Brahmasutta — Reader

Divinity

Brahmasutta

At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho. Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “ekāyanvāyaṁ maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā.

What four? A mendicant would meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings … or mind …

Katame cattāro? Kāye vā bhikkhu kāyānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ; vedanāsu vā bhikkhu …pe… citte vā bhikkhu …pe…

or principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”

dhammesu vā bhikkhu dhammānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Ekāyanvāyaṁ maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā”ti.

Then the divinity Sahampati knew the Buddha’s train of thought. 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. He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said:

Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva kho brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi. Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! Sir, the four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment. What four? A mendicant would meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world.

“evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata. Ekāyanvāyaṁ, bhante, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā. Katame cattāro? Kāye vā, bhante, bhikkhu kāyānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ;

Or they’d meditate observing an aspect of feelings … or mind … or principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. The four kinds of mindfulness meditation are the path to convergence. They are in order to purify sentient beings, to get past sorrow and crying, to make an end of pain and sadness, to discover the system, and to realize extinguishment.”

vedanāsu vā, bhante, bhikkhu …pe… citte vā, bhante, bhikkhu …pe… dhammesu vā, bhante, bhikkhu dhammānupassī vihareyya ātāpī sampajāno satimā, vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṁ. Ekāyanvāyaṁ, bhante, maggo sattānaṁ visuddhiyā sokaparidevānaṁ samatikkamāya dukkhadomanassānaṁ atthaṅgamāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya, yadidaṁ—cattāro satipaṭṭhānā”ti.

That is what the divinity Sahampati said. Then he went on to say: “The compassionate one, <j>who sees the ending of rebirth, understands the path to convergence.

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati. Idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca: “Ekāyanaṁ jātikhayantadassī, Maggaṁ pajānāti hitānukampī;

By this path people crossed over before, will cross, and are crossing.”

Etena maggena tariṁsu pubbe, Tarissanti ye ca taranti oghan”ti. Aṭṭhamaṁ.