SN 6.1 The Appeal of the Divinity

Reference Translation by Bhikkhu Sujato (CC0).

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho.

At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the root of the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.

Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

“adhigato kho myāyaṁ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo.

“This principle I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute.

Ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā.

But people like clinging, they love it and enjoy it.

Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ idappaccayatāpaṭiccasamuppādo.

It’s hard for them to see this topic; that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination.

Idampi kho ṭhānaṁ duddasaṁ yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ.

It’s also hard for them to see this topic; that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.

Ahañceva kho pana dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ; pare ca me na ājāneyyuṁ; so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā”ti.

And if I were to teach this principle, others might not understand me, which would be wearying and troublesome for me.”

Apissu bhagavantaṁ imā anacchariyā gāthāyo paṭibhaṁsu pubbe assutapubbā:

And then these verses, which were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past, occurred to the Buddha:

“Kicchena me adhigataṁ,

“I’ve struggled hard to realize this,

halaṁ dāni pakāsituṁ;

enough with trying to explain it!

Rāgadosaparetehi,

Those mired in greed and hate

nāyaṁ dhammo susambudho.

can’t really understand this teaching.

Paṭisotagāmiṁ nipuṇaṁ,

It goes against the stream, subtle,

gambhīraṁ duddasaṁ aṇuṁ;

deep, obscure, and very fine.

Rāgarattā na dakkhanti,

Those besotted by greed cannot see,

tamokhandhena āvuṭā”ti.

for they’re cloaked in a mass of darkness.”

Itiha bhagavato paṭisañcikkhato appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāya.

And as the Buddha reflected like this, his mind inclined to remaining passive, not to teaching the Dhamma.

Atha kho brahmuno sahampatissa bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya etadahosi:

Then, knowing the Buddha’s train of thought, it occurred to the divinity Sahampati,

“nassati vata bho loko, vinassati vata bho loko, yatra hi nāma tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāyā”ti.

“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.”

Atha kho brahmā sahampati—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi.

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of the Buddha.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇajāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

He arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said:

“desetu, bhante, bhagavā dhammaṁ, desetu sugato dhammaṁ.

“Sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! Let the Holy One teach the Dhamma!

Santi sattā apparajakkhajātikā, assavanatā dhammassa parihāyanti.

There are beings with little dust in their eyes. They’re in decline because they haven’t heard the teaching.

Bhavissanti dhammassa aññātāro”ti.

There will be those who understand the teaching!”

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:

This is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he went on to say:

“Pāturahosi magadhesu pubbe,

“Among the Magadhans there appeared in the past

Dhammo asuddho samalehi cintito;

an impure teaching thought up by the stained.

Apāpuretaṁ amatassa dvāraṁ,

Fling open the door to freedom from death!

Suṇantu dhammaṁ vimalenānubuddhaṁ.

Let them hear the teaching the immaculate one discovered.

Sele yathā pabbatamuddhaniṭṭhito,

Standing high on a rocky mountain,

Yathāpi passe janataṁ samantato;

you can see the people all around.

Tathūpamaṁ dhammamayaṁ sumedha,

In just the same way, All-seer, so intelligent,

Pāsādamāruyha samantacakkhu;

having ascended the Temple of Truth,

Sokāvatiṇṇaṁ janatamapetasoko,

rid of sorrow, look upon the people

Avekkhassu jātijarābhibhūtaṁ.

swamped with sorrow, oppressed by rebirth and old age.

Uṭṭhehi vīra vijitasaṅgāma,

Rise, hero! Victor in battle, caravan leader,

Satthavāha anaṇa vicara loke;

wander the world cleared of debt.

Desassu bhagavā dhammaṁ,

Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma!

Aññātāro bhavissantī”ti.

There will be those who understand!”

Atha kho bhagavā brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā sattesu ca kāruññataṁ paṭicca buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokesi.

Then the Buddha, understanding the Divinity’s invitation, surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha, out of his compassion for sentient beings.

Addasā kho bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante.

And the Buddha 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.

Seyyathāpi nāma uppaliniyaṁ vā paduminiyaṁ vā puṇḍarīkiniyaṁ vā appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakānuggatāni anto nimuggaposīni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni samodakaṁ ṭhitāni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakā accuggamma ṭhitāni anupalittāni udakena;

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.

evameva bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento addasa satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante.

In the same way, the Buddha 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.

Disvāna brahmānaṁ sahampatiṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:

When he had seen this he replied in verse to the divinity Sahampati:

“Apārutā tesaṁ amatassa dvārā,

“Flung open are the doors to freedom from death!

Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṁ;

Let those with ears to hear commit to faith.

Vihiṁsasaññī paguṇaṁ na bhāsiṁ,

Thinking it would be troublesome, Divinity, I did not teach

Dhammaṁ paṇītaṁ manujesu brahme”ti.

the sophisticated, sublime Dhamma among mankind.”

Atha kho brahmā sahampati “katāvakāso khomhi bhagavatā dhammadesanāyā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.

Then the divinity Sahampati, knowing that his request for the Buddha to teach the Dhamma had been granted, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.