English
Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing with his mind the thought in the Blessed One's mind, thought: "Alas, the world is lost! Alas, the world is perishing! For the mind of the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Perfectly Self-Awakened One, inclines to inactivity, not to teaching the Dhamma!" Then Brahmā Sahampati—just as a strong man might extend his flexed arm or flex his extended arm—vanished from the Brahmā-world and appeared before the Blessed One. Then Brahmā Then Brahmā Sahampati, having arranged his upper robe over one shoulder, and kneeling with his right knee on the ground, raised his joined hands towards the Blessed One and spoke to the Blessed One thus: “May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma, Bhante! May the Accomplished One teach the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in their eyes; they are perishing through not hearing the Dhamma. There will be those who understand the Dhamma.” This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Having said this, he then spoke further: “In Magadha, a stained Dhamma, devised by the impure, appeared before. Open this door to the Deathless! Let them hear the Dhamma, understood by the Stainless One. “Just as one standing on a mountain peak, might see the people all around, so too, O wise one, with all-seeing eye, ascend the Dhamma-made palace. Free from sorrow, look upon the people overwhelmed by birth and old age, steeped in sorrow. “Arise, O Hero, victor in battle! O Caravan Leader, free from debt, wander the world! May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! There will be those who understand.” When this was said, the Blessed One spoke to Brahmā Sahampati thus: “To me too, Brahmā, this thought occurred: ‘This Dhamma I have attained is profound, difficult to see, difficult to comprehend, peaceful, refined, beyond the scope of mere reasoning, subtle, to be experienced by the wise. But this generation delights in attachment, rejoices in attachment, is pleased with attachment. For a generation that delights in attachment, rejoices in attachment, is pleased with attachment, this state is difficult to see: namely, specific conditionality, dependent origination. 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, and others would not understand me, that would be a weariness for me, that would be a vexation for me.’ And, Brahmā, these unrevealed verses occurred to me before: which I had not heard before: ‘With difficulty have I attained it, enough now to proclaim it; By those overcome with lust and hatred, this Dhamma is not easily understood. ‘Going against the stream, subtle, deep, difficult to see, minute; Those dyed with passion will not see it, shrouded as they are by a mass of darkness.’ Thus, as I reflected, O Brahmā, my mind inclined to inactivity, not to teaching the Dhamma.” A second time, Brahmā Sahampati said to the Blessed One: “May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma, Bhante! May the Fortunate One teach the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in their eyes; they are perishing through not hearing the Dhamma. There will be those who understand the Dhamma.” Brahmā Sahampati said this, and having said this, he then spoke further: “In Magadha there appeared before a Dhamma impure, conceived by the defiled; Open this door to the Deathless, let them hear the Dhamma, understood by the Stainless One. “As one standing on a mountain peak, might see the people all around; So, O wise one, O all-seeing one, ascend the palace of Dhamma; Look down upon the people sunk in sorrow, O sorrowless one, overcome by birth and old age. “Arise, O hero, victor in battle! O caravan leader, debtless one, wander the world! Teach the Dhamma, O Blessed One! There will be those who understand.” A second time, the Blessed One said to Brahmā Sahampati: “This thought also occurred to me, Brahmā: ‘This Dhamma I have attained is deep, difficult to see, difficult to understand, 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 gladdened by attachment. For a generation that delights in attachment, rejoices in attachment, is gladdened by attachment, this state is difficult to see, namely, specific conditionality, dependent origination; 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, and others would not understand me, that would be a weariness for me, that would be a vexation for me.’” And then, O Brahmā, these wonderful verses, unheard before, occurred to me: ‘With difficulty have I gained it, enough now to proclaim it; By those overcome by lust and hatred, this Dhamma is not easily understood. ‘Going against the current, subtle, deep, difficult to see, minute; Those dyed with lust will not see it, shrouded by a mass of darkness.’ Thus, O Brahmā, as I reflected, my mind inclined to inactivity, not to teaching the Dhamma.” For a third time, Brahmā Sahampati said to the Blessed One: “May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma, Bhante! May the Fortunate One teach the Dhamma! There are beings with little dust in their eyes; they are perishing through not hearing the Dhamma. There will be those who will understand the Dhamma.” Brahmā Sahampati said this, and having said this, he then spoke further: “In Magadha, a Dhamma, impure, conceived by the defiled, appeared before. Open this door to the Deathless! Let them hear the Dhamma, understood by the Stainless One. “As one standing on a mountain peak, might see the people all around; So, O wise one, with all-seeing eye, ascend the Dhamma-made palace; Free from sorrow, look upon the people sunk in sorrow, overcome by birth and old age. “Arise, O Hero, victor in battle! O Caravan Leader, free from debt, wander in the world! May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! There will be those who will understand.” 9. Then the Blessed One, understanding Brahmā’s request and out of compassion for beings, surveyed the world with his Buddha-eye. As the Blessed One surveyed the world with his Buddha-eye, he saw beings with little dust in their eyes, with much dust in their eyes, with keen faculties, with dull faculties, with good dispositions, with bad dispositions, easy to instruct, difficult to instruct; some living seeing fear in the faults of the other world, some living not seeing fear in the faults of the other world. Just as in a lotus pond, or a water-lily pond, or a white lotus pond, some lotuses or water-lilies or white lotuses born in the water, grown in the water, Some are born in water, grow in water, submerged and nourished within, not rising above the water. Some lotuses, or water lilies, or white lotuses, born in water, grown in water, stand even with the water. Some lotuses, or water lilies, or white lotuses, born in water, grown in water, stand rising above the water, untainted by the water. Just so, the Blessed One, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, saw beings with little dust, with much dust, with keen faculties, with dull faculties, with good dispositions, with bad dispositions, easy to teach, difficult to teach; some living in fear of blame in the other world, some not living in fear of blame in the other world. Having seen this, he addressed Brahmā Sahampati with a verse: “Open are the doors to the Deathless for them; Let those with ears release their faith. Thinking of vexation, I did not speak The sublime Dhamma among humans, Brahmā.” Then Brahmā Sahampati, thinking, “I have been granted the opportunity by the Blessed One for the teaching of the Dhamma,” saluted the Blessed One, circumambulated him clockwise, and vanished right there. The story of Brahmā’s request is finished. 6. The Story of the Group of Five Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “To whom should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?” Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “This Āḷāra Kālāma is wise, skilled, intelligent, and has been of a nature with little dust for a long time. What if I were to teach the Dhamma first to Āḷāra Kālāma? He would quickly understand this Dhamma.” Then a vanished deity informed the Blessed One: “Āḷāra Kālāma, venerable sir, passed away seven days ago.” Knowledge also arose in the Blessed One: “Āḷāra Kālāma passed away seven days ago.” Then it occurred to the Blessed One: “A great loss was Āḷāra Kālāma! If he had heard this Dhamma, he would have quickly understood it.” Then Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "To whom now should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?" Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "This Udaka Rāmaputta is wise, skilled, intelligent, and has long had little dust in his eyes. Suppose I were to teach the Dhamma first to Udaka Rāmaputta. He would quickly understand this Dhamma." Then a vanished deity informed the Blessed One: "Udaka Rāmaputta, sir, passed away last night." Knowledge also arose in the Blessed One: "Udaka Rāmaputta passed away last night." Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "What a great loss is Udaka Rāmaputta! If he had heard this Dhamma, he would have quickly understood it." Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "To whom now should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?" Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "The group of five monks were very helpful to me, attending to me when I was striving. Suppose I were to teach the Dhamma first to the group of five monks." Then it occurred to the Blessed One: "Where now are the group of five monks residing?" The Blessed One saw, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, the group of five monks residing in Bārāṇasī, at Isipatana, the Deer Park. Then the Blessed One, having stayed in Uruvelā as long as he wished, set out on tour towards Bārāṇasī. 11.