AN 6 The Book of the Sixes – Chakkanipāta > AN 6.64 The Lion’s Roar

Numbered Discourses 6.64 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 6.64

6. The Great Chapter – 6. Mahāvagga

AN 6.64 The Lion’s Roar – Sīhanādasutta

1.1

“Bhikkhū, the Realized One possesses six powers of a Realized One. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the holy wheel.

“Chayimāni, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalāni, yehi balehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

1.2

What six?

Katamāni cha?

1.3

Firstly, the Realized One truly understands the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible.

Idha, bhikkhave, tathāgato ṭhānañca ṭhānato aṭṭhānañca aṭṭhānato yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

1.4

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. Relying on this he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the holy wheel.

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato ṭhānañca ṭhānato aṭṭhānañca aṭṭhānato yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

2.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the result of deeds undertaken in the past, future, and present in terms of causes and reasons.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato atītānāgatapaccuppannānaṁ kammasamādānānaṁ ṭhānaso hetuso vipākaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

2.2

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato atītānāgatapaccuppannānaṁ kammasamādānānaṁ ṭhānaso hetuso vipākaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

3.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands corruption, cleansing, and emergence regarding the absorptions, liberations, samādhis, and attainments.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato jhānavimokkhasamādhisamāpattīnaṁ saṅkilesaṁ vodānaṁ vuṭṭhānaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

3.2

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato …pe… idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

4.1

Furthermore, the Realized One recollects many kinds of past lives. That is: one, two, three, four, five, ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty, a hundred, a thousand, a hundred thousand rebirths; many eons of the world contracting, many eons of the world expanding, many eons of the world contracting and expanding. He remembers: ‘There, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn somewhere else. There, too, I was named this, my clan was that, I looked like this, and that was my food. This was how I felt pleasure and pain, and that was how my life ended. When I passed away from that place I was reborn here.’ And so he recollects his many kinds of past lives, with features and details.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.

4.2

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ, dvepi jātiyo …pe… iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

5.1

Furthermore, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, the Realized One sees sentient beings passing away and being reborn—inferior and superior, beautiful and ugly, in a good place or a bad place. He understands how sentient beings are reborn according to their deeds.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.

5.2

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. …

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena …pe… yathākammūpage satte pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

6.1

Furthermore, the Realized One has realized the undefiled freedom of heart and freedom by wisdom in this very life. And he lives having realized it with his own insight due to the ending of defilements.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

6.2

Since he truly understands this, this is a power of the Realized One. Relying on this he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the holy wheel.

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā …pe… sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

6.3

These are the six powers of a Realized One that the Realized One possesses. With these he claims the bull’s place, roars his lion’s roar in the assemblies, and turns the holy wheel.

Imāni kho, bhikkhave, cha tathāgatassa tathāgatabalāni, yehi balehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

7.1

If others come to the Realized One and ask questions about his true knowledge of the possible as possible and the impossible as impossible,

Tatra ce, bhikkhave, pare tathāgataṁ ṭhānañca ṭhānato aṭṭhānañca aṭṭhānato yathābhūtaṁ ñāṇena upasaṅkamitvā pañhaṁ pucchanti.

7.2