SN 22.78

Sīhasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. “Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati; āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati; vijambhitvā samantā catuddisā anuviloketi; samantā catuddisā anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati; tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati. Ye hi keci, bhikkhave, tiracchānagatā pāṇā sīhassa migarañño nadato saddaṁ suṇanti; yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti; bilaṁ bilāsayā pavisanti; dakaṁ dakāsayā pavisanti; vanaṁ vanāsayā pavisanti; ākāsaṁ pakkhino bhajanti. Yepi te, bhikkhave, rañño nāgā gāmanigamarājadhānīsu, daḷhehi varattehi baddhā, tepi tāni bandhanāni sañchinditvā sampadāletvā bhītā muttakarīsaṁ cajamānā, yena vā tena vā palāyanti. Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, sīho migarājā tiracchānagatānaṁ pāṇānaṁ, evaṁ mahesakkho, evaṁ mahānubhāvo.

The Lion

At Sāvatthī. “Mendicants, toward evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den, yawns, surveys the four quarters, and roars his lion’s roar three times. Then he sets out on the hunt. And whatever animals hear the roar of the lion, king of beasts, are typically filled with fear, awe, and terror. They return to their lairs, be they in a hole, the water, or a wood; and the birds take to the air. Even the royal elephants, bound with strong harnesses in the villages, towns, and capital cities, break apart their bonds, and urinate and defecate in terror as they flee here and there. That’s how powerful is the lion, king of beasts, over animals, how illustrious and mighty.

Evameva kho, bhikkhave, yadā tathāgato loke uppajjati arahaṁ sammāsambuddho vijjācaraṇasampanno sugato lokavidū anuttaro purisadammasārathi satthā devamanussānaṁ buddho bhagavā. So dhammaṁ deseti: ‘iti rūpaṁ, iti rūpassa samudayo, iti rūpassa atthaṅgamo; iti vedanā … iti saññā … iti saṅkhārā … iti viññāṇaṁ, iti viññāṇassa samudayo, iti viññāṇassa atthaṅgamo’ti. Yepi te, bhikkhave, devā dīghāyukā vaṇṇavanto sukhabahulā uccesu vimānesu ciraṭṭhitikā tepi tathāgatassa dhammadesanaṁ sutvā yebhuyyena bhayaṁ saṁvegaṁ santāsaṁ āpajjanti: ‘aniccāva kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā niccamhāti amaññimha. Addhuvāva kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā dhuvamhāti amaññimha. Asassatāva kira, bho, mayaṁ samānā sassatamhāti amaññimha. Mayampi kira, bho, aniccā addhuvā asassatā sakkāyapariyāpannā’ti. Evaṁ mahiddhiko kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato sadevakassa lokassa, evaṁ mahesakkho, evaṁ mahānubhāvo”ti. Idamavoca bhagavā …pe… etadavoca satthā:

In the same way, when a Realized One arises in the world—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—he teaches the Dhamma: ‘Such is form, such is the origin of form, such is the disappearance of form. Such is feeling … Such is perception … Such are choices … Such is consciousness, such is the origin of consciousness, such is the disappearance of consciousness.’ Now, there are gods who are long-lived, beautiful, and very happy, lasting long in their divine palaces. When they hear this teaching by the Realized One, they’re typically filled with fear, awe, and terror. ‘Oh no! It turns out we’re impermanent, though we thought we were permanent! It turns out we don’t last, though we thought we were everlasting! It turns out we’re transient, though we thought we were eternal! It turns out that we’re impermanent, not lasting, transient, and included within substantial reality.’ That’s how powerful is the Realized One in the world with its gods, how illustrious and mighty.” That is what the Buddha said. Then the Holy One, the Teacher, went on to say:

“Yadā buddho abhiññāya, dhammacakkaṁ pavattayi; Sadevakassa lokassa, satthā appaṭipuggalo.

“The Buddha, the unrivaled Teacher in all the world with its gods, rolls forth the Wheel of Dhamma from his own insight:

Sakkāyañca nirodhañca, sakkāyassa ca sambhavaṁ; Ariyañcaṭṭhaṅgikaṁ maggaṁ, dukkhūpasamagāminaṁ.

substantial reality, its cessation, the origin of substantial reality, and the noble eightfold path that leads to the stilling of suffering.

Yepi dīghāyukā devā, vaṇṇavanto yasassino; Bhītā santāsamāpāduṁ, sīhassevitare migā.

And then the long-lived gods, so beautiful and glorious, are afraid and full of terror, like the other beasts when they hear a lion.

Avītivattā sakkāyaṁ, aniccā kira bho mayaṁ; Sutvā arahato vākyaṁ, vippamuttassa tādino”ti.

‘We haven’t passed beyond substantial reality! It turns out we’re impermanent!’ So they say when they hear the word of the perfected one, free and unaffected.”