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Homage to that Blessed One, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened One. In the Vinaya Piṭaka The Mahāvagga Pāli 1. The Great Section 1. The Story of the Bodhi 1. At that time, the Buddha, the Blessed One, was dwelling in Uruvelā, on the bank of the Nerañjarā River, at the foot of the Bodhi tree, having just attained full enlightenment. Then the Blessed One sat for seven days at the foot of the Bodhi tree in one posture, experiencing the bliss of liberation. Then the Blessed One, during the first watch of the night, attended to dependent origination in direct and reverse order: ‘‘With ignorance as condition, volitional formations; with volitional formations as condition, consciousness; with consciousness as condition, name-and-form; with name-and-form as condition, the six sense bases; with the six sense bases as condition, contact; with contact as condition, feeling; with feeling as condition, craving; with craving as condition, clinging; with clinging as condition, becoming; with becoming as condition, birth; with birth as condition, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair arise – Thus is the origin of this whole mass of suffering. ‘‘But with the complete fading away and cessation of ignorance, cessation of volitional formations; with the cessation of volitional formations, cessation of consciousness; with the cessation of consciousness, cessation of name-and-form; with the cessation of name-and-form, cessation of the six sense bases; with the cessation of the six sense bases, cessation of contact; with the cessation of contact, cessation of feeling; with the cessation of feeling, cessation of craving; with the cessation of craving, cessation of clinging; with the cessation of clinging, cessation of becoming; with the cessation of becoming, cessation of birth; with the cessation of birth, aging-and-death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, displeasure, and despair cease – Thus is the cessation of this whole mass of suffering.’’ Then the Blessed One, having understood this meaning, uttered on that occasion this inspired utterance: ‘‘When truly things become clear To the ardent, meditating brahmin, Then all his doubts vanish, Since he understands things with their cause.’’ 2. Then the Blessed One, during the middle watch of the night, attended to dependent origination in direct and reverse order: ‘‘With ignorance as condition, volitional formations, Conditioned by fabrications, consciousness; conditioned by consciousness, name-and-form... ...thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering... ...thus is the cessation. Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: When truly, things become manifest To the ardent, meditating brahmin, Then all his doubts vanish, Since he has known the destruction of conditions. 3. Then the Blessed One, during the last watch of the night, attended to dependent origination in direct and reverse order: "Conditioned by ignorance, fabrications; conditioned by fabrications, consciousness; conditioned by consciousness, name-and-form... ...thus is the origin of this entire mass of suffering... ...thus is the cessation." Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: When truly, things become manifest To the ardent, meditating brahmin, He stands dispelling Mara's army, Like the sun illuminating the sky. The discourse on Awakening is concluded. 2. The Discourse at Ajapāla 4. Then the Blessed One, after the lapse of seven days, having arisen from that concentration, approached the Ajapāla Banyan tree from the root of the Bodhi tree. Having approached, he sat for seven days at the root of the Ajapāla Banyan tree in a single cross-legged posture, experiencing the bliss of liberation. Then a certain brahmin of the 'hum-hum' type approached the Blessed One. Having approached, he exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, he stood to one side. Standing to one side, that brahmin said to the Blessed One: "To what extent, good Gotama, is one a brahmin, and what are the qualities that make one a brahmin?" Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, on that occasion uttered this inspired utterance: The brahmin who has banished evil qualities, Without 'hum-hum,' without defilement, self-controlled, One who has reached the end of the Vedas, having lived... who is a true celibate; He would speak the doctrine righteously, He who has no excess anywhere in the world. The story of the Goatherd is finished. 3. The Story of Mucalinda 5. Then, after seven days, the Blessed One arose from that concentration, and from the root of the Goatherd's Banyan tree, he approached Mucalinda. Having approached, he sat at the root of the Mucalinda tree for seven days in one posture, experiencing the bliss of liberation. Now, at that time, a great unseasonal cloud arose, and there was a seven-day downpour, cold winds, and gloomy weather. Then Mucalinda, the Naga king, came out of his abode, and having encircled the Blessed One's body seven times with his coils, he stood with a great hood over his head—"May the Blessed One not be cold, may the Blessed One not be hot, may the Blessed One not be touched by flies, mosquitoes, wind, sun, or creeping things." Then, after seven days, Mucalinda, the Naga king, knowing that the sky was clear and the clouds had dispersed, unwound his coils from the Blessed One's body, withdrew his own form, and having created the form of a young man, stood before the Blessed One with joined palms, saluting him. Then the Blessed One, understanding this matter, uttered this inspired utterance on that occasion: "Happy is solitude for one who is content, who has heard the Dhamma and sees it; Non-harming is happiness in the world, restraint towards all living beings. "Happy is detachment in the world, the overcoming of sensual pleasures; The subduing of the conceit 'I am,' this indeed is the highest happiness." The story of Mucalinda is finished. 4. The Story of the Rājāyatana Tree 6. Then, after seven days, the Blessed One arose from that concentration, and from the root of the Mucalinda tree, he approached the Rājāyatana tree. Having approached, he sat at the root of the Rājāyatana tree for seven days in one posture, experiencing the bliss of liberation. Now, at that time, Tapussa and Bhallika, merchants from Ukkalā, were passing by. They were on a long journey. Then indeed, a deity, a relative by blood of the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, spoke to the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika thus: "Sirs, this Blessed One dwells at the foot of the Rājāyatana tree, having just attained full enlightenment. Go and offer that Blessed One rice-gruel and honey-cake. That will be for your long-term welfare and happiness." Then indeed, the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, taking the rice-gruel and honey-cake, approached where the Blessed One was. Having approached, they saluted the Blessed One and stood to one side. Standing to one side, the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika spoke to the Blessed One thus: "May the Blessed One, sir, accept from us this rice-gruel and honey-cake, which will be for our long-term welfare and happiness." Then indeed, it occurred to the Blessed One: "Tathāgatas do not receive offerings in their hands. In what then shall I receive the rice-gruel and honey-cake?" Then indeed, the Four Great Kings, knowing the thought and reflection in the Blessed One's mind, from the four directions offered four stone bowls to the Blessed One, saying: "Here, sir, may the Blessed One receive the rice-gruel and honey-cake." The Blessed One accepted the fresh stone bowls, the rice-gruel and honey-cake. Having accepted, he consumed them. Then indeed, the merchants Tapussa and Bhallika, knowing that the Blessed One had finished eating, prostrated their heads at the Blessed One's feet, and spoke to the Blessed One thus: "We, sir, go for refuge to the Blessed One and to the Dhamma. May the Blessed One remember us as lay followers, who from this day forth, for as long as life lasts, have gone for refuge." And they were the first lay followers in the world, taking refuge in two. The Story of the Rājāyatana is concluded. 5. The Story of Brahmā's Entreaty. Then the Blessed One, after the lapse of seven days, having arisen from that concentration, went from the foot of the Rājāyatana tree to where the Ajapāla Banyan tree was. There the Blessed One dwelt at the foot of the Ajapāla Banyan tree. Then, as the Blessed One was in seclusion, having retired, such a thought arose in his mind: "This Dhamma that I have attained is profound, difficult to see, difficult to comprehend, peaceful, sublime, beyond the sphere of mere logic, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in attachment, rejoices in attachment, is fond of attachment. For a generation that delights in attachment, rejoices in attachment, is fond of attachment, this state is difficult to see, namely, specific conditionality, dependent origination. And this state is also very difficult to see, namely, the calming of all formations, the relinquishing of all acquisitions, the destruction of craving, dispassion, cessation, Nibbāna. If I were to teach the Dhamma, others would not understand me; that would be weariness for me, that would be vexation for me." And then these unheard-of, wonderful verses spontaneously occurred to the Blessed One: "With difficulty I have attained it, Enough now of proclaiming it. By those overcome by lust and hatred, This Dhamma is not easily understood. Going against the stream, subtle, Profound, difficult to see, minute; Those delighting in lust will not see it, Enveloped as they are by a mass of darkness." Thus, as the Blessed One reflected, his mind inclined to inactivity, not to teaching the Dhamma. 8.