“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification in the world? What’s the drawback? What’s the escape?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the world: this is its gratification.
That the world is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the world: this is its escape.’ As long as I didn’t truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
But when I did truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
“Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still unawakened but intent on awakening—I thought: ‘What’s the gratification in the world? What’s the drawback? What’s the escape?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘The pleasure and happiness that arise from the world: this is its gratification.
That the world is impermanent, suffering, and perishable: this is its drawback. Removing and giving up desire and greed for the world: this is its escape.’ As long as I didn’t truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
But when I did truly understand the world’s gratification, drawback, and escape in this way for what they are, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans.
Sutraya