Mahāsīhanādasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 12

The Longer Discourse on the Lion’s Roar · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Abhijānāmi kho panāhaṁ, sāriputta, anekasataṁ brāhmaṇaparisaṁ …pe…
gahapatiparisaṁ …
samaṇaparisaṁ …
cātumahārājikaparisaṁ …
tāvatiṁsaparisaṁ …
māraparisaṁ …
brahmaparisaṁ upasaṅkamitā.
Tatrapi mayā sannisinnapubbañceva, sallapitapubbañca, sākacchā ca samāpajjitapubbā.
Tatra vata maṁ bhayaṁ vā sārajjaṁ vā okkamissatīti nimittametaṁ, sāriputta, na samanupassāmi.
Etamahaṁ, sāriputta, nimittaṁ asamanupassanto khemappatto abhayappatto vesārajjappatto viharāmi.

I recall having approached an assembly of hundreds of brahmins … householders … ascetics … the gods of the four great kings … the gods of the thirty-three … Māras … divinities. There too I used to sit with them, converse, and engage in discussion. But I don’t see any reason to feel afraid or insecure. Since I see no such reason, I live secure, fearless, and self-assured.

Yo kho maṁ, sāriputta, evaṁ jānantaṁ evaṁ passantaṁ evaṁ vadeyya:
‘natthi samaṇassa gotamassa uttari manussadhammā alamariyañāṇadassanaviseso, takkapariyāhataṁ samaṇo gotamo dhammaṁ deseti vīmaṁsānucaritaṁ sayampaṭibhānan’ti,
taṁ, sāriputta, vācaṁ appahāya taṁ cittaṁ appahāya taṁ diṭṭhiṁ appaṭinissajjitvā yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.
Seyyathāpi, sāriputta, bhikkhu sīlasampanno samādhisampanno paññāsampanno diṭṭheva dhamme aññaṁ ārādheyya, evaṁ sampadamidaṁ, sāriputta, vadāmi.
Taṁ vācaṁ appahāya taṁ cittaṁ appahāya taṁ diṭṭhiṁ appaṭinissajjitvā yathābhataṁ nikkhitto evaṁ niraye.

When I know and see in this way, suppose someone were to say this: ‘The ascetic Gotama has no superhuman distinction in knowledge and vision worthy of the noble ones …’ Unless they give up that speech and that thought, and let go of that view, they will be placed in hell as if delivered there.

Catasso kho imā, sāriputta, yoniyo.
Katamā catasso?
Aṇḍajā yoni, jalābujā yoni, saṁsedajā yoni, opapātikā yoni.

Sāriputta, there are these four kinds of reproduction. What four? Reproduction for creatures born from an egg, from a womb, from moisture, or spontaneously.

Katamā ca, sāriputta, aṇḍajā yoni?
Ye kho te, sāriputta, sattā aṇḍakosaṁ abhinibbhijja jāyanti—
ayaṁ vuccati, sāriputta, aṇḍajā yoni.
Katamā ca, sāriputta, jalābujā yoni?
Ye kho te, sāriputta, sattā vatthikosaṁ abhinibbhijja jāyanti—
ayaṁ vuccati, sāriputta, jalābujā yoni.
Katamā ca, sāriputta, saṁsedajā yoni?
Ye kho te, sāriputta, sattā pūtimacche vā jāyanti pūtikuṇape vā pūtikummāse vā candanikāye vā oḷigalle vā jāyanti—
ayaṁ vuccati, sāriputta, saṁsedajā yoni.
Katamā ca, sāriputta, opapātikā yoni?
Devā, nerayikā, ekacce ca manussā, ekacce ca vinipātikā—
ayaṁ vuccati, sāriputta, opapātikā yoni.
Imā kho, sāriputta, catasso yoniyo.

And what is reproduction from an egg? There are beings who are born by breaking out of an eggshell. This is called reproduction from an egg. And what is reproduction from a womb? There are beings who are born by breaking out of the amniotic sac. This is called reproduction from a womb. And what is reproduction from moisture? There are beings who are born in a rotten fish, a rotten carcass, rotten porridge, a cesspool, or a sump. This is called reproduction from moisture. And what is spontaneous reproduction? Gods, hell-beings, certain humans, and certain beings in the lower realms. This is called spontaneous reproduction. These are the four kinds of reproduction.

Pañca kho imā, sāriputta, gatiyo.
Katamā pañca?
Nirayo, tiracchānayoni, pettivisayo, manussā, devā.

There are these five destinations. What five? Hell, the animal realm, the ghost realm, humanity, and the gods.

Nirayañcāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, nirayagāmiñca maggaṁ, nirayagāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapajjati tañca pajānāmi.
Tiracchānayoniñcāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, tiracchānayonigāmiñca maggaṁ, tiracchānayonigāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā tiracchānayoniṁ upapajjati tañca pajānāmi.
Pettivisayañcāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, pettivisayagāmiñca maggaṁ, pettivisayagāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā pettivisayaṁ upapajjati tañca pajānāmi.
Manusse cāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, manussalokagāmiñca maggaṁ, manussalokagāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā manussesu upapajjati tañca pajānāmi.
Deve cāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, devalokagāmiñca maggaṁ, devalokagāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapajjati tañca pajānāmi.
Nibbānañcāhaṁ, sāriputta, pajānāmi, nibbānagāmiñca maggaṁ, nibbānagāminiñca paṭipadaṁ;
yathā paṭipanno ca āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati tañca pajānāmi.

I understand hell, and the path and practice that leads to hell. And I understand how someone practicing that way, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. I understand the animal realm … the ghost realm … humanity … gods, and the path and practice that leads to the world of the gods. And I understand how someone practicing that way, when their body breaks up, after death, is reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm. And I understand extinguishment, and the path and practice that leads to extinguishment. And I understand how someone practicing that way realizes the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom, and lives having realized it with their own insight in this very life due to the ending of defilements.

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