1. Paṭhamavagga

Saṁyutta Nikāya 11.3

Linked Discourses 11.3

1. Paṭhamavagga

Chapter One

Dhajaggasutta

The Banner’s Crest

Sāvatthiyaṁ.

At Sāvatthī.

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:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi.

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans.

Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi:

Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three:

‘Sace, mārisā, devānaṁ saṅgāmagatānaṁ uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.

‘Good fellows, when the gods are fighting, if you get scared or terrified, just look up at my banner’s crest.

Mamañhi vo dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce me dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.

If you can’t see my banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of the Progenitor, king of gods.

Pajāpatissa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Varuṇa, king of gods.

Varuṇassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha īsānassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Īsāna, king of gods.

Īsānassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissatī’ti.

Then your fear and terror will go away.’

Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkassa vā devānamindassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, pajāpatissa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, varuṇassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, īsānassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyethāpi nopi pahīyetha.

However, when they look up at those banner’s crests their fear and terror might go away or it might not.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo avītarāgo avītadoso avītamoho bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyīti.

Because Sakka is not free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadāmi:

But, mendicants, I say this:

‘sace tumhākaṁ, bhikkhave, araññagatānaṁ vā rukkhamūlagatānaṁ vā suññāgāragatānaṁ vā uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye anussareyyātha:

If you’ve gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut and you get scared or terrified, just recollect me:

“itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā”ti.

‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’

Mamañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce maṁ anussareyyātha, atha dhammaṁ anussareyyātha:

If you can’t recollect me, then recollect the teaching:

“svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti.

‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’

Dhammañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce dhammaṁ anussareyyātha, atha saṅghaṁ anussareyyātha:

If you can’t recollect the teaching, then recollect the Saṅgha:

“suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti.

‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’

Saṅghañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

Then your fear and terror will go away.

Taṁ kissa hetu?

Why is that?

Tathāgato hi, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vītarāgo vītadoso vītamoho abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī’”ti.

Because the Realized One is free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearless, brave, bold, and stands his ground.”

Idamavoca bhagavā.

That is what the Buddha said.

Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Araññe rukkhamūle vā,

“In the wilderness, at a tree’s root,

suññāgāreva bhikkhavo;

or an empty hut, O mendicants,

Anussaretha sambuddhaṁ,

recollect the Buddha,

bhayaṁ tumhāka no siyā.

and no fear will come to you.

No ce buddhaṁ sareyyātha,

If you can’t recollect the Buddha—

lokajeṭṭhaṁ narāsabhaṁ;

the eldest in the world, the captain of men—

Atha dhammaṁ sareyyātha,

then recollect the teaching,

niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ.

emancipating, well taught.

No ce dhammaṁ sareyyātha,

If you can’t recollect the teaching—

niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ;

emancipating, well taught—

Atha saṅghaṁ sareyyātha,

then recollect the Saṅgha,

puññakkhettaṁ anuttaraṁ.

the supreme field of merit.

Evaṁ buddhaṁ sarantānaṁ,

Thus recollecting the Buddha,

Dhammaṁ saṅghañca bhikkhavo;

the teaching, and the Saṅgha, mendicants,

Bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā,

fear and terror

Lomahaṁso na hessatī”ti.

and goosebumps will be no more.”