English
Endowed with these, Sāriputta, four kinds of self-confidence, the Tathāgata approaches and enters these eight assemblies. I recall, Sāriputta, having approached hundreds of assemblies of nobles. There, I have sat down before, spoken before, and engaged in discussion before. That fear or trepidation might overcome me there – such a sign, Sāriputta, I do not perceive. Not perceiving this sign, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence. "I recall, Sāriputta, having approached hundreds of assemblies of brahmins... of householders... of recluses... of the Four Great Kings... of the Tāvatiṃsa gods... of Māra... of Brahmā. There, I have sat down before, spoken before, and engaged in discussion before. That fear or trepidation might overcome me there – such a sign, Sāriputta, I do not perceive. Not perceiving this sign, Sāriputta, I dwell having attained security, having attained fearlessness, having attained self-confidence. "Whoever, Sāriputta, knowing me thus One seeing thus, should say thus: ‘There is no superhuman state for the recluse Gotama, no distinction of noble knowledge and vision, the recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma beaten out by reasoning, followed by investigation, a self-conceived inspiration.’ That person, Sāriputta, not abandoning that speech, not abandoning that thought, not relinquishing that view, is deposited in hell just as he was brought. Just as, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu endowed with virtue, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, might achieve something else in this very life, so I say this is the case, Sāriputta. That person, not abandoning that speech, not abandoning that thought, not relinquishing that view, is deposited in hell just as he was brought. 152. "These, Sāriputta, are four kinds of birth. Which are the four? Egg-born, womb-born, moisture-born, and spontaneous generation. And what, Sāriputta, is the egg-born kind of birth? Those beings, Sāriputta, who are born by breaking through an eggshell – this, Sāriputta, is called the egg-born kind of birth. And what, Sāriputta, is the womb-born kind of birth? Those beings, Sāriputta, who are born by breaking through a membrane – this, Sāriputta, is called the womb-born kind of birth. And what, Sāriputta, is the moisture-born kind of birth? Those beings, Sāriputta, who are born in rotten fish, or in rotten corpses, or in rotten dough, or in cesspools, or in puddles – this, Sāriputta, is called the moisture-born kind of birth. And what, Sāriputta, is the spontaneously generated kind of birth? Devas, denizens of hell, some humans, and some in the woeful states – this, Sāriputta, is called the spontaneously generated kind of birth. These, Sāriputta, are the four kinds of birth. "Whoever, Sāriputta, knowing thus, seeing thus, should say thus – ‘There is no superhuman state for the recluse Gotama, no distinction of noble knowledge and vision, the recluse Gotama teaches a Dhamma beaten out by reasoning, followed by investigation, a self-conceived inspiration,’ that person, Sāriputta, not abandoning that speech, not abandoning that thought... And not having given up that view, he is cast into hell as if brought there. Just as, Sāriputta, a bhikkhu endowed with virtue, endowed with concentration, endowed with wisdom, might realize something else in this very life, so do I speak of this attainment, Sāriputta. Not having abandoned that speech, not having abandoned that thought, not having given up that view, he is cast into hell as if brought there. 153. Indeed, Sāriputta, there are these five destinations. Which five? Hell, the animal realm, the realm of hungry ghosts, humans, devas. And I, Sāriputta, know hell, and the path leading to hell, and the practice leading to hell; and how one who practices, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in a state of deprivation, a bad destination, a lower realm, hell—that too I know. And I, Sāriputta, know the animal realm, and the path leading to the animal realm, and the practice leading to the animal realm; and how one who practices, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in the animal realm—that too I know. And I, Sāriputta, know the realm of hungry ghosts, and the path leading to the realm of hungry ghosts, and the practice leading to the realm of hungry ghosts; and how one who practices, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in the realm of hungry ghosts—that too I know. And I, Sāriputta, know humans, and the path leading to the human world, and the practice leading to the human world; and how one who practices, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears among humans—that too I know. And I, Sāriputta, know devas, and the path leading to the deva world, and the practice leading to the deva world; and how one who practices, upon the breaking up of the body, after death, reappears in a good destination, a heavenly world—that too I know. And I, Sāriputta, know Nibbāna, and the path leading to Nibbāna, and the practice leading to Nibbāna; and how one who practices, through the destruction of the taints, by his own direct knowledge, realizes and enters upon and dwells in the taintless liberation of mind, liberation by wisdom, in this very life—that too I know. 154. ‘ ‘Here, Sāriputta, I discern a certain person's mind with my own mind thus: 'This person has practiced thus, and behaves thus, and has entered upon that path, so that after the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell.' Then, at a later time, I see him with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell, experiencing pain that is exclusively suffering, intense, and bitter. Just as, Sāriputta, a pit of glowing coals, more than a man's height, full of coals, without flame, without smoke. Then a man might come, overcome by heat, oppressed by heat, tired, thirsty, parched, by a direct path, heading straight for that very pit of coals. A man with sight, seeing him, would say thus: 'This good man has practiced thus, and behaves thus, and has entered upon that path, so that he will come to this very pit of coals.' Then, at a later time, he would see him fallen into that pit of coals, experiencing pain that is exclusively suffering, intense, and bitter. Even so, Sāriputta, here I discern a certain person's mind with my own mind thus: 'This person has practiced thus, and behaves thus, and has entered upon that path, so that after the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell.' Then, at a later time, I see him with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in a state of woe, a bad destination, a downfall, in hell, experiencing pain that is exclusively suffering, intense, and bitter. But here, Sāriputta, I discern a certain person's mind with my own mind thus: 'This person has practiced thus, and behaves thus, and has entered upon that path, so that after the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in the animal realm.' Then, at a later time, I see him with the divine with the purified, superhuman eye, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in the animal realm, experiencing painful, sharp, bitter feelings. Just as, Sāriputta, a cesspit more than a man's height, full of excrement. Then a man might come, afflicted by heat, overcome by heat, weary, thirsty, parched, by a direct path, heading straight for that very cesspit. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: ‘This good man is behaving in such a way, and is acting in such a way, and has taken up such a path, that he will come to this very cesspit.’ After some time, he would see him, fallen into that cesspit, experiencing painful, sharp, bitter feelings. Even so, Sāriputta, I comprehend the mind of a certain individual here with my mind thus: ‘This person is behaving in such a way, and is acting in such a way, and has taken up such a path, that after the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in the animal realm.’ After some time, I see him, with the purified, superhuman divine eye, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in the animal realm, experiencing painful, sharp, bitter feelings. Here again, Sāriputta, I comprehend the mind of a certain individual here with my mind thus: ‘This person is behaving in such a way, and is acting in such a way, and has taken up such a path, that after the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts.’ After some time, I see him, with the purified, superhuman divine eye, after the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in the realm of hungry ghosts, experiencing feelings abundant in suffering. Just as, Sāriputta, a tree grown on uneven ground, with sparse leaves and foliage, giving dappled shade. Then a man might come, afflicted by heat, overcome by heat, weary, thirsty, parched, by a direct path, heading straight for that very tree. A man with eyes, seeing him, would say thus: ‘T And this good man has entered upon, and so he behaves, and that path he has ascended, so that he will come to this very tree. One would see him, after some time, in the shade of that tree, sitting or lying down, experiencing feelings mostly of suffering. Just so, Sāriputta, I here, having encompassed the mind of a certain person with my mind, thus understand: This person has entered upon, and so he behaves, and that path he has ascended, so that with the breaking up of the body, after death, he will be reborn in the realm of ghosts. I see him, after some time, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human, with the breaking up of the body, after death, reborn in the realm of ghosts,