SN 48.57

Sahampatibrahmasutta

Ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhe paṭhamābhisambuddho. Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi: “pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni amatogadhāni honti amataparāyaṇāni amatapariyosānāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Vīriyindriyaṁ …pe… satindriyaṁ …pe… samādhindriyaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Imāni pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni amatogadhāni honti amataparāyaṇāni amatapariyosānānī”ti.

With the Divinity Sahampati

At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying in Uruvelā at the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River. Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind, “When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.”

Atha kho brahmā sahampati bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi. Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca: “evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ sugata. Pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni amatogadhāni honti amataparāyaṇāni amatapariyosānāni. Katamāni pañca? Saddhindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ …pe… paññindriyaṁ bhāvitaṁ bahulīkataṁ amatogadhaṁ hoti amataparāyaṇaṁ amatapariyosānaṁ. Imāni pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni amatogadhāni honti amataparāyaṇāni amatapariyosānāni.

Then the divinity Sahampati knew the Buddha’s train of thought. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in front of the Buddha. He arranged his robe over one shoulder, raised his cupped palms toward the Buddha, and said: “That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination. What five? The faculties of faith, energy, mindfulness, immersion, and wisdom. When these five faculties are developed and cultivated they have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.

Bhūtapubbāhaṁ, bhante, kassape sammāsambuddhe brahmacariyaṁ acariṁ. Tatrapi maṁ evaṁ jānanti: ‘sahako bhikkhu, sahako bhikkhū’ti. So khvāhaṁ, bhante, imesaṁyeva pañcannaṁ indriyānaṁ bhāvitattā bahulīkatattā kāmesu kāmacchandaṁ virājetvā kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ brahmalokaṁ upapanno. Tatrapi maṁ evaṁ jānanti: ‘brahmā sahampati, brahmā sahampatī’ti. Evametaṁ, bhagavā, evametaṁ sugata. Ahametaṁ jānāmi, ahametaṁ passāmi yathā imāni pañcindriyāni bhāvitāni bahulīkatāni amatogadhāni honti amataparāyaṇāni amatapariyosānānī”ti.

Once upon a time, sir, I lived the spiritual life under the fully awakened Buddha Kassapa. There they knew me as the mendicant Sahaka. Because of developing and cultivating these same five faculties I lost desire for sensual pleasures. When my body broke up, after death, I was reborn in a good place, in the realm of divinity. There they know me as the divinity Sahampati. That’s so true, Blessed One! That’s so true, Holy One! I know and see how when these five faculties are developed and cultivated they have freedom from death as their objective, destination, and culmination.”