SN 11.3

Dhajaggasutta

Sāvatthiyaṁ. Tatra kho bhagavā bhikkhū āmantesi: “bhikkhavo”ti. “Bhadante”ti te bhikkhū bhagavato paccassosuṁ. Bhagavā etadavoca:

The Banner’s Crest

At Sāvatthī. There the Buddha addressed the mendicants, “Mendicants!” “Venerable sir,” they replied. The Buddha said this:

“Bhūtapubbaṁ, bhikkhave, devāsurasaṅgāmo samupabyūḷho ahosi. Atha kho, bhikkhave, sakko devānamindo deve tāvatiṁse āmantesi:

“Once upon a time, mendicants, a battle was fought between the gods and the titans. Then Sakka, lord of gods, addressed the gods of the thirty-three:

‘Sace, mārisā, devānaṁ saṅgāmagatānaṁ uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha. Mamañhi vo dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

‘Good fellows, when the gods are fighting, if you get scared or terrified, just look up at my banner’s crest. Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce me dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha. Pajāpatissa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

If you can’t see my banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of the Progenitor, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce pajāpatissa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha. Varuṇassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Varuṇa, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce varuṇassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha, atha īsānassa devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokeyyātha. Īsānassa hi vo devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissatī’ti.

If you can’t see his banner’s crest, then look up at the banner’s crest of Īsāna, king of gods. Then your fear and terror will go away.’

Taṁ kho pana, bhikkhave, sakkassa vā devānamindassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, pajāpatissa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, varuṇassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ, īsānassa vā devarājassa dhajaggaṁ ullokayataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyethāpi nopi pahīyetha.

However, when they look up at those banner’s crests their fear and terror might go away or it might not.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Sakko hi, bhikkhave, devānamindo avītarāgo avītadoso avītamoho bhīru chambhī utrāsī palāyīti.

Why is that? Because Sakka is not free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearful, scared, nervous, quick to flee.

Ahañca kho, bhikkhave, evaṁ vadāmi: ‘sace tumhākaṁ, bhikkhave, araññagatānaṁ vā rukkhamūlagatānaṁ vā suññāgāragatānaṁ vā uppajjeyya bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, mameva tasmiṁ samaye anussareyyātha: “itipi so bhagavā arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā”ti. Mamañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

But, mendicants, I say this: If you’ve gone to a wilderness, or to the root of a tree, or to an empty hut and you get scared or terrified, just recollect me: ‘That Blessed One is perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those fit for training, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce maṁ anussareyyātha, atha dhammaṁ anussareyyātha: “svākkhāto bhagavatā dhammo sandiṭṭhiko akāliko ehipassiko opaneyyiko paccattaṁ veditabbo viññūhī”ti. Dhammañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

If you can’t recollect me, then recollect the teaching: ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha—apparent in the present life, immediately effective, inviting inspection, relevant, so that sensible people can know it for themselves.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

No ce dhammaṁ anussareyyātha, atha saṅghaṁ anussareyyātha: “suppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ujuppaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho ñāyappaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho sāmīcippaṭipanno bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, yadidaṁ cattāri purisayugāni aṭṭha purisapuggalā esa bhagavato sāvakasaṅgho, āhuneyyo pāhuneyyo dakkhiṇeyyo añjalikaraṇīyo anuttaraṁ puññakkhettaṁ lokassā”ti. Saṅghañhi vo, bhikkhave, anussarataṁ yaṁ bhavissati bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā lomahaṁso vā, so pahīyissati.

If you can’t recollect the teaching, then recollect the Saṅgha: ‘The Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples is practicing the way that’s good, direct, systematic, and proper. It consists of the four pairs, the eight individual persons. This is the Saṅgha of the Buddha’s disciples that is worthy of offerings dedicated to the gods, worthy of hospitality, worthy of a religious donation, worthy of greeting with cupped palms, and is the supreme field of merit for the world.’ Then your fear and terror will go away.

Taṁ kissa hetu? Tathāgato hi, bhikkhave, arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vītarāgo vītadoso vītamoho abhīru acchambhī anutrāsī apalāyī’”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā. Idaṁ vatvāna sugato athāparaṁ etadavoca satthā:

Why is that? Because the Realized One is free of greed, hate, and delusion. He is fearless, brave, bold, and stands his ground.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Araññe rukkhamūle vā, suññāgāreva bhikkhavo; Anussaretha sambuddhaṁ, bhayaṁ tumhāka no siyā.

“In the wilderness, at a tree’s root, or an empty hut, O mendicants, recollect the Buddha, and no fear will come to you.

No ce buddhaṁ sareyyātha, lokajeṭṭhaṁ narāsabhaṁ; Atha dhammaṁ sareyyātha, niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ.

If you can’t recollect the Buddha— the eldest in the world, the captain of men— then recollect the teaching, emancipating, well taught.

No ce dhammaṁ sareyyātha, niyyānikaṁ sudesitaṁ; Atha saṅghaṁ sareyyātha, puññakkhettaṁ anuttaraṁ.

If you can’t recollect the teaching— emancipating, well taught— then recollect the Saṅgha, the supreme field of merit.

Evaṁ buddhaṁ sarantānaṁ, Dhammaṁ saṅghañca bhikkhavo; Bhayaṁ vā chambhitattaṁ vā, Lomahaṁso na hessatī”ti.

Thus recollecting the Buddha, the teaching, and the Saṅgha, mendicants, fear and terror and goosebumps will be no more.”