Brahmanimantanikasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 49

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

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Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.
Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:
“bhikkhavo”ti.
“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.
Bhagavā etadavoca:

So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Ekamidāhaṁ, bhikkhave, samayaṁ ukkaṭṭhāyaṁ viharāmi subhagavane sālarājamūle.
Tena kho pana, bhikkhave, samayena bakassa brahmuno evarūpaṁ pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ uppannaṁ hoti:
‘idaṁ niccaṁ, idaṁ dhuvaṁ, idaṁ sassataṁ, idaṁ kevalaṁ, idaṁ acavanadhammaṁ, idañhi na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati, ito ca panaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ natthī’ti.

“This one time, mendicants, I was staying near Ukkaṭṭhā in the Subhaga Forest at the root of a magnificent sal tree. Now at that time Baka the Divinity had the following harmful misconception: ‘This is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is whole, this is not liable to pass away. For this is where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And there’s no other escape beyond this.’

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, bakassa brahmuno cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—
seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—ukkaṭṭhāyaṁ subhagavane sālarājamūle antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosiṁ.
Addasā kho maṁ, bhikkhave, bako brahmā dūratova āgacchantaṁ;
disvāna maṁ etadavoca:
‘ehi kho, mārisa, svāgataṁ, mārisa.
Cirassaṁ kho, mārisa, imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya.
Idañhi, mārisa, niccaṁ, idaṁ dhuvaṁ, idaṁ sassataṁ, idaṁ kevalaṁ, idaṁ acavanadhammaṁ, idañhi na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjati. Ito ca panaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ natthī’ti.

Then I knew what Baka the Divinity was thinking. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, I vanished from the Subhaga Forest and reappeared in that realm of divinity. Baka saw me coming off in the distance and said, ‘Come, good fellow! Welcome, good fellow! It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here. For this is permanent, this is everlasting, this is eternal, this is whole, this is not liable to pass away. For this is where there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And there’s no other escape beyond this.’

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhikkhave, bakaṁ brahmānaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘avijjāgato vata bho bako brahmā, avijjāgato vata bho bako brahmā;
yatra hi nāma aniccaṁyeva samānaṁ niccanti vakkhati, addhuvaṁyeva samānaṁ dhuvanti vakkhati, asassataṁyeva samānaṁ sassatanti vakkhati, akevalaṁyeva samānaṁ kevalanti vakkhati, cavanadhammaṁyeva samānaṁ acavanadhammanti vakkhati;
yattha ca pana jāyati jīyati mīyati cavati upapajjati tañca vakkhati:
“idañhi na jāyati na jīyati na mīyati na cavati na upapajjatī”ti;
santañca panaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇaṁ “natthaññaṁ uttari nissaraṇan”ti vakkhatī’ti.

When he had spoken, I said to him, ‘Oh lord, Baka the Divinity is lost in ignorance! Oh lord, Baka the Divinity is lost in ignorance! Because what is actually impermanent, not lasting, transient, incomplete, and liable to pass away, he says is permanent, everlasting, eternal, whole, and not liable to pass away. And where there is being born, growing old, dying, passing away, and being reborn, he says that there’s no being born, growing old, dying, passing away, or being reborn. And although there is another escape beyond this, he says that there’s no other escape beyond this.’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā aññataraṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ anvāvisitvā maṁ etadavoca:
‘bhikkhu bhikkhu, metamāsado metamāsado, eso hi, bhikkhu, brahmā mahābrahmā abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthudaso vasavattī issaro kattā nimmātā seṭṭho sajitā vasī pitā bhūtabhabyānaṁ.
Ahesuṁ kho ye, bhikkhu, tayā pubbe samaṇabrāhmaṇā lokasmiṁ pathavīgarahakā pathavījigucchakā, āpagarahakā āpajigucchakā, tejagarahakā tejajigucchakā, vāyagarahakā vāyajigucchakā, bhūtagarahakā bhūtajigucchakā, devagarahakā devajigucchakā, pajāpatigarahakā pajāpatijigucchakā, brahmagarahakā brahmajigucchakā—
te kāyassa bhedā pāṇupacchedā hīne kāye patiṭṭhitā ahesuṁ.
Ye pana, bhikkhu, tayā pubbe samaṇabrāhmaṇā lokasmiṁ pathavīpasaṁsakā pathavābhinandino, āpapasaṁsakā āpābhinandino, tejapasaṁsakā tejābhinandino, vāyapasaṁsakā vāyābhinandino, bhūtapasaṁsakā bhūtābhinandino, devapasaṁsakā devābhinandino, pajāpatipasaṁsakā pajāpatābhinandino, brahmapasaṁsakā brahmābhinandino—
te kāyassa bhedā pāṇupacchedā paṇīte kāye patiṭṭhitā.
Taṁ tāhaṁ, bhikkhu, evaṁ vadāmi:

Then Māra the Wicked took possession of a member of the retinue of Divinity and said this to me, ‘Mendicant, mendicant! Don’t attack this one! Don’t attack this one! For this is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who criticized and loathed earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a lower realm. There have been ascetics and brahmins before you, mendicant, who praised and approved earth, water, fire, air, creatures, gods, the Progenitor, and the Divinity. When their bodies broke up and their breath was cut off they were established in a higher realm. So, mendicant, I tell you this:

“iṅgha tvaṁ, mārisa, yadeva te brahmā āha tadeva tvaṁ karohi, mā tvaṁ brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattittho”.
Sace kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattissasi, seyyathāpi nāma puriso siriṁ āgacchantiṁ daṇḍena paṭippaṇāmeyya, seyyathāpi vā pana, bhikkhu, puriso narakappapāte papatanto hatthehi ca pādehi ca pathaviṁ virādheyya, evaṁ sampadamidaṁ, bhikkhu, tuyhaṁ bhavissati.
Iṅgha tvaṁ, mārisa, yadeva te brahmā āha tadeva tvaṁ karohi, mā tvaṁ brahmuno vacanaṁ upātivattittho.
Nanu tvaṁ, bhikkhu, passasi brahmaparisaṁ sannipatitan’ti?
Iti kho maṁ, bhikkhave, māro pāpimā brahmaparisaṁ upanesi.

please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don’t go beyond the word of the Divinity. If you do, then you’ll end up like a person who, when approached by Lady Luck, would fend her off with a staff; or who, as they are falling over a cliff, would push away the ground with their hands and feet. Please, good fellow, do exactly what the Divinity says. Don’t go beyond the word of the Divinity. Do you not see the assembly of the Divinity gathered here?’ And so Māra the Wicked presented the assembly of the Divinity to me.

Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, bhikkhave, māraṁ pāpimantaṁ etadavocaṁ:
‘jānāmi kho tāhaṁ, pāpima; mā tvaṁ maññittho:
“na maṁ jānātī”ti.
Māro tvamasi, pāpima.
Yo ceva, pāpima, brahmā, yā ca brahmaparisā, ye ca brahmapārisajjā, sabbeva tava hatthagatā sabbeva tava vasaṅgatā.
Tuyhañhi, pāpima, evaṁ hoti:
“esopi me assa hatthagato, esopi me assa vasaṅgato”ti.
Ahaṁ kho pana, pāpima, neva tava hatthagato neva tava vasaṅgato’ti.

When he had spoken, I said to Māra, ‘I know you, Wicked One. Do not think, “He does not know me.” You are Māra the Wicked. And the Divinity, the Divinity’s assembly, and the retinue of Divinity have all fallen into your hands; they’re under your sway. And you think, “Maybe this one, too, has fallen into my hands; maybe he’s under my sway!” But I haven’t fallen into your hands; I’m not under your sway.’

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