3. Uruvelavagga

Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.21

Numbered Discourses 4.21

3. Uruvelavagga

3. At Uruvelā

Paṭhamauruvelasutta

At Uruvelā (1st)

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

So I have heard.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṁ viharati jetavane anāthapiṇḍikassa ārāme.

At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery.

Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi:

There the Buddha addressed the mendicants,

“bhikkhavo”ti.

“Mendicants!”

“Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ.

“Venerable sir,” they replied.

Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Buddha said this:

“Ekamidāhaṁ, bhikkhave, samayaṁ uruvelāyaṁ viharāmi najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho.

“Mendicants, this one time, when I was first awakened, I was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

As I was in private retreat this thought came to mind:

‘dukkhaṁ kho agāravo viharati appatisso.

‘One without respect and reverence lives in suffering.

Kiṁ nu kho ahaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti?

What ascetic or brahmin should I honor and respect and rely on?’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:

Then it occurred to me:

‘aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ sīlakkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

‘I would honor and respect and rely on another ascetic or brahmin so as to complete the entire spectrum of ethics, if it were incomplete.

Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā sīlasampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

But I don’t see any other ascetic or brahmin in this world—with its gods, Māras, and Divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—who is more accomplished than myself in ethics, who I should honor and respect and rely on.

Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ samādhikkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

I would honor and respect and rely on another ascetic or brahmin so as to complete the entire spectrum of immersion, if it were incomplete.

Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā samādhisampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

But I don’t see any other ascetic or brahmin … who is more accomplished than myself in immersion …

Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ paññākkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

I would honor and respect and rely on another ascetic or brahmin so as to complete the entrie spectrum of wisdom, if it were incomplete.

Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā paññāsampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

But I don’t see any other ascetic or brahmin in this world … who is more accomplished than myself in wisdom …

Aparipūrassa kho ahaṁ vimuttikkhandhassa pāripūriyā aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyaṁ.

I would honor and respect and rely on another ascetic or brahmin so as to complete the entire spectrum of freedom, if it were incomplete.

Na kho panāhaṁ passāmi sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya aññaṁ samaṇaṁ vā brāhmaṇaṁ vā attanā vimuttisampannataraṁ, yamahaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti.

But I don’t see any other ascetic or brahmin in this world … who is more accomplished than myself in freedom …’

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi:

Then it occurred to me:

‘yannūnāhaṁ yvāyaṁ dhammo mayā abhisambuddho tameva dhammaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihareyyan’ti.

‘Why don’t I honor and respect and rely on the same teaching to which I was awakened?’

Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati mama cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—brahmaloke antarahito mama purato pāturahosi.

And then the divinity Sahampati, knowing my train of thought, vanished from the realm of divinity and appeared in front of me, as easily as a strong man would extend or contract his arm.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇaṁ jāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yenāhaṁ tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā maṁ etadavoca:

He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward me, and said:

‘evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ, sugata.

‘That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One!

Yepi te, bhante, ahesuṁ atītamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā tepi bhagavanto dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihariṁsu;

All the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who lived in the past honored and respected and relied on this same teaching.

yepi te, bhante, bhavissanti anāgatamaddhānaṁ arahanto sammāsambuddhā tepi bhagavanto dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharissanti;

All the perfected ones, the fully awakened Buddhas who will live in the future will honor and respect and rely on this same teaching.

bhagavāpi, bhante, etarahi arahaṁ sammāsambuddho dhammaṁyeva sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya viharatū’ti.

May the Blessed One, who is the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha at present, also honor and respect and rely on this same teaching.’

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati.

That’s what the divinity Sahampati said.

Idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:

Then he went on to say:

‘Ye ca atītā sambuddhā,

‘All Buddhas, whether in the past,

ye ca buddhā anāgatā;

the Buddhas of the future,

Yo cetarahi sambuddho,

and the Buddha at present—

bahūnaṁ sokanāsano.

destroyer of the sorrows of many—

Sabbe saddhammagaruno,

respecting the true teaching

vihaṁsu viharanti ca;

they did live, they do live,

Athopi viharissanti,

and they also will live.

esā buddhāna dhammatā.

This is the nature of the Buddhas.

Tasmā hi attakāmena,

Therefore someone who desires self-knowledge,

mahattamabhikaṅkhatā;

and aspires to greatness themselves,

Saddhammo garukātabbo,

should respect the true teaching,

saraṁ buddhāna sāsanan’ti.

remembering the instructions of the Buddhas.’

Idamavoca, bhikkhave, brahmā sahampati.

That’s what the divinity Sahampati said.

Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyi.

Then he bowed and respectfully circled me, keeping me on his right side, before vanishing right there.

Atha khvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā attano ca patirūpaṁ yvāyaṁ dhammo mayā abhisambuddho tameva dhammaṁ sakkatvā garuṁ katvā upanissāya vihāsiṁ.

Then, knowing the request of the Divinity and what was suitable for myself, I honored and respected and relied on the same teaching to which I was awakened.

Yato ca kho, bhikkhave, saṅghopi mahattena samannāgato, atha me saṅghepi gāravo”ti.

And since the Saṅgha has also achieved greatness, I also respect the Saṅgha.”

Paṭhamaṁ.