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Majjhima Nikāya 49

Brahmanimantanikasutta

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

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thusEvaṁ by meme heardsutaṁ—
oneekaṁ timesamayaṁ the Blessed Onebhagavā in Sāvatthīsāvatthiyaṁ was stayingviharati in Jeta's Grovejetavane of Anāthapiṇḍikaanāthapiṇḍikassa in the monasteryārāme.
thereTatra indeedkho the Blessed Onebhagavā the mendicantsbhikkhū addressedāmantesi:
“mendicants”“bhikkhavo”ti.
“venerable sir”“Bhadante”ti theyte the mendicantsbhikkhū to the Blessed Onebhagavato repliedpaccassosuṁ.
the Blessed OneBhagavā said thisetadavoca:

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:

this one time“Ekamidāhaṁ, mendicantsbhikkhave, timesamayaṁ near Ukkaṭṭhāukkaṭṭhāyaṁ I was stayingviharāmi in the Subhaga Forestsubhagavane at the root of a magnificent sal treesālarājamūle.
thenTena indeedkho nowpana, mendicantsbhikkhave, at that timesamayena of Bakabakassa the Divinitybrahmuno suchevarūpaṁ harmfulpāpakaṁ misconceptiondiṭṭhigataṁ had arisenuppannaṁ washoti:
this‘idaṁ permanentniccaṁ, thisidaṁ everlastingdhuvaṁ, thisidaṁ eternalsassataṁ, thisidaṁ wholekevalaṁ, thisidaṁ not liable to pass awayacavanadhammaṁ, for thisidañhi notna is bornjāyati notna grows oldjīyati notna diesmīyati notna passes awaycavati notna is rebornupapajjati, from thisito andca anotherpanaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ there is nonatthī’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.’

thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, monksbhikkhave, of Bakabakassa the Divinity'sbrahmuno with mindcetasā having known the reflection in his mindcetoparivitakkamaññāya—
just asseyyathāpi as ifnāma strongbalavā a personpuriso bentsamiñjitaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would extendpasāreyya, extendedpasāritaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would contractsamiñjeyya; in the same way, in the Subhaga Forestevameva—ukkaṭṭhāyaṁ in the Subhaga Forestsubhagavane at the root of a sal treesālarājamūle vanishedantarahito in thattasmiṁ in the Brahma worldbrahmaloke I appearedpāturahosiṁ.
sawAddasā indeedkho memaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Bakabako Brahmābrahmā from afar indeeddūratova comingāgacchantaṁ;
having seendisvāna memaṁ said thisetadavoca:
come‘ehi indeedkho, good fellowmārisa, welcomesvāgataṁ, good fellowmārisa.
for a long timeCirassaṁ indeedkho, good fellowmārisa, thisimaṁ you made the opportunitypariyāyamakāsi that isyadidaṁ for coming hereidhāgamanāya.
for this indeedIdañhi, good fellowmārisa, permanentniccaṁ, thisidaṁ everlastingdhuvaṁ, thisidaṁ eternalsassataṁ, thisidaṁ wholekevalaṁ, thisidaṁ not liable to pass awayacavanadhammaṁ, for this indeedidañhi does notna get bornjāyati does notna agejīyati does notna diemīyati does notna pass awaycavati does notna get rebornupapajjati. from hereIto andca another furtherpanaññaṁ higheruttari escapenissaraṇaṁ there is notnatthī’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.’

thusEvaṁ when saidvutte, Iahaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Bakabakaṁ Brahmābrahmānaṁ this I saidetadavocaṁ:
gone to ignorance‘avijjāgato indeedvata oh lordbho Bakabako Brahmābrahmā, gone to ignoranceavijjāgato indeedvata oh lordbho Bakabako Brahmābrahmā;
whereyatra becausehi trulynāma impermanent indeedaniccaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ permanentniccanti he saysvakkhati, unstable indeedaddhuvaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ lastingdhuvanti he saysvakkhati, not eternal indeedasassataṁyeva beingsamānaṁ eternalsassatanti he saysvakkhati, incomplete indeedakevalaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ completekevalanti he saysvakkhati, of a nature to pass away indeedcavanadhammaṁyeva beingsamānaṁ not of a nature to pass awayacavanadhammanti he saysvakkhati;
whereyattha andca furtherpana is bornjāyati grows oldjīyati diesmīyati passes awaycavati is rebornupapajjati and thattañca he saysvakkhati:
this indeed“idañhi notna is bornjāyati notna grows oldjīyati notna diesmīyati notna passes awaycavati notna is rebornupapajjatī”ti;
and there beingsantañca and anotherpanaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇaṁ there is no other“natthaññaṁ beyonduttari escapenissaraṇan”ti he saysvakkhatī’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.’

thenAtha indeedkho, monksbhikkhave, Māramāro the Wickedpāpimā a certainaññataraṁ member of Brahmā's retinuebrahmapārisajjaṁ having possessedanvāvisitvā to memaṁ said thisetadavoca:
mendicant‘bhikkhu mendicantbhikkhu, don't attack this onemetamāsado don't attack this onemetamāsado, thiseso forhi, mendicantbhikkhu, Brahmābrahmā the Great Brahmāmahābrahmā the Vanquisherabhibhū the Unvanquishedanabhibhūto the Universal Seeraññadatthudaso the Wielder of Powervasavattī God Almightyissaro the Makerkattā the Creatornimmātā the Firstseṭṭho the Begettersajitā the Controllervasī the Fatherpitā of those born and to be bornbhūtabhabyānaṁ.
there wereAhesuṁ indeedkho those whoye, mendicantbhikkhu, before youtayā previouslypubbe ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā in the worldlokasmiṁ criticizers of earthpathavīgarahakā loathers of earthpathavījigucchakā, criticizers of waterāpagarahakā loathers of waterāpajigucchakā, criticizers of firetejagarahakā loathers of firetejajigucchakā, criticizers of airvāyagarahakā loathers of airvāyajigucchakā, criticizers of creaturesbhūtagarahakā loathers of creaturesbhūtajigucchakā, criticizers of godsdevagarahakā loathers of godsdevajigucchakā, criticizers of the Progenitorpajāpatigarahakā loathers of the Progenitorpajāpatijigucchakā, criticizers of Brahmābrahmagarahakā loathers of Brahmābrahmajigucchakā—
theyte of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā at the cutting off of breathpāṇupacchedā in a lowerhīne realmkāye establishedpatiṭṭhitā they wereahesuṁ.
those whoYe butpana, mendicantbhikkhu, before youtayā previouslypubbe ascetics and brahminssamaṇabrāhmaṇā in the worldlokasmiṁ praisers of earthpathavīpasaṁsakā approvers of earthpathavābhinandino, praisers of waterāpapasaṁsakā approvers of waterāpābhinandino, praisers of firetejapasaṁsakā approvers of firetejābhinandino, praisers of airvāyapasaṁsakā approvers of airvāyābhinandino, praisers of creaturesbhūtapasaṁsakā approvers of creaturesbhūtābhinandino, praisers of godsdevapasaṁsakā approvers of godsdevābhinandino, praisers of the Progenitorpajāpatipasaṁsakā approvers of the Progenitorpajāpatābhinandino, praisers of Brahmābrahmapasaṁsakā approvers of Brahmābrahmābhinandino—
theyte of the bodykāyassa at the breaking upbhedā at the cutting off of breathpāṇupacchedā in a higherpaṇīte realmkāye establishedpatiṭṭhitā.
soTaṁ I to youtāhaṁ, mendicantbhikkhu, thusevaṁ I sayvadāmi:

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:

please“iṅgha youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, whateveryadeva to youte the Divinitybrahmā saysāha exactly thattadeva youtvaṁ dokarohi, do notmā youtvaṁ of the Divinitybrahmuno wordvacanaṁ go beyondupātivattittho”.
ifSace indeedkho youtvaṁ, monkbhikkhu, of the Divinitybrahmuno wordvacanaṁ will go beyondupātivattissasi, just asseyyathāpi one might saynāma a personpuriso Lady Lucksiriṁ approachingāgacchantiṁ with a staffdaṇḍena would fend offpaṭippaṇāmeyya, just asseyyathāpi orvā thenpana, monkbhikkhu, a personpuriso into the cliff of hellnarakappapāte fallingpapatanto with handshatthehi andca with feetpādehi andca the groundpathaviṁ would push awayvirādheyya, soevaṁ such will be your lotsampadamidaṁ, monkbhikkhu, yourstuyhaṁ will bebhavissati.
pleaseIṅgha youtvaṁ, good fellowmārisa, whateveryadeva to youte the Divinitybrahmā saysāha exactly thattadeva youtvaṁ dokarohi, do notmā youtvaṁ of the Divinitybrahmuno wordvacanaṁ go beyondupātivattittho.
do notNanu youtvaṁ, monkbhikkhu, seepassasi the assembly of the Divinitybrahmaparisaṁ gatheredsannipatitan’ti?
thusIti indeedkho memaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Māramāro the Wickedpāpimā the assembly of the Divinitybrahmaparisaṁ presentedupanesi.

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.

thusEvaṁ when spokenvutte, Iahaṁ, monksbhikkhave, Māramāraṁ the Wicked Onepāpimantaṁ I said thisetadavocaṁ:
I know‘jānāmi indeedkho youtāhaṁ, Wicked Onepāpima; do notmā youtvaṁ thinkmaññittho:
not“na memaṁ knowsjānātī”ti.
you are MāraMāro you aretvamasi, Wicked Onepāpima.
whoYo andceva, Wicked Onepāpima, Brahmābrahmā, whichyā andca assembly of Brahmābrahmaparisā, whoye andca retinue of Brahmābrahmapārisajjā, allsabbeva yourtava fallen into the handshatthagatā allsabbeva yourtava under the swayvasaṅgatā.
for youTuyhañhi, Wicked Onepāpima, thusevaṁ it ishoti:
this one too“esopi myme would beassa fallen into the handshatthagato, this one tooesopi myme would beassa under the swayvasaṅgato”ti.
IAhaṁ indeedkho butpana, Wicked Onepāpima, notneva yourtava fallen into the handshatthagato notneva yourtava under the swayvasaṅgato’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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