Bodhirājakumārasutta

Majjhima Nikāya 85

With Prince Bodhi · Translation: Bhikkhu Sujato, SuttaCentral

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thenAtha indeedkho, princerājakumāra, of Brahmābrahmuno of Sahampatisahampatissa mymama with mindcetasā knowing the thought in the mindcetoparivitakkamaññāya this occurred to himetadahosi:
is lost‘nassati certainlyvata sirbho the worldloko; is perishingvinassati certainlyvata sirbho the worldloko. whereYatra forhi indeednāma of the Realized Onetathāgatassa of the perfected onearahato of the fully awakened Buddhasammāsambuddhassa to remaining passiveappossukkatāya mindcittaṁ inclinesnamati notno to teaching the Dhammadhammadesanāyā’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho, princerājakumāra, the divinitybrahmā Sahampati—just assahampati—seyyathāpi indeednāma a strongbalavā personpuriso contractedsamiñjitaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would extendpasāreyya extendedpasāritaṁ orvā armbāhaṁ would contractsamiñjeyya; just so—from the Brahmā realmevameva—brahmaloke vanishedantarahito mymama in front ofpurato appearedpāturahosi.
thenAtha indeedkho, princerājakumāra, the divinitybrahmā Sahampatisahampati one-shoulderedekaṁsaṁ upper robeuttarāsaṅgaṁ having arrangedkaritvā where I was—there cupped palmsyenāhaṁ cupped palmstenañjaliṁ having raisedpaṇāmetvā memaṁ this he saidetadavoca:
may he teach‘desetu, sirbhante, the Blessed Onebhagavā the Dhammadhammaṁ, may he teachdesetu the Holy Onesugato the Dhammadhammaṁ.
there areSanti beingssattā with little dust in their eyesapparajakkhajātikā because of not hearingassavanatāya of the Dhammadhammassa they are in declineparihāyanti;
there will bebhavissanti of the Dhammadhammassa understandersaññātāro’ti.
this he saidIdamavoca, princerājakumāra, the divinitybrahmā Sahampatisahampati;
thisidaṁ having spokenvatvā then furtherathāparaṁ this he saidetadavoca:
there appeared‘Pāturahosi among the Magadhansmagadhesu in the pastpubbe,
teachingDhammo impureasuddho by the stainedsamalehi thought upcintito;
fling open thisApāpuretaṁ of freedom from deathamatassa doordvāraṁ,
may they hearSuṇantu the teachingdhammaṁ the immaculate one discoveredvimalenānubuddhaṁ.

Then the divinity Sahampati, knowing my train of thought, thought, ‘Oh lord! The world will be lost, the world will perish! For the mind of the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, inclines to remaining passive, not to teaching the Dhamma.’ Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, the divinity Sahampati vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of me. He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward me, and said, ‘Sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! Let the Holy One teach the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in their eyes. They’re in decline because they haven’t heard the teaching. There will be those who understand the teaching!’ That is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he went on to say: ‘Among the Magadhans there appeared in the past an impure teaching thought up by the stained. Fling open the door to freedom from death! Let them hear the teaching the immaculate one discovered.

on a rocky mountainSele asyathā mountain·summit·standingpabbatamuddhaniṭṭhito,
just asYathāpi you might seepasse the peoplejanataṁ all aroundsamantato;
just soTathūpamaṁ made of Dhammadhammamayaṁ O wise onesumedha,
palace·ascendedPāsādamāruyha All-seersamantacakkhu.
swamped with sorrowSokāvatiṇṇaṁ the people, rid of sorrowjanatamapetasoko,
look uponAvekkhassu overcome by rebirth and old agejātijarābhibhūtaṁ;
riseUṭṭhehi O herovīra victor in battlevijitasaṅgāma,
caravan leaderSatthavāha free of debtaṇaṇa wandervicara in the worldloke;
let him teachDesassu the Blessed Onebhagavā the Dhammadhammaṁ,
those who understandAññātāro there will bebhavissantī’ti.

Standing high on a rocky mountain, you can see the people all around. In just the same way, All-seer, so intelligent, having ascended the Temple of Truth, rid of sorrow, look upon the people swamped with sorrow, overcome by rebirth and old age. Rise, hero! Victor in battle, caravan leader, wander the world free of debt. Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! There will be those who understand!’

thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, princerājakumāra, of Brahmābrahmuno andca invitationajjhesanaṁ having understoodviditvā toward beingssattesu andca compassionkāruññataṁ because ofpaṭicca Buddha·eyebuddhacakkhunā worldlokaṁ I surveyedvolokesiṁ.
I sawAddasaṁ indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra, Buddha·eyebuddhacakkhunā worldlokaṁ surveyingvolokento beingssatte little·dustapparajakkhe much·dustmahārajakkhe keen·facultiestikkhindriye weak·facultiesmudindriye good·qualitiessvākāre bad·qualitiesdvākāre easy·teachsuviññāpaye hard·teachduviññāpaye someappekacce next world·fault·danger·seeingparalokavajjabhayadassāvine livingviharante, someappekacce notna next world·fault·danger·seeingparalokavajjabhayadassāvine livingviharante.
just asSeyyathāpi it is saidnāma in a pool of blue water liliesuppaliniyaṁ orvā in a pool of pink lotusespaduminiyaṁ orvā in a pool of white lotusespuṇḍarīkiniyaṁ orvā someappekaccāni blue water liliesuppalāni orvā pink lotusespadumāni orvā white lotusespuṇḍarīkāni orvā in waterudake sproutedjātāni in waterudake grownsaṁvaḍḍhāni not rising above the waterudakānuggatāni under·submerged·thrivingantonimuggaposīni, someappekaccāni blue water liliesuppalāni orvā pink lotusespadumāni orvā white lotusespuṇḍarīkāni orvā in waterudake sproutedjātāni in waterudake grownsaṁvaḍḍhāni not rising above the waterudakānuggatāni level with the watersamodakaṁ standingṭhitāni, someappekaccāni blue water liliesuppalāni orvā pink lotusespadumāni orvā white lotusespuṇḍarīkāni orvā in waterudake sproutedjātāni in waterudake grownsaṁvaḍḍhāni from the waterudakā above·risenaccuggamma standingṭhitāni not·clunganupalittāni by waterudakena;

Then, understanding the Divinity’s invitation, I surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha, because of my compassion for sentient beings. And I saw sentient beings with little dust in their eyes, and some with much dust in their eyes; with keen faculties and with weak faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach. And some of them lived seeing the danger in the fault to do with the next world, while others did not. It’s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of them sprout and grow in the water without rising above it, thriving underwater. Some of them sprout and grow in the water reaching the water’s surface. And some of them sprout and grow in the water but rise up above the water and stand with no water clinging to them.

even soevameva indeedkho Iahaṁ, princerājakumāra; with the Buddha-eyebuddhacakkhunā the worldlokaṁ looking uponvolokento I sawaddasaṁ beingssatte with little dustapparajakkhe with much dustmahārajakkhe with sharp facultiestikkhindriye with tender facultiesmudindriye with good qualitiessvākāre with bad qualitiesdvākāre easy to instructsuviññāpaye hard to instructduviññāpaye, someappekacce seeing fear of blame in the other worldparalokavajjabhayadassāvine dwellingviharante, someappekacce notna seeing fear of blame in the other worldparalokavajjabhayadassāvine dwellingviharante.
thenAtha indeed Ikhvāhaṁ, princerājakumāra, to the brahmābrahmānaṁ Sahampatisahampatiṁ with a versegāthāya I repliedpaccabhāsiṁ:
flung open‘Apārutā for themtesaṁ of the deathlessamatassa doorsdvārā,
whoYe having earssotavanto let them releasepamuñcantu faithsaddhaṁ;
thinking it troublesomeVihiṁsasaññī sophisticatedpaguṇaṁ notna I did not teachbhāsiṁ,
the DhammaDhammaṁ sublimepaṇītaṁ among mankindmanujesu Divinitybrahme’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho, princerājakumāra, the brahmābrahmā Sahampatisahampati the opportunity made‘katāvakāso indeed I amkhomhi by the Blessed Onebhagavatā for teaching the Dhammadhammadesanāyā’ti memaṁ having bowedabhivādetvā respectfully circlingpadakkhiṇaṁ having donekatvā vanished right theretatthevantaradhāyi.

In the same way, I saw sentient beings with little dust in their eyes, and some with much dust in their eyes. Then I replied in verse to the divinity Sahampati: ‘Flung open are the doors to freedom from death! Let those with ears to hear commit to faith. Thinking it would be troublesome, Divinity, I did not teach the sophisticated, sublime Dhamma among mankind.’ Then the divinity Sahampati, knowing that his request for me to teach the Dhamma had been granted, bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right, before vanishing right there.

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·to occuretadahosi:
to whom‘kassa nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ firstpaṭhamaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ should teachdeseyyaṁ?
whoKo thisimaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ quickly indeedkhippameva will understandājānissatī’ti?
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·to occuretadahosi:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo astutepaṇḍito competentviyatto intelligentmedhāvī long·timedīgharattaṁ little·dust-bornapparajakkhajātiko.
why don't IYannūnāhaṁ to Āḷāraāḷārassa Kālāmakālāmassa firstpaṭhamaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ should teachdeseyyaṁ;
heso thisimaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ quickly indeedkhippameva will understandājānissatī’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho memaṁ, princerājakumāra, a deitydevatā having approachedupasaṅkamitvā this·sayetadavoca:
passed away seven days ago‘sattāhakālaṅkato, sirbhante, Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo’ti.
and knowledgeÑāṇañca andpana myme visiondassanaṁ aroseudapādi:
passed away seven days ago‘sattāhakālaṅkato Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo’ti.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·to occuretadahosi:
a great loss‘mahājāniyo indeedkho Āḷāraāḷāro Kālāmakālāmo.
ifSace indeedhi heso thisimaṁ the teachingdhammaṁ had heardsuṇeyya, quickly indeedkhippameva would have understoodājāneyyā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Who should I teach first of all? Who will quickly understand the teaching?’ Then it occurred to me, ‘That Āḷāra Kālāma is astute, competent, intelligent, and has long had little dust in his eyes. Why don’t I teach him first of all? He’ll quickly understand the teaching.’ But a deity came to me and said, ‘Sir, Āḷāra Kālāma passed away seven days ago.’ And knowledge and vision arose in me, ‘Āḷāra Kālāma passed away seven days ago.’ Then it occurred to me, ‘This is a great loss for Āḷāra Kālāma. If he had heard the teaching, he would have understood it quickly.’

of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·occuretadahosi:
to whom‘kassa nownu indeedkho Iahaṁ firstpaṭhamaṁ dhammadhammaṁ should teachdeseyyaṁ?
whoKo thisimaṁ dhammadhammaṁ quickly + indeedkhippameva will understandājānissatī’ti?
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·occuretadahosi:
this‘ayaṁ indeedkho Uddakaudako Rāma·sonrāmaputto astutepaṇḍito competentviyatto intelligentmedhāvī long·timedīgharattaṁ little dust·born withapparajakkhajātiko.
why not·IYannūnāhaṁ to Uddakaudakassa Rāma·sonrāmaputtassa firstpaṭhamaṁ dhammadhammaṁ should teachdeseyyaṁ;
heso thisimaṁ dhammadhammaṁ quickly + indeedkhippameva will understandājānissatī’ti.
thenAtha indeedkho memaṁ, princerājakumāra, a deitydevatā having approachedupasaṅkamitvā this·sayetadavoca:
passed away just last night‘abhidosakālaṅkato, sirbhante, Uddakaudako son of Rāmarāmaputto’ti.
knowledge + andÑāṇañca andpana to meme visiondassanaṁ aroseudapādi:
passed away just last night‘abhidosakālaṅkato Uddakaudako son of Rāmarāmaputto’ti.
of thatTassa to memayhaṁ, princerājakumāra, this·occuretadahosi:
great·loss‘mahājāniyo indeedkho Uddakaudako Rāma·sonrāmaputto.
ifSace indeedhi heso thisimaṁ dhammadhammaṁ had heardsuṇeyya, quickly + indeedkhippameva would have understoodājāneyyā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘Who should I teach first of all? Who will quickly understand the teaching?’ Then it occurred to me, ‘That Uddaka son of Rāma is astute, competent, intelligent, and has long had little dust in his eyes. Why don’t I teach him first of all? He’ll quickly understand the teaching.’ But a deity came to me and said, ‘Sir, Uddaka son of Rāma, passed away just last night.’ And knowledge and vision arose in me, ‘Uddaka son of Rāma, passed away just last night.’ Then it occurred to me, ‘This is a great loss for Uddaka. If he had heard the teaching, he would have understood it quickly.’

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