AN 4.23

Lokasutta

“Loko, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. Lokasmā tathāgato visaṁyutto. Lokasamudayo, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. Lokasamudayo tathāgatassa pahīno. Lokanirodho, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddho. Lokanirodho tathāgatassa sacchikato. Lokanirodhagāminī paṭipadā, bhikkhave, tathāgatena abhisambuddhā. Lokanirodhagāminī paṭipadā tathāgatassa bhāvitā.

The World

“Mendicants, the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he is detached from the world. The origin of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has given up the origin of the world. The cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has realized the cessation of the world. The practice that leads to the cessation of the world has been understood by the Realized One; and he has developed the practice that leads to the cessation of the world.

Yaṁ, bhikkhave, sadevakassa lokassa samārakassa sabrahmakassa sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya diṭṭhaṁ sutaṁ mutaṁ viññātaṁ pattaṁ pariyesitaṁ anuvicaritaṁ manasā, sabbaṁ taṁ tathāgatena abhisambuddhaṁ. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans—whatever is seen, heard, thought, known, attained, sought, and explored by the mind, all that has been understood by the Realized One. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

Yañca, bhikkhave, rattiṁ tathāgato anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambujjhati yañca rattiṁ anupādisesāya nibbānadhātuyā parinibbāyati, yaṁ etasmiṁ antare bhāsati lapati niddisati sabbaṁ taṁ tatheva hoti, no aññathā. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

From the night when the Realized One awakens to the supreme perfect awakening until the night he becomes fully extinguished—in the element of extinguishment with no residue—everything he speaks, says, and expresses is real, not otherwise. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

Yathāvādī, bhikkhave, tathāgato tathākārī, yathākārī tathāvādī. Iti yathāvādī tathākārī, yathākārī tathāvādī. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

The Realized One does as he says, and says as he does. Since this is so, that’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

Sadevake, bhikkhave, loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya tathāgato abhibhū anabhibhūto aññadatthu daso vasavattī. Tasmā ‘tathāgato’ti vuccati.

In this world—with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—the Realized One is the vanquisher, the unvanquished, the universal seer, the wielder of power. That’s why he’s called the ‘Realized One’.

Sabbaṁ lokaṁ abhiññāya, sabbaṁ loke yathātathaṁ; Sabbaṁ lokaṁ visaṁyutto, sabbaloke anūpayo.

Directly knowing the whole world as it is, and everything in it, he is detached from the whole world, uninvolved with the whole world.

Sa ve sabbābhibhū dhīro, sabbaganthappamocano; Phuṭṭha’ssa paramā santi, nibbānaṁ akutobhayaṁ.

That attentive one is the vanquisher of all who is released from all ties. He has reached ultimate peace: extinguishment, fearing nothing from any quarter.

Esa khīṇāsavo buddho, anīgho chinnasaṁsayo; Sabbakammakkhayaṁ patto, vimutto upadhisaṅkhaye.

He is the Buddha, with defilements ended, untroubled, with doubts cut off. He has attained the end of all deeds, freed with the ending of attachments.

Esa so bhagavā buddho, esa sīho anuttaro; Sadevakassa lokassa, brahmacakkaṁ pavattayī.

That Blessed One is the Buddha, he is the supreme lion, in all the world with its gods, he turns the divine wheel.

Iti devā manussā ca, ye buddhaṁ saraṇaṁ gatā; Saṅgamma taṁ namassanti, mahantaṁ vītasāradaṁ.

And so those gods and humans, who have gone to the Buddha for refuge, come together and revere him, great of heart and intrepid:

Danto damayataṁ seṭṭho, santo samayataṁ isi; Mutto mocayataṁ aggo, tiṇṇo tārayataṁ varo.

‘Tamed, he is the best of tamers, peaceful, he is the seer among the peaceful, liberated, he is the foremost of liberators, crossed over, he is the most excellent of guides across.’

Iti hetaṁ namassanti, mahantaṁ vītasāradaṁ; Sadevakasmiṁ lokasmiṁ, natthi me paṭipuggalo”ti.

And so they revere him, great of heart and intrepid. In the world with its gods, he has no rival.”