8

Ayacana Sutta The Request

Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu For free distribution only

I have heard that on one occasion, when the Blessed One was newly Self-awakened, he was staying at ruvela on the bank of the !era"#ara $iver, at the foot of the %oatherd&s Banyan Tree' Then, while he was alone and in seclusion, this line of thinking arose in his awareness( )This *hamma that I have attained is dee+, hard to see, hard to reali,e, +eaceful, refined, beyond the sco+e of con#ecture, subtle, to-be-e-+erienced by the wise' But this generation delights in attachment, is e-cited by attachment, en#oys attachment' For a generation delighting in attachment, e-cited by attachment, en#oying attachment, this.that conditionality and de+endent co-arising are hard to see' This state, too, is hard to see( the resolution of all fabrications, the relin/uishment of all ac/uisitions, the ending of craving0 dis+assion0 cessation0 nbinding' 1nd if I were to teach the *hamma and if others would not understand me, that would be tiresome for me, troublesome for me') 2ust then these verses, uns+oken in the +ast, unheard before, occurred to the Blessed One( 3nough now with teaching what only with difficulty I reached' This *hamma is not easily reali,ed by those overcome with aversion and +assion' 4hat is abstruse, subtle, dee+, hard to see, going against the flow -those delighting in +assion, cloaked in the mass of darkness, won5t see' 1s the Blessed One reflected thus, his mind inclined to dwelling at ease, not to teaching the *hamma' Then Brahma Saham+ati, having known with his own awareness the line of thinking in the Blessed One&s awareness, thought( )The world is lost6 The world is destroyed6 The mind of the Tath7gata, the 1rahant, the $ightly Self-awakened One inclines to dwelling at ease, not to teaching the *hamma6) Then, #ust as a strong man might e-tend his fle-ed arm or fle- his e-tended arm, Brahma Saham+ati disa++eared from the Brahma-world

< and rea++eared in front the Blessed One' 1rranging his u++er robe over one shoulder, he knelt down with his right knee on the ground, saluted the Blessed One with his hands before his heart, and said to him( )9ord, let the Blessed One teach the *hamma6 9et the One-4ell-%one teach the *hamma6 There are beings with little dust in their eyes who are falling away because they do not hear the *hamma' There will be those who will understand the *hamma') That is what Brahma Saham+ati said' :aving said that, he further said this( In the +ast there a++eared among the ;agadhans an im+ure *hamma devised by the stained' Throw o+en the door to the *eathless6 9et them hear the *hamma reali,ed by the Stainless One6 2ust as one standing on a rocky crag might see +eo+le all around below, So, O wise one, with all-around vision, ascend the +alace fashioned of the *hamma' Free from sorrow, behold the +eo+le submerged in sorrow, o++ressed by birth and aging' $ise u+, hero, victor in battle6 O Teacher, wander without debt in the world' Teach the *hamma, O Blessed One( There will be those who will understand' Then the Blessed One, having understood Brahma&s invitation, out of com+assion for beings, surveyed the world with the eye of an 1wakened One' 1s he did so, he saw beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace and danger in the other world' 2ust as in a +ond of blue or red or white lotuses, some lotuses -- born and growing in the water -- might flourish while immersed in the water, without rising u+ from the water0 some might stand at an even level with the water0 while some might rise u+ from the water and stand without being smeared by the water -- so too, surveying the world with the eye of an 1wakened One, the Blessed One saw beings with little dust in their eyes and those with much, those with keen faculties and those with dull, those with good attributes and those with bad, those easy to teach and those hard, some of them seeing disgrace and danger in the other world'

= :aving seen this, he answered Brahma Saham+ati in verse( O+en are the doors to the *eathless to those with ears' 9et them show their conviction' Perceiving trouble, O Brahma, I did not tell +eo+le the refined, sublime *hamma' Then Brahma Saham+ati, thinking, )The Blessed One has given his consent to teach of *hamma,) bowed down to the Blessed One and, circling him on the right, disa++eared right there'