English
Explanation of the Sāriputta Sutta Now he will explain the Sāriputta Sutta – 190. Never seen by me before, [thus said the Venerable Sāriputta] Nor heard by anyone; Such a sweet-speaking Teacher, from Tusita he came. "Never seen by me before." Before this, that Blessed One had never been seen by me with this eye, with this body. When the Blessed One, having spent the Rains in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven at the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree on the Paṇḍukambala stone, surrounded by a host of deities, descended to Saṅkassa city by a golden staircase in the middle, this sight had not been seen before – "Never seen by me before." "Thus said the Venerable Sāriputta." "Thus" is a conjunction of words, a connection of words, a completeness of words, an aggregation of letters, a coherence of consonants, a sequence of words – "thus." "Venerable" is an affectionate word, a respectful word, a word of reverence and esteem – "Venerable." "Sāriputta" is the name, designation, appellation, description, usage, name, naming, nomenclature, etymology, expression, declaration of that elder – "Thus said the Venerable Sāriputta." "Nor heard by anyone." "Nor" is a negation. "Uda" is a conjunction of words, a connection of words, a completeness of words, an aggregation of letters, a coherence of consonants, a sequence of words – "uda." "Anyone" means a khattiya, or a brahmin, or a vessa, or a sudda, or a householder, or a renunciant, or a deva, or a human – "nor heard by anyone." "Such a sweet-speaking Teacher." Such a sweet-speaking, pleasant-speaking, endearing-speaking, heart-touching-speaking, with a voice as melodious as the karavīka bird. Moreover, the voice that issues from the mouth of that Blessed One is endowed with eight qualities – it is distinct and intelligible, melodious and pleasing to the ear, coherent and not scattered, deep and resonant. And the Blessed One makes the assembly understand with his voice, and his voice does not issue outside the assembly; indeed, that Blessed One has a divine voice, speaking like a karavīka bird. Thus, an eloquent speaker. The Teacher is the Teacher, the Blessed One, the caravan leader. Just as a caravan leader leads beings across the wilderness, leads across the wilderness of robbers, leads across the wilderness of wild beasts, leads across the wilderness of famine, leads across the waterless wilderness, leads them out, brings them out, guides them out, brings them to a safe land; even so, the Blessed One, the caravan leader, leads beings across the wilderness, leads across the wilderness of birth, leads across the wilderness of old age, leads across the wilderness of sickness, leads across the wilderness of death, leads across the wilderness of sorrow, lamentation, pain, grief, and despair, leads across the wilderness of lust, leads across the wilderness of hatred, leads across the wilderness of delusion, leads across the wilderness of conceit, leads across the wilderness of wrong views, leads across the wilderness of defilements, leads across the wilderness of misconduct, leads across the thicket of lust, leads across the thicket of hatred, leads across the thicket of delusion, leads across the thicket of conceit, leads across the thicket of wrong views, leads across the thicket of defilements, leads across the thicket of misconduct, leads them out, brings them out, guides them out, brings them to the safe, deathless Nibbāna. Thus, the Blessed One is a caravan leader. Or else, the Blessed One is a leader, a discipliner, a persuader, an instructor, an illuminator, an observer, a gladdener. Thus, the Blessed One is a caravan leader. Or else, the Blessed One is the producer of the unarisen path, the generator of the ungenerated path, the proclaimer of the unproclaimed path, a knower of the path, an expert in the path, skilled in the path, and his disciples now dwell following the path, having come after him. Thus, the Blessed One is a caravan leader – thus, the Teacher is an eloquent speaker. "Having come from Tusita, the leader." The Blessed One, having passed away from the Tusita realm, mindfully and clearly comprehending, entered his mother's womb. Thus, "having come from Tusita, the leader." Or else, the devas are called Tusita. They, pleased, contented, joyful, delighted, filled with rapture and happiness, came from the deva world to the leader. Thus, "having come from Tusita, the leader." Or else, the Arahants are called Tusita. They, pleased, contented, joyful, with their aspirations fulfilled, came to the assembly of Arahants. Thus, "having come from Tusita, the leader." "Leader" means the Blessed One is the leader. He is the leader because he is the teacher of the assembly, he is the leader because he is the teacher of the assembly, he is the leader because he protects the assembly, he advises the assembly. He gathers, he instructs the gathering, he is skilled in approaching the gathering, he listens to the gathering, he lends an ear, he establishes his mind on knowledge, he raises the gathering from unwholesome things and establishes it in wholesome things, he is the leader of the gathering of monks, he is the leader of the gathering of nuns, he is the leader of the gathering of male lay followers, he is the leader of the gathering of female lay followers, he is the leader of the gathering of kings, he is the leader of the gathering of Khattiyas, he is the leader of the gathering of Brahmins, he is the leader of the gathering of Vessas, he is the leader of the gathering of Suddas, he is the leader of the gathering of devas, he is the leader of the gathering of Brahmas, he is the leader of the Sangha, the teacher of the gathering. He has come, he has approached, he has arrived, he has reached the city of Sankassa – the leader has come from Tusita. Therefore, the Elder Sāriputta said: "I have not seen before this, Nor heard from anyone; Such a sweet-speaking Teacher, The leader has come from Tusita." 191. For the world with its devas, As the Eye is seen; Having dispelled all darkness, He alone found delight. "For the world with its devas" means for the world with its devas, with its Māra, with its Brahmā, with its generation of recluses and brahmins, with its devas and humans – for the world with its devas. "As the Eye is seen" means just as the devas see the Blessed One seated at the foot of the Pāricchattaka tree on the Paṇḍukambala stone in the Tāvatiṃsa heaven, teaching the Dhamma, so do humans see him. Just as humans see him, so do devas see him. Just as he is seen by devas, so he is seen by humans. Just as he is seen by humans, so he is seen by devas. Thus, "as the Eye is seen." Or just as some venerable recluses and brahmins, though untamed, appear as if tamed; though not peaceful, appear as if peaceful; though not calmed, appear as if calmed; though not extinguished, appear as if extinguished. "Like a counterfeit clay earring, Like a copper coin plated with gold; They wander in the world, covered by their retinue, Impure within, outwardly shining." Not The Blessed One thus appears. The Blessed One, by his true, real, actual, factual, unperverted nature, appears tamed, with the appearance of one tamed, appears peaceful, with the appearance of one peaceful, appears tranquil, with the appearance of one tranquil, appears extinguished, with the appearance of one extinguished, and the Buddhas, the Blessed Ones, whose postures are not contrived, are endowed with aspirations. Thus too, the Seer appears. Or else, the Blessed One, whose voice is pure, whose fame and renown have spread, in the abodes of nāgas, and in the abodes of supaṇṇas, and in the abodes of yakkhas, and in the abodes of asuras, and in the abodes of gandhabbas, and in the abodes of great kings, and in the abodes of Inda, and in the abodes of Brahmā, and in the abodes of devas, is such and so, and even more than that. Thus too, the Seer appears. Or else, the Blessed One is endowed with ten powers, with four fearlessnesses, with four analytical knowledges, with six supernormal powers, with six Buddha-qualities, and by his splendor, and by his strength, and by his virtue, and by his energy, and by his wisdom, he is seen, he is known, he is understood. "Far off, the good shine forth, like the Himalayan mountain; The bad here are not seen, like arrows shot at night." Thus too, the Seer appears. The Seer, the Blessed One, is a seer with five eyes – he is a seer with the physical eye, he is a seer with the divine eye, he is a seer with the eye of wisdom, he is a seer with the eye of a Buddha, he is a seer with the all-seeing eye. How is the Blessed One a seer with the physical eye? In the physical eye of the Blessed One, five colors are present – blue color, and yellow color, and red color, and black color, and white color. And the eyelashes of the Blessed One. Where the eyelashes are set, that is blue, very blue, pleasing, beautiful to behold, like an umā flower. Beyond that, it is yellow, very yellow, golden-colored, pleasing, beautiful to behold, like a kaṇikāra flower. On both sides, the eye-sockets of the Blessed One are red, very red... They are beautiful, charming, like fireflies. In the middle, it is black, very black, smooth, pure, beautiful, charming, like a polished brick. Beyond that, it is white, very white, bright, pale, beautiful, charming, like a medicinal star. With this natural flesh-eye, pertaining to his own body, born of good deeds in the past, the Blessed One sees a yojana all around, by day and by night. Even when there is darkness, complete with four factors: the sun has set, it is the dark half of the month, a Uposatha day, the forest is dense, and a great black cloud has arisen. Even in such darkness, complete with four factors, he sees a yojana all around. There is no wall, or door, or rampart, or mountain, or bush, or creeper, that obstructs the sight of forms. If one were to take a single sesame seed as a mark, and throw it into a pile of sesame seeds,