English
So too, O wise one, O all-seeing one, ascend the Dhamma-made palace; Free from sorrow, look upon the people overwhelmed by sorrow, overcome by birth and aging. 'Arise, O hero, victor in battle, O caravan leader, debtless one, wander in the world; Teach Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma, There will be those who understand. 283. Then, monks, I, having known the Brahma's request, and out of compassion for beings, surveyed the world with the Buddha-eye. I saw, monks, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, beings with little dust and much dust, with keen faculties and dull faculties, with good dispositions and bad dispositions, easy to teach and difficult to teach, some living seeing fear in faults of the other world, some not living seeing fear in faults of the other world. Just as, in a pond of blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, not risen above the water, nourished submerged; some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, not risen above the water, standing even with the water; some blue lotuses, or red lotuses, or white lotuses, born in the water, grown in the water, risen above the water, standing unsoiled by the water; even so, monks, I, surveying the world with the Buddha-eye, saw beings with little dust and much dust, with keen faculties and dull faculties, with good dispositions and bad dispositions, easy to teach and difficult to teach, some living seeing fear in faults of the other world, some not living seeing fear in faults of the other world. Then, monks, I replied to Brahma Sahampati with a verse – Opened are the doors to the Deathless for them, Let those with ears release their faith; Thinking of vexation, I did not speak The excellent Dhamma among humans, O Brahma. Then, monks, Brahma Sahampati, [thinking] 'An opportunity has been granted by the Blessed One for the teaching of the Dhamma,' having saluted me, and circumambulated me clockwise, vanished right there. 284. Of that m Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘To whom, now, should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘This Āḷāra Kālāma is wise, experienced, intelligent, and has long had little dust in his eyes. What if I were to teach the Dhamma first to Āḷāra Kālāma? He would quickly understand this Dhamma.’ Then, monks, a deity approached me and said: ‘Āḷāra Kālāma, venerable sir, passed away seven days ago.’ And knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘Āḷāra Kālāma passed away seven days ago.’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘A great loss indeed was Āḷāra Kālāma. If he had heard this Dhamma, he would have quickly understood it.’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘To whom, now, should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘This Uddaka Rāmaputta is wise, experienced, intelligent, and has long had little dust in his eyes. What if I were to teach the Dhamma first to Uddaka Rāmaputta? He would quickly understand this Dhamma.’ Then, monks, a deity approached me and said: ‘Uddaka Rāmaputta, venerable sir, passed away last night.’ And knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘Uddaka Rāmaputta passed away last night.’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘A great loss indeed was Uddaka Rāmaputta. If he had heard this Dhamma, he would have quickly understood it.’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘To whom, now, should I first teach the Dhamma? Who will quickly understand this Dhamma?’ Then, monks, this thought occurred to me: ‘The group of five monks were very helpful to me, who attended to me while I was striving. What if I were to teach the Dhamma first to the group of five monks?’ Then, bhikkhus, this thought occurred to me: ‘Where, indeed, are the group of five bhikkhus now dwelling?’ I saw, bhikkhus, with the divine eye, purified and surpassing human sight, the group of five bhikkhus dwelling in Bārāṇasī, at Isipatana in the Deer Park. Then, bhikkhus, having stayed in Uruvelā as long as I wished, I set out on a journey towards Bārāṇasī. 285. Upaka the Ājīvaka saw me, bhikkhus, journeying on the road between Gayā and Bodhi. Having seen me, he said this: ‘Friend, your faculties are serene, your complexion is pure and bright! For whose sake, friend, have you gone forth? Who is your teacher? Whose Dhamma do you approve of?’ When this was said, I, bhikkhus, addressed Upaka the Ājīvaka with verses: ‘I am the all-conqueror, the all-knower, untainted by all things; Having abandoned all, released through the destruction of craving, having understood all by myself, whom should I point to as teacher? ‘I have no teacher, one like me is not found; In the world with its devas, there is no rival for me. ‘Indeed, I am an Arahant in the world, I am the supreme teacher; I alone am the Fully Self-Awakened One, I am cooled, extinguished. ‘To set in motion the Wheel of Dhamma, I go to the city of Kāsī; In this world that has become blind, I shall beat the drum of the Deathless.’ ‘Indeed, friend, as you claim, you deserve to be an infinite victor!’ ‘Victors are indeed like me, those who have reached the destruction of defilements; Evil things have been conquered by me, therefore, Upaka, I am a victor.’ When this was said, bhikkhus, Upaka the Ājīvaka, saying ‘May it be so, friend,’ shook his head, took a different path, and departed. 286. Then, bhikkhus, journeying by stages, I arrived at Bārāṇasī, Isipatana, the Deer Park, where the group of five... I approached the bhikkhus. The group of five bhikkhus, bhikkhus, saw me coming from afar. Having seen me, they agreed among themselves: "This ascetic Gotama, friends, is coming, one given to abundance, who has fallen away from exertion, who has turned back to abundance. He should not be saluted, nor should one rise for him; his bowl and robe should not be received. However, a seat should be prepared, if he wishes, he will sit down." As I, bhikkhus, approached, the group of five bhikkhus were unable to stand by their agreement. Some went forth to meet me and received my bowl and robe, some prepared a seat, some prepared water for the feet. But they addressed me by name and with the address "friend." When this was said, I, bhikkhus, said to the group of five bhikkhus: "Do not, bhikkhus, address the Tathāgata by name and with the address 'friend.' The Tathāgata, bhikkhus, is an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. Lend your ear, bhikkhus, the Deathless has been attained, I instruct, I teach the Dhamma. Practicing as instructed, before long— for the sake of which sons of good families rightly go forth from home to homelessness— that unsurpassed consummation of the holy life you will, in this very life, realize for yourselves by direct knowledge, and having attained it, abide therein." When this was said, the group of five bhikkhus, bhikkhus, said to me: "Even by that posture, by that practice, by that difficult asceticism, friend Gotama, you did not attain any superhuman Dhamma, any distinction of noble knowledge and vision. How then will you now, one given to abundance, who has fallen away from exertion, who has turned back to abundance, attain any superhuman Dhamma, any distinction of noble knowledge and vision?" When this was said, I, monks, spoke to the group of five monks thus: ‘Monks, the Tathāgata is not given to abundance, not strayed from exertion, not turned back to abundance. Monks, the Tathāgata is an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. Monks, lend your ear, the Deathless has been attained, I instruct, I teach the Dhamma. Acting according to instruction, before long – for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed – consummation of the holy life, in this very life, having directly known it for yourselves, realized it, and attained it, you will dwell.’ A second time, monks, the group of five monks spoke to me thus: ‘Even with that posture, that practice, that difficult asceticism, friend Gotama, you did not attain a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision. How then will you now, given to abundance, strayed from exertion, turned back to abundance, attain a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision?’ A second time, monks, I spoke to the group of five monks thus: ‘Monks, the Tathāgata is not given to abundance, not strayed from exertion, not turned back to abundance. Monks, the Tathāgata is an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. Monks, lend your ear, the Deathless has been attained, I instruct, I teach the Dhamma. Acting according to instruction, before long – for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed – consummation of the holy life, in this very life, having directly known it for yourselves, realized it, and attained it, you will dwell.’ A third time, monks, the group of five monks spoke to me thus: ‘Even with that posture, that practice, that difficult asceticism, friend Gotama, you did not attain a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision. How then will you now, given to abundance, strayed from exertion, turned back to abundance, attain a superhuman state, a distinction of noble knowledge and vision?’ When this was said, I, monks, spoke to the group of five monks thus: ‘Monks, do you recall that I have ever before spoken in such a way?’ ‘No, venerable sir.’ ‘Monks, the Tathāgata is an Arahant, a Fully Self-Awakened One. Monks, lend your ear, the Deathless has been attained, I instruct, I I teach the Dhamma. Practicing as instructed, before long – for the sake of which noble sons rightly go forth from home to homelessness, that unsurpassed – consummation of the holy life, you will, in this very life, realize for yourselves, directly experience, and abide in. "Indeed, monks, I was able to convince