Tripiṭaka 6. Abyākatavagga
6. The Undeclared Points
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ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā rājagahe viharati gijjhakūṭe pabbate.
At one time the Buddha was staying near Rājagaha, on the Vulture’s Peak Mountain.
Atha kho dve devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ obhāsetvā yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho ekā devatā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:
Then, late at night, two glorious deities, lighting up the entire Vulture’s Peak, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. One deity said to him,
“etā, bhante, bhikkhuniyo anupādisesā suvimuttā”ti.
“Sir, these nuns are well freed with no residue!”
Atha kho tā devatā “samanuñño satthā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsu.
Then those deities, knowing that the teacher approved, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.
Atha kho bhagavā tassā rattiyā accayena bhikkhū āmantesi:
Then, when the night had passed, the Buddha told the mendicants all that had happened.
“imaṁ, bhikkhave, rattiṁ dve devatā abhikkantāya rattiyā abhikkantavaṇṇā kevalakappaṁ gijjhakūṭaṁ obhāsetvā yenāhaṁ tenupasaṅkamiṁsu; upasaṅkamitvā maṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ aṭṭhaṁsu. Ekamantaṁ ṭhitā kho, bhikkhave, ekā devatā maṁ etadavoca:
‘etā, bhante, bhikkhuniyo vimuttā’ti.
Aparā devatā maṁ etadavoca:
‘etā, bhante, bhikkhuniyo anupādisesā suvimuttā’ti.
Idamavocuṁ, bhikkhave, tā devatā.
Idaṁ vatvā maṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyiṁsū”ti.
Tena kho pana samayena āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato avidūre nisinno hoti.
Now at that time Venerable Mahāmoggallāna was sitting not far from the Buddha.
“katamesānaṁ kho devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
“Which gods know whether a person has remainder or not?”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti?
Tena kho pana samayena tisso nāma bhikkhu adhunākālaṅkato aññataraṁ brahmalokaṁ upapanno hoti.
Now, at that time a monk named Tissa had recently passed away and been reborn in a realm of divinity.
Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—gijjhakūṭe pabbate antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi.
And then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, vanished from the Vulture’s Peak and reappeared in that realm of divinity.
Addasā kho tisso brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ dūratova āgacchantaṁ.
Tissa saw Moggallāna coming off in the distance,
Cirassaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna, imaṁ pariyāyamakāsi, yadidaṁ idhāgamanāya.
It’s been a long time since you took the opportunity to come here.
Nisīda, mārisa moggallāna, idamāsanaṁ paññattan”ti.
Sit, my good Moggallāna, here, a seat is ready.”
Tissopi kho brahmā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Then Tissa bowed to Moggallāna and sat to one side.
Ekamantaṁ nisinnaṁ kho tissaṁ brahmānaṁ āyasmā mahāmoggallāno etadavoca:
Moggallāna said to him,
“katamesānaṁ kho, tissa, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
“Which gods know whether a person has remainder or not?”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti?
“Brahmakāyikānaṁ kho, mārisa moggallāna, devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
“The gods of the Divinity’s host know this.”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti.
“Sabbesaññeva kho, tissa, brahmakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
“But do all of them know this?”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti?
“Na kho, mārisa moggallāna, sabbesaṁ brahmakāyikānaṁ devānaṁ evaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
“No, my good Moggallāna, not all of them.
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Ye kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā santuṭṭhā brahmena vaṇṇena brahmena sukhena brahmena yasena brahmena ādhipateyyena santuṭṭhā, te uttari nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ nappajānanti.
Those gods of the Divinity’s host who are content with the lifespan of the Divinity, with the beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty of the Divinity, and who don’t truly understand any escape beyond:
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Ye ca kho te, mārisa moggallāna, brahmakāyikā devā brahmena āyunā asantuṭṭhā, brahmena vaṇṇena brahmena sukhena brahmena yasena brahmena ādhipateyyena asantuṭṭhā, te ca uttari nissaraṇaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānanti.
But those gods of the Divinity’s host who are not content with the lifespan of the Divinity, with the beauty, happiness, glory, and sovereignty of the Divinity, and who do truly understand any escape beyond:
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Idha, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu ubhatobhāgavimutto hoti.
Take a mendicant who is freed both ways.
Yāvassa kāyo ṭhassati tāva naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā.
As long as their body remains they will be seen by gods and humans.
Kāyassa bhedā na naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā’ti.
But when their body breaks up gods and humans will see them no more.’
Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu paññāvimutto hoti.
Take a mendicant who is freed by wisdom.
Yāvassa kāyo ṭhassati tāva naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā.
As long as their body remains they will be seen by gods and humans.
Kāyassa bhedā na naṁ dakkhanti devamanussā’ti.
But when their body breaks up gods and humans will see them no more.’
Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu kāyasakkhī hoti.
Take a mendicant who is a direct witness.
Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno—
Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.
yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti.
Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’
Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’ti.
Idha pana, mārisa moggallāna, bhikkhu diṭṭhippatto hoti …pe…
Take a mendicant who is attained to view. …
Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno—
Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.
yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti.
Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’
Evampi kho, mārisa moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti.
Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno tissassa brahmuno bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evamevaṁ—brahmaloke antarahito gijjhakūṭe pabbate pāturahosi.
Moggallāna approved and agreed with what Tissa the Divinity said. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared on the Vulture’s Peak.
Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno yena bhagavā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā ekamantaṁ nisīdi.
Then Mahāmoggallāna went up to the Buddha, bowed, sat down to one side,
Ekamantaṁ nisinno kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno yāvatako ahosi tissena brahmunā saddhiṁ kathāsallāpo taṁ sabbaṁ bhagavato ārocesi.
and told him what had happened.
“Na hi pana te, moggallāna, tisso brahmā sattamaṁ animittavihāriṁ puggalaṁ deseti”.
“But Moggallāna, Tissa the Divinity didn’t teach the seventh individual, the signless meditator.”
“Etassa, bhagavā, kālo, etassa, sugata, kālo.
“Now is the time, Blessed One! Now is the time, Holy One!
Yaṁ bhagavā sattamaṁ animittavihāriṁ puggalaṁ deseyya. Bhagavato sutvā bhikkhū dhāressantī”ti.
May the Buddha teach the seventh individual, the signless meditator. The mendicants will listen and remember it.”
“Tena hi, moggallāna, suṇāhi, sādhukaṁ manasi karohi; bhāsissāmī”ti.
“Well then, Moggallāna, listen and apply your mind well, I will speak.”
“Evaṁ, bhante”ti kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavato paccassosi.
“Yes, sir,” Mahāmoggallāna replied.
“Idha, moggallāna, bhikkhu sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati.
“Moggallāna, take the case of a mendicant who, not focusing on any signs, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart.
‘ayaṁ kho āyasmā sabbanimittānaṁ amanasikārā animittaṁ cetosamādhiṁ upasampajja viharati.
‘This venerable, not focusing on any signs, enters and remains in the signless immersion of the heart.
Appeva nāma ayamāyasmā anulomikāni senāsanāni paṭisevamāno kalyāṇamitte bhajamāno indriyāni samannānayamāno—
Hopefully this venerable will frequent appropriate lodgings, associate with good friends, and control their faculties.
yassatthāya kulaputtā sammadeva agārasmā anagāriyaṁ pabbajanti, tadanuttaraṁ—brahmacariyapariyosānaṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja vihareyyā’ti.
Then they might realize the supreme culmination of the spiritual path in this very life, and live having achieved with their own insight the goal for which gentlemen rightly go forth from the lay life to homelessness.’
Evaṁ kho, moggallāna, tesaṁ devānaṁ ñāṇaṁ hoti:
This too is how those gods know whether a person has remainder or not.”
‘saupādisese vā saupādisesoti, anupādisese vā anupādiseso’”ti.
Tatiyaṁ.