SN 1–11 The Group of Connected Discourses With Verses – Sagāthāvaggasaṁyutta > SN 6 Connected Discourses With Brahmā Gods – Brahmasaṁyutta > SN 6.1 The Appeal of Brahmā

Linked Discourses 6.1 – Saṁyutta Nikāya 6.1

1. The Appeal – 1. Paṭhamavagga

SN 6.1 The Appeal of Brahmā – Brahmāyācanasutta

So I have heard.

Evaṁ me sutaṁ—

At one time, when he was first awakened, the Buddha was staying near Uruvelā at the root of the goatherd’s banyan tree on the bank of the Nerañjarā River.

ekaṁ samayaṁ bhagavā uruvelāyaṁ viharati najjā nerañjarāya tīre ajapālanigrodhamūle paṭhamābhisambuddho.

Then as he was in private retreat this thought came to his mind,

Atha kho bhagavato rahogatassa paṭisallīnassa evaṁ cetaso parivitakko udapādi:

“This principle I have discovered is deep, hard to see, hard to understand, peaceful, sublime, beyond the scope of logic, subtle, comprehensible to the astute.

“adhigato kho myāyaṁ dhammo gambhīro duddaso duranubodho santo paṇīto atakkāvacaro nipuṇo paṇḍitavedanīyo.

But people like attachment, they love it and enjoy it.

Ālayarāmā kho panāyaṁ pajā ālayaratā ālayasammuditā.

It’s hard for them to see this thing; that is, specific conditionality, dependent origination.

Ālayarāmāya kho pana pajāya ālayaratāya ālayasammuditāya duddasaṁ idaṁ ṭhānaṁ yadidaṁ idappaccayatāpaṭiccasamuppādo.

It’s also hard for them to see this thing; that is, the stilling of all activities, the letting go of all attachments, the ending of craving, fading away, cessation, extinguishment.

Idampi kho ṭhānaṁ duddasaṁ yadidaṁ sabbasaṅkhārasamatho sabbūpadhipaṭinissaggo taṇhākkhayo virāgo nirodho nibbānaṁ.

And if I were to teach this principle, others might not understand me, which would be wearying and troublesome for me.”

Ahañceva kho pana dhammaṁ deseyyaṁ; pare ca me na ājāneyyuṁ; so mamassa kilamatho, sā mamassa vihesā”ti.

And then these verses, which were neither supernaturally inspired, nor learned before in the past, occurred to the Buddha:

Apissu bhagavantaṁ imā anacchariyā gāthāyo paṭibhaṁsu pubbe assutapubbā:

“I’ve struggled hard to realize this,

“Kicchena me adhigataṁ,

enough with trying to explain it!

halaṁ dāni pakāsituṁ;

This principle is not easily understood

Rāgadosaparetehi,

by those mired in greed and hate.

nāyaṁ dhammo susambudho.

Those besotted by greed can’t see

Paṭisotagāmiṁ nipuṇaṁ,

what’s subtle, going against the stream,

gambhīraṁ duddasaṁ aṇuṁ;

deep, hard to see, and very fine,

Rāgarattā na dakkhanti,

for they’re shrouded in a mass of darkness.”

tamokhandhena āvuṭā”ti.

And as the Buddha reflected like this, his mind inclined to remaining passive, not to teaching the Dhamma.

Itiha bhagavato paṭisañcikkhato appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāya.

Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing what the Buddha was thinking, thought,

Atha kho brahmuno sahampatissa bhagavato cetasā cetoparivitakkamaññāya etadahosi:

“Oh my goodness! The world will be lost, the world will perish! For the mind of the Realized One, the perfected one, the fully awakened Buddha, inclines to remaining passive, not to teaching the Dhamma.”

“nassati vata bho loko, vinassati vata bho loko, yatra hi nāma tathāgatassa arahato sammāsambuddhassa appossukkatāya cittaṁ namati, no dhammadesanāyā”ti.

Then, as easily as a strong person would extend or contract their arm, he vanished from the Brahmā realm and reappeared in front of the Buddha.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati—seyyathāpi nāma balavā puriso samiñjitaṁ vā bāhaṁ pasāreyya, pasāritaṁ vā bāhaṁ samiñjeyya; evameva—brahmaloke antarahito bhagavato purato pāturahosi.

He arranged his robe over one shoulder, knelt with his right knee on the ground, raised his joined palms toward the Buddha, and said:

Atha kho brahmā sahampati ekaṁsaṁ uttarāsaṅgaṁ karitvā dakkhiṇajāṇumaṇḍalaṁ pathaviyaṁ nihantvā yena bhagavā tenañjaliṁ paṇāmetvā bhagavantaṁ etadavoca:

“Sir, let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma! Let the Holy One teach the Dhamma!

“desetu, bhante, bhagavā dhammaṁ, desetu sugato dhammaṁ.

There are beings with little dust in their eyes. They’re in decline because they haven’t heard the teaching.

Santi sattā apparajakkhajātikā, assavanatā dhammassa parihāyanti.

There will be those who understand the teaching!”

Bhavissanti dhammassa aññātāro”ti.

This is what Brahmā Sahampati said. Then he went on to say:

Idamavoca brahmā sahampati, idaṁ vatvā athāparaṁ etadavoca:

“Among the Magadhans there appeared in the past

“Pāturahosi magadhesu pubbe,

an impure teaching thought up by those still stained.

Dhammo asuddho samalehi cintito;

Fling open the door to the deathless!

Apāpuretaṁ amatassa dvāraṁ,

Let them hear the teaching the immaculate one discovered.

Suṇantu dhammaṁ vimalenānubuddhaṁ.

Standing high on a rocky mountain,

Sele yathā pabbatamuddhaniṭṭhito,

you can see the people all around.

Yathāpi passe janataṁ samantato;

In just the same way, all-seer, wise one,

Tathūpamaṁ dhammamayaṁ sumedha,

having ascended the Temple of Truth,

Pāsādamāruyha samantacakkhu;

rid of sorrow, look upon the people

Sokāvatiṇṇaṁ janatamapetasoko,

swamped with sorrow, oppressed by rebirth and old age.

Avekkhassu jātijarābhibhūtaṁ.

Rise, hero! Victor in battle, leader of the caravan,

Uṭṭhehi vīra vijitasaṅgāma,

wander the world without obligation.

Satthavāha anaṇa vicara loke;

Let the Blessed One teach the Dhamma!

Desassu bhagavā dhammaṁ,

There will be those who understand!”

Aññātāro bhavissantī”ti.

Then the Buddha, understanding Brahmā’s invitation, surveyed the world with the eye of a Buddha, because of his compassion for sentient beings.

Atha kho bhagavā brahmuno ca ajjhesanaṁ viditvā sattesu ca kāruññataṁ paṭicca buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokesi.

And the Buddha saw sentient beings with little dust in their eyes, and some with much dust in their eyes; with keen faculties and with weak faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach. And some of them lived seeing the danger in the fault to do with the next world, while others did not.

Addasā kho bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante.

It’s like a pool with blue water lilies, or pink or white lotuses. Some of them sprout and grow in the water without rising above it, thriving underwater. Some of them sprout and grow in the water reaching the water’s surface. And some of them sprout and grow in the water but rise up above the water and stand with no water clinging to them.

Seyyathāpi nāma uppaliniyaṁ vā paduminiyaṁ vā puṇḍarīkiniyaṁ vā appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakānuggatāni anto nimuggaposīni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni samodakaṁ ṭhitāni, appekaccāni uppalāni vā padumāni vā puṇḍarīkāni vā udake jātāni udake saṁvaḍḍhāni udakā accuggamma ṭhitāni anupalittāni udakena;

In the same way, the Buddha saw sentient beings with little dust in their eyes, and some with much dust in their eyes; with keen faculties and with weak faculties, with good qualities and with bad qualities, easy to teach and hard to teach. And some of them lived seeing the danger in the fault to do with the next world, while others did not.

evameva bhagavā buddhacakkhunā lokaṁ volokento addasa satte apparajakkhe mahārajakkhe tikkhindriye mudindriye svākāre dvākāre suviññāpaye duviññāpaye, appekacce paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante, appekacce na paralokavajjabhayadassāvine viharante.

When he had seen this he replied in verse to Brahmā Sahampati:

Disvāna brahmānaṁ sahampatiṁ gāthāya paccabhāsi:

“Flung open are the doors to the deathless!

“Apārutā tesaṁ amatassa dvārā,

Let those with ears to hear commit to faith.

Ye sotavanto pamuñcantu saddhaṁ;

Thinking it would be troublesome, Brahmā, I did not teach

Vihiṁsasaññī paguṇaṁ na bhāsiṁ,

the sophisticated, sublime Dhamma among humans.”

Dhammaṁ paṇītaṁ manujesu brahme”ti.

Then Brahmā Sahampati, knowing that his request for the Buddha to teach the Dhamma had been granted, bowed and respectfully circled the Buddha, keeping him on his right, before vanishing right there.

Atha kho brahmā sahampati “katāvakāso khomhi bhagavatā dhammadesanāyā”ti bhagavantaṁ abhivādetvā padakkhiṇaṁ katvā tatthevantaradhāyīti.