AN 8.64

Gayāsīsasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā gayāyaṁ viharati gayāsīse. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi …pe… “pubbāhaṁ, bhikkhave, sambodhā anabhisambuddho bodhisattova samāno obhāsaññeva kho sañjānāmi, no ca rūpāni passāmi.

At Gayā Head

At one time the Buddha was staying near Gayā on Gayā Head. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants: “Mendicants, before my awakening—when I was still not awake but intent on awakening—I perceived light but did not see forms.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘sace kho ahaṁ obhāsañceva sañjāneyyaṁ rūpāni ca passeyyaṁ; evaṁ me idaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ parisuddhataraṁ assā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘What if I were to both perceive light and see forms? Then my knowledge and vision would become even more purified.’

So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, aparena samayena appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto obhāsañceva sañjānāmi, rūpāni ca passāmi; no ca kho tāhi devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭhāmi sallapāmi sākacchaṁ samāpajjāmi.

So after some time, living diligent, keen, and resolute, I perceived light and saw forms. But I didn’t associate with those deities, converse, or engage in discussion.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘sace kho ahaṁ obhāsañceva sañjāneyyaṁ, rūpāni ca passeyyaṁ, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭheyyaṁ sallapeyyaṁ sākacchaṁ samāpajjeyyaṁ; evaṁ me idaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ parisuddhataraṁ assā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘What if I were to perceive light and see forms; and associate with those deities, converse, and engage in discussion? Then my knowledge and vision would become even more purified.’

So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, aparena samayena appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto obhāsañceva sañjānāmi, rūpāni ca passāmi, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭhāmi sallapāmi sākacchaṁ samāpajjāmi; no ca kho tā devatā jānāmi— imā devatā amukamhā vā amukamhā vā devanikāyāti.

So after some time … I perceived light and saw forms. And I associated with those deities, conversed, and engaged in discussion. But I didn’t know which orders of gods those deities came from.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘sace kho ahaṁ obhāsañceva sañjāneyyaṁ, rūpāni ca passeyyaṁ, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭheyyaṁ sallapeyyaṁ sākacchaṁ samāpajjeyyaṁ, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ: “imā devatā amukamhā vā amukamhā vā devanikāyā”ti; evaṁ me idaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ parisuddhataraṁ assā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘What if I were to perceive light and see forms; and associate with those deities, converse, and engage in discussion; and find out which orders of gods those deities come from? Then my knowledge and vision would become even more purified.’

So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, aparena samayena appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto obhāsañceva sañjānāmi, rūpāni ca passāmi, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭhāmi sallapāmi sākacchaṁ samāpajjāmi, tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā amukamhā vā amukamhā vā devanikāyā’ti; no ca kho tā devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena ito cutā tattha upapannā’ti …pe… tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena ito cutā tattha upapannā’ti; no ca kho tā devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena evamāhārā evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvediniyo’ti …pe… tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena evamāhārā evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvediniyo’ti; no ca kho tā devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā evaṁdīghāyukā evaṁciraṭṭhitikā’ti …pe… tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā evaṁdīghāyukā evaṁciraṭṭhitikā’ti; no ca kho tā devatā jānāmi yadi vā me imāhi devatāhi saddhiṁ sannivutthapubbaṁ yadi vā na sannivutthapubbanti.

So after some time … I perceived light and saw forms. And I associated with those deities … And I found out which orders of gods those deities came from. But I didn’t know what deeds caused those deities to be reborn there after passing away from here. So after some time … I found out what deeds caused those deities to be reborn there after passing away from here. But I didn’t know what deeds caused those deities to have such food and such an experience of pleasure and pain. So after some time … I found out what deeds caused those deities to have such food and such an experience of pleasure and pain. But I didn’t know that these deities have a lifespan of such a length. So after some time … I found out that these deities have a lifespan of such a length. But I didn’t know whether or not I had previously lived together with those deities.

Tassa mayhaṁ, bhikkhave, etadahosi: ‘sace kho ahaṁ obhāsañceva sañjāneyyaṁ, rūpāni ca passeyyaṁ, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭheyyaṁ sallapeyyaṁ sākacchaṁ samāpajjeyyaṁ, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ: “imā devatā amukamhā vā amukamhā vā devanikāyā”ti, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ: “imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena ito cutā tattha upapannā”ti, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ: “imā devatā evamāhārā evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvediniyo”ti, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ: “imā devatā evaṁdīghāyukā evaṁciraṭṭhitikā”ti, tā ca devatā jāneyyaṁ yadi vā me imāhi devatāhi saddhiṁ sannivutthapubbaṁ yadi vā na sannivutthapubbanti; evaṁ me idaṁ ñāṇadassanaṁ parisuddhataraṁ assā’ti.

Then it occurred to me, ‘What if I were to perceive light and see forms; and associate with those deities, converse, and engage in discussion; and find out which orders of gods those deities come from; and what deeds caused those deities to be reborn there after passing away from here; and what deeds caused those deities to have such food and such an experience of pleasure and pain; and that these deities have a lifespan of such a length; and whether or not I have previously lived together with those deities? Then my knowledge and vision would become even more purified.’

So kho ahaṁ, bhikkhave, aparena samayena appamatto ātāpī pahitatto viharanto obhāsañceva sañjānāmi, rūpāni ca passāmi, tāhi ca devatāhi saddhiṁ santiṭṭhāmi sallapāmi sākacchaṁ samāpajjāmi, tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā amukamhā vā amukamhā vā devanikāyā’ti, tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā imassa kammassa vipākena ito cutā tattha upapannā’ti, tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā evamāhārā evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvediniyo’ti, tā ca devatā jānāmi: ‘imā devatā evaṁdīghāyukā evaṁciraṭṭhitikā’ti, tā ca devatā jānāmi yadi vā me devatāhi saddhiṁ sannivutthapubbaṁ yadi vā na sannivutthapubbanti.

So after some time … I found out whether or not I have previously lived together with those deities.

Yāvakīvañca me, bhikkhave, evaṁ aṭṭhaparivaṭṭaṁ adhidevañāṇadassanaṁ na suvisuddhaṁ ahosi, neva tāvāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ. Yato ca kho me, bhikkhave, evaṁ aṭṭhaparivaṭṭaṁ adhidevañāṇadassanaṁ suvisuddhaṁ ahosi, athāhaṁ, bhikkhave, ‘sadevake loke samārake sabrahmake sassamaṇabrāhmaṇiyā pajāya sadevamanussāya anuttaraṁ sammāsambodhiṁ abhisambuddho’ti paccaññāsiṁ; ñāṇañca pana me dassanaṁ udapādi; akuppā me cetovimutti; ayamantimā jāti natthi dāni punabbhavo”ti.

As long as my knowledge and vision about the deities was not fully purified in these eight rounds, I didn’t announce my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. But when my knowledge and vision about the deities was fully purified in these eight rounds, I announced my supreme perfect awakening in this world with its gods, Māras, and divinities, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, its gods and humans. Knowledge and vision arose in me: ‘My freedom is unshakable; this is my last rebirth; now there’ll be no more future lives.’”