English
My severe painful feelings advance, they do not recede. Their advance is apparent, not their recession. Just as, Venerable Sāriputta, a strong man might bind a tight turban on his head with a strong leather strap; even so, Venerable Sāriputta, there are excessive head pains in my head. It is not tolerable for me, Venerable Sāriputta, it is not endurable. My severe painful feelings advance, they do not recede. Their advance is apparent, not their recession. Just as, Venerable Sāriputta, a skilled butcher or a butcher’s apprentice might carve the belly with a sharp butcher’s knife; even so, Venerable Sāriputta, excessive winds carve my belly. It is not tolerable for me, Venerable Sāriputta, it is not endurable. My severe painful feelings advance, they do not recede. Their advance is apparent, not their recession. Just as, Venerable Sāriputta, two strong men might seize a weaker man by both arms (as if) they would take and heat, burn on a pit of glowing coals. Just so, indeed, Venerable Sāriputta, there is an excessive burning in my body. For me, Venerable Sāriputta, it is not bearable, it is not sustainable. Strong painful feelings are advancing on me, they are not retreating. Their advance is evident, not their retreat. 451. "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – hell or the animal realm?" "From hell, Venerable Sāriputta, the animal realm is better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the animal realm or the ghost realm?" "From the animal realm, Venerable Sāriputta, the ghost realm is better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the ghost realm or humans?" "From the ghost realm, Venerable Sāriputta, humans are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – humans or the Cātumahārājika gods?" "From humans, Venerable Sāriputta, the Cātumahārājika gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the Cātumahārājika gods or the Tāvatiṃsa gods?" "From the Cātumahārājika gods, Venerable Sāriputta, the Tāvatiṃsa gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the Tāvatiṃsa gods or the Yāma gods?" "From the Tāvatiṃsa gods, Venerable Sāriputta, the Yāma gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the Yāma gods or the Tusita gods?" "From the Yāma gods, Venerable Sāriputta, the Tusita gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the Tusita gods or the Nimmānaratī gods?" "From the Tusita gods, Venerable Sāriputta, the Nimmānaratī gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better – the Nimmānaratī gods or the Paranimmitavasavattī gods?" "From the Nimmānaratī gods, Venerable Sāriputta, the Paranimmitavasavattī gods are better." "What do you think, Dhanañjāni, which is better: the devas who control others' creations, or the Brahma-world?" "The Brahma-world," Venerable Sāriputta says; "The Brahma-world," Venerable Sāriputta says. Then it occurred to Venerable Sāriputta: "These brahmins are devoted to the Brahma-world. What if I were to teach Dhanañjāni the brahmin the path to companionship with Brahmā?" "I will teach you, Dhanañjāni, the path to companionship with Brahmā; listen to it, pay careful attention, I will speak." "Yes, sir," Dhanañjāni the brahmin replied to Venerable Sāriputta. Venerable Sāriputta said this: "And what, Dhanañjāni, is the path to companionship with Brahmā? Here, Dhanañjāni, a monk dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; thus above, below, around, everywhere, in all ways, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with loving-kindness, ample, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. This, Dhanañjāni, is the path to companionship with Brahmā." "Furthermore, Dhanañjāni, a monk dwells pervading one direction with a mind imbued with compassion... with a mind imbued with altruistic joy... with a mind imbued with equanimity, likewise the second, likewise the third, likewise the fourth; thus above, below, around, everywhere, in all ways, he dwells pervading the entire world with a mind imbued with equanimity, ample, exalted, immeasurable, without hostility, without ill-will. This, Dhanañjāni, is the path to companionship with Brahmā." "Then, sir Sāriputta, with my words, bow your head at the feet of the Blessed One: 'Venerable sir, Dhanañjāni the brahmin is ill..." one was sick, suffering, gravely ill. He bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One. Then Venerable Sāriputta, having established the brahmin Dhanañjāni in the inferior Brahma-world, when there was still more to be done, rose from his seat and departed. Then, not long after Venerable Sāriputta had departed, the brahmin Dhanañjāni passed away and was reborn in the Brahma-world. 453. Then the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus: “Bhikkhus, Sāriputta has departed, having established the brahmin Dhanañjāni in the inferior Brahma-world, when there was still more to be done.” Then Venerable Sāriputta approached the Blessed One, and having approached and paid homage to the Blessed One, he sat down to one side. Sitting to one side, Venerable Sāriputta said to the Blessed One: “Venerable sir, the brahmin Dhanañjāni is afflicted, suffering, gravely ill; he bows his head at the feet of the Blessed One.” “But Sāriputta, why did you depart, having established the brahmin Dhanañjāni in the inferior Brahma-world, when there was still more to be done?” “Venerable sir, it occurred to me: ‘These brahmins are devoted to the Brahma-world; what if I were to teach the brahmin Dhanañjāni the path to companionship with the Brahmas?’” “Sāriputta, the brahmin Dhanañjāni has passed away and has been reborn in the Brahma-world.” The Dhanañjāni Sutta, the seventh, is finished. 8. The Vāseṭṭha Sutta 454. Thus have I heard: At one time the Blessed One was dwelling in Icchānaṅgala, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. Now at that time many well-known and distinguished brahmin householders were residing in Icchānaṅgala, namely, the brahmin Caṅkī, the brahmin Tārukkha, the brahmin Pokkharasāti, the brahmin Jāṇussoṇi, the brahmin Todeyya, and other well-known and distinguished brahmin householders. Then the young brahmins Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja While walking about, strolling around, this conversation arose: "How, sirs, does one become a Brahmin?" The young man Bhāradvāja said this: "When, sirs, one is well-born on both sides, pure in lineage from mother and father, up to the seventh generation of ancestors, unblemished, unreviled by reason of birth— by this much, sirs, one is a Brahmin." The young man Vāseṭṭha said this: "When, sirs, one is virtuous and accomplished in vows— by this much, sirs, one is a Brahmin." Indeed, the young man Bhāradvāja could not convince the young man Vāseṭṭha, nor could the young man Vāseṭṭha convince the young man Bhāradvāja. Then the young man Vāseṭṭha addressed the young man Bhāradvāja: "Indeed, sir Bhāradvāja, this ascetic Gotama, a Sakyan son, gone forth from the Sakyan clan, dwells in Icchānaṅgala, in the Icchānaṅgala forest grove. And indeed, such a good report has arisen concerning that venerable Gotama: 'He is indeed the Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Self-Awakened, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, well-gone, knower of the worlds, unsurpassed leader of persons to be tamed, teacher of gods and humans, the Awakened One, the Blessed One.' Come, sir Bhāradvāja, let us go to the ascetic Gotama; having approached, we will ask the ascetic Gotama about this matter. As the ascetic Gotama explains to us, so shall we remember it." "Yes, sir," replied the young man Bhāradvāja to the young man Vāseṭṭha. 455. Then the young men Vāseṭṭha and Bhāradvāja approached the Blessed One; having approached, they exchanged greetings with the Blessed One. Having concluded the courteous and memorable talk, they sat down to one side. Seated to one side, the young man Vāseṭṭha addressed the Blessed One with verses: "Acknowledged and proclaimed, we are both 'three-Veda' men; I am of Pokkharasāti, this young man is of Tārukkhā. "Three-Veda... Knowing what is declared, there we are experts; Expounding from words, like teachers in recitation; For us, concerning the doctrine of birth, there is a dispute, Gotama. "By birth one is a brahmin," so Bhāradvāja declares; "And I say by action," thus know, O Seer. "We cannot convince each other, we two; We have come to ask the venerable one, known as the Fully Awakened One. "Like the moon beyond decay, people with joined hands; Having gone forth, venerate and salute Gotama in the world. "The Eye arisen in the world, we ask Gotama; By birth is one a brahmin, or does one become so by action? To us who do not know, declare, how we may know a brahmin." 456. "To you I shall explain, (Vāseṭṭha, said the Blessed One) In due order, truly; The division of beings by birth, their different kinds of birth. "You know even grasses and trees, and they do not declare themselves; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "Then insects and moths, down to ants and termites; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "You know even quadrupeds, small and large; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "You know even those with feet on their belly, reptiles with long backs; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "Then you know even fish, dwelling in water; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "Then you know even birds, flying with wings; Their distinguishing mark is by birth, indeed their births are different. "Just as among these kinds of birth, there are diverse distinguishing marks by birth; So there is not among humans, diverse distinguishing marks by birth. "Not by hair, not by head, not by ears, not by eyes;