Brahmanimantanikasutta

Since directly knowing all as all, and since directly knowing that which does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by all, I have not become all, I have not become in all, I have not become as all, I have not become one who thinks ‘all is mine’, I have not affirmed all. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you.’

if‘Sace indeedkho, good fellowmārisa, of allsabbassa all·nesssabbattena not experiencedananubhūtaṁ, that·directly knowtadabhiññāya may notmā indeedheva for youte vacuous·indeedrittakameva wasahosi, hollow·indeedtucchakameva wasahosīti.

‘Well, good fellow, if you have directly known that which does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by all, may that not be vacuous and hollow for you!

Consciousness where no form appears, infinite, radiant all-round. That is what does not fall within the scope of experience characterized by earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, the Divinity, the gods of sublime luminosity, the gods of universal beauty, the gods of abundant fruit, the Vanquisher, and the all.

come thenHanda nowcarahi from youte, good fellowmārisa, seepassa I vanishantaradhāyāmī’ti.
come then‘Handa nowcarahi from meme youtvaṁ, Divinitybrahme, vanishantaradhāyassu, ifsace you canvisahasī’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, Bakabako Divinitybrahmā:
I will vanish‘antaradhāyissāmi of the asceticsamaṇassa Gotamagotamassa, I will vanishantaradhāyissāmi of the asceticsamaṇassa Gotamagotamassā’ti but notnevassu from meme he was ablesakkoti to vanishantaradhāyituṁ.
thusEvaṁ when this was saidvutte, Iahaṁ, monksbhikkhave, to Bakabakaṁ Divinitybrahmānaṁ I said thisetadavocaṁ:
come then‘handa nowcarahi from youte Divinitybrahme I vanishantaradhāyāmī’ti.
come then‘Handa nowcarahi from meme youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, vanishantaradhāyassu ifsace you canvisahasī’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho Iahaṁ, monksbhikkhave, such atathārūpaṁ psychic poweriddhābhisaṅkhāraṁ I willedabhisaṅkhāsiṁ:
to this extent‘ettāvatā Divinitybrahmā andca the assemblybrahmaparisā andca the retinuebrahmapārisajjā andca my voicesaddañca meme they will hearsossanti, notna butca memaṁ they will seedakkhantī’ti.
vanishedAntarahito thisimaṁ versegāthaṁ I spokeabhāsiṁ:

Come then, good fellow, see me vanish from you!’ ‘Come on then, Divinity, vanish from me—if you can.’ Then Baka the Divinity said, ‘I will vanish from the ascetic Gotama! I will vanish from the ascetic Gotama!’ But he was unable to vanish from me. So I said to him, ‘Come then, Divinity, see me vanish from you!’ ‘Come on then, good fellow, vanish from me—if you can.’ Then I used my psychic power to will that my voice would extend so that divinity, his assembly, and his retinue would hear me, but they would not see me. And while vanished I spoke this verse:

in existence‘Bhavevāhaṁ dangerbhayaṁ having seendisvā,
and existencebhavañca of one seeking non-existencevibhavesinaṁ;
existenceBhavaṁ I did not affirmnābhivadiṁ anykiñci,
and relishingnandiñca notna I graspedupādiyin’ti.

‘Seeing the danger in existence— that life in any existence will cease to be— I didn’t affirm any kind of existence, and didn’t grasp at relishing.’

thenAtha indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, Divinitybrahmā andca Divinity·assemblybrahmaparisā andca Divinity·retinuebrahmapārisajjā andca wonder·amazement·mind·bornacchariyabbhutacittajātā they wereahesuṁ:
incredible‘acchariyaṁ indeedvata lordbho, amazingabbhutaṁ indeedvata lordbho.
of the asceticSamaṇassa Gotamagotamassa psychic powermahiddhikatā mightmahānubhāvatā, notna andca indeedvata by usno beforeito previouslypubbe seendiṭṭho orvā, heardsuto orvā, otherañño asceticsamaṇo orvā brahminbrāhmaṇo orvā thusevaṁ with psychic powermahiddhiko thusevaṁ with mightmahānubhāvo as + thisyathāyaṁ asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo son of the Sakyanssakyaputto Sakyan·clansakyakulā gone forthpabbajito.
continued existence·enjoyingBhavarāmāya indeedvata, lordbho, by peoplepajāya continued existence·lovingbhavaratāya continued existence·delighting inbhavasammuditāya with·rootsamūlaṁ continued existencebhavaṁ he extractedudabbahī’ti.

Then the Divinity, his assembly, and his retinue, their minds full of wonder and amazement, thought, ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic Gotama has such psychic power and might! We’ve never before seen or heard of any other ascetic or brahmin with psychic power and might like the ascetic Gotama, who has gone forth from the Sakyan clan. Though people enjoy continued existence, loving it so much, he has extracted it, root and all.’

Then Māra the Wicked took possession of a member of the retinue of Divinity and said this to me, ‘If such is your understanding, good fellow, do not present it to your disciples or those gone forth! Do not teach this Dhamma to your disciples or those gone forth! Do not wish this for your disciples or those gone forth! There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who claimed to be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas. They presented, taught, and wished this for their disciples and those gone forth. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a lower realm. But there have also been other ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who claimed to be perfected ones, fully awakened Buddhas.

theyTe notna disciplessāvake presentedupanesuṁ notna those gone forthpabbajite, notna to disciplessāvakānaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ taughtdesesuṁ notna to those gone forthpabbajitānaṁ, notna toward disciplessāvakesu wishedgedhimakaṁsu notna toward those gone forthpabbajitesu, theyte notna disciplessāvake having presented toupanetvā notna those gone forthpabbajite, notna to disciplessāvakānaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ having taughtdesetvā notna to those gone forthpabbajitānaṁ, notna toward disciplessāvakesu with hearts not attachedgedhitacittā notna toward those gone forthpabbajitesu,
of the bodykāyassa at breaking upbhedā at cutting off of breathpāṇupacchedā in a higherpaṇīte realmkāye establishedpatiṭṭhitā.
thatTaṁ so Itāhaṁ, mendicantbhikkhu, thusevaṁ I sayvadāmi—
pleaseiṅgha youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, passiveappossukko devoted to blissful meditation in this lifediṭṭhadhammasukhavihāramanuyutto remainviharassu, better left unsaidanakkhātaṁ for this is goodkusalañhi, good fellowmārisa, do notmā anotherparaṁ instructovadāhī’ti.

They did not present, teach, or wish this for their disciples and those gone forth. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a higher realm. So, mendicant, I tell you this: please, good fellow, remain passive, dwelling in blissful meditation in this life, for this is better left unsaid. Good fellow, do not instruct others.’

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Iahaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Māramāraṁ Wicked Onepāpimantaṁ said thisetadavocaṁ:
I know‘jānāmi indeedkho youtāhaṁ, Wicked Onepāpima, do notmā youtvaṁ you thoughtmaññittho:
not“na memaṁ he knowsjānātī”ti.
MāraMāro you aretvamasi, Wicked Onepāpima.
notNa memaṁ youtvaṁ, Wicked Onepāpima, with sympathyhitānukampī thusevaṁ you speakvadesi;
with no sympathyahitānukampī memaṁ youtvaṁ, Wicked Onepāpima, thusevaṁ you speakvadesi.
for youTuyhañhi, Wicked Onepāpima, thusevaṁ it ishoti:
to whom“yesaṁ asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo dhammadhammaṁ will teachdesessati, theyte myme reachvisayaṁ will go beyondupātivattissantī”ti.
not fully awakened BuddhasAsammāsambuddhāva butpana theyte, Wicked Onepāpima, beingsamānā we are fully awakened Buddhassammāsambuddhāmhāti they claimedpaṭijāniṁsu.
IAhaṁ butkho butpana, Wicked Onepāpima, fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddhova beingsamāno I am a fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddhomhīti I claimpaṭijānāmi.
whether teachingDesentopi forhi, Wicked Onepāpima, Realized Onetathāgato to disciplessāvakānaṁ dhammadhammaṁ suchtādisova whether not teachingadesentopi forhi, Wicked Onepāpima, Realized Onetathāgato to disciplessāvakānaṁ dhammadhammaṁ suchtādisova.
whether presentingUpanentopi forhi, Wicked Onepāpima, Realized Onetathāgato disciplessāvake suchtādisova, whether not presentinganupanentopi forhi, Wicked Onepāpima, Realized Onetathāgato disciplessāvake suchtādisova.
thatTaṁ of whatkissa reasonhetu?
of the Realized OneTathāgatassa, Wicked Onepāpima, whichye defilementsāsavā corruptingsaṅkilesikā leading to future livesponobbhavikā hurtfulsadarā resulting in sufferingdukkhavipākā in the futureāyatiṁ birth·old age·deathjātijarāmaraṇiyā—

When he had spoken, I said to Māra, ‘I know you, Wicked One. Do not think, “He doesn’t know me.” You are Māra the Wicked. You don’t speak to me like this out of sympathy, but with no sympathy. For you think, “Those who the ascetic Gotama teaches will go beyond my reach.” Those who formerly claimed to be fully awakened Buddhas were not in fact fully awakened Buddhas. But I am. The Realized One remains such whether or not he teaches disciples. The Realized One remains as such whether or not he presents the teaching to disciples. Why is that? Because the Realized One has given up the defilements that are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death.

thesete abandonedpahīnā cut off·rootucchinnamūlā made like a palm stumptālāvatthukatā not·becoming·madeanabhāvaṅkatā in the futureāyatiṁ not·arising·subject toanuppādadhammā.
just asSeyyathāpi, Evil Onepāpima, palm treetālo crown·cut offmatthakacchinno incapableabhabbo againpuna of growthvirūḷhiyā;
just soevameva indeedkho, Evil Onepāpima, thus·gonetathāgatassa whichye defilementsāsavā corruptingsaṅkilesikā future lives·leading toponobbhavikā with·hurtsadarā suffering·resulting indukkhavipākā in the futureāyatiṁ rebirth·old age·deathjātijarāmaraṇiyā—
thesete abandonedpahīnā cut off·rootucchinnamūlā made like a palm stumptālāvatthukatā not·becoming·madeanabhāvaṅkatā in the futureāyatiṁ unable to ariseanuppādadhammā’ti.

He has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them so they are unable to arise in the future. Just as a palm tree with its crown cut off is incapable of further growth, the Realized One has given up the defilements that are corrupting, leading to future lives, hurtful, resulting in suffering and future rebirth, old age, and death. He has cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, obliterated them so they are unable to arise in the future.’”

thusIti indeedhidaṁ of Māramārassa andca not·addressinganālapanatāya of Brahmābrahmuno andca because of the invitationabhinimantanatāya, thereforetasmā of thisimassa of the discussionveyyākaraṇassa Brahmā·invitationbrahmanimantanikantveva the nameadhivacanan”ti.
Brahmā·invitation·discourseBrahmanimantanikasuttaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the ninthnavamaṁ.

And so, because of the silencing of Māra, and because of the invitation of the Divinity, the name of this discussion is “On the Invitation of Divinity”.

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