འཕགས་པ་ཚངས་པས་ཞས་པ་ཞས་བྱ་བ་ཐག་པ་ཆན་པའ་མད 17

17

last night in the middle of the night, not yet asleep, I was sitting alone in seclusion absorbed inwardly, when Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, came before me, bathing this great forest and everything in it with light. He praised me, he circumambulated me three times, and he sat down to one side. Once seated, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, said to me, ‘Were the Bhagavān to grant me a moment, I would like to request a teaching from the tathāgata, arhat, truly complete Buddha, regarding a certain point.’ Monks, this was his request, and I replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, ‘Brahmā, the Tathāgata always has time to grant you a teaching. Brahmā, ask the Tathāgata whatever you like, and I will oblige with a teaching that will delight you.’ Granted this opportunity, Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, asked me, ‘Bhagavān, do bodhisattva mahāsattvas require many dharmas to quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood?’ I replied to Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, ‘Brahmā, if bodhisattva mahāsattvas have just one dharma, they will quickly reach the unsurpassable, truly complete awakening of buddhahood. What is that one dharma? It is mindfulness that observes the body.’ Then, monks, I taught Brahmā, lord of the Sahā world, the causes, practices, and results of mindfully observing the body.”

Then, Venerable Ānanda said to the Bhagavān, “Wonderful, wonderful!