yāvatā dve vā tīṇi vā rukkhamūlāni ‘mahaggatan’ti pharitvā adhimuccitvā viharati—
ayaṁ imāsaṁ ubhinnaṁ cittabhāvanānaṁ mahaggatatarā”ti.
“Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, āvuso kaccāna,

“What is the cause, Honorable Anuruddha, what is the reason why, when those deities have been reborn in a single order of gods, some deities there have limited luminosity, while some have limitless luminosity?” “Well then, Reverend Kaccāna, I’ll ask you about this in return, and you can answer as you like. What do you think, Reverend Kaccāna? Which of these two kinds of mental development is more expansive: when a mendicant meditates focused on pervading as expansive the extent of a single tree root, or two or three tree roots?” “When a mendicant meditates on two or three tree roots.” “What do you think, Reverend Kaccāna?

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