So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Nāḷandā in Pāvārika’s Mango Grove. Then the householder Kevaḍḍha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people.
Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!” When he said this, the Buddha said, “Kevaḍḍha, I do not teach Dhamma to the mendicants like this:
‘Come now, mendicants, perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for the white-clothed laypeople.’” For a second time, Kevaḍḍha made the same request, “Sir, I am not teaching you the Dhamma, but nonetheless I say:
‘Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people. Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!’” But for a second time, the Buddha gave the same answer.
api ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘ayaṁ, bhante, nāḷandā iddhā ceva phītā ca bahujanā ākiṇṇamanussā bhagavati abhippasannā. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā ekaṁ bhikkhuṁ samādisatu, yo uttari manussadhammā iddhipāṭihāriyaṁ karissati. Evāyaṁ nāḷandā bhiyyoso mattāya bhagavati abhippasīdissatī’”ti.
EN
1. The Demonstration of Psychic Power “Kevaḍḍha, there are three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. What three? The demonstration of psychic power, the demonstration of revealing, and the demonstration of instruction.
And what is the demonstration of psychic power? It’s a mendicant who wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.
They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, performing all these superhuman feats!’
But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: ‘There’s a spell named Gandhārī. Using that a mendicant can perform such superhuman feats.’ What do you think, Kevaḍḍha?
Wouldn’t someone lacking faith speak like that?” “They would, sir.” “Seeing this drawback in psychic power, I’m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of psychic power. 2. The Demonstration of Revealing
PL
api nu so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyyā”ti? “Vadeyya, bhante”ti. “Imaṁ kho ahaṁ, kevaṭṭa, iddhipāṭihāriye ādīnavaṁ sampassamāno iddhipāṭihāriyena aṭṭīyāmi harāyāmi jigucchāmi. 2. Ādesanāpāṭihāriya
EN
And what is the demonstration of revealing? It’s when a mendicant reveals the mind, mentality, thoughts, and reflections of other beings and individuals: ‘This is what you’re thinking, such is your thought, and thus is your state of mind.’ Someone with faith and confidence sees that mendicant revealing another individual’s thoughts.
PL
Katamañca, kevaṭṭa, ādesanāpāṭihāriyaṁ? Idha, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisati, cetasikampi ādisati, vitakkitampi ādisati, vicāritampi ādisati: ‘evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan’ti. Tamenaṁ aññataro saddho pasanno passati taṁ bhikkhuṁ parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisantaṁ, cetasikampi ādisantaṁ, vitakkitampi ādisantaṁ, vicāritampi ādisantaṁ:
EN
They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, revealing the thoughts of another individual!’
PL
‘evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan’ti. Tamenaṁ so saddho pasanno aññatarassa assaddhassa appasannassa āroceti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, samaṇassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Amāhaṁ bhikkhuṁ addasaṁ parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisantaṁ, cetasikampi ādisantaṁ, vitakkitampi ādisantaṁ, vicāritampi ādisantaṁ:
EN
But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: ‘There’s a spell named Māṇikā. Using that a mendicant can reveal another individual’s thoughts.’
PL
“evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan”’ti. Tamenaṁ so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘atthi kho, bho, maṇikā nāma vijjā; tāya so bhikkhu parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisati, cetasikampi ādisati, vitakkitampi ādisati, vicāritampi ādisati:
EN
What do you think, Kevaḍḍha? Wouldn’t someone lacking faith speak like that?” “They would, sir.”
PL
“evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan”’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kevaṭṭa, api nu so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyyā”ti? “Vadeyya, bhante”ti.
EN
“Seeing this drawback in revealing, I’m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of revealing. 3. The Demonstration of Instruction And what is the demonstration of instruction? It’s when a mendicant instructs others like this:
‘Think like this, not like that. Focus your mind like this, not like that. Give up this, and live having achieved that.’ This is called the demonstration of instruction. Furthermore, a Realized One arises in the world … That’s how a mendicant is accomplished in ethics. …
They enter and remain in the first absorption … This is called the demonstration of instruction. They enter and remain in the second absorption … third absorption …
fourth absorption. This too is called the demonstration of instruction. They project and extend the mind toward knowledge and vision … This too is called the demonstration of instruction.
They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’ This too is called the demonstration of instruction. These, Kevaḍḍha, are the three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. 4. On the Mendicant in Search of the Cessation of Being
Once upon a time, Kevaḍḍha, a mendicant in this very Saṅgha had the following thought, ‘Where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to the gods appeared.
Then he approached the gods of the four great kings and said, ‘Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ When he said this, those gods said to him,
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena cātumahārājikā devā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā cātumahārājike deve etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, āvuso, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? Evaṁ vutte, kevaṭṭa, cātumahārājikā devā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocuṁ:
EN
‘Mendicant, we too do not know this. But the four great kings are our superiors. They might know.’
PL
‘mayampi kho, bhikkhu, na jānāma: “yatthime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū”ti. Atthi kho, bhikkhu, cattāro mahārājāno amhehi abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. Te kho etaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
EN
Then he approached the four great kings and asked the same question.
They might know.’ Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to divinity appeared. Then he approached the gods of the Divinity’s host and said,
PL
Te kho etaṁ jāneyyuṁ: “yatthime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū”’ti. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu tathārūpaṁ samādhiṁ samāpajji, yathāsamāhite citte brahmayāniyo maggo pāturahosi. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena brahmakāyikā devā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā brahmakāyike deve etadavoca:
EN
‘Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ But they also said to him, ‘Mendicant, we too do not know this.
But there is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. He is our superior. He might know.’
‘But respectable sirs, where is that divinity now?’ ‘We also don’t know where he is or what way he lies. But by the signs that are seen—light arising and radiance appearing—we know that divinity will appear. For this is the harbinger for the appearance of the Divinity, namely light arising and radiance appearing.’
PL
‘Kahaṁ panāvuso, etarahi so mahābrahmā’ti? ‘Mayampi kho, bhikkhu, na jānāma, yattha vā brahmā yena vā brahmā yahiṁ vā brahmā; api ca, bhikkhu, yathā nimittā dissanti, āloko sañjāyati, obhāso pātubhavati, brahmā pātubhavissati, brahmuno hetaṁ pubbanimittaṁ pātubhāvāya, yadidaṁ āloko sañjāyati, obhāso pātubhavatī’ti.
EN
Not long afterwards, the Great Divinity appeared. Then that mendicant approached the Great Divinity and said to him, ‘Respectable sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, mahābrahmā nacirasseva pāturahosi. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena so mahābrahmā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ mahābrahmānaṁ etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, āvuso, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti?
EN
The Great Divinity said to him, ‘I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.’ For a second time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, ‘Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are
the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.’
For a second time, the Great Divinity said to him, ‘I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.’ For a third time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, ‘Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are
the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.’
Then the Great Divinity took that mendicant by the arm, led him off to one side, and said to him, ‘Mendicant, these gods think that there is nothing at all that I don’t know and see and understand and realize.
That’s why I didn’t answer in front of them. But I too do not know where these four principal states cease with no residue left behind. Therefore, mendicant, the misdeed is yours alone, the mistake is yours alone, in that you passed over the Buddha and searched elsewhere for an answer to this question.
Mendicant, go to the Buddha and ask him this question. You should remember it in line with his answer.’ Then that mendicant, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of me.
PL
Gaccha tvaṁ, bhikkhu, tameva bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā imaṁ pañhaṁ puccha, yathā ca te bhagavā byākaroti, tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī’ti. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva brahmaloke antarahito mama purato pāturahosi.
EN
Then he bowed, sat down to one side, and said to me, ‘Sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ 4.1. The Simile of the Land-Spotting Bird When he said this, I said to him:
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi, ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, kevaṭṭa, so bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, bhante, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? 4.1. Tīradassisakuṇupamā Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, kevaṭṭa, taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ—
EN
‘Once upon a time, mendicant, some sea-merchants set sail for the ocean deeps, taking with them a land-spotting bird. When their ship was out of sight of land, they released the bird. It flew right away to the east, the west, the north, the south, upwards, and in-between.
If it saw land on any side, it went there and stayed. But if it saw no land on any side it returned to the ship. In the same way, after failing to get an answer to this question even after searching as far as the realm of divinity, you’ve returned to me. Mendicant, this is not how the question should be asked:
PL
Sace so samantā tīraṁ passati, tathāgatakova hoti. Sace pana so samantā tīraṁ na passati, tameva nāvaṁ paccāgacchati. Evameva kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, yato yāva brahmalokā pariyesamāno imassa pañhassa veyyākaraṇaṁ nājjhagā, atha mamaññeva santike paccāgato. Na kho eso, bhikkhu, pañho evaṁ pucchitabbo:
EN
“Sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?” This is how the question should be asked: “Where do water and earth, fire and air have no footing;
PL
‘kattha nu kho, bhante, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? Evañca kho eso, bhikkhu, pañho pucchitabbo: ‘Kattha āpo ca pathavī, tejo vāyo na gādhati;
EN
where long and short, tiny and huge, beautiful and ugly? Where do name and form cease no residue left behind?”
So I have heard. At one time the Buddha was staying near Nāḷandā in Pāvārika’s Mango Grove. Then the householder Kevaḍḍha went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side, and said to him, “Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people.
Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!” When he said this, the Buddha said, “Kevaḍḍha, I do not teach Dhamma to the mendicants like this:
‘Come now, mendicants, perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power for the white-clothed laypeople.’” For a second time, Kevaḍḍha made the same request, “Sir, I am not teaching you the Dhamma, but nonetheless I say:
‘Sir, this Nāḷandā is successful and prosperous, populous and full of people. Please direct a mendicant to perform a superhuman demonstration of psychic power. Then Nāḷandā will become even more devoted to the Buddha!’” But for a second time, the Buddha gave the same answer.
api ca evaṁ vadāmi: ‘ayaṁ, bhante, nāḷandā iddhā ceva phītā ca bahujanā ākiṇṇamanussā bhagavati abhippasannā. Sādhu, bhante, bhagavā ekaṁ bhikkhuṁ samādisatu, yo uttari manussadhammā iddhipāṭihāriyaṁ karissati. Evāyaṁ nāḷandā bhiyyoso mattāya bhagavati abhippasīdissatī’”ti.
EN
1. The Demonstration of Psychic Power “Kevaḍḍha, there are three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. What three? The demonstration of psychic power, the demonstration of revealing, and the demonstration of instruction.
And what is the demonstration of psychic power? It’s a mendicant who wields the many kinds of psychic power: multiplying themselves and becoming one again; materializing and dematerializing; going unobstructed through a wall, a rampart, or a mountain as if through space; diving in and out of the earth as if it were water; walking on water as if it were earth; flying cross-legged through the sky like a bird; touching and stroking with the hand the sun and moon, so mighty and powerful; controlling the body as far as the realm of divinity.
They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, performing all these superhuman feats!’
But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: ‘There’s a spell named Gandhārī. Using that a mendicant can perform such superhuman feats.’ What do you think, Kevaḍḍha?
Wouldn’t someone lacking faith speak like that?” “They would, sir.” “Seeing this drawback in psychic power, I’m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of psychic power. 2. The Demonstration of Revealing
PL
api nu so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyyā”ti? “Vadeyya, bhante”ti. “Imaṁ kho ahaṁ, kevaṭṭa, iddhipāṭihāriye ādīnavaṁ sampassamāno iddhipāṭihāriyena aṭṭīyāmi harāyāmi jigucchāmi. 2. Ādesanāpāṭihāriya
EN
And what is the demonstration of revealing? It’s when a mendicant reveals the mind, mentality, thoughts, and reflections of other beings and individuals: ‘This is what you’re thinking, such is your thought, and thus is your state of mind.’ Someone with faith and confidence sees that mendicant revealing another individual’s thoughts.
PL
Katamañca, kevaṭṭa, ādesanāpāṭihāriyaṁ? Idha, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisati, cetasikampi ādisati, vitakkitampi ādisati, vicāritampi ādisati: ‘evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan’ti. Tamenaṁ aññataro saddho pasanno passati taṁ bhikkhuṁ parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisantaṁ, cetasikampi ādisantaṁ, vitakkitampi ādisantaṁ, vicāritampi ādisantaṁ:
EN
They tell someone else who lacks faith and confidence: ‘Oh lord, how incredible, how amazing! The ascetic has such psychic power and might! I saw him myself, revealing the thoughts of another individual!’
PL
‘evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan’ti. Tamenaṁ so saddho pasanno aññatarassa assaddhassa appasannassa āroceti: ‘acchariyaṁ vata bho, abbhutaṁ vata bho, samaṇassa mahiddhikatā mahānubhāvatā. Amāhaṁ bhikkhuṁ addasaṁ parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisantaṁ, cetasikampi ādisantaṁ, vitakkitampi ādisantaṁ, vicāritampi ādisantaṁ:
EN
But the one lacking faith and confidence would say to them: ‘There’s a spell named Māṇikā. Using that a mendicant can reveal another individual’s thoughts.’
PL
“evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan”’ti. Tamenaṁ so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyya: ‘atthi kho, bho, maṇikā nāma vijjā; tāya so bhikkhu parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ cittampi ādisati, cetasikampi ādisati, vitakkitampi ādisati, vicāritampi ādisati:
EN
What do you think, Kevaḍḍha? Wouldn’t someone lacking faith speak like that?” “They would, sir.”
PL
“evampi te mano, itthampi te mano, itipi te cittan”’ti. Taṁ kiṁ maññasi, kevaṭṭa, api nu so assaddho appasanno taṁ saddhaṁ pasannaṁ evaṁ vadeyyā”ti? “Vadeyya, bhante”ti.
EN
“Seeing this drawback in revealing, I’m horrified, repelled, and disgusted by demonstrations of revealing. 3. The Demonstration of Instruction And what is the demonstration of instruction? It’s when a mendicant instructs others like this:
‘Think like this, not like that. Focus your mind like this, not like that. Give up this, and live having achieved that.’ This is called the demonstration of instruction. Furthermore, a Realized One arises in the world … That’s how a mendicant is accomplished in ethics. …
They enter and remain in the first absorption … This is called the demonstration of instruction. They enter and remain in the second absorption … third absorption …
fourth absorption. This too is called the demonstration of instruction. They project and extend the mind toward knowledge and vision … This too is called the demonstration of instruction.
They understand: ‘… there is nothing further for this place.’ This too is called the demonstration of instruction. These, Kevaḍḍha, are the three kinds of demonstration, which I declare having realized them with my own insight. 4. On the Mendicant in Search of the Cessation of Being
Once upon a time, Kevaḍḍha, a mendicant in this very Saṅgha had the following thought, ‘Where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to the gods appeared.
Then he approached the gods of the four great kings and said, ‘Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ When he said this, those gods said to him,
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena cātumahārājikā devā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā cātumahārājike deve etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, āvuso, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? Evaṁ vutte, kevaṭṭa, cātumahārājikā devā taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocuṁ:
EN
‘Mendicant, we too do not know this. But the four great kings are our superiors. They might know.’
PL
‘mayampi kho, bhikkhu, na jānāma: “yatthime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū”ti. Atthi kho, bhikkhu, cattāro mahārājāno amhehi abhikkantatarā ca paṇītatarā ca. Te kho etaṁ jāneyyuṁ:
EN
Then he approached the four great kings and asked the same question.
They might know.’ Then that mendicant attained a state of immersion such that a path to divinity appeared. Then he approached the gods of the Divinity’s host and said,
PL
Te kho etaṁ jāneyyuṁ: “yatthime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū”’ti. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu tathārūpaṁ samādhiṁ samāpajji, yathāsamāhite citte brahmayāniyo maggo pāturahosi. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena brahmakāyikā devā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā brahmakāyike deve etadavoca:
EN
‘Respectable sirs, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ But they also said to him, ‘Mendicant, we too do not know this.
But there is the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. He is our superior. He might know.’
‘But respectable sirs, where is that divinity now?’ ‘We also don’t know where he is or what way he lies. But by the signs that are seen—light arising and radiance appearing—we know that divinity will appear. For this is the harbinger for the appearance of the Divinity, namely light arising and radiance appearing.’
PL
‘Kahaṁ panāvuso, etarahi so mahābrahmā’ti? ‘Mayampi kho, bhikkhu, na jānāma, yattha vā brahmā yena vā brahmā yahiṁ vā brahmā; api ca, bhikkhu, yathā nimittā dissanti, āloko sañjāyati, obhāso pātubhavati, brahmā pātubhavissati, brahmuno hetaṁ pubbanimittaṁ pātubhāvāya, yadidaṁ āloko sañjāyati, obhāso pātubhavatī’ti.
EN
Not long afterwards, the Great Divinity appeared. Then that mendicant approached the Great Divinity and said to him, ‘Respectable sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, mahābrahmā nacirasseva pāturahosi. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu yena so mahābrahmā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ mahābrahmānaṁ etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, āvuso, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti?
EN
The Great Divinity said to him, ‘I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.’ For a second time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, ‘Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are
the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.’
For a second time, the Great Divinity said to him, ‘I am the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born.’ For a third time, that mendicant said to the Great Divinity, ‘Respectable sir, I am not asking you whether you are
the Divinity, the Great Divinity, the Vanquisher, the Unvanquished, the Universal Seer, the Wielder of Power, God Almighty, the Maker, the Creator, the First, the Begetter, the Controller, the Father of those who have been born and those yet to be born. I am asking where these four principal states cease without remainder.’
Then the Great Divinity took that mendicant by the arm, led him off to one side, and said to him, ‘Mendicant, these gods think that there is nothing at all that I don’t know and see and understand and realize.
That’s why I didn’t answer in front of them. But I too do not know where these four principal states cease with no residue left behind. Therefore, mendicant, the misdeed is yours alone, the mistake is yours alone, in that you passed over the Buddha and searched elsewhere for an answer to this question.
Mendicant, go to the Buddha and ask him this question. You should remember it in line with his answer.’ Then that mendicant, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of me.
PL
Gaccha tvaṁ, bhikkhu, tameva bhagavantaṁ upasaṅkamitvā imaṁ pañhaṁ puccha, yathā ca te bhagavā byākaroti, tathā naṁ dhāreyyāsī’ti. Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva brahmaloke antarahito mama purato pāturahosi.
EN
Then he bowed, sat down to one side, and said to me, ‘Sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?’ 4.1. The Simile of the Land-Spotting Bird When he said this, I said to him:
PL
Atha kho so, kevaṭṭa, bhikkhu maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi, ekamantaṁ nisinno kho, kevaṭṭa, so bhikkhu maṁ etadavoca: ‘kattha nu kho, bhante, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? 4.1. Tīradassisakuṇupamā Evaṁ vutte, ahaṁ, kevaṭṭa, taṁ bhikkhuṁ etadavocaṁ—
EN
‘Once upon a time, mendicant, some sea-merchants set sail for the ocean deeps, taking with them a land-spotting bird. When their ship was out of sight of land, they released the bird. It flew right away to the east, the west, the north, the south, upwards, and in-between.
If it saw land on any side, it went there and stayed. But if it saw no land on any side it returned to the ship. In the same way, after failing to get an answer to this question even after searching as far as the realm of divinity, you’ve returned to me. Mendicant, this is not how the question should be asked:
PL
Sace so samantā tīraṁ passati, tathāgatakova hoti. Sace pana so samantā tīraṁ na passati, tameva nāvaṁ paccāgacchati. Evameva kho tvaṁ, bhikkhu, yato yāva brahmalokā pariyesamāno imassa pañhassa veyyākaraṇaṁ nājjhagā, atha mamaññeva santike paccāgato. Na kho eso, bhikkhu, pañho evaṁ pucchitabbo:
EN
“Sir, where do these four principal states cease without remainder, namely, the elements of earth, water, fire, and air?” This is how the question should be asked: “Where do water and earth, fire and air have no footing;
PL
‘kattha nu kho, bhante, ime cattāro mahābhūtā aparisesā nirujjhanti, seyyathidaṁ—pathavīdhātu āpodhātu tejodhātu vāyodhātū’ti? Evañca kho eso, bhikkhu, pañho pucchitabbo: ‘Kattha āpo ca pathavī, tejo vāyo na gādhati;
EN
where long and short, tiny and huge, beautiful and ugly? Where do name and form cease no residue left behind?”
Sutraya