sutta » sn » sn6 » Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.1

Brahmāyācanasutta

Brahmā’s Request The Appeal of Brahmā

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—
Thus have I heard.
So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho.
On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Uruvelā on the bank of the river Nerañjarā at the foot of the Goatherd’s Banyan Tree just after he had become fully enlightened.
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, while the Blessed One was alone in seclusion, a reflection arose in his mind thus:
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 Dhamma that I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful and sublime, not within the sphere of reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise.
“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 this generation delights in adhesion, takes delight in adhesion, rejoices in adhesion.
But people like clinging, they love it and enjoy it.

Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ idappaccayatāpaṭiccasamuppādo.
For such a generation this state is hard to see, that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination.
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.
And this state too is hard to see, that is, the stilling of all formations, the relinquishment of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna.
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.
If I were to teach the Dhamma and if others would not understand me, that would be wearisome for me, that would be troublesome. ”
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:
Thereupon these astounding verses, not heard before in the past, occurred to the Blessed One:
And then these verses, which were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past, occurred to the Buddha:

“Kicchena me adhigataṁ,
“What I found with so much hardship;
“I’ve struggled hard to realize this,

halaṁ dāni pakāsituṁ;
Enough now with trying to teach
enough with trying to explain it!

Rāgadosaparetehi,
By those oppressed by lust and hate.
Those mired in greed and hate

nāyaṁ dhammo susambudho.
This Dhamma not easily understood,
can’t really understand this teaching.

Paṭisotagāmiṁ nipuṇaṁ,
“Going against the stream, subtle
It goes against the stream, subtle,

gambhīraṁ duddasaṁ aṇuṁ;
Deep, hard to see, abstruse.
deep, obscure, and very fine.

Rāgarattā na dakkhanti,
Those fired by lust, will never see this,
Those besotted by greed cannot see,

tamokhandhena āvuṭā”ti.
[They being] obscured by darkness.”
for they’re shrouded in a mass of darkness.”

Itiha bhagavato paṭisañcikkhato appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāya.
As the Blessed One reflected thus, his mind inclined to living at ease, not to teaching the Dhamma.
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 Brahmā Sahampati, having known with his own mind the reflection in the Blessed One’s mind, thought:
Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing the Buddha’s train of thought, thought,

“nassati vata bho loko, vinassati vata bho loko, yatra hi nāma tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāyā”ti.
“Alas, the world is lost! Alas, the world is to perish, in that the mind of the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Enlightened One, inclines to living at ease, not to teaching the Dhamma.
“Alas! 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, just as quickly as a strong man might extend his drawn-in arm or draw in his extended arm, Brahmā Sahampati disappeared from the brahmā world and reappeared before the Blessed One.
Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the Brahmā realm 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 upper robe over one shoulder, knelt down with his right knee on the ground, raised his joined hands in reverential salutation towards the Blessed One, and said to him:
He arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said:

“desetu, bhante, bhagavā dhammaṁ, desetu sugato dhammaṁ.
“Venerable sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma; let the Fortunate One teach the Dhamma.
“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 who are falling away because they do not hear the Dhamma.
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 will understand the Dhamma. ”
There will be those who understand the teaching!”

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:
This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he further said this:
This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Then he went on to say:

“Pāturahosi magadhesu pubbe,
“In the past there appeared among the Magadhans
“Among the Magadhans there appeared in the past

Dhammo asuddho samalehi cintito;
An impure Dhamma devised by those still stained.
an impure teaching thought up by those still stained.

Apāpuretaṁ amatassa dvāraṁ,
Throw open this door to the Deathless!
Fling open the door to freedom from death!

Suṇantu dhammaṁ vimalenānubuddhaṁ.
Let them hear The Dhamma that the Stainless One discovered.
Let them hear the teaching <j>the immaculate one discovered.

Sele yathā pabbatamuddhaniṭṭhito,
“Just as one standing on a mountain peak
Standing high on a rocky mountain,

Yathāpi passe janataṁ samantato;
Might see below the people all around,
you can see the people all around.

Tathūpamaṁ dhammamayaṁ sumedha,
So, made of the Dhamma, O wise one,
In just the same way, All-seer, so intelligent,

Pāsādamāruyha samantacakkhu;
Ascend this palace, universal eye,
having ascended the Temple of Truth,

Sokāvatiṇṇaṁ janatamapetasoko,
Being yourself free from sorrow, these people submerged in sorrow,
rid of sorrow, look upon the people

Avekkhassu jātijarābhibhūtaṁ.
Behold beings oppressed by birth and decay. ”
swamped with sorrow, <j>oppressed by rebirth and old age.

Uṭṭhehi vīra vijitasaṅgāma,
“Rise up, O hero, victor in battle!
Rise, hero! Victor in battle, leader of the caravan,

Satthavāha anaṇa vicara loke;
O caravan leader, debt-free one, wander in the world.
wander the world free of debt.

Desassu bhagavā dhammaṁ,
Teach the Dhamma, O Blessed One:
Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma!

Aññātāro bhavissantī”ti.
There will be those who will understand. ”
There will be those who understand!”

Atha kho bhagavā brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā sattesu ca kāruññataṁ paṭicca buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokesi.
Then the Blessed One, having understood Brahmā’s request, out of compassion for beings surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha.
Then the Buddha, understanding Brahmā’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.
As he did so, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and difficult to teach, and a few who dwelt seeing blame and fear in the other world.
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;
Just as in a pond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses might be born in the water, grow up in the water, and thrive while submerged in the water, without rising up from the water; some lotuses might be born in the water, grow up in the water, and stand at an even level with the water; some lotuses might be born in the water and grow up in the water, but would rise up from the water and stand without being soiled by the water,
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.
So too, surveying the world with the eye of a Buddha, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties and with dull faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach, and a few who dwelt seeing blame and fear in the other world.
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:
Having seen this, he answered Brahmā Sahampati in verse:
When he had seen this he replied in verse to Brahmā Sahampati:

“Apārutā tesaṁ amatassa dvārā,
“Open to them are the doors to the Deathless:
“Flung open are the doors to freedom from death!

Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṁ;
Let those who have ears release faith.
Let those with ears to hear commit to faith.

Vihiṁsasaññī paguṇaṁ na bhāsiṁ,
Foreseeing trouble, O Brahmā, I did not speak
Thinking it would be troublesome, Brahmā, <j>I did not teach

Dhammaṁ paṇītaṁ manujesu brahme”ti.
The refined, sublime Dhamma among human beings. ”
the sophisticated, sublime Dhamma among humans.”

Atha kho brahmā sahampati “katāvakāso khomhi bhagavatā dhammadesanāyā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.
Then Brahmā Sahampati, thinking, “The Blessed One has given his consent [to my request] regarding the teaching of the Dhamma, ” paid homage to the Blessed One and disappeared right there.
Then Brahmā 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.