AN 10.21 The Lion’s Roar – Sīhanādasutta

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AN 10.21 The Lion’s Roar – Sīhanādasutta

Numbered Discourses 10.21 – Aṅguttara Nikāya 10.21

3. The Great Chapter – 3. Mahāvagga

AN 10.21 The Lion’s Roar – Sīhanādasutta

 

1.1

Bhikkhū, towards evening the lion, king of beasts, emerges from his den,

“Sīho, bhikkhave, migarājā sāyanhasamayaṁ āsayā nikkhamati.

1.2

yawns,

Āsayā nikkhamitvā vijambhati.

1.3

looks all around the four quarters,

Vijambhitvā samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketi.

1.4

and roars his lion’s roar three times.

Samantā catuddisaṁ anuviloketvā tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ nadati.

1.5

Then he sets out on the hunt.

Tikkhattuṁ sīhanādaṁ naditvā gocarāya pakkamati.

1.6

Why is that?

Taṁ kissa hetu?

1.7

Thinking: ‘May I not accidentally injure any little creatures that happen to be in the wrong place.’

‘Māhaṁ khuddake pāṇe visamagate saṅghātaṁ āpādesin’ti.

2.1

‘Lion’ is a term for the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha.

‘Sīho’ti kho, bhikkhave, tathāgatassetaṁ adhivacanaṁ arahato sammāsambuddhassa.

2.2

When the Realized One teaches Dhamma to an assembly, this is his lion’s roar.

Yaṁ kho, bhikkhave, tathāgato parisāya dhammaṁ deseti, idamassa hoti sīhanādasmiṁ.

3.1

The Realized One possesses ten 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.

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

3.2

What ten?

Katamāni dasa?

3.3

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

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

3.4

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.

4.1

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.

4.2

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.

5.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands where all paths of practice lead.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato sabbatthagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

5.2

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

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato sabbatthagāminiṁ paṭipadaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

6.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the world with its many and diverse elements.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato anekadhātuṁ nānādhātuṁ lokaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

6.2

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

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato anekadhātuṁ nānādhātuṁ lokaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti …pe… brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

7.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the diverse convictions of sentient beings.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato sattānaṁ nānādhimuttikataṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

7.2

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

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato sattānaṁ nānādhimuttikataṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti …pe… brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

8.1

Furthermore, the Realized One truly understands the faculties of other sentient beings and other individuals after comprehending them with his mind.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ indriyaparopariyattaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti.

8.2

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

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato parasattānaṁ parapuggalānaṁ indriyaparopariyattaṁ yathābhūtaṁ pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti …pe… brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

9.1

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.

9.2

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

Yampi …pe… pajānāti, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti …pe… brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

10.1

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.’ Thus he recollects his many past lives, with features and details.

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati, seyyathidaṁ—ekampi jātiṁ dvepi jātiyo tissopi jātiyo catassopi jātiyo pañcapi jātiyo dasapi jātiyo vīsampi jātiyo tiṁsampi jātiyo cattālīsampi jātiyo paññāsampi jātiyo jātisatampi jātisahassampi jātisatasahassampi anekepi saṁvaṭṭakappe anekepi vivaṭṭakappe anekepi saṁvaṭṭavivaṭṭakappe, ‘amutrāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto amutra udapādiṁ; tatrāpāsiṁ evaṁnāmo evaṅgotto evaṁvaṇṇo evamāhāro evaṁsukhadukkhappaṭisaṁvedī evamāyupariyanto, so tato cuto idhūpapanno’ti, iti sākāraṁ sauddesaṁ anekavihitaṁ pubbenivāsaṁ anussarati.

10.2

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.

11.1

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. ‘These dear beings did bad things by way of body, speech, and mind. They spoke ill of the noble ones; they had wrong view; and they acted out of that wrong view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a place of loss, a bad place, the underworld, hell. These dear beings, however, did good things by way of body, speech, and mind. They never spoke ill of the noble ones; they had right view; and they acted out of that right view. When their body breaks up, after death, they’re reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm.’ And so, with clairvoyance that is purified and superhuman, he 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 satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti: ‘ime vata bhonto sattā kāyaduccaritena samannāgatā vacīduccaritena samannāgatā manoduccaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ upavādakā micchādiṭṭhikā micchādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā apāyaṁ duggatiṁ vinipātaṁ nirayaṁ upapannā; ime vā pana bhonto sattā kāyasucaritena samannāgatā vacīsucaritena samannāgatā manosucaritena samannāgatā ariyānaṁ anupavādakā sammādiṭṭhikā sammādiṭṭhikammasamādānā, te kāyassa bhedā paraṁ maraṇā sugatiṁ saggaṁ lokaṁ upapannā’ti. Iti dibbena cakkhunā visuddhena atikkantamānusakena satte passati cavamāne upapajjamāne hīne paṇīte suvaṇṇe dubbaṇṇe, sugate duggate yathākammūpage satte pajānāti.

11.2

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.

12.1

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

Puna caparaṁ, bhikkhave, tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati.

12.2

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

Yampi, bhikkhave, tathāgato āsavānaṁ khayā anāsavaṁ cetovimuttiṁ paññāvimuttiṁ diṭṭheva dhamme sayaṁ abhiññā sacchikatvā upasampajja viharati, idampi, bhikkhave, tathāgatassa tathāgatabalaṁ hoti, yaṁ balaṁ āgamma tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavatteti.

13.1

These are the ten 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, dasa tathāgatassa tathāgatabalāni, yehi balehi samannāgato tathāgato āsabhaṁ ṭhānaṁ paṭijānāti, parisāsu sīhanādaṁ nadati, brahmacakkaṁ pavattetī”ti.

13.2

Paṭhamaṁ.