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DN 21 Buddha hears sounds while in undistractable lucidity of samadhi

http://lucid24.org/dn/dn21/toc-addon/index.html
2. Sakkūpasaṅkama
2. The Approach of Sakka
Atha kho sakkassa devānamindassa etadahosi:
Then Sakka, lord of gods, thought:
“paṭisammodati pañcasikho gandhabbadevaputto bhagavatā, bhagavā ca pañcasikhenā”ti.
“Pañcasikha is exchanging pleasantries with the Buddha.”
Atha kho sakko devānamindo pañcasikhaṃ gandhabbadevaputtaṃ āmantesi:
So he addressed Pañcasikha:
“abhivādehi me tvaṃ, tāta pañcasikha, bhagavantaṃ:
“My dear Pañcasikha, please bow to the Buddha for me, saying:
‘sakko, bhante, devānamindo sāmacco saparijano bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī’”ti.
‘Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.’”
“Evaṃ, bhaddantavā”ti kho pañcasikho gandhabbadevaputto sakkassa devānamindassa paṭissutvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādeti:
“Yes, lord,” replied Pañcasikha. He bowed to the Buddha and said:
“sakko, bhante, devānamindo sāmacco saparijano bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī”ti.
“Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.”
“Evaṃ sukhī hotu, pañcasikha, sakko devānamindo sāmacco saparijano;
“So may Sakka with his ministers and retinue be happy, Pañcasikha,” said the Buddha,
sukhakāmā hi devā manussā asurā nāgā gandhabbā ye caññe santi puthukāyā”ti.
“for all want to be happy—whether gods, humans, demons, dragons, fairies, or any of the other diverse creatures there may be.”
Evañca pana tathāgatā evarūpe mahesakkhe yakkhe abhivadanti.
For that is how the Realized Ones salute such illustrious spirits.
Abhivadito sakko devānamindo bhagavato indasālaguhaṃ pavisitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi.
And being saluted by the Buddha, Sakka entered the Indasāla cave, bowed to the Buddha, and stood to one side.
Devāpi tāvatiṃsā indasālaguhaṃ pavisitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhaṃsu.
And the gods of the Thirty-Three did likewise,
Pañcasikhopi gandhabbadevaputto indasālaguhaṃ pavisitvā bhagavantaṃ abhivādetvā ekamantaṃ aṭṭhāsi.
as did Pañcasikha.
Tena kho pana samayena indasālaguhā visamā santī samā samapādi, sambādhā santī urundā samapādi, andhakāro guhāyaṃ antaradhāyi, āloko udapādi yathā taṃ devānaṃ devānubhāvena.
And at that time the uneven places were evened out, the cramped places were opened up, the darkness vanished and light appeared, as happens through the glory of the gods.
Atha kho bhagavā sakkaṃ devānamindaṃ etadavoca:
Then the Buddha said to Sakka:
“acchariyamidaṃ āyasmato kosiyassa, abbhutamidaṃ āyasmato kosiyassa tāva bahukiccassa bahukaraṇīyassa yadidaṃ idhāgamanan”ti.
“It’s incredible and amazing that you, the venerable Kosiya, who has so many duties and so much to do, should come here.”
“Cirapaṭikāhaṃ, bhante, bhagavantaṃ dassanāya upasaṅkamitukāmo; api ca devānaṃ tāvatiṃsānaṃ kehici kehici kiccakaraṇīyehi byāvaṭo; evāhaṃ nāsakkhiṃ bhagavantaṃ dassanāya upasaṅkamituṃ.
“For a long time I’ve wanted to go and see the Buddha, but I wasn’t able, being prevented by my many duties and responsibilities for the gods of the Thirty-Three.
Ekamidaṃ, bhante, samayaṃ bhagavā sāvatthiyaṃ viharati salaḷāgārake.
This one time, sir, the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in the frankincense-tree hut.
Atha khvāhaṃ, bhante, sāvatthiṃ agamāsiṃ bhagavantaṃ dassanāya.
Then I went to Sāvatthī to see the Buddha.
Tena kho pana, bhante, samayena bhagavā aññatarena samādhinā nisinno hoti, bhūjati ca nāma vessavaṇassa mahārājassa paricārikā bhagavantaṃ paccupaṭṭhitā hoti, pañjalikā namassamānā tiṭṭhati.
But at that time the Buddha was sitting immersed in some kind of meditation. And a divine maiden of Great King Vessavaṇa named Bhūjati was attending on the Buddha, standing there paying homage to him with joined palms.
Atha khvāhaṃ, bhante, bhūjatiṃ etadavocaṃ:
So I said to her:
‘abhivādehi me tvaṃ, bhagini, bhagavantaṃ:
‘Sister, please bow to the Buddha for me, saying:
“sakko, bhante, devānamindo sāmacco saparijano bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī”’ti.
“Sir, Sakka, lord of gods, with his ministers and retinue, bows with his head at your feet.”’
Evaṃ vutte, bhante, sā bhūjati maṃ etadavoca:
When I said this, she said to me:
‘akālo kho, mārisa, bhagavantaṃ dassanāya;
‘It’s the wrong time to see the Buddha,
paṭisallīno bhagavā’ti.
as he’s in retreat.’
‘Tena hi, bhagini, yadā bhagavā tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhito hoti, atha mama vacanena bhagavantaṃ abhivādehi:
‘Well then, sister, please convey my message when the Buddha emerges from that undistractible-lucidity.’
“sakko, bhante, devānamindo sāmacco saparijano bhagavato pāde sirasā vandatī”’ti.
Kacci me sā, bhante, bhaginī bhagavantaṃ abhivādesi?
I hope that sister bowed to you?
Sarati bhagavā tassā bhaginiyā vacanan”ti?
Do you remember what she said?”
“Abhivādesi maṃ sā, devānaminda, bhaginī, sarāmahaṃ tassā bhaginiyā vacanaṃ.
“She did bow, lord of gods, and I remember what she said.
Api cāhaṃ āyasmato nemisaddena tamhā samādhimhā vuṭṭhito”ti.
I also remember that it was the sound of your chariot wheels that pulled me out of that undistractible-lucidity.”
“Ye te, bhante, devā amhehi paṭhamataraṃ tāvatiṃsakāyaṃ upapannā, tesaṃ me sammukhā sutaṃ sammukhā paṭiggahitaṃ:
“Sir, I have heard and learned this in the presence of the gods who were reborn in the host of the Thirty-Three before me:
‘yadā tathāgatā loke uppajjanti arahanto sammāsambuddhā, dibbā kāyā paripūrenti, hāyanti asurakāyā’ti.
‘When a Realized One arises in the world, perfected and fully awakened, the heavenly hosts swell, while the demon hosts dwindle.’
Taṃ me idaṃ, bhante, sakkhidiṭṭhaṃ yato tathāgato loke uppanno arahaṃ sammāsambuddho, dibbā kāyā paripūrenti, hāyanti asurakāyāti.
And I have seen this with my own eyes.

Comments

  1. Isn't this sufficient to refute the camp of pro Vism. jhanas ?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Arka, didn't see your comment until just now. I'll respond in a new blog post.

      Delete

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