English
the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the Wheel of Brahma. Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the various dispositions of beings. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the various dispositions of beings— this, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the Wheel of Brahma. Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the superior and inferior faculties of other beings, other persons. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata understands, as it really is, the superior and inferior faculties of other beings, other persons— this, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, relying on which power the Tathāgata... He claims the foremost place, he roars a lion's roar in assemblies, he sets in motion the divine wheel. "Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows as it really is the defilement, the purification, and the emergence from the jhānas, deliverances, concentrations, and attainments. That which, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata knows as it really is the defilement, the purification, and the emergence from the jhānas, deliverances, concentrations, and attainments, this also, Sāriputta, is a Tathāgata's power, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, he roars a lion's roar in assemblies, he sets in motion the divine wheel. "Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata recollects his manifold past existences, that is to say: one birth, two births, three births, four births, five births, ten births, twenty births, thirty births, forty births, fifty births, a hundred births, a thousand births, a hundred thousand births, many eons of contraction, many eons of expansion, many eons of contraction and expansion. 'There I was named thus, of such a clan, of such a complexion, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my lifespan. Having passed away from there, I arose there. There too I was named thus, of such a clan, of such a complexion, such was my food, such was my experience of pleasure and pain, such was my lifespan. Having passed away from there, I have arisen here.' Thus, with its details and features, he recollects his manifold past existences. That which, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata recollects his manifold past existences, that is to say: one birth, two births... and so on... thus, with its details and features, he recollects his manifold past existences, this also, Sāriputta, is a Tathāgata's power, relying on which power the Tathāgata claims the foremost place, he roars a lion's roar in assemblies, he sets in motion the divine wheel. "Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing that of humans, sees beings passing away and reappearing, low and excellent, beautiful and ugly, well-destined and ill-destined, he understands beings according to their deeds: ‘These beings, sirs, are endowed with misconduct of body, endowed with misconduct of speech, endowed with misconduct of mind, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Or these beings, sirs, are endowed with good conduct of body, endowed with good conduct of speech, endowed with good conduct of mind, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, he sees beings passing away, being reborn, low and excellent, beautiful and ugly, well-destined and ill-destined, he understands beings according to their deeds. And also, Sāriputta, the Tathāgata, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, sees beings passing away, being reborn, low and excellent, beautiful and ugly, well-destined and ill-destined, he understands beings according to their deeds: ‘These beings, sirs, are endowed with misconduct of body, endowed with misconduct of speech, endowed with misconduct of mind, revilers of the noble ones, holding wrong views, undertaking actions based on wrong views. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, hell. Or these beings, sirs, are endowed with good conduct of body, endowed with good conduct of speech, endowed with good conduct of mind, not revilers of the noble ones, holding right views, undertaking actions based on right views. They, at the breaking up of the body, after death, are reborn in a good destination, a heavenly world.’ Thus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, he sees beings passing away, being reborn, low and excellent, beautiful and ugly, well-destined and ill-destined, he understands beings according to their deeds. This too, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathāgata, which power… The Tathagata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, sets in motion the Brahma-wheel. Furthermore, Sāriputta, the Tathagata, by the destruction of the taints, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, abides in it. And that, Sāriputta, the Tathagata, by the destruction of the taints, the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, having realized it for himself with direct knowledge in this very life, abides in it— this too, Sāriputta, is a power of the Tathagata, relying on which power the Tathagata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, sets in motion the Brahma-wheel. These, Sāriputta, are the ten powers of the Tathagata, endowed with which powers the Tathagata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, sets in motion the Brahma-wheel. 149. Whoever, Sāriputta, knowing me thus, seeing me thus, should say this: ‘There is no superhuman Dhamma, no distinction in noble knowledge and vision, for the recluse Gotama; the recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma beaten out by reasoning, followed by investigation, self-devised,’ that person, Sāriputta, without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view, is deposited in hell just as if brought there. Just as, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu endowed with virtue, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, might attain Nibbana in this very life, so do I declare this to be the case, Sāriputta. Without abandoning that speech, without abandoning that thought, without relinquishing that view, he is deposited in hell just as if brought there. 150. These, Sāriputta, are four Tathagata's intrepidities, endowed with which intrepidities the Tathagata claims the foremost place, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, sets in motion the Brahma-wheel. Which four? ‘Though you claim to be a Perfectly Self-Awakened One, these things are not fully awakened by you.’ There, indeed, a recluse... A recluse or a brahmin, a god or Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone in the world, will rightly challenge me on this point. Such a possibility, Sāriputta, I do not see. Not seeing such a possibility, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained perfect confidence. ‘Though you claim to be one whose taints are destroyed, these taints of yours are not destroyed.’ On this point, a recluse or a brahmin, a god or Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone in the world, will rightly challenge me. Such a possibility, Sāriputta, I do not see. Not seeing such a possibility, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained perfect confidence. ‘Indeed, the obstructive things you have declared, when practiced, are not truly obstructive.’ On this point, a recluse or a brahmin, a god or Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone in the world, will rightly challenge me. Such a possibility, Sāriputta, I do not see. Not seeing such a possibility, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained perfect confidence. ‘Indeed, the Dhamma taught by you for a certain purpose, does not lead the one who practices it to the complete destruction of suffering.’ On this point, a recluse or a brahmin, a god or Māra, or Brahmā, or anyone in the world, will rightly challenge me. Such a possibility, Sāriputta, I do not see. Not seeing such a possibility, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained perfect confidence. These, Sāriputta, are the four confidences of the Tathāgata, endowed with which the Tathāgata claims the foremost position, roars his lion's roar in assemblies, and sets in motion the Wheel of Brahmā. Whoever, Sāriputta, seeing and knowing me thus, would say this: ‘There is no superhuman Dhamma, no noble knowledge and vision of distinction in the recluse Gotama; the recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma that is reasoned out, investigated— Self-composed, self-evident. That, Sāriputta, not abandoning that speech, not abandoning that thought, not relinquishing that view, is cast into hell as if brought there. Just as, Sāriputta, a monk endowed with virtue, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, might realize something else in this very life, even so, Sāriputta, I declare this. Not abandoning that speech, not abandoning that thought, not relinquishing that view, is cast into hell as if brought there. 151. "There are these eight assemblies, Sāriputta. Which eight? The assembly of nobles, the assembly of brahmins, the assembly of householders, the assembly of recluses, the assembly of the Four Great Kings, the assembly of the Tāvatiṃsa gods, the assembly of Māra, the assembly of Brahmā – these, Sāriputta, are the eight assemblies.