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Majjhima Nikāya 49

Brahmanimantanikasutta

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

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thusEvaṁ when spokenvutte, monksbhikkhave, Bakabako Brahmābrahmā memaṁ said thisetadavoca:
but I indeed‘ahañhi, good fellowmārisa, permanent indeedniccaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ “permanent”“niccan”ti I sayvadāmi, everlasting indeeddhuvaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ “everlasting”“dhuvan”ti I sayvadāmi, eternal indeedsassataṁyeva beingsamānaṁ “eternal”“sassatan”ti I sayvadāmi, whole indeedkevalaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ “whole”“kevalan”ti I sayvadāmi, not liable to pass away indeedacavanadhammaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ “not liable to pass away”“acavanadhamman”ti I sayvadāmi, whereyattha andca indeedpana notna is bornjāyati notna grows oldjīyati notna diesmīyati notna passes awaycavati notna is rebornupapajjati that very thing Itadevāhaṁ I sayvadāmi:
this indeed“idañhi notna is bornjāyati notna grows oldjīyati notna diesmīyati notna passes awaycavati notna is rebornupapajjatī”ti.
and nonexistentAsantañca and indeed anotherpanaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ “there is no other“natthaññaṁ beyonduttari escape”nissaraṇan”ti I sayvadāmi.
there wereAhesuṁ indeedkho, mendicantbhikkhu, before youtayā previouslypubbe ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā in the worldlokasmiṁ as much asyāvatakaṁ yourtuyhaṁ entirekasiṇaṁ lifeāyu that muchtāvatakaṁ theirtesaṁ deeds of fervent mortification indeedtapokammameva there wasahosi.
theyTe indeedkho thusevaṁ would knowjāneyyuṁ and existingsantañca and indeed anotherpanaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ “there is another“atthaññaṁ beyonduttari escape”nissaraṇan”ti, nonexistentasantaṁ orvā anotheraññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ “there is no other“natthaññaṁ beyonduttari escape”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.

thatTaṁ I to you thattāhaṁ, mendicantbhikkhu, thusevaṁ I sayvadāmi:
not“na and surely anothercevaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ you will seedakkhissasi, just as far asyāvadeva andca thenpana of wearinesskilamathassa of frustrationvighātassa a sharerbhāgī you will bebhavissasi.
ifSace indeedkho youtvaṁ, mendicantbhikkhu, earthpathaviṁ you will attach toajjhosissasi, lying closeopasāyiko to meme you will bebhavissasi in my domainvatthusāyiko, subject to my willyathākāmakaraṇīyo expendablebāhiteyyo.
ifSace waterāpaṁ ……
firetejaṁ ……
airvāyaṁ ……
creaturesbhūte ……
godsdeve ……
the Progenitorpajāpatiṁ ……
the Divinitybrahmaṁ you will attach toajjhosissasi, lying closeopasāyiko to meme you will bebhavissasi in my domainvatthusāyiko, subject to my willyathākāmakaraṇīyo expendablebāhiteyyo”’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.’

I too‘Ahampi indeedkho thusevaṁ, O Divinitybrahme, I knowjānāmi:
if“sace earthpathaviṁ I attach toajjhosissāmi, lying closeopasāyiko to youte I will bebhavissāmi in your domainvatthusāyiko, subject to your willyathākāmakaraṇīyo expendablebāhiteyyo.
ifSace waterāpaṁ ……
firetejaṁ ……
airvāyaṁ ……
creaturesbhūte ……
godsdeve ……
the Progenitorpajāpatiṁ ……
the Divinitybrahmaṁ I attach toajjhosissāmi, lying closeopasāyiko to youte I will bebhavissāmi in your domainvatthusāyiko, subject to your willyathākāmakaraṇīyo expendable”bāhiteyyo”ti and in additionapi andca yourte Iahaṁ, O Divinitybrahme, and your rangegatiñca I understandpajānāmi, and your lightjutiñca I understandpajānāmi:
thus“evaṁ powerfulmahiddhiko Bakabako the Divinitybrahmā, thusevaṁ illustriousmahānubhāvo Bakabako the Divinitybrahmā, thusevaṁ mightymahesakkho Bakabako the Divinity”brahmā”ti.
in what wayYathākathaṁ thenpana myme youtvaṁ, dear sirmārisa, and my rangegatiñca you understandpajānāsi, and my lightjutiñca you understandpajānāsi:
thus“evaṁ powerfulmahiddhiko Bakabako the Divinitybrahmā, thusevaṁ illustriousmahānubhāvo Bakabako the Divinitybrahmā, thusevaṁ mightymahesakkho Bakabako the Divinity?”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?’

as far as‘Yāvatā moon and suncandimasūriyā,
revolvePariharanti the quartersdisā shinebhanti dazzling onesvirocanā;
so farTāva a thousandfoldsahassadhā the worldloko,
hereEttha yourte operatesvattate powervaso.
and the high and lowParoparañca you knowjānāsi,
and alsoatho the passionate and dispassionaterāgavirāginaṁ;
this state and another stateItthabhāvaññathābhāvaṁ,
of beingssattānaṁ the comingāgatiṁ and the goinggatinti.
thusEvaṁ indeedkho yourte Iahaṁ, O Brahmābrahme, and the rangegatiñca I understandpajānāmi and the lightjutiñca I understandpajānāmi:
thus“evaṁ of great psychic powermahiddhiko Bakabako Brahmābrahmā, thusevaṁ of great majestymahānubhāvo Bakabako Brahmābrahmā, thusevaṁ of great authoritymahesakkho Bakabako Brahmābrahmā”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.

there isAtthi indeedkho, O Divinitybrahme, anotherañño bodykāyo, thattaṁ youtvaṁ notna you knowjānāsi notna you seepassasi;
that Itamahaṁ I knowjānāmi I seepassāmi.
there isAtthi indeedkho, O Divinitybrahme, of sublime luminosityābhassarā namednāma bodykāyo from whereyato youtvaṁ passed awaycuto reborn hereidhūpapanno.
of thatTassa yourte by dwelling so longaticiranivāsena thatsā memorysati forgottenpamuṭṭhā, thereforetena thattaṁ youtvaṁ notna you knowjānāsi notna you seepassasi;
that Itamahaṁ I knowjānāmi I seepassāmi.
even soEvampi indeedkho Iahaṁ, O Divinitybrahme, notneva yourte equalsamasamo having knownabhiññāya, whencekuto inferiornīceyyaṁ?
thenAtha indeedkho I indeedahameva than youtayā greaterbhiyyo.
there isAtthi indeedkho, O Divinitybrahme, of universal beautysubhakiṇho namednāma bodykāyo, of abundant fruitvehapphalo namednāma bodykāyo, overcomerabhibhū namednāma bodykāyo, thattaṁ youtvaṁ notna you knowjānāsi notna you seepassasi;
that Itamahaṁ I knowjānāmi I seepassāmi.
even soEvampi indeedkho Iahaṁ, O Divinitybrahme, notneva yourte equalsamasamo having knownabhiññāya, whencekuto inferiornīceyyaṁ?
thenAtha indeedkho I indeedahameva than youtayā greaterbhiyyo.

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.

earthPathaviṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, Divinitybrahme, as earthpathavito having directly knownabhiññāya as far asyāvatā of earthpathaviyā by earth-nesspathavattena not experiencedananubhūtaṁ having directly known thattadabhiññāya earthpathaviṁ I did not becomenāpahosiṁ, of earthpathaviyā I did not becomenāpahosiṁ, as earthpathavito I did not becomenāpahosiṁ, earthpathaviṁ minemeti I did not becomenāpahosiṁ, earthpathaviṁ I did not affirmnābhivadiṁ.
thus indeedEvampi indeedkho Iahaṁ, Divinitybrahme, notneva yourte equalsamasamo in directly knowingabhiññāya, howkuto inferior?nīceyyaṁ?
ratherAtha indeedkho I myself indeedahameva than youtayā morebhiyyo.

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.

waterĀpaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, O Brahmābrahme …pe……pe…

Since directly knowing water …

firetejaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, O Brahmābrahme …pe……pe…

fire …

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