Bhayabheravasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 4

Fear and Dread · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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soSo thusevaṁ concentratedsamāhite when the mind wascitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte to knowledge recollecting past livespubbenivāsānussatiñāṇāya the mindcittaṁ I directedabhininnāmesiṁ. soSo manifoldanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I recollectanussarāmi,
namely, oneseyyathidaṁ—ekampi birthjātiṁ twodvepi birthsjātiyo threetissopi birthsjātiyo fourcatassopi birthsjātiyo fivepañcapi birthsjātiyo tendasapi birthsjātiyo twentyvīsampi birthsjātiyo thirtytiṁsampi birthsjātiyo fortycattālīsampi birthsjātiyo fiftypaññāsampi birthsjātiyo a hundred birthsjātisatampi a thousand birthsjātisahassampi a hundred thousand birthsjātisatasahassampi manyanekepi eons of contractionsaṁvaṭṭakappe manyanekepi eons of expansionvivaṭṭakappe manyanekepi eons of contraction and expansionsaṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe: there I was‘amutrāsiṁ so namedevaṁnāmo of such a clanevaṅgotto of such appearanceevaṁvaṇṇo with such foodevamāhāro feeling such pleasure and painevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī with such a life spanevamāyupariyanto, that Iso from theretato passed awaycuto elsewhereamutra I aroseudapādiṁ; there too I wastatrāpāsiṁ so namedevaṁnāmo of such a clanevaṅgotto of such appearanceevaṁvaṇṇo with such foodevamāhāro feeling such pleasure and painevaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī with such a life spanevamāyupariyanto, that Iso from theretato passed awaycuto reborn here (quote)idhūpapanno’ti. thusIti with featuressākāraṁ with detailssauddesaṁ manifoldanekavihitaṁ past livespubbenivāsaṁ I recollectanussarāmi.

When my mind had become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward recollection of past lives. I recollected many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. I remembered: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so I recollected my many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

thisAyaṁ indeedkho by meme, brahminbrāhmaṇa, of the nightrattiyā in the firstpaṭhame watchyāme the firstpaṭhamā knowledgevijjā was attainedadhigatā,
ignoranceavijjā was banishedvihatā knowledgevijjā aroseuppannā, darknesstamo was banishedvihato lightāloko aroseuppanno, asyathā it istaṁ for one diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa dwellingviharato.

This was the first knowledge, which I achieved in the first watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

soSo thusevaṁ concentratedsamāhite when the mind wascitte purifiedparisuddhe brightpariyodāte flawlessanaṅgaṇe rid of corruptionsvigatūpakkilese pliablemudubhūte workablekammaniye steadyṭhite imperturbableāneñjappatte of beingssattānaṁ to knowledge of death and rebirthcutūpapātañāṇāya the mindcittaṁ I directedabhininnāmesiṁ.
soSo with the divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena surpassing the humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte I seepassāmi passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in good placessugate in bad placesduggate faring by their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte I understandpajānāmi: these‘ime alasvata dearbhonto beingssattā with bodily misconductkāyaduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā with verbal misconductvacīduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā with mental misconductmanoduccaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ revilersupavādakā of wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhikā acting on wrong viewmicchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; theyte of the bodykāyassa with the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā in a place of lossapāyaṁ a bad destinationduggatiṁ the underworldvinipātaṁ hellnirayaṁ are rebornupapannā. theseIme orvā howeverpana dearbhonto beingssattā with good bodily conductkāyasucaritena endowedsamannāgatā with good verbal conductvacīsucaritena endowedsamannāgatā with good mental conductmanosucaritena endowedsamannāgatā of the noble onesariyānaṁ not revilersanupavādakā of right viewsammādiṭṭhikā acting on right viewsammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā; theyte of the bodykāyassa with the breakupbhedā afterparaṁ deathmaraṇā in a good destinationsugatiṁ a heavenlysaggaṁ worldlokaṁ are reborn (quote)upapannā’ti. thusIti with the divinedibbena eyecakkhunā purifiedvisuddhena surpassing the humanatikkantamānusakena beingssatte I seepassāmi passing awaycavamāne being rebornupapajjamāne inferiorhīne superiorpaṇīte beautifulsuvaṇṇe uglydubbaṇṇe in good placessugate in bad placesduggate faring by their deedsyathākammūpage beingssatte I understandpajānāmi.

When my mind had become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the death and rebirth of sentient beings. With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I saw sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understood how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds: ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They denounced the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they chose to act out of that wrong view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never denounced the noble ones; they had right view; and they chose to act out of that right view. When their body broke up, after death, they were reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, I saw sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. I understood how sentient beings pass on according to their deeds.

thisAyaṁ indeedkho by meme, brahminbrāhmaṇa, of the nightrattiyā in the middlemajjhime watchyāme the seconddutiyā knowledgevijjā was attainedadhigatā,
ignoranceavijjā was banishedvihatā knowledgevijjā aroseuppannā, darknesstamo was banishedvihato lightāloko aroseuppanno, asyathā it istaṁ for one diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa dwellingviharato.

This was the second knowledge, which I achieved in the middle watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

When my mind had become immersed in samādhi like this—purified, bright, flawless, rid of corruptions, pliable, workable, steady, and imperturbable—I extended it toward knowledge of the ending of defilements. I truly understood: ‘This is suffering’ … ‘This is the origin of suffering’ … ‘This is the cessation of suffering’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of suffering’. I truly understood: ‘These are defilements’ … ‘This is the origin of defilements’ … ‘This is the cessation of defilements’ … ‘This is the practice that leads to the cessation of defilements’.

for thatTassa meme thusevaṁ knowingjānato thusevaṁ seeingpassato from the defilement of sensuality tookāmāsavāpi the mindcittaṁ was freedvimuccittha, from the defilement of existence toobhavāsavāpi the mindcittaṁ was freedvimuccittha, from the defilement of ignorance tooavijjāsavāpi the mindcittaṁ was freedvimuccittha.
when freedVimuttasmiṁ freed (quote)vimuttamiti the knowledgeñāṇaṁ there wasahosi.
ended is‘Khīṇā birthjāti, fulfilled isvusitaṁ the spiritual lifebrahmacariyaṁ, done iskataṁ what had to be donekaraṇīyaṁ, nothing furthernāparaṁ for this state (quote)itthattāyā’ti I understoodabbhaññāsiṁ.

Knowing and seeing like this, my mind was freed from the defilements of sensuality, desire to be reborn, and ignorance. When it was freed, I knew it was freed. I understood: ‘Rebirth is ended, the spiritual journey has been completed, what had to be done has been done, there is nothing further for this place.’

thisAyaṁ indeedkho by meme, brahminbrāhmaṇa, of the nightrattiyā in the lastpacchime watchyāme the thirdtatiyā knowledgevijjā was attainedadhigatā,
ignoranceavijjā was banishedvihatā knowledgevijjā aroseuppannā, darknesstamo was banishedvihato lightāloko aroseuppanno, asyathā it istaṁ for one diligentappamattassa keenātāpino resolutepahitattassa dwellingviharato.

This was the third knowledge, which I achieved in the final watch of the night. Ignorance was banished and knowledge arose; darkness was banished and light arose, as happens for a meditator who is diligent, keen, and resolute.

there might beSiyā indeedkho moreoverpana for youte, brahminbrāhmaṇa, this thoughtevamassa:
even today‘ajjāpi perhapsnūna the asceticsamaṇo Gotamagotamo not free of lustavītarāgo not free of hateavītadoso not free of delusionavītamoho, thereforetasmā wilderness and forestaraññavanapatthāni remotepantāni lodgingssenāsanāni he frequents (quote)paṭisevatī’ti.
notNa indeedkho but thispanetaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, thusevaṁ should be seendaṭṭhabbaṁ.
twoDve indeedkho Iahaṁ, brahminbrāhmaṇa, reasonsatthavase seeingsampassamāno wilderness and forestaraññavanapatthāni remotepantāni lodgingssenāsanāni I frequentpaṭisevāmi—
my ownattano andca pleasant dwelling here and nowdiṭṭhadhammasukhavihāraṁ seeingsampassamāno, and futurepacchimañca generationsjanataṁ having sympathy for (quote)anukampamāno”ti.

Brahmin, you might think: ‘Perhaps the ascetic Gotama is not free of greed, hate, and delusion even today, and that is why he still frequents remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest.’ But you should not see it like this. I see two reasons to frequent remote lodgings in the wilderness and the forest. I see happiness for myself in this life, and I have sympathy for future generations.”

shown sympathy indeed“Anukampitarūpā truly thisvatāyaṁ by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena futurepacchimā generationjanatā, asyathā thattaṁ by a perfected onearahatā a fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddhena.
excellentAbhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama. excellentAbhikkantaṁ, worthybho Gotamagotama.
just asSeyyathāpi, worthybho Gotamagotama, the overturnednikkujjitaṁ orvā one might rightukkujjeyya, the hiddenpaṭicchannaṁ orvā one might revealvivareyya, to the lostmūḷhassa orvā the pathmaggaṁ one might point outācikkheyya, in the darkandhakāre orvā an oil lamptelapajjotaṁ one might holddhāreyya: those with eyes‘cakkhumanto formsrūpāni will see (quote)dakkhantī’ti; just soevamevaṁ by the worthybhotā Gotamagotamena in many waysanekapariyāyena the teachingdhammo has been made clearpakāsito.
I hereEsāhaṁ the worthybhavantaṁ Gotamagotamaṁ for refugesaraṇaṁ I gogacchāmi and to the teachingdhammañca and to the monk Saṅghabhikkhusaṅghañca.
a lay followerUpāsakaṁ memaṁ the worthybhavaṁ Gotamagotamo may rememberdhāretu from this day forthajjatagge for lifepāṇupetaṁ for refugesaraṇaṁ gone (quote)gatan”ti.
the discourse on Fear and DreadBhayabheravasuttaṁ is finishedniṭṭhitaṁ the fourthcatutthaṁ.

“Indeed, worthy Gotama has sympathy for future generations, since he is a perfected one, a fully awakened Buddha. Excellent, worthy Gotama! Excellent, worthy Gotama! As if he were righting the overturned, or revealing the hidden, or pointing out the path to the lost, or lighting a lamp in the dark so people with clear eyes can see what’s there, worthy Gotama has made the teaching clear in many ways. I go for refuge to the worthy Gotama, to the teaching, and to the mendicant Saṅgha. From this day forth, may the worthy Gotama remember me as a lay follower who has gone for refuge for life.”

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