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it is not that Alara Kalama alone has wisdom, I too have wisdom. What if I were to strive for the realization of that Dhamma which Alara Kalama declares, having directly known, realized, and attained it, he dwells?’ So, bhikkhus, not long after, quickly, I myself directly knew, realized, and attained that Dhamma, and dwelt in it. Then, bhikkhus, I approached Alara Kalama; having approached, I said to Alara Kalama: ‘To this extent, friend Kalama, do you declare this Dhamma, having directly known, realized, and attained it?’ ‘To this extent, friend, I declare this Dhamma, having directly known, realized, and attained it.’ ‘I too, friend, to this extent, having directly known, realized, and attained this Dhamma, dwell in it.’ ‘It is a gain for us, friend, well-gained for us, friend, that we see such a venerable fellow practitioner. Thus, the Dhamma that I declare, having directly known, realized, and attained, that Dhamma you yourself... having directly known and realized, you dwell. That Dhamma which you yourself, having directly known and realized, you dwell, that Dhamma I myself, having directly known and realized, I proclaim. Thus, the Dhamma I know, that Dhamma you know. The Dhamma you know, that Dhamma I know. Thus, as I am, so are you. As you are, so am I. Come now, friend, let us both together lead this company.’ Thus, bhikkhus, Āḷāra Kālāma, though my teacher, placed me, his pupil, on an equal footing with himself, and honored me with great honor. Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: ‘This Dhamma does not lead to disenchantment, nor to dispassion, nor to cessation, nor to tranquility, nor to direct knowledge, nor to full enlightenment, nor to Nibbāna, but only to rebirth in the sphere of nothingness.’ So then, bhikkhus, not valuing that Dhamma, disenchanted with that Dhamma, I departed. 278. ‘‘So then, bhikkhus, seeking what is wholesome, searching for the unexcelled, supreme state of peace, I approached Udaka Rāmaputta. Having approached, I said to Udaka Rāmaputta: ‘I wish, friend, to lead the holy life in this Dhamma and Discipline.’ When this was said, bhikkhus, Udaka Rāmaputta said to me: ‘Dwell, venerable one. Such is this Dhamma that a discerning person, not long hence, will himself, his own teacher, having realized by direct knowledge, he would dwell having attained it. So I, bhikkhus, very soon, quickly, mastered that teaching. So I, bhikkhus, merely by that much, by lip-service, by mere talk, spoke the doctrine of knowledge and the doctrine of the elders, and declared 'I know, I see,' both I and others. Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: 'Surely Rāma did not declare this teaching, having realized it by direct knowledge and attained it, merely by faith alone; surely Rāma dwelt knowing and seeing this teaching.' Then I, bhikkhus, approached Udaka Rāmaputta; having approached Udaka Rāmaputta, I said this: 'To what extent, friend, did Rāma declare this teaching, having realized it by direct knowledge and attained it, and dwelling in it?' When this was said, bhikkhus, Udaka Rāmaputta declared the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception. Then, bhikkhus, it occurred to me: 'It was not Rāma alone who had faith, I also have faith; it was not Rāma alone who had energy, I also have energy; it was not Rāma alone who had mindfulness, I also have mindfulness; it was not Rāma alone who had concentration, I also have concentration; it was not Rāma alone who had wisdom, I also have wisdom. What if I were to strive for the realization of that teaching which Rāma declared, having realized it by direct knowledge and attained it, and dwelling in it?' So I, bhikkhus, very soon, quickly, having realized that teaching by direct knowledge, and having attained it, dwelt in it. Then I, bhikkhus, approached Udaka Rāmaputta; having approached Udaka Rāmaputta, I said this: 'To this extent, friend, did Rāma declare this teaching, having realized it by direct knowledge and attained it?' 'To this extent, friend, did Rāma declare this teaching, having realized it by direct knowledge and attained it.' 'I too, Friend, to this extent I myself have directly known, realized, and attained this Dhamma and dwell in it. ‘Our gain, friend, our good fortune, friend, that we see a fellow practitioner like you. Thus, the Dhamma that Rama himself directly knew, realized, attained, and proclaimed, that Dhamma you yourself directly know, realize, and attain, and dwell in it. The Dhamma that you yourself directly know, realize, and attain, and dwell in it, that Dhamma Rama himself directly knew, realized, attained, and proclaimed. Thus, the Dhamma that Rama knew, that Dhamma you know. The Dhamma that you know, that Dhamma Rama knew. Thus, as Rama was, so are you. As you are, so was Rama. Come now, friend, you lead this group.’ Thus, monks, Udaka Rāmaputta, though my fellow practitioner, placed me in the position of teacher and honored me with great veneration. Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘This Dhamma does not lead to disenchantment, nor to dispassion, nor to cessation, nor to tranquility, nor to direct knowledge, nor to full awakening, nor to Nibbāna, but only to rebirth in the sphere of neither perception nor non-perception.’ So, monks, not valuing that Dhamma, I became disenchanted with it and departed from it. 279. So then, monks, seeking what is wholesome, searching for the unexcelled state of peace, wandering by stages through Magadha, I arrived at Uruvelā, the army township. There I saw a delightful piece of land, a charming forest grove, a river flowing, clear, with good fords, and delightful, and all around a village for alms. Then, monks, it occurred to me: ‘Delightful indeed, friends, is this piece of land, and charming is this forest grove, and the river flows, clear, with good fords, and delightful, and all around a village for alms. This is indeed sufficient for a young man of good family who is intent on exertion, for exertion.’ So then, monks, I Monks, right there I sat down, 'Enough of this striving!' 280. So I, monks, being myself subject to birth, having seen the danger in what is subject to birth, seeking the unborn, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the unborn, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. Being myself subject to aging, having seen the danger in what is subject to aging, seeking the ageless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the ageless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. Being myself subject to illness, having seen the danger in what is subject to illness, seeking the unailing, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the unailing, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. Being myself subject to death, having seen the danger in what is subject to death, seeking the deathless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the deathless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. Being myself subject to sorrow, having seen the danger in what is subject to sorrow, seeking the sorrowless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the sorrowless, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. Being myself subject to defilement, having seen the danger in what is subject to defilement, seeking the undefiled, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna, I attained the undefiled, the unsurpassed security from bondage, Nibbāna. And knowledge and vision arose in me: 'My liberation is unshakeable. This is my last birth. Now there is no more renewed existence.' 281. Then, monks, this occurred to me: 'This Dhamma 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 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. And this state is also difficult to see: namely, the calming of all fabrications, 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, monks, Monks, these verses, never heard before, spontaneously arose in me: 'With difficulty I have attained it, now why should I proclaim it? By those overcome by lust and hatred, this Dhamma is not easily understood. 'It is going against the stream, subtle, profound, difficult to see, minute; Those stained by passion will not see it, shrouded as they are by a mass of darkness.' 282. Thus, monks, as I reflected, my mind inclined to inaction, not to teaching the Dhamma. Then, monks, Brahmā Sahampati, knowing my thought with his mind, thought: 'Alas, the world is perishing! Alas, the world is being destroyed! For the mind of the Tathāgata, the Arahant, the Fully Self-Awakened One, inclines to inaction, not to teaching the Dhamma!' Then, monks, 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 me. Then, monks, Brahmā Sahampati, arranging his upper robe over one shoulder, knelt with clasped hands towards me and said to me: 'May the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! May the Sugata 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, monks. Having said this, he further spoke these verses: 'In Magadha, a Dhamma appeared before, impure, conceived by defiled ones; 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;