Brahmanimantanikasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 49

On the Invitation of Divinity · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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Evaṁ vutte, bhikkhave, bako brahmā maṁ etadavoca:
‘ahañhi, mārisa, niccaṁyeva samānaṁ “niccan”ti vadāmi, dhuvaṁyeva samānaṁ “dhuvan”ti vadāmi, sassataṁyeva samānaṁ “sassatan”ti vadāmi, kevalaṁyeva samānaṁ “kevalan”ti vadāmi, acavanadhammaṁyeva samānaṁ “acavanadhamman”ti vadāmi, yattha ca pana na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati tadevāhaṁ vadāmi:
“idañhi na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjatī”ti.
Asantañca panaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ “natthaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇan”ti vadāmi.
Ahesuṁ kho, bhikkhu, tayā pubbe samaṇabrāhmaṇā lokasmiṁ yāvatakaṁ tuyhaṁ kasiṇaṁ āyu tāvatakaṁ tesaṁ tapokammameva ahosi.
Te kho evaṁ jāneyyuṁ santañca panaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ “atthaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇan”ti, asantaṁ vā aññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ “natthaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇan”ti.

When I had spoken, Baka the Divinity said to me, ‘But, good fellow, what I say is permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away is in fact permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away. And where I say there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn there is in fact no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And when I say there’s no other escape beyond this there is in fact no other escape beyond this. There have been ascetics and brahmins in the world before you, mendicant, whose deeds of fervent mortification lasted as long as your entire life. When there was another escape beyond this they knew it, and when there was no other escape beyond this, they knew it.

Taṁ tāhaṁ, bhikkhu, evaṁ vadāmi:
“na cevaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ dakkhissasi, yāvadeva ca pana kilamathassa vighātassa bhāgī bhavissasi.
Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, pathaviṁ ajjhosissasi, opasāyiko me bhavissasi vatthusāyiko, yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāhiteyyo.
Sace āpaṁ …
tejaṁ …
vāyaṁ …
bhūte …
deve …
pajāpatiṁ …
brahmaṁ ajjhosissasi, opasāyiko me bhavissasi vatthusāyiko, yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāhiteyyo”’ti.

So, mendicant, I tell you this: you will never find another escape beyond this, and you will eventually get weary and frustrated. If you attach to earth, you will lie close to me, in my domain, subject to my will, and expendable. If you attach to water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Progenitor … the Divinity, you will lie close to me, in my domain, subject to my will, and expendable.’

‘Ahampi kho evaṁ, brahme, jānāmi:
“sace pathaviṁ ajjhosissāmi, opasāyiko te bhavissāmi vatthusāyiko, yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāhiteyyo.
Sace āpaṁ …
tejaṁ …
vāyaṁ …
bhūte …
deve …
pajāpatiṁ …
brahmaṁ ajjhosissāmi, opasāyiko te bhavissāmi vatthusāyiko, yathākāmakaraṇīyo bāhiteyyo”ti api ca te ahaṁ, brahme, gatiñca pajānāmi, jutiñca pajānāmi:
“evaṁ mahiddhiko bako brahmā, evaṁ mahānubhāvo bako brahmā, evaṁ mahesakkho bako brahmā”ti.
Yathākathaṁ pana me tvaṁ, mārisa, gatiñca pajānāsi, jutiñca pajānāsi:
“evaṁ mahiddhiko bako brahmā, evaṁ mahānubhāvo bako brahmā, evaṁ mahesakkho bako brahmā”’ti?

‘Divinity, I too know that if I attach to earth, I will lie close to you, in your domain, subject to your will, and expendable. If I attach to water … fire … air … creatures … gods … the Progenitor … the Divinity, I will lie close to you, in your domain, subject to your will, and expendable. And in addition, Divinity, I understand your range and your light: “That’s how powerful is Baka the Divinity, how illustrious and mighty.”’ ‘But in what way do you understand my range and my light?’

‘Yāvatā candimasūriyā,
Pariharanti disā bhanti virocanā;
Tāva sahassadhā loko,
Ettha te vattate vaso.
Paroparañca jānāsi,
atho rāgavirāginaṁ;
Itthabhāvaññathābhāvaṁ,
sattānaṁ āgatiṁ gatinti.
Evaṁ kho te ahaṁ, brahme, gatiñca pajānāmi jutiñca pajānāmi:
“evaṁ mahiddhiko bako brahmā, evaṁ mahānubhāvo bako brahmā, evaṁ mahesakkho bako brahmā”ti.

‘A galaxy extends a thousand times as far as the moon and sun revolve and the dazzling ones light up the quarters. And there you wield your power. You know the high and low, the passionate and dispassionate, and the coming and going of sentient beings from this realm to another. That’s how I understand your range and your light.

Atthi kho, brahme, añño kāyo, taṁ tvaṁ na jānāsi na passasi;
tamahaṁ jānāmi passāmi.
Atthi kho, brahme, ābhassarā nāma kāyo yato tvaṁ cuto idhūpapanno.
Tassa te aticiranivāsena sā sati pamuṭṭhā, tena taṁ tvaṁ na jānāsi na passasi;
tamahaṁ jānāmi passāmi.
Evampi kho ahaṁ, brahme, neva te samasamo abhiññāya, kuto nīceyyaṁ?
Atha kho ahameva tayā bhiyyo.
Atthi kho, brahme, subhakiṇho nāma kāyo, vehapphalo nāma kāyo, abhibhū nāma kāyo, taṁ tvaṁ na jānāsi na passasi;
tamahaṁ jānāmi passāmi.
Evampi kho ahaṁ, brahme, neva te samasamo abhiññāya, kuto nīceyyaṁ?
Atha kho ahameva tayā bhiyyo.

But there are three other realms that you don’t know or see, but which I know and see. There is the realm named after the gods of sublime luminosity. You passed away from there and were reborn here. You’ve dwelt here so long that you’ve forgotten about that, so you don’t know it or see it. But I know it and see it. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you. There is the realm named after the gods of universal beauty … There is the realm named after the gods of abundant fruit, which you don’t know or see. But I know it and see it. So Divinity, I am not your equal in knowledge, let alone your inferior. Rather, I know more than you.

Pathaviṁ kho ahaṁ, brahme, pathavito abhiññāya yāvatā pathaviyā pathavattena ananubhūtaṁ tadabhiññāya pathaviṁ nāpahosiṁ, pathaviyā nāpahosiṁ, pathavito nāpahosiṁ, pathaviṁ meti nāpahosiṁ, pathaviṁ nābhivadiṁ.
Evampi kho ahaṁ, brahme, neva te samasamo abhiññāya, kuto nīceyyaṁ?
Atha kho ahameva tayā bhiyyo.

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

Āpaṁ kho ahaṁ, brahme …pe…

Since directly knowing water …

tejaṁ kho ahaṁ, brahme …pe…

fire …

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