English
Here, Ananda, the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to his disciples, out of compassion, seeking their welfare, out of compassion— 'This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.' But his disciples do not listen, do not lend an ear, do not apply their minds to understanding, and they act contrary to the Teacher's instruction. Thus, Ananda, do disciples treat the Teacher with enmity, not with friendliness. And how, Ananda, do disciples treat the Teacher with friendliness, not with enmity? Here, Ananda, the Teacher teaches the Dhamma to his disciples, is compassionate, a well-wisher, out of compassion, thinking: ‘This is for your welfare, this is for your happiness.’ His disciples listen attentively, they lend an ear, they apply their minds to understanding, and they do not deviate from the Teacher’s instruction. Thus, Ananda, disciples treat the Teacher as a friend, not as an enemy. Therefore, Ananda, treat me as a friend, not as an enemy. That will be for your long-term welfare and happiness. I will not, Ananda, strive with you as a potter with raw, unfired clay. I will speak, Ananda, restraining again and again; I will speak, Ananda, urging again and again. What is essential will remain. The Blessed One said this. Pleased, Venerable Ananda rejoiced in the Blessed One’s words. The Great Discourse on Emptiness, the second, is finished. 3. The Discourse on the Wonderful and Marvellous 197. Thus have I heard: On one occasion the Blessed One was staying at Savatthi, in Jeta’s Grove, Anathapindika’s park. Then, after their meal, having returned from their alms round, a number of bhikkhus were sitting together in the service hall, and this conversation arose among them: “It is wonderful, friends, it is marvellous, friends, the great power and great might of the Tathagata! For the Tathagata knows the Buddhas of the past, who have attained final Nibbana, whose proliferation has ceased, whose round of rebirths has been cut off, whose cycle of existence has been exhausted, who have transcended all suffering— ‘Such was the birth of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such were the names of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such was the clan of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such was the conduct of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such was the Dhamma of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such was the wisdom of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such were the abiding places of those Blessed Ones,’ ‘Such was the liberation of those Blessed Ones’!” When this was said, Venerable Ananda said to those The monk said: “Wonderful, friends, are the Tathāgatas, endowed with wonderful qualities; amazing, friends, are the Tathāgatas, endowed with amazing qualities.” And this conversation of those monks remained unfinished. 198. Then the Blessed One, having risen from seclusion in the evening, approached the service hall. Having approached, he sat down on the appointed seat. Having sat down, the Blessed One addressed the monks: “What conversation, monks, were you engaged in just now? And what was your unfinished conversation?” “Here, venerable sir, after our meal, having returned from alms-round, while we were sitting together in the service hall, this conversation arose among us: ‘Wonderful, friends, amazing, friends, is the great power and great might of the Tathāgata, in that the Tathāgata knows the Buddhas of the past, who have attained final Nibbāna, whose proliferation is cut off, whose round of rebirths is cut off, whose cycle of existence is exhausted, who have transcended all suffering— that those Blessed Ones were of such a birth, that they were of such a name, of such a clan, of such virtue, of such teachings, of such wisdom, of such a dwelling, that those Blessed Ones were so liberated!’ When this was said, venerable sir, Venerable Ānanda said to us: ‘Wonderful, friends, are the Tathāgatas, endowed with wonderful qualities; amazing, friends, are the Tathāgatas, endowed with amazing qualities.’ This, venerable sir, was our unfinished conversation; then the Blessed One arrived.” 199. Then the Blessed One addressed Venerable Ānanda: “Therefore, Ānanda, let the wonderful and amazing qualities of the Tathāgata appear to you even more.” “I heard this, venerable sir, from the Blessed One directly, I received it directly: ‘Mindful and clearly comprehending, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta was reborn in the Tusita realm.’ That, venerable sir, the Bodhisatta, mindful and clearly comprehending, was reborn in the Tusita realm— this too, venerable sir, I consider a wonderful and amazing quality of the Blessed One.” Oh, I hold this wondrous, amazing phenomenon. "Before me, venerable sir, this was heard from the Blessed One, before me it was received: 'Mindful and clearly comprehending, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita realm.' And that, venerable sir, the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita realm, mindful and clearly comprehending, this too, venerable sir, I hold as a wondrous, amazing phenomenon of the Blessed One. 200. "Before me, venerable sir, this was heard from the Blessed One, before me it was received: 'For his full lifespan, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita realm.' And that, venerable sir, the Bodhisatta remained in the Tusita realm for his full lifespan, this too, venerable sir, I hold as a wondrous, amazing phenomenon of the Blessed One. "Before me, venerable sir, this was heard from the Blessed One, before me it was received: 'Mindful and clearly comprehending, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta, departing from the Tusita realm, entered his mother's womb.' And that, venerable sir, the Bodhisatta, departing from the Tusita realm, entered his mother's womb, mindful and clearly comprehending, this too, venerable sir, I hold as a wondrous, amazing phenomenon of the Blessed One. 201. "Before me, venerable sir, this was heard from the Blessed One, before me it was received: 'When, Ānanda, the Bodhisatta, departing from the Tusita realm, enters his mother's womb, then in this world with its deities, Māras, and Brahmās, with its ascetics and brahmins, its population with deities and humans, an immeasurable, splendid radiance appears in the world, surpassing the divine power of the gods. Even those inter-world spaces, abysmal, unconfined, dark, and utterly dark, where these sun and moon, so mighty and powerful, do not shine with their light, even there an immeasurable, splendid radiance appears in the world, surpassing the divine power of the gods. And the beings born there, they too recognize one another by that radiance: "Indeed, sirs, there are other beings born here!" And this ten-thousandfold world system trembles, quakes, and violently shakes, and an immeasurable, splendid radiance appears in the world.' surpasses the power of the gods. This too, venerable sir, ... this too, venerable sir, I hold to be a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. 202. This, venerable sir, I heard directly from the Blessed One, I received directly from him – ‘When, Ananda, the Bodhisatta enters his mother’s womb, four devaputtas come for protection from the four directions – so that no human or non-human or anyone else might harm the Bodhisatta or the Bodhisatta’s mother.’ This too, venerable sir, ... this too, venerable sir, I hold to be a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. 203. This, venerable sir, I heard directly from the Blessed One, I received directly from him – ‘When, Ananda, the Bodhisatta enters his mother’s womb, the Bodhisatta’s mother is naturally virtuous, abstaining from the destruction of life, abstaining from taking what is not given, abstaining from sexual misconduct, abstaining from false speech, abstaining from fermented and distilled intoxicants which are the basis for heedlessness.’ This too, venerable sir, ... this too, venerable sir, I hold to be a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. This, venerable sir, I heard directly from the Blessed One, I received directly from him – ‘When, Ananda, the Bodhisatta enters his mother’s womb, no thought connected with sensual pleasures arises in the Bodhisatta’s mother towards men, and the Bodhisatta’s mother is inviolable by any man with a lustful mind.’ This too, venerable sir, ... this too, venerable sir, I hold to be a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. This, venerable sir, I heard directly from the Blessed One, I received directly from him – ‘When, Ananda, the Bodhisatta enters his mother’s womb, the Bodhisatta’s mother is a recipient of the five strands of sensual pleasure. She is endowed and furnished with the five strands of sensual pleasure.’ This too, venerable sir, ... this too, venerable sir, I hold to be a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. 204. This, venerable sir, I heard directly from the Blessed One, I received directly from him – ‘When, Ananda, the Bodhisatta enters his mother’s womb, no suffering at all arises for the Bodhisatta's mother; the Bodhisatta's mother is happy, her body unwearied; and the Bodhisatta's mother sees the Bodhisatta within her womb, with all limbs and parts complete, with unblemished faculties. Just as, Ānanda, a beryl gem, beautiful, of good origin, eight-faceted, well-polished. And in it is strung a thread, blue or yellow or red or white or tawny. A man with good sight, taking it in his hand, would examine it – 'This beryl gem is beautiful, of good origin, eight-faceted, well-polished, and in it is strung this thread, blue or yellow or red or white or tawny.' Even so, Ānanda, when the Bodhisatta has entered his mother's womb, no suffering at all arises for the Bodhisatta's mother; the Bodhisatta's mother is happy, her body unwearied; and the Bodhisatta's mother sees the Bodhisatta within her womb, with all limbs and parts complete, with unblemished faculties. This too, venerable sir, this too, venerable sir, I hold as a wondrous, marvelous quality of the Blessed One. 205. "Face to face, venerable sir, I heard this from the Blessed One, face to face I received it – 'Seven days after the Bodhisatta is born, Ānanda,