English
I, having repeatedly killed herds of deer, having eaten soft, soft flesh, would return to that same lair." 'Then, friend, that decrepit jackal made a lair, relying on some thicket. Having made a lair there, he emerged from his lair in the evening. Having emerged from his lair, he stretched. Having stretched, he surveyed all four directions. Having surveyed all four directions, intending to roar the lion's roar three times, he only uttered a jackal's cry, he only uttered a bherandaka's cry. What are wretched jackals? Who indeed can roar the lion's roar? 'Just so, friend Pāthikaputta, you, living on the leavings of the Fortunate One, eating the remnants of the Fortunate One, think it proper to insult the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones. What are wretched Pāthikaputtas? What indeed is the insult of the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones?' 29. "Indeed, Bhaggava, when birth..." Jāliya, the disciple of Dārupattika, with this simile, was still unable to dislodge the naked Pāthikaputta from that seat. Then he said to him – ‘Seeing himself as a lion, The jackal thought, "I am the king of beasts!" Just so, he howled like a jackal; What are wretched jackals, and what are lion's roars?’ ‘Just so, friend Pāthikaputta, living on the Sugata’s leavings, enjoying the Sugata’s surplus, you think you can insult the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones. What are wretched Pāthikaputtas, and what is the insult of the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones?’ 30. ‘‘When, Bhaggava, Jāliya, the disciple of Dārupattika, with this simile too, was still unable to dislodge the naked Pāthikaputta from that seat. Then he said to him – ‘Prowling elsewhere, seeing himself in the thicket; As long as he does not see himself, the jackal thinks he is a tiger. Just so, he howled like a jackal; What are wretched jackals, and what are lion's roars?’ ‘Just so, friend Pāthikaputta, living on the Sugata’s leavings, enjoying the Sugata’s surplus, you think you can insult the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones. What are wretched Pāthikaputtas, and what is the insult of the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones?’ 31. ‘‘When, Bhaggava, Jāliya, the disciple of Dārupattika, with this simile too, was still unable to dislodge the naked Pāthikaputta from that seat. Then he said to him – ‘Having eaten frogs and field mice, And corpses thrown on charnel grounds; Grown up in the great, desolate forest, The jackal thought, "I am the king of beasts!" Just so, he howled like a jackal; What are wretched jackals, and what are lion's roars?’ ‘Just so, friend Pāthikaputta, living on the Sugata’s leavings, enjoying the Sugata’s surplus, you think you can insult the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones. What are wretched Pāthika son, what is the offense against the Tathāgatas, the Arahants, the Perfectly Self-Enlightened Ones? 32. When, Bhaggava, Jāliya, the disciple of Dārupattika, even with this simile, could not make the naked Pāthikaputta move from that seat. Then he came to that assembly and reported thus: ‘The naked Pāthikaputta is defeated, sirs, he keeps saying, “I am coming, friends, I am coming, friends,” but he just shuffles there, he cannot even get up from his seat.’ 33. When this was said, I, Bhaggava, said to that assembly: ‘It is impossible, friends, for the naked Pāthikaputta to come into my presence without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view. Even if he were to think: “I will go into the presence of the ascetic Gotama without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view,” his head would split open. Even if the venerable Licchavis were to think: “We will bind the naked Pāthikaputta with leather straps and drag him with elephants [or yokes of oxen],” those straps would break, or Pāthikaputta would. But it is impossible for the naked Pāthikaputta to come into my presence without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view. Even if he were to think: “I will go into the presence of the ascetic Gotama without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view,” his head would split open.’ 34. Then, Bhaggava, I instructed, incited, encouraged, and gladdened that assembly with a Dhamma talk. Having instructed, incited, encouraged, and gladdened that assembly with a Dhamma talk, I released eighty-four thousand beings from a great bondage, lifted them out of a great abyss, entered the fire element, ascended into the air to the height of seven palm trees, and created another flame [or fire] of seven palm trees. having gone, having blazed, having smoked, in the great forest, in a gabled house, I arose. 35. "Then, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi's son, approached me; having approached me, he saluted me and sat down to one side. To Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi's son, as he sat to one side, I said this, Bhaggava: 'What do you think, Sunakkhatta, was the result exactly as I declared to you concerning Pathikaputta, the naked ascetic, or otherwise?' 'Exactly as the Blessed One declared to me concerning Pathikaputta, the naked ascetic, so was the result, Venerable Sir, not otherwise.' 'What do you think, Sunakkhatta, if that is so, was an extraordinary human state, a miracle of psychic power, performed or not performed?' 'Indeed, Venerable Sir, if that is so, an extraordinary human state, a miracle of psychic power, was performed, not not performed.' 'Even so, you, foolish man, when I was performing an extraordinary human state, a miracle of psychic power, said this: "The Blessed One, Venerable Sir, does not perform an extraordinary human state, a miracle of psychic power." See, foolish man, how much you have erred in this!' "Even so, Bhaggava, Sunakkhatta, the Licchavi's son, being spoken to by me, departed from this Dhamma and Discipline, as one destined for the lower realms, for hell. Discourse on the Foremost Designation 36. "And I, Bhaggava, know the foremost designation. And I know it, and I know what is higher than that, and knowing it, I do not cling to it, and for me, not clinging, liberation is known personally, knowing which the Tathāgata does not fall into error. 37. "There are, Bhaggava, some recluses and brahmins who designate the foremost as the state of a lord, the state of Brahmā, the state of a teacher. I approach them and say this: 'Is it true, Venerable sirs, that you designate the foremost as the state of a lord, the state of Brahmā, the state of a tea Do you declare a primal, chief (being)? And when I ask them thus, they acknowledge, 'Yes.' Then I say to them thus: 'But of what sort, venerable sirs, do you declare this lordly, Brahminic, primal, chief (being)?' When asked by me, they cannot answer; unable to answer, they question me in return. When questioned by them, I explain: 38. 'There comes a time, friends, when, sooner or later, after a long period, this world contracts. When the world contracts, beings are mostly reborn in the Ābhassara (Radiant) realm. They are there mind-made, feeding on joy, self-luminous, moving through space, abiding in glory, and they remain for a very long time. 'There comes a time, friends, when, sooner or later, after a long period, this world expands. When the world expands, an empty Brahma-palace appears. Then a certain being, having fallen from the Ābhassara realm due to exhaustion of life-span or merit, is reborn in the empty Brahma-palace. He is there mind-made, feeding on joy, self-luminous, moving through space, abiding in glory, and he remains for a very long time. 'Because he has dwelt there alone for a very long time, dissatisfaction and agitation arise in him: 'Oh, if only other beings would come to this state!' Then other beings, having fallen from the Ābhassara realm due to exhaustion of life-span or merit, are reborn in the Brahma-palace, as companions to that being. They too are there mind-made, feeding on joy, self-luminous, moving through space, abiding in glory, and they remain for a very long time. 39. 'Among them, friends, the being who was reborn first, to him it occurs: "I am Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the Conqueror, the Unconquered, the All-seeing, the Wielder of Power, the Lord, the Maker, the Creator, the Chief, the Arranger, the Master, the Father of all that has been and will be. By me..." These beings were created. For what reason? For it was formerly in my mind – Oh, if only other beings would come to this state! Thus was my mental aspiration. And these beings have come to this state. And those beings who arose later, for them too it is thus – This venerable Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the conqueror, unconquered, all-seeing, controller, lord, maker, creator, best, arranger, master, father of all that has been and will be; by this venerable Brahmā we were created. For what reason? For we saw him arise here first; but we arose later. 40. There, friend, that being who arose first, he is longer-lived, more beautiful, and more powerful. But those beings who arose later, they are shorter-lived, less beautiful, and less powerful. It is possible, friend, that a certain being, having fallen from that realm, comes to this state. Having come to this state, he goes forth from home to homelessness. Having gone forth from home to homelessness, by following ardour, by following exertion, by following application, by following diligence, by following right attention, he attains such a concentration of mind, that with his mind thus concentrated, he recollects that former dwelling; but he does not recollect beyond that. He says thus – That venerable Brahmā, the Great Brahmā, the conqueror, unconquered, all-seeing, controller, lord, maker, creator, best, arranger, master, father of all that has been and will be,