SN 6.5

Aññatarabrahmasutta

Sāvatthinidānaṁ. Tena kho pana samayena aññatarassa brahmuno evarūpaṁ pāpakaṁ diṭṭhigataṁ uppannaṁ hoti: “natthi so samaṇo vā brāhmaṇo vā yo idha āgaccheyyā”ti. Atha kho bhagavā tassa brahmuno cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho bhagavā tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā.

A Certain Divinity

At Sāvatthī. Now at that time a certain divinity had the following harmful misconception: “No ascetic or brahmin can come here!” Then the Buddha knew that divinity’s train of thought. As easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared in that realm of divinity. Then the Buddha sat cross-legged in the air above that divinity, having entered upon the fire element.

Atha kho āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa etadahosi: “kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi viharatī”ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisinnaṁ tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno puratthimaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

Then Venerable Mahāmoggallāna thought, “Where is the Buddha staying at present?” With clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, he saw the Buddha seated cross-legged in the air above that divinity, having entered upon the fire element. Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from Jeta’s Grove and reappeared in that realm of divinity. Then Mahāmoggallāna—positioning himself in the east, below the Buddha—sat cross-legged in the air above that divinity, having entered upon the fire element.

Atha kho āyasmato mahākassapassa etadahosi: “kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi viharatī”ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahākassapo bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā …pe… disvāna—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… evameva—jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākassapo dakkhiṇaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

Then Venerable Mahākassapa … positioned himself in the south …

Atha kho āyasmato mahākappinassa etadahosi: “kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi viharatī”ti? Addasā kho āyasmā mahākappino bhagavantaṁ dibbena cakkhunā …pe… tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… evameva—jetavane antarahito tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā mahākappino pacchimaṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

Venerable Mahākappina … positioned himself in the west …

Atha kho āyasmato anuruddhassa etadahosi: “kahaṁ nu kho bhagavā etarahi viharatī”ti? Addasā kho āyasmā anuruddho …pe… tejodhātuṁ samāpannaṁ. Disvāna—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso …pe… tasmiṁ brahmaloke pāturahosi. Atha kho āyasmā anuruddho uttaraṁ disaṁ nissāya tassa brahmuno upari vehāsaṁ pallaṅkena nisīdi tejodhātuṁ samāpajjitvā nīcataraṁ bhagavato.

Venerable Anuruddha … positioned himself in the north, below the Buddha, sitting cross-legged in the air above that divinity, having entered upon the fire element.

Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ brahmānaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Then Mahāmoggallāna addressed that divinity in verse:

“Ajjāpi te āvuso sā diṭṭhi, Yā te diṭṭhi pure ahu; Passasi vītivattantaṁ, Brahmaloke pabhassaran”ti.

“Reverend, do you still have the same view that you had in the past? Or do you see the radiance surpassing the realm of divinity?”

“Na me mārisa sā diṭṭhi, yā me diṭṭhi pure ahu; Passāmi vītivattantaṁ, brahmaloke pabhassaraṁ; Svāhaṁ ajja kathaṁ vajjaṁ, ahaṁ niccomhi sassato”ti.

“Good fellow, I don’t have that view that I had in the past. I see the radiance surpassing the realm of divinity. So how could I say today that I am permanent and eternal?”

Atha kho bhagavā taṁ brahmānaṁ saṁvejetvā—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—tasmiṁ brahmaloke antarahito jetavane pāturahosi. Atha kho so brahmā aññataraṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ āmantesi: “ehi tvaṁ, mārisa, yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkama; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ evaṁ vadehi: ‘atthi nu kho, mārisa moggallāna, aññepi tassa bhagavato sāvakā evaṁmahiddhikā evaṁmahānubhāvā; seyyathāpi bhavaṁ moggallāno kassapo kappino anuruddho’”ti? “Evaṁ, mārisā”ti kho so brahmapārisajjo tassa brahmuno paṭissutvā yenāyasmā mahāmoggallāno tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā āyasmantaṁ mahāmoggallānaṁ etadavoca: “atthi nu kho, mārisa moggallāna, aññepi tassa bhagavato sāvakā evaṁmahiddhikā evaṁmahānubhāvā; seyyathāpi bhavaṁ moggallāno kassapo kappino anuruddho”ti? Atha kho āyasmā mahāmoggallāno taṁ brahmapārisajjaṁ gāthāya ajjhabhāsi:

Having inspired a sense of awe in the Divinity, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, the Buddha vanished from the realm of divinity and reappeared in Jeta’s Grove. Then that divinity addressed a member of his retinue, “Please, good fellow, go up to Venerable Mahāmoggallāna and say to him: ‘Moggallāna my good fellow, are there any other disciples of the Buddha who have power and might comparable to the worthies Moggallāna, Kassapa, Kappina, and Anuruddha?’” “Yes, good fellow,” replied that retinue member. He went to Moggallāna and asked as instructed. Then Mahāmoggallāna addressed that member of the retinue of Divinity in verse:

“Tevijjā iddhipattā ca, cetopariyāyakovidā; Khīṇāsavā arahanto, bahū buddhassa sāvakā”ti.

“There are many disciples of the Buddha who have the three knowledges, and have attained psychic power, expert in encompassing minds, they’re perfected ones with defilements ended.”

Atha kho so brahmapārisajjo āyasmato mahāmoggallānassa bhāsitaṁ abhinanditvā anumoditvā yena so brahmā tenupasaṅkami; upasaṅkamitvā taṁ brahmānaṁ etadavoca: “āyasmā, mārisa, mahāmoggallāno evamāha:

Then that member of the retinue of Divinity, having approved and agreed with what Mahāmoggallāna said, went to that divinity and said to him, “Good fellow, Venerable Mahāmoggallāna said this:

‘Tevijjā iddhipattā ca, cetopariyāyakovidā; Khīṇāsavā arahanto, bahū buddhassa sāvakā’”ti.

‘There are many disciples of the Buddha who have the three knowledges, and have attained psychic power, expert in encompassing minds, they’re perfected ones with defilements ended.’”

Idamavoca so brahmapārisajjo. Attamano ca so brahmā tassa brahmapārisajjassa bhāsitaṁ abhinandīti.

That is what that member of the retinue of Divinity said. Satisfied, that divinity approved what the member of his retinue said.